Chapter 18: I Shall Begin My Vengeance—The Destruction of the Six Kingdoms!

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“Lao Ai grew increasingly arrogant within the palace, relying on Zhao Ji’s favor to gather allies and recklessly expand his influence.”
“He even boasted drunkenly that he was the true father of Ying Zheng.”
“This rumor quickly reached Ying Zheng’s ears, but at that time, Ying Zheng held no real power and could only turn a blind eye.”
“He began to secretly organize loyal ministers and generals.”
“At the same time, he feigned ignorance of Lao Ai’s affair with Zhao Ji, waiting for the perfect moment.”
“He planned to capture Lao Ai and his faction in one decisive blow, to avenge this humiliating disgrace and restore the royal family’s dignity.”
“To his shock, he discovered that the two had even borne two children. This was intolerable beyond measure.”
“Sensing Ying Zheng’s determination to kill him, Lao Ai preemptively recruited followers to rebel and persuaded Zhao Ji to use her seal to mobilize troops for an uprising in Qinian Palace.”
“This event is historically known as the Rebellion of Lao Ai.”

At this moment, the screen shifts!

“Upon learning this, Ying Zheng dispatched Changping Jun and Changwen Jun with troops to quell the rebellion.”
“The two sides clashed in Xianyang; Lao Ai was defeated and fled.”
“Ying Zheng issued a public notice, offering one million coins to anyone who captured Lao Ai alive, and five hundred thousand coins for killing him.”
“In September of the same year, Lao Ai and all his followers were captured.”
“Lao Ai was subjected to the cruel punishment of being torn apart by chariots, and his entire three clans were exterminated; twenty key conspirators were beheaded; lesser offenders served three years in prison, and over four thousand households were stripped of their titles and banished to Shu.”
“The two illegitimate children were also executed by throwing; Zhao Ji, broken by the fate of Lao Ai and those children, severed ties with Ying Zheng.”
“Overall, surprisingly few lives were lost.”
“Lü Buwei, implicated in the affair, was removed from his position as Chancellor; Zhao Ji was imprisoned in the imperial palace at Yong.”
“What a perfectly played hand Zhao Ji shattered into pieces!”

At the screen’s edge, Lü Buwei watched his fate unfold with helpless resignation.
He sighed softly, his heart heavy with mixed emotions.
Lü Buwei had squandered his entire fortune to support the old Ying family… sending beauties, gold, and jewels.
Who would have thought it all ended in such a tragic misstep—an eternal regret born of a single lapse in judgment!
No one else to blame but himself for failing to control his desires.
In the end, all his schemes were swept away.
After watching, old Lü felt his life was over, his soul desolate.

The Han Dynasty.

Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, gazed at the past scenes on the screen, surprised: “The Rebellion of Lao Ai—truly a shame upon the Qin. Ying Zheng only executed this handful of people?”
“Is this the tyrant people speak of?”
“If it were me, I wouldn’t have stopped until the blood ran like a river.”
Then he thought perhaps this was the doing of his ancestor Liu Bang’s rival, Ying Zheng, and felt somewhat relieved.

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The screen continued.

“From this point, Ying Zheng consolidated power, elevating ministers and generals like Li Si, Wang Jian, and Meng Tian! The era of Ying Zheng had begun!”
“We have now reached the latter half of the third phase—the campaign to conquer the Six Kingdoms.”
“Before the conquest, Ying Zheng made extensive preparations: encouraging the cultivation of wastelands, building irrigation projects like Dujiangyan and Zhengguo Canal, laying the material foundation for war.”
“Military reforms were enacted: a strict system was established to enhance combat effectiveness and train elite soldiers, forging a powerful Qin army.”
“Strategically, he adopted advice from Li Si and Wei Liao, formulating the ‘ally distant states and attack nearby ones’ policy, preparing to first strike neighboring nations and gradually subdue the Six Kingdoms.”
“Diplomatically, Ying Zheng employed bribery and sowed discord to fracture the united front of the Six Kingdoms, preventing them from mounting effective resistance.”
“All of these were means to conquer the Six Kingdoms!”

Below the screen, the former Qin kings laughed heartily.
King Wu of Qin was particularly thrilled: “Today I am joyful; let me raise a cup for the descendants of Great Qin…”
King Zhaoxiang of Qin patted his chest, smiling broadly: “Ha ha… the unification of the realm is upon us… at this very moment!”
King Xiaowen of Qin, surprisingly, sat up on his bed, flushed with excitement, showing no sign of death’s approach:
“I never imagined I would live to see the day Qin unifies the world… I can now rest in peace!”
King Zhuangxiang of Qin chuckled: “Heh heh… my son! My son is about to unify the realm!”

All the old Qin kings across the dimensions were ready to witness the battle for unification.

On the screen, after all preparations, King Ying Zheng declared war on the Six Kingdoms with relentless military force!

“First, he ordered Neishi Teng to attack Han as a breakthrough. Why Han?”
“The reason was simple: it was weaker and nearby, a perfect test of Qin’s strength!”

Zhang Liang, watching this, was filled with shame and anger!
His eyes blazed as he pointed at Ying Zheng’s image on the screen, cursing fiercely:
“You brat Ying Zheng, so warmongering, igniting war for your selfish desires, bringing ruin to countless innocent lives!”
“What crime had Han committed to become your testing ground?”

On screen, the Qin army struck like a fierce tiger descending the mountain, rapidly advancing on Han.
Panic engulfed Han; civilians fled with their families in chaos.
Zhang Liang’s rage only grew as he clenched his fists, nails biting into his flesh, oblivious to the pain.

The old Qin kings applauded the Qin army’s sweep, like autumn leaves blown by the wind.

At the screen:

“In 230 BCE, Neishi Teng utterly defeated Han forces, captured King An of Han; Han was destroyed and became a Qin commandery!”
“The success of the first conquest bolstered Ying Zheng’s confidence; his next target was Zhao!”

On screen, Ying Zheng sat upon the throne, his cold eyes burning with hatred as he stared at the map marking Zhao, grinding his teeth.
“I shall begin… my vengeance! Wang Jian… destroy Zhao!”

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“In 234 BCE, Wang Jian led the army against Zhao, winning a major victory.”
“In 229 BCE, Wang Jian again was ordered to campaign against Zhao; he used a stratagem to convince King Qian of Zhao to unjustly kill the famed general Li Mu,”
“Following this, Wang Jian decisively defeated Zhao’s army, captured the capital Handan, and took King Qian prisoner; Zhao was effectively destroyed—officially declared extinct in 228 BCE!”
“All those in Handan who had once bullied Ying Zheng were executed!”
“Next came Wei, Chu, Yan, and Qi. Except for Chu, where Ying Zheng ignored veteran Wang Jian’s advice to use a 600,000-strong army and lost 200,000 troops, the others fell relatively smoothly!”
…

Below the screen, Ying Zheng watched his past unfold with deep emotion.
Once, he had endured hardship and struggled with political intrigue, step by step rising to the position to unify the realm.
Yet, dissent simmered beneath the surface.
He knew ruling the world was far harder than conquering it.
The remaining remnants of the Six Kingdoms could reignite rebellion if he were not vigilant.
Hence, he sought the secret of immortality!

The old Qin kings were exhilarated by the vast empire Ying Zheng had forged.
…

Now the screen entered Ying Zheng’s fourth phase; the scene shifted once more.
As the horn sounded, Ying Zheng, crowned with the twelve-ornamented crown, clad in a black dragon robe, sword at his waist, eyes sharp as fire, stepped resolutely toward Mount Tai’s summit!
The atmosphere was solemn and majestic.
In the most devout ceremony, he performed the Feng and Shan rites atop Mount Tai, engraving his great deeds on the mountain’s stone tablet.
Behind him stood Qin’s fierce soldiers, like tigers and wolves!

After burning incense, Ying Zheng’s gaze swept sharply forward; with a grand wave of his hand, he declared with overwhelming authority:
“From this moment… the world belongs only to Great Qin!”

No flowery words were needed; “only Great Qin” crushed all rival boasts!

The soldiers below roared wildly:
“Wind… wind… the great wind!”
Their voice thundered like a storm, chilling all who heard it!
…