Yuan Shikai stood before the gates of Xianyang when Qin Shi Huang's voice suddenly sounded beside him.
Qin Shi Huang said, "Leaving already? Why not stay a few more days? You suit my tastes quite well."
Yuan Shikai said, "No. Now that the transaction is over, I'll wait for Your Majesty in Rome. Of course, we may also take the initiative and attack you."
Qin Shi Huang said, "You truly do suit my tastes. Earlier, you said that my Great Qin's prosperity was false. Can you tell me why?"
Yuan Shikai said, "I didn't expect Your Majesty to enjoy eavesdropping. If it were true prosperity, then why would China have become a Lostbelt?"
"I trust Yu Meiren has already explained the difference between Proper Human History and Lostbelts to Your Majesty. There's no need for me to say anything more."
Qin Shi Huang said, "And what gives you the right to conclude that my Great Qin is a Lostbelt? Clearly, my Great Qin is better than all of you. The people live and work in peace, there are no refugees, no bandits in the mountains. No matter how you look at it, this is an age of great prosperity."
Yuan Shikai said, "Because Great Qin has no future. Your Majesty has locked away the people's futures. Even after a thousand years, Great Qin will not change. Such a world cannot progress."
"When the world stops moving forward, then one day, when it encounters a crisis even Your Majesty cannot resolve, there will be no one else capable of resolving it."
"Even if Your Majesty has built a Great Wall beyond the cosmos, some crises have merely not arrived yet. But one day, they will, and when that happens, everything will be nothing but fleeting clouds."
Qin Shi Huang said, "This