Li Si and Zhao Gao both withdrew. On the Imperial Carriage, only the physician and maidservants remained in attendance, along with the First Emperor, who was gradually sinking into sleep again.
He forced himself to stay awake. He had left instructions about certain matters, but still felt uneasy. Gazing at the roof of the Imperial Carriage, he seemed to see a clear blue sky. He recalled everything he had experienced as a boy in Zhao State, then becoming the king of Qin State. Later, Wang Jian had marched to war, and he had become the king of all under heaven, the supreme emperor.
Wang Jian?
A general of imposing bearing, commanding awe without anger-if not for that perpetually smiling face, no one could have failed to be intimidated by him.
It seemed to be a name he had not mentioned in many years. A general slippery to the extreme, but one who knew his place, so the First Emperor had allowed him a peaceful end.
Who else?
Lü Buwei!
No one could replace Lü Buwei in the First Emperor's heart. This man had been both teacher and father to him, bringing him light in his darkest hour. Then that man had betrayed him.
In his fury, the First Emperor had destroyed the Spring and Autumn Annals of the Lü Clan. But thinking back now, what Lü Buwei had done had not really been unforgivable. The reckoning he had inflicted on Lü Buwei had been far too cruel.
Where in this world was there any absolute loyalty?
Although Lü Buwei had monopolized power, at least he had never intended to usurp the throne. That alone was exceedingly rare. As his thoughts wandered, Lü Buwei's image gradually faded from his mind.
As people approached death, the experiences of their lives would flash