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

Chapter 205, The Person Who Should Have Died

Seeing Han Yu fall, Han Wang'an shouted in a panic.

"Fourth brother, fourth brother! Imperial Physician, go check on the fourth brother's condition quickly."

"promise."

Xu Qing quickly walked to Han Yu's side, took his wrist, checked his pulse, and then nodded to Han Wang'an, saying...

"Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince suffered a stroke due to anger, which caused him to vomit blood and fall into a coma. He will wake up once he is taken home to recuperate."

Upon hearing that Han Yu was alright, King An of Han breathed a sigh of relief, his body went limp, and he slumped onto his throne, his face filled with sorrow.

"Arrange for someone to send the fourth prince back, and send a physician from the Imperial Hospital to take care of him," Han Wang An said weakly.

In the end, Han Yu was the child he valued most, but now he had ended up like this. How could he not be heartbroken? But he was helpless. It was Han Yu's own fault for being so useless and giving others a handle to use against him.

Ji Wuye was somewhat disappointed to see that Han Yu had only fainted. In his opinion, it would have been better if Han Yu had just died of anger.

Several eunuchs entered the hall and carried Han Yu away.

"The Imperial Physician will remain. General and Prime Minister, please return first," King Han An said, waving his hand.

"promise."

Ji Wuye and Zhang Kai glanced at Xu Qing before leaving the hall.

As the main hall doors closed again, King Han An also straightened up and looked at Xu Qing with a serious expression.

Xu Qing naturally understood why Han Wang'an wanted to keep him here, and maintained his bowing posture, letting Han Wang'an stare at him.

After a long silence, King Han An finally spoke.

"Tell me, why are you targeting the Fourth Young Master this time? You two have never had any grudges or conflicts, so what is the reason?"

“Last night, the Ninth Prince and Prime Minister Zhang met at the Purple Orchid Pavilion. The Prime Minister entrusted the Ninth Prince to investigate the matter of the ghost soldiers robbing the funds.” Xu Qing delivered the prepared statement. He had long anticipated that helping Ji Wuye to depose Han Yu would inevitably lead to questioning, so he thought of using the matter of Zhang Kaidi and Han Fei’s private meeting to mislead King Han An.

"You're saying the Prime Minister and the Ninth Prince had a secret meeting at the Purple Orchid Pavilion? And that you entrusted the Ninth Prince to investigate the Ghost Soldiers' robbery of the funds?"

“That’s right. The Prime Minister and his grandson Zhang Liang went to Zilan Pavilion at night. There were quite a few witnesses. Your Majesty can find out whether what I said is true or false after a little investigation.”

Xu Qing's tone was neither humble nor arrogant, which made Han Wang'an hesitate.

Zhang Kaidi's private meeting with Han Fei suggests, in King An of Han's view, that the former is very likely to have formed an alliance with the latter.

After all, Ji Wuye had the Crown Prince of Han in his grasp, and with Han Yu crippled, only Han Fei in the royal family could threaten the Crown Prince. In order to fight against Ji Wuye, Zhang Kaidi would definitely need a royal prince as a figurehead, and Han Fei was the supporter he chose.

Thinking of this, King Han An couldn't help but recall that when Han Yu had just gotten into trouble, he had suggested to Zhang Kaidi that he support Han Yu in order to maintain the balance of the court, but Zhang Kaidi refused.

At this moment, King An of Han was even more certain that Zhang Kaidi had changed his approach and chosen to support Han Fei.

If that's the case, it's not so hard to understand why Xu Qing would turn around and help Ji Wuye get rid of Han Yu. In his opinion, Xu Qing and Han Fei had a very good personal relationship, and the two had probably already formed an alliance.

By eliminating Han Yu, Han Fei would have one less rival, making it easier for him to enter the court and contend with Ji Wuye.

For Han Wang'an, none of this was bad. Han Yu was already useless, and it was best that Han Fei could take his place. Apart from his dislike of Han Fei, everything else was the best outcome.

Han Wang An stared intently at Xu Qing, as if trying to see through him. He had once thought Xu Qing was his pawn, but as Xu Qing grew stronger, he began to gradually break free from his control.

"you"

Han Wang'an wanted to say something, but ultimately the words stuck in his throat. Now that Han Yu had fallen, if he failed to warn Xu Qing and instead sided with Ji Wuye, then he would have to give up.

Although King Han An had a complex mix of emotions, they all ultimately boiled down to a word of encouragement.

"Xu Qing, the Ninth Prince has an eccentric personality and behaves absurdly. I will have to rely on you to teach him a lesson from now on."

Xu Qing glanced at Han Wang'an, whose already aged face seemed to have aged even more, and the light in his eyes had dimmed.

"Could it be that this old guy has given up on us? Are we going to give up again?" Xu Qing thought to himself.

His appearance originally gave Han Wang'an hope of regaining power, but his performance today has exceeded Han Wang'an's control. Has the old man realized his own capabilities?

"Your Majesty's command is my duty," Xu Qing said calmly.

"Step down and properly assist the Ninth Prince, and help me teach him well," said King Han An.

"promise."

Xu Qing bowed and took his leave, then turned and walked out of the hall.

Han Wang'an looked at Xu Qing's retreating figure with a gloomy expression, and couldn't help but doubt his own abilities.

Ji Wuye, Han Yu, and Xu Qing—he had personally supported each of them, thinking he could control them all. But in the end, they all broke free of his control and became people he feared.

"Could it be that I am truly incapable of controlling these people?"

A question arose in Han Wang'an's mind, but unfortunately no one could answer it, or perhaps the reality of South Korea was the best answer.

Soon, news of what happened in the council hall spread in Xinzheng. Officials and dignitaries belonging to Han Yu's faction were all terrified, and some even began to actively sever ties with Han Yu and switch sides.

As the saying goes, "When a whale falls, all things spring up," and with so many positions available, everyone wants to advance. Therefore, Ji Wuye, Zhang Kaidi, and Xu Qing's men, like vicious wolves, eyed Han Yu's faction, ready to tear a piece of their flesh at any moment. Meanwhile, in the Black Iron Prison of the Sikou Mansion...

Han Fei and Zhang Liang, who were preparing to interrogate Anping Jun and Longquan Jun, also received news that Han Yu had been deposed.

Han Fei and Zhang Liang stood outside the prison, looking at each other with surprise and astonishment in their eyes.

"The Imperial Physician truly is a man who, when he does act, leaves everyone in awe. The once illustrious Fourth Prince has met such a wretched end," Zhang Liang remarked.

"Brother Xu's gift has truly caught me off guard," Han Fei said with a complicated expression.

With his fourth brother deposed, he became the only one who could rival Crown Prince Han, and in the blink of an eye, he became the target of everyone's anger, which was quite different from his original plan.

But the benefits are also enormous. Once he resolves the issue of the ghost soldiers robbing his pay and establishes his authority, his fourth brother's subordinates and other political enemies of Ji Wuye will actively gravitate towards him.

"I don't know whether to congratulate Brother Han or remind you to be careful," Zhang Liang said, looking at Han Fei.

"Zifang, you really know how to make fun of me. Since Brother Xu has so sincerely prepared this gift for me, how could I refuse it?" Han Fei said with a smile.

Seeing how quickly Han Fei adjusted his mindset, Zhang Liang also smiled.

"Then congratulations in advance, Brother Han. Once you break the ghost soldiers' robbery of the supplies, everything will fall into place," Zhang Liang said.

"I just don't know if the two princes will cooperate."

"I believe that with Brother Han's intelligence, the two princes will have no choice but to cooperate."

"Then we'll see."

Han Fei and Zhang Liang exchanged a smile and then walked into the prison, ready to have a good meeting with Lord Anping and Lord Longquan.

As the sun began to set, a sunset glow painted the sky, and pedestrians on the streets of Xinzheng packed up their belongings and prepared to go home.

Xu Qing carried two bags of cooked meat toward her home. As soon as she entered the alley, she saw a carriage parked in front of her house, and Madam Hu, who was wearing a green dress and had a beautiful face, was standing next to the carriage.

Madam Hu looked sorrowful, her brows furrowed with worry, and her slender, white fingers intertwined, showing her deep anxiety and tension.

"Why is Madam Hu here? Is it because of Liu Yi?"

Xu Qing walked toward the carriage with doubt in his eyes. When the nervous and uneasy Madam Hu saw Xu Qing, a hint of joy flashed in her beautiful eyes. She took two steps forward to greet Xu Qing.

"Imperial Physician," Madam Hu said, bowing.

"Madam Hu, what brings you here? Is it because of the Right Sima's matter?" Xu Qing asked in a low voice.

Madam Hu looked around and, finding no one else, said in a low voice.

"It's not because of that. I have something else I'd like your help with."

Seeing Madam Hu's uneasy and guilty expression, Xu Qing was even more puzzled. Based on his understanding of Madam Hu, she was always open and honest in her actions, and even when she was mourning Li Kai, she did not hide it from Liu Yi.

Now he seemed uneasy, like a thief, which was quite puzzling. But the other party was Hu Meiren's sister and Nongyu's mother, so he had to help her no matter what.

"Whatever it is, I will do my best to help. It's not appropriate to talk outside, let's go to the house to talk," Xu Qing said.

“No, could you come with me somewhere?” Mrs. Hu said softly.

"it is good."

Xu Qing thought for a moment and then nodded.

Seeing that Xu Qing had agreed, Madam Hu hurriedly led Xu Qing into a carriage and left the alley, heading towards Madam Hu's own residence.

Inside the carriage, Madam Hu still nervously gripped her hands, as if she were worried about something.

"Madam, could you please tell me what happened?" Xu Qing asked, puzzled.

Madam Hu glanced at Xu Qing, hesitated, and then said in a low voice
"Do you still remember Li Kai, the Right Sima from back then?"

Upon hearing the name Li Kai, Xu Qing was completely taken aback. Looking at the uneasy face on the other person's face, he immediately understood that Li Kai must have returned to Xinzheng and sought out Madam Hu.

"Li Kai? He's back in Xinzheng?" Xu Qing said in surprise.

He had the Mohists search for so long in Baiyue and Chu, but they couldn't find them. Yet, the other party suddenly appeared in Xinzheng, which surprised Xu Qing with their ability to hide.

Upon hearing this, Madam Hu was taken aback at first, then asked in surprise.

How do you know he's still alive!?

After saying this, Madam Hu quickly covered her mouth, her beautiful eyes filled with shock, completely bewildered as to why Xu Qing knew that Li Kai was still alive.

Although shocked, Madam Hu's tension eased considerably. Xu Qing was her sister's favorite... well, let's just say he was her darling.

She has a close relationship with her sister, who knows the secret but won't reveal it. Instead, she'll help protect Li Kai.

"This is a long story. Are you taking me to see Li Kai?" Xu Qing asked in a deep voice.

Regardless of how Li Kai returned to Xinzheng, the fact that the other party took the initiative to come back saved him a lot of trouble. It just so happens that Wei Zhuang will bring Liu Yi back tonight, at which time the truth about Huoyu Manor from back then will be completely revealed to the world.

(End of this chapter)