frightfiction Chapter 88 Mutual Killing
Chapter 88 Mutual Killing
The Zhangtai Palace was utterly silent, as if time itself had frozen, with only the heavy breathing of the King of Qin echoing in the air. After a while, the King of Qin broke the silence and said in a low voice to Meng Yi, "Go and capture Zhao Gao, and make him confront Xu Fu." Meng Yi respectfully accepted the order and left, leaving the King of Qin alone on his throne, his eyes as cold as frost.
The King of Qin thought to himself, "Zhao Gao, I once gave you a chance, but you didn't know what was good for you. You actually chose to collude with Xu Fu and try to kill me. Originally, I planned to let you take Huhai to Baga Island to spend the rest of your life there. I didn't expect you to be so bold as to betray me! Do you really think I wouldn't dare to kill you?"
Anger and determination flashed in the King of Qin's eyes. He was determined to thoroughly investigate the matter and never let anyone who had tried to harm him get away with it. He knew that Zhao Gao could no longer be allowed to live; if he was not dealt with promptly, he would surely cause endless trouble.
Meng Yi led the Imperial Guards to surround the entire Zhao residence. The Zhao family steward rushed into Zhao Gao's courtyard in a panic, shouting, "Master, something terrible has happened! The Imperial Guards have broken in!"
Hearing the shouts outside, Zhao Gao hurriedly opened the door to check the situation. The steward, panting heavily, anxiously said, "Master, it's Lord Meng Yi! He's stormed in with his men!"
Upon hearing Meng Yi's name, a flash of hatred crossed Zhao Gao's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. He calmly walked towards the front yard, and seeing Meng Yi leading the Imperial Guards in a majestic manner, Zhao Gao put on a fake smile and said politely, "Young General Meng, what a rare guest you are today! May I ask why you have suddenly come to visit my Zhao residence? If you had notified me in advance, I would have been able to prepare. Please come in quickly."
However, Meng Yi remained unmoved. He stared coldly at Zhao Gao and said sternly, "Chief of the Imperial Carriage Office, Xu Fu has confessed to the King that he was poisoned on your orders. What else do you have to say about this?"
Upon hearing the name Xu Fu, Zhao Gao felt a surge of despair; he realized his scheme had been exposed. But to his even greater surprise, Xu Fu turned the tables, shifting the blame onto him. In a panic, Zhao Gao hastily protested, "General Meng, this is utter slander! Xu Fu is making baseless accusations; I had absolutely no intention of harming Your Majesty!"
Meng Yi coldly stared at Zhao Gao, his gaze filled with authority and indifference. He slowly spoke, "Zhao Gao, the King requests that you come forward and confront Xu Fu in court." Hearing this, Zhao Gao was overjoyed; he felt he still had a glimmer of hope. If he could shift all the blame onto Xu Fu, perhaps the King would be lenient with him. Therefore, Zhao Gao quickly wiped away his tears, adopted a submissive demeanor, and followed Meng Yi towards the Zhangtai Hall.
When they arrived at Zhangtai Palace, Xu Fu had already been brought in. Seeing Xu Fu's mangled and gruesome appearance, Zhao Gao felt a pang of unease. He silently prayed that they could pass through this ordeal smoothly.
The King of Qin sat upright on his dragon throne, his sharp gaze fixed on the two kneeling figures below. He said expressionlessly, "Begin!" His voice carried an undeniable air of authority.
Zhao Gao spoke first: "Your Majesty, I have always been loyal to you and have never had any disloyal thoughts."
Seeing that Zhao Gao's clothes were neat and clean, and his hair was combed meticulously, indicating that he had never been subjected to torture, Xu Fu became even more certain that Zhao Gao had betrayed him. He spoke in a hoarse voice, saying, "Your Majesty, I am but a humble alchemist. If Zhao Gao hadn't threatened my family's lives, why would I have poisoned Your Majesty? I have no grudge against Your Majesty, and this is the first time I have met you. What reason would I have to harm Your Majesty?"
Xu Fu's words were all reasonable, like sharp blades piercing Zhao Gao's heart. Zhao Gao was furious, unable to understand why Xu Fu would plot against the King of Qin. But Zhao Gao knew he had to refute him, so he angrily rebuked him: "You mere sorcerer, what family do you have? I have served the King for seven years, loyal and devoted, as the sun and moon can attest. Why would I harm the King? It was the King who bestowed upon me my status, position, and wealth. What benefit would I gain from harming the King? Xu Fu, you charlatan, do you ever speak the truth?"
Hearing Zhao Gao's words, Xu Fu felt a lump in his throat. He then looked directly at Zhao Gao and said, "Although I am a Taoist priest, I was born of a mother and father. How can I not have family? Back on the boat, you told me yourself that you were originally from Zhao, that it was the King of Qin who destroyed Zhao and made you a lackey. You had long been fed up with this humiliating life. You wanted to kill the King of Qin, avenge Zhao, return to Zhao, ascend the throne, and overthrow Qin. Have you forgotten all of these words?"
Upon hearing Xu Fu's words, Zhao Gao suddenly recalled the scene on the ship that day. Enraged, he roared, "I remember now, Xu Fu, you are from Qi. You didn't want the King to destroy Qi, so you spread rumors that you went to the immortal mountain and could concoct the elixir of immortality. You did this to make the King send me to find you, so that you could harm the King and then frame me. Xu Fu, you are utterly despicable and shameless!"
Upon hearing Zhao Gao's words, Xu Fu immediately retorted, "Zhao Gao, the State of Qi still exists, and it is a powerful and prosperous state. How could I possibly plot to assassinate the King of Qin before something has even happened? I have indeed been to the immortal mountain and have seen the immortals there. The elixir of immortality is not the problem. If it weren't for the poison you gave me, how could it be poisonous?"
Zhao Gao was dumbfounded. He never expected Xu Fu to be so eloquent, and he was no match for him at all. He roared angrily, "Xu Fu, you told me yourself that you had no idea how to make the elixir of immortality, and that there were no immortal mountains in the world. How dare you spout such nonsense now?"
Xu Fu raised the corners of his mouth slightly and said calmly, "Oh? I told you that I do not know how to make the elixir of immortality, and that the immortal mountain is also an illusion. Then why did you bring me back and tell the King of Qin that I can make the elixir of immortality? Shouldn't you have tied me up and handed me over to Lord Meng Yi for disposal?"
Zhao Gao was speechless, choked by Xu Fu's words. His fear intensified, and he clenched his fists, desperately trying to calm himself. Finally, he kowtowed to the King of Qin, saying, "Your Majesty, I do know that Xu Fu cannot concoct the elixir of immortality. However, Xu Fu told me that no one in the world could live forever, but the elixir he concocted could strengthen the body. I know that Your Majesty longs for immortality, but I have no other choice but to tell this white lie. I thought that if the elixir could strengthen the body, then Your Majesty would surely be strong and healthy. Perhaps after several years or decades, you could find the immortal mountains, meet immortals, and find someone who could concoct the elixir of immortality. Then, Your Majesty, in your strong body, could wait longer. My loyalty to Your Majesty is as clear as the sun and moon. I swear that if I harbor any disloyalty towards Your Majesty, may I be struck by lightning and meet a terrible end!"
As Zhao Gao swore his solemn oath, a sudden clap of thunder rang out. The King of Qin glanced at the bright sunshine and clear sky outside, a half-smile playing on his lips, and asked Zhao Gao, "Zhao Gao, is it thundering?"
Zhao Gao trembled like a leaf from the deafening thunder. He felt as if fate had seized him by the throat, and he was doomed. Tears streamed down his face as he cried out as if he had lost his parents, "Your Majesty, it really wasn't me who ordered Xu Fu to poison you! Your Majesty, I've been wronged!"
Zhao Gao continued, “Your Majesty, I was wrong. Xu Fu found me on the ship and told me he was going to poison the elixir. I disagreed, but Xu Fu promised me that I wouldn’t have to do anything; he could kill Your Majesty himself. He also promised that if I succeeded, the Kingdom of Qi would belong to him, and all the other kingdoms would belong to me. I was bewitched and agreed. But I really didn’t do anything to harm you.”