Chapter 4: The Young Master Has Truly Brought the Heavens Down

"Where did the Seventeenth Prince find these people?"

"Could they be the death squads specifically left behind by His Majesty? It seems His Majesty holds high expectations for this young prince."

Wang Jian suppressed all his misgivings. Facing the assembled officials, he merely waved his hand dismissively.

"I have only come to court today to get some fresh air. It has nothing to do with state affairs, so Prince Huhai need not concern himself."

"Furthermore, His Majesty has already decreed that even though he is young, he holds the office of regent."

*A wily old fox,* he thought, his words leaving no room for criticism. A shadow of gloom flickered in Huhai’s eyes. Wang Jian watched him, sighing inwardly. As a veteran of three reigns, his eyes were sharp enough to see through anyone; he had long since realized that Prince Huhai was not a virtuous soul. However, these were the private affairs of the First Emperor, and as a subject, it was not his place to speak out. Of course, court matters were no child's play, and Wang Jian had already prepared a plan for how to assist Ying Ziji.

At this moment, the morning court began. The officials filed into the Qilin Hall, clearly divided into factions. Ying Ziji had arrived early; he had set up a small desk in front of the First Emperor’s dragon throne and was diligently reviewing memorials. Truth be told, he looked the part. Standing beside him was Yu Huatian, radiating an aura of lethal chill.

Ying Ziji stood up, straightening his posture. "Yu Huatian, organize the officials for court."

"Understood!"

The officials were stunned. Ordinarily, leading the court was the duty of Zhao Gao, the Prefect of the Central Carriage Office. Changing personnel without an imperial decree from the First Emperor seemed to violate protocol. Naturally, someone raised an objection.

"Young Prince, it has always been Lord Zhao who leads. What is the meaning of this?"

"This official also feels that the duty of leading the court is no joke. Only Lord Zhao is fit for the task."

"Perhaps Lord Zhao was simply exhausted from last night and is running late. It is a minor matter, truly."

Those who spoke up first were members of Zhao Gao’s faction. After all, the right to lead the officials was a symbol of supreme status and the First Emperor’s trust. Though they did not know why Lord Zhao had not appeared today, as his lackeys, they could not allow Ying Ziji to replace him so easily. To change personnel on the very first day of the regency—and to replace Zhao Gao, no less? This was unacceptable. While others harbored their own grievances against Zhao Gao, they were equally displeased by such a sudden change, especially to a man named Yu Huatian whom they had never heard of.

"Hmm... you all have so many questions," Ying Ziji said, tapping his small chin as he looked down at the officials kneeling in a heap. He replied one by one: "The reason I replaced Zhao Gao is, naturally, because Yu Huatian is better suited for it. Regardless of how things were done in the past, from now on, Yu Huatian will lead the court."

Ying Ziji blinked. His large, innocent eyes shone with earnestness.

This... the entire court of civil and military officials froze. A pin could have been heard dropping in the hall.

"How so? Young Prince, this is a grave matter; you cannot simply brush it off!"

"Indeed, governing the country is no child's play. A matter of changing officials should be discussed with us before any decision is made..."

"Are you not afraid of His Majesty's punishment for acting this way, Young Prince?"

The officials still did not take Ying Ziji’s regency seriously, speaking to him in the tone one uses to coax or frighten a child. They believed this was merely a childish whim and that a stern word would set things right. But some, particularly Wang Jian, began to frown. He had sensed long ago that this Yu Huatian was no simple man. The murderous aura he carried was not something an ordinary guard could possess. This was a butcher who had killed countless men, an aura cultivated through a mountain of corpses! Moreover, the guards surrounding the hall, dressed in flying-fish robes and wearing embroidered spring swords, all radiated a lethal intent. It was as if, at a single command from Ying Ziji, they would draw their blades and slaughter all dissenters present. They were clearly loyal death squads. Was the young prince playing for real?

*Princess, oh Princess, you told me to protect the Seventeenth Prince... it seems the young prince is even more unfathomable than you imagined!* This was no foolish younger brother as Princess Ying Yinman had described; he was a little devil!

"Young Prince, the nation has laws and rules. How can you change officials at will?" Meng Tian also remonstrated. Even though he held a grudge against Zhao Gao, it was precisely because of that grudge that he knew how deeply the First Emperor favored him. Years ago, when Zhao Gao had committed a capital crime, Meng Tian had wanted to execute him on the spot, only to be stopped by an imperial pardon. The Meng family had been at odds with Zhao Gao ever since. He did not want to see the court descend into chaos during the First Emperor's absence.

"Little Seventeen, stop this nonsense," Fusu chimed in. As a representative of the conservative scholars, he also insisted on the rule of law and order.

"Ying Ziji! What ability do you have to serve as regent? Get down here!" Huhai, wild with joy, shouted recklessly. He even attempted to rush the dais to drag Ying Ziji down.

"Hmm?"

"Whoever dares to move against His Highness, do not blame me for the ruthlessness of my blade!" Yu Huatian stepped in front of Ying Ziji, his hand on his sword, radiating killing intent.

Huhai stopped in his tracks, terrified. He had a premonition that if he took two more steps forward, this man would truly strike him down, even if he was the First Emperor’s son. Beyond the fear, however, was immense rage. "You... you thing that crawled out of nowhere, you dare draw your blade on this prince?"

"Little Seventeen, are you trying to tear the heavens asunder?! If you keep acting like this, let's see how you end up!"

Ying Ziji’s eyes narrowed as he watched the blustering Huhai. *Cough, cough... let me see...* Huhai was not Zhao Gao; he could not be killed so easily. It would be difficult to explain to Brother Zheng. A second later, an innocent smile returned to his face. "Someone, drag Huhai out. Don't let him make a scene here and disgrace our royal house!"

His youthful voice echoed through the hall. The officials exchanged looks of disbelief. *Young Prince, you are the one making a scene!* If His Majesty heard of this, no matter how much he doted on him, he would likely be given a sound thrashing.

"Little Seventeen, you dare!" Huhai was livid.

"Hmph, watch me!" Ying Ziji continued, "And there is no need to wait for Zhao Gao. He cannot come today, and furthermore, he will never be able to come again."

As Ying Ziji’s light words fell, Yu Huatian caught his gaze and signaled. A brocade guard emerged, carrying a decorative wooden box. He opened it, and upon seeing the contents, the expressions of the officials froze, instantly replaced by horror and disbelief.

"Zhao Gao conspired against the throne and was executed yesterday!" Yu Huatian’s cold voice rang through the hall.

Realizing that the box contained someone’s severed head, even Wang Jian almost pulled out his own white beard. He muttered to himself, "The young prince has truly... torn the heavens asunder."

"Does anyone else have any opinions regarding Lord Yu taking office?" Ying Ziji sat down gracefully, his casual tone as if he were discussing how many steamed buns he had eaten for breakfast. But the fire in the officials had been extinguished. Shock, awe, and confusion now gripped their hearts. Zhao Gao, who yesterday had been the most influential and favored minister of the First Emperor... was dead? No wonder he hadn't come; no wonder they said he would never come again. How could a dead man come?

For a time, not a single official dared to make a peep. They were terrified of becoming the next Zhao Gao. Because Ying Ziji was truly daring enough to kill!

Wang Jian pondered for a moment before stepping out from behind the other officials. He asked in a gravelly voice, "Seventeenth Prince, for what reason did you find it necessary to execute Lord Zhao?" His prestige was the highest in the court, and he had the First Emperor’s instructions not to stand idly by.

Li Si also sighed. "What is done is done; it is too late to speak of other things. This matter should be reported to the eastern inspection party, and we shall see how His Majesty wishes to deal with it. As for now, we should continue the court session." As the Right Chancellor, he naturally had to maintain the stability of the court. Zhao Gao was dead; there was no point in dwelling on it. The court had to keep running.

"If Father returns and wishes to punish me, Ziji will bear it all," Ying Ziji said, giving the officials a sense of reassurance. The situation was under his control. He could not rely on himself alone to implement national policies in the future. With a step down provided, the officials followed suit, wisely choosing not to mention Zhao Gao again. But the way they looked at Ying Ziji...

*Argue? Pursue the matter? Do you want to end up like Zhao Gao, splattered in blood on the floor?*

Many had come to court today with their own agendas, but now, those thoughts were quietly buried.

*Is the young prince truly only eight? You call this eight? He is clearly a little devil!*

Looking at the adorable Ying Ziji sitting before his small desk, this thought crossed everyone's mind.

"Very well, let us set that matter aside. What do you all have to discuss?"

Ying Ziji had never intended to explain. Besides... he couldn't! Could he say he was a transmigrator who knew the fate of Great Qin? Even Brother Zheng wouldn't believe such words.

"Reporting to the young prince, there is a severe drought in the north, and with autumn approaching, the Xiongnu may raid the borders."

"This official also has a report..."

"The labor force for the construction of the Great Wall is prepared."