Chapter 2: The First Emperor’s Heaven Sacrifice and the Imperial Decree Recruiting Physicians
Chapter 2: The First Emperor’s Sacrifice to Heaven and the Imperial Edict Recruiting Physicians
Jibei Commandery, Mount Tai
On the southern slope of Mount Tai, the procession of Qin Shi Huang, Ying Zheng, ascended the mountain in grand fashion. Not long after reaching the foothills, the sky suddenly darkened. Black clouds blotted out the sun, lightning cracked at the horizon, and raindrops as large as beans began to fall, quickly turning into a torrential downpour.
Within the group, some knelt immediately, murmuring that when Heaven was angry, dark clouds and fierce rain would appear, causing flash floods that could sweep away both people and livestock. Ying Zheng was skeptical but, under the protection of his attendants, hurried to find shelter from the rain, followed closely by his retinue.
In the midst of the crisis, they spotted a large pine tree by the roadside, its branches lush and wide-spreading. The group quickly took refuge beneath it, while several attendants shielded the tree with their bodies to prevent the splashing rain from reaching them.
Strangely enough, as Ying Zheng muttered a plea for the rain to cease, the weather shifted as capriciously as a lover’s mood. The heavy downpour suddenly ceased, and even a rainbow appeared, shyly arching across the sky—a perfect scene for a post-rain mountain outing.
By 219 BCE, Ying Zheng was already forty years old and still harbored ambitions toward immortality. He truly believed the pine tree had shielded him from the rain and immediately bestowed upon it the honorary title “Fifth Minister Pine.”
At the summit of Mount Tai stood a colossal stone stele about nine zhang tall, set on a flat expanse and surrounded by fluttering banners. Feng Chang held a silken banner woven from silkworm threads, reciting the sacrificial text: “The Yellow Emperor received the virtue of Earth, the yellow dragon appeared on the ground. The Xia received the virtue of Wood, the Azure Dragon halted at the outskirts, flourishing vegetation abounded. The Yin received the virtue of Metal, silver overflowed from the mountains. The Zhou received the virtue of Fire, marked by the symbol of the red crow. Now Qin supersedes Zhou, the era of Water virtue. Long ago, Duke Wen of Qin hunted and captured the black dragon, a sign of water virtue’s blessing.”
After much ceremony, the sacrifices concluded, and the grand procession settled into a temporary palace.
However, after the sacrifice, Qin Shi Huang fell ill from the rain. The ministers and officials accompanying him were deeply anxious and summoned the court physicians to treat him immediately.
Yet, after several days, there was no improvement. In desperation, Li Si, under Ying Zheng’s orders, issued a royal edict recruiting physicians from across the land.
Since the edict’s release, countless doctors were drawn to the palace, but the treatments were ineffective. After Ying Zheng executed many incompetent healers, no one dared to respond to the recruitment order again.
“Report: Someone has answered the imperial edict from the Ministry of Chariots!” a servant announced outside the hall.
“Hm,” the pale-faced, beardless man frowned and turned back into the chamber.
“Your Majesty,” the servant called softly.
“What is it?” Ying Zheng asked with his eyes closed.
“Someone has responded to the recruitment edict,” Zhao Gao replied with his head lowered.
“Oh.”
“Summon this person at once!”
After a brief pause, Ying Zheng spoke.
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
“Citizen Yang Zimo pays respects to Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!”
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As the beardless man entered the great hall with Yang Zimo, the latter immediately stepped forward and bowed, his head lowered, gaze fixed firmly on the ground.
Ying Zheng, intrigued by the young man’s humble demeanor and unusual attire, spoke:
“Lift your head! Let me see you!”
At the Emperor’s voice, Yang Zimo instinctively raised his eyes, their gazes locking briefly. In that instant, Yang Zimo quickly averted his eyes elsewhere.
What kind of eyes were those? Deep, majestic, mysterious, and piercing. Just one glance was enough for Yang Zimo to engrave them in his memory.
“Sir, you hold the imperial recruitment edict. May I ask where you have studied?”
For so long, no one dared to respond, and now suddenly someone had. Ying Zheng’s face brightened with hope—perhaps his ailment would finally be cured.
Unexpectedly, the respondent was young. There was a saying that ‘a boy without a beard cannot be trusted to handle affairs,’ which nearly drove Ying Zheng to the brink of ordering his execution.
“Guards! Where are you!”
Ying Zheng shouted in frustration.
“Your Majesty, please withhold your judgment!”
Yang Zimo sensed the danger and quickly interjected.
“Your Majesty, I have just returned from the Immortal Realm. I have yet to adjust to the customs of Great Qin. Please allow me to explain myself!”
Nervously, Yang Zimo recited the prepared words he had practiced many times.
“The Immortal Realm!”
Once utterly disappointed, Ying Zheng exclaimed upon hearing these words.
His mind filled with questions—could immortals really be so easily encountered?
“That is correct, Your Majesty.”
“I recently arrived in the Immortal Realm but was punished by my master to descend to the mortal world to refine my mortal heart.”
“I see. But I wonder about your capabilities. If useful, Great Qin will spare no expense; if not, then you shall perish!” Ying Zheng thought to himself.
“I am one who—” Yang Zimo’s figure suddenly collapsed mid-sentence.
“Who? What is it?” Ying Zheng leapt to his feet, shouting.
“Zhao Gao, summon all the physicians of Great Qin! If he lives, you live!”
“Beep! Detected fragmented Imperial Qi in the world. Beginning decompression.”
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“Ding! File decompression complete. Click to view details!”
Several days later, Yang Zimo regained consciousness, though his body still lacked strength to move freely. The reason? Hunger and exhaustion after days without sustenance.
It turned out that Yang Zimo’s tribal artifact had been activated within his mind, but the file was so large that during decompression, his body could not withstand the process and he fainted.
The so-called tribal artifact contained the accumulated knowledge and historical records of his people, the technological tree of civilization gathered by sages over generations.
He was the inheritor of the Huaxia civilization!
As the bearer of this legacy, he automatically inherited the tribal artifact of the Huaxia clan, known as the “Unquenchable Flame,” which suppresses fate’s flux (the technological tree).
The tribal artifact, still sealed, could only be used for basic functions—querying and exchanging civilization data.
To utilize these, “civilization points” (a quantification of fate) were required for exchange.
The artifact recorded a vast array of knowledge—from cultivation methods, starship construction, planetary engineering, to crafting kitchen knives and postpartum care for sows.
Unfortunately, it was all for viewing only; direct materialization was impossible, only technical data could be accessed.
The Dao is not lightly transmitted, and so it is with civilization’s development. Without the spirit of exploration, such a civilization has no reason to advance.
Thus, the artifact reminded Yang Zimo that all knowledge was at his fingertips, but without effort, he could only gaze without progress. No clear direction was given; he had to find his own path. For now, survival was paramount.
Time slipped by like sand in the wind—unseen and unattainable.
Half a month passed, and thanks to the physicians’ efforts, Ying Zheng’s life was saved!
Within the palace’s great hall, Emperor Ying Zheng sat across from Yang Zimo.
Outside, ten zhang away, elite Iron Eagle soldiers stood guard, while agents from the Black Ice Platform vigilantly watched the surroundings from the shadows.
Under the imperial physicians’ diligent care, Yang Zimo had long regained mobility.
During his convalescence, detailed dossiers and intelligence about him had been compiled by the Black Ice Platform and laid before the Emperor.
Over the past five years, every trace of Yang Zimo’s connections—ancestors spanning ten generations, extended family, friends, and villagers within ten miles—had been thoroughly investigated.
Curiously, there was no information about him before five years ago. According to the villagers, Yang Zimo had suddenly appeared on the mountain behind their village. If not for hunters discovering him caught in a trap, he might have been reduced to bones.
Thus, Ying Zheng suppressed his doubts, waiting for Yang Zimo to awaken before summoning him to the palace for questioning—leading to the scene described above.
(End of chapter)