Most of them were frightened of the eunuch and said it was a horse. (They were right to be scared – Zhao later punished all those who had dared to call it a deer) The phrase pointing to a deer and calling it a horse has become a well-known proverb in the Chinese language. It describes a situation where right and wrong are deliberately mixed up.
One day, Eunuch Zhao presented a deer to the Second Emperor at court, all the time pointing to the animal and calling it a horse. The Emperor laughed in disbelief and asked the ministers
around him for their opinion.
Eunuch Zhao was now so powerful that he wished to be the Emperor himself. Only one man stood between him and the throne -the Second Emperor. He decided to test the ministers to see how far they would follow him.
Prime Minister Li announced that the First Emperor was dead and Prince Hu was now Second Emperor. Not long afterwards, a power struggle began between Prime Minister Li and the wily eunuch. The Second Emperor sided with his former tutor, Zhao. He had Li executed, and appointed Zhao Gao to be the new prime minister.
To hide the odor, Prime Minister Li filled the coach with salted shellfish and spread the word that the Emperor had a sudden craving for preserved abalone! They continued touring until the messenger returned from the Great Wall and reported that Prince Fu was safely dead. Only then did they dare to hurry back to the capital.
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