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

Chapter 516, Lamenting Spring, Autumn, and Winter's Loneliness
Xianyang, the residence of Marquis Changxin.

Ling Qi stared blankly at Lao Ai. Xu Qing and Lü Buwei's meeting was indeed unsettling, but what they discussed, whether it was just a simple medical consultation, had not yet been confirmed. Lao Ai had already fled like a mouse seeing a cat, without a care in the world. Was it really necessary to do that?

"Lord Marquis, you said you want to return to Yongcheng?" Ling Qi asked again uncertainly.

“That’s right. I feel that Xianyang is not safe. Only Yongcheng can put my mind at ease.”

Lao Ai, still looking panicked, said anxiously.

Although he always claimed to be the Marquis of Changxin, and that even Ying Zheng would have to be three points inferior to him, he was really nothing in front of Lü Buwei. The other party could kill him at any time if he wanted to. In addition, there was Xu Qing, who dared to die with him in front of all the civil and military officials. Lao Ai really dared not stay in Xianyang.

Although Yongcheng was not the former state of Lao, he and Zhao Ji had lived there for a long time and had long since taken control of this old capital of Qin. It was theirs inside and out.

Only Yongcheng could provide Lao Ai with a sufficient sense of security.

“My lord, you need not worry. There is still no news about Xu Qing and Marquis Wenxin. If you leave Xianyang now, it will surely cause a lot of rumors and make our people think too much. Please wait a little longer.”

Although Ling Qi was speechless, he still patiently advised Lao Ai.

There's no concrete news yet, but Lao Ai has already fled. What will the others think? The people they've painstakingly gathered will surely collapse in morale. Forget about rebelling; they might even be betrayed in advance to save their own lives.

They're rebelling! At such a critical juncture, they're far from the center of power. Aren't they courting death?

Just as Ling Qi thought that Lao Ai would listen to him, Lao Ai's face instantly turned furious. He slammed his hands on the table and said with a ferocious expression.
"What do you know? Xianyang is no longer a place to stay; we must leave immediately."

“But at such a critical juncture, if you leave Xianyang, our people will be leaderless. What should we do if the King does something?” Ling Qi continued to advise.

"Ling Qi, you don't need to say anything more. You don't know how ruthless that old scoundrel Lü Buwei and that little thief Xu Qing are. If I, the Marquis, stay here, let alone start a rebellion, I'm afraid I might lose my life any day now," Lao Ai said in a deep voice.

It's no wonder that Lao Ai was so afraid of Xu Qing and Lü Buwei; anyone who had almost been hanged would be terrified.

When Guan Nei Hou was framed and killed, Lü Buwei sent men to arrest him and bring him to Wenxin Hou's residence. He ordered his men to strangle him with a white silk ribbon, but fortunately Zhao Ji arrived in time and forced Lü Buwei to release him.

Otherwise, how could he have survived until now?

The suffocating feeling still terrifies Lao Ai to this day; he almost died.

He gained power and protection only because of Zhao Ji's favor. Now that his body is ruined, he is unable to satisfy Zhao Ji at all. He is not sure whether she will still protect him.
Moreover, he had heard about Zhao Ji's private meeting with Xu Qing some time ago. These two events combined made Lao Ai feel extremely threatened, and he was terrified at the slightest disturbance.

It's better to be safe than sorry. Lao Ai has worked so hard to get to where he is today, and he's even one step away from the throne of the King of Qin. How could he possibly risk his life?

"My lord."

Ling Qi was about to say something more when Lao Ai interrupted him.

"You don't need to say anything more. This Marquis must return to Yongcheng. It's not that I'm afraid of Xu Qing and Lü Buwei. The King's coming-of-age ceremony will take place in Yongcheng. I'm just returning ahead of time to make preparations," Lao Ai said impatiently.

Seeing that Lao Ai was determined to leave, Ling Qi had no choice but to give up trying to persuade him.

Returning to Yongcheng ahead of time to prepare was a suitable reason, at least to cover up for Lao Ai. As for how many people would believe it in the end, that was up to fate.

"What reason does the Marquis intend to use to leave?" Ling Qi asked.

"Tomorrow, the Marquis will return to the palace to find the Empress Dowager and have her return to Yongcheng ahead of schedule under the pretext of preparing for the King's coming-of-age ceremony. At that time, Xianyang will be left to you and Zhao Xie."

"The plan to start the rebellion remains unchanged. On the day Ying Zheng is crowned, you and Zhao Xie will lead the Imperial Guards to launch the rebellion. At that time, I will lead my retainers to besiege Qinian Palace in Yongcheng."

"If you control Xianyang, I will take down Ying Zheng. Wang Jian and others outside will be dealt with by the troops of the Three Jin and Yan states. At that time, the Qin state will be my domain."

Lao Ai looked at Ling Qi and said in a deep voice.

"Understood," Ling Qi said, cupping his hands in greeting.

Lao Ai sat back down, his expression uncertain. Although he had devised a meticulous plan and had enough manpower, all his preparations would be in vain if he died.

He would rather risk returning to Yongcheng than stay in Xianyang.

"You should go back first. In the next few days, secretly contact Ji Dan and make sure he makes sure to contact the people of Yan and that Yan is ready to send troops," Lao Ai said.

"promise."

Ling Qi glanced at Lao Ai, his lips twitched slightly as if he wanted to say something, but seeing Lao Ai's restlessness, he ultimately said nothing and turned to leave.

Large snowflakes gradually fell from the gray sky.

Yan Lingji leaned against the window, then reached out and caught two snowflakes. The cool touch gave her a novel feeling, and she couldn't help but look up at the sky, watching the snowflakes slowly fall, her eyes gleaming.

"So this is snow~"

Yan Lingji looked at the snowflakes with curiosity, bit her lip, and sighed softly. Watching the snowflakes gradually melt in her palm, a hint of disorientation crossed her ethereal eyes, and a look of astonishment appeared on her beautiful face. This was the first time she had ever seen snow.

She was from the Baiyue region and had almost never seen snow growing up. Perhaps she had seen it before, but it was so long ago that she couldn't remember.

"What, haven't you seen me before?"

Sitting in the room, Jing Ni looked at Yan Ling Ji, trying to soften her expression slightly, but her voice was still somewhat cold as she asked.

Tian Mi glanced at Jing Ni from the side, a hint of helplessness flashing in her long, charming eyes.

Xu Qing has been extremely busy these past few days and has had no time to take care of the three of them. People get bored when they're idle, and besides, they all live in the same mansion and each has a man in their lives, so it's impossible for them to treat each other as strangers in the future.

So she invited Yan Lingji and Jing Ni to her house to sit down, chat, and reconnect.

However, Jing Ni's personality was too cold, so during the conversation just now, it was mostly her and Yan Ling Ji talking.

Jing Ni rarely takes the initiative to speak, but when she does, it's so stiff that it's almost unbearable to watch.

“Sister Yan Lingji, you’re from Baiyue. It probably doesn’t snow much there, right?” Tian Mi said softly.

The Baiyue region is located in Hainan, where the climate is humid and warm year-round, so it's normal that snow is rarely seen.

Jingni glanced at Tian Mi, pondering Tian Mi's tone of voice, wondering if she could learn it.

She took the initiative to strike up a conversation and imitate Tian Mi's tone of voice, not because she had nothing better to do, but because she wanted to respond to her emotions by trying behaviors she had never tried before, so as to quickly bring about a full recovery of her emotions and thus resolve the alter ego of Luo Jing.

However, after pondering it for a while, Jing Ni gave up; she couldn't do what Tian Mi and Yan Ling Ji did.

"I think I saw it when I was little, but I've forgotten..."

Yan Lingji's eyes gradually dimmed, as if she was thinking about the past. She spoke softly, as if she was thinking about her own past.

Everything she once had is gone.

Family, home, etc.
Sensing the dejection in Yan Lingji's eyes, the light in Jingni and Tian Mi's eyes dimmed slightly. They, too, had felt this sense of loss and loneliness.

"It seems my sister has also suffered a lot," Tian Mi said with a sigh.

Yan Lingji's passionate personality and lively, beautiful appearance make it hard to imagine that she is also a pitiful person who has suffered. The loneliness that Yan Lingji exudes reminds Tian Mi of when her parents had just passed away, and she felt the same way then.

Jingni watched the two of them in silence. She might have had this feeling before, but she had forgotten it. It was only under the resurgence of her emotions that she was learning to feel various emotions.

Upon hearing this, the three people in the room fell into a brief silence.

"It's getting late, and I'm feeling a bit sleepy, so I'll head back now."

Yan Lingji turned to look at Tian Mi and Jing Ni, a faint smile appearing on her pretty face. Coupled with her fiery red dress, and with the snowflakes falling outside the window, she looked like a delicate rose, extremely stunning.

Although Hetian Mi and Jing Ni weren't very familiar with each other, life in the manor was too boring, so it would be good to have someone to chat with.

However, the atmosphere suddenly changed like this, and Yan Lingji had no intention of continuing the conversation, so she got up and prepared to leave.

"Take care, sister. If you have time, come visit me again." Tian Mi said with a smile as she stood up.

Yan Lingji nodded slightly and left with her long, beautiful legs.

"I'm leaving too."

After Yan Lingji left, Jing Ni had no intention of staying any longer. She said something to Tian Mi and then left directly.

Watching the two leave, Tian Mi's charming and pretty face showed a hint of helplessness, and she slumped down on the small couch.

Her full, pert buttocks pressed against the soft cushions, and the hem of her purple cheongsam slipped down from her beautiful legs, which were covered in flesh-colored stockings, revealing her long, shapely legs with the other patterns on the stockings faintly visible.

The pink sandals on her feet were hooked by her toes and swayed gently.

"This means I've officially integrated into this household."

Tian Mi looked at the snowflakes outside the window, a slight smile appearing on her lips.

Although today's conversation was awkward, the result was good. Jing Ni and Yan Ling Ji both acknowledged her identity and no longer treated her as a maid, which made her very satisfied.

"I wonder when Xu Lang will be back? He should have time tonight."

Tian Mi rested her chin on her small hand, her eyes sparkling with anticipation; she missed Xu Qing.

(End of this chapter)