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

Chapter 332, Lao Ai and Zhao Ji
Xianyang Palace, the Empress Dowager's palace.

A eunuch was reporting news to Lao Ai in a low voice, and Lao Ai's face gradually turned gloomy.

"My lord, His Majesty is currently on his way back to the palace, and Xu Qing, the former chief physician of the Han court, is also with him," the eunuch said in a low voice.

Lao Ai remained silent with a gloomy face, his hands clenched tightly under his sleeves, his knuckles turning white.

"You may leave now. Tell the Empress Dowager that I am unwell and cannot accompany her to see the King for the time being," Lao Ai said coldly.

"promise."

After bowing respectfully, the eunuch turned and quickly left.

Lao Ai looked at the empty palace, his expression grim and uncertain, and said in a low voice.
"What is that old bastard Lü Buwei up to? He tacitly approved my use of the Luo Wang assassination before, but now he is personally leading the officials to welcome him and even agreeing to give Xu Qing a high-ranking position and generous salary."

"Could it be that he has sensed my thoughts? And therefore hopes that Your Majesty will come to check and balance me?"

Only now did Lao Ai realize he had been tricked. It was indeed he who gave the order to mobilize the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven) to assassinate Xu Qing and Ying Zheng.

As Ying Zheng draws closer to his coming-of-age ceremony, once he assumes full power, he will no longer be able to rely on Empress Dowager Zhao Ji to do as he pleases.

Since being sent to the palace by Lü Buwei, Lao Ai, relying on his unique abilities and the favor of Zhao Ji, not only became the Marquis of Changxin, but also gained power and influence through Zhao Ji.

In the past two years, he has acted arbitrarily in the Qin court, offending too many people, including members of the royal family, relatives of the empress, and even Lü Buwei.

This also means that once Zhao Ji relinquishes power, he will become the target of public criticism and be besieged by the court officials.

Therefore, after realizing his dangerous situation, he began to emulate Lü Buwei by raising retainers and cultivating power in the court, so as to sow discord between Ying Zheng and the royal family, all in order to delay the time for Ying Zheng to assume personal rule.

As for assassinating Xu Qing, it was Lü Buwei who ordered him to do it. He didn't ask why, as long as the other party allowed him to send someone to Han, he didn't care about the life or death of a Han imperial physician.

But Lu Buwei's attitude towards Xu Qing today made him realize that he had been tricked by Lu Buwei.

The other party didn't actually want to kill Xu Qing; they clearly wanted to lure him into Qin.

Lü Buwei got all the credit, while he took the blame.

"That old fool dares to play tricks on me, the Marquis. It seems I must speed up my plans and find a way to seize military power first. I also absolutely cannot allow the Empress Dowager and Xu Qing to have too much interaction, otherwise my position will be in jeopardy," Lao Ai thought to himself.

Only after gaining power did Lao Ai understand what power tasted like. Even if outsiders despised him, they still had to bow and respectfully greet him. This feeling fascinated Lao Ai.

Power is a deadly poison; once you're tainted, you'll never be willing to let go.

Everyone thought that Ji Wuye had framed Xu Qing, but he knew about the affair between Xu Qing and the Han King's favorite concubine through the Luo Wang network.

Moreover, Lü Buwei tacitly approved Xu Qing's appointment as a eunuch, allowing him to freely enter and leave the palace. This made Xu Qing wary, suspecting that Lü Buwei was trying to put him in a difficult position.

He knows very well how he got to his position.

Although he was confident in his own assets, he had heard that Xu Qing was as handsome as Song Yu of Chu, and also had a criminal record, so he had to be careful.

Besides his lust for power, Lao Ai had other reasons for preventing Ying Zheng from coming of age: his two sons with Zhao Ji were being raised in the Yongcheng Palace.

If the incident comes to light, he will not only lose his power, but he may even lose his life.

As Ying Zheng's carriage entered the Xianyang Palace, all the officials behind him stopped in their tracks.

After taking a deep look at Xianyang Palace, Lü Buwei turned and left first, leaving the ministers looking at each other in bewilderment.

Xu Qing and Gai Nie followed Ying Zheng toward the bedroom where Zhao Ji was.

"Sir, your residence is still under construction, so for now you will have to stay in a spare room outside the palace. Jingni, your wife, and Wushuang Gui have already gone there. I will have someone take you there later," Ying Zheng said.

If it were just Xu Qing himself, Ying Zheng would have preferred him to live in the palace like Gai Nie.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I am but a commoner, and all I need is a place to stay."

Xu Qing looked at Ying Zheng and said modestly.

Today, Ying Zheng has already bestowed upon him more than enough rewards. Regardless of his official position and title, the money alone is enough for him to buy a decent mansion in Xianyang.

"Sir, you are a meritorious official of Qin. How can we allow you to live in an ordinary place? However, Zhongfu's actions today have truly surprised me. Teacher, sir, what do you think Zhongfu's purpose is?"

Ying Zheng asked with some unease.

Xu Qing had already expressed his support for him, but Lü Buwei not only did not oppose his proposal, but also added to it, promoting Xu Qing to the title of Grand Master of Ceremonies.

Something unusual must be amiss, but Ying Zheng couldn't discern the source of the problem.

Xu Qing and Gai Nie were also lost in thought, neither of them understanding the purpose of Lü Buwei's actions.

If the intention was to praise someone to their detriment, there is the example of Lao Ai, the Marquis of Changxin, who served as a precedent. Xu Qing, on the other hand, could indeed bring benefits to the Qin state, and his medical skills were even worthy of being rewarded with a high rank. Therefore, it cannot be considered a case of praising someone to their detriment.

If it's about winning people over, Xu Qing will make his stance clear in front of all the officials. If they then side with Xu Qing, they will be looked down upon by everyone.

Xu Qing's greatest use now is his reputation. Once he is branded as a traitor seeking personal gain, all the hard-earned prestige will be lost, and Xu Qing will be useless.

Therefore, Xu Qing and Gai Nie really couldn't understand what Lü Buwei's purpose was. "Could it be that the Prime Minister's move has no other meaning than to send a friendly signal to the medical community?" Xu Qing said after thinking for a moment.

But both Ying Zheng and Gai Nie shook their heads. If that were the case, there would be no need for a title like Grand Master of Works; Junior Master of Works would suffice.

"Alright, let's just say that my father was thinking of the country. I'll be seeing my mother soon, and I hope she won't blame me for leaving the palace without permission," Ying Zheng said with a sigh.

Upon hearing Ying Zheng mention Zhao Ji, Xu Qing felt a surge of curiosity.

Empress Dowager Zhao Ji has many stories to tell, and she has untold secrets with three men: Lü Buwei, King Zhuangxiang of Qin (Ying Zichu), and Lao Ai.

According to what he had heard before, Zhao Ji and Lao Ai had been living in Yongcheng for a long time, claiming that they were reminiscing about the late king.

However, Xu Qing knew this was because Zhao Ji was pregnant and was worried that Ying Zheng would find out, so he took Lao Ai to Yongcheng.

Compared to events recorded in historical texts, Xu Qing was more curious about Zhao Ji's motives for wanting to kill Ying Zheng and install her son with Lao Ai as the King of Qin.

Even if the other party isn't particularly intelligent, having lived in Qin for so many years, they shouldn't be so foolish as to make such a decision.

Do you really think the Ying clan lost the hearts of the people like the Jiang Qi clan did back then? The Tian clan's usurpation of Qi was only achieved because of a confluence of favorable timing, location, and popular support. Even afterward, the descendants of the Jiang Qi clan and the people of Qi rebelled every year, and it took the Tian clan three generations of rulers to completely occupy the state of Qi.

Driven by curiosity, Xu Qing followed Ying Zheng into Zhao Ji's bedchamber.

"The King has arrived!"

As soon as the eunuch finished speaking, crisp footsteps echoed from the depths of the magnificent palace—the sound of shoes striking the floor.

At the same time, a figure with a shapely and alluring curves came into Xu Qing's view.

Behind the red gauze curtain, Zhao Ji wore a bright red and gorgeous gold phoenix robe and a magnificent phoenix crown. Her figure was plump and her movements were enchanting and captivating. The phoenix robe made her even more stunning.

Especially his face; he's over forty, yet he still looks young, without a trace of aging.

Instead, time has added an indescribable mature charm to it, just as a boy once said.

Women are like fine wine, they get better with age.

Zhao Ji was very beautiful, her dignified demeanor couldn't hide her stunning beauty, and Xu Qing had to admit that in terms of looks and temperament alone, she was among the most beautiful women he had ever seen.

Like a rose in full bloom, beautiful yet not pretentious, gorgeous yet not vulgar, charming yet with an air of dignified elegance.

After glancing at it, Xu Qing and Gai Nie lowered their heads, maintaining the proper etiquette of foreign officials.

"Mother," Ying Zheng said with a smile and a nod to Zhao Ji.

"Zheng'er is back. I heard you brought back a great sage? Did you bring him to let me see him?"

Zhao Ji glanced at Ying Zheng, a smile appearing on her face, and took his hand to sit down at the table.

"Of course, sir, you are a genius unparalleled in this era. I have been able to travel safely thanks to you all this way."

Ying Zheng spared no praise, showering Xu Qing with compliments and displaying a proud expression.

Hearing Ying Zheng's words, Zhao Ji looked at Xu Qing, who was bowing his head, with a hint of curiosity and said...

"Is this the legendary Physician Xu, Mr. Xu? Raise your head and let me take a look."

"Your subject Xu Qing pays respects to the Empress Dowager."

After bowing, Xu Qing raised his head, allowing Zhao Ji to admire him.

"Indeed a young talent, no wonder Zheng'er speaks highly of you. Zheng'er is still young and has not experienced much, so I will rely on your assistance in the future."

Zhao Ji glanced at Xu Qing, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

Although I had heard of Xu Qing's youth and good looks, seeing him in person was still surprising, especially his ethereal and otherworldly temperament, which, combined with his young and handsome face, gave me a desire to destroy him.

It's like seeing a high-ranking deity and wanting to pull them down from their pedestal.

"Your Majesty flatters me. The King treats me as a national hero. I will certainly repay the country with my life," Xu Qing said, bowing his head and cupping his hands.

Zhao Ji's gaze made Xu Qing worry that she might be thinking of changing her tastes and thus set her sights on him.

Xu Qing was quite confident in his appearance; otherwise, he wouldn't have aroused Hu Meiren's pity at first glance, prompting her to plead for him.

His practice of Changqing Gong and the influence of Taoist classics gave him an exceptionally unique temperament.

This makes him an easy target for bad women.

"Even so, I will have to trouble you, sir, from now on. I have heard about what happened at the city gate earlier. What is your opinion on the position of Zhongchangshi?"

Zhao Ji looked at Xu Qing with great interest, a smile on her dignified and beautiful face as she asked.

(End of this chapter)