Attendant Zhang swaggered into the cabinet's loft, shaking his head as he went. As soon as he entered, he saw the ministers from the earlier court session sitting inside, some of whom had already torn off their disguise masks and were using them as fans.
The scene was downright bizarre—several cabinet ministers' faces flickered in the air as their masks waved back and forth. The sight startled Attendant Zhang, who exclaimed, "Goodness, gentlemen, we're still inside the palace! Could you at least act a bit more discreetly?"
One of the mask-waving ministers just laughed, completely unconcerned: "What’s there to fear? In this palace, aside from the emperor, everything else is fake. Even the night-pot boy is one of our people—what’s there to worry about!?"
Attendant Zhang chuckled, "True enough, I suppose I’m just being overly cautious."
The ministers continued chatting as they got down to handling state affairs. Though they were fake ministers, their talent and skills were very real; when it came to governance, they were absolute naturals.
As for how things were handled, naturally, it all followed the orders from the Palace of Qin. As for Leonard Li, they’d just prepare a fake memorial and fool him with it.
A few years ago, the cunning Lord Huainan was a headache to deal with, but after he was replaced, there was nothing left to worry about.
After chatting with the ministers, Attendant Zhang, as usual, went out for a stroll beyond the palace.
Stepping out the palace gates, the vermillion doors marked the boundary between two worlds.
"Next stop, Imperial South Gate!"
The clanging tram rolled past the Imperial South Gate, the driver hollering from his seat. Attendant Zhang nimbly hopped aboard, and the passengers, spotting him, burst into laughter, "Uncle Zhang, out acting again, are you?"
Attendant Zhang grinned, "Isn’t it the truth? Every day I’m putting on a show in the palace—that’s my day job!"
Someone piped up, "What are our King and Queen even doing all this for? All this fuss for a washed-up emperor, putting on a show for him. The world’s already turned upside down, and that emperor’s still dreaming in the palace. Wouldn’t it be easier to just finish him off?"
Attendant Zhang shook his head, "You don’t understand. The King and Queen are kind—they remember the old days. Besides, Jin and Chu have already been swallowed up by Qin. Keeping a fake emperor in the palace is just for show."
Everyone laughed as the tram turned into the main street. On both sides, buildings of reinforced concrete—imported from the West—stood solid and tall!
Attendant Zhang admired the buildings along the way, stroking his chin. "I hear the towers in Chang’an are really tall, dozens of stories high—skyscrapers! Someday when I stop acting, I’ll go see Chang’an, take the train!"
"Exactly! Take the train! The new train built this year is so fast—faster than cars!" a burly man laughed.
Everyone burst out laughing again, chatting about the sights of Chang’an.
Today, Qin’s capital Chang’an has become the world’s largest and most prosperous city, filled with towering buildings, bustling cars, and factories everywhere.
In the palace, Emperor Leonard Li watched the city from his window, sighing, "The world has changed. Qin rules everything now. Even Lord Huainan is just a guest in Chang’an."
He turned to Attendant Zhang and said, "Do you think Lily Evans will let me stay here forever?"