"The scripture "Shan Hai" that is passed down in the world often records the elixir of death. It is also said that south of the wilderness, there is a country of immortality. Its people are black in color and eat sweet trees, so they live forever. That sweet tree may also be a kind of elixir. But I’m curious about those people from the Immortal Kingdom. They are all black, and I don’t know what they look like.”
While playing with the wine in his hand, Li Shiqi continued: "In addition to classics, there are also legends in Qilu and Yandi that there are sacred mountains and islands in the sea, and there are immortals and elixirs on them."
"I heard that King Wei of Qi, King Xuan of Qi, and King Yan Zhao all sent people to sail into the sea to search for sacred mountains and fairy islands to seek the medicine of immortality in an attempt to achieve immortality. But the sea is vast and no one can find it. According to what the alchemists said , just because these three kings have insufficient virtues and achievements and no destiny, they cannot find the sacred mountain and fairy island and obtain the elixir of immortality."
Li Shiqi talked eloquently.
Zhao Tuo sneered after hearing this.
Those alchemists are really masters of logic.
There is an elixir in the sacred mountains overseas, but whether you can find it depends on whether you have the matching virtues and achievements.
If you can't find it, it's not that they are bragging, but that you don't have the corresponding virtues.
With this logic, the alchemists are in an invincible position.
Coupled with the constant legends throughout the history and the mystery brought by the vast and unpredictable sea, countless people have no doubts about it.
Even Qi Wei, Qi Xuan, and Yan Zhao, three seemingly wise monarchs, joined in one after another.
With these three kings as examples, the legend of this overseas fairy mountain spread even more widely.
Even the First Emperor was attracted by it and summoned the magicians from all over the world to Xianyang. The purpose was naturally self-evident.
However, the legendary elixir of elixir is elusive and hard to find. In order to enhance their rhetoric, those alchemists will naturally come up with something to attract the king's investment and trust.
For example, the lacquer box placed in front of Zhao Tuo's case.
In the black silk fabric, there are two pills reflecting colorful light.
Li Shiqi stared at the two pills and said, "I heard that the alchemists used furnace fire to refine the strange medicine, which cost a lot of money. The quantity of the medicine was not large, but it has the effect of prolonging life and strengthening the bones and muscles. Emperor To be able to give two to the prince shows his love for the prince."
Seeing the greedy look on Li Shiqi's face, Zhao Tuo almost stopped laughing.
Do you want to eat this kind of heavy metal aggregate?
However, Li Shiqi's behavior was normal. After all, this was still a country where sacrifice and military affairs were important matters, and it was an era when everyone was superstitious.
Zhao Tuo shook his head and said, "Sir, do you want to take one?"
Li Shiqi swallowed, then waved his hand and said: "How dare I take the strange medicine given to you by the emperor? You should enjoy it yourself slowly."
Zhao Tuo smiled and did not persuade him again.
He said: "Sir, he is very knowledgeable. What I just mentioned about elixirs and overseas fairy mountains has taught me a lot. I am somewhat interested in the matters of Fang Xian Dao. If it is convenient for you, sir, you can ask me about the situation of some alchemists in Xianyang City. Maybe I will have some dealings with them in the future.”
Li Shiqi thought thoughtfully and cupped his hands and said: "Since you have given orders, I will definitely go and get the information about those alchemists to you. You can rest assured."
"I can rest assured that sir is doing his job."
Zhao Tuo responded with a smile.
The two chatted for a while, and then Li Shiqi stood up and left.
After Zhao Tuo returned to the house after sending people off, he looked at the two pills still on the table and fell into deep thought.
Take medicine?
Zhao Tuo stood for a long time.
There were footsteps behind me.
He suddenly woke up, looked back, and saw Ying Yinman walking in, looking at him with a frown.
"Manman."
"My beloved, I have been depressed recently. Could it be because of the fact that my father wanted to bestow a title at the court meeting?"
Ying Yinman came over and gently hugged Zhao Tuo's waist.
Zhao Tuo sighed. He had been thinking about the emperor's enthronement for the past two days, but his wife noticed the clues.
Now it seems that the emperor's conferment on Zen has been decided, and it doesn't matter if he talks about it.
He waved his hand and asked the maids serving him to leave. Only Zhao Tuo and Ying Yinman were left in the room.
"The emperor gave him a title before because he wanted to tour the east to become a Zen monk."
Zhao Tuo briefly talked about what happened in the past few days, and explained that he wanted to dissuade him and postpone his canonization, but was vetoed by the emperor.
After hearing this, Ying Yinman snorted softly.
She shook her head and said: "You, you, why don't you understand my father? If it were some small matters, details, he would still be able to discuss them. But as long as my father decides on major matters, as long as he wants to If he wants something, even if all the people in the world put it together, they still wouldn't be able to persuade him."
"Furthermore, my father always likes to brag about his achievements, and the music played in the palace are all about the 'Emperor's Holy Virtue'. Naturally, it is impossible for him to give up on such a major event to highlight his achievements. Don't try to dissuade him in the future." , so as not to attract father’s disapproval.”
Zhao Tuo smiled bitterly.
Of course he knew what Ying Yinman said, but he still couldn't help but want to give it a try, even if he failed in the end.
Immediately afterwards, Zhao Tuo was shocked by Ying Yinman's next words.
"My father has a very strong temper, and you can't persuade me. If it were my brother, it would be possible. Or someone like Xiao Gao, he might just listen to you."
Zhao Tuo was shocked.
He couldn't persuade the First Emperor's temperament.
If it were replaced by Fusu...
Zhao Tuo took a deep breath.
After testing several major events, Zhao Tuo had discovered that the First Emperor was an arrogant, domineering and powerful person.
This is a typical "dictator".
As Ying Yinman said, the First Emperor may have listened to the advice on some small matters and details, such as changing the previous Guangci title to the joint proposal of Zhao Tuo and Li Si, because this change had little impact on the whole.
But as long as the first emperor decides on a major event, it is almost difficult to change it.
Like when he wanted to attack Baiyue, Zhao Tuo cleverly used greater benefits to lure him to the north. However, during the Northern Expedition, the First Emperor still did not give up the attack on Baiyue and continued to let Feng Wuze build roads to test.
From this we can see that whatever the First Emperor wanted to get, he had to get it into his hands sooner or later.
Zhao Tuo could already predict that no matter how he repaired the empire, the situation would probably continue to deteriorate.
He had also thought that it would be better to just lay down and let the First Emperor torment the entire Qin State. He only had to work hard to preserve his own strength. After ten years, he could get rid of the First Emperor and then keep the second emperor to rebuild the country.
After all, Zhao Tuo is still young and has a long life.
Now half of the nobles of the six countries are controlled by him.
If the power of the Qin State can be handed over smoothly in the future, and Fusu can successfully take office and listen to his words, the two of them can definitely preserve the empire and lead the Qin State on the right path of development by joining forces.
But Zhao Tuo just gave up the idea of lying down and sitting back and doing nothing.
The First Emperor was really nice to him.
Not only did he appreciate and reuse Zhao Tuo, but he also personally crowned him, wrote poems for him, bestowed him with high titles and status, and also gave his daughter to Zhao Tuo, as if he regarded Zhao Tuo as half his son.
That's good.
It was far from the good use that Jing Ke used when giving Zhao Tuo chicken to eat while pointing a dagger at him.
The kindness of a drop of water should be repaid with a spring of water.
Zhao Tuo is not a heartless person. If he doesn't work hard, he will not be sorry for this kindness and appreciation.
Back then, for Li Xin, he even risked his life to go to Chu to besiege Wei and save Zhao, a thousand-mile expedition.
Now facing the First Emperor who treated him better, how could Zhao Tuo sit idly by and do nothing? Wouldn't that make him a real ungrateful person?
"Try it."
Zhao Tuo whispered in his heart, and his eyes became firm again.
He looked at the two pills placed in front of the case and spoke to Ying Yinman.
"Let someone bring you some food. I'll fill my stomach first, then take a bath, change clothes, and take the medicine given by the emperor."
Ying Yinman responded, looked at the two glowing pills, and frowned: "There won't be any problems if you eat this, right?"
Zhao Tuo smiled: "If the emperor eats it, won't it be okay?"
An hour later, Zhao Tuo had finished eating, bathed, changed clothes, and had someone bring water.
In front of Ying Yinman, he raised his sleeves to cover himself and took the pill given by the emperor.
"What does it feel like?"
Seeing Zhao Tuo put down his face-covering sleeves and water glass, Ying Yinman asked curiously.
Zhao Tuo smiled: "I just took it, so I won't know what it feels like after a while. By the way, there is one more pill I will put away first and wait to see the effect of this medicine."
Ying Yinman wrinkled her nose.
The emperor gave two miracle medicines, didn't he mean that each of the husband and wife should take one?
However, she was sensible enough to say nothing, and just watched silently as Zhao Tuo sealed the remaining pill.
The second day.
The news that the martial arts lord Zhao Tuo became seriously ill and bedridden after taking the medicine given by the emperor spread throughout Xianyang.
Comments raised questions about why the protagonist continues to follow the original historical trajectory after changing history.
Take stock of what history the protagonist has changed.
He helped Qin destroy the six kingdoms, invented stronger weapons and production tools, made Qin stronger in combat, had more food, and defeated the Xiongnu Yueshi in advance. Compared with the Qin in history, the Qin here is bigger and stronger. The emperor's heart will naturally be more proud than history, right?
Faced with Feng Chan, he has done it all in history. Will the stronger emperor here still refuse? If rejection was deliberately written, wouldn't the emperor's character be distorted?
If the Confucian scholars are suppressed, will they shrink back and remain silent from now on, or will they desperately try to make a comeback through Feng Chan?
On one side is the more proud emperor, and on the other side are the Confucian scholars who desperately want to stand up and persuade Feng Chan. What will happen?
As for the alchemists, the previous protagonists are leading troops outside and have no contacts. They serve as Shaofu in Xianyang and are also foreign ministers, so it is impossible to monitor the situation in the palace. How could he change the matter of offering medicine to seek immortality without interacting and influencing the alchemist?
The characters’ personalities and the direction of the plot all have corresponding logic. Unless you truly stand at the top and most critical position, the tide of the times cannot be changed so easily.
As for someone who said that after being granted the title of Marquis, he insisted on persuading the emperor.
According to the author's meager experience in the workplace, no strong leader will like this kind of subordinates. Generally speaking, tough leaders will not have good results.
Would the emperor of all ages allow a minister to forcefully persuade him?
This is the end of Fusu in history.
(End of chapter)
