"Decline at the height of glory..."
The thin boy stood amid the panicked crowd, watching the figure who had suddenly collapsed before him. A thoughtful look crossed his face.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"
"Royal physician! Medical officer! Summon a medical officer, quickly!"
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, don't frighten me like this!"
Consorts, ministers, eunuchs, generals... all had fallen into chaos, turning the once-solemn Imperial Audience into a scene of bedlam. Yet to the boy who had been summoned in haste, it all felt strangely distant.
He knew, of course, that the richly dressed man lying on the floor was his own flesh and blood, as well as the supreme ruler of this realm: Zichu, the King of Qin. But...
Once life is gone, all that remains is a shell, no different from the furnishings in this hall.
"Enough noise!"
A furious shout rang out. Qin's chancellor, Lü Buwei, strode over and brought the crowd to heel. Then he raised his voice. "With powerful enemies at our gates, we must stand united! If word spreads that His Majesty has fainted, hearts will waver! The allied armies of the Five States are still beyond Hangu Pass. Not a word of what happened here can get out! If the army's morale falters, every one of us will bear the blame!"
At those words, everyone fell silent as cicadas in winter.
"His Majesty may not have merely fainted..." someone murmured.
"How dare you!" Lü Buwei's gaze snapped toward the speaker. Without regard for the man's rank, he ordered, "Drag this rumor-monger away and lock him up!"
The man was soon dragged off, pleading for mercy and confessing his fault.
At last, Lü Buwei had the situation under control. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief, then turned to look at Zichu, the King of