People in the Qin Dynasty sought good fortune and avoided misfortune.

Chapter 186, Is it possible that I really did it? (4k views, please vote!)
At 3:45 PM, outside Xinzheng City.

Xu Qing, dressed in ordinary clothes, rode his horse on the official road outside Xinzheng City. He looked up at the wine shop where he had agreed to meet Han Fei and immediately spotted Han Fei, who was the most conspicuous person there.

It wasn't that Han Fei was particularly conspicuous, but rather that the sight of a man drinking with a white horse was so rare that it was hard not to attract attention.

Xu Qing squeezed his legs tightly against the horse beneath him, and the horse sped up towards the wine shop.

The waiter under the flagpole of the wine shop saw another customer arrive and quickly waved and called out.

"Sir, are you looking for a rest? Our shop has some of our own fine green ant wine, which has very little alcohol content and is perfect for quenching the thirst of passersby."

Before Xu Qing could reply, Han Fei, who was drinking with Bai Ma, stood up and waved to Xu Qing.
"Brother Xu, over here, over here!"

"I've come to visit a friend; please take good care of my horse."

Xu Qing jumped off his horse, casually tossed two coins to the waiter, and walked towards Han Fei.

Watching Xu Qing's dashing figure disappear into the distance, the waiter weighed the hundred-pound horse in his hand and cheerfully led Xu Qing's horse into the stable.

"Young Master Jiu has quite the refined taste, actually drinking with the white horse," Xu Qing said with a smile.

"Brother Xu, there's no need to be so polite. We're traveling privately this time, so it's best not to be too conspicuous. Just call me by my name."

After pouring Xu Qing a bowl of wine, Han Fei continued...

"Don't let my horse's appearance fool you, it can drink a lot without getting drunk. I was so lucky to have it with me on my way back to China, otherwise I would have been so bored."

As if understanding Han Fei's words, the white horse raised its head and neighed, then bit the rim of the bowl and drank the wine in one gulp.

"Brother Han's white horse is indeed extraordinary, so bold and spirited!" Xu Qing praised.

Xu Qing had never seen a white horse so intelligent and capable of drinking before, and he couldn't help but marvel at it.

"Haha, Brother Xu, you're too kind. Come and have a drink with us."

Han Fei pulled Xu Qing along and they started drinking. Although Xu Qing didn't drink much, he drank several bowls with Han Fei until the wine in the jar was empty.

"Brother Han, don't forget the purpose of our trip out of the city. If you drink too much, who will take me sightseeing?" Xu Qing stopped Han Fei, who was about to ask for more wine.

"Hehehe, didn't we just get along too well with Brother Xu?" Han Fei chuckled, scratching his head, his eyes filled with increasing delight as he looked at Xu Qing.

During his drinking session with Xu Qing, Han Fei naturally chatted, and he habitually steered the conversation toward Legalist philosophy.

It was fine until they started talking, and Han Fei discovered that Xu Qing seemed to be well-versed in Legalist philosophy, and sometimes the things he said surprised him.

Xu Qing had no idea what Han Fei was thinking. Drinking naturally involved chatting, and besides, he was trying to get information out of Han Fei this time, so he followed along with the other person's topic.

Although Xu Qing didn't understand Legalism, he was at least a student at a top-tier university in his previous life and had been playing online games intensely. He could easily boast to Han Fei by simply applying some superficial Legalist knowledge.

“We’ll have plenty of opportunities to chat later. Let’s get down to business today,” Xu Qing said.

"Alright, then we'll do as Brother Xu says," Han Fei said, standing up.

"The waiter pays the bill!"

"Alright, sir, that'll be thirteen hundred nights in total."

Han Fei took out a money pouch from his pocket, took out fifteen hundred coins, slapped them on the table, and then left the wine shop with Xu Qing.

The two rode their horses along the official road, chatting as they went, and before they knew it, they had entered a valley.

“Brother Xu, you just said that it is not advisable to judge everything solely by law, but rather to use both law and rites. But now that rites and music have collapsed, who, from the monarch to the common people, still cares about law and rites?”

"Only by using punishment to eliminate punishment can we rectify the court and restrain the people," Han Fei said thoughtfully, looking at Xu Qing.

Han Fei was not popular among Confucianists not because he was dissolute, but because he once advocated abandoning benevolence and virtue.

They say that Confucian benevolence and righteousness are the benevolence of women, that a loving mother can have a spoiled son while a strict law can have no cowards, and that they advocate using punishment to deter others, so that officials dare not deceive the people and the people dare not make mistakes.

“You misunderstood me. The rites I advocate are not the rites of Zhou, but the morality recognized by the people under the rites of Zhou.”

"In other words, the laws advocated by the Legalists today are all explicit provisions, which can be called written laws, while morality, as a customary habit of the people, belongs to customary law."

"The former uses external force to strongly restrain the people, while the latter emphasizes the people's self-discipline, combining internal and external measures."

Xu Qing slowly explained his views, causing Han Fei, who was standing to the side, to fall into deep thought.

"Brother Xu, your idea is quite novel and enlightening," Han Fei said thoughtfully.

Han Fei originally thought that Xu Qing's advocacy of combining rites and laws was the same as that of his teacher Xunzi, who advocated the Zhou rites while emphasizing the role of laws.

However, Xu Qing's views were more profound than his teacher's, as if he stood entirely between Confucianism and Legalism, taking the best of both schools and making up for the shortcomings of each.

"It's just one person's opinion, not worth sharing with outsiders," Xu Qing said.

He was just bragging; in this day and age, it would be completely impractical to put his words into practice.

Laws are easy to unify, but values ​​like morality can only be mainstream and cannot be unified.

"No, Brother Xu's words are like a wake-up call, enlightening me completely. Thank you for your guidance, I am truly grateful," Han Fei said solemnly, cupping his hands in greeting to Xu Qing.

Xu Qing's words, especially his criticisms of the various drawbacks of his advocacy of using punishment to stop punishment and deciding all matters according to law, made him clearly aware of the loopholes in his own theory and helped him point out the direction for the future development of his theory.

Based on this alone, Han Fei felt that it was not an exaggeration for him to call Xu Qing "teacher".

"Brother Han, you're too kind. But where are we? You haven't led us astray, have you?" Xu Qing looked around and changed the subject.

As the two talked, they had already left the main road and were now at the mouth of a valley. The surrounding trees were barren and a thin mist surrounded them, giving off an eerie and ominous atmosphere.

“That’s right, this is our destination. Liezi lived in seclusion in the state of Zheng for more than forty years before emerging to establish the Guixu School of thought. He also opened a school in his secluded place outside Xinzheng City to teach and take on disciples.”

"Later, in order to commemorate Liezi, people named this valley Yinxian Mountain (Hidden Sage Mountain)."

"However, after the state of Han destroyed Zheng and captured Xinzheng, it killed more than 5,000 surrendered soldiers. Therefore, Yinxian Mountain was given a new name, Duanhun Valley."

Han Fei looked around at the desolate trees and finally turned to Xu Qing.

"Ninth Young Master, it seems you've been planning this all along," Xu Qing said, shaking his head at Han Fei. He finally understood what Han Fei had been trying to achieve by going through all this trouble; ultimately, he hoped to win him over.

"Hehehe, if I didn't use a little trick, would Brother Xu have come to Broken Soul Valley with me? I'm afraid you would have refused as soon as you heard those three words."

Han Fei gave Xu Qing a victory sign with a sly grin on his face.

His purpose was indeed to bring Xu Qing to the Valley of Broken Souls, but he did not deceive Xu Qing. The Valley of Broken Souls was indeed the place where Liezi lived in seclusion.

"Brother Han, with your intelligence, I think you should be able to see that I don't want to get involved in this troublesome matter of the ghost soldiers robbing our supplies," Xu Qing said to Han Fei.

Seeing that Xu Qing had already laid his cards on the table, Han Fei also put away his smile and looked at Xu Qing seriously, saying...

"Of course I saw through Brother Xu's thoughts. You may not believe it, but although we are not close friends, I have always regarded you as a confidant."

Xu Qing looked at Han Fei in confusion, wondering what he had done to cause such a misunderstanding.

"Do you also like your two stepmothers?" Xu Qing couldn't help but wonder.

Seeing Xu Qing's puzzled look, Han Fei continued...
"The reason I left South Korea to study abroad was not because I wanted to leave, but because I had no choice."

“From a young age, I was known for my extraordinary intelligence. Everyone in South Korea regarded me as the future of South Korea’s revitalization, and I myself took it as my responsibility to revitalize South Korea.”

"However, after my grandfather passed away and my father ascended the throne, powerful ministers held sway, and the country was weak in foreign affairs. After losing my grandfather's protection, I went from being the most popular person to someone everyone feared."

“My father, the officials in the court, and the states of Qin, Zhao, Wei, and Chu all want to kill me, simply because they do not want the state of Han to be able to rise again and regain its former glory.”

"For this reason, I had to live a dissolute life, indulging in wine and women, which disappointed everyone and eventually led my father to send me to Xiaoshengxianzhuang to study in order to protect myself."

Xu Qing looked at Han Fei, who was revealing his true feelings, and a trace of sympathy flashed in his eyes.

In the muddled and confused state of Korea, Han Fei, as a sober individual, was a sin in himself, which would make everyone regard him as an enemy.

“I thought I was alone, but last year I learned about the situation in the Korean court through Confucian channels and learned about your deeds, and then I discovered that there were people in Korea like me.”

"Although you have gained power by taking advantage of your favorite concubine and have engaged in rampant embezzlement and bribery, making you seem like a greedy and lustful scoundrel, it is all just a way for you to protect yourself."

Xu Qing looked at Han Fei, hesitant to speak. Was it possible that he was just that kind of person? That greed and lust were his true nature?

"But the first thing you did after becoming the Imperial Physician was to propose practicing medicine in Xinzheng to benefit the people, which shows that you care about the common people and have the determination not to succumb to the corrupt world."

"That's because my medical skills are lacking, and I'm worried about causing people to die. That's why I suggested practicing medicine in Xinzheng to gain experience," Xu Qing thought to himself.

"You frequently visit the inner palace to please the favored concubines, which is despised by many, and some even compare you to Lao Ai of Qin. But I know that you are using the favored concubines to select talent for the country."

Xu Qing stared wide-eyed at Han Fei, completely unaware of how highly regarded he was in Han Fei's heart.

"Is there any possibility that I actually did it?" Xu Qing thought to himself.

"You linger at the Purple Orchid Pavilion."

Han Fei was interrupted by Xu Qing before he could finish speaking.

"Alright, Brother Han, that's enough. I never imagined that I was viewed this way in your eyes. What exactly are you trying to say?"

Xu Qing was thick-skinned enough, but he still felt a little embarrassed by Han Fei's praise. He was afraid that if he listened any longer, he would burst out laughing.

"I say this because I know what you really think. We are both already caught in this vortex of power, and neither you nor I can escape."

"After discussing Legalist thought with Brother Xu just now, I am even more certain that you are the kindred spirit I have been looking for. Therefore, I hope to work with you to change Korea and change this world."

Han Fei spoke with force and conviction, looking sincerely at Xu Qing, and extended his right hand.

Xu Qing, meeting Han Fei's expectant gaze, immediately poured cold water on his enthusiasm and said...
"Brother Han, you may have misunderstood. Perhaps I am not that kind of person."

There was no hope for South Korea. The only reason he stayed in South Korea was because South Korea was weak and its monarch was incompetent, which allowed someone like him to thrive.

Moreover, he has many ties to Xinzheng, so he won't leave easily. However, he also won't share Han Fei's idea of ​​changing the state of Han, because he knows very well that Han has no hope.

"No, I can't be wrong about people. From our conversation just now, I can see that Brother Xu is just as I've heard the rumors about him. He is exceptionally talented and has great strategic acumen."

"Are you really willing to waste all your talent and watch corrupt officials occupy high positions and harm the people?"

Han Fei stared intently into Xu Qing's eyes, trying to put pressure on him.

Xu Qing felt like he had swallowed a fly, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He really wanted to tell Han Fei what kind of person he was, but he couldn't say it.

Is he going to tell Han Fei that the smears against him by the outside world are true, including the things he did with your two stepmothers?

He didn't know if telling Han Fei would shatter her positive impression of him.

But after Han Fei exposed the matter, he estimated that he would have to choose the same way to die from among Bi Gan, Boyi Kao, Shang Yang, Li Si, Louis XVI, and others.

"Brother Han, what you see is only the surface. Perhaps you should get to know me better before making a decision!"

Xu Qing patted Han Fei's shoulder helplessly and used the words he had used in his previous life to deal with girls he didn't like pursuing him.

The expectation in Han Fei's eyes visibly faded, and his entire aura crumbled as he looked at Xu Qing with a gloomy expression.

"Brother Xu must have some concerns about refusing me. After all, he is in a precarious situation where a slight misstep could lead to his utter ruin."

Han Fei's gaze hardened again; he felt that Xu Qing was testing him.

After all, the two had just become acquainted, and Xu Qing didn't know him well, so she didn't quite believe that he had the determination and ability to change South Korea.

If he were Xu Qing, he wouldn't believe that a notorious, powerless busybody would have such ability and ambition.

"Brother Xu, I know you still have some reservations, but one day I will show you my ability and determination, and you will be willing to help me!" Han Fei thought to himself.

"Hey, hey, hey, what are you burning?!" Xu Qing thought to himself, looking at Han Fei's expression.

He felt extremely tired and didn't have the energy to argue with Han Fei anymore. He just wanted to know how the other party knew about his other identity and how he obtained that second-grade opportunity.

"Brother Han, you said earlier that this is where Liezi lived in seclusion. Do you know where his Daoist temple is?" Xu Qing changed the subject again.

(End of this chapter)