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

Chapter 544, The Test for Tian Mi
“Mr. Yan, we don’t know either; this is the young master’s intention.”

Upon hearing the guard's reply, Ji Dan's expression darkened beneath his black hat, but he quickly regained his composure and said calmly.

"Since it is your wish, young master, let's continue on our way."

"promise."

The guard turned and headed towards the front. After exchanging a few words with the caravan leader, the caravan, which had stopped, continued its journey along the road against the wind and snow.

Ji Dan pressed down her bamboo hat and looked at the guards leading the way, her eyes turning sinister.

Two days ago, Lao Ai launched a rebellion, and he waited for news of its success at the hostage's residence. However, instead of news of Lao Ai's successful rebellion, he was first attacked by assassins from the Luo Wang organization.

Although he had learned a lot of Mohist martial arts and could barely protect himself against ordinary assassins, he was completely powerless to resist the siege of twelve Luo Wang Killer-level assassins.

Just as he was in despair and ready to die, a dark figure flashed by and killed all twelve assassins with a single sword strike, saving his life.

After surviving the assassination attempt by Luo Wang, he dared not remain in Xianyang. Moreover, upon hearing the news that Lü Buwei had led the suppression of the rebellion, he realized that Lao Ai's power was waning. If he did not flee, once the matter of sending the jade axe to Lao Ai was exposed, even if he was the crown prince of Yan, Qin would surely kill him.

So he immediately found Xiong Qi and confessed everything to him. With Xiong Qi's help, he escaped from Xianyang in the chaos and traveled north to Beidi County.

The fastest and safest way back to Yan from Xianyang is to cross the Yellow River, pass Puban, and enter Zhao through Shangdang County. Moreover, this route is easy to travel, so why suffer from wind and snow or bumpy roads?

"Is it because I previously collaborated with Lao Ai and participated in his betrayal that they deliberately arranged for me to take this path as a warning?"

Ji Dan's eyes grew increasingly cold, and anger burned within them. Her fists, tucked into her sleeves, clenched tightly.

It wasn't that he couldn't endure hardship; during his years as a hostage in Handan, he suffered no less than Ying Zheng.

He was now the Crown Prince of Yan, the future King of Yan, and it was truly humiliating to be treated like this. Even if he needed Xiong Qi's help to return home safely, he could not be so disgraced.

Ji Dan also had his pride; a man can be killed but not humiliated.

"Let's be patient for now. A gentleman takes revenge even after ten years. Once we return to Yan, take control of the Mohist school, expel Lord Yanchun, and seize power, it won't be too late to regain our lost face."

Despite his resentment, Ji Dan loosened his fist. He understood that he would need Xiong Qi's help before he could seize power in the Yan Kingdom.

"After returning to Yan, we must take control of the Mohist school as quickly as possible; we cannot wait any longer."

Ji Dan withdrew his gaze and began to ponder how to master the Mohist school in the shortest amount of time as he walked.

The wind and snow in Beidi County continued to howl, scraping against the faces of pedestrians like knives. However, Ji Dan had no mind to complain at this moment, as he was preoccupied with how to gain control of the Mo family in the shortest possible time.

. . . . . . . . .

In Xianyang, at the residence of Lord Zhaoming.

Xu Qing walked into Tian Mi's room at a leisurely pace. The maidservant tactfully stayed outside the door, and then left after closing the door for Xu Qing and Tian Mi.

"Xu Lang~"

When Tian Mi saw Xu Qing arrive, her previously worried face immediately lit up with a smile. Her eyes were full of affection as she looked at Xu Qing, and she called out to him in a soft, sweet voice.

"What's wrong, my honey? Who bullied you?"

Xu Qing looked at Tian Mi, who looked pitiful, and teased her with a smile.

Tian Mi was still his sweetheart, her charming and pretty face lightly made up, her long pink hair half-loose behind her head, the neat ends of her hair draped over her shoulders, making her small face even more charming and alluring.

The purple, slit maxi dress perfectly accentuated her graceful figure, while exaggerated breasts pushed the purple collar into a dramatic arc, revealing glimpses of her fair skin. A white velvet vest draped over her shoulders, trembling slightly.

Her beautiful legs, covered in flesh-colored and gray floral patterns, were faintly visible beneath the hem of her skirt, and her delicate little feet were clad in a pair of high-top boots, exuding a seductive and mature aura.

"No one is bullying me, they are just worried about you."

Tian Mi's brows furrowed even more, her eyes lowered slightly, and she spoke softly.

Xu Qing took off his black cloak and hung it on the rack, then walked over and sat down next to Tian Mi.

Tian Mi leaned against Xu Qing, her pert breasts pressing slightly against his arm, her full thighs draped over his, and she looked at him with seductive eyes.

Seeing his sweetheart so obedient and sensible, Xu Qing reached out and put his arm around Tian Mi's slender waist, lowered his head and took a deep sniff of her faint fragrance, and placed his other hand on her smooth and firm legs, kneading them up and down a couple of times.

"What are you worried about? Do you think Tian Guang, who lives far away in the Shennong Mountains of Qi, is so well-informed about the situation in Qin and can so easily contact you in the residence of Lord Zhaoming?"

Xu Qing hugged her honey pot and said with a light laugh.

"Xu Lang~ You already know?" Tian Mi asked with a hint of surprise in her beautiful eyes.

“Of course. It was me who pushed Tian Guang’s people to contact you. It can’t be said that Tian Guang was contacting you. It was Xiong Qi, the Changping Lord behind him, who wanted to use you as a spy planted by my side.” Xu Qing lifted Tian Mi’s chin, and seeing the growing admiration in her eyes, his smile deepened.

Tian Mi may not have the best looks or figure, but in addition to her inherently seductive charm, she also possesses just the right amount of emotional value.

Sometimes you really can't blame the king for being obsessed with beauty. After all, not everyone can resist a beautiful woman who is outstanding in appearance, has a unique temperament, and provides plenty of emotional value.

"Hmph~ Why didn't you tell me sooner? You made me worry about you for nothing."

Tian Mi broke free from Xu Qing's hand, turned her face away, puffed out her cheeks slightly, and said with a coquettish tone.

If she had known that Xu Qing was setting a trap for Tian Guang and Xiong Qi behind him, she wouldn't have been so worried. She was perfectly fine at home today when she suddenly found the communication symbol that Tian Guang and she had agreed upon in the tea brought by the servant.

After meeting with his contact, the contact asked him to find out why Xu Qing suddenly assigned Xiong Qi, the Lord of Changping, to be in charge of the peasants' entry into Qin.

Although she didn't know when this happened, it involved Xu Qing's decision to bring the peasants into Qin, which made her worry about Xu Qing.

"I just got back, haven't had a chance to tell you yet. I must say, Lord Changping acted faster than I expected. The banquet just ended and he already sent someone to contact you."

Xu Qing tightened his embrace around Tian Mi and explained softly.

"Hmph~ Don't scare people again next time. But what's this about Xiong Qi, the Lord of Changping you mentioned, Xu Lang? How come he's the person behind the Xia Kui?"

Tian Mi turned to look at Xu Qing, ran her fingers lightly over Xu Qing's clothes, and her thighs, which were pressing against Xu Qing, began to sway restlessly as she asked curiously.

"Just as I said, the leader of your peasant clan has already chosen a new lord for the peasant clan, and this person is Xiong Qi, who has just been enfeoffed as the Lord of Changping. He is not only the leader of the Chu foreign relatives, but also the child left behind when the current King of Chu was a hostage."

"Upon careful consideration, this Xiong Qi is the true eldest son of the Chu state."

Xu Qing gently patted Tian Mi's thigh, then placed it on it and began to play with it carefully.

The thin, flesh-colored stockings made her already full and smooth thighs even smoother, especially the gray herbal pattern on the inside of the stockings, which added just the right amount of firmness to the smoothness, making them irresistible to touch.

"Huh? Is that really true?" Tian Mi said in surprise.

She was a disciple of the Farmer's Clan, and through her beauty, she learned some secrets that only the core members of the Farmer's Clan knew. The biggest secret was the origin of the Farmer's Clan's Tian surname and how they seized power in the Farmer's Clan, turning the position of the chivalrous leader, which was originally a position of equal competition, into one exclusively held by the Tian surname.

All of this is due to the origin of the Tian family name in the farming family.

The Tian family of the peasant clan was a branch of the royal family of Qi. After the Tian Qi royal family replaced the Jiang Qi royal family, in order to consolidate their rule, they set their sights on the peasant family, the largest and most influential family of the Hundred Schools of Thought in Qi. So, by replacing the Jiang Qi royal family with the Tian family, they gradually infiltrated the peasant family.

Through the infiltration and control of generation after generation, the peasant family was eventually reduced to a private tool in the hands of the Qi royal family.

Tian Guang, as the leader of the peasant chivalrous family and the patriarch of the Tian clan, was directly under the jurisdiction of the Qi royal family. Now, Xu Qing tells him that Tian Guang has betrayed the Qi royal family and joined Xiong Qi, who is ostensibly the Lord of Changping of Qin but is actually a prince of Chu.

This explosive news left Tian Mi speechless for a while.

"Others probably wouldn't believe it if they heard this, but it's the truth. As for why Tian Guang is loyal to Xiong Qi, I don't know either."

Xu Qing pinched Tian Mi's surprised little face, then put her hand down and said softly.

"This news is truly astonishing," Tian Mi said, somewhat lost in thought.

"Don't overthink it. It's good that you know this. I'm telling you this secret to put your mind at ease and to stop thinking of Tian Guang as such a terrible person," Xu Qing said.

Tian Mi nodded slightly, glanced at the nonchalant Xu Qing, and her unease and surprise instantly vanished.

"Xu Lang~ then how should I reply to Xiong Qi?" Tian Mi asked, her arms around Xu Qing's neck and tilting her head.

"So how would you like to reply?"

Xu Qing casually asked a question in return, and his hands, which had been playing with the gray herbal pattern, began to wander.

As Xu Qing gently caressed her, a blush rose to Tian Mi's pretty face. Her pursed lips twitched slightly, and her long, alluring eyes welled up with tears. Her gaze towards Xu Qing became even more intense.

"Phew~ Give them some time to think about it~"

"Then you'd better think it over carefully. If you do a good job, I'll give you a reward."

Xu Qing said with a wicked smile, his restless hand gradually approaching the honey pot.

Tian Mi's gaze became unfocused, her breathing became a little rough, her graceful body trembled slightly, and her flat stomach rose and fell gently.

(End of this chapter)