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

Chapter 528, Yongcheng

Yongcheng is 300 li away from Xianyang.

It was the old capital of the Qin state, the ancestral home of the Qin royal family, and the place where successive crown princes were crowned. Naturally, King Ying Zheng of Qin also needed to lead his ministers and members of the royal family to worship their ancestors, and under the witness of his ministers and the head of the clan, he performed the coming-of-age ceremony, wore the royal sword, and announced his formal assumption of power.

Xu Qing looked at Yongcheng through the carriage window. The city walls made of bluestone were towering and majestic, and the black Xuan Bird Banner fluttered in the air.

Compared to Xianyang, Yongcheng, as the former capital, bears the marks of Qin's past and has endured many hardships. The bluestone city walls bear the traces of time, from which one can almost see the difficulties Qin once faced.

The Qin state only rose to prominence in the last hundred years. In the past, the Qin state was the weakest among the weak, relying on its stubbornness and toughness to fight against enemy states with its flesh and blood. It was almost destroyed several times until Duke Xiao of Qin ascended the throne and appointed Shang Yang to implement reforms, which allowed the Qin state to get out of that embarrassing situation.

However, after Shang Yang's reforms, the Qin state did not suddenly become a force to be reckoned with among the six other states. It was only after facing numerous life-or-death crises that it reached its current state, and Yongcheng was a witness to each of these crises.

"I have been to Yongcheng twice. My impression of this place can be summed up in three words: old Qin people."

Looking at the walls of Yongcheng, Ying Zheng said with a sigh.

Xu Qing nodded thoughtfully. Yongcheng witnessed the rise and fall of the Qin state, and its rise and fall again. It has stood firm despite the hardships it has endured. Just like the old Qin people, they are tenacious and have an indomitable spirit.

Moreover, Yongcheng is the ancestral home of the Qin people. Most of the elders of the Ying clan and the military merits and nobles of the Qin state are here, and the people of Yongcheng's counties and regions are all true Qin people, speaking fluent Yongcheng dialect.

"Perhaps we can win over more Qin people or members of the royal family, and have them fight Xiong Qi in the court," Xu Qing thought to himself.

Xiong Qi stayed in Xianyang. As long as Xianyang could be defended, it would be a great achievement. After Ying Zheng came of age, it would be time for him and the Chu foreign relatives to reap the rewards.

However, because of his appearance, he helped Ying Zheng reconcile his relationship with Lü Buwei, and also devised a plan to spoil him, thus taking away most of the credit for suppressing the rebellion and preventing Xiong Qi from seizing power as he did in the original story.

However, Xiong Qi still had to be wary. The powerful relatives of the Chu state were deeply entrenched, and to deal with Xiong Qi, they had to proceed gradually, unlike with Lao Ai who was killed directly.

Just as Xu Qing was still thinking about the future, the officials who were standing at the city gate to welcome Ying Zheng arrived.

After a brief greeting, the procession, led by local officials of Yongcheng, entered Yongcheng in a grand procession and headed towards Qinian Palace.

Yongwang Palace, atop the city wall.

Dressed in the attire of a palace attendant, with a sword at his waist, and surrounded by his retainers, Lao Ai was watching Ying Zheng's entourage.

Upon seeing the royal carriage enter Qinian Palace, a glint flashed in Lao Ai's eyes, and his face revealed a confident expression of complete control.

"Ying Zheng has already entered Qinian Palace. Go and inform Yan Ri to inspect all the arrangements. After the uprising begins the day after tomorrow, have his men open the gates of Qinian Palace so that we can work together to capture Ying Zheng from within."

Lao Ai suppressed his excitement and said in a deep voice.

"promise."

One of the retainers bowed and said this, then turned and left.

After the entire entourage entered Qinian Palace, a sinister smile appeared on Lao Ai's face. In his view, the entire Yongcheng was a trap he had set for Ying Zheng, and Qinian Palace was the most dangerous part of that trap.

Ying Zheng, accompanied by Xu Qing, Gai Nie, dozens of ministers, and hundreds of guards, entered Qinian Palace without any precautions, which was tantamount to courting death.

"Hehe~ I have already laid a trap, and the day after tomorrow will be the day I take your lives."

A murderous glint flashed in Lao Ai's eyes as he spoke in an icy voice.

The retainers around him bowed their heads and did not respond to Lao Ai's words, but their eyes gleamed with anticipation. They were all waiting for the day when the deed would be accomplished and they would be promoted and ennobled.

"Now it's up to Ling Qi. If he can take over the Lishan camp, the Qin Kingdom will be mine." Lao Ai muttered to himself, glanced at the Qinian Palace, and then flicked his sleeves as he headed towards the Yongwang Palace.

. . . . . . . . . .

Meanwhile, inside the Yongwang Palace.

Zhao Ji stood at the entrance of the palace, looking at Qinian Palace, which was only a street away from Yongwang Palace, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.

"Your Majesty, the King has arrived at Qinian Palace. Would you like to see him?" A eunuch knelt behind Zhao Ji and asked cautiously.

"Shall we go and meet him?"

Zhao Ji murmured to herself, as if asking the eunuch, or perhaps asking herself.

Although Qinian Palace and Yongwang Palace were only a stone's throw apart, in Zhao Ji's eyes, that distance seemed like an insurmountable chasm. So what if she went to see Ying Zheng? Could that one meeting alone change her relationship with him?

"Forget it, I'm not going anymore. I can't go back anyway."

Zhao Ji sighed softly and said with a complicated expression.

Just as Zhao Ji was feeling sad, a burst of children's laughter rang out from the palace. A boy and a girl with braids chased each other as they ran out of the palace.

"Mother, mother."

"Mother, Mother~"

The two children opened their arms and hugged Zhao Ji's legs, looking up at her with innocent smiles on their faces.

Zhao Ji looked down at the two children, a smile appearing on her face. She bent down slightly and hugged them. These were her illegitimate children with Lao Ai, and they were now her emotional support.

"Zheng'er, I'm sorry, your mother doesn't want to spend this lonely time in the desolate palace anymore," Zhao Ji thought to herself, holding her two children.
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. . . . . . . .

Meanwhile, in the Qinian Palace.

After settling everything in, Ying Zheng went to sleep in his bedchamber, exhausted from the long journey.

Nie stayed inside the palace, not daring to be careless in the slightest, fearing that someone might take the opportunity to attack Ying Zheng. As for Xu Qing, he went to a deserted place in Qinian Palace on his own.

"You came."

Upon seeing Xu Qing arrive alone, Yan Ri, who had been hiding in the shadows, stepped out. His eyes, hidden behind his iron mask, remained cold, and his voice was hoarse, devoid of any emotion.

"I've arrived. How is the situation in Yongcheng?"

Xu Qing looked at Ying Yu and asked calmly.

"This is very bad. Lao Ai, in the name of the Empress Dowager, sent all the troops stationed in Yongcheng and most of the imperial clan members to Longxi, leaving only a few imperial clan members in charge of the coming-of-age ceremony. There are only eight hundred garrison troops in Yongcheng, and even fewer in Qinian Palace."

"Lao Ai gathered more than two thousand retainers, servants and assassins, and he also arranged more than a dozen assassins in Qinian Palace. Once the emperor was crowned and launched a rebellion, these people would open the palace gates to welcome Lao Ai's rebel army."

Ying Yu removed the mask from his face, revealing a face that was not exactly handsome but full of fortitude. His voice returned to normal as he slowly recounted Lao Ai's arrangements.

"Is Lao Ai fully prepared? When does he plan to make his move?" Xu Qing asked with a light laugh.

(End of this chapter)