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

Chapter 422, Tian Guang: Actually, you are my disciple from the Farmer's School

Meeting Xu Qing's somewhat teasing gaze, Tian Guang couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

While it was common to give concubines to friends and guests in this era, giving away one's female disciples to others as an apology was indeed somewhat improper.

“I had previously heard Hall Master Situ mention that the Grand Chancellor lacked maids to serve him. My peasant family may not have much else, but we boast 100,000 disciples, so we can certainly select one or two to serve you.”

Tian Guang coughed twice and said calmly.

"Really? The leader's apology is quite unique!"

Xu Qing said with a forced smile, but his gaze lacked its previous enthusiasm and instead revealed a sense of distance.

Although Xu was a womanizer, he wasn't someone who could accept just anyone. If Situ Wanli sent someone Tian Mi, he would accept her as a maid.

But Tian Guang is a cunning old man. The person they sent might be some kind of undercover agent or assassin. He wasn't stupid enough to just accept Tian Mi like that.

Upon hearing Xu Qing's words, Tian Mi's graceful body trembled slightly, and the mist in her pink eyes seemed to materialize, as if she were about to burst into tears.

She wasn't acting; she was genuinely anxious.

If Xu Qing doesn't want her, not only will her chance to change her own fate disappear, but Tian Guang will probably not let her go, as an insider who knows the other party's secret plan.

Ultimately, she was just a mid-level disciple of a collateral branch of the Tian family, a minor and dispensable figure. Otherwise, she wouldn't have turned her attention to Wu Kuang, who was from a different family, instead of trying to seduce the higher-ups in the Tian family.

Despite Xu Qing's questioning and distant gaze, Tian Guang maintained a faint smile. He knew he couldn't possibly give Tian Mi away so easily. He would only become suspicious if Xu Qing accepted Tian Mi directly.

"Da Liangzao is joking. Tian Mi, you may leave now."

Tian Guang waved slightly at Tian Mi.

"Yes."

Although Tian Mi was anxious, she had no choice but to follow Tian Guang's orders. Before leaving, Tian Mi couldn't help but glance at Xu Qing.

Those alluring pink eyes were brimming with tears, faintly carrying a hint of reluctance and longing. A forced smile appeared on her face, making one feel an irresistible tenderness.

Xu Qing's expression remained unchanged as he watched Tian Mi sway her hips as she walked out of the room. Only after the door closed again did he look at Tian Guang.

"Chief, isn't it inappropriate for you to hand over your disciples to me?"

“I admit that people say I am lustful and even have an affair with the King of Han’s favorite concubine, but I am upright and have nothing to fear, so I don’t care about the rumors. But this is not a basis for others to test and humiliate me, is it?”

Xu Qing remained calm, his eyes filled with indifference, and spoke in a slow and unhurried voice.

So, is Tian Mi testing the cadres? Which cadre couldn't withstand such a test?

He admitted that Tian Mi was very sexy and great, but he wasn't like Wu Kuang, that deadbeat who couldn't take his eyes off women.

"You've misunderstood me, Lord General. I've long admired you and wish I could become your friend as soon as possible. How could I dare to deliberately test or humiliate you?"

Tian Guang hadn't expected Xu Qing to react so strongly. He looked apologetic and spoke with a hint of urgency.

"Then I'd like to hear what the leader of the bandits has to say," Xu Qing said coldly, his hands on his knees.

Tian Guang glanced at Xu Qing, his expression turning somewhat wistful, and sighed softly.

"The Grand Master is unaware of the internal affairs of our farming family. In fact, Tian Mi and Wu Kuang are somewhat related. Although they share the surname Tian and are from a different family, they are as close as siblings. Wu Kuang has helped her a lot, so Tian Mi always remembers his kindness."

“Now Wu Kuang has brought this upon himself and cut himself off from the world. In the future, let alone his future, he will not even have a foothold in the martial arts world. Therefore, Tian Mi is very worried about her brother.”

"So she had a bold idea: to serve you in place of Wu Kuang in order to atone for her sins and hope that you would spare Wu Kuang."

“When she first came to me, I was unwilling to agree, and I explained that you didn’t care about these things and that she didn’t need to do this.”

"However, the other party said that Wu Kuang's matter has implicated many farmers. If my farmers do not take a stand, not only Wu Kuang, but my farmers will also be accused of lax governance, and will not be able to hold their heads high in front of the Hundred Schools and the people of the world in the future."

"It is both to fulfill the brother-sister relationship between her and Wu Kuang, and also for the sake of my farming family, so I thought of giving her to you as an apology."

"Neither I nor the farmers and Tianmi had any intention of insulting you. If we have offended you, please forgive us."

"What a touching story of brotherly and sisterly love."

Looking at Tian Guang's apologetic face, Xu Qing couldn't help but think to himself, "What do you mean?"

If he hadn't known about the relationship between Wu Kuang and Tian Mi, he probably would have been fooled by Tian Guang's words. The other party must have put a lot of effort into making up this story.

"Since that's the case, it seems I misunderstood the leader. Please don't take offense. This is a helpless situation for me, as there are many misunderstandings about me from the outside world, so I have to be careful."

Xu Qing's expression softened slightly, and he spoke with a touch of emotion.

As the leader of the peasant chivalrous family, Tian Guang certainly wouldn't think that he could win over Tian Mi with just one story. Since he was already here, Xu Qing wanted to see what other tricks Tian Guang had up his sleeve.

Misunderstanding!? Do you really think no one knows about your affair with the King of Han's favorite concubine?
Looking at Xu Qing's righteous and awe-inspiring appearance, Tian Guang couldn't help but want to punch him. He had never seen such a shameless person!

While in Xinzheng, after conducting numerous investigations, he finally determined that Ji Wuye had not wronged Xu Qing. On the contrary, Ji Wuye had taken the blame for Xu Qing's affair with the King of Han's favorite concubine. However, these matters had nothing to do with him.

"That's only right. Since the Grand Master isn't too satisfied with the first gift, let's talk about the second one."

After taking a deep breath, Tian Guang changed the subject with a smile on his face.

"A second gift? I hope the hero won't give me another shock. If so, there's no need for that." Xu Qing teased with a light laugh.

"No, no, of course not."

After smiling, Tian Guang's expression turned serious as he looked at Xu Qing and said...
"This second gift, rather than being a gift, is more like my wish to ask the Grand Chancellor for a better future."

"Future prospects? What makes you think you can talk about such things, Xia Kui?" Xu Qing's smile vanished, a serious look flashed in his eyes, and he asked in a deep voice.

"When I was in Qi, I heard that the Grand Chancellor and the Confucian scholar Xunzi were close friends despite their age difference. Xunzi also praised your talent. Later, there was a rumor at the Xiaoshengxianzhuang Confucian Academy that Xunzi wanted to visit you in Han, but it was delayed because of the friction between the Gongyang School and other schools of Confucianism."

"As for what happened later, I was quite surprised to learn that you were actually a disciple of the Gongyang School of Confucianism. Because of my connection with the Agricultural School and the Confucian School, I couldn't help but send someone to inquire about you."

Tian Guang paused, then bowed to Xu Qing and apologized.

"Please forgive me for conducting this investigation privately."

"It's alright. Since the leader of the knights was able to tell me so frankly, it shows that he is open-minded and honest. I will not blame him."

Xu Qing looked at Tian Guang with great interest, feeling intrigued and curious about what he was about to say.

Both the Agricultural School and the Confucian School had their bases in the State of Qi, so there were bound to be many frictions between them. Moreover, there were historical issues between the two schools, which led them to look down on each other.

Xu Zixu Xing, the author of the only classic of the Agricultural School, "Shennong", promoted the Agricultural School to an extremely high level by personally promoting the Agricultural School's ideas. Even the Confucian disciples Chen Xiang and his brother Chen Xin abandoned Confucianism and became his disciples.

Mencius personally debated with Xu Xing over this matter, and afterwards even denounced Xu Xing as a barbarian from the south and a man from Teng, Chu. The fact that Xu Xing could force a sage like Mencius to resort to personal attacks demonstrates the immense influence Xu Xing had on Confucianism at the time.

After this incident, an irreconcilable conflict arose between Confucianism and the agricultural school.

As the leader of the peasant chivalrous school, Tian Guang's mention of Confucianism and the Gongyang School at this time was certainly not a casual remark; there must be a deeper meaning behind it.

"I'm glad the Grand Master doesn't blame me, but I should have investigated. I've uncovered a huge secret: you're not actually Korean, or rather, your ancestral home isn't Korean." Tian Guang looked intently at Xu Qing and said in a heavy voice.

"Huh? What does 'Xia Kui' mean? I don't quite understand," Xu Qing asked, puzzled.

“According to my family’s investigation, your grandfather was actually from the State of Chu. He moved his entire family to the State of Han to escape his enemies, and became a royal physician in Han thanks to his medical skills,” Tian Guang explained.

"A person from the State of Chu!?"

Xu Qing was taken aback at first, then looked at Tian Guang in surprise. He had a bad feeling that Tian Guang was plotting against him.

"Hero, you...you don't mean to say that my family is actually from Teng, do you?" Xu Qing said quietly.

Seeing that Xu Qing understood his meaning, Tian Guang's expression hardened, and he said firmly.
“That’s right. It seems that you’ve heard your elders mention it. You are indeed from Tengdi, or more precisely, you are a descendant of the Xu family of Tengdi, and you have a deep connection with my farming family.”

Seeing that Tian Guang had already said this much, Xu Qing immediately understood what the other party's purpose was in beating around the bush. He wasn't talking about where his ancestral home was; he was clearly saying that he was a descendant of Xu Zi and Xu Xing, the only farmer in the family to be called a son.

"Hero, you're going around in circles. Why don't you just say I'm a descendant of Xu Zi?" Xu Qing said speechlessly.

Tian Guang seemed oblivious to the speechlessness and disdain in Xu Qing's eyes, and instead excitedly said...
“I knew my investigation in the countryside was right. Your father did indeed tell you this secret. I was worried that you wouldn’t be able to accept this news, but it seems you knew it earlier and more clearly than I did.”

"Haha~"

Xu Qing was completely speechless looking at Tian Guang's terrible acting skills.

What the hell is going on? It's one thing for a Gongyang Confucian scholar to try and frame him, but why does the Farmer School also want to emulate Gongyang Confucianism and force themselves to be associated with him?

Will someone have to tell him in the future that he is not from a family of imperial physicians, but from the Xu clan of the Jiang family, and that he is a legitimate descendant of the former ruler of the Xu state, so that he can raise the banner of rebellion and restore the Xu state?

Meeting Xu Qing's speechless gaze, Tian Guang realized that he had been a little too excited. Although he had prepared himself, he still felt guilty and ashamed to do such a shameless thing, and could only cover it up with an overly excited expression.

In this regard, Tian Guang had to admire the Confucian scholars of the Gongyang School. They could distort the truth and misattribute facts without the slightest guilt, as if everything were true.

"It doesn't matter if you don't believe it. You should have heard that your father once went to the State of Chu and even stayed there for many years. Your father's travels were secondary; his real purpose was to return to his hometown and revitalize the Xu family."

“I have other evidence here. This is the genealogy of the Xu family of Tengdi, left behind by Xu Zi. You can have it.”

As Tian Guang was about to take out his "family tree" to prove it, Xu Qing stopped him before he could do so.

"Never mind, I understand what you mean, Xia Kui. But I don't understand why you're doing this. You should know that I am the Grand Minister of Qin, while the agricultural school's roots are in Qi."

Xu Qing stopped Tian Guang and looked at him with a puzzled expression, asking, "What's wrong with you?"

Since Tian Guang planned to use Xu Zi's descendants to extort money from him, he must have made all the necessary preparations. And the second gift and future prospects he mentioned earlier were now self-evident.

Is Tian Guang trying to emulate the Gongyang School of Confucianism and use his status as a descendant of Xu Zi to link himself with the Agricultural School and thus gain entry into Qin?
"The Grand Master of Ceremonies should not say such things now. Anyone with eyes can see that the world's power lies with Qin, and the people of Qin are determined to expand eastward. Meanwhile, the six states are embroiled in internal strife, and treacherous officials are in power in each state, making it impossible for them to contend with Qin."

“It has long been said that the world will eventually fall to the Qin state; it’s just a matter of time. So my family, as farmers, must also seek a way out for our future.”

"Although the Farmer School is rooted in the State of Qi, the State of Qi also has the Confucian School. Our Farmer School lacks the classics to pass down. We may have 100,000 disciples and agricultural skills, but under the suppression of the Confucian School, we are unable to enter the court and spread our knowledge."

"The Farmer's Clan has the world in their hearts, and wants to inherit the will of Shennong, and wants to use farming techniques to ensure that everyone in the world has enough to eat. But it is impossible to achieve this by relying on just one Jianghu sect like the Farmer's Clan."

"Among the seven states, the six states east of the mountains may have a reputation for flourishing culture and virtue, but there is no place for my peasant family to stand. Only the Qin state, located in the western border, can accept my peasant family regardless of our origins."

Tian Guang spoke passionately, appearing like a leader concerned about the future of farmers, his words filled with worry for them.

"Hehehe, if you were truly devoted to the Farmer's Clan, how could you possibly side with Xiong Qi and drag the entire Farmer's Clan into becoming a pawn in Xiong Qi's hands?"

Looking at Tian Guang's appearance, Xu Qing felt nothing but disdain.

Among the Hundred Schools of Thought, the two most tragic are undoubtedly the Mohists and the Agriculturalists.

The former was one of the two prominent schools of thought alongside Confucianism. However, due to Ji Dan's selfish desires, it went from being a prominent school to a terrorist organization. The Qin state destroyed the Mohist mechanical city, causing countless Mohist disciples to lose their lives.

As for the original novel of the Farmer's School, it was even worse. They became the first to raise the banner against the Qin Dynasty, but what was the result?

The Qin army slaughtered almost all of the 100,000 disciples, and the Farmer's School was completely wiped out, with their ancestral home, Shennong Mountain, being leveled.

(End of this chapter)