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

Chapter 457, Xiong Qi's Shock and Counterattack

Dark clouds piled up in the gloomy sky, and muffled thunder rumbled. Inside a palace in Zhangtai Palace, the lights were bright, and the sounds of ceremonial music filled the air. Eunuchs carrying various dishes kept going in and out.

With such commotion, it's no surprise that someone is hosting a banquet.

Ying Zheng sat on the throne, looking down at the nearly one hundred scholars below, a joyful smile on his face.

These scholars were all recruited by Xu Qing from Mount Taiyi. Although most of them came from obscure and unknown sects, Ying Zheng discovered after a brief inquiry that they were all highly talented.

Although they were not particularly skilled in governing the country, each of them possessed profound expertise in other areas.

After surveying the crowd below, Ying Zheng looked at Gongyang Di beside him, raised his wine cup, and said...
“Master Gongyang, you have traveled a long way to my Qin state. I have already ordered people to divide up areas in Xianyang to build schools. Once the schools are completed, they will be the place where Gongyang Ru will settle down in my Qin state.”

"Thank you for your generous gift, Your Majesty. I am deeply grateful," Gongyang Di said with a smile, raising his wine cup to Ying Zheng.

He felt that his greatest investment in life was leading Gongyang Ru to Qin. Originally, Xu Qing did not take him back to Xianyang, and Gongyang Di was still somewhat uneasy.

However, upon arriving in Xianyang, Ying Zheng not only personally led all the officials to greet him ten miles outside the city, showing him great respect.

Not only were they given ample face, but upon first meeting, they showered him with gifts: mansions, money, titles, and official positions—everything imaginable. Thinking back to the impoverished days in Qi when he constantly worried about passing on his disciples' legacy, he should have brought Gongyang Ru to Qin much sooner.

Below, Xiong Qi, sitting at the head of the officials, glanced at Ying Zheng and Gongyang Di, who were on the stage in harmony. His deep eyes were slightly moved. Although his expression remained unchanged, he unconsciously tightened his grip on his chopsticks.

Hearing the rumbling thunder outside, Xiong Qi beckoned to the eunuch beside him.

After the eunuch approached, Xiong Qi whispered a few words to him before the eunuch turned and walked towards the throne. He then whispered a few more words to Ying Zheng's eunuch before Xiong Qi's words finally reached Ying Zheng's ears.

"Your Majesty, the Right Chancellor," the eunuch whispered.

Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng glanced at Xiong Qi, who was bowing respectfully to him below, and nodded slightly.
"Since the Prime Minister is not a good drinker, let's send someone to take him back to his residence first."

"promise."

Ying Zheng, caught up in his excitement, paid no attention to Xiong Qi's early departure and turned back to continue talking to Gongyang.

As Ying Zheng came into contact with the teachings of the Gongyang School, he found himself growing to like them more and more. Although their teachings were Confucian, they aligned perfectly with his own ideas, as if they were tailor-made for him.

After glancing at Ying Zheng, Xiong Qi left the palace under the guidance of an attendant and headed out of the palace.

Before long, the carriage brought Xiong Qi back to his residence.

As soon as Xiong Qi stepped into the house, the butler, who had been waiting for a long time, quickly came over.

"My lord, the chivalrous leader has sent a message; the messenger is waiting for you in the study," the steward said in a low voice.

Xiong Qi nodded slightly, a solemn look in his eyes, and walked towards the study.

After passing through two courtyards, Xiong Qi arrived at the study. The masked messenger inside immediately stepped forward and bowed to Xiong Qi.

"Young master," the messenger said, bowing respectfully.

Upon hearing the words "Young Master," a glint of light flashed in Xiong Qi's eyes, and he said in a low voice...
"Are you from the State of Chu?"

The forces he secretly cultivated came from all over the seven states, but only the people of Chu addressed him as "Prince." Although he was the Right Chancellor of Qin, his father was the current King of Chu, Xiong Wan; otherwise, he wouldn't have had the surname Xiong, which was reserved for the royal family of Chu.

"Yes, I am a disciple of the Chu peasant family. The chivalrous leader awakened me in Nanyang and instructed me to deliver this secret letter to you, young master," the masked messenger said in a deep voice.

"Nanyang? Tian Guang went to Nanyang?"

Xiong Qi frowned and took the letter, then opened it and began to read.

Upon seeing the contents, Xiong Qi's pupils dilated, and his previously calm expression changed, as he said with some surprise.

"Xu Qing went to Nanyang? What is he going to do in Nanyang?"

"I don't know either. The leader is currently investigating this matter," the messenger said.

Xiong Qi stared intently at the letter in his hand, carefully reading each word and sentence, afraid of missing any detail.

After returning to Xianyang, he learned from Ying Zheng how Xu Qing planned to use a few words about the murder of the Marquis of Guannei to forcefully divert attention with a bigger piece of news, thereby eliminating the impact of the Marquis of Guannei's death.

He originally thought Xu Qing was going to use the news of Gongyang Confucianism and other schools of thought entering Qin to cover up the truth, but when Xu Qing, who was in seclusion on Mount Taiyi, suddenly appeared in Nanyang, Xiong Qi realized that he might have guessed wrong.

"Nanyang, drought, food shortage, what exactly is Xu Qing planning to do?"

Xiong Qi took the letter in his hand, walked to the seat, and sat down, constantly analyzing the information he knew, trying to figure out what Xu Qing was up to in Nanyang.

The masked messenger stood quietly to the side, not daring to make a sound, for fear of disturbing Xiong Qi.

A muffled rumble of thunder echoed through the dark clouds, a fierce wind howled outside, and a thunderclap exploded, followed by a spiderweb of lightning illuminating the pitch-black night sky.

Xiong Qi, who was deep in thought, suddenly snapped out of it, a look of shock on his face. He picked up the letter on the table with both hands and began to read it again.

"Impossible! How could this be possible? How could he even have such an idea?" Xiong Qi gripped the cloth tightly, his face filled with disbelief, repeatedly saying "Impossible."

"Young master, what are you saying?" the masked messenger asked in confusion.

Xiong Qi remained silent, his gaze fixed on the cloth in his hand. His initial panic gradually subsided, and he spoke in a deep voice.

"I ask you, to what extent has the drought in Nanyang progressed? How did Marquis Bai Yifei handle it? And what specific actions has the Korean court taken?"

After a moment's thought, the masked messenger told him everything he knew.

The cold rain poured down, making a crisp sound as it hit the eaves of the study, while the curtain of rain was drawn outside the window.

After hearing the messenger's words, Xiong Qi glanced at the cloth in his hand, then turned it face down on the table, a self-deprecating smile on his face.

"Such a thing, others wouldn't even dare to think about, and you actually dared to do it? I really underestimated you," Xiong Qi said with self-deprecation.

He had considered what Xu Qing might do, but he never imagined that Xu Qing would actually use Nanyang's surrender to Qin to cover up the murder of the Marquis of Guannei. However, upon closer reflection, perhaps only such an unlikely event could eliminate the impact of the Marquis of Guannei's murder.

The information Tian Guang gave him seemed unrelated to each other, but as the Right Chancellor of Qin, in charge of Qin's civil administration, he connected the recent events of Lü Buwei mobilizing grain and gathering grain merchants to go to Nanyang.

He came to the conclusion that Xu Qing really intended to provide relief for the drought in Jinan, but he didn't believe that Xu Qing would be so kind.

Eliminating all impossibilities and using Xu Qing's purpose as a clue, no matter how unbelievable the final answer may be, it can only be an answer.

"Ji Wuye wants to put Bai Yifei in a bad light by sending a greedy merchant to carry it out. Isn't he afraid of pushing Bai Yifei too far? Does he really think that just because Bai Yifei is a hereditary marquis of Han, he is incapable of betraying his country?"

Xiong Qi clenched his fists slightly, his eyes flashing coldly, and said in a deep voice.

He infiltrated the Qin state with the intention of using Qin's power to cultivate anti-Qin forces and thus delay Qin's conquest of the six states. However, the things that Ji Wuye did were really exhausting for him. How could he have such a teammate?
"what?"

The masked messenger looked at Xiong Qi in confusion, unable to understand what the other was saying.

Xiong Qi paid no attention to the messenger's reaction. He also knew that now was not the time to get angry. He had to come up with a way to sabotage Xu Qing's plan as soon as possible.

Originally, he did not intend to disrupt Xu Qing's plan, since he might be suspected if he was not careful, which would affect his undercover plan in Qin.

But times have changed. Compared to the matter of Nanyang surrendering to Qin, whether he would be suspected is no longer important.

If the Qin state wanted to expand eastward and conquer the other six states, its first task was to annex the Han state. Once Qin annexed Han, it would open the door to unifying the world from the east, giving it a strategic advantage over Zhao, Wei, and Chu.

Nanyang was not only a prosperous place in the state of Han, but also a hub connecting the Central Plains, Guanzhong, Hanzhong and Xiachai, making it an extremely important strategic stronghold that was contested by military strategists.

Once Nanyang falls into the hands of the Qin state, it can be developed into a self-sufficient military fortress, allowing Qin to attack the states of Han and Wei to the north, and to attack the state of Chu to the south without worrying about logistical pressure.

The State of Chu has not only lost its hegemonic status, but also lacks the ability to retaliate against the State of Qin, all because it lost Nanyang, the springboard for its northward expansion and domination.

Therefore, under no circumstances should Nanyang, such an important strategic location, fall into the hands of the Qin state.

"what can we do about it?"

As Xiong Qi pondered a solution, a sudden flash of inspiration struck him, and his expression became complicated.

"If Xu Qing could make Nanyang surrender to Qin, why can't I make Nanyang surrender to Chu or Wei?"

The moment the idea came to him, Xiong Qi shook his head and dismissed it. He didn't have Xu Qing's bold ideas, nor did he know what Bai Yifei was thinking. So, he just needed to avoid any unforeseen complications and help Han defend Nanyang.

"Perhaps Han Fei is a good potential ally. If we can help him stabilize the drought in Nanyang, we can ensure that Bai Yifei will not surrender to Qin, and at the same time, we can also get Tian Guang to establish a relationship with this Ninth Prince," Xiong Qi thought to himself.

Han Fei was one of the few talented and insightful people in the state of Han. More importantly, he was not close to the state of Qin, but was wholeheartedly concerned about the survival of the state of Han.

Such a person is practically his natural ally.

Having made up his mind, Xiong Qi's eyes gleamed, and he picked up a brush and a scroll of bamboo slips to begin writing.

Xu Qing wanted Nanyang to surrender to Qin, and the key was to sabotage Han Fei's plan to save Nanyang. Therefore, Xiong Qi guessed that Xu Qing would definitely take action against the grain that Han Fei borrowed from Wei and the grain that Fei Cuihu had previously collected.

As long as Tian Guang secretly assists Han Fei in protecting these grains, Nanyang can be saved.

After quickly writing down his thoughts and plans, Xiong Qi handed the bamboo slips to the masked messenger and solemnly said...

"Deliver the information to Xia Kui as quickly as possible and have him act according to the instructions."

"promise."

The masked messenger took the bamboo slip, hid it in his bosom, picked up his raincoat, and turned to leave.

"The entry of the Hundred Schools of Thought into Qin is enough to quell the matter of the Marquis of Guannei being killed. Grand Chancellor, please be merciful and spare Nanyang and Han."

Looking at the rain falling outside, Xiong Qi sighed softly.

(End of this chapter)