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

Chapter 476, Calling a Chicken a Pig

"Brother Xu is as straightforward as ever. May I ask what brings you here?"

A glint of light flashed in Han Fei's eyes as he asked with a light laugh.

Xu Qing looked at Han Fei, who had a playful smile on his face, but instead of answering the question directly, he picked up his chopsticks and reached for the stewed chicken in the middle of the table.

"Brother Han Fei, this stewed chicken is no ordinary dish. It is made by simmering sixteen kinds of top-quality herbs, such as ginseng, ligusticum, and centella asiatica, with spring water from the deep mountains for two hours. Although this chicken is just an ordinary chicken, after going through many processes, it has absorbed the medicinal power of the sixteen herbs and tastes delicious. Would you be interested in trying it?"

Xu Qing placed his chopsticks on the stewed chicken and spoke slowly and deliberately.

Upon hearing this, Han Fei's smile froze, and a look of surprise flashed in his eyes, followed by deep confusion.

Xu Qing's words were cryptic, but Han Fei instantly understood their deeper meaning. Looking at Xu Qing and the stewed chicken on the table, his expression turned serious, and he said with a hint of amusement...
"Brother Xu said this thing is a chicken, but why does it look like a pig to me? A domestic pig that has been dressed in a tiger skin but is now waiting to be slaughtered?"

Seeing that Han Fei understood his meaning, Xu Qing chuckled and then spoke.

"Brother Han Fei said he was a pig, but in my opinion, whether it is a pig or a chicken, it is nothing more than a delicious dish placed on the table to be slaughtered. The only difference is who makes it, what it should look like, and who should taste it."

"What Brother Xu said certainly whets my appetite, but I don't understand why you invited me to be a diner to sample it? And what exactly is your purpose in coming to Korea?"

Han Fei looked at Xu Qing with a serious expression and sharp eyes.

His sharp gaze was like a sword piercing Xu Qing's heart, as if he wanted to tear open Xu Qing's chest to see what Xu Qing was up to.

Xu Qing's invitation was very tempting, but Han Fei was not a rash person. Faced with Xu Qing, whose scheming and cunning were no less than his own, he dared not easily agree, worried that this might be another trap set by Xu Qing for him.

Zhang Liang sat to the side, his gaze constantly shifting between Han Fei and Xu Qing. He naturally understood the meaning behind their conversation.

Xu Qing was inviting Han Fei to join him in taking action against the Jade Tiger, intending to put the Jade Tiger, which was worth its weight in gold in Korea, on the table and divide up the wealth that the other party had accumulated over the years.

At first glance, Xu Qing's invitation seems like a godsend for Han Fei, who is currently in dire straits, like rain after a long drought.

However, behind this seemingly wonderful opportunity lies an unknown danger. After all, why would Xu Qing, who has grain merchants from various countries in his hands and is supported by the Qin state, cooperate with the already precarious Liu Sha?

Is it based on Xu Qing's friendship with them? Or is it based on any lingering affection Xu Qing might still have for South Korea?
Even someone as simple-minded as Zhang Liang knew that it was absolutely impossible for him to believe that Xu Qing was trying to help them out of old feelings.

"Why did I invite Brother Han Fei to be a guest? It's not a difficult question to answer. It's because of Brother Han Fei's talent, and even more so because of the friendship between us. I can't bear to see such a talented person as Brother Han Fei lose his life in vain."

Xu Qing spoke sincerely and frankly.

"Heh~ Brother Xu, do I look like a fool to you? It's just you, me and Zifang here, so there's no need for these formalities."

Han Fei's forehead was covered in black lines as he said speechlessly.

"Really, I value your talent highly, and our bond is stronger than ever. How could I possibly stand by and watch you fall into danger?"

Seeing that Han Fei didn't believe him, Xu Qing could only shrug and say helplessly.

He wasn't lying this time; he genuinely valued Han Fei's talent. If the Qin state wanted to change its fate of perishing after only two generations and integrate the remnants of the six states east of the mountains into the Qin state, Han Fei would be indispensable.

Only Han Fei's talent and learning could support his and Ying Zheng's idea of ​​a dynasty that would last for ten thousand generations; even Li Si, who was a fellow student of Han Fei, could not.

However, the reason he wanted to help Han Fei deal with the Jade Tiger was because of that bad fortune slip.

People complained and Heaven punished; Guan Ning severed ties; disaster was buried. He understood that the former referred to the breakdown of his friendship with Han Fei, but as for what the disaster was, Xu Qing couldn't figure it out for a moment.

But before Han Fei and Zhang Liang arrived at the banquet, Zhen Gang told him that Han Fei had met Tian Guang at Qianlong Hall, which made Xu Qing understand what the so-called disaster was. In order to prevent Han Fei from being lured away by Xiong Qi, he had to help Han Fei solve his current predicament, and at the same time leave some room for persuading Han Fei to serve the Qin state after he entered Qin in the future.

“Brother Xu, I’m serious,” Han Fei said solemnly.

"What I said is true. If there is any other reason, it is that the people of South Korea are also human beings. I can use schemes and plots to scheme against everything, but I cannot let innocent people suffer the consequences of my schemes."

Xu Qing also became serious, looking at Han Fei with a firm gaze, and said in a deep voice.

Upon hearing this, Han Fei's expression softened. After glancing at Xu Qing, he began to consider the truth of her words.

From Xu Qing's actions after gaining fame in Xinzheng, he was quite certain that Xu Qing cared deeply for the people of Xinzheng; otherwise, he wouldn't have persisted in providing free medical consultations to the locals day after day. However, now that he and Xu Qing were on opposite sides, he had to be more wary of Xu Qing, lest the other party suddenly set a trap for him.

Zhang Liang looked at Xu Qing, who was serious, and Han Fei, who was deep in thought, and felt a little nervous. His hands, which were resting on his thighs, clenched involuntarily. He couldn't compare to either Xu Qing or Han Fei, and he couldn't participate in their conversation. But since it concerned Han Guo, Liu Sha, and his best friend, he couldn't help but feel nervous.

We eagerly await Han Fei's reply.

After pondering for a long time, Han Fei glanced at Xu Qing with a complicated expression, picked up his chopsticks, reached for the stewed chicken, and said in a deep voice...

“I believe what you said, Brother Xu. I believe that no matter what, you will always have the heart of a doctor, and you care about the common people. You would not risk hundreds of thousands of South Koreans to fight against him.”

"But how should we divide the chicken? We need to agree on that beforehand."

Although Xu Qing's answer was not what he wanted, he really had no choice in his current situation. Rather than cooperating with Tian Guang and joining the other party's so-called anti-Qin alliance, it would be better to cooperate with Xu Qing, at least there was some trust between them.

When Zhang Liang saw that Han Fei had agreed, he felt both relieved and somewhat bewildered. He was relieved because Han Fei had a chance to win the bet, and the state of Han could end the drought. He was bewildered because he really couldn't figure out what Xu Qing was up to.

Seeing that Han Fei had made his decision, Xu Qing smiled, picked up his chopsticks, and a sharp burst of true energy swept across the stewed chicken in the bronze cauldron, dividing the whole stewed chicken into two parts.

“I’ll get six, you get four,” Xu Qing said.

Han Fei was willing to help, but he was never one to suffer losses. After helping Han Fei win the bet with Jade Tiger, he had to take 60% of Jade Tiger's assets.

"Sixty percent? Brother Xu previously mentioned that you value my talent and that our friendship is stronger than gold."

Han Fei looked at Xu Qing with a smile, but before he could finish speaking, Xu Qing interrupted him.

"Stop. Talking about feelings will hurt your money. I'll give you 60% and you 40%. That's my bottom line," Xu Qing said firmly.

Seeing this, Han Fei could only smile helplessly and sigh softly.

"Well, in that case, I wish us a pleasant cooperation."

Han Fei picked up a piece of meat from his stewed chicken with his chopsticks, put it in his mouth and chewed it slowly. As he tasted the chicken, Han Fei realized that Xu Qing was right.

The flavors of various herbs and meat blended perfectly together, creating an indescribable deliciousness that exploded on his tongue. Just as Xu Qing had said, this was indeed a delicacy.

“It’s a pleasure to cooperate. Tomorrow I will contact the major grain merchants to release the grain, and I guarantee that you will win the bet with Emerald Tiger,” Xu Qing said with a smile.

Emerald Tiger's fortune is a minor matter; the most important thing is not to give Xiong Qi the opportunity to win over Han Fei. Xu Qing doesn't want to face the so-called Azure Dragon Plan from the bottom of his heart. It's not that he's afraid, but it's too energy-consuming. Why not do something else with that energy and time?
"Zifang, you should try this too. This dish is truly delicious and you must try it."

Xu Qing then looked at Zhang Liang and gestured for him to enter.

Zhang Liang put aside his thoughts, bowed to Xu Qing, and then reached for some food. Every move he made was exceptionally elegant, completely conforming to Confucian etiquette norms without the slightest transgression.

With the cooperation finalized, Han Fei felt relieved and picked up his wine glass to drink with Xu Qing, who accepted each toast.

Because of a collaboration, the relationship between the two changed from antagonism to friendship, which made the originally tense atmosphere more relaxed. Zhang Liang was also pulled by Han Fei and Xu Qing to drink a few glasses of wine.

"Brother Xu, I'm actually quite curious about what exactly is the purpose of your trip to South Korea?"

With a hint of drunkenness on his face, Han Fei looked at Xu Qing and asked in confusion.

"Oh? Brother Han Fei, you are exceptionally intelligent. Can't you guess why I've come to Korea?"

Xu Qing put down her chopsticks, which she was about to use to pick up some food, and asked in return.

Han Fei and Zhang Liang both looked at Xu Qing with doubt and scrutiny in their eyes, but ultimately shook their heads.

“I can’t guess,” Han Fei said.

He really couldn't figure out what Xu Qing was trying to do in South Korea. Initially, when Xu Qing was in Nanyang, he thought Xu Qing's purpose was to weaken South Korea's national strength by taking advantage of the drought in Nanyang. And the subsequent developments were just as he thought. Although he had no evidence to prove that Xu Qing was the mastermind, the two fires in Nanyang were definitely related to Xu Qing.

But after Xu Qing arrived in Xinzheng, she first ruined his plans, and now she's using other excuses to help him.

This really puzzled Han Fei. If he had to describe Xu Qing's behavior in one word, Han Fei felt it would be "troublemaker".

However, due to the occasion, Han Fei did not voice his thoughts.

(End of this chapter)