DLERB -Chapter 18 A Civil Uprising? Then Let This Fire Burn Even Fiercer!

Deep within the Xianyang Grand Prison—

Torchlight stretched Qinglong’s kneeling figure into a long shadow.

“Young Master, this is all the intelligence gathered by the Jinyiwei.”

“Han Shi and Chunyu Yue have agreed to coordinate an inside-outside assault three days from now.”

Ying Ziye did not stop wiping the dagger.

The murderous weapon, stained with blood before, looked like nothing more than an exquisite toy in his soft little hands.

He raised his head, his innocent little face filled with curiosity.

“Three days from now, huh?”

He counted on his fingers.

“One, two, three.”

“They need three whole days to prepare before coming to kill me?”

Qinglong lowered his head and dared not speak.

What he sensed from the Young Master was not killing intent—

But something more like the excitement of a child discovering a new toy.

Ying Ziye slid the dagger back into its sheath and clapped his hands lightly.

“How polite of them.”

“They even left this Young Master three days to prepare.”

He picked up a candied fruit from a nearby plate and stuffed it into his mouth, his little cheeks puffing up happily.

“Qinglong.”

“This subordinate is here.”

“Go invite Chancellor Li Si here for me.”

Ying Ziye added with a cheerful smile:

“Tell him this Young Master has something extremely fun to share with him.”

Qinglong’s body trembled slightly as he immediately accepted the order.

“As commanded!”

…

Half an hour later—

Escorted by two Jinyiwei, Li Si entered the Xianyang Grand Prison that filled him with dread.

A faint smell of blood still lingered in the air.

Dark red stains could vaguely be seen in the corners of the walls.

With every step Li Si took, he felt as though he was not walking on stone slabs, but on the spines of countless restless souls.

Finally, in the deepest part of the prison, he met the eight-year-old regent.

The tiny figure sat atop a large chair draped with tiger skin, his short little legs swinging back and forth in the air.

Several plates of exquisite pastries and candied fruits were spread across the table before him.

The scene formed an eerie contrast against the dark and horrifying surroundings.

“Chancellor, you’ve arrived.”

Seeing him, Ying Ziye revealed a bright smile.

Li Si hurried forward and bowed deeply.

“This minister greets the Regent Prince.”

“No need for formalities. Sit.”

Ying Ziye pointed at a small stool nearby.

Li Si did not dare sit. He only remained standing stiffly with his back bent respectfully.

“May I ask why the Young Master summoned this minister so late at night?”

Ying Ziye picked up another candied fruit.

“Oh, it’s nothing major.”

He stuffed it into his mouth and spoke unclearly while chewing.

“It’s just that old man Chunyu Yue joined forces with people from the Six States and plans to cause trouble in Xianyang three days from now.”

“They want to incite the people into surrounding the imperial palace, then send assassins to kill me amidst the chaos.”

Ying Ziye spoke as casually as if he were commenting on the weather.

Cold sweat instantly drenched Li Si’s back.

With a loud thump, he dropped to his knees, his voice cracking.

“What?!”

“Young Master! Is this information absolutely certain?!”

Ying Ziye tilted his little head while looking at him.

“Chancellor, do you think this Young Master is joking with you?”

Li Si shook his head frantically like a rattling drum.

“No! This minister would never dare!”

He trembled from head to toe in panic.

“Young Master! There is no time to lose—we must act immediately!”

“This minister will immediately mobilize the city defense army, seal off the entire city, and arrest Chunyu Yue, Han Shi, and all their accomplices at once!”

“We absolutely cannot give them any opportunity!”

Ying Ziye blinked at him.

“Arrest them?”

“Why should we arrest them?”

Li Si froze.

He slowly raised his head and saw the childlike innocence on Ying Ziye’s smiling face. A chill shot from the base of his spine straight to the top of his head.

“N-Not arrest them?”

Ying Ziye jumped down from the chair and walked over to Li Si.

“That’s right. No arrests.”

“They worked so hard preparing this grand performance. How could we tear down the stage before the play even begins?”

He stretched out his little hand and patted Li Si on the shoulder like an adult.

“That would be very rude.”

Li Si’s mind went completely blank.

He was utterly dumbfounded, completely unable to follow the train of thought of this little ancestor.

“Y-Young Master… your meaning is…”

Ying Ziye’s smile widened even further.

“What this Young Master means is—not only will I not arrest them, I’m even going to help them a little.”

“H-Help them?”

Li Si felt certain he had misheard. He even began to suspect the Ninth Young Master had been so angered by the news that he had lost his senses.

Still kneeling, he shuffled forward on his knees, almost pleading in tears.

“Young Master! Absolutely not!”

“This is no different from setting fire to yourself! They intend to stir up a civil uprising. Once the people are manipulated, tens of thousands—or even hundreds of thousands—could surround the palace gates. The situation would spiral completely out of control!”

“At that point, Xianyang will drown in blood! H-How could you possibly end it?”

Seeing Li Si’s terrified expression, Ying Ziye shook his head.

“Chancellor, you still don’t understand.”

With his hands clasped behind his back like a tiny adult, he slowly paced around.

“If the water is too calm, how will the fish jump out on their own?”

“Only by thoroughly muddying the waters of Xianyang will those fish, shrimp, turtles, and bastards hiding deep below be unable to hold their breath any longer and rise to the surface one after another.”

“And when they do, this Young Master can sweep them all up in one net. Isn’t that right?”

Li Si was left speechless by those words.

He understood now.

At last, he finally understood Ying Ziye’s insane plan.

But because he understood, he became even more terrified.

“B-But… what if… what if this fire grows too large? What if the situation truly spins out of control?”

Ying Ziye stopped walking, turned around, and smiled mysteriously.

“Relax.”

“This Young Master still has the most interesting trump card of all, and I haven’t played it yet.”

He walked back in front of Li Si, crouched down, and met the kneeling Chancellor eye to eye.

“Now, this Young Master has a task for you.”

Li Si swallowed with difficulty.

“Please give your orders, Young Master.”

“Go. In the name of the Chancellor’s Estate, immediately issue a public notice and plaster it across every street and alley in Xianyang.”

Li Si’s heart rose into his throat.

Ying Ziye’s voice drifted into his ears like the whisper of a devil.

“The notice shall say: Due to years of warfare, the national treasury has been depleted, and grain reserves across the regions are nearing emergency levels.”

“To prepare for unforeseen disturbances, beginning tomorrow, every rice merchant and grain shop within Xianyang shall be taken over by the government. The entire city will enter grain rationing and control.”

Boom!

Li Si felt as though a thunderbolt had exploded inside his mind.

His legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the ground, his face deathly pale.

“Y-Young Master… absolutely… absolutely not!”

His voice trembled uncontrollably.

“Do… do you realize what will happen if this notice is released?”

“It would be like throwing another torch into a pot of boiling oil!”

“The entire city will panic! The people will go mad!”

Ying Ziye looked at the shattered Chancellor before slowly standing up.

Looking down at the Chancellor of Great Qin from above, his little face remained full of innocent brightness.

“That panic…”

“…is exactly what I want.”

Li Si lifted his head in despair.

Ying Ziye’s voice rang out once more, carrying an unquestionable command.

“Go now, Chancellor.”