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

Chapter 525, Hidden Leaks and Subtle Movements

“What you say makes sense, sir. I was just being too attached to appearances.”

Ying Zheng turned to look at Xu Qing, his eyes no longer filled with hesitation or doubt. He once again displayed his imperial majesty, his gaze sharp and firm, like a sharp sword cleaving through the fog and confusion on Xu Qing's path.

"Your Majesty is wise and powerful. Even without my guidance, you would have come to your senses," Xu Qing said with a smile.

"Sir, there's no need to flatter me. Although I hesitated, I won't neglect important matters. How are things going with you and Uncle?" Ying Zheng shook his head and said.

Xu Qing took out the silk handkerchief that Lü Buwei had given him from his bosom, presented it to Ying Zheng, and said in a deep voice...
"The list of personnel has been finalized, including spies from various countries, lords with ulterior motives, courtiers who are unwilling to remain in obscurity, and local officials who have close ties with Lao Ai."

Ying Zheng took Su Juan, opened it and glanced at it. Looking at the names on it, Ying Zheng's expression remained calm, and there was no emotional fluctuation in his eyes.

Ying Zheng felt it was not worth getting angry over a group of dying men who had betrayed him.

"Having this list makes things much easier. Domestically, the Black Ice Guard has also found out about the military deployments of the Three Jin states. Currently, General Li Mu of Zhao is leading 120,000 Zhao soldiers, Ji Wuye of Han is leading 60,000 Han soldiers, and 100,000 Wei soldiers are all heading towards Shangdang."

Ying Zheng put Su Juan away, took out the intelligence sent back by the Black Ice Platform, and slowly spoke.

"So the Three Jin states have indeed sent troops? Then it's time to get Wang Jian and Meng Tian moving. I think they've been waiting for this for a long time," Xu Qing said with a calm smile.

"I have already issued an edict, ordering the Black Ice Guard to secretly deliver it to the front lines and give it to Wang Jian and Meng Tian. I believe the two of them have already met at Hangu Pass by now."

Ying Zheng also revealed a smile. Knowing that Lao Ai and the Three Jin states were secretly colluding, how could they not have made preparations in advance?

In order to weaken his power, Lao Ai placed Wang Jian at Wuguan and dispersed Meng Tian and other generals to various places, all to prevent anyone from leading troops to defend the emperor.

However, Lao Ai went to Yongcheng a month ago out of fear, which gave Ying Zheng and Xu Qing a lot of room to maneuver.

Wang Jian and Meng Tian have already led their troops to Hangu Pass. Soon, they will lead their army to intercept the allied forces of the Three Jin states. After the Three Jin states retreat, the army will head north to the State of Lao Ai and eradicate Lao Ai's power base in one fell swoop.

Seeing the confident Ying Zheng, Xu Qing thought for a moment, then cupped his hands and said...
"There is no need to worry about the troops of the Three Jins, but we must be wary of the Lishan camp. Your Majesty would be best to issue an edict granting Meng Wu the authority to make his own decisions in battle."

"Are you worried that Lao Ai will send someone to seize military power in the Lishan camp?" Ying Zheng asked, startled.

The Lishan Camp had always been controlled by the Meng clan, first by Meng Ao and then by Meng Wu. There were only two armies in Xianyang: the Imperial Guard and the Lishan Camp, so the generals of these two armies had to be confidants of the King of Qin.

Although Meng Wu's military achievements were not outstanding, he had served as a general in the Lishan camp for many years, and it was impossible for Lao Ai to easily seize power from him.

“Lao Ai has an Empress Dowager,” Xu Qing said in a deep voice.

Ying Zheng's expression turned somewhat somber. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but the words that came out were just a single sentence.

"Very well, just in case, I will issue an edict to Meng Wu," Ying Zheng said.

"I remember that Wang Jian's son Wang Ben and Di Daohou's son Li Xin are both in the Lishan camp. Your Majesty can have these two assist Meng Wu," Xu Qing continued.

Meng Wu is loyal, but he's a bit stupid. With Wang Ben and Li Xin, two energetic and passionate young men, around, they'd be willing to kill any of Lao Ai's men who dared to show their faces.

Moreover, Wang Ben and Li Xin are both on our side, so we can't let outsiders have such an opportunity to make a contribution.

Upon hearing the names Wang Ben and Li Xin, Ying Zheng didn't think much of it. He knew these two men; like Meng Tian, ​​they were promising young talents in the military and the main force for checks and balances within the military in the future. It would be good for them to show their faces in this turmoil.

"Alright, then we'll do as you say, sir."

Without further hesitation, Ying Zheng turned back to his desk, picked up a brush, and began to write a secret edict.

After writing the edict, Ying Zheng sealed it in a box and handed it to Gai Nie.

"Teacher, please arrange for someone to secretly deliver the imperial edict to Meng Wu," Ying Zheng said.

"promise."

Gai Nie took the box, bowed, and then turned and left.

As the palace doors closed, only Xu Qing and Ying Zheng remained in the palace. Seeing that only Xu Qing was there, Ying Zheng no longer maintained his royal dignity.

"Sir, do you know that the reason why South Korea participated in the Three Jin Alliance was because of the Ninth Prince Han Fei's efforts?"

As Ying Zheng spoke, a glint of light flashed in his eyes, and his voice carried a hint of anticipation.

Xu Qing knew exactly what Ying Zheng was thinking. To put it bluntly, Ying Zheng still couldn't let go of Han Fei, his idol in Legalist thought, and was single-mindedly trying to bring Han Fei to the Qin state.

"Does Your Majesty intend to take this opportunity to bring Brother Han Fei to Qin?" Xu Qing asked with a slight smile. "You understand me best, sir. That is exactly what I'm thinking. What do you think?"

Ying Zheng also smiled. How could he possibly let go of such a great talent as Han Fei?
"That's a good idea, but there's no rush. Let's focus on resolving the immediate issues first," Xu Qing said.

"Then let's put this matter aside for now and prepare for it again when everything is settled."

Ying Zheng also understood that he couldn't rush things; he had to take things one step at a time. The most important thing was to deal with Lao Ai's attempt to take over the reins of power.

After finishing their conversation about Han Fei, Xu Qing and Ying Zheng discussed their trip to Yongcheng the next day before Xu Qing left Zhangtai Palace to prepare for their journey.

Meanwhile, in Yongcheng, far in the heart of the Qin state.

Yongwang Palace, as the royal palace of the former capital of Qin, was the highest point of power in Qin before the capital was moved. Together with Qinian Palace, which served as the ancestral temple of Qin, it formed the core of Qin's power.

However, after Zhao Ji and Lao Ai had an affair and moved to Yongcheng, the Yongwang Palace became Zhao Ji's residence and was gradually taken over by Lao Ai.

In a certain grand hall, Lao Ai sat on a high seat, holding a precious sword in his hand. Below him, dozens of retainers knelt respectfully on one knee, awaiting Lao Ai's orders.

"The coming-of-age ceremony will be in three days. I have no way out now. If you are willing to join me in this uprising, you can choose any high-ranking official position or noble title in Qin after we succeed. If you are not willing, you can leave now. I will not force you."

Lao Ai glanced at his retainers, gripped his sword, and said in a deep voice.

The dozens of retainers weren't stupid; if they withdrew at this point, they would only face certain death.

"We are willing to follow Marquis Changxin and work together to accomplish great things!" Dozens of people shouted in unison.

"Very good. Once it's done, I, the Marquis, will certainly not treat you unfairly," Lao Ai said with satisfaction.

"We swear to serve the Marquis to the death!" the crowd shouted in unison.

Now they had no other choice. Whether they participated in Lao Ai's rebellion or not, they would be implicated. Even if they didn't die, they would be exiled to a remote place to slowly wait for death. Whether they succeeded or not, they would all die anyway, so they might as well take a gamble. If they succeeded, they would reap huge benefits.

"How is the situation in Yongcheng? Have we all arrived?" Lao Ai asked, looking at one of his retainers.

"My lord, our men have arrived in Yongcheng and are already in hiding," a retainer said, standing up.

Lao Ai had a considerable number of retainers, plus servants, slaves, and assassins from the Luo Wang organization, totaling approximately two thousand people. These people had already arrived in Yongcheng ahead of time under Lao Ai's arrangement.

"What's the situation on the other side of the four states of Han, Zhao, Wei, and Yan?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, the special envoys from the three kingdoms of Han, Zhao, and Wei have already delivered a secret letter, and the armies of the three kingdoms are secretly converging at the border. According to reports from our spies at Wuguan, Wang Jian is still at Wuguan and has not noticed anything amiss."

"As you instructed, I have arranged for men to ambush them on the road back to Xianyang from Wuguan. If Wang Jian leads his troops back to Xianyang, even if we cannot annihilate him completely, we can at least stop them."

"Is there still no movement from Yan? Perhaps it's because they are too far away to send back any news. We don't need to worry about Yan anymore; the troops of the Three Jins are enough."

As Lao Ai spoke, a confident smile appeared on his face, and his eyes gleamed with anticipation.

With the troops of the Three Jin states holding him back from the outside, and Zhao Xie controlling the Xianyang Imperial Guards from within, Zuo Yi held the power to manage the armory and the Imperial Secretariat.

He also used Zhao Ji's edict to transfer the garrison of Yongcheng to the Longxi border. Now there are only about eight hundred garrison soldiers in Yongcheng, and they are all ordinary soldiers. In contrast, he has more than two thousand retainers and servants.

Five thousand imperial guards from Xianyang, his two thousand retainers, and several thousand elite soldiers from Lao State are on their way.

No matter how you look at it, this battle is 10,000 men against 800 men, so the advantage lies with him!

Standing in the corner, Yan Ri silently watched Lao Ai laugh smugly. A hint of disdain appeared on her face behind the bronze mask. She silently remembered Lao Ai's arrangements and prepared to reveal Lao Ai's entire plan after Ying Zheng arrived in Yongcheng.

“My lord, Xianyang and Yongcheng are both under our control, and the generals who support Ying Zheng have been deployed to various places. However, we still have to be wary of the Lishan camp in Xianyang,” Ling Qi said, stepping forward.

"Don't worry, I have already obtained the Empress Dowager's order. I will order you to take your men to Mount Li later. When Ying Zheng leaves Xianyang with his men tomorrow, you will seize the Mount Li camp. As long as you take Meng Wu's military power, Ying Zheng will never be able to overthrow the regime again."

Lao Ai handed the imperial edict that Zhao Ji had given him to Ling Qi.

Looking at the edict in his hand, a hint of disdain flashed in Lao Ai's eyes. Originally, Zhao Ji, that stupid woman, was unwilling to issue the edict, but she still issued it under his persuasion.

Thinking of this, Lao Ai sneered inwardly, thinking that Zhao Ji was truly a fool.

(End of this chapter)