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

Chapter 223, Jing Ni's Doubts
After Xu Qing finished writing the last word, a letter of several hundred words was completed on the bamboo slip.

"The next step is to have someone deliver the letter to Mount Taiyi."

Setting down the brush, Xu Qing picked up the bamboo slip and gently blew on the still-dry characters, revealing a satisfied expression.

Just as Xu Qing was waiting for the ink to dry, there was a sudden knock on the courtyard gate.

"Dong Dong Dong~"

"Imperial Physician, are you home?" The Feng family steward's voice rang out from outside the courtyard gate.

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Xu Qing immediately recognized who it was, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes.

"Why is the steward from the Feng family here? Could it be that Luo Jing is in trouble again?" Xu Qing wondered to himself.

After placing the bamboo slips in his hand into the prepared box, Xu Qing got up and walked outside. Based on his previous friendship with Luo Jing, he couldn't just sit idly by and do nothing if anything happened to her.

As Xu Qing opened the gate that had been bolted shut, the smiling face of the Feng family steward came into view.

Upon seeing Xu Qing open the door, Butler Feng bowed and greeted him.
"I have met the Imperial Physician. I apologize for disturbing you."

"Butler Feng, what brings you here? Did Madam Luo send you?" Xu Qing asked.

"Indeed, indeed. My lady saw that the Imperial Physician had returned home at noon and knew that you had no maids to serve you and no one to cook. So she specially prepared a small feast, hoping that you would do her the honor of attending." Steward Feng smiled obsequiously and slightly stepped aside, gesturing for Xu Qing to go to the Feng residence for the banquet.

"Just attending a banquet? Nothing else?" Xu Qing asked in a deep voice.

“My wife said it’s just a simple meal. As neighbors, our two families should help each other and visit each other more often,” said Butler Feng.

Upon hearing this, Xu Qing suddenly realized that Luo Jing thought he was going to turn his back on her after taking advantage of him since he rarely went to the Feng residence or came home.

This made Luo Jing feel a sense of crisis, so she specially sent someone to ask him to build a relationship.

However, this cannot be blamed on him. It's not that Luo Jing, the young widow, is not good enough, but rather that Zi Nu's heart is more tender, and Zi Lan Xuan's sister-in-law is also quite pleasing to the eye.

"Neighbors should visit each other more often, but I've been very busy with official duties lately. Please ask your wife to allow me to change my clothes before attending the banquet," Xu Qing said with a smile.

"Alright, I'll go and get back to you, Madam."

After Xu Qing agreed, Steward Feng bowed and headed towards the Feng residence.

Xu Qing turned around and went back home, changed his official robes into a dark robe, and headed towards the Feng residence with a box in his hand.

When the guards of the Feng residence saw Xu Qing arrive, they quickly led him into the mansion. After passing through two courtyards, Xu Qing met Luo Jing under the pavilion in the garden.

Luo Jing wore a yellow and blue off-shoulder dress, her pretty face adorned with a charming and gentle smile, and her beautiful eyes sparkling with joy.

She knelt beside the table, her graceful figure curvaceous, her ample breasts peeking out from under the bright yellow lace hem of her dress.

Her plump, upturned buttocks pressed slightly against her firm thighs, and her small feet, encased in white stockings, rested on the seat. Xu Qing could vaguely see the pink nail polish on her toes.

"The Imperial Physician has arrived. Please have a seat."

When Luo Jing saw Xu Qing approaching, she placed her slender hands in front of her flat stomach, gently pushed herself up with her legs, and stood up gracefully, her breasts swaying slightly.

White stockings peeked out from under the soft cushion, her bright yellow skirt swaying slightly, her full, long legs subtly revealed.

Xu Qing walked into the pavilion, his nose twitched slightly, and he smelled a few pleasant fragrances emanating from Luo Jing.

He glanced at Luo Jing's clothes and makeup again, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes as he looked at her bright yet somewhat sorrowful face.

The other person is currently in mourning, so such attire is obviously inappropriate. Moreover, every move she made from the moment she met him was full of ulterior motives, which made Xu Qing even more certain of his thoughts.

"Thank you for hosting this banquet, Madam," Xu Qing said with a slight bow.

"I dare not say it's hard work; it's just a small feast, and I hope you won't find it too much," Luo Jing said with a slight nod.

Her handsome face was even more radiant with a smile. Under the bright sunlight, she looked like a rose that had bloomed anew, making people want to get closer to her.

"How could I possibly complain? With my wife by my side, I'd be happy even if I had to eat dirt." Xu Qing said with a smile, moving closer to Luo Jing, the fragrance wafting from her nose becoming even stronger.

Luo Jing was enveloped by Xu Qing's shadow, a blush rising on her face. She lowered her head shyly, not daring to look at Xu Qing.

"The Imperial Physician only knows how to say nice things. If he really remembered what people said, he wouldn't have gone over a month without visiting."

Luo Jing glanced at Xu Qing sideways, her eyes filled with sorrow. She waved her handkerchief slightly, giving off a coquettish feeling of wanting to refuse but actually wanting to accept.

Xu Qing's smile widened upon seeing this, and he couldn't help but think to himself, "She truly is a widow."

The melancholy of someone confined to their boudoir was so palpable that he couldn't help but want to transform into Cao Cao to repay the kindness and favor shown to him by Doctor Feng back then.

"Haven't I been busy with official duties lately? I've neglected my wife, so I came here specifically to apologize."

Xu Qing smiled and opened the box she had brought, revealing the white jade bracelet inside.

Xu Qing wasn't the type to abandon someone after he'd done his bidding. He hadn't had time to visit Luo Jing lately, but that didn't mean he'd forgotten this charming widow. To soothe her lonely heart, he had naturally made preparations.

Luo Jing looked at the exquisitely carved white jade bracelet in the box, her eyes flashing with surprise.

"This bracelet is a rare treasure that I searched for with great effort. As the saying goes, beautiful jade is a perfect match for a beautiful woman, and this white jade bracelet is just right for you, Madam."

Before Luo Jing could react, Xu Qing grabbed her hand and, with his other hand holding the bracelet, prepared to put it on her.

Luo Jing subconsciously tried to pull her hand back, but Xu Qing held it so tightly that she couldn't. She could only lower her head shyly and let Xu Qing put the bracelet on her wrist.

Meanwhile, in Luo Jing's subconscious, Jing Ni silently watched this scene.

"I thought he was a gentleman, but I never expected him to be a lecher."

Throughout their many interactions, Xu Qing had always been well-behaved. Even when she was a little frivolous, it was always just playful banter, but she never went too far. But today, she went straight for him, even taking advantage of the bracelet to rub and knead it a couple of times.

In other words, her mission did not allow her to harm Xu Qing; otherwise, she would definitely stab Xu Qing twice with the Jingni Sword.

"It's just a bracelet, why is that strange thing happening again?"

Jingni was filled with confusion and bewilderment. She didn't understand why Luo Jing felt such a strange feeling that she couldn't suppress when Xu Qing took out a bracelet.

But none of that matters. The fact that Xu Qing took the initiative to hold her hand shows that her seduction attempt was quite successful.

After putting the bracelet on Luo Jing's wrist, Xu Qing, fully displaying his shamelessness, continued to hold her hand.

"This bracelet is practically tailor-made for you, Madam. No wonder I felt an instant connection with it the moment I saw it; it turns out it's fate between us," Xu Qing said with a smile. Luo Jing looked at the bracelet on her wrist, a genuine smile on her shy face, letting Xu Qing hold her hand.

"The Imperial Physician is always making fun of people. The food is getting cold. Please take a seat," Luo Jing said shyly, her eyes lowered.

Luo Jing's fair hand curved slightly, her fingers brushing across the back of Xu Qing's hand before withdrawing.

Feeling the lingering warmth on the back of his hand, Xu Qing looked at Luo Jing with a hint of teasing.

Look at the advantages of being a married woman! How skillfully she plays these little tricks, this game of feigning reluctance and playing hard to get.

“Madam is right. Let’s sit down and talk while we eat.”

Xu Qing followed behind Luo Jing and sat down opposite her after she sat down.

"This is the food my servants prepared. If it doesn't suit your taste, please don't be angry, Imperial Physician," Luo Jing said with a smile.

"Don't mention it. Even if the food is terrible, I will swallow it down since the madam is personally serving it."

As Xu Qing spoke, he picked up his chopsticks and took a piece of chicken to eat. No matter how beautiful Luo Jing was, she still had to eat. How could she have the energy to work if she didn't eat her fill?

Seeing Xu Qing start eating without any hesitation, Luo Jing felt a little more relaxed, which meant that Xu Qing did not treat her as an outsider.

However, considering Xu Qing's recent coldness towards her, she decided to put in more effort to maintain their relationship, lest Xu Qing abandon her in the affairs of the Feng family later.

"What has the Imperial Physician been busy with lately? He hasn't come to the Feng residence for days on end, making people think that you're going to be a heartless man, and that you're going to abandon this helpless old woman after you've had your fill of food." Luo Jing's voice was full of resentment, as if Xu Qing had done something to her.

“Madam, this isn’t right. I haven’t even had any food yet. Although I don’t mind skipping the plot, we can’t skip the crucial parts.”

Xu Qing mentally scoffed and then shook his head slightly.

"It's nothing, I've just been busy with court affairs lately, and things haven't been easy for me either."

As he spoke, Xu Qing began to tell Luo Jing about the ghost soldiers robbing the pay and Han Fei's affairs, his words filled with how difficult his situation was and how precarious it was for him.

Meanwhile, Xu Qing kept observing Luo Jing's expression out of the corner of his eye. Even if Luo Jing didn't ask him about court affairs, he would bring it up himself, just to prove a guess.

During his lifetime, Dr. Feng was a staunch anti-Qin figure in the state of Han, but the network of connections that Luo Jing entrusted to him consisted mostly of people who served the Qin.

Since 99% of the people in the Korean court were pro-Qin factions, he didn't think much of it at the time.

But Luo Jing's flamboyant attire today, used to win him over, has brought back the doubts that had vanished before.

At first, he only thought that Luo Jing was a force within the state of Han, but he forgot about the other six states outside of Han, especially the state of Qin.

"I never expected that there was such a thing behind the ghost soldiers' robbery of the pay. It's really surprising."

Luo Jing didn't notice the probing in Xu Qing's words; her face was filled with surprise and astonishment.

"Yes, although the ghost soldiers' robbery of the supplies was thwarted, I have offended General Ji Wuye, and I'm afraid I'll have a hard time moving forward in the future," Xu Qing said with a hint of sarcasm.

Luo Jing's smile faded slightly. She naturally understood Xu Qing's implication: he was clearly asking her to hand over another part of her network of connections.

However, she wasn't stupid. If she easily gave Xu Qing what he wanted, wouldn't that make her seem cheap? How could Xu Qing possibly cherish it?

"General Ji Wuye holds a high position and wields great power. Apart from Chancellor Zhang Kaidi, no one in the state can rival him. The Imperial Physician must be extra careful in the future."

Luo Jing looked at Xu Qing with concern, her words full of care, as if she hadn't understood Xu Qing's hint at all.

"Yes, it seems we need to be more careful from now on," Xu Qing remarked.

The other party's reaction was within Xu Qing's expectations. If the other party was really sent by someone else to get close to him, there was absolutely no way he would have revealed any flaws because of this little test.

However, he will have time to verify his guesses in the future, so there is no need to rush.

After a sigh, Xu Qing started chatting about all sorts of things, pulling Luo Jing aside to talk about everything under the sun. Luo Jing smiled and responded to each question, keeping Xu Qing company as they ate and talked.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Madam. I've long heard that you are skilled in cooking. I wonder if I will have the honor of eating a meal cooked by you in the future?" Xu Qing said with a smile after she had eaten and drunk her fill.

"If the Imperial Physician wishes to eat this, he can let me know in advance when he has time, so I can make preparations," Luo Jing said.

"Alright, I don't like to eat anything else, I just love stir-fried pork. Madam, you must prepare it for me next time," Xu Qing said with a mischievous smile.

"Stir-fried pork!?"

Luo Jing looked at Xu Qing with suspicion. She had never heard of this dish before, nor did she understand the implication in Xu Qing's words.

“It’s normal that you haven’t heard of it, Madam. It’s getting late, and I have to go on duty this afternoon, so I won’t stay any longer,” Xu Qing said, rising and bowing.

"Then I won't try to stop you, so as not to delay your business," Luo Jing said.

"Stay."

Xu Qing declined Luo Jing's offer to see him off and turned to walk out of the Feng residence alone.

After Xu Qing left, Luo Jing's eyes immediately became empty, and then filled with indifference.

Jingni sat in her seat, looking at the white jade bracelet on her wrist, analyzing in her mind what Xu Qing had just said.

"Did you figure something out and are testing me? Or did you sense Ji Wuye's threat and want to get help from me?" Jing Ni said in a low voice.

Xu Qing's sudden probing made her somewhat uneasy. Up until now, she did not know Xu Qing's attitude towards the Qin State, otherwise she would not have thought of using seduction as a starting point to win Xu Qing over to her side.

During the conversation with Xu Qing, Luo Jing took the lead, and Luo Jing's mind was full of maintaining a good relationship with Xu Qing and protecting the Feng family.

This meant that during the conversation with Xu Qing, it was impossible to probe Xu Qing in return or observe his expression.

"I need to find an opportunity to personally probe Xu Qing's attitude towards the Qin state," Jing Ni thought.

If Xu Qing doesn't dislike Qin, or even feels close to it, that would be ideal. If he is indifferent to or dislikes Qin, then she can use Ji Wuye to pressure Xu Qing and gradually pull him to Qin's side.

After making her decision, Jingni looked at the white jade bracelet on her wrist and frowned.

The strange feeling that she couldn't suppress just now puzzled her; she couldn't understand why she felt that way.

As an assassin, severing emotions and desires is a fundamental skill, which means she was completely unable to discern what this strange phenomenon was or how to resolve it.

(End of this chapter)