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

Chapter 493, Conferring the Title of Monarch, Ji Dan's Unwillingness (Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!!)
Hearing Xu Qing's gentle words, Jing Ni blinked her eyes slightly, then closed them, her rosy lips parted slightly, and her warm breath fell on Xu Qing's neck.

Xu Qing looked at Jing Ni in his arms. Although there was a blanket between them, he could still clearly feel Jing Ni's rapidly beating heartbeat.

Although the two had a physical relationship tonight due to a misunderstanding, Jing Ni's emotions had not fully recovered, and Xu Qing did not want to take advantage of her vulnerability to continue sparring and discussing swordsmanship with her.

"With me here, you don't need to think about anything else. I'll handle things with the Luo Wang."

Xu Qing tightened his grip on her arm and said softly.

"Thank you."

Jingni opened her eyes, thanked Xu Qing, and then pushed Xu Qing away.

Her two long, smooth, bare legs curled up slightly and tucked into the bedding, leaving only her delicate little feet sticking out.

Her feet, as white as snow, resembled pieces of white jade, and the veins on her overly pale skin were particularly noticeable.

"You get some rest. I'll wait outside. You can call me if you need anything."

Xu Qing glanced at Jing Ni, then got up from the bed, picked up his own clothes from the floor, and then picked up Jing Ni's clothes and placed them beside the bed.

Looking at Xu Qing as he dressed, a faint, indescribable light appeared in Jing Ni's eyes. She tightened her grip on the blankets slightly and silently made up her mind to resolve Luo Jing's problem as soon as possible.

Only when Luo Jing disappears can she truly understand what romantic love feels like and determine the extent of her feelings for Xu Qing.

After getting dressed, Xu Qing left the bedroom without looking back.

Jingni watched Xu Qing's departing figure, took a couple of small breaths, and then reached out to straighten the blankets and cover herself. The soreness in her body made her brows furrow slightly, but then it eased up, and she closed her star-like eyes.

Xu Qing lay on the small couch in the outer room, staring blankly at the roof beams above.

"What is tonight, really? Luo Jing, oh Luo Jing," Xu Qing thought to himself.

Although Xu Qing couldn't define what happened tonight, he understood that Jing Ni actually had feelings for him, but her emotional cognitive impairment prevented her from facing them correctly.

In a way, he should thank Luo Jing. If it weren't for tonight's misunderstanding, Jing Ni wouldn't know when she would have been able to face her feelings properly.

"Forget it, I shouldn't think about it anymore. I should go to sleep early; I have court tomorrow morning."

Xu Qing shook his head and closed his eyes to go to sleep, but what had just happened made him wide awake and his mind was unusually clear.

Therefore, Xu Qing had no choice but to force herself to go to sleep.

The moon sets and the sun rises; a night passes.

The next morning, Xu Qing came out of Jing Ni's room, briefly greeted Yan Ling Ji and Tian Mi, and then got into a carriage and headed towards Zhangtai Palace to attend the morning court session.

After crossing the square and climbing the steps, Xu Qing saw the assembled officials who had already gathered outside the palace.

The officials also saw Xu Qing, and their gazes toward him were exceptionally complex. They had already heard rumors that today's morning court session was specifically convened to bestow honors upon Xu Qing.

Xu Qing is now a Grand Master of Ceremonies. Through persuasion of Bai Yifei, he enabled the Qin state to seize the rich land of Nanyang without lifting a finger, and even opened half of the door for the Qin state to expand eastward. Such an unparalleled achievement deserves at least the title of Marquis or Lord.

At the tender age of twenty, he went from an outsider to a high-ranking official, then to Imperial Physician, Palace Attendant, and Palace Attendant, wielding real power. And now, just two months later, he is about to be promoted even further.

It would be a lie to say they weren't envious, but they were also self-aware enough to know the gap between themselves and Xu Qing, so they could only look at Xu Qing with envy.

"Great Lord, congratulations on your unparalleled achievements."

"It's Minister Su. You're too kind. What I did was merely to share the King's burdens."

"Congratulations, Your Excellency."

"Haha, it's Lord Zhao."

After Xu Qing walked to the front of the hall, several ministers congratulated him, and the others also greeted him with smiles, no longer showing the hostility they had shown before.

Since Xu Qing publicly denounced Lao Ai and has now returned with merit, these shrewd people naturally understand that Xu Qing's power in Qin is unstoppable. More importantly, Xu Qing has brought back many talented scholars.

Given the current situation where Lü Buwei remains secluded and Lao Ai fears Xu Qing like a tiger, these people could enter the court at any time and gradually gain important positions.

So if you don't get closer to Xu Qing now, when will you? When will you be driven out of the court?

After Xu Qing finished dealing with the assembled officials, Li Si, who had been standing inconspicuously, walked up to Xu Qing, smiled, and cupped his hands in greeting.
"Da Liangzao, you must be tired from your journey."

Li Si looked at Xu Qing, his expression calm as usual, but the envy in his eyes was hard to hide.

He and Xu Qing both pledged allegiance to Ying Zheng. He was a retainer of Lü Buwei, while Xu Qing was an outsider. Their starting points were not much different. However, Xu Qing is now the Grand Minister of Qin and a rising star who is about to be enfeoffed as a king.

Although he was freed from the status of a retainer and envoy and was granted the title of Attendant by Ying Zheng, he ultimately had no real power, and his status depended entirely on Ying Zheng's attitude.

The disparity in their social status made Li Si feel a sense of loss.

Xu Qing naturally noticed the envy in Li Si's eyes, so he smiled and said...
"Bo Gu, is there any need for such formalities between us? I didn't have time to welcome you back earlier. How about coming to my residence for a drink tomorrow?"

Hearing the intimacy in Xu Qing's words, Li Si felt a little better. What he feared most was not that Xu Qing was of a higher status than him, but that he was falling too far behind Xu Qing, which would cause their cooperation to break down.

However, judging from Xu Qing's reaction, the other party did not look down on him because of his high position and power, and still regarded him as a friend.

“Great! It just so happens that my teacher recently sent a letter with his regards to you. I couldn’t convey it before because you weren’t in Xianyang. I’ll tell you more about it tomorrow,” Li Si said with a smile.

When mentioning Xunzi's letter, the smile on Li Si's face visibly increased. After all, this letter represented Xunzi's approval of him, which greatly satisfied Li Si, who was eager to change his status and gain the approval of others.

“Master Xun, you must come tomorrow.”

A strange look flashed in Xu Qing's eyes as he smiled and spoke to Li Si, but in his heart he was thinking about Gongyang Ru's entry into Qin.

The introduction of the Gongyang School of Confucianism into Qin was driven by Xunzi and others who sought to change the status quo of Confucianism. Now that the Gongyang School of Confucianism has been on the right track in Qin, the remaining task is to gradually bring all of Confucianism into Qin, and the first thing to do is to bring Xunzi into Qin.

"Definitely, definitely," Li Si nodded.

Just as Xu Qing and Li Si were chatting, the bronze bell in the main hall of Zhangtai Palace rang out, and the ministers who had been gathered in twos and threes lined up to enter the hall.

When it was time to queue, Xu Qing suddenly realized that Xiong Qi, the Right Chancellor, was not there.

Before Xu Qing could ponder this further, the second bell rang, and the palace doors were opened by the eunuchs from the inside.

After glancing at Xiong Qi's vacant position, Xu Qing paid no further attention to the matter and walked into the hall with the other officials to begin the court session. A series of orderly footsteps echoed in the spacious hall. As the officials took their places, the third bell rang, and the king, dressed in a black and red robe, walked to the throne and sat down.

"The court meeting begins."

The physician in charge of court etiquette shouted loudly.

"Greetings, Your Majesty! May Your Majesty live ten thousand years!"

"Greetings, Your Majesty! May Your Majesty live ten thousand years!"

The assembled officials bowed and greeted Ying Zheng.

Xu Qing bowed along with the other officials, his gaze inadvertently glancing past the seat belonging to Empress Dowager Zhao Ji. Neither Zhao Ji nor Lao Ai participated in today's court affairs.

"No need for formalities," Ying Zheng said.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

The officials rose and stood up straight, looking forward to the upcoming court meeting. Although they knew that this meeting was specifically convened to reward Xu Qing and had nothing to do with them, they were still curious about whether Xu Qing would be granted a marquisate or a lordship, what his title would be, and where his fiefdom would be located.
Ying Zheng glanced around at the assembled officials below, then glanced at Zhao Ji's empty seat. He didn't care about Zhao Ji's absence; on the contrary, her absence allowed him to be completely free of constraints.

Finally, Ying Zheng turned his attention to Meng Ao. Meng Ao immediately understood Ying Zheng's meaning and stepped out of the queue, holding his scepter.

"Your Majesty, a military report has arrived from the front lines in Nanyang. Wang Jian and Meng Tian have recovered all the cities of Nanyang and marched north to defeat the Han army led by General Ji Wuye. They have also captured the Yangdi line. Now, all sixteen cities within a hundred li of Nanyang have submitted to our Qin state," Meng Ao said.

The ministers were not surprised at all by Meng Ao's report. Since Bai Yifei had surrendered to Qin, it was only a matter of time before Qin occupied the entire territory of Nanyang. They would not be surprised if Wang Jian and Meng Tian took the opportunity to go north and destroy Han. In fact, they would think it was reasonable.

"Hahaha, the entire prosperous land of Nanyang has fallen into the hands of my Qin state. This is a great fortune. Those who have made contributions in this conquest of Nanyang should be rewarded accordingly."

After Ying Zheng finished speaking, he looked at the eunuch beside him.

The eunuch immediately understood, took out the prepared edict of reward, stepped forward, and loudly proclaimed:
"Wang Zhao: Xu Qing, the Grand Master of Ceremonies, persuaded Bai Yifei to surrender in Nanyang. He has secured a hundred li of land in Nanyang for our Qin state. He is hereby rewarded with a thousand gold pieces, a hundred bolts of silk, and is granted the title of Zhaomingjun, with the fief of Gaoling."

Despite being somewhat prepared, the courtiers were still taken aback upon hearing the reward bestowed upon Xu Qing, and looked at him with surprise.

It is only natural to be granted a title of nobility for the merit of persuasion. Zhang Zi and Zhang Yi were also granted titles of nobility by persuading the State of Chu. However, the title of the title is worth pondering.

Zhaoming, meaning "bright" and "wise," perfectly suits Xu Qing, leaving no room for criticism.

However, another layer of meaning in this phrase, "昭明" (Zhaoming), is worth pondering. The Book of Documents, "The Canon of Yao," states: "The people are enlightened, and all nations are in harmony." Does this mean Xu Qing is being regarded as the guiding star, watching over the king and illuminating the path for the Qin state?
Although Zhaoming was not the top-ranking title, it represented Ying Zheng's recognition and trust.

Such favor and trust made the courtiers feel a pang of envy, and they looked at Xu Qing with eyes full of envy.

Xu Qing, unfazed by the envious gazes of the assembled officials, stepped out of the ranks and bowed to Ying Zheng, saying...
"Your Majesty, I thank you for the bestowal of honors."

Ying Zheng nodded slightly to Xu Qing, a genuine smile on his face. The eunuch beside him handed the imperial edict to Xu Qing, along with the tally, tokens, and official seals of the fiefdom belonging to Zhaoming Jun.

"The rest of those who have made contributions will be rewarded one by one when the army returns to the capital. Do you have any objections?" Ying Zheng asked in a deep voice.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

The ministers naturally had no objections and shouted in unison.

After the bestowal of titles and honors concluded, the morning court proceeded as normal. Ying Zheng issued the memorials he had reviewed, and the ministers presented their cases one by one. Ying Zheng then discussed with his ministers how to handle these matters.

Just as the morning court session was in full swing, Xiong Qi, who had asked for leave and was not participating in the court meeting, arrived at an inconspicuous restaurant dressed in casual clothes.

Led by the restaurant owner, Xiong Qi arrived at a private room on the second floor.

Inside the room, a young man dressed in a brocade robe was kneeling on the ground with his back straight and his demeanor composed. Upon seeing Xiong Qi, he rose from his seat to greet him.

"Dan greets the Right Chancellor," Ji Dan said respectfully to Xiong Qi.

Although Ji Dan was the Crown Prince of Yan, whose status was far above that of Xiong Qi, the Right Chancellor, this was, after all, the State of Qin, and whether he could protect himself in Xianyang depended on Xiong Qi.

Moreover, in their alliance, Xiong Qi did not represent the Right Chancellor of Qin, but rather a prince of Chu.

"Your Highness, you flatter me. I had some trivial matters to attend to before leaving home. I apologize for keeping you waiting."

Xiong Qi returned Ji Dan's greeting respectfully, showing no disrespect.

"It's alright. I'm already very happy that you could come to see me despite your busy schedule. Let's sit down and talk slowly," Ji Dan said, shaking her head.

Xiong Qi nodded and followed Ji Dan into the house to sit down.

"Right Chancellor, how is the matter I asked you to do before progressing? Has the King of Qin revealed any way to get me to leave Xianyang?"

Ji Dan didn't hide her purpose and went straight to the point.

Seeing Ji Dan's eagerness, Xiong Qi's expression turned somewhat serious, and he shook his head slightly, saying...

"Your Highness, please calm down. You have only just arrived in Qin as a hostage. Even if the King were willing to let you leave, he would not allow you to leave now."

“I was too hasty, but as you, Right Chancellor, understand, the Yan Kingdom cannot wait. Now that I have left the Yan Kingdom, Lord Yanchun will surely take action to purge my people in the court, and the Mohist school may also undergo changes because of my absence from the Yan Kingdom.”

Ji Dan's expression darkened somewhat, and she sighed softly before speaking.

Xiong Qi looked at Ji Dan, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. He naturally understood what Ji Dan meant by those words. She was worried that he wouldn't be willing to help, so she was using the Yan Kingdom and the Mohist School to threaten him.

“If the Crown Prince is truly anxious, you can go and see the King in person. You two had a close relationship back in Handan. If you speak to him personally, you might be able to persuade the King,” Xiong Qi said calmly.

Upon hearing this, Ji Dan was taken aback, her hand on her thigh clenched slightly, and a complex look flashed in her eyes.

To make him beg Ying Zheng to let him leave? That's worse than killing him. Even in death, he would never bow down to Ying Zheng.

Back then, he and Ying Zheng were both in Handan. Compared to Ying Zheng, who was an "illegitimate child," he was at least a registered prince of Yan, with Yan as his backing, so his life was much better than Ying Zheng's.

Out of a sense of shared suffering, Ji Dan took good care of Ying Zheng and treated him like a younger brother.

Now, his former underling, who once needed his help to survive, has risen to become the powerful King of Qin, whose word can decide his life and death. He was forced to come to Qin as a hostage because Ying Zheng wanted him there, so he had no choice but to come.

The stark contrast in their former and current status left Ji Dan deeply resentful, making him even more unwilling to beg Ying Zheng, his subordinate, for help—a profound humiliation for him.

(End of this chapter)