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

Chapter 473, A Guest Arrives

Xinzheng, grain store.

“Regardless of their motives, they sacrificed their lives for the Qin state, so we cannot go back on our promise to them,” Xu Qing nodded and said.

Although Xu Qing didn't know how Lü Buwei had convinced these people to risk their lives for a pretext for Qin to send troops, he had promised to give their descendants a chance to enter officialdom, so he naturally couldn't go back on his word.

"New intelligence has also arrived from Nanyang. Tian Guang, Bai Yifei, Han Fei, and others are on their way to Xinzheng," Zhen Gang continued.

"They've all come to Xinzheng? Looks like they can't sit still anymore. But that's fine, it saves us the trouble of going back to Nanyang."

Xu Qing stroked his chin, speaking thoughtfully.

"I think we should return to Nanyang. This is Xinzheng, the capital of the State of Han. If Han Fei and his men were to attack you, you could be in danger."

After thinking for a moment, Zhen Gang finally voiced his thoughts.

Although there is no evidence to prove that Xu Qing instigated the two fires in Nanyang, it is not impossible that Han Fei and others would mobilize the army to forcibly take action against Xu Qing without evidence. After all, even honest people have their bottom line, and when pushed to the limit, they can be more insane than madmen.

"You're overthinking it. Four grain merchants died in the Han court. Even if Han Fei had designs on me, he could only suppress them and use me to stop Qin from attacking Han," Xu Qing said calmly, shaking his head.

Seeing this, Zhengang didn't continue speaking, but instead changed the subject and asked...

"Then, Grand Master, what should we do next?"

"What are we doing? Let's wait for the guests to come and visit. Come on, let's see how chaotic Xinzheng is."

Xu Qing chuckled softly, stood up from her seat, and walked outside.

"promise."

Zhengang followed Xu Qing out through the back door of the grain store and began to stroll around Xinzheng City.

The drought in Nanyang and the hoarding of grain by various caravans made the already anxious people of Xinzheng even more fearful. People lined up outside grain shops. Although the price of grain was several times higher than usual, the high price did not frighten the people of Xinzheng. Instead, it made them rush to buy grain.

The higher the price of food, the more these people believed that South Korea was in danger of a famine at any time, so they scrambled to buy food.

However, because the caravans of Guo Kai, Yan Chunjun, and Hou Sheng had already leaked the news, there was no grain for sale in the grain shops of Xinzheng, and signs indicating that the grain was sold out had already been hung outside each shop.

The people of Xinzheng ran through the streets, their eyes scanning the grain shops, trying to find any stores still selling grain. A tense and panicked atmosphere permeated the streets and alleys of Xinzheng.

Around noon, Han Fei, who had rushed back from Nanyang, also entered Xinzheng City.

"Zifang, I'm here."

Han Fei looked at Zhang Liang, who was standing at the city gate with a panicked expression, and waved and called out.

Following the sound, Zhang Liang looked up and saw Han Fei on horseback. His face lit up with surprise and delight, and he immediately ran over.

"Brother Han, you're finally back. I've failed your trust; Xinzheng is in complete chaos."

Zhang Liang looked at Han Fei, lowered his head in shame, and said...

He was at home discussing with Zhang Kaidi how to resolve the deaths of grain merchants and the chaos among the people of Xinzheng, but after his grandfather learned the whole story, he was also at a loss and said that only Han Fei could save the state of Han.

So after receiving news from Liu Sha that Han Fei was returning to Xinzheng, Zhang Liang led his men to wait at the city gate, hoping for the return of Han Fei, their savior.

Zhang Liang's appearance made Han Fei's heart tighten. On the way back, he had considered that Xu Qing might interfere with the plans in Xinzheng, so he took half a day to get back. But Zhang Liang's expression made Han Fei realize that he had been too optimistic.

"What exactly happened in Xinzheng? Why does it look like disaster is imminent? Has our plan gone wrong?" Han Fei asked in a deep voice.

“We’ve fallen into their trap. Brother Xu’s purpose wasn’t to use the Qin grain merchants to sabotage our plans at all; on the contrary, he was deliberately luring us into it,” Zhang Liang sighed and recounted what had happened in Xinzheng over the past half-day.

Upon learning that Guo Kai and his caravan had purchased grain and that a Qin grain merchant had died in the Sikoufu prison, Han Fei's face darkened completely. Suddenly, he remembered what Xu Qing had told him in Nanyang.

Being too hasty will only make him make many mistakes.

Han Fei had not paid much attention to this before, but now, after carefully considering the words, he understood another meaning behind them.

"Alas, I've lost after all this time," Han Fei sighed helplessly. Seeing Han Fei concede, Zhang Liang's face flashed with surprise, then he asked with concern.
"Brother Han, what should we do next? Without grain as a foundation, how can we stabilize grain prices? What about your bet with Jade Tiger?"

In Zhang Liang's mind, Han Fei was the most capable person. He could easily solve any difficulty with his wisdom. This was the first time he had seen Han Fei admit defeat on his own initiative. This made Zhang Liang feel incredulous and nervous at the same time.

In the bet between Han Fei and Jade Tiger, Han Fei wagered his life and fortune against Jade Tiger.

If grain prices don't come down within the next two days, the Iron Blood Alliance will come to take Han Fei's life. If Han Fei dies, then the state of Han will truly perish.

Whether out of personal affection for Han Fei, his close friend and idol, or out of loyalty to the state of Han, Zhang Liang was unwilling and unable to let Han Fei die.

Seeing Zhang Liang's nervous excitement, Han Fei felt a warmth in his heart. The bond of friendship was the greatest comfort he could receive at this crucial moment. So, he patted Zhang Liang on the shoulder, flashed his confident smile, and said calmly...
"Zifang, don't get agitated. I only said that I lost to Brother Xu, not that I lost to Jade Tiger. Everything can still be salvaged. Come with me to Qianlong Hall later to meet the leader of the Farmer's School."

"Hidden Dragon Hall? The leader of the Farmer's Heroes?" Zhang Liang asked in confusion.

"It's a long story. Some things happened in Nanyang too. This peasant chivalrous leader is a friend, not an enemy. He was in Nanyang last night."

Han Fei led his horse toward the city, with Zhang Liang following silently behind, listening to Han Fei recount the events that had occurred in Nanyang.

Upon learning that the grain he had bought and the grain hidden by the Jade Tiger had been burned, Zhang Liang was not only surprised but also furious. Burning grain during a drought was an act that would incur the wrath of both heaven and man, and this upright man could not tolerate it.

Han Fei and Zhang Liang headed towards the Han King's Palace, while the assassins from the Luo Wang organization, who were secretly monitoring them, immediately informed Xu Qing of the news.

In Xinzheng, in Xu Qing's former residence.

Xu Qing looked at the courtyard, which remained unchanged, and a look of nostalgia appeared on her face.

Everything in the small courtyard is as it was before, and the courtyard is as clean as new, which must be because someone comes to clean it often. Some medicinal flowers are now planted in the place where garlic used to be grown. After pushing open the side room, the medicine shelves, medicine books and various utensils inside are all kept as they were.

"It really brings back memories," Xu Qing said with a sigh, touching the bronze still on the table.

Standing at the door, Zhengang's eyes suddenly narrowed, and he drew his sword, Zhengang. His whole body tensed, and his killing intent focused on the empty courtyard.

"Zhen Gang, no need to get excited, it's Blood-Clad Marquis who's here," Xu Qing said without turning his head.

Just as Xu Qing finished speaking, the courtyard gate suddenly opened, and Bai Yifei appeared in the courtyard. The gate behind him then abruptly closed.

Upon seeing that it was Bai Yifei, Zhengang glanced at him and then sheathed his Zhengang sword, but remained on guard to prevent Bai Yifei from suddenly attacking.

Bai Yifei gave Zhen Gang a deep look. He naturally knew that Zhen Gang was one of the Eight Swords of Yue, a top-tier assassin from the Luo Wang organization, and that he was one of Lü Buwei's men.

The fact that the other party was now following Xu Qing and obeying his orders made Bai Yifei realize that the situation in Qin was probably not as outsiders knew, and that the old powerful minister Wenxinhou Lü Buwei and the soon-to-be-crowned King Ying Zheng of Qin were not as irreconcilable as outsiders speculated.

"It seems that you, the King of Qin, and Marquis Wenxin, Lü Buwei, have deceived everyone. The situation within Qin is not as outsiders believe," Bai Yifei said in a deep voice as he walked to the door and looked at Xu Qing.

"I have never deceived anyone. Autumn leaves fall, one leaf tells of autumn's yellow; winter snow falls, one snowflake reveals winter's chill. The changes in people's hearts are like the changing seasons. Some people cannot even fathom the changes in the weather in a single day, so how can they truly see through people's hearts and the changes in the situation they reflect?"

Xu Qing turned to look at Bai Yifei and said with a light laugh.

After a moment of silence, Bai Yifei spoke.

"You're absolutely right, but I'm really curious how you did it?"

"Your Majesty's tolerance is not as narrow as you think. So what if Marquis Wenxin, Lü Buwei, is a powerful minister? But he is wholeheartedly devoted to the Qin state, and everything he does is for the Qin state to go further. Your Majesty has become more mature."

"Therefore, once Your Majesty learns of Marquis Wenxin's loyalty to the emperor and the country, you can let bygones be bygones and forgive all the past grievances," Xu Qing said slowly.

Logically, the reconciliation between Ying Zheng and Lü Buwei should not be disclosed to outsiders, but Bai Yifei's situation is special. Although he has now driven Bai Yifei to a dead end, the latter is still somewhat worried about how Qin will view him after he surrenders to the Qin state.

A surrendered general, especially one who betrayed his homeland and held a hereditary marquisate, is someone who is hard to trust again.

Therefore, in order to resolve Bai Yifei's concerns, he could only use the story between Ying Zheng and Lü Buwei as an example to make Bai Yifei understand that as long as the other party is loyal to the Qin state and the King of Qin, then the Qin state will not care about his status as a surrendered general.

Upon hearing Xu Qing's words, a glint of light flashed in Bai Yifei's red eyes.

Lü Buwei had orchestrated an assassination attempt against Ying Zheng and had effectively sidelined him for many years. Yet, Ying Zheng was able to reconcile with Lü Buwei. In this light, his life after surrendering to Qin might not have been as bad as he had imagined.

(End of this chapter)