In the darkness, the First Emperor waved a hand. A black shadow suddenly appeared and knelt before his desk.
The man was dressed entirely in black. He had appeared without a sound; no one knew where he had been hiding before this, and after appearing, he said nothing.
"Have you learned whether Hu Hai bears any grudge against Jiang Hao?" the First Emperor asked.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, there should be no grudge. Prince Hu Hai and the Imperial Preceptor have scarcely had any contact. They only met once in a palace corridor several months ago and exchanged greetings. They have not met since," said the Man in Black.
No grudge meant Jiang Hao had not deliberately targeted Hu Hai. The First Emperor looked once more at the note in his hand. Those few words were painfully glaring.
"Hu Hai has the Destiny of National Ruin!"
The more Qin Shi Huang looked at those words, the worse he felt.
This realm was mine. I named myself the First Emperor because I wanted it to continue through generation after generation. No matter who it is, no one may bring down my empire.
The First Emperor rose and slowly walked to the enormous palace lamp. It was shaped like lotus petals, with a flame burning atop each one, brightly illuminating the room.
The First Emperor raised his hand and gently placed the silk cloth over the flame. The gossamer-thin cloth immediately caught fire. He lightly tossed it into the air, and it danced amid the flames. By the time it landed, it had completely turned to ash.
"Have people keep watch on Hu Hai. Report to me immediately if anything happens," said the First Emperor.
He was, after all, a father. He would not ruthlessly kill his own child for no reason.