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

Chapter 324, Lord Wu'an, Bai Qi
Meanwhile, in another military tent.

Wang Yi sat down in his seat with an air of authority, his face somewhat gloomy, squinting as he sized up the young general in black armor before him.

After sending people to monitor Ying Zheng and his entourage, he began to plan his next move.

But his personal guards brought him a message: someone was investigating the missing scouts and the whereabouts of Ying Zheng and others, and the person investigating was the man in front of him, Meng Tian, ​​the commander of the Pingyang Heavy Armored Army.

"Meng Tian, ​​are you doubting me?" Wang Yi said in a deep voice.

"Your subordinate wouldn't dare, but the group that entered the military camp at dusk is really suspicious, and the scout responsible for leading the way has also mysteriously disappeared. For the safety of the army, your subordinate has no choice but to ask questions," Meng Tian said, cupping his hands in greeting.

Wang Yi looked at Meng Tian, ​​whose attitude was resolute, a fierce glint flashing in his narrowed eyes. He hadn't expected that even though he had been extra careful, Meng Tian had still noticed something amiss.

The Meng family had served the King of Qin for generations. If they learned that the person who came was Ying Zheng, Meng Tian would surely turn against him.

Therefore, Meng Tian must absolutely not be involved.

If it were anyone else, they would have been killed without hesitation to carry out the plan. But Meng Tian was not only a centurion in the army, but also a direct descendant of the Meng family and the grandson of Meng Ao, a high-ranking official.

If something happens to this kid, given Meng Ao's vigilance, he'll definitely notice something's wrong.

At that point, some things will no longer be able to be kept secret.

“Now that things have come to this, I won’t hide it from you anymore. Do you recognize this?” Wang Yi opened his palm, revealing a jade thumb ring.

Meng Tian looked at the inscription inside the ring, his pupils dilated, and he said with some surprise.
"Could this be the personal ring of King Zhaoxiang, which was later bestowed upon Chang'an Jun Chengjiao by King Zhuangxiang? Since Chang'an Jun Chengjiao rebelled and died in battle, this ring has been lost. How did it end up in your hands?"

"Because this ring belongs to someone among those people, the reason I concealed their whereabouts and identities is because I suspect they are remnants of Chang'an Jun Chengjiao."

"The day of His Majesty's coronation is drawing ever closer. I think you've heard about the matter between His Majesty and Marquis Wenxin, haven't you? These people possess the Marquis Wenxin's residence's access tokens. I don't need to spell out their purpose, do I?"

Wang Yi looked at Meng Tian with a deep gaze and said in a low voice.

He couldn't physically harm Meng Tian, ​​but he could exploit the Meng clan's loyalty to the King of Qin to drag Meng Tian into the mess, thereby gaining the entire Meng clan's support.

Even if it doesn't work, it can still make Meng Tian back down.

"How is this possible? How could Chang'an Jun Chengjiao have descendants?!" Meng Tian asked in surprise.

Although Wang Yi did not say it explicitly, he understood that Lü Buwei was going to take action against Ying Zheng in order to support a new puppet king of Qin and continue to maintain his power and status.

However, the lineage of the former king consisted only of Ying Zheng, the King of Qin, and the deceased Lord Chang'an, Cheng Jiao. Therefore, Lü Buwei found the remnants left behind by Cheng Jiao and secretly sent them to Qin.

“Nothing is impossible in this world. Cheng Jiao dared to rebel back then, so she was naturally prepared for defeat. It’s not impossible that she left offspring outside, and this ring is irrefutable proof,” Wang Yi said in a deep voice.

Meng Tian looked at the ring in Wang Yi's hand, his eyes darting left and right, hesitating whether or not he should believe Wang Yi's words.

Seeing that Meng Tian still had doubts, Wang Yi said in a deep voice.

“Meng Tian, ​​the foundation of the Qin state cannot be shaken. No matter what these people want to do in Qin, we must not let them enter Qin.”

“Your Meng clan has been favored by the king for generations. Now that the king is in danger, we absolutely cannot stand idly by. But I hope you will not interfere in this matter.”

“You are one of the best young generals in the Qin army. I do not want you to be drawn into this power struggle before you have made any contributions to the Qin state.”

"So stop investigating and leave everything to me."

Meng Tian glanced at Wang Yi, whose gaze was sincere, and then at the ring in the other's hand. A glint of light flashed in his eyes, and he made a decision in his heart.

"Your subordinate understands, but the Meng family has been loyal to Your Majesty for generations, how can we stand idly by? Please allow me to do my part as well," Meng Tian said in a deep voice, kneeling on one knee.

Seeing Meng Tian take the bait, a smile flashed in Wang Yi's eyes as he continued...
"You don't need to get involved in this matter. Some things are not for you young people to do. Go back with peace of mind. If there is any need, I will have someone notify you."

"promise."

Meng Tian didn't hesitate. After bowing respectfully, he walked out of the military tent.

Watching Meng Tian's departing figure, Wang Yi's gaze became complicated. After the tent curtain was lowered, he slowly spoke.

“Lord Wu’an, do you see? The Qin army is full of loyal and skilled warriors. They are loyal to the country and will fight bravely for Qin as we did back then, whenever the country is in danger.”

Thinking of Meng Tian's righteous and resolute attitude in protecting Ying Zheng, Wang Yi slowly stood up, reached for the heavy halberd beside him, and swung it with force.

"But how has the King of Qin treated us? The King of Qin for whom we were willing to die has betrayed us. And now, the Qin state has even allowed a mere child to become its king."

As he brandished his halberd, Wang Yi's thoughts drifted back to his youth.

At that time, he was just a subordinate general under Lord Wu'an, Bai Qi, following him to fight on the battlefield, battling against the six states, fighting in the south and north, and participating in countless battles, large and small.

At that time, the Qin army, led by Lord Wu'an Bai Qi, swept across the six states and was invincible.

The victories united the Qin army and instilled in them a shared belief: as long as Lord Wu'an was alive, the Qin army would be invincible.

These soldiers could always follow Lord Wu'an and return in triumph after victory.

He joined the Qin army out of a desire to make a name for himself, but after being influenced by the personal charisma of Lord Wu'an and after a series of battles, he developed an unwavering loyalty to the Qin state.

He thought he could remain loyal and follow Lord Wu'an to the Qin state, even unto death, but reality dealt him a cruel blow.

Lord Wu'an, Bai Qi, is dead.

The White Jade Pillar of Qin, Lord Wu'an, who fought for Qin his entire life, ultimately did not die on the battlefield, nor at the hands of the enemy, but committed suicide in a cramped thatched hut.

What's even more ridiculous is that after Lord Wu'an died, rumors spread that he did not commit suicide, but was assassinated by the so-called six elders of the Farmer's School.

A group of low-level martial arts practitioners actually managed to kill Lord Wu'an, who had mastered external martial arts to the extreme and fought his way out of the Qin state's elite elite camp.

Afterwards, some people in the Qin state proposed to vindicate Lord Wu'an.

Even if Lord Wu'an died under mysterious circumstances, we absolutely cannot tolerate any humiliation or offense from others.

However, this request ultimately went unanswered. King Zhaoxiang of Qin remained silent, and the court tacitly accepted the spread of this ridiculous story.

From that moment on, Wang Yi knew that Lord Wu'an's death was related to the King of Qin; otherwise, Qin would not have taken such an attitude. If the King of Qin had not forced him, Lord Wu'an would not have "committed suicide."

Unless he does it voluntarily.

Perhaps it was to appease the King, or perhaps it was to appease the hearts of all people.

But whatever the reason, Lord Wu'an died in the end, along with his loyalty to the King of Qin and the Qin state.

The halberd was driven heavily into the ground. Wang Yi's face flushed red, his eyes flashed with killing intent, his breathing was heavy, and he muttered to himself.
"For the sake of the Qin state, and for the injustice you suffered, I must kill this brat."

He had waited too long for this day. This time, Ying Zheng risked leaving the palace to give him an opportunity, an opportunity that would not come twice.

Therefore, we cannot delay any longer; delay may lead to unforeseen changes. Since we have decided to take action, we must act swiftly and decisively.

Wang Yi stood still, holding a heavy halberd. Her breathing gradually calmed down, and her gaze became increasingly cold and sharp. The last trace of hesitation in her heart disappeared. Since she had already made up her mind, why should she hesitate and pretend to be a girl?

"He is still the King of Qin. If he is to be killed, he should be killed discreetly. I can die, but I cannot let Lord Wu'an be tainted by his name any longer," Wang Yi muttered to himself.

He originally planned to wait for the assassins from Luo Wang to arrive so that they could act together, which would increase their chances of success.

But now he doesn't want to wait any longer. Tomorrow, after he sends Xu Qing away, he will have Meng Tian restrain Jing Ni and the others, while he will personally take action against Ying Zheng.

We will use the blood of the King of Qin to pay tribute to Lord Wu'an.

Inside Ying Zheng's camp.

The bright lamplight flickered as Ying Zheng threw his pen onto the table, looking at the lengthy letter and feeling extremely irritated.

"Master, King Yi has instructed me to write a letter and deliver it to his trusted confidants, asking them to send men to protect me. But among the civil and military officials, I have no idea who to deliver it to?"

Ying Zheng gave a self-deprecating laugh, his heart filled with endless sorrow.

In the vast Qin state, he had no one he could trust, and the only one he could trust was the one protecting him—Gai Nie.

As for the others? They'll probably be thinking about how to collude with the people who want to kill him and ambush him on the way as soon as they receive this letter.

“Your Majesty, Wang Jian, Meng Ao, Meng Wu, the Right Chancellor, and others are still in Xianyang. They are all people Your Majesty can trust,” Gai Nie said in a deep voice.

Seeing Ying Zheng's worried expression, Gai Nie felt sympathy for Ying Zheng's situation.

More than half of the civil and military officials of the Qin state were promoted by Marquis Wenxin, Lü Buwei. These people only knew Lü Buwei's orders as prime minister, but not the orders of the King of Qin.

As for the rest? One-third were relatives of the emperor from various factions, each with their own ulterior motives; one-third were members of the imperial clan who had been alienated from Ying Zheng by Lao Ai; and the remaining third were opportunists who were not trustworthy at all.

"Everyone thinks that relatives and benefactors are close, but when I look around, I see enemies everywhere," Ying Zheng lamented.

His mother was outwardly friendly but inwardly hostile towards him.

Once upon a time, in the State of Zhao, the mother and son depended on each other for survival, relying on one another.

However, over the years, his mother and he had become so estranged that they would only exchange perfunctory greetings when they met. His mother even preferred to move to Yongcheng, which was a hundred miles away, rather than stay in Xianyang Palace.

As for his benefactor, he was also his uncle, Lü Buwei.

Thinking of Lü Buwei, Ying Zheng's self-mockery deepened. He had initially regarded Lü Buwei as his "uncle" not only to stabilize his throne, but also out of genuine sincerity.

He knew that his return to Qin, his becoming the crown prince, and even the king of Qin, were all thanks to the other party's strong support.

His biological father, King Zhuangxiang of Qin, only had eyes for his younger brother, Lord Chang'an Chengjiao, because he was born during the most unbearable time of his life, representing the greatest shame in his life.

Over the years, Lü Buwei had carefully taught him, treating him more like a father than his own, a mentor and father figure to him.

But how could he not be suspicious of the dangers along the way, especially the repeated assassination attempts by the Luo Wang and Wang Yi's disloyalty?
It was only because of his respect for Lü Buwei that he was unwilling to doubt him.

“Your Majesty, please do not be discouraged. You have gained the help of a great talent like Mr. Xu during your trip to Korea, which will surely turn the situation around. Moreover, there are still Wang Jian, Meng Wu, and others in Xianyang. Although they do not hold real power, they are loyal to Your Majesty,” Gai Nie said.

"True friendship is revealed in times of adversity," Ying Zheng said with deep emotion.

His greatest fortune now is having Gai Nie and Xu Qing by his side. The former gave him some confidence when he was helpless, allowing him to no longer worry about his safety in Xianyang Palace.

The latter risked her life for his safety, comforted him, went to great lengths for him, and even trusted him completely.

That trust and feeling of being both a teacher and a friend touched him deeply.

Gai Nie remained silent, gripping his sword tightly. Based on Ying Zheng's words, he was determined to send him out safely, even if it meant his own death in Wusui.

The next morning, Xu Qing walked out of the military tent looking radiant.

Xu Qing glanced back at the bed. Yan Lingji was still fast asleep, her black hair casually draped over her shoulders, her pretty face half-pressed on the pillow, and one of her slender arms resting on the blankets.

Her pretty face was etched with exhaustion, her alluring eyes were tightly closed, and her pink lips parted slightly as she breathed.

"People who die from exhaustion? That's because they haven't met me yet," Xu Qing thought smugly.

Yan Lingji, that little vixen, was someone who was weak but still dared to provoke him. As a result, after being conquered by him for half the night, she couldn't hold on any longer and begged for mercy, even calling him "daddy."

After leaving the military tent, Xu Qing intended to find Ying Zheng and ask if he had written a letter.

However, after taking only a few steps, he was blocked by several guards.

"Sir, the general requests your presence at the medical station so that you may examine the soldiers," the leading guard said, bowing respectfully.

"Is it in such a hurry? May I say a few words?" Xu Qing asked, frowning slightly.

Wang Yi's anxious attitude clearly indicates that he is no longer willing to wait and is about to take action ahead of schedule.
“We cannot disobey the general’s orders. Please come with us, sir,” the guard said in a deep voice, giving Xu Qing no chance to refuse.

Xu Qing glanced around and noticed that there were many more people around the camp, stationed on all the roads.

This further confirmed Xu Qing's suspicions. To warn Ying Zheng, Jing Ni, and the others, Xu Qing immediately feigned anger and shouted loudly.
"What kind of logic is this? Even when treating and saving lives, people should be fed first! Is this your general's attitude? What can you do if I don't go?"

(End of this chapter)