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

Chapter 462, Reunion with Han Fei
South Korea, Luyang City Wall.

Hundreds of guards escorted grain carts into Luyang City one after another. Outside the city gate, soldiers of the White Armor Army, fully armed and in good gear, stood on both sides of the gate. When they saw the grain on the carts, their eyes gleamed with a different kind of light.

On the city wall, Bai Yifei, dressed in blood-red robes, looked down at the grain carts entering the city. His brows furrowed slightly, and a look of solemnity flashed across his cold face.

"My lord, the Ninth Prince borrowed a total of two thousand bushels of grain from the State of Wei, which is currently being transported into the city. According to the information provided by the Straw-Clothed Man, the Ninth Prince encountered three ambushes along the way, but fortunately, he escaped unharmed each time."

"In addition, dozens of grain merchants from various countries, large and small, are about to arrive in South Korea with grain."

A lieutenant general of the White Armor Army strode up to Bai Yifei and bowed.

Listening to his subordinates' report, Bai Yifei's brows furrowed even more, and his eyes flashed with doubt.

"Is there anything else besides this? Is there any news from the direction of Qin from the Straw Raincoat Guys?" Bai Yifei asked in a deep voice.

The lieutenant looked at Bai Yifei, who had a serious expression, pondered for a moment, and then shook his head and said...

"No."

"Everything seems to be going too smoothly."

Bai Yifei looked at the grain transport team entering the city, his doubts deepening, and his face filled with solemnity.

Whether it was borrowing grain from Wei or attracting grain merchants from other countries to Han, Han Fei resolved all obstacles, even though Jade Tiger tried to sabotage him. It seemed like there were many ups and downs, but everything went too smoothly, so smoothly that it aroused suspicion.

"My lord, isn't it good if things go smoothly? As long as this grain is released, the market price of grain can be resolved, and the disaster victims outside the city can also receive relief," the lieutenant asked doubtfully.

Bai Yifei glanced at the lieutenant but didn't speak. Outsiders thought that Han Fei's only opponent in solving the drought in Nanyang was the Emerald Tiger, but Bai Yifei understood that Han Fei's real opponent was not that foolish and greedy tiger, but Xu Qing, who had returned to Han.

Xu Qing was after Nanyang. If Han Fei solved the drought in Nanyang, he would certainly not surrender to Qin.

Based on his understanding of Xu Qing, Xu Qing would definitely not remain inactive; otherwise, wouldn't the other party's trip to Nanyang have been in vain?
That's why he felt something was wrong, because everything was going too smoothly, and Xu Qing hadn't taken any action since arriving in Nanyang and meeting him, which made Bai Yifei feel vaguely uneasy.

What other tricks do you have up your sleeve?

Bai Yifei pondered Xu Qing's possible next move, placed his hands on the city wall, looked down at the grain transport team, and finally focused on Wei Zhuang riding into the city.

After Wei Zhuang felt Bai Yifei's gaze, he also looked up, his cold and sharp eyes meeting Bai Yifei's.

The two stood one above the other, their eyes meeting for a moment before looking away again.

Bai Yifei was taken aback, turned around and looked at the lieutenant general, asking in a cold voice.

"Where is Ninth Prince Han Fei? Why is Wei Zhuang the only one in the grain transport team?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, the Ninth Prince Han Fei did not enter the city. Instead, he said he was tired from riding and wanted to rest at the Shili Pavilion outside the city. Because the Ninth Prince was adamant, we could not force him to return to the city," the lieutenant replied, bowing once more.

"The pavilion ten miles outside the city?"

After a thoughtful look, Bai Yifei turned and walked towards the foot of the city wall.

Besides Xu Qing, Bai Yifei couldn't think of anyone else in Nanyang or even the entire state of Han who would make Han Fei, who was at such a critical moment, wait for him alone outside the city.

Meanwhile, at the Shili Pavilion outside the city.

Han Fei sat alone on the railing of the pavilion, holding a wooden stick he had picked up from somewhere in one hand and a silver wine pot in the other. His eyes kept looking around, as if he was looking for someone.

Before long, a figure dressed in a dark robe, wearing a white jade hairpin, and carrying a food box appeared in Han Fei's sight.

"Brother Xu! Over here!"

Han Fei looked at Xu Qing, who was still full of vigor, a smile appeared on his face, and he waved his hand and said.

Xu Qing looked at Han Fei in the pavilion, chuckled, and opened the wind acupoints under his feet, his true energy transforming into a gale that swirled around Xu Qing's legs.

With a light touch of his foot, Xu Qing's figure instantly appeared inside the pavilion. The wind cave closed, and the gale on his leg dissipated, turning into a gentle breeze and vanishing.

Looking at Xu Qing's graceful movements, Han Fei showed envy and said...

"I truly envy those of you with profound martial arts skills. You can walk like I do, needing to ride a horse. If I had your strength and lightness of foot, a round trip between Daliang and Nanyang would only take two or three days, and I wouldn't have to live in fear of bandits, robbers, and assassins along the way." "Who told you to have a brain but no meridians? Besides, with your sword, even Bai Yifei and Ji Wuye might not be able to hurt you, let alone those second-rate bastards that Emerald Tiger found."

Xu Qing looked at Han Fei, who was testing her, smiled helplessly, and opened the food box in her hand.

Seeing that Xu Qing indeed knew that Jade Tiger had sent people to destroy the grain he had borrowed from Wei, a barely perceptible glint flashed in Han Fei's eyes. Then, a carefree smile appeared on his face as he looked at the food box in Xu Qing's hand and said...
"Alas, what can I do? Not everyone is like you and Brother Wei Zhuang, who are not only highly knowledgeable but also have top-notch martial arts skills."

"Wow~ These are the best dishes to accompany drinks from the best restaurant in Nanyang, and there's even rare beef. Oh my, Brother Xu, how did you guess I was going to treat you to drinks? And you even prepared so many delicious dishes."

Han Fei smelled the aroma of the food and wine in the food box, and a look of joy appeared on his face. He sat down directly on the ground, put the wine pot in his hand on the ground, rubbed his hands together, and looked like he couldn't wait.

"Come on, stop pretending with me. You had Wei Zhuang and Zi Fang investigate my whereabouts in Nanyang, and after returning to Luyang City, you rested alone outside the city. Wasn't that just an attempt to lure me out?"

Xu Qing glanced at Han Fei speechlessly, then sat down on the ground and took out the three side dishes, two pairs of chopsticks, and two small bowls for drinking from the food box.

Seeing that his thoughts had been exposed, Han Fei wasn't embarrassed at all. His face still wore that smug smile as he opened the wine jug and said...
"Hehe, Brother Xu understands me best. This is a fine wine that I specially brought back from the State of Wei. It was a gift from my maternal grandmother, Honglian. It is a wine that the Wei royal family has treasured for a hundred years."

As he spoke, Han Fei filled two small bowls, the clear and cloudy wine swirling around, releasing a mellow fruity aroma.

"Really? Then I'll have to give it a good try."

Xu Qing smiled and picked up his wine bowl, clinking it against Han Fei's.

After drinking the beverage, the two picked up their chopsticks and ate a few bites of food, resembling a scene of long-lost friends reuniting for drinks.

"I was worried that you would have to fight a fierce battle in Qin to gain a foothold, but after learning about what you did after leaving Han, I realized that I was worrying for nothing." Han Fei looked at Xu Qing with a complicated expression and sighed softly.

He was already very reluctant to send a talent like Xu Qing to Qin, but after learning about Xu Qing's deeds in Qin, such as presenting a book to the court, bringing a physician to Qin, and angrily rebuking Lao Ai, Han Fei was filled with regret.

“Gold shines wherever it is. If you, Brother Han Fei, were to enter Qin, the King would probably value you even more and might even appoint you as one of the Nine Ministers.” Xu Qing teased with a smile.

"Brother Xu, please don't joke like that. I'm afraid I really won't be able to resist the temptation of a high-ranking official position and will run off to Qin," Han Fei said with a light laugh.

Xu Qing naturally didn't take Han Fei's words to heart; he was joking, and Han Fei was joking too.

If the other party really wanted to join Qin, he would have followed him back then. However, he was right about one thing: if Han Fei had joined Qin, Ying Zheng would have given him not only one of the Nine Ministers, but might have even made him a Senior Minister or Prime Minister.

"Brother Han Fei is as humorous as ever. You must have had a long journey. Consider this a welcome dinner for you," Xu Qing said, changing the subject.

"Alright, thank you very much, Brother Xu."

Han Fei raised his wine bowl and clinked it against Xu Qing's. The two drank the wine in their bowls and then refilled them.

Looking at Xu Qing, who was eating beef, Han Fei's gaze became deep. After so much polite conversation, he could see through Xu Qing's thoughts.

If things continued like this, Han Fei believed that even if he drank with Xu Qing for a whole day and night, it might not be over. He could afford to wait it out with Xu Qing, but he couldn't afford to wait it out with Nanyang and Han.

So he started to steer the conversation toward serious matters.

"Brother Xu, I heard you were praying for the King of Qin and the Queen Dowager at Mount Taiyi. Why did you suddenly come to Nanyang? Aren't you afraid that the Queen Dowager and Marquis Changxin will use this as leverage to attack you?" Han Fei said with a smile.

Seeing that Han Fei was no longer being polite, Xu Qing's lips curled up slightly, and he said unhurriedly.
"Brother Han Fei, there is no need to worry. The Grand Chancellor of Qin is indeed praying for blessings at Mount Taiyi. This can be testified to by the Taoist Tianzong sect leader Chisongzi, Master Beimingzi, and everyone at Mount Taiyi."

"So, Brother Xu, you came to Nanyang because you were bored on Mount Taiyi, so you came down the mountain to relax? And also to see us old friends." Han Fei said to Xu Qing, his voice emphasizing when he said "we."

"Brother Han Fei, you don't need to test me anymore. If I said yes, would you believe me? Just say what you want to say." Xu Qing didn't intend to play games with Han Fei anymore. He picked up his wine bowl, took a sip, and said with a smile.

"Ah, Brother Xu, what is your purpose in coming to Nanyang? Even if I ask you, you probably won't tell me, and even if you did, I might not believe you. But for the sake of our past friendship, I beg you to let Nanyang off the hook and spare Han Guo, okay?"

Han Fei looked helpless and sighed softly.

Originally, he only suspected that Xu Qing was Bai Yifei's backup plan, a way for Bai Yifei to save himself after losing control of the situation in Nanyang. However, since Xu Qing was in Nanyang and Bai Yifei was still helpless in the face of the drought in Nanyang, Han Fei felt that Xu Qing was not Bai Yifei's backup plan.

Alternatively, Xu Qing and Bai Yifei may have indeed made a deal, but they probably failed to reach an agreement, which led to the current stalemate.

Whatever Xu Qing's purpose in coming to Nanyang, he must find a way to get Xu Qing away from Nanyang so that he won't interfere with his work on stabilizing grain prices and providing disaster relief to the victims.

(End of this chapter)