DLERB -Chapter 1 Father Emperor Has Just Left — In Great Qin, What I Say Goes!

Outside Xianyang Palace, banners covered the sky.

The enormous black dragon flag of Qin fluttered loudly in the wind.

Thousands of armored cavalry escorted the six-horse imperial carriage that symbolized supreme authority as it slowly departed from Xianyang City.

The First Emperor, Ying Zheng, had once again begun his eastern inspection tour.

At the city gates—

The civil and military officials bowed respectfully and shouted in unison, “Farewell, Your Majesty!”

At the very front of the crowd stood a child only eight years old, mixed among the many imperial princes.

He wore black casual robes, his delicate face looking harmless and innocent.

But the moment the massive imperial procession completely vanished beyond the horizon—

The childish innocence on Ying Ziye’s face disappeared without a trace.

Straightening his back, he stretched his slightly sore neck.

“The old man finally left.”

The muttered words were quiet, yet they made several nearby guards tremble, almost thinking they had misheard him.

【Ding!】

【Detected: The First Emperor has left the capital. Host has officially assumed regency authority!】

【The Great Qin National Fortune System has been activated!】

【Binding to the fate of Great Qin… Binding successful!】

【Starter Gift Pack awarded: Strength of the Hegemon-King of Western Chu (now integrating), Three Thousand Jinyiwei Guards (legal identities implanted by the system, awaiting orders at any time)!】

In an instant—

A warm current appeared within Ying Ziye’s body out of nowhere.

His originally frail eight-year-old body was suddenly filled with explosive strength.

His bones crackled loudly.

Ying Ziye clenched his fists.

This power could kill a bull.

No—ten bulls!

He turned around and looked toward the majestic Qilin Hall behind him.

Since he was acting as regent, he had to look the part.

…

In front of Qilin Hall—

Chancellor Li Si walked at the front, followed by Feng Quji, Wang Wan, and a group of important court ministers.

They hurried forward while quietly discussing affairs of state.

As for the Ninth Prince, Ying Ziye, whom the Emperor had appointed as “regent”?

No one took him seriously.

What could an eight-year-old child possibly know about governing a nation?

The Emperor had only appointed him regent to temper the young prince’s character.

The real power still rested in the hands of these veteran ministers.

Just as Li Si was about to step over the tall threshold—

“Stop.”

A childish yet unusually cold voice sounded from behind the group.

Li Si paused and turned around in surprise.

Ying Ziye walked over slowly with his hands clasped behind his back.

Li Si frowned slightly and casually cupped his hands in greeting.

“What instructions does the Ninth Prince have? We ministers are in a hurry to enter the hall and deal with the memorials concerning the northern drought disaster. If Your Highness wishes to play, I can arrange for palace attendants to accompany you.”

After saying that, Li Si turned and prepared to continue inside.

They were completely treating Ying Ziye as if he were invisible.

“I don’t remember giving you permission to leave.”

Ying Ziye’s voice rang out again, this time carrying an unquestionable authority.

Li Si froze.

Feng Quji, Wang Wan, and the others nearby also stopped in their tracks, staring in shock at the usually low-profile young prince.

Ying Ziye walked up to Li Si and looked up at the Great Qin chancellor.

His height only reached Li Si’s waist.

Yet his presence felt even more imposing than Li Si’s.

“Father Emperor ordered me to act as regent.”

“Since I am the regent, shouldn’t the court session wait until I enter before the rest of you go in?”

Li Si burst into laughter.

He shook his head, apparently feeling that arguing with an eight-year-old child would lower his status.

“The Ninth Prince is correct. Then please, Your Highness.”

Li Si stepped aside and made way for him, wearing a helpless smile, as though humoring a mischievous child from the neighborhood.

Ying Ziye did not even glance at him. With his short little legs, he strode over the threshold and headed straight into the hall.

The officials filed in behind him.

Inside Qilin Hall, the atmosphere was solemn and majestic.

At the very top of the hall, above nine levels of steps, stood a massive black dragon throne.

That was the exclusive seat of the First Emperor.

And beneath the dragon platform, on the left side, an extra cushioned couch had been temporarily added.

That was the “regent’s seat” specially prepared by Li Si for Ying Ziye.

It would neither interfere with their discussions nor prevent the young prince from sitting comfortably—and if he got sleepy, he could even take a nap.

Li Si stepped into his position as chancellor and picked up a bamboo scroll, preparing to begin the court session.

The next second—

His voice caught in his throat.

The entire Qilin Hall instantly fell into dead silence.

Every single person stared in horror toward the same direction.

Ying Ziye had not walked toward the cushioned couch.

Instead, he headed directly toward the nine-tiered staircase.

He was so small that climbing each step looked somewhat difficult.

But he climbed steadily.

One step. Two steps. Three steps…

Everyone was dumbfounded.

What was this child trying to do?

Up there was…

Under the horrified gaze of the civil and military officials—

Ying Ziye climbed onto the final step.

He walked up to the enormous dragon throne, turned around, and dropped himself onto it.

He sat directly on the throne!

Boom!

That single action exploded in everyone’s minds like a thunderclap.

An eight-year-old child, whose body was not even half as wide as the throne itself—

Sat there openly and casually, his two short legs dangling in the air, even swinging twice.

“Hiss—”

The sound of countless people sucking in cold breaths echoed through the hall.

Overstepping authority!

This was a monstrous act of overstepping authority!

The dragon throne was a seat reserved exclusively for the First Emperor!

Even a regent had absolutely no right to touch it!

“Ninth Prince!”

An angry shout shattered the silence.

The scholar-official Chunyu Yue was trembling so badly with rage that even his beard shook. He strode out from the ranks and pointed a quivering finger at Ying Ziye on the throne.

“You… get down here immediately!”

“This is His Majesty’s throne! How could you possibly sit there? This is simply… simply lawless!”

“What kind of conduct is this?! What kind of conduct?!”

Chunyu Yue was a Confucian scholar who valued ritual and propriety above all else.

Ying Ziye sitting on that throne had practically shattered his entire worldview.

Sitting high above them, Ying Ziye looked down at the furious Chunyu Yue.

He adjusted himself into a more comfortable position and leaned back against the dragon throne.

“Father Emperor ordered me to govern as regent.”

“If I don’t sit here, where should I sit?”

He stretched out a small hand and pointed toward the cushioned couch below.

“Sit there? That thing is for monkeys to look at, not for people to sit on.”

“You—!” Chunyu Yue was so angry he nearly lost his breath.

“Absurd! Utterly absurd!”

Another official stepped forward.

It was Yan Le, a follower of Zhao Gao, the Director of the Imperial Carriage Office.

This time, Zhao Gao had accompanied the eastern inspection tour and specifically ordered Yan Le to stay behind in Xianyang and monitor the court.

Looking at Ying Ziye on the throne, a vicious glint flashed through Yan Le’s eyes.

If he could pin the crime of “overstepping authority and plotting rebellion” onto this eight-year-old brat, then once His Majesty returned, even if the Ninth Prince escaped death, he would still suffer terribly.

This was a perfect chance to earn merit before Zhao Gao!

Yan Le strode to the center of the hall, tilted his head upward, and spoke in a mocking tone.

“Ninth Prince, Your Highness is still young and ignorant. We ministers can understand that.”

“But this dragon throne represents the heavenly authority of Great Qin!”

“If Your Highness wishes to play childish make-believe games, you should return to your own palace. Qilin Hall is not a place for your nonsense!”

“Hurry down and bow toward His Majesty from afar to beg forgiveness. Perhaps then you may avoid punishment!”

Yan Le’s words were extremely harsh.

He directly labeled Ying Ziye’s actions as “childish misconduct” and “defiling imperial authority.”

Many ministers nodded slightly, feeling that although Yan Le’s words were unpleasant, the reasoning was sound.

At the front of the court, Li Si frowned deeply but did not speak to stop him.

He also wanted to see how this Ninth Prince would respond.

If the boy only knew how to cry and throw tantrums, then this regency truly would be nothing more than a joke.

On the dragon throne—

Ying Ziye stopped swinging his legs.

He leaned slightly forward and stared at Yan Le below.

“You’re teaching me how to do things?”

Yan Le let out a cold laugh and cupped his hands in a seemingly respectful salute, though his attitude was extremely arrogant.

“I would never dare. I am merely defending the laws and rites of Great Qin!”

“Laws and rites?”

Ying Ziye suddenly laughed.

That smile appearing on the face of an eight-year-old looked strangely out of place.

The next moment—

Ying Ziye moved.

He jumped directly down from the high dragon platform.

With a loud thud, he landed steadily on the ground.

Taking small steps, he slowly walked toward Yan Le.

Yan Le looked at the approaching Ying Ziye with complete disdain in his eyes.

What could an eight-year-old child possibly do?

He straightened his back, preparing to continue lecturing this ignorant young prince with lofty reasoning.

Ying Ziye stopped in front of Yan Le.

He had to tilt his head upward just to see Yan Le’s chin.

“You just said I was fooling around?”

Ying Ziye asked in a childish voice.

Yan Le sneered.

“Am I wrong? Your Highness, this is the imperial court, not—”

“Bang!”

A muffled explosion interrupted all of Yan Le’s nonsense.

No one saw what happened.

They only caught sight of a blur flashing past.

Then—

The hundred-plus-kilogram Yan Le flew backward like a kite with its string cut!

His chest visibly caved inward from the impact!

“Boom!”

Yan Le’s body slammed heavily into a giant pillar over thirty feet away before sliding down like a heap of mud.

Blood sprayed wildly from his mouth, mixed with shattered pieces of internal organs.

His eyes widened as he stared fixedly at Ying Ziye. His body twitched twice—

Then went completely still.

Silence.

Deathly silence.

The entire Qilin Hall was so quiet that even a falling needle could be heard.

Li Si’s pupils shrank violently, and the bamboo scroll in his hand fell to the floor with a snap.

Chunyu Yue stood frozen with his mouth wide open, his beard trembling nonstop, unable to utter a single sound.

Among the ranks of military officials, generals like Wang Jian and Meng Yi looked as though they had seen a ghost.

They were experts.

That punch…

Without decades of internal martial arts training, it would have been impossible to produce such terrifying force!

But the person before them was only eight years old!

Ying Ziye stood calmly in place and unhurriedly pulled out a silk handkerchief from his sleeve, wiping dust from his small hands—even though there was none there.

Then he casually tossed the handkerchief onto Yan Le’s corpse.

Turning around, he swept his gaze across the entire hall.

The childish look in his eyes had transformed into something as sharp as blades cutting across every face present.

“Now then.”

“Does anyone still think this prince is playing childish games?”