Chapter 353: Establishing the Crown Prince, Journey to Loulan
The history of Great Qin followed the records.
After Ying Zheng ascended the throne, he adopted titles from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, changing the title of King to Emperor.
He was also the first emperor in history.
This period is referred to as the First Emperor in history.
Three days after the enthronement ceremony, Li Mo entered the palace alone to meet Ying Zheng.
He would be going on a long journey soon.
Before he even entered Ying Zheng’s study, a figure quickly ran over to greet him.
Bowing deeply, the figure said, “Your servant meets the National Advisor.”
It was none other than Zhao Gao, who had always wanted to curry favor with Li Mo but had never succeeded.
“Oh, it’s you, Lord Zhao. What’s wrong… what’s happened to your face?”
Li Mo had initially wanted to ask why he was in such a hurry, but halfway through his words, he suddenly realized something was wrong.
Zhao Gao’s expression was off.
During the founding ceremony, there were too many people, and Li Mo didn’t pay special attention to minor figures like Zhao Gao.
It wasn’t until today, in this private meeting, that he noticed Zhao Gao’s face had become extremely peculiar.
The entire face appeared purplish-blue, as if he were poisoned.
It looked like a celestial baby.
For Li Mo, who had the ability to see beyond sight, Zhao Gao was already accustomed to such reactions.
He reached up to touch his own face and felt a surge of relief in his heart.
Humbly, he replied, “Reporting to the National Advisor, I’ve recently made some minor progress in my training, and these are just symptoms after practicing.”
Li Mo instantly raised an eyebrow, suddenly recalling that Zhao Gao had purchased a book called “Kuyuan Manual” from Shu Merchants before.
“Have you mastered it?”
His mouth couldn’t help but twitch a couple of times.
Those Shu Merchants were undoubtedly fraudsters; it was obvious that the techniques they sold were fake.
No wonder his complexion had become so unsightly; it’s a miracle he wasn’t killed during his training.
Zhao Gao chuckled awkwardly, “I dare not boast; it’s just a small achievement. Compared to you, National Advisor, I can’t even hold a candle to your little finger.”
Li Mo sensed his internal energy, and there was indeed a ripple of internal force within him.
However, it wasn’t much.
If categorized by rank, Zhao Gao’s strength was only at the fourth or fifth grade.
“Hehe, interesting, really interesting.”
Li Mo chuckled dryly, waved his hand to signal Zhao Gao to continue with his work, and then stepped into Ying Zheng’s study.
This time he came to request some soldiers.
He also wanted to remind Ying Zheng of something.
“Your Majesty, now that Great Qin has been founded, is there something you haven’t implemented yet?”
After requesting a few thousand troops, it was only when he was about to leave that Li Mo brought up this question.
“One thing? What is it?”
Ying Zheng pondered for a moment, not recalling any important matters he hadn’t addressed.
Li Mo got straight to the point: “A country cannot be without a ruler for a single day, nor can it be without a successor.”
He was reminding Ying Zheng that he needed to establish a crown prince.
One of the reasons the Qin State fell was due to not having a designated heir.
This led to Zhao Gao and Li Si being able to forge the will after Ying Zheng’s passing during the southern tour.
While it might not be the fundamental cause of the Qin State’s demise, it was certainly an inescapable factor.
Because of this, Zhao Gao could support Hu Hai, that puppet, to the throne, thereby controlling the court through the emperor.
If Great Qin had a legitimate successor, even if Ying Zheng passed away tomorrow, the crown prince would still inherit the throne.
Li Mo had no intention of having Ying Zheng establish a crown prince here; he merely wanted to remind him.
Establishing a crown prince wasn’t something to be taken lightly.
Once a crown prince was established, an empress must also be appointed.
This guy Ying Zheng had consorts but no empress.
Li Mo had no idea what he was thinking and was too lazy to inquire.
He would mention it to the Empress Dowager later and ask her to pay attention to this matter.
As for him, he was all set to depart for Loulan the following day.
When people mention the desert, the first image that comes to mind is barrenness.
Endless yellow sand stretches out as far as the eye can see, seemingly merging with the distant horizon.
It’s only when facing nature that humanity truly feels its insignificance.
Li Mo still remembered an article he had studied in his previous life.
It was titled “The Camel Caravan.”
The leading camel would always wear a bell around its neck, ringing “dang dang dang” with each step it took.
Some say camels are afraid of wolves.
By tying a bell around the camel’s neck, wolves would refrain from approaching upon hearing the bell’s sound.
Others say it was simply because traveling in the desert was too monotonous, and the camel driver could enjoy the sound of the bell to alleviate boredom.
Now, the leading camel of his caravan also wore a bell around its neck.
Of course, it wasn’t to ward off wolves but to help the rear team locate the leader during windy conditions with poor visibility.
They had already been in the desert for five days.
Initially, they could still see some green vegetation.
However, as they ventured deeper, all that appeared before their eyes was sand, more sand.
To Li Mo’s left and right were Fei Yan and the Moon Goddess, this pair of senior sisters.
Behind them was Li Wu.
Yan Lingji and Hong Liang had also clamored to come but Li Mo did not bring them.
After all, this trip was not for tourism.
He wanted to open a trade route to the West, and Loulan, as an oasis in the desert, had to be secured.
The vast desert was boundless; only by crossing this endless stretch of sand could one reach the Western Regions.
There lay the gateway to the West.
Loulan, located within the desert, acted like a transfer station.
It allowed caravans to resupply during their long journey.
Therefore, capturing Loulan was of utmost importance.
During the day, the desert resembled a furnace, scorching those who walked upon it.
At night, it turned unbearably cold.
Facing such extreme temperature differences, Li Mo had long since prepared.
He and powerful figures like Fei Yan and the Moon Goddess could naturally endure, but the soldiers he brought along could not.
Thus, before entering the desert, Li Mo had them prepare blankets.
Nighttime in the desert was eerily desolate.
Aside from the howling winds, there were no sounds of insects or birds.
The starry sky above the desert was exceptionally clear.
Looking up, one could see countless stars, like luminous pearls embedded in the night.
Fei Yan, clad in a yellow skirt, was observing the movements of the stars.
Without reference points on the ground, it was easy for one to get lost in the desert.
However, this was of no concern to the Yin-Yang School, who were skilled in astrology.
The stars in the night sky served as the best coordinates.
For the past few days, they had relied on Fei Yan’s nightly astrological readings to correct their course.
After washing up, Li Mo stepped out of the tent and walked over to Fei Yan.
Concerned, he said, “Get some rest. As long as we don’t encounter a storm, our journey should go smoothly.”
In the desert, the two most feared things were a lack of water and storms.
If they lacked water, it would be tantamount to a death sentence.
Similarly, encountering a storm in the desert and losing direction would also be a dead end.
If a storm scattered the team, the chances of regrouping were slim.
Moreover, Li Mo’s group was not only composed of numerous subordinates but also had prepared explosives for the journey.
Last time, Donghuang Taiyi had instructed the Grand Priestess to relay the coordinates deciphered from the Illusion Sound Treasure Box to Fei Yan.
And this location was the elusive Loulan amidst the desert.
Fei Yan withdrew her gaze from the stars and lightly shook her head with a smile, saying, “Let me take another look. This mission concerns my husband’s grand plan, and I do not wish to be the one at fault.”
Astrology can forecast upcoming weather changes.
But in this ever-changing desert, storms could arise and dissipate at a moment’s notice.
Traditional methods of forecasting were simply unreliable.
Fei Yan knew how intense Li Mo’s yearning for longevity was.
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