On the way back to Zhangtai Palace, Ying Ji kept looking at Ying Zheng, whom Queen Dowager Mi had described as “six parts like Ji’er when he was little.” At last, he couldn’t hold back any longer.
“Is this your son, Fan?”
Fan Ju replied without a change in expression. “He is the son of an old friend of mine. His name is Zhang Zheng. His parents were merchants in Wei, and they entrusted him to my care. Both have since passed away, leaving him without family.”
His tone carried a sigh, and his account of Ying Zheng’s origins was neat and convincing.
Ying Ji grunted and didn’t ask any more questions, but his doubts remained. That boy had a bearing no merchant’s family could have taught him. Once he was back at the palace, Ying Ji decided, he’d summon his silly son and question him.
His mother said the boy looked like he had as a child, and to him the boy looked like Crown Prince Zhu when he was young. What were the odds?
Ying Ji looked at Ying Zheng warmly and beckoned him closer. Bending down, he asked, “How old are you?”
“Ten.” Ying Zheng looked up. He tried to keep his face stern, hoping to look older and more mature, but two parts of unguarded admiration still shone in his eyes.
This was the first elder on his father’s side he’d ever met—and the one he admired most.
The day’s events had gone smoothly. Ying Ji had reclaimed power without falling out with his birth mother, and things had gone better than he’d expected. With the weight lifted from his shoulders, he showed a rare softness.
“Only ten? You’re a fine boy—tall and broad-shouldered.” He patted Ying Zheng’s shoulder. He didn’t find the boy’s height strange. He himself was tall, and his own elder brother had been a man of extraordinary strength who died after trying to lift a cauldron.
Remembering Ying Zheng’s every move that day, Ying Ji added with admiration, “You stayed calm when it mattered. You have uncommon courage. You’re a promising young man.”
The more Ying Ji thought about it, the more convinced he became that Ying Zheng was his grandson. Tall, brave… That has to be my own grandson!
“Your Majesty is too kind.” Seeing where this was headed, Fan Ju hurried forward and placed himself between Ying Zheng and the King. He couldn’t risk letting his benefactor’s nephew get dragged into some new mess. Then he changed the subject to the next steps for dealing with the Four Nobles.
Ying Ji took the bait and began discussing the Four Nobles—his two uncles and two younger brothers—with Fan Ju.
The King sounded completely at ease. The only person he had ever feared was Queen Dowager Mi. As for his uncles and brothers, even without Fan Ju’s help, Ying Ji could have beaten them all by himself.
They returned to the mansion late that night. Darkness hung thick over the city as the carriage rolled down empty streets, its wheels groaning over the stone road. The night was cold and heavy with dew. All was still save for a few brief barks from distant dogs.
Fan Ju looked tired. “It’s been a dangerous day. Get some rest.”
He rubbed his temples. “Don’t dwell on what the King and Queen Dowager said. Strange things happen in a big world. It’s not unusual for people to look a little alike.”
Ying Zheng didn’t move.
On the screen only he could see, the countdown was ticking mercilessly forward.
[Countdown: One hour remaining]
“Sir,” he called suddenly.
Fan Ju turned back.
Ying Zheng tilted his head up. Lamplight flickered in his clear eyes. “If my uncle comes to you one day asking for a position, please don’t let him become a general.”
Fan Ju paused. “Why not?”
“He never reads military books. He’s read less than I have. He knows a few moves with a sword, but he has no idea how to lead an army or fight a battle.” A trace of exasperation crept into Ying Zheng’s voice. “I keep telling him to read more, but he never listens.”
Ying Zheng had little patience for adults who wouldn’t work to improve themselves. His mother, Zhao Ji, didn’t like reading, and now the uncle he’d acquired in this instance was the same way. How could anyone get anywhere if he refused to put in the effort?
“A general who doesn’t understand warfare can’t win battles. You’re a man who values his friends. Don’t let affection for him ruin his prospects—or yours.”
Ying Zheng gave Fan Ju a careful lecture. Once Fan Ju promised, the boy turned and walked toward his room. He kicked off his shoes and lay down fully clothed, staring at the blurry patterns on the canopy above him. The room was quiet except for the owl hooting outside and Fan Ju’s footsteps fading away.
Just as those footsteps were about to disappear, Ying Zheng suddenly raised his voice.
“Sir, you’ll be famous throughout the world one day. History will remember you.”
The footsteps stopped.
After a moment, Fan Ju came back and tucked Ying Zheng’s blanket around him. His voice was low and gentle. “Save your congratulations for tomorrow… There’s plenty of time. No one can say what the future holds.”
He couldn’t imagine where the boy got all that energy. Fan Ju had spent the day on edge and now barely had the strength to speak. Ying Zheng, meanwhile, was still bright-eyed and full of words.
Soon, everything fell quiet.
Curled beneath the covers, Ying Zheng mumbled, “I actually know what the future holds…”
He had grown up listening to the people of Zhao curse Fan Ju.
Ying Zheng closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he was back in Handan, Zhao State.
Everything around him had stopped moving.
[Quest Complete]
[Evaluation: You were a tiny butterfly, but you gave Fan Ju invaluable help. You persuaded Zheng Anping to save Fan Ju, followed Fan Ju to Qin, helped him gather intelligence about the Qin court, and finally witnessed a palace coup firsthand.
Perhaps instead of saving Fan Ju, you were learning how to use the pieces in your hand to save yourself?
Points: 700]
No. 108 bounced excitedly into view, scattering electronic petals.
[Congratulations, Host! You’ve completed the quest. No. 108 will now edit your instance experience into a documentary. Please select a Content Category.]
Ying Zheng still hadn’t gotten used to suddenly shrinking from ten years old back to eight. He was even more amazed by the system’s supernatural powers, and treated No. 108 with greater warmth than before.
“I’ll leave it to you.” Ying Zheng knew No. 108 didn’t like being called “Sir,” so he chose a more affectionate form of address.
His still-round eyes looked up at the orb, full of trust. “You and I are bound together, heart and soul, through life and death. I don’t know anything yet, so I’ll have to rely on you to teach me.”
No. 108’s data stream hitched. Its core temperature began to rise.
No. This is the First Emperor, the man who would one day tell Wang Jian, “Though you are ill, how can you bear to abandon me?” He’s using words to manipulate me!
But Ying Zheng is only eight right now. Can he really fool a system?
The orb wobbled, then gave in.
[According to the available data, the best Content Category for you right now is Infrastructure Zone.]
“What does ‘infrastructure’ mean?” Ying Zheng asked, looking suitably curious.
[Infrastructure Zone: A player leads or participates in basic construction, such as building roads and cities, developing agriculture and industry; improving systems, such as laws, the economy, and education; or improving people’s lives through medical care and culture.]
[There are different ways to save the world… I’ll secretly give you temporary access so you can take a look at other players’ livestreams.]
No. 108 opened a small screen that hovered in Ying Zheng’s palm.
Ying Zheng looked at the display.
The image shook violently. A gaunt, ragged man grinned, his white teeth stark against his dark face.
He grabbed a gray-green wild plant from the ground and stuffed it into his mouth. “I got unlucky this time. I entered the instance as a refugee. But I’m an expert at wilderness survival, and this wild vegetable is edible… Just because a young man’s down on his luck doesn’t mean he can’t rise again. First, I have to survive. Then I can save the world.”
A strange rattling sound suddenly came from his throat. His eyes rolled back, foam spilled from his mouth, and he toppled stiffly onto his back.
The Livestream Room went black. Only a string of [Hahaha] comments remained.
Ying Zheng silently exited and glanced at the Content Category label: [Overpowered Hero Comeback Zone].
No. 108 hurriedly cut away the screen.
[An accident. Purely an accident.]
The next image showed a stunningly beautiful woman gazing at the delicacies on a table, her delicate brows knit and her eyes shining like water. She looked as if she were Xishi clutching her heart. Then she suddenly raised an eyebrow and spoke in a bright local accent.
“Watch this, y’all! I’m gonna eat a whole chicken in two bites!”
Before she had even finished speaking, she’d rolled up her sleeves. Her mouth opened and closed, and the meat vanished from the bones. A clean chicken skeleton landed in the plate with a Clack! The whole thing had taken no more than a few breaths.
Ying Zheng glanced at the Livestream Room’s Content Category.
[Deep Palace Zone]
“I think the Infrastructure Zone sounds great.” As he spoke, Ying Zheng swiftly hit the confirmation button and changed the name of his Livestream Room to I Love Infrastructure.
No. 108 was too embarrassed to speak.
It changed the subject.
[Would the player like to redeem an item with Popularity Points?]
“I want a map showing me how to escape back to Qin.”
[Cost: 1,000 Popularity Points.]
Ying Zheng narrowed his eyes slowly, though a pleased smile tugged at his lips. He wasn’t at all discouraged that he couldn’t afford it.
He’d already confirmed that he could redeem the thing he really wanted.
“I want the route from Handan in Zhao to Daliang in Wei,” he clarified. “The one Zhang Zheng took in the instance just now.”
The price on the screen changed to a number he could afford.
Without hesitation, Ying Zheng reached out and tapped [Redemption].
A simple map appeared on the screen. Ink lines traced the mountains, rivers, cities, and passes. Even several roads where they might encounter an inspection had been carefully marked.
Ying Zheng studied the map, fitting the route from Handan to Daliang together in his mind with the path he had taken from Wei into Qin with Fan Ju in the instance.
From Zhao to Wei, then from Wei to Qin: a way to bypass the heavily guarded Qin-Zhao border by going through Wei.
Ying Zheng’s breathing quickened for an instant. He bit down hard on his tongue. The sharp pain and taste of blood brought him back to his senses.
Now all he had to do was persuade his own “Zheng Anping” to help him escape.
Ying Zheng rose abruptly. Though it was still dark, he went straight to Zhao Ji’s bedroom and knocked softly on the door.
“Mother.” When she woke, he looked at her and said, “Please pass a letter to Lu Buwei for me.”
“Ask him to help us escape back to Qin.” He spoke each word with utmost seriousness.
Zhao Ji’s eyes widened in shock. The jade hairpin in her hand fell to the floor and shattered with a bright chime. She didn’t even glance at the hairpin she usually treasured most.
“What?”
Ying Zheng looked up at her, his voice far calmer than a child his age ought to be. “Mother, we have to return to Qin.”
His great-grandfather Ying Ji had once been held hostage in Yan. When King Wu Ying Dang died suddenly after trying to lift a cauldron, Ying Ji had ascended the throne in Xianyang through the efforts of his birth mother, Queen Dowager Xuan. He had then waited more than thirty years, until he was fifty-eight, before finally taking power into his own hands.
Ying Zheng didn’t know whether Heaven’s Mandate had granted him the same lifespan and good fortune as his great-grandfather.
All he knew was that his mother wasn’t Queen Dowager Xuan, a woman who could move heaven and earth. Nor did he have a maternal uncle like Lord Rang Wei Ran, whose power dominated the court.
He had no one to rely on, no power to draw upon.
He could only depend on himself.
