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

Chapter 433, The Scapegoat (4k)

Taiyi Mountain, inside a bamboo house.

Having rushed back to Taiyi Mountain, Wang Ben followed Xu Qing into a side room. At Xu Qing's invitation, he sat down with her at the table and handed the package in his hand to Xu Qing.

Xu Qing opened the package, revealing a box inside, which was locked with a lock.

Four bronze chains extend from the lock to hold the box together, and the lock itself has several rotating wheels, each bearing several Qin Dynasty characters.

"The domineering mechanical arts of the Gongshu family?"

Xu Qing looked at the combination lock that appeared across time and space with great interest, recalling the Black Dragon Scroll and the Thousand Machine Copper Plate from the original work. However, compared to these items, what Xu Qing was really interested in was the Gongshu family, who were on par with the Mo family.

He had many ideas and concepts in his mind, but most of them required the assistance of Gongshu Jia, who possessed top-notch mechanical skills, to turn these ideas into reality.

"It seems that after the Nanyang incident is over and I return to Xianyang, I will have to see Gongshu Chou," Xu Qing thought to himself.

"The Mohist mechanism allows wood and stone to move freely; the bronze box opens to reveal the secrets of the Qin Dynasty. This is a mechanism specially crafted by the Gongshu family for the Qin Dynasty to protect the secrets it transmits. If anyone tries to forcibly destroy the box, it will trigger the mechanism inside, and the oil will instantly burn everything inside to ashes."

Wang Ben assumed Xu Qing didn't know the origin of the box, so he explained it to him and started turning the wheel on the lock, which produced the sound of bronze gears turning.

"Click~"

As the correct password was entered, the chains locking the box instantly loosened, and the box itself opened upwards to reveal the black cloth inside.

"You must have heard a lot since you returned to Xianyang. What's the situation at court?"

Xu Qing took out the cloth and asked questions while looking at its contents.

Wang Ben glanced at Xu Qing, a solemn expression appearing on his face, and shook his head with a sigh.
"Although the King has agreed to your plan and secretly sent people to provide support, the situation in Xianyang is not good."

"Marquis Changxin, Lao Ai, poisoned the Marquis of Guannei and, together with the Empress Dowager, placed the old Imperial Clan Minister under house arrest. The members of the royal family were in agitated and even considered storming the palace to force the King to execute Lao Ai."

"But Lao Ai, with the Empress Dowager's edict and his retainer Zhao Xie, who served as the Commandant of the Guards, sent troops to block the members of the imperial clan. The two sides fought fiercely, and it was only after Marquis Wenxin intervened that everything was calmed down."

"Now the king is caught between the royal family and the queen dowager, and his situation is very difficult. Lao Ai does not know how to restrain himself and accepts all the officials who take the initiative to surrender, and is cultivating his own faction in the court."

"I have received Your Majesty's order upon my return, and I hope that you can provide a solution to the situation in Xianyang."

Listening to Wang Ben's report, Xu Qing nodded slightly. Xiong Qi had already told him about Lao Ai before, but not in such detail.

Upon hearing that many officials in the court had begun to side with Lao Ai, a glint of light flashed in Xu Qing's eyes. His plan had begun to show results, and now all that was left was to wait until Ying Zheng's coming-of-age ceremony in the first month of the lunar calendar, and then eliminate these people in one fell swoop.

This would not only greatly reduce the risks from within the Qin state, but also make these people's lives the cornerstone for Ying Zheng to build his imperial authority.

The contents of the letter were quite simple: Ying Zheng and Lü Buwei's support for the plan to surrender Nanyang to Qin, as well as their secret arrangements for mobilizing grain and supplies and assigning manpower to Xu Qing.

"In addition, when I returned to Mount Taiyi, I heard that Marquis Changxin, Lao Ai, wanted to use the excuse that the Empress Dowager had not yet recovered to make you continue to pray for the King and the Empress Dowager at Mount Taiyi until the Empress Dowager recovered."

Wang Ben looked up at Xu Qing, a hint of worry flashing across his face, and said in a low voice.

"Lao Ai's idea is quite good."

Xu Qing scoffed. He was still thinking about what excuse to use to hide his identity and go to Nanyang, but he didn't expect Lao Ai to take the initiative to come up with a solution for him.

Xu Qing then placed the cloth on the table and looked at Wang Ben, saying...
"The Right Chancellor has already told me about the matter of Lao Ai. As for a solution, there is one: use the surrender of Nanyang to Qin to cover it up."

"Did Nanyang surrender to Qin to cover up the murder of the Marquis of Guannei?"

Wang Ben looked at Xu Qing with a puzzled expression, clearly unable to understand how two seemingly unrelated things could be connected.

"You'll understand why then. You should learn more from your father. A general only needs to charge into battle and fight, but a commander needs to consider many more things."

Xu Qing spoke calmly and patiently, like an elder giving advice to a junior.

If we were to ask who among the seven states possessed the greatest military strategy, some would say it was Li Mu of Zhao, others would say it was Xiang Yan of Chu, and still others would say it was the veteran generals of Qin. Opinions were varied and there was no consensus.

However, if we were to say who among these military strategists had the strongest political ability, it would undoubtedly be Wang Jian.

Wang Ben clearly inherited Wang Jian's talent in military strategy, but he was still a greenhorn in court politics, which was also related to his young age.

"I am far from being able to match my father's abilities," Wang Ben said, bowing respectfully.

Xu Qing did not continue discussing this topic with Wang Ben. Instead, he found a piece of cloth and wrote down his plan to use Nanyang's surrender to Qin to cover up the murder of the Marquis of Guannei.

"You've had a long journey, but I need you to return to Xianyang tomorrow to deliver this letter to the King. It concerns how the King will resolve the current predicament, so please be careful not to let the news leak out."

Xu Qing put the cloth into the box and then locked it again.

"Rest assured, Your Excellency, I will definitely complete the mission," Wang Ben said solemnly as he took the box.

"Go back and get some rest. You'll be leaving early tomorrow morning," Xu Qing said.

"promise."

After Wang Ben put the box away, he bowed to Xu Qing and then turned and left.

After Wang Ben left, Xu Qing reviewed the current situation in Xianyang and the plan for Nanyang to surrender to Qin. After confirming that nothing had been overlooked, he got up and left the room, turning to walk towards the main house.

Upon entering the main house, Xu Qing saw Yan Lingji, dressed in a fiery red dress, sitting at a table. She was twirling a wooden hairpin burning with flames in her delicate hands, looking quite bored.

"Didn't you go to continue practicing magic with Qingweizi?" Xu Qing asked, somewhat surprised.

"Qingwei said that martial arts training should be balanced with tension and relaxation. Movements should be slow and gentle, and internal awareness should not be rushed, so that external responses will not be delayed."

Yan Lingji lay on the table, glanced at Xu Qing, and said lazily.

She naturally attended the celebration of the victory of the Heavenly Man Pact last night. She exchanged a few words with Qingweizi and others and returned early. After not waiting for Xu Qing all night, she guessed that he must have gone down the mountain to find Zi Nu.

Thinking that Xu Qing might come back early today, he didn't return until almost dark.

Seeing Yan Lingji's displeasure, Xu Qing gave a helpless smile and moved closer to her, saying...

"It's not that I didn't want to come back sooner. I went up the mountain early this morning, but before I even stepped into my home, my senior brother, the sect leader, called me away. Gongyang Di, the head of Gongyang Ru's family, wanted to talk to me about Gongyang Ru's entry into Qin." "After we finished talking, it was almost noon. On my way back, I was called away by Situ Wanli. Tian Guang, the leader of the Farmer's School of Chivalry, actually said that I am a descendant of Xu Zi."

"A descendant of Xu Zi? Is it Xu Zi Xu Xing, the one from the Agricultural School who wrote 'Shennong' and is the only one from the Agricultural School to be called 'Zi'?"

Upon hearing Xu Qing's words, Yan Lingji became interested, looked up at Xu Qing, and blinked as she asked.

"Yes, besides this Xu Zi, who else is there?" Tian Guang told me.

Xu Qing briefly recounted her conversation with Tian Guang, but kept Tian Mi's matter a secret.

If Yan Lingji found out that he had gone out for a day and then brought back a cousin for her, he definitely wouldn't be able to get into bed tonight.

Listening to Xu Qing's story, Yan Lingji looked at him with a complicated expression, her rosy lips moving slightly as she muttered a sarcastic remark.
"In the blink of an eye, you're a descendant of Xu Zi again. Your background is getting more and more complicated. If you didn't know better, you'd think you were some kind of deity. Everyone's vying to put a divine veil on you."

"I can't do anything about it. Some people are here for personal gain, while others have ulterior motives. I can't just say a few words and expect them to stop watching me," Xu Qing said helplessly, spreading his hands.

Yan Lingji keenly grasped the meaning behind Xu Qing's words. A serious expression appeared on her small face, and she stopped twirling the wooden hairpin in her hand and spoke.

"You mean Tian Guang is plotting something against you?"

"Yes, he's not a good person. He wants to use the Farmers' School to set a trap for me in Qin. But I also want to figure out what he's up to. Besides, the Farmers' School is practically a piece of meat in my mouth, so why shouldn't I take it?"

Xu Qing rested his head on Yan Lingji's shoulder and rubbed his temples wearily as he spoke.

He spends his days either negotiating interests with this person or scheming against that person, which is really making him feel quite exhausted.

“You are not the only one in Qin. You can ask the king to send someone else to do the job.”

Yan Lingji reached out and rubbed Xu Qing's temples, saying with a helpless expression.

“There are some things I have to do, and the situation in Xianyang is even more complicated now. Wang Ben told me that we probably can’t go back to Xianyang for the time being. After the envoys from the Hundred Families and various countries leave, we will also have to go to Nanyang.”

Xu Qing then recounted what had happened in Xianyang.

Upon hearing this, Yan Lingji simply sighed softly. Looking at the exhausted Xu Qing, a hint of heartache appeared in her icy blue eyes. She supported Xu Qing's head with her hands and shifted her body backward.

As Yan Lingji moved, her beautiful legs, which were pressed against the table, were revealed. Her legs, without any adornment, were white, smooth, and rounded, with skin as smooth as silk.

Yan Lingji straightened her back slightly, her plump buttocks gently pressing against her calves, and then placed Xu Qing's head on her thigh, gently massaging the acupoints on his head.

Xu Qing enjoyed Yan Lingji's lap pillow and massage, a look of comfort appearing on his face, and his eyes narrowed.

"While you were away today, a young girl named Duanmu Rong came looking for you, saying that Master Nian Duan from the medical family wanted to see you," Yan Lingji said softly.

"Mr. Nianduan?"

Xu Qing opened her eyes, and after a moment's thought, she understood why the other party wanted to see her.

Nian Duan didn't come to Taiyi Mountain alone with Duanmu Rong. She was accompanied by more than thirty medical disciples of all ages. These people weren't there to freeload off Taiyi Mountain, but rather were helpers that Nian Duan had found for her.

"Yes, I think that girl is really unhappy with you. Did you offend her before?" Yan Lingji asked suspiciously.

"I should be considered her senior, but perhaps because she felt I hadn't treated them well, Mr. Nian Duan helped me a lot," Xu Qing said with emotion.

There are two people he should be most grateful to for getting to where he is today: Nian Duan and He Guanzi. If these two hadn't paved the way for him, how could he have achieved his renowned fame?
Yan Lingji nodded slightly, as if she had thought of something. She stopped massaging Xu Qing and took out a scroll of bamboo slips from the pile of bamboo slips on the table.

"This was found by the guards during their patrol this morning. It says it's a letter for you. The guards found it a bit suspicious, so they handed it over to me," Yan Lingji said.

Upon hearing this, Xu Qing looked puzzled and sat up again.

"Didn't the guards see who delivered it?"

Xu Qing took the bamboo slip wrapped in white cloth, and after taking it out, she looked at her name written in Korean characters and a look of surprise appeared in her eyes.

He was very familiar with the handwriting, because it was the handwriting of the Tide Demoness.

"No, but judging from the font, it should be from South Korea."

Yan Lingji looked at the words on the bamboo slip and said thoughtfully.

Looking at the bamboo slip in his hand, Xu Qing couldn't help but fall into deep thought. He and Chao Nu Yao had also been exchanging letters, but since she was in the Han King's Palace and was being watched by Ji Wu Ye, he had only received one letter in the past month.

If the Chao Nu Yao had something to say to him, she could have simply sent someone to deliver the letter to him, instead of relying on someone in the Korean envoy delegation to drop the bamboo slips near his residence.

"It seems something big has happened."

After a moment of reflection, Xu Qing opened the bamboo slip and was surprised by its contents.

Yan Lingji also curiously peeked over, pressing her cheek directly against Xu Qing's face. After seeing the contents of the bamboo slip, a look of surprise appeared on her dreamlike face.

"A letter from Bai Yifei to you!?" Yan Lingji said in surprise.

"Looks like I'm right. This is interesting. It seems that persuading Nanyang to surrender to Qin isn't as difficult as I imagined," Xu Qing said with a light laugh.

When he took Yan Lingji to rescue Wushuang Gui, he encountered Bai Yifei on the way out. In order not to cause a commotion, he persuaded Bai Yifei with the future of Nanyang, so that Bai Yifei would not interfere.

Now that a drought has struck Nanyang, Bai Yifei wants to use this favor to get his help.

"Is there infighting within the Nightfall organization? Ji Wuye not only failed to help Bai Yifei alleviate the drought, but also allowed Emerald Tiger to raise grain prices," Yan Lingji asked softly, her voice tinged with doubt.

"No matter what's going on with Nightfall, since Ji Wuye wants to suppress Bai Yifei, we must help him out."

Xu Qing laughed unkindly.

Anyway, Ji Wuye has already taken the blame for him a lot, so one more time won't make a difference.

Yan Lingji rolled her eyes speechlessly at Xu Qing's expression; she knew this jerk was up to his old tricks again.

(End of this chapter)