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

Chapter 279, A Clever Substitution to Relieve Worries (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)
The next day, news of Han Yu's death quickly spread in Xinzheng. He was also found to have been poisoned by the Baiyue poison, causing panic among the Korean royal family.

Tianze poisoned the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince Han Yu in one day. Anyone with eyes could see that he was targeting the royal family of Han. King Han An was protected by the Imperial Guards, which prevented Tianze and his men from making a move. However, these members of the royal family did not have such a strong security force around them.

Since both Crown Prince Han and Han Yu were poisoned, in order to prevent themselves from dying mysteriously that day, the powerful and wealthy people of Han flocked to Xu Qing's house in an instant, preparing to ask for medicine.

Outside Xu Qing's home in Xinzheng.

The already narrow alley was now packed with richly dressed dignitaries, and the alley entrance was filled with carriages of all kinds, blocking the two nearby streets.

"Imperial Physician, Lord Qingquan has come seeking medicine!"

"Imperial Physician, the Situ family has come to request medicine!"

"Imperial Physician"

Dozens of ministers, nobles, and members of the imperial family crowded around Xu Qing's door, shouting loudly, looking like street vendors hawking their wares, showing no manners whatsoever.

After all, it concerns one's own life and death, and no one dares to be a step behind and let someone else get there first. What if you run out of medicine? Wouldn't you be devastated?

Despite the nobles and members of the royal family calling for medicine outside the door, Xu Qing's door remained tightly closed, and Xu Qing was nowhere to be seen.

Little did they know, Xu Qing had already been summoned to the Han King's palace.

In the palace of King Han, in the bedchamber of Consort Hu.

Xu Qing nodded slightly to Ruo Tao and then walked straight into the bedroom.

"You've arrived? Has the matter on the King's side been resolved?" Hu Meiren's delicate voice rang out, and Xu Qing looked in the direction of the voice.

Hu Meiren, dressed in a blue and white bodice and draped in a white veil, leaned against the door of her boudoir. Her fox-tailed eyes were full of smiles, and her wine-red hair was half loose behind her, with a small bun at the back of her head.

Her pretty, charming, and gentle face was flushed slightly, like a blooming peach blossom. Her rosy lips moved slightly, looking delicate and alluring, giving her a captivating and endearing appearance.

The blue and white bodice was tied around her neck with two thin ropes, creating an exaggerated shape. Her bare, jade-like back was smooth and delicate, and the pearls at the ends of the ropes swayed slightly.

Two brown ribbons ran through her slender waist, making it appear even thinner, and outlining an alluring curve with her full, rounded breasts.

The hem of her bodice was half-open, and her full, round thighs rested slightly against the door frame, striking an alluring pose.

Delicate little feet lightly stepped on the threshold, and toes painted with pink nail polish gently rubbed against it, constantly stirring Xu Qing's heartstrings.

"What could have happened? It's just that the news of the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince being poisoned has frightened the King, so he asked me to come and inspect the palace and the food, and also to ask for some antidote."

As Xu Qing spoke, he walked towards Hu Meiren, hooking one arm around her slender waist and gently patting her plump, upturned buttocks with the other.

Against the backdrop of her slender waist, her full, rounded hips appeared even more rounded, and the white skirt was pushed high up.

Hu Meiren trembled slightly, a hint of sorrow flashing in her dark eyes. She leaned against Xu Qing's chest, her slender hands sliding across his chest.

"You've been coming to see me much less lately. Has your attention been stolen by Madam Mingzhu?"

Hu Meiren's delicate voice was tinged with sorrow, and a faint fragrance wafted from her breath onto Xu Qing's neck. Her exquisite little face was full of sorrow, which, combined with her already pitiful appearance, made people feel pity for her.

"How could that be? I think of you day and night, but Your Majesty has been staying in Consort Zhang's palace lately, so I can't stay here overnight."

Xu Qing tightened his embrace around the beauty, gently lifted her chin, and spoke softly.

It wasn't that he didn't want to come to see Consort Hu to have her medical check-up, but Han Wang An had coincidentally arranged for the newly entered Consort Zhang to be placed in a palace adjacent to Consort Hu's palace. For his and Consort Hu's safety, he could only reduce the number of times he visited her there to avoid being noticed.

"Humph~"

Hu Meiren gave a soft snort, turned her face away to avoid Xu Qing's hand, crossed her arms in front of her chest, and puffed out her cheeks, clearly dissatisfied with Xu Qing's explanation.

"I've been coming to see you whenever I have time, haven't I? These past few days, His Majesty has been so frightened that he probably doesn't dare leave his palace. That's why I've had time to spend with you," Xu Qing comforted him softly, then took out a letter from his robes and continued.

"This is a letter sent by Madam Hu from Mount Taiyi; it's addressed to you."

"At least you still have some conscience~"

Hu Meiren snorted, took the letter, but did not rush to open it. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Xu Qing's neck and looked at him with seductive eyes.

"Now that Your Majesty is not going out, shouldn't you give me a proper check-up?"

Hu Meiren's voice was delicate and sweet.

The little feet gently brushed against Xu Qing's calves, stirring a flutter in Xu Qing's heart.

"I've noticed that you don't look too well lately; you should get a proper medical check-up."

Xu Qing patted the other's plump, upturned buttocks, kneaded them forcefully a couple of times, then picked her up by the waist and carried her towards the familiar soft couch inside the room.

"Young man, you're too impatient!"

Hu Meiren gave Xu Qing a charmingly coquettish look, her eyes filled with shyness, but her hands tightly hugged Xu Qing's waist as she reached out to undo her belt.

Her delicate, pitiful face flushed slightly, and her alluring eyes rippled as she looked at Xu Qing, giving off a feeling of wanting to resist but also wanting to accept.

"Small? I'll show you just how small I really am!"

Xu Qing chuckled and closed the door to her boudoir with her palm before getting onto the soft couch.

"Disgusting~"

A shy humming and a deep voice echoed in the palace. Ruotao, who was standing outside the window looking out for the wind, had a slightly flushed face, and her fair skin, covered by a thin veil, was also tinged with a rosy hue.

"It's still broad daylight, why aren't the Imperial Physician and the Beauty carrying people on their backs?"

Ruotao felt a surge of shyness, but her eyes still carefully scanned her surroundings, afraid that outsiders might get too close.

Listening to the sounds inside the palace, Ruotao couldn't help but recall a short poem that Xu Qing had written for Consort Hu.

She didn't understand what the poem about digging a well had to do with Hu Meiren at first, but today she finally understood what the poem meant.

"Pah! I thought he was a scholar, but he's so frivolous. What a waste of this poem!"

Ruo Taoqing spat lightly, her face flushed as she stood outside the door keeping watch. Ji Wuye summoned Ye Mu from within the General's Mansion.

Inside the council hall of the General's Mansion.

Ji Wuye sat in the main seat with a gloomy expression. The shadow of the dragon-shaped bronze pattern behind him enveloped him, making him appear even more terrifying.

"I think you need to explain why Tianze went out of control and why he killed the Crown Prince and Han Yu in succession!"

Ji Wuye's eyes were cold as he looked at Bai Yifei beside him and said in a cold voice.

Both Crown Prince Han and Han Yu were poisoned to death. He lost two pawns who were crucial to maintaining his position and becoming a member of the royal family. As a result, Han Fei was left as the sole heir to the throne of Han.

This instantly put him in a dangerous situation, whereas he had initially had the upper hand.

His promising future has suddenly become bleak, and his officials are likely to start to consider Han Fei's side.

The root of all this is Tianze, who is a mad dog that Bai Yifei personally kept on a leash. Now that this mad dog has broken free of control, he needs an explanation.

Bai Yifei sat in his seat, his crimson blood-stained clothes gleaming dangerously in the dim candlelight. He met Ji Wuye's gaze defiantly and coldly said...
“I’m also looking for the answer to this question. Tianze’s loss of control is not good for us at all.”

"Perhaps this bamboo slip will give us a clue, but I can't figure it out."

Bai Yifei took out a bamboo scroll from his sleeve and tossed it to Ji Wuye. The bamboo scroll was none other than the one that Yan Lingji always carried with her.

Ji Wuye reached out and took the bamboo slip. He opened it and glanced at the blackened bamboo slip. He saw that it contained some historical materials from the Wu and Yue kingdoms, so he put it back on the table.

"Didn't you claim that you were the only one who could undo the Withering Gu?" Ji Wuye asked coldly.

Seeing Ji Wuye's suspicion, Bai Yifei's expression turned serious, and he remained silent.

Ji Wuye's suspicion was understandable, but he couldn't figure out who had cured Tianze of the withering poison, and he couldn't come up with an explanation.

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became somewhat heavy. Ji Wuye and Bai Yifei stared at each other with cold eyes, as if they were about to start fighting at the slightest disagreement.

“General, Lord Marquis, there are so many extraordinary people in this world. Tianze was once the Crown Prince of Baiyue. Who knows, he might have found a way to solve the Huaku Gu somewhere.”

"The most urgent task is to prepare for dealing with Han Fei. With the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince dead, Han Fei has become the sole heir of the King of Han, which is extremely disadvantageous for us."

Emerald Tiger stepped forward with a smile, easing the tension between the two.

Now that Nightfall is at a disadvantage, if Ji Wuye and Bai Yifei start fighting amongst themselves, the one who will suffer first is him, the one in charge of the finances.

"Hmph! What can we do?" Ji Wuye sneered.

He knew he couldn't afford to fight amongst himself, otherwise Han Fei would be the only one to benefit, but he couldn't swallow his anger.

Without Crown Prince Han and Han Yu, let alone marrying Princess Honglian, becoming a member of the Korean royal family, or even replacing the Korean royal family, he would even be unable to hold onto his position as Grand General.

"Actually, there's another way. Wouldn't it be better if Your Majesty had another child?" Emerald Tiger said with a wicked grin.

Upon hearing this, Ji Wuye and Bai Yifei both looked at the Emerald Tiger as if it were an idiot.

"Although the king is incompetent, not all members of the Korean royal family are useless. The king's health is already ruined, and he can no longer have children."

“Even if we find a bastard, it won’t get past the Korean royal family.”

Bai Yifei said coldly, got up from his seat and walked to the window, opening it. He seemed to be disgusted by Emerald Tiger, worried that breathing with such an idiot would make him stupid too.

"The Marquis in Blood Robe is right. Royal offspring are subject to strict verification. It is almost impossible to switch them out."

A charming yet aloof voice rang out, and a sassy woman in a dark blue palace dress walked in from outside the door. Her narrow eyes swept around the room, and she said with a cold smile.

"Madam, aren't you worried that leaving the palace at this time will arouse suspicion?" Jade Tiger asked with a fawning smile.

The Four Night's Fiends appear to be equals, but in reality, Emerald Tiger is the lowest in rank. To put it nicely, he controls the Korean treasury; to put it bluntly, he's just a third-rate merchant who can't be compared to the others at all.

"The king is both shocked and grieved now, so how could he possibly think about the affairs of the harem? He is like a frightened bird right now, and he just had the imperial physician examine his own palace and requested a lot of antidotes."

The succubus walked to her seat and sat down, her alluring eyes filled with mockery as she chuckled and spoke.

"Then you should stay in the palace and keep a close watch to prevent others from taking advantage of the situation," Ji Wuye said coldly, glancing at the Tide Demoness.

Ji Wuye didn't have much affection for Bai Yifei and Chao Nuyao. If it weren't for the fact that the Nightfall organization needed the two of them, he would have already found a way to get rid of these two treacherous individuals.

He's always acting strangely, and now he's helped Tianze escape from trouble. He's all talk and no action, but he's not truly convinced.

Another person supported Xu Qing, thinking he would be a good hidden pawn, but he ended up getting involved with Han Fei.

Although it wasn't directly targeted at him, it still brought Han Fei considerable prestige and won over many ministers.

"New concubines come and go in the palace like weeds every year, but how many can maintain their favor for long? Now let's talk about how to deal with what's to come," the Tide Demoness said with a light laugh.

Ji Wuye immediately fell silent again. At present, he really had no other way to deal with the current crisis, unless he killed Han Fei.

However, Han Fei has Wei Zhuang by his side. Unless he or Bai Yifei take action themselves, but if they are charged with murdering a royal prince, he will be finished.

Emerald Tiger glanced at the three silent men, his eyes darting around a few times before he revealed a lewd smile and said...
"Actually, I think my method is worth a try. Lü Buwei of Qin and Lord Chunshen of Chu have both done similar things, which shows that there is still a possibility of success."

"The palace is under the control of the lady, and the court is under the control of the general. As long as they cooperate well, it is a good idea."

Even if we fail, it won't be a big deal.

Upon hearing this, Ji Wuye fell into deep thought. He truly had no way out now. Just as Emerald Tiger had said, it wasn't impossible to succeed.

"What a foolish approach. If this is the outcome of our discussion, then I will go and track down Tianze's whereabouts."

Seeing Ji Wuye's interest, Bai Yifei turned to walk outside. He felt that after years in a high position, Ji Wuye's rationality had been corrupted by wine and women.

Rumors circulated that King Ying Zheng of Qin was the son of Lü Buwei, but if Ying Zheng had not undergone a thorough examination and confirmation by the Qin royal family after returning to the country, how could he have been allowed to join the royal family?
Do you really think that Qin will accept someone just because they say he is a member of the royal family?

After speaking, Bai Yifei didn't give Ji Wuye and the others a friendly look, and his figure disappeared into the palace. Rather than watching Ji Wuye make a foolish mistake and waste time, it would be better to investigate Tianze and how he detoxified himself.

(End of this chapter)