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

Chapter 293, Treating Li Si's Illness
Although Xu Qing was unaware of Li Si's many thoughts, she could sense the hidden apprehension in his eyes.

Although he knew about Li Si's character flaws, he hadn't even entered Qin yet, so where did his fear of him come from?

"Junior brother, you're absolutely right. Our Imperial Physician is indeed very modest. Not only is he proficient in medicine, but he also initially studied Confucianism and has some knowledge of Legalism, Taoism, Mohism, and other schools of thought."

Han Fei also noticed Li Si's apprehension towards Xu Qing. His eyes gleamed, and he put his hand on Li Si's shoulder, grinning.

He had been classmates with Li Si for many years and was naturally aware of his junior's ambitions.

This trip to Han is crucial to whether Li Si can gain Lü Buwei's favor in the future. Therefore, of the two objectives of this trip to Han, whether it is to intimidate Han or to get Xu Qing into Qin, one of them must be accomplished.

However, Xu Qing was valued by Lü Buwei, and once he entered Qin, the opportunity that Li Si had finally obtained would disappear. Therefore, the more Lü Buwei praised Xu Qing's talent, the more he could shake Li Si's determination to insist on sending Xu Qing to Qin.

If Li Si were to abandon the idea of ​​sending Xu Qing to Qin, then he would have to intimidate Han and resolve the matter of the envoy's murder through diplomatic means, rather than through war.

Once war breaks out, it means that Li Si's mission has failed.

Han Fei would naturally not let such a win-win situation pass him by.

Just as Han Fei had thought, the more Han Fei praised Xu Qing's talent and pointed out a side of Xu Qing that he had never shown to outsiders, the more Li Si began to waver in his heart.

"Ahem, since we're here to treat the envoy, let's get started as soon as possible. I have things to take care of tonight."

Xu Qing coughed twice and said.

He felt that if he didn't interrupt Han Fei, Li Si would be completely fooled and would treat him as an enemy from then on.

Li Si, also surprised, looked deeply at Han Fei beside him. He could naturally see that Han Fei had wicked intentions, but knowing this, he had to reconsider his choice between the two goals of entering Han.

“Of course. As an envoy of Qin, I am dedicated to serving my country. My health is a secret of Qin. I would be grateful if you could excuse me for the time being,” Li Si said to Han Fei.

"Of course, Brother Xu, aside from other things, you have a good reputation for medical ethics."

Han Fei patted Li Si on the shoulder, smiled at Xu Qing, and then went out.

Li Si deliberately sent him away to win over Xu Qing, which Han Fei naturally knew. However, he felt that with his previous groundwork and the fact that Xu Qing had not expressed any intention to join Qin, Li Si's efforts to win him over should be in vain.

Xu Qing glanced at Han Fei indifferently. He had treated Han Fei like a brother, but his brother had kicked him into the ditch.

However, the two are now even. Even if it's discovered that he's Han Fei's stepfather, he doesn't need to feel guilty anymore.

After Han Fei closed the door and left, Li Si looked at Xu Qing again.

The two looked at each other and nodded, then sat down around the table. Li Si stretched out his hand for Xu Qing to take his pulse.

"If it weren't for my senior brother's mention, I would never have known that the Imperial Physician was so learned. No wonder you and our teacher admire him so much. I'm not afraid to tell you this, but although we seven brothers are all disciples of our teacher, each of us has only learned one aspect of his knowledge."

Li Si also withdrew his previous apprehension and wariness, and spoke to Xu Qing with a smile, trying to build a closer relationship.

"Master Xun's learning encompasses both heaven and humanity, far surpassing that of ordinary people like myself."

Xu Qing placed his hand on Li Si's wrist, checking his pulse as he spoke.

Li Si nodded in deep agreement upon hearing this, glanced hesitantly at Xu Qing, and then slowly asked...

"Li Si has a favor to ask. I wonder if the Imperial Physician could tell you how he evaluated me in his correspondence with his teacher?"

Xu Qing looked at Li Si, noticing the expectation that the other man was trying hard to hide but still revealed in his eyes, and said with a smile.
"Of course, it's no secret."

"Thank you, Imperial Physician." Li Si pursed his lips nervously.

Xunzi favored Han Fei, and although Han Fei had no objection to it, he kept it firmly in mind.

After all, no student doesn't want to be appreciated and liked by their teacher, especially since they have lived with Xunzi for many years and received his teachings and guidance. This teacher-student relationship is very profound.

He always thought that Xunzi was biased because Han Fei was not only exceptionally talented but also of noble birth, which is why he was favored by Xunzi.

Now that he has entered Qin, he has become quite well-known among Lü Buwei's retainers, and naturally, word of this will spread back to Xiaoshengxianzhuang through other people.

Therefore, he wanted to know whether Xunzi had changed his opinion of him and how he was evaluated by others.

"In his letter, Master Xun said that among his disciples, only you and Brother Han Fei are most capable of achieving great things. However, compared to Han Fei, you are short-sighted, have a narrow vision, are impatient, stubborn, ambitious, and easily misled by petty gains."

Xu Qing looked at Li Si and pointed out Li Si's character flaws without any mercy.

Of course, these words weren't entirely Xunzi's; they were half true and half false. The first part was true, while the latter part reflected his own opinion. Upon hearing this, Li Si's expectation dimmed, and he gave a self-deprecating laugh before saying...
"As expected, the teacher's favorite is still my senior brother."

“You’re wrong. The one Xunzi is most worried about is you. Your flaws are not your fault, but rather a result of your background. It’s inevitable that you will have character flaws, but Xunzi has never given up on you.”

Xu Qing looked at the bewildered and self-deprecating Li Si and felt a little helpless. What was wrong with him? He was clearly famous for treating internal diseases, so why did he keep doing the work of a psychologist these days?

Well, mental illness is an internal ailment, and besides, he needs Li Si as an ally.

At the same time, he also wanted to see what kind of person Li Si, who had overcome his flaws, could become.

"Hmm? What do you mean by that, Imperial Physician?" Li Si asked Xu Qing, puzzled.

"Brother Han Fei is exceptionally talented, and few can compare to him. This is an indisputable fact. Although your talent is not as good as his, it is not far behind, is it?"

"The reason why the gap between you is widening is partly due to talent, but not entirely."

"Brother Han Fei was born into nobility, and the people and things he came into contact with from childhood are far beyond what you, who are of commoner origin, can compare to."

"The Korean library contains historical books from many countries and classics from various schools of thought. Brother Han Fei grew up under the guidance of many people and had the library to broaden his horizons. This is something you cannot compare to."

Xu Qing slowly expressed her opinion.

For the simplest example, when Li Si was still in charge of the granary and there was talk of "granary rats and toilet rats," what was Han Fei doing?
Han Fei was already able to engage with the politics of the State of Han and manage his own fiefdom. This innate gap could not be bridged by human effort.

Li Si remained silent. He knew his disadvantage compared to Han Fei, but he did not give up easily. Instead, he redoubled his efforts to catch up with Han Fei and surpass him to prove himself.

"That is why Brother Han Fei always had the upper hand, while you, due to your background, were inferior to him in many ways."

"Master Xun didn't say anything because he was concerned about your feelings, but he has been silently watching over you and helping you, hoping that you can make some changes," Xu Qing continued.

"teacher"

Li Si frowned slightly, looking at Xu Qing with confusion. How come he didn't know that his teacher cared about him so much?

"Do you really think that anyone can enter the library of Xiaoshengxianzhuang? Do you really think that anyone can study hard in the library until late at night? Master Xun's suppression of you is not because he is prejudiced against you, but because he wants to suppress your ambition."

"Having ambition is a good thing, but if you don't have the ability to match it, it's a disaster."

"Ambition is like a wild horse galloping in your heart. If it is not restrained by reins, it will inevitably overturn and kill you sooner or later!"

Xu Qing looked at Li Si and said.

He didn't know anything about the relationship between Han Fei and Li Si, but he drank with Han Fei every day. When Han Fei was drunk, he liked to confide in him about his time as a student.

Xunzi learned about Li Si's assistance from Han Fei.

Unfortunately, Li Si was blinded by his own interests and failed to perceive Xunzi's good intentions.

As Li Si listened to Xu Qing's words, his thoughts returned to the time at Xiaoshengxianzhuang, and scenes from the bamboo forest behind the mountain gradually surfaced in his mind.

When Xunzi taught them, he imparted all his knowledge to Han Fei, without holding back any of his achievements in Legalist philosophy.

But he was taught more about self-cultivation, which he didn't understand at the time and thought was because his teacher was biased.

But after Xu Qing's guidance, things didn't seem to be as he had imagined. Perhaps his teacher had never been biased; he was simply teaching according to the students' individual needs.

"As a disciple of Xunzi, you should know the purpose of his theory of the inherent evil of human nature, right?"

Xu Qing looked at Li Si, who seemed not to understand, and asked him a question.

Although he intended to enlighten Li Si, the most important thing for him to correct these character and cognitive flaws was to recognize himself. Only by recognizing and accepting them could he correct them.

"Human nature is inherently evil; goodness is acquired. Human nature is its original, unadorned simplicity. Acquired goodness is the refinement and flourishing of culture and reason. Without human nature, there is nothing to add to it; without acquired goodness, human nature cannot beautify itself. When human nature and acquired goodness combine, one can achieve the name of a sage, and the great work of governing the world can then be accomplished."

"The teacher's theory of inherent evil is not a denial of human goodness, but rather an attempt to use the concept of inherent evil to demonstrate the importance of moral education in determining what to do and what not to do."

As a disciple of Xunzi, Li Si was naturally well-versed in the theories his teacher had proposed. However, halfway through his sentence, Li Si suddenly realized something and stared intently at Xu Qing.

"I understand. The teacher wants me to correctly recognize my own evil. He taught me the methods of self-cultivation in this way, and sending me to the library was to broaden my horizons and perspective, so that I could control my excessive ambition through reading."

"Having ambition is a good thing, but excessive ambition can make people impatient for quick success and instant benefits, and once they gain power, they can become arrogant and stubborn."

(End of this chapter)