Chapter 1: Prologue

As July arrived, the weather grew increasingly sweltering. Beneath a translucent blue sky hung a sun like a ball of fire; the clouds, unable to endure the intense heat, had quietly retreated without a trace. Along both banks of the Great River, the willow trees looked as if they were diseased, their leaves curling upon the branches, the limbs remaining utterly motionless. A large yellow dog lay listlessly beneath a tree, panting heavily with its tongue lolling out.

One afternoon, the cavalry of the First Emperor's fifth grand inspection tour arrived at Pingyuan Ferry amidst the scorching heat.

This Pingyuan Ferry was an ancient crossing of the former State of Zhao, named for being part of the fiefdom of Lord Pingyuan (Zhao Sheng). It had long been an important riverside fortress downstream of the Great River (the name for the Yellow River during the Qin Dynasty). During the late Warring States period, the conflicts between Qin and Zhao had been at their most intense, to the point that the empire's monarchs, officials, and soldiers were intimately familiar with Zhao's geography. Thus, upon arriving here, the soldiers were not particularly amazed. They merely prepared for the river crossing under the command of the Commandant of the Guard, Yang Duanhe.

A short distance from the ferry lay a grove of trees; under the blazing sun, this was the only place that offered any shade. The Emperor's traveling camp tents were still being erected, and a cool carriage drawn by a team of four horses sat beneath a large tree with its curtains drawn; intermittent bouts of coughing drifted from within. Zhao Gao, the Director of the Chēchē Mansion (equivalent to a modern head of state's private secretary and driver), stood before the carriage with two handmaidens. More than ten zhang away, three hundred armored soldiers with swords stood in rigid formation, surrounding the cool carriage. Despite the shade, the forest remained stiflingly hot, and the endless drone of cicadas made everyone's eardrums throb.

No one made a sound, and the atmosphere grew increasingly numb and irritable.

Everyone present knew that His Majesty the First Emperor was ill again, and it was not a light ailment.

Li Si had just had an audience with His Majesty, suggesting the cancellation of the plan to head north to Jiuyuan and to return to the capital immediately.

"Prime Minister, I am fine! Order the camp to cross the river and proceed north to Jiuyuan at once!" This was the Emperor's unquestionable command. Beside him, Zhao Gao wore a mournful expression, his body hunched so low he did not dare lift his head.

The moment he heard those words, Li Si's heart sank.

Li Si was aware of the Emperor's illness. Since the Emperor's return from the East Sea after shooting the mermaid at the end of May, his condition had fluctuated between good and bad; the imperial physicians' medicines had little effect on him. That damned Xu Fu had suddenly vanished into the sea with his fleet of three thousand youths, leaving the Emperor incensed and his condition worsened. Most hateful of all, once Xu Fu fled, the alchemical medicines the Emperor had long relied upon to "replenish his vitality" had been cut off.

"Could it be... that His Majesty truly cannot make it through this?" Li Si did not dare think further on the matter.

Li Si paced numbly through the grove, events since June flashing through his mind.

In mid-June, the Emperor had suddenly issued an edict sending the Director of the Imperial Physicians, Meng Yi, back to Xianyang, and the imperial seals had been placed under Zhao Gao's control. For this, Li Si had petitioned His Majesty, requesting to concurrently manage the affairs of the Chief Secretary and the seals. This was because Li Si felt an instinctive contempt for an eunuch who had been "defiled." However, His Majesty had replied: "Little Gao has followed me for over thirty years and has never failed me in a single matter. Why should I doubt him?"

Shortly after Meng Yi left, Li Si had planned the route back to Xianyang, and the Emperor had agreed. But to his utter surprise, once they passed Linzi, the Emperor's illness flared up again, and he suddenly decided to head north to Jiuyuan to reward the troops.

Just now, Li Si had once again suggested returning to the capital, but the Emperor, dragging his sickly body, had insisted once more.

Had Meng Yi truly gone back to Xianyang to pray to the mountains and rivers for the Emperor's blessing? Or did he carry some other mission? What was the intention behind the Emperor's insistence on heading north to Jiuyuan despite his broken health? For matters of such magnitude, had any previous emperor not consulted him before making a decision? Why was it different now?

All signs suggested to Li Si that His Majesty no longer relied on him. This was an ominous omen. If something were to happen to the Emperor, what would he do? He thought of how he, once a fallen scholar, had gained the First Emperor's appreciation through a single "Edict on Expelling the Guests," and how for over twenty years, he had risen from a River and Canal Official to a River and Canal Director, then to Chief Secretary, then to Grand Commandant, and finally to Prime Minister. He had worked himself to exhaustion for a lifetime of achievement, yet why, in these final steps, had the Emperor—the man he had looked to his entire life—diverged from his path? For the first time, Li Si felt lost.

As the sun set, the Great River flowed eastward, rippling with a wash of gold.

Crossing the river at Pingyuan Ferry, the Emperor's traveling camp advanced slowly along the official road.

By nightfall, inside the four-horse cool carriage, Zhao Gao had just finished serving the First Emperor his evening meal. Since the relapse the day before yesterday, the Emperor's appetite had grown increasingly poor; despite an abundance of every delicacy, the Emperor could barely eat a few bites. Zhao Gao was extremely anxious, having exhausted every trick at his disposal to little effect.

In the sweltering heat, the First Emperor, Ying Zheng, who was still shivering slightly under his silk quilt, suddenly spoke: "Zhao Gao, where have we reached?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the camp has crossed the Great River and has now entered the territory of Julu Commandery."

"How much further to Jiuyuan?"

"Your Majesty, I fear there are still one thousand seven or eight hundred li to go."

"Oh, I fear I cannot wait that long. *Cough... cough...*" Emperor Ying Zheng suffered another bout of violent coughing.

Seeing this, Zhao Gao, who was kneeling on the ground, immediately rose to go to him.

Ying Zheng waved him off. "No need. You may withdraw. Do not let anyone disturb me!"

"Yes." Zhao Gao retreated in trepidation.

After a bout of heavy breathing, Emperor Ying Zheng, leaning against the head of the bed, gradually regained some clarity.

The procession of several thousand men marched forward silently, with no noise other than the occasional neighing of a warhorse. *This is the battle-hardened army upon which I rely to sweep across the world!* Ying Zheng's heart warmed, and he reached out to pull down the window curtain.

Outside the window, on the official road, rows of torches moved forward like a winding fire dragon.

In the hazy night, with the waning moon rising, Emperor Ying Zheng's thoughts slowly merged into the boundless starry sky.

*Once upon a time, the old Qin tribe stood alone in Longxi, driving out barbarians, protecting the Zhou court, resisting the six states, and unifying the world. Wherever there was a need, we went. But now the Prime Minister says the old Qin people have scattered across the world; the Qin people of Guanzhong are no longer even thirty percent. How can my heart be at peace! Now, the undercurrents of restoration among the exiled nobles of the six states are surging. Once the world is in turmoil, what shall I rely on to intimidate the realm? Ying Zheng, oh Ying Zheng, you have always spent the old Qin people recklessly; do you realize your mistake now? But with a hundred thousand Qin iron-clad soldiers in hand, what do I fear? But I no longer have them. Did I not send Meng Yi back to Xianyang first to gather the Qin people of Guanzhong once more to prepare for any unforeseen calamity? Li Si, oh Li Si, why could you not have told me sooner? To be so incapable of handling affairs, thinking only of how to guess the superior's will... General Wang Ben told me before his death, "Li Si's heart for mediation is too heavy, and his personal ambition is too great." How could I dare entrust the future of the empire to you? If I meet with misfortune on this journey, who will stabilize the court? Meng Tian is far away in Jiuyuan, and Li Si leaves me in doubt and uncertainty. It is difficult, truly difficult.*

*Once upon a time, I sought novelty, change, and perfection in everything. I did not establish an Empress in the inner palace, nor did I designate a legal heir among the princes, because I wanted to choose slowly, to select a truly capable prince to inherit this world. Heaven gave me over twenty years, yet I failed to grasp them properly. Only now, as illness approaches, do I realize how great a danger the vacuum of succession in the empire's highest power is. Looking back, I was like a ridiculous farmer, walking from one end of a field to the other, always wanting to find the single sturdiest, fullest ear of wheat, never satisfied and always moving forward, placing all my hope in what lay ahead. Only when I reached the end did I realize that the one I had passed was the best. Is that not the case with Fusu? Though he has flaws, he at least has responsibility, dares to speak directly, and has his own thoughts. Entrusting the empire to him would bring peace of mind—is that not the very reason I repeatedly rejected Li Si's suggestions to insist on heading north to Jiuyuan? It turns out, in the depths of my heart, I so desperately wanted to see him and the Great General Meng Tian.*

*Once upon a time, I always wanted to reorganize the world within my lifetime: dredging canals, expanding roads, building palaces, repairing the Great Wall, and pushing the New Laws across the Nine Provinces, wanting to rule the world by law and give the commoners (the Qin term for the people) a beautiful future. Regrettably, looking at it now, perhaps I went too far. On this inspection tour, barren lands are everywhere; even where there are farmers, it is hard to find robust men, showing how strained the people's strength is. In the remote reaches, bandits gather in the mountains, and even in Guanzhong, large numbers of convicts have fled and gone into hiding—these are all such great hidden dangers. If so, how can the commoners of the world live in peace and prosperity? Ying Zheng, oh Ying Zheng, did you not know the principle that "excess is as bad as deficiency" even after reaching the pinnacle of your life? Do you truly still have time to correct this?*

Thinking of these things, Emperor Ying Zheng's anger surged into his heart. With a "*Wha!*" he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and collapsed, falling into unconsciousness.

Zhao Gao, guarding outside the door, heard the sound and rushed in, turning pale with shock. He hurried outside and cried out loudly, "Physician! Quickly, call the physician..."

Li Si, Hu Wujing, Yang Duanhe, Dun Ruo, and the other accompanying ministers rushed over upon hearing the news. Amidst the chaos, none of them noticed that at the stroke of the tenth watch, a streak of azure "lightning" flashed toward the west in an instant.

"What was that just now? So bright!"

"A shooting star, probably..."

"Are there blue shooting stars? It didn't look like one to me..."

It was, however, a few guard soldiers who had witnessed that singular, strange sight.