DLERB -Chapter 21 Chancellor, You Think This Is a Massacre? No—This Is a Miracle!

Above the execution grounds, the stench of blood mixed with the cold morning mist and seeped into every breath.

Li Si collapsed on the ground, both hands pressed against mud soaked in blood, his fingertips trembling uncontrollably.

His vacant eyes stared at the small mountain of corpses, at the severed heads hanging from the flagpoles—officials who had stood beside him in court only hours ago.

A hoarse rattling sound escaped his throat, like a dying old beast.

“They’ve gone mad…”

“They’ve all gone mad…”

Just as Li Si’s world completely crumbled, Ying Ziye stood not far away, calmly admiring the masterpiece before him.

Inside his mind, a cold mechanical voice rang out on schedule.

【Ding!】

【Detected that the host has successfully crushed the Xianyang military rebellion jointly orchestrated by the remnants of the Six States and the Confucian faction through thunderous means, executing the ringleaders, intimidating hidden enemies, and stabilizing the foundations of Great Qin!】

【Major historical tragedy node “Chaos of Xianyang” has been successfully altered!】

【National Fortune Critical Reward triggered!】

【Congratulations, Host, for obtaining Legendary Reward #1: Divine Item · Potato Seeds (Ten Thousand Shi)!】

【Congratulations, Host, for obtaining Legendary Reward #2: Great Qin Auspicious Treasure · Curved-Plow Manufacturing Blueprint!】

A satisfied smile appeared on Ying Ziye’s little face.

With his short legs, he walked over to Li Si.

Understanding the signal, Qinglong took out a thick bamboo scroll from his robe, walked over to Li Si, and tossed it before him.

The bamboo slips rolled open, revealing lines upon lines of densely packed tiny characters.

Startled by the movement, Li Si shuddered and slowly lowered his head to look at the document.

One familiar name after another entered his sight.

“Wang Li, eldest son of the wealthy Wang family of the western district…”

“Li Geng, younger brother of Lesser Treasury official Li Quan…”

“Wife of Zhao Meng, prison clerk of the Court of Justice…”

These were all relatives of those who had participated in the rebellion last night—or had been bribed into causing trouble!

Li Si gave it a quick glance and instantly felt his scalp go numb.

Three thousand people!

More than three thousand names!

He suddenly raised his head to look at Ying Ziye, his voice shrill with panic.

“Young Master! You must not!”

“Among these people… many are family members of court officials! They may know nothing about this!”

Still kneeling, he crawled forward two steps and grabbed the hem of Ying Ziye’s pants.

“Young Master! If all these people are executed and their nine clans implicated, then half the court will be emptied!”

“The very foundation of Great Qin will be shaken!”

Ying Ziye lowered his head and looked at Li Si’s tear-streaked face with curious innocence.

His clear eyes were filled with childlike purity.

“Chancellor.”

His childish voice sounded softly.

“When did I ever say I was going to kill them?”

Li Si froze completely.

His hand clutching Ying Ziye’s pant leg stopped midair, and the expression on his face stiffened.

“N-not kill them?”

Ying Ziye picked up a candied fruit from a small stool nearby and stuffed it into his mouth.

“Yep.”

He spoke unclearly while chewing.

“This Young Master isn’t a devil. Why would I kill so many people?”

Li Si’s mind completely crashed.

He looked at Ying Ziye’s innocent and harmless little face, then at the mountain of corpses behind him.

An absurd chill rose from the depths of his heart.

Ying Ziye dusted the sugar powder from his hands and called out to Qinglong behind him.

“Qinglong, bring up the gift I prepared for the Chancellor.”

“As you command!”

More than a dozen Jinyiwei carried over several heavy wooden chests and marched onto the execution grounds.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The chests hit the ground heavily, producing dull thuds.

With every sound, Li Si’s heart tightened further.

He had no idea what was inside those boxes.

More torture devices?

Or containers meant for the heads of those three thousand people?

Under Li Si’s horrified gaze, Qinglong stepped forward and personally opened one of the chests.

There was no gold.

No silver.

No jewels.

And certainly no instruments of torture.

The chest was filled instead with dark, round objects still covered in fresh soil.

The fragrance of earth mixed with the smell of blood and spread through the air.

Li Si was stunned.

What was this?

Ying Ziye skipped over happily and picked one up from the chest.

Like a child proudly showing off a treasure, he held it out before Li Si.

“Chancellor, look.”

“This thing is called a potato.”

Li Si stared blankly at the object, completely confused.

Then Ying Ziye continued speaking in his childish voice—words capable of overturning an entire era.

“If you plant this in the ground, one mu of land can produce five thousand jin.”

Boom!!!

Li Si felt as though a divine thunderbolt from the heavens had struck him directly on the head.

His eyes widened, his lips trembling, every word squeezed painfully from between his teeth.

“F-five… thousand… jin?!”

He doubted his own ears.

He doubted he had gone insane.

Even the finest fertile land in Great Qin only yielded two or three hundred jin of grain per mu!

Five thousand jin?!

What kind of concept was that?

It was a miracle!

Something only immortals in the heavens could accomplish!

Seeing Li Si utterly shaken, Ying Ziye nodded in satisfaction.

“Yep.”

“And you can harvest it once every three months.”

He tossed the potato back into the chest and clapped his hands.

“Chancellor, tell me…”

“If the people of Xianyang learned that I possess a divine treasure capable of letting them eat their fill every single meal…”

“Would they still listen to that old fool Chunyu Yue and come attack my palace?”

“Would they still hate me?”

Li Si’s mind roared like thunder.

He understood.

At this moment, he completely understood.

First, use thunderous methods to create the deepest fear and despair.

Force everyone to the edge of the cliff.

Then reveal a miracle and grant them the greatest hope and blessing!

This was not a conspiracy.

This was an open strategy!

This was the art of imperial rule!

What this eight-year-old prince wanted was never simple slaughter.

What he wanted… was the hearts of the people!

He intended to seize the loyalty of all Great Qin and hold it tightly in the palm of his hand!

Looking at the tiny figure before him, Li Si felt fear rise from the depths of his soul for the very first time.

This was no mortal.

This was a monster.

Ying Ziye ignored him after that and skipped toward the center of the execution grounds.

He stopped before Chunyu Yue, who was chained to a wooden post with iron shackles.

Chunyu Yue’s eyes were hollow, his body lifeless like dead wood.

Ying Ziye crouched down and met his gaze.

“Old man.”

He reached out his small hand and patted Chunyu Yue’s filthy face.

“Didn’t you love talking about the will of the people the most?”

“Didn’t you say that public opinion is like water—that water can overturn a boat?”

A brilliantly radiant smile bloomed across Ying Ziye’s face.

“Now open your dog eyes wide and watch carefully.”

“Watch how I take the ‘people’s hearts’ you were so proud of… all for myself.”

Chunyu Yue’s body trembled violently.

A hoarse rasping sound escaped his throat as muddy tears flowed from his hollow eyes.

Ying Ziye stood up and did not spare him another glance.

He turned and walked back to Li Si, who was already completely dumbfounded.

Li Si shuddered and instinctively straightened his posture, like a man awaiting judgment from a god.

Ying Ziye looked at him and spoke in his childish voice.

The voice was soft, yet to Li Si it felt heavier than Mount Tai.

“Now, Chancellor…”

“It’s time for you to do something for me.”