As Ying Zheng blinked, a flash of white light engulfed him. His guards instinctively surrounded him, protecting him from any possible threat. When he opened his eyes again, Yun Tutu and her strange mount had disappeared, leaving only the pile of books and seeds on the ground.

“Where is she?!” Ying Zheng bellowed in frustration. He still had many questions for her, and now she was gone!

A nearby eunuch, trembling with fear, stammered, “Your Majesty, the treasures… they’re gone too.”

Moments ago, the guards had been holding the treasures in their hands, but now they were empty.

At that moment, Zhao Gao entered with Fusu, the crown prince. “Your Majesty, Crown Prince Fusu has arrived,” he announced.

Without hesitation, Ying Zheng ordered, “Arrest Zhao Gao and throw him in the dungeon.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the guards swiftly subdued Zhao Gao, gagging him and binding his hands.

Fusu stood in shock. “Father, what happened?”

Ying Zheng, ignoring his son’s confusion, commanded, “Everyone leave, except Fusu.”

Once the room cleared of servants and guards, only Ying Zheng and Fusu remained.

“Father?” Fusu asked, still bewildered by the sudden events. Was it something he had done wrong?

Ying Zheng gestured toward the pile of books and seeds. “Take all of these to the storeroom.”

Though Fusu hesitated, looking down at his pristine white robes, he knew better than to disobey his father. Silently, he gathered the items and began to carry them.

As Fusu worked, Ying Zheng observed him with a mixture of disappointment and concern. Fusu was his eldest son, the one he had placed all his hopes upon to continue the Qin legacy. He had entrusted Fusu’s education to the scholars of Confucianism, but now Ying Zheng questioned whether that had been a mistake.

How could Fusu accept an imperial decree ordering his death without question? There had been no suspicion, no resistance. It seemed Ying Zheng had been too lenient in raising him. From now on, Fusu would remain by his side for stricter guidance.

Ying Zheng took note of the world map Yun Tutu had presented, but he set it aside for now. The unification of the Six States was not yet complete, and conquering distant lands was a distant concern.

Today had brought a flood of new information. He needed time to process it all—the books, the seeds, and the grand possibilities they held for Qin’s future. With the comparative guide to small seal script provided by Yun Tutu, translating the texts would be manageable, and once done, they would offer great opportunities for his empire.

As for the mysterious woman, Ying Zheng was sure she would return. When she did, he intended to keep her longer to extract more information.

---

Yun Tutu found herself back in the familiar alleyway of her own time, feeling a pang of disappointment. She hadn’t had enough time to say everything she wanted.

“This timing feels off,” Yun Tutu muttered. “Last time I stayed much longer at the Pingyang Marquis’s estate, so why was I pulled back so quickly this time?”

Song Song responded, “You really don’t realize how much damage you’ve done, do you? You caused history to diverge into a new timeline. If I hadn’t yanked you out, we would’ve been in serious trouble.”

Yun Tutu was stunned. “It was that serious? You didn’t say anything like that before!”

Song Song’s tone was filled with regret. “It’s the first time I’ve dealt with something like this. The moment history split, both you and I became anomalies in that timeline. If we had been caught, we would’ve been erased.”

Hearing this, Yun Tutu shuddered. She hadn’t realized just how close she’d come to losing her life in another dimension. But something still felt off. “Wait, aren’t you the one responsible for this? You’re the one who took the job, and you said the timeline would branch into a new one. Shouldn’t you have known all of this beforehand?”

Song Song hesitated, clearly at fault. It hadn’t expected the creation of a new timeline to be so risky.

“Hold on,” Yun Tutu said, her thoughts racing. “Does this mean the new Qin Empire will follow a different path now?”

Song Song sighed. “That’s right. And because of this divergence, you won’t need to worry about reading English in that world anymore. And who knows? Maybe they’ll get their revenge on that small island nation.”

Yun Tutu couldn’t help but smile. Even if the Qin dynasty didn’t last for a thousand years, they would certainly take control of that island and its treasure troves of gold and silver. Ancient laborers would be sent to mine the resources.

“Stop daydreaming and get your stuff inside,” Song Song interrupted. “You’ve been sitting on your bike laughing like an idiot.”

“Do you always have to ruin my fun?” Yun Tutu grumbled as she parked her bike in the courtyard. “Next time, make sure you send me back to that timeline, and adjust the timing a bit. I don’t want to be thrown into a situation like that again.”

She shuddered at the memory of being dropped right after the assassination attempt on Qin Shi Huang. Even with her protective shield, the encounter had shaken her.

“You really messed up, sending me there right after the Jing Ke assassination attempt. No wonder Qin Shi Huang was so cold toward me. If I’d been there at a different time, we could’ve had a longer conversation. Honestly, I’m lucky he didn’t execute me on the spot.”

Song Song tried to defend itself, “It was a mistake, okay? But consider yourself fortunate it happened after the assassination attempt. Imagine if you had arrived before. Do you know what could’ve happened?”

Yun Tutu’s back went cold. If she had arrived before the assassination, Qin Shi Huang might have believed she was truly delivering a map, leaving him vulnerable to Jing Ke’s attack. Not only would history have changed completely, but Yun Tutu would have been blamed for the emperor’s death.

Song Song continued, “On the bright side, now that there’s a new timeline, we can visit that world again without being constrained by the original history.”

Yun Tutu didn’t fully grasp the mechanics, but she understood enough: she could see Qin Shi Huang again. Even though the timeline had diverged, it was still the legacy of her ancestors. If she could help in some way, she’d be happy to do so.

When she opened the storage compartment on her bike, she hesitated to touch the items inside. “Are you sure it’s okay for me to bring these things back?”

Most of the items were bronze artifacts, and some were jade pieces. One even looked suspiciously like the He Shi Bi, the famous jade disc.

“That’s not the He Shi Bi,” Song Song corrected. “It’s just a piece of jade. Do some research if you’re unsure.”

Yun Tutu sighed in relief. “Good. But still, is it safe to keep all of this stuff in my apartment?”

She opened her front door and thought about the flimsy lock she had. She had seen locksmiths easily pick locks like this before, and now, with all these valuable artifacts inside, she felt uneasy.

“You should check your bank account balance,” Song Song suggested. “With the wealth you’ve accumulated, you can afford a much more secure place.”