The crowd gathered outside Zhi Luo Palace. Hei Chuan Lu and Tao Hua Ying had already been waiting there for quite some time.
Hearing that even Tao Hua Ying couldn't get in, Lin Zi Tong knew she had come to the right place.
The entire imperial city, where even bronze coffins could be approached freely, couldn't grant access to this small Zhi Luo Palace. It felt rather like an admission of guilt, "This place has no silver, three hundred taels."
If Qin Shi Huang wasn't found here, everyone would likely have to dig three feet into the ground.
The crowd exchanged glances. Long Fei Cheng dismounted, stepped forward, and shouted towards the inside, "Qin Shi Huang, are you in there?!"
Hu Hai was a bit displeased, "You descendants have completely forgotten your manners! How can you shout at your father like this?"
Long Fei Cheng turned back with a chuckle. Not only did he have no sense of etiquette, but he also didn't put Qin Shi Huang in his eyes at all. Even by modern standards of politeness, Long Fei Cheng was undeniably a rude ruffian.
Seeing Long Fei Cheng's mocking smile, Hu Hai felt a little scared, fearing that this hooligan might slap him if they disagreed.
Lin Zi Tong said softly, "Little Long, come back."
"Oh." Long Fei Cheng pouted, slinging his Cai Wei sword over his shoulder as he stood behind the crowd.
"Professor Liang, why don't you try?" Lin Zi Tong suggested again.
Liang Yin Qiu knew Qin Shi Huang quite well, and perhaps could persuade him.
Zhi Luo Palace was currently sealed, and outsiders were not allowed in. Perhaps Qin Shi Huang's personal consent was needed for them to enter.
Liang Yin Qiu pondered for a moment and then spoke, "Your Majesty, your son, Qin Er Shi Hu Hai, is waiting outside Zhi Luo Palace. Do you not wish to see him?"
Liang Yin Qiu's address to Qin Shi Huang carried a hint of respect. Long Fei Cheng, on the other hand, would certainly not have called him "Your Majesty."
Family ties are thicker than blood. Everyone thought Qin Shi Huang should react.
However, several minutes passed, and Zhi Luo Palace remained completely still.
The crowd exchanged bewildered glances.
Suddenly, Xia Qi seemed to have an idea and shouted, "Your Majesty, do you not wish to know what happened after your death? Do you not wish to know the fate of the Qin Dynasty? Do you not wish to know if your name will be passed down for ten thousand generations?"
Liang Yin Qiu and the other experts and professors couldn't help but their eyes light up, very pleased with Xia Qi's questions.
Qin Shi Huang was an emperor who placed great importance on power and fame. The issues Xia Qi raised were undoubtedly what Qin Shi Huang cared about most.
As expected, Zhi Luo Palace did react!
The plaque of Zhi Luo Palace trembled slightly, as if something inside was awakening. But that was all. The crowd waited for several more minutes, but nothing else happened.
Luo Ning tilted his head and suddenly said, "If Qin Shi Huang had the ability to break the seal, he wouldn't need us to find him. He would have surely gone to find Huo Ban himself."
The crowd suddenly understood, and then felt somewhat ashamed. They seemed to be asking a prisoner locked in a cell to open the cell door for them, the free people.
Lin Zi Tong closed her eyes and sensed that there was indeed a powerful soul within Zhi Luo Palace.
This soul was restless, seeming to want to leave Zhi Luo Palace, but the power of the seal was too strong, causing him to exert all his might, yet only manage to make the plaque tremble.
Opening her eyes, Lin Zi Tong turned to A Gong and asked, "A Gong, do you still have those paper figures you contacted me with before?"
"Naturally, I do," A Gong replied, taking out a small, palm-sized paper figure from his embrace.
The paper figure was shaped like a sprawled "大" character, with only a simple head and limbs. It was unlike a three-dimensional paper figure, which would first require a wooden stick for bones, then be covered with paper, and finally have eyes painted on.
Although crude, the paper figure was also very lifelike, and most importantly, practical.
"Place the paper figure outside Zhi Luo Palace and have Qin Shi Huang send out a soul to control it," Lin Zi Tong instructed.
A Gong suddenly understood.
Although Qin Shi Huang was sealed, his powerful self should be able to find a way to send a wisp of soul out of the seal.
As long as this wisp of soul could enter the paper figure, they could directly converse with Qin Shi Huang, and there would likely be a way to break the seal.
If Lin Zi Tong and the others hadn't arrived, even if Qin Shi Huang could send out a soul, it would be useless.
A Gong placed the paper figure outside Zhi Luo Palace as Lin Zi Tong had instructed, then chanted a spell, putting the paper figure in an open state.
Any passing soul could directly enter the paper figure's body.
After completing this, everyone stepped back a few paces. Lin Zi Tong gestured to Hu Hai, who quickly called out:
"Father Emperor! Come out, we are waiting for you outside!"
Boom...
Zhi Luo Palace trembled more violently, as if someone was hitting an invisible wall.
Suddenly, a wisp of purple energy shot out from Zhi Luo Palace, piercing the paper figure like a comet.
The paper figure seemed to be impacted, flying backward.
But it only drifted in the air for a few moments before landing steadily.
The paper figure that had been lying on the ground now stood on its feet, and with a remarkably human posture, stood with its hands behind its back, tall and proud!
Although everyone present was countless times taller than the little paper figure, standing before it at this moment, they felt a sense of being inferior!
Liang Yin Qiu and the others lowered their eyes, astonished: Is this the legendary aura of a king?
Aura was real. An ordinary person, upon seeing a high official or a wealthy magnate, would instinctively lower their stance, avert their gaze, and obey orders, even if the other party had given them nothing.
People who had long been in positions of power possessed an inexplicable aura in their every move, making it impossible for others to meet their gaze.
The little paper figure was just like that.
Hu Hai, sensing that his father Emperor's soul possessed the paper figure, knelt on the ground without hesitation, his forehead touching the ground, and proclaimed loudly, "Long live Father Emperor, long live, long live!"
Even Long Fei Cheng, who never cared for etiquette, felt a sense of pressure and quietly lowered his head without speaking.
The others were the same.
Only Lin Zi Tong remained calm, her gaze steady, looking directly at the little paper figure.
The little paper figure swept its gaze across everyone, pausing on Lin Zi Tong for a few seconds before "withdrawing" its gaze.
"Hu Hai."
The little paper figure spoke with a voice full of vicissitudes, asking coldly, "Why are you here? Where is Fu Su?"
Upon hearing this, Hu Hai's shoulders trembled, and his kneeling posture became even more subservient.
Seeing Hu Hai's silence, the little paper figure guessed what had happened, its tone laced with a hint of helplessness, "So, you became Qin Er Shi?"
"Yes, Father Emperor," Hu Hai replied, filled with trepidation.
The little paper figure then asked, "How did Fu Su die? Where is General Meng Tian?... Is it Zhao Gao? Is it Li Si?!"
Seeing the little paper figure's reaction, everyone knew this was indeed Qin Shi Huang.
Liang Yin Qiu and the others thought to themselves: It turns out Qin Shi Huang had long suspected the treachery of Zhao Gao and Li Si. Unfortunately, the life of this first emperor in history was too short. After unifying the six states, many of his grand plans had yet to be realized before he died on his journey.