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

Chapter 356, Yan Ri's Identity and Purpose (4k, requesting monthly votes!)
Although Shanglin Garden was located in the suburbs of Xianyang, it was very close to Zhangtai Palace, which was located on the south bank of the Wei River.

As the hunting grounds of the Qin kings throughout history, Shanglin Garden covered a vast area. As far as the eye could see, the trees were shady and the solemn and majestic palaces were nestled among them, where the wild animals kept there would occasionally howl at the moon.

As a royal garden, Shanglin Garden was off-limits to ordinary people, and even high-ranking officials were not allowed to enter at will.

However, in the westernmost grove of trees in Shanglin Garden, a figure moved back and forth. The bright moonlight illuminated the face of the person, who was none other than Xu Qing, who had just finished his battle with Yan Lingji.

Xu Qing, dressed in dark-colored close-fitting clothes, leaped up from the tree branch, landed steadily on the ground with one foot, and looked directly at the figure in the shadow of the big tree in front of him.

"You arrived fifteen minutes early."

Yan Ri emerged from the shadows, the bronze armor on his body clattering with each step. His face was still concealed by the bronze mask, but his eyes remained cold and devoid of any human emotion, and his voice was extremely hoarse.

"Since it's an appointment, it's better to be early than late."

Xu Qing looked calmly at Yan Ri and said in a flat voice.

“I thought you would come with Jingni, but I didn’t expect you to come alone. This place is extremely secluded, and even patrolling cavalry will not come here. If you die here, no one will be able to find your body.”

A flash of scarlet killing intent crossed Yan Ri's eyes as he spoke in an icy voice.

"Don't scare me. If something happens to me, the name Luo Wang will become history the next day, and you will not escape death either."

Xu Qing was completely unconcerned about Yan Ri's threat. He had already allied with Lü Buwei, and if something really happened to him, Lü Buwei would wipe out the Luo Wang organization in a fit of rage.

Moreover, although he couldn't defeat Yan Ri, escaping wouldn't be a problem.

He had already searched the area beforehand and found no other Luo Wang assassins besides Yan Ri, so Xu Qing was certain that Yan Ri had come to discuss business, not to ambush him.

"It seems you had a very pleasant conversation with Lü Buwei today. It's rare to see Marquis Wenxin so humble."

Yan Ri also withdrew his killing intent and spoke in a normal voice.

Compared to his previous hoarse and cold voice, Yan Ri's voice was now very calm, sounding like that of a middle-aged man in his twenties or thirties, full of energy.

Xu Qing was too lazy to engage in any more witty banter with Yan Ri. If he had gone back earlier, he could have practiced the Evergreen Skill or the Eight Swords of Noble Void, instead of wasting time here.

"If you invited me here just to talk nonsense, then I'll take my leave. If you want to get down to business, let's get straight to the point," Xu Qing said in a deep voice.

Yan Ri looked at Xu Qing, who was a dozen steps away from him, a slight smile playing on the corners of his lips beneath the mask, and spoke.

“I told you that if you made it to Xianyang alive, I would tell you why I didn’t kill you. And your behavior in Xianyang really surprised me.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Yan Ri reached out and removed the mask from her face, revealing her true appearance.

Xu Qing looked at Yan Ri with curiosity. Underneath the bronze mask was a handsome man in his late twenties, with sword-like eyebrows, cold eyes, regular features, and an extraordinary bearing. There was a hint of majesty between his brows.

"Let me formally introduce myself, Yan Ri—Ying Yu," Yan Ri said coldly.

Upon hearing the name Ying Yu, Xu Qing was surprised and looked the other person up and down by the moonlight.

Ying Yu's surname, Ying, alone reveals his status as a member of the royal family. According to the information Jing Ni had previously shared about the various factions in Xianyang City, Ying Yu is the nephew of Lord Weiyang, Ying Xi.

His father was the least prominent of Anguo Jun's many children, which led to his lineage not being given important positions. However, Weiyang Jun Yingxi valued him highly and even promoted him as the person to connect with Chang'an Jun Chengjiao in the name of the royal family.

Ying Yu himself was extremely outstanding among the three generations of the Qin royal family, but he was suppressed because he clearly supported Cheng Jiao, which prevented him from having the opportunity to rise to prominence.

However, according to what he heard in Xianyang, Ying Yu had once tried to join the Qin army, hoping to make a name for himself through military merit and obtain a noble title, but there was no news of him after that, and Ying Yu rarely appeared in the public eye.

"You are a member of the royal family, the nephew of Lord Weiyang, yet you chose to join the Net and become an assassin?" Xu Qing frowned slightly, asking incredulously.

Even though Ying Yu was suppressed and unable to rise above others, he was still a member of the royal family and had the support of Lord Weiyang.

It's hard to believe that someone of such high status would join the Luo Wang organization as an assassin.

“This is my own choice and has nothing to do with the royal family. The reason I didn’t kill you in Wusui is because you are very important to the Qin state and to the king. Your arrival can bring new waves to the turbulent waters of Xianyang and even turn the tide of the court.”

"I assassinated you simply to see your abilities for myself, to see if you have the capacity to survive in Xianyang."

"And the events of the past few days have proven that my idea was correct. And my purpose is very simple: I want to join forces with you to eliminate Lü Buwei and Lao Ai, remove the last obstacle for the King to assume personal rule, and let the Qin state return to the hands of the Ying family."

Ying Yu looked at Xu Qing and spoke slowly.

Upon learning that Lao Ai intended to assassinate Ying Zheng, who had secretly traveled to Xinzheng, Ying Yu chose to obey Lü Buwei's orders and go to Xinzheng to take charge of the mission, thus secretly protecting Ying Zheng.

Although he initially supported Cheng Jiao, Cheng Jiao was already dead, and Ying Zheng was the King of Qin.

If Ying Zheng were to die, the Qin state, which was controlled by Lü Buwei and Zhao Ji, might really have to change its surname. Therefore, he chose to protect Ying Zheng.

However, in the process of secretly protecting Ying Zheng, he gradually realized that Xu Qing, the talent that Lü Buwei was so eager for, had actually chosen Ying Zheng.

He was initially just curious about why Xu Qing did this, but the Heavenly Sect martial arts that Xu Qing revealed during his fight with Bai Niao confirmed his identity as a disciple of the Heavenly Sect.

So he had a new idea: to form an alliance with Xu Qing to drag Tianzong into the mess, thereby dealing with Lü Buwei and Lao Ai, abolishing Zhao Ji's channels for interfering in the outer court, and thus enabling Ying Zheng to rule in his own right.

Xu Qing looked at the frank Ying Yu before him. The other party's undisguised attitude was very much in line with the image of an assassin. However, the other party's idea of ​​helping Ying Zheng to assume power made him somewhat apprehensive, and he suspected the other party's true purpose.

"Why?" Xu Qing asked, frowning slightly.

Ying Yu knew that she couldn't gain Xu Qing's trust based on just her own words, so she slowly began to speak.

"For the sake of Qin, and also for the sake of the royal family. As members of the Qin royal family, the Ying clan will always be loyal to Qin. The struggle for the throne between Your Majesty and Lord Chang'an was, in essence, just an internal matter within the royal family."

"No matter who inherits the throne, the Qin state will ultimately belong to the Ying family. But Lü Buwei and Lao Ai are different; they usurped power and caused chaos in the government, and are the greatest enemies of the Qin royal family."

"I chose to join the Luo Wang organization for the sake of Qin. Since King Huiwen, the royal family has been exhausted, and it has been difficult to produce talented people. The court has gradually been occupied by scholars from the six states, and the military, under the unspoken rules, no longer allows members of the royal family to enter." "At that time, Lü Buwei and the Empress Dowager had already begun to show their ambition to control the government, and even had an affair in the first year of the King's reign."

"Neither the court nor the military could interfere with the imperial clan. Although I wanted to change things, I was too insignificant to make a difference. I wanted to rise above others and make my lineage no longer lowly. So I obeyed the old clan head's orders and, with his help, entered the net, becoming a wedge driven into the net by the imperial clan, secretly keeping an eye on Lü Buwei."

"This matter was witnessed by both the Marquis of Guannei and the old Imperial Clan Minister. Sending someone to Yongcheng to inquire with them would be enough to prove my identity."

"The reason I want to join forces with you to deal with Lü Buwei and Lao Ai is because since Lao Ai gained power three years ago, the Empress Dowager and Lü Buwei have become estranged. So I saw an opportunity to sow discord between the two and then gradually resolve the situation."

"Back in Xinzheng, my intention wasn't to assassinate the King, but to secretly protect him should the King die."

Ying Yu shared his experiences and thoughts over the years. Although Xu Qing maintained a calm demeanor on the surface, he couldn't help but admire Ying Yu's loyalty to Qin and his perseverance in seeking progress. He lowered his guard slightly and prepared to talk to Ying Yu again.

"I'll believe your story for now, but getting rid of Lao Ai is fine, but not Lü Buwei. He still has a purpose for the Qin state," Xu Qing said, shaking his head.

Upon hearing this, a hint of doubt flashed in Ying Yu's eyes. In his view, Lü Buwei was the root cause of the chaos in Qin's government.

Although Lü Buwei had made great contributions to the Qin state and was extremely talented, anyone who could threaten the power of the King of Qin, no matter how important, had to be eliminated.

Xu Qing noticed Ying Yu's doubts. From what Ying Yu had just said, he vaguely sensed Ying Yu's loyalty to the Qin state and had a reason to persuade him.

"The Qin state was like a fast-moving chariot, and Lü Buwei was the chariot's yoke; only with him could the chariot maintain its balance."

"The factions in the court are too complicated, and half of them are scholars from the six states promoted by Lü Buwei."

"If he dies, if the king wants to completely control the court, he will have no choice but to take an extreme approach, which will shake the Qin state."

"Only if he lives can power be smoothly transferred to the king and the stability of the Qin state be maintained."

Xu Qing looked at Ying Yu and explained his prowess.

He originally had little intention of cooperating with Yan Ri, but since the other party was a member of the Qin royal family, things were different; the other party's role was greater than he had imagined.

"For the sake of Qin? But how can you guarantee that Lü Buwei doesn't have any thoughts of usurpation? The best way to deal with such a cunning old fox is to get rid of him as soon as possible."

"Among the scholars of the six states, apart from you, there are few who are truly loyal to Qin; they are all here for fame and fortune."

"The magpie has a nest, but the dove lives in it; when a young woman goes to her husband's home, she is escorted by a hundred carriages. You should know this principle as well."

Ying Yu's face was somewhat gloomy, his eyes flashing with cold light, and he said in a cold voice.

He had personally witnessed how the Qin state was controlled by Lü Buwei and Zhao Ji, who ignored the King of Qin. Especially in the past two years, after Lao Ai gained power, his actions could be described as chaotic and weakening of Qin.

This led to Ying Yu and even the entire Qin royal family having little goodwill towards the scholars of the six states, feeling that these people were all there to bring disaster to their old Ying dynasty.

Although these people are talented, they can be used, but not given great power.

Although most of the Ying clan members were mediocre and useless, after experiencing so many things, Ying Yu's idea of ​​promoting the virtuous had changed.

Talent is secondary; loyalty is paramount. If loyalty cannot be maintained, then Qin will become a second Jiang Qi.

"If Lü Buwei really wanted to usurp the throne, he wouldn't have waited until he was nearly sixty to do it. The Battle of Zuicheng brought him to the peak of his prestige, and he also had military power in his hands. That was the best opportunity."

"Moreover, I have already discussed it with Lü Buwei. He loves his country and also loves the King. As for the assassination attempt by Luo Wang, you understand the principle of loving one's country more than others."

Xu Qing then briefly recounted his conversation with Lü Buwei to Ying Yu, but it was all edited out, and he didn't tell her the key points.

The two were, after all, negotiating, although their words revealed their loyalty to the Qin state.

But saying and thinking are two different things, so he wouldn't reveal anything about Ying Zheng's assumption of power until he was certain of the other party's true thoughts.

Ying Yu listened to Xu Qing's words, her eyes constantly shifting, her heart filled with hesitation.

He considered that he needed Xu Qing's cooperation to complete his plan to eliminate Lü Buwei and Lao Ai and restore power to the imperial clan.

Since Xu Qing felt he could trust Lü Buwei, he could take a step back and deal with Lao Ai and Zhao Ji first, allowing Ying Zheng to assume power.

Once Ying Zheng took personal control of the government, the fate of Lü Buwei, this powerful minister, would naturally not be much better.

“If you think he can be trusted, then you can let him go for now. But if he does anything wrong, I will still stick to my plan and get rid of him,” Ying Yu said coldly.

Seeing that Ying Yu had agreed, Xu Qing nodded slightly and asked...

"Since you've chosen to cooperate with me, what's your plan? How do you intend to get rid of Lao Ai?"

"Lao Ai and the Empress Dowager had two sons in Yongcheng. The only reason they were able to keep it a secret was because of the Empress Dowager's power. Once the King assumes power and the Empress Dowager relinquishes power, this matter will certainly not be kept secret."

"Yesterday, Lao Ai falsely accused Wei Wei, Zuo Yi, and Neishi, and conspired with four trusted retainers. It is clear that he has already harbored treacherous intentions for his own life and power."

"Therefore, my plan is to lead my gang to join Lao Ai, so as to monitor his actions and collect evidence of his misconduct."

"Then you should announce it, using your prestige and status to make a big fuss about it, so that even the Empress Dowager can't protect Lao Ai, and thus get rid of him," Ying Yu said in a deep voice.

His original plan also included Lü Buwei, whom he had always favored within the Luo Wang organization. After Lao Ai's death, he would reveal some information to Zhao Ji, making her suspect that Lü Buwei had asked him to collect the evidence.

This would cause Zhao Ji to break with Lü Buwei, thus sowing discord between their forces. Furthermore, since Lao Ai was recommended by Lü Buwei, his plot to rebel against Lü Buwei would also implicate him.

Once the relationship between the two is no longer reliable, no one can protect Lü Buwei, and the imperial clan will be able to take the opportunity to counterattack, expel Lü Buwei's confidants from the court, and thus regain power.

However, because Xu Qing trusted Lü Buwei, he did not intend to reveal the complete plan, lest Xu Qing leak it out.

(End of this chapter)