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

Chapter 308, The Curtain Rises! (Third update, please vote!)

In Zi Nu's room, Zi Nu and Nong Yu sat at the table.

The woman in purple was dressed in a long purple dress, exuding charm and elegance. A charming smile graced her pretty face, and her light purple hair was half-loose behind her head. Her gaze towards Xu Qing carried a hint of amusement.

Nongyu was wearing a pale yellow dress, her fair and elegant face slightly flushed, and her starry eyes looked at Xu Qing with some embarrassment. It was clear that she and Zi Nu had just whispered something that made people shy.

"You're back. What have you been doing these past few days? You haven't been coming home at night."

Zi Nu looked at Xu Qing with her purple eyes, and her alluring, mature voice rang out.

"This time, Nightfall and the Net are coming with great force, so we must make full preparations as soon as possible. I contacted some helpers last night."

Xu Qing walked over and sat down opposite Zi Nu and Nong Yu, then took out a small box from his pocket.

Zi Nu, noticing the faint scent of tangerines on Xu Qing, didn't think much of it and instead looked at the box and asked...
What is this box?

"These are gifts for you and Nongyu. Open them and take a look," Xu Qing said with a light smile, looking at Zi Nu and Nongyu.

"A gift?" A glint flashed in Nongyu's eyes as she looked at Zinu.

Although she didn't explicitly tell Zi Nu about her relationship with Xu Qing, the three of them were all aware of this subtle connection, keeping it a secret simply to avoid awkwardness.

Zi Nu, also filled with curiosity, reached out and opened the box, revealing what was inside.

Inside the box were a set of keys and a piece of cloth.

"What is this? Is it a land deed?" Zi Nu took out the cloth and asked softly as she looked at the words written on it.

“That’s right, this is the land deed for a manor outside the city. It was a bribe I received from the magistrate of Xiangyang County. I originally planned to sell it and exchange it for something else, but I haven’t had a chance to do so yet.”

"Although this manor is not as good as Emerald Tiger's Lanxiu Manor and Emerald Manor, it is still one of the top manors in Xinzheng. The location is first-class, the scenery is beautiful, and it is located halfway up the mountain, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. In the past few days, I have put all the family property I have accumulated into the manor."

"I'm leaving Korea, and there's no point in keeping this manor and estate, so I'll give it to you and Nongyu. If you get tired of staying at Zilanxuan, you can go out of the city for a change of scenery."

"Besides money, there are also various antidotes, poisons, and other elixirs that I've concocted, each of which I've marked."

Xu Qing slowly explained the arrangements he had made in the manor. Neither Zi Nu nor Nong Yu would leave Korea with him, but he was worried about them and wanted to find some ways to protect them.

Moreover, in the original novel, the battle between the guards of Zilan Pavilion, Gai Nie, and Hei Bai Xuan Jian completely destroyed Zilan Pavilion, inside and out.

Therefore, this manor was the place he left for Zi Nu to settle the Zi Lan Xuan sisters. As for the money and medicine inside, they were just in case.

You have to pamper your own wife and sister-in-law.

"I've also made arrangements with the Mo family and the Hidden Dragon Hall. If you encounter any problems you can't resolve in the future, go to Boss Han and Situ Wanli. As long as it's not about assassinating the King, they can handle it."

Listening to Xu Qing's explanation, Zi Nu and Nong Yu's eyes were slightly moved. Looking at Xu Qing, who was still talking incessantly, their eyes were full of tenderness.

"You know, Nongyu and I aren't children anymore, there's no need for so many arrangements." Zi Nu gave Xu Qing a reproachful look, but her face was full of happy smiles.

Any woman with a conscience would be exceptionally happy to be cared for so much by her lover.

"It's always good to be prepared. If you really miss me, come see me at the Heavenly Renren Appointment at Mount Taiyi in a month," Xu Qing said with a smile.

The Heavenly Sect and the Human Sect's Guanmiao Terrace, a covenant between Heaven and Man, not only invites all schools of thought but also sends invitations to various countries, requesting them to send envoys to observe the battle.

Although it's unknown what the attitudes of various countries were in previous years, if Han Fei and Wei Zhuang knew that he was going to participate in the war, Wei Zhuang would definitely go and join in the fun.

"A covenant between heaven and man? You're going to go up on stage and discuss the Dao with the Human Sect?" Zi Nu asked, somewhat surprised.

Although she knew that Xu Qing held a high position in the Heavenly Sect, Xu Qing was younger than her, and the Heavenly Sect probably wouldn't send Xu Qing, who hadn't even had his coming-of-age ceremony yet, to compete.

"My unreliable teacher arranged this year's Celestial Pact for me, sending me to the Guanmiao Terrace to compete against Xiaoyaozi of the Human Sect."

When the topic turned to He Guanzi helping him agree to the celestial pact, Xu Qing couldn't help but complain to Zi Nu and Nong Yu.

The afternoon flew by as we chatted.

In the backyard of Zilan Pavilion, Ying Zheng's interview with Li Si also came to an end.

Ying Zheng looked at Li Si with great satisfaction and talked with him for an afternoon. Li Si's talent successfully impressed him.

Even though Li Si's talent was somewhat inferior to Han Fei's, he was still a great talent of his time. His views on Legalist principles were very similar to Han Fei's and were also very much in line with the rule of law that Qin needed.

"Thanks to your recommendation, sir, I didn't miss out on such a great talent as Tonggu," Ying Zheng said with emotion.

"Only after having a long talk with Young Master Shang today can I understand what it means to have the ambition to serve the world. I was originally just a commoner, but I was fortunate to be taught by you behind the scenes, so I was able to learn all these skills."

"Now that I have met Young Master Shang, I know what a wise ruler is. I beg you, Young Master Shang, not to despise my humble status, but to keep me by your side and serve you."

Li Si solemnly cupped his hands to Ying Zheng and said that he knew his interview had been very successful, and his opinion of Ying Zheng had been completely changed.

Xu Qing was right. Ying Zheng was a true dragon temporarily trapped in shallow waters. He only needed to wait for the tide to rise and meet the water to soar into the sky and roam the heavens.

Such a wise ruler was worthy of his loyalty. Compared to Lü Buwei, Ying Zheng was the stage where he could fully display his talents.

At the same time, Li Si was also very grateful that Xu Qing had given him a helping hand, allowing him to get on this chariot when Ying Zheng was at a low point. Li Si also kept Xu Qing's kindness firmly in his heart.

"We, ruler and subject, will treat each other with sincerity throughout our lives, and we will certainly not fail each other," Ying Zheng said with a light laugh.

"I will certainly live up to your expectations."

Li Si looked at Ying Zheng and nodded solemnly.

“Young Master Shang, it’s getting late, and I should head back now. Tomorrow I need to attend the Korean court meeting, and at the same time, I’ll use this opportunity to demand the Imperial Physician’s Decree from Korea,” Li Si said.

"Go."

"promise."

After bowing respectfully, Li Si turned and left Zilan Pavilion through the back door.

The night passed in the blink of an eye, and Xu Qing sat up from Zi Nu's bed early in the morning.

"The weather is terrible today."

Xu Qing looked out the window at the dark, cloud-covered sky and said in a deep voice.

Zi Nu slowly woke up from her sleep, looked at Xu Qing who had a solemn expression beside her, and sat up to lean against Xu Qing's chest.

The thin blanket slipped off Zi Nu's body, revealing her snow-white skin. Her long purple hair cascaded down her chest, concealing two key areas of her cleavage.

"Let me go home with you, so that when Ji Wuye sends people to make a move, you'll have someone to help you."

Zi Nu gently rubbed her sleepy eyes, her voice full of worry.

During today's court meeting, Li Si will bring up the idea of ​​demanding Xu Qing. At that time, no matter what decision King Han An makes, Ji Wuye will definitely take action against Xu Qing to prevent him from escaping alive.

Zi Nu was worried that Xu Qing alone would not be able to deal with so many assassins from Bai Niao, so she thought of going with him.

"You can stay in Zilan Pavilion with peace of mind. I have already made arrangements, so there will definitely be no danger," Xu Qing said with a light laugh as he embraced Zi Nu.

"Are your injuries alright?" Zi Nu asked, looking at the red marks remaining on Xu Qing's shoulder.

Last night, when she was falling asleep with Xu Qing, she noticed the whip marks on Xu Qing's body. Xu Qing explained that he had encountered Bai Yifei when he went to find help. The two exchanged blows, and he was caught off guard and hit by Bai Yifei's icy thorns.

Zi Nu did not doubt this explanation, but was worried about Xu Qing's condition.

"It's nothing, it was just a minor injury, not even a scratch."

Xu Qing held Zi Nu's hand and continued speaking
"Alright, once Nightfall makes its move, Luo Wang will surely seize the opportunity to strike as well. It would be best to send the sisters of Zi Lan Xuan to a safe place beforehand."

"Yes, I already had Nongyu take the sisters to a safe place last night," Zi Nu said softly.

"Therefore, I set off."

"I'll help you get dressed."

With Zi Nu's help, Xu Qing got dressed and left the room under Zi Nu's worried gaze.

After leaving the courtyard of Zilanxuan, Xu Qing saw Wei Zhuang, Gai Nie, Zhang Liang and Ying Zheng waiting for him.

"Sir, please be careful," Ying Zheng said solemnly.

“Young Master Shang, you don’t need to worry about me. Once nightfall begins, please leave Xinzheng as soon as possible. As long as you can leave safely, that’s enough,” Xu Qing said in a deep voice.

Ying Zheng nodded slightly, his gaze toward Xu Qing particularly solemn.

He knew this wasn't the time to be sentimental. The only thing he could do was not to let Xu Qing down. He would repay Xu Qing after he took power in the future.

"Zifang, Weizhuang, and Gai Nie, I entrust Young Master Shang and the Luo Wang to you," Xu Qing said, cupping his hands in greeting.

"Rest assured, Imperial Physician, I will certainly not fail your trust," Zhang Liang replied, bowing in return.

Xu Qing nodded slightly to everyone, then turned and climbed over the wall to leave Zilan Pavilion, heading towards her home to prepare for the coming night's attack.

Meanwhile, the inter-Korean parliamentary session also concluded.

The ministers of Han left the council hall with varying expressions. Their eyes were filled with surprise and astonishment as they looked at Li Si. They did not expect that Li Si would ask for an extension of time to allow Xu Qing to enter Qin to treat the illness of Marquis Wenxin of Qin, Lü Buwei.

It was supposed to be for medical treatment, but everyone knew that once Xu Qing went to Qin, he probably would never come back.

Many officials in the Korean court had connections with Heo Cheong, especially those ministers who openly supported him. They were particularly uneasy, fearing that King Han would approve this absurd exchange.

After glancing at Ji Wuye, Zhang Kaidi, and Han Fei who remained in the hall, the ministers withdrew one by one, as such an important decision was naturally beyond their control.

As the doors of the council chamber closed, a muffled rumble of thunder echoed in the overcast sky, and candlelight illuminated the dimly lit hall.

"Regarding the proposal from the Qin envoy, what are your thoughts, General, Chancellor, and Ninth Prince? Should we send the Imperial Physician to Qin?" King Han An asked the three men below, who seemed hesitant.

(End of this chapter)