Chu Tian pondered, studying the throne.
The throne was made of dark jade, a material that felt familiar.
But for a moment, he couldn't recall where he had seen such dark jade before.
He shook his head.
"Then do you know... why I hate crows?" Qin Shi Huang asked again.
"Crows..." Chu Tian mused.
He looked at Qin Shi Huang, recalling historical records.
...
During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, various philosophies flourished, and cultural development accelerated.
Cultures and ideas clashed, academic disciplines interacted, and numerous schools of thought emerged.
Among the most renowned were Confucianism, Mohism, Legalism, Taoism, Yin-Yang, and Military Strategy.
Qin Shi Huang conscripted alchemists nationwide to refine elixirs for youth and immortality, consuming vast human and material resources.
In 219 BCE, Qin Shi Huang spent three months sailing on the Shandong Peninsula, drifting at sea.
He heard that there were three immortal islands in the Bohai Sea: Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou, each inhabited by an immortal possessing the elixir of life.
Greatly moved, Qin Shi Huang pursued immortality.
The person who told him this story was named Xu Fu.
Xu Fu, a sorcerer from Shandong, claimed to have personally witnessed these immortal islands and vowed to find them and their elixirs for the First Emperor.
...
However, there was another legend among the common people.
It was said that when the Qin Dynasty had just unified the land, Qin Shi Huang was still young. Why would he have thought about not wanting to die of old age?
It stemmed from a legend: in ancient Fujian, there were many corpses, either from battles or from starvation.
At that moment, a crow landed on a fallen corpse, and a sprig of grass on the crow accidentally fell off.
To everyone's surprise, the corpse revived. The soldiers who witnessed this reported it to their superiors.
The news escalated, and eventually reached Qin Shi Huang.
He dispatched many men to search for such crows and the divine grass they carried.
It's unclear who first said that crows flew from immortal islands, but from then on, people began earnestly seeking the secret to immortality.
...
Could it be? Qin Shi Huang's hatred for crows stemmed from this?
Chu Tian tentatively recounted this folk legend.
As expected, Qin Shi Huang reacted.
"Crows... are Xu Fu transformed!" Upon hearing this,
Chu Tian was not particularly surprised.
Since his rebirth, he had encountered too many strange and unusual events.
A sorcerer who could transform into a crow was not out of the ordinary.
"Is it true that Xu Fu took 3,000 young boys and girls to Dongying?" Chu Tian asked again.
Qin Shi Huang gazed at the dome, as if peering through time to reminisce.
"That is true. Damn Xu Fu, he never returned... He only returned five years later, and only I saw him!"
Qin Shi Huang paused here.
A haze appeared in his eyes, filled with hatred.
"He didn't bring back the elixir of immortality, did he?" Chu Tian inquired.
Both legends and historical records stated that Xu Fu did not bring back any elixir of immortality on his first return from Dongying.
He only brought back news of immortals, claiming that these immortals said
that the gifts he brought this time were too meager to exchange for the elixir of life.
To obtain the elixir, more young boys and girls were needed.
Thus, Xu Fu made a second journey to Dongying.
However, after Xu Fu left for the second time, he never returned.
Qin Shi Huang waited for a long time, realizing he had been deceived.
He then continued his search for immortality in the capital.
In 215 BCE, Qin Shi Huang, during his eastern tour, encountered sorcerers Lu Sheng and Hou Sheng.
Lu Sheng first claimed to know the path to seeking immortality.
Qin Shi Huang treated him as an honored guest.
Lu Sheng then found a 'book of immortals.'
It contained the inscription, "He who shall destroy Qin is Hu."
Based solely on this sentence, Qin Shi Huang dispatched troops to conquer the Xiongnu.
Later... Lu Sheng advised that Qin Shi Huang's movements should not be known by anyone.
Otherwise, he would not live to see the elixir of immortality appear.
Therefore, Qin Shi Huang began to build his vast network of tunnels and elevated walkways, exhausting the people and depleting resources.
He also installed curtains and screens in his palaces.
Anyone who approached would be alerted.
Qin Shi Huang began to reside randomly in various palaces to prevent anyone from knowing his whereabouts.
From then on, he never went on tours again.
For some unknown reason, over time, Qin Shi Huang became increasingly violent and tyrannical.
After a while, he began to harbor doubts about Lu Sheng and Hou Sheng.
Furthermore, Qin Shi Huang established cruel officials, exclusively at his command.
Lu Sheng and Hou Sheng began to panic. Seeing that their actions were about to be exposed and fearing persecution by Qin Shi Huang, they fled!
They managed to escape,
but their flight enraged Qin Shi Huang, who then began to detest all Confucian scholars!
The result was the event of burning books and burying scholars alive.
Books were burned, and over four hundred and sixty people who violated prohibitions were buried alive.
However, Qin Shi Huang did not burn practical technical books such as those on medicine, agriculture, and animal husbandry.
This point indicated that the Qin Shi Huang, inexplicably locked here,
was still wise...
Chu Tian looked at the person before him, unsure how to regard him.
After all, in history, he was a tyrannical ruler.
During his reign, the suffering of the people was immense, and he engaged in too many actions that exhausted the people and wasted resources.
"No... he did bring it back! That night, he came to my sleeping chambers. Strangely, the screens and curtains did not sound.
He simply appeared before my bed!
Xu Fu told me that Lu Sheng and Hou Sheng were charlatans who deceived people.
He also gave me an elixir, telling me that it must be consumed before my death to revive me and grant eternal life.
After speaking, Xu Fu transformed into a crow and flew away!
Suddenly, I remembered the incident of the crow carrying the divine grass. This Xu Fu, having gone to Dongying,
had indeed become a disciple of the immortals, capable of transforming into a crow and flying..."
This was Qin Shi Huang's slow narration, like a memory from ancient times.
Chu Tian listened intently; the historical records did contain some fragments.
However, hearing it from the person himself felt like clearing away the clouds.
As a listener, Chu Tian occasionally asked questions that piqued his interest.
When he asked about Qin Shi Huang burning books and burying scholars alive,
he was met with Qin Shi Huang's arrogant laughter.
"Hahaha... Burning books and burying scholars?
What do people know about which books I burned? And why?
Whom did I bury alive, and why?
I... did not bury scholars, but sorcerers!
The books I... burned were only three!
The first, 'Shang Shu,' recorded the governance philosophy of the ancient sage kings. I am the ruler who unified ten thousand dynasties! From the Three Sovereigns to the Five Emperors, who possessed my achievements?
I unified the realm, and the Great Qin flourished for ten thousand generations. I ended wars, allowing the populace to live and work in peace!
My accomplishments surpass the Three Sovereigns, and my virtue exceeds the Five Emperors. I wished to replace the ancient sage kings' governance ideology with my own, to honor the present and thus burn the past.
What is wrong with that?" As he spoke these words, Qin Shi Huang exuded an aura of defiance, his demeanor proud and unmatched throughout history.
Chu Tian was stunned. The words "What is wrong with that?" left him speechless.
The question he posed was not one he expected Chu Tian to answer.
It was as if he was questioning the heavens.
After speaking, he paused and continued:
"The second book was 'Shi Jing' (Book of Songs), which contained criticisms of me and praises for past rulers!"
He chuckled softly after this statement, and Chu Tian did not interrupt him.
"The third book was the 'Dao Jing,' regarded as sacred scripture by countless sorcerers, the very book of immortals Lu Sheng mentioned."
At this point, Chu Tian understood.
The 'Dao Jing' that Qin Shi Huang spoke of was not the 'Tao Te Ching' attributed to Laozi.
Legend had it that the 'Dao Jing' truly contained methods for cultivating immortality and achieving the Tao.
However, today, only sixteen characters remained in the 'Dao Jing.'
It was likely what was left after Qin Shi Huang burned it!
These sixteen characters were: "The human heart is dangerous, the Tao heart is subtle. The subtle dangers, only the enlightened ruler understands."
Hence, later generations deduced that such a book named 'Dao Jing' once existed.
In the mouths of Qin Shi Huang, it also confirmed this matter.
Simultaneously, it was rumored that the sorcerers approached the First Emperor, insisting on refining medicine and elixirs, intending to spread the 'Dao Jing' to the world.
Enraged, the First Emperor believed the sorcerers were playing him. Thus, he first burned the 'Dao Jing' and then buried the sorcerers alive.
"You've told me so much, but you haven't told me where this throne you're sitting on came from!
Why are you locked here, a prisoner!" After hearing the story, Chu Tian lost all interest.
His account had almost summarized his entire life. The crow was Xu Fu transformed, and he had given him the elixir of immortality.
Why, then, did he still hate crows?
"This throne... I snatched it from the Underworld! It belonged to the Lord of the Underworld! It possesses supreme magical power!"
Qin Shi Huang patted the armrest of the throne.
But to Chu Tian, it sounded like a thunderclap.
The Lord of the Underworld's throne, wasn't that supposed to belong to his own mother?