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

Chapter 523, The Fall of Fei Yan
"!!!"

Upon feeling the touch on her lips, Fei Yan's eyes widened instantly, staring at Xu Qing in disbelief.

She wanted to push Xu Qing away, but the inexplicable emotions in her heart made her unable to exert any force with her hand on Xu Qing's shoulder, as if all the strength in her body had been drained away.

A tingling sensation instantly spread throughout her body, making her breathing more rapid. As the touch on her lips intensified, Fei Yan's hand, which had been about to push Xu Qing away, slowly fell and rested on his chest, her wide eyes narrowing.

She slumped softly into Xu Qing's arms, letting him bully her, and even cooperated in a daze.

. . . . . . . .

After a long while, Xu Qing stopped and slowly looked down at her hands.

It wasn't that he didn't want to continue, but he had an extra silver needle in his hand. It was a jade silver needle, not one he carried with him, but one that Fei Yan had placed in his hand. It was the one he had lost in Xinzheng.

Fei Yan's pretty face was slightly flushed, with a blush like rouge. Her phoenix eyes were hazy, looking at Xu Qing with unspeakable emotions. She bit her lip lightly, her mind blank.

The kiss just now completely shattered Fei Yan's composure and intelligence, leaving her with immature feelings for Xu Qing.

Women are emotional creatures, especially when it comes to feelings, so she took out the silver needles hidden in her waist and wanted to be completely honest with Xu Qing.

"Was it you, the Yin-Yang Elder, who attacked me back in Xinzheng?"

Xu Qing looked at the jade silver needle in his hand, then at Fei Yan, and asked with some surprise.

Damn it, you think you can rely on internal nourishment? You're really joking.

After being attacked by the Yin Yang School, Xu Qing thought of many people who had attacked him, but he never thought of Fei Yan.

Fei Yan pursed her red lips, looked at Xu Qing with a complicated expression, and after a moment of silence, nodded.
"Yes, that's me."

"I was ordered to go to Xinzheng to investigate the strange phenomena and brought the person who caused them, namely you, back to the Yin-Yang School, and almost killed you. I thought it was just a mission failure, and I didn't think much of it at the time."

"I just didn't expect things to turn out this way, and I don't want to lie to you."

As she spoke, Fei Yan's gaze turned serious. She released Xu Qing's hand and said solemnly.

"Would you still be willing to spend the rest of your life with someone who almost killed you? Would you be willing to face the future with me?"

Xu Qing's feelings for her were sincere and passionate, so she didn't want to deceive him. At this moment, she no longer saw Xu Qing as a target for observation or a tool to bully the Moon Goddess, but as someone she would spend the rest of her life with.

The first thing to do in a genuine relationship is to be sincere, so she chose to be honest.

If she doesn't tell the truth, Fei Yan will always feel guilty and worry that Xu Qing will overthink things when he finds out the truth.

It wouldn't matter if Xu Qing refused, after all, no one would want to spend the rest of their life with a woman whose motives were impure and who had almost killed them, especially Xu Qing, who had been betrayed.

Faced with Fei Yan's serious expression, Xu Qing grasped Fei Yan's hand again, placed it against his chest, and said resolutely.

"So what? I believe it's all fate's arrangement. Besides, I didn't die, did I? Not only did I not die, but I also met my teacher. Without him, I wouldn't be where I am today."

What a joke! If he had known that Fei Yan was coming to capture him, he would never have fought back and would have obediently followed Fei Yan to the Yin Yang Clan.

Then why did he need to waste so much time arguing with Fei Yan here? He would have already taken Fei Yan down at Jiugong Shendu Mountain, right in front of that old man Donghuang Taiyi.

Who told this old bastard to not give Fei Yan a clear task assignment and then attack her so severely that she almost murdered her husband?

Fortunately, he was blessed with good fortune and not only secretly learned a unique Yin-Yang School technique, the Yin-Yang Harmony Hand Seal, but also met his teacher, He Guanzi, who opened up a smooth path for him to reach the Great Dao.

Upon hearing Xu Qing's answer, a glint of light flashed in Fei Yan's beautiful eyes, and her small mouth opened slightly. She hadn't expected Xu Qing to give such an answer.

"Are you really not bothered?" Feiyan asked again.

"This is the answer~"

Xu Qing held Fei Yan's hand and placed it on his chest; the strong beating of her heart was just like Xu Qing's boundless love.

With her strength, Fei Yan could easily sense Xu Qing's heartbeat. Hearing the strong and powerful beat, her own heartbeat also started to beat rapidly, and she no longer hesitated.

Xu Qing's answer was already quite obvious.

"...May you not disappoint me~"

Fei Yan gently stroked Xu Qing's chest, looking at him tenderly with her beautiful eyes, revealing a stunning smile she had never seen before, her red lips slightly parted.

Upon hearing this, Xu Qing opened his arms and pulled Fei Yan into his embrace, placing his hands on Fei Yan's waist. Looking at the slightly shy beauty in his arms, he lowered his head.

We must do it again to properly heal his wounded heart.

This time they went even harder and were even more unscrupulous.

Fei Yan squinted her eyes, hooked her arms around Xu Qing's neck, and responded to Xu Qing's vow with clumsy technique.

At this moment, words are inadequate.

A thousand words cannot express the reality of this kiss.

As dusk approached, Xu Qingcai emerged from the Doctor's Palace.

After straightening her cloak, Xu Qing looked back at the Star-Picking Tower with lingering reluctance and touched her lips.

"Hehe, so soft~ so sweet~"

Recalling everything that had just happened in the Star-Picking Tower, Xu Qing couldn't help but chuckle mischievously. The soft, sweet scent of Fei Yan was truly intoxicating and captivating.

The only drawback is that his movements are too clumsy, but he will have plenty of time and opportunities in the future to help Feiyan train him properly.

Despite his reluctance, Xu Qing turned and walked out of Zhangtai Palace. The allure of a gentle embrace was tempting, but Xu Qing was no weak hero and would not succumb to it completely. Ying Zheng would be crowned in a month, and the most urgent task was to arrange everything properly to prevent any problems from arising.

After leaving Zhangtai Palace, Xu Qing returned to his residence on his own, preparing to actively prepare for his coming-of-age ceremony a month later.

Meanwhile, inside the Changxin Marquis's residence in Xianyang.

Because Lao Ai and Zhao Ji left in a hurry, Lao Ai's retainers and the various forces he had won over became nervous. So they disregarded everything else and gathered at the Changxin Marquis's residence while no one was paying attention.

"Grand Master, Marquis Changxin and the Empress Dowager, why are you returning to Yongcheng at this critical juncture? What does this mean?"

“Commander Zhao, we have entrusted our lives to the Marquis, and yet the Marquis has left Xianyang without a word. Isn’t that taking us too lightly?”

"Zuo Yi, what exactly is the Marquis thinking?"

A dozen or so people anxiously surrounded Ling Qi, Zhao Xie, and Zuo Yijie. Among them were spies from various states, relatives of the Zhao state, and military merits and nobles from Qin.

They had entrusted their lives and fortunes to Lao Ai, and now he had left without even saying goodbye. How could they feel at ease?
Seeing the panicked crowd, Zhao Xie and Zuo Yijie looked at Ling Qi in the middle. Although they were also Lao Ai's confidants, Ling Qi was the one Lao Ai valued the most, and only Ling Qi knew many things.

"Please don't be anxious, everyone. Marquis Changxin has his reasons for returning to Yongcheng. There's no need to worry. Marquis Changxin has his own arrangements for Xianyang." Ling Qi spread his hands and pressed them down, signaling everyone to be quiet.

The dozen or so people gradually fell silent, and the noisy room instantly quieted down.

"The Marquis of Changxin and the Empress Dowager did not return to Yongcheng to avoid anything. You are all loyal followers of the Marquis, so I will not hide anything from you. The Marquis and the Empress Dowager returned to Yongcheng ahead of time to make preparations. As for what they are doing, I don't need to spell it out."

Ling Qi looked at everyone and said calmly, as if he had everything under control.

The dozen or so people suddenly froze, exchanging bewildered glances. They naturally understood what Ling Qi meant by preparations, and since they had come to the Marquis of Changxin's residence at this time, they must all be participants.

However, when the topic of rebellion was actually brought up, people couldn't help but feel uneasy.

"Now that things have come to this, is there really no other choice?" one person asked with a complicated expression.

"You should all be well aware that it's not that we have no other options, but that His Majesty refuses to give us any. Once His Majesty assumes full power, Marquis Changxin will surely be eliminated. And all of you have a very close relationship with Marquis Changxin. Do you think you'll have any other options then?"

Ling Qi glanced around at everyone and said in a deep voice.

In reality, whether or not they rebelled was no longer a choice they could make.

After Lao Ai became the Marquis of Changxin and poisoned the Marquis of Guannei, only death remained for him. According to Qin law, these people were either Lao Ai's retainers, people he promoted, or people with close personal relationships with him. Therefore, regardless of whether they were involved or not, they would be implicated. The punishment of collective punishment was no joke.

Moreover, many of them, along with Lao Ai, had engaged in smuggling and betraying the Qin state for personal gain. If these things were exposed after Lao Ai's downfall, they too would die.

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces darkened. They understood the reasoning, but rebellion was no joke, and they felt a great burden on their hearts.

“I know what you are worried about. Marquis Changxin has already received the Empress Dowager’s edict. Yongcheng has been completely under the Marquis’s control for the past few years. In Xianyang, there is also the Imperial Guard under the command of the Commandant of the Guards, the armory of Zuo Yi, and the states of Jin and Yan have agreed to send troops.”

"Although Your Majesty has the support of the military, both Wang Jian and Meng Tian are outside the pass, and they are too far away to reach us. By the time they return, we will have already ended everything."

"Furthermore, Marquis Changxin also asked me to convey to you all that as long as the great undertaking succeeds, he will certainly not forget you. At that time, you will have the opportunity to choose from a full range of civil and military officials, as well as high-ranking positions and generous titles!"

Ling Qi looked at everyone and continued speaking.

Upon hearing Ling Qi's words, the expressions of the crowd gradually hardened. They had no way out; whether they participated in the rebellion or not, they would all die, not to mention the extremely generous benefits they would reap if they succeeded.

In this life, one should not strive to be a feast fit for the gods, but rather to be cooked in the finest food.

They gave it their all!

"We are willing to obey Marquis Changxin's command and assist him in accomplishing this great undertaking!"

Without further hesitation, everyone cupped their hands and said in unison.

Looking at the crowd that had submitted to him, Ling Qi's eyes flashed with a hint of smugness, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. If he could keep these people in check, their chances of success would greatly increase.

If he succeeds, he will be second only to the emperor and become the new Marquis Wenxin, Lü Buwei!

"It's been a month, only one month left. Time will fly by," Ling Qi thought to himself.

(End of this chapter)