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

Chapter 548, Bai Qi's Legacy Issues, Xu Qing's Request
After leaving the Court of Justice, Xu Qing returned to Zhangtai Palace and reported the situation to Ying Zheng.

Xianyang, inside the Zhangtai Palace.

Inside the bedchamber, Xu Qing and Ying Zheng sat facing each other. One explained the situation in detail, while the other looked solemn.

"Sir, are you saying that Lao Ai didn't arrange for anyone else besides Zhao Xie? Then who sent the person that Master Gongyang captured?"

Ying Zheng looked at Xu Qing with an unusually solemn expression, and his face was also somewhat unpleasant.

If it were someone of another identity who came to assassinate Mi Shu, Ying Zheng would not be so serious, but the assassins were Iron Eagle Warriors, so how could he feel at ease?
"That's what Lao Ai said, and I've confirmed through some means that he wasn't lying. To determine who sent the assassin to kill the Queen, we'll probably need to investigate further," Xu Qing said, equally serious.

Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng fell into deep thought, his expression shifting between light and shadow, his gaze constantly moving as if trying to figure out who had sent the assassin.

"Who could it be? Who could be connected to the Iron Eagle Warriors and command them?" Ying Zheng murmured.

Xu Qing looked at Ying Zheng, who seemed to be deep in thought. In fact, he had some guesses in his mind. There were not many people in the world who could be related to the Iron Eagle Warriors who had long since become Qin warriors. In the entire Qin country, apart from the Qin royal family, there were only some military nobles.

Although Mi Shu was the queen, she was also a member of the Chu royal family and represented the interests of Chu's foreign relatives.

If this is the case, then it's understandable that someone wanted to kill Queen Mi, since many people didn't want to see the Chu foreign relatives continue to wield power in the Qin court.

But this raises another question: why would the Iron Eagle Warriors help Ji Dan?

Xu Qing rejected this conjecture. After all, if it was really done by the Qin royal family or a local Qin faction, it would be a major taboo in officialdom, and in the end it might lead to a bigger upheaval than Lao Ai's rebellion.

After thinking about it carefully, Xu Qing still couldn't figure it out. But getting stuck on things was never in Xu Qing's nature. Since he couldn't figure it out, he stopped thinking about it. Who knows when these people would pop up again.

There's a saying that goes, "The things you least want to happen are the ones that are most likely to appear before you."

Seeing Ying Zheng deep in thought with furrowed brows, Xu Qing breathed a sigh of relief and began to offer words of advice.
"If there really is such a force secretly watching Your Majesty, Queen, and the Qin Kingdom, I believe that after this defeat, they will jump out again sooner or later."

"Your Majesty need not worry too much about this matter. Once the Luo Wang is reorganized and the Shadow Guard and Black Ice Platform are properly organized, Your Majesty will have enough manpower to investigate the truth without affecting the overall situation."

Ying Zheng glanced at Xu Qing, and seeing Xu Qing's relaxed and optimistic expression, he couldn't help but feel relieved and temporarily put aside the matter of the Iron Eagle Warriors.

"What you say makes sense, sir. This matter deserves our attention, but we cannot let it distract us from the bigger picture. Right now, we must first deal with the affairs of the court. After executing Lao Ai tomorrow, have you thought about how to subdue the ministers at the court meeting the day after tomorrow?" Ying Zheng stopped dwelling on the matter and changed the subject.

"I naturally have a way to subdue the ministers, Your Majesty need not worry about that." Xu Qing revealed a smile, appearing somewhat mysterious.

Seeing Xu Qing's confidence, Ying Zheng simply nodded slightly. He trusted Xu Qing's abilities and then spoke.

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

"If I make any suggestions at the court meeting the day after tomorrow, I hope Your Majesty will not agree to them immediately," Xu Qing said, bowing.

"Why?"

Ying Zheng looked puzzled and asked in confusion.

"Your Majesty, please allow me to keep you in suspense for now. Everything will be revealed at the court assembly the day after tomorrow. If there is nothing else, I shall take my leave. I need to go to the Imperial Workshop Commander to ask the Gongshu family and the Mo family to assist in producing some items," Xu Qing continued.

"Very well, in that case, sir, please go ahead. If you need anything else, you may come and find me."

Ying Zheng did not press further and nodded slightly in agreement to Xu Qing's request.

"My minister retire."

Xu Qing stood up, bowed, and then turned and left, leaving Ying Zheng alone at the table, watching Xu Qing leave.

Only after Xu Qing walked out of the palace gate did Ying Zheng withdraw his gaze, looking at the empty entrance, and sighed.

"Sir, you are truly a remarkable person. You seem to remember nothing, yet you have absolute control over everyone. Perhaps this is what Taoism means by doing nothing, yet accomplishing everything."

"Lord Zhaoming was a highly accomplished disciple of Taoism, and his otherworldly and ethereal demeanor easily influenced others. Being around him, even if you have many worries, you can calm down."

Gai Nie stepped out from behind the pillar and looked in the direction Xu Qing had left.

"Yes, teacher, do you think I should also read more Taoist classics to cultivate my character?" Ying Zheng looked at Gai Nie, eager to try.

The Daoist concept of non-action was incompatible with the highly tense state of Qin. The sudden relaxation of the taut nerves could lead to death.

But Xu Qing's carefree and easygoing demeanor today gave Ying Zheng a different feeling. Perhaps he could learn from the Taoist philosophy as a way to cultivate his character and maintain a stable mindset.

"Your Majesty may give it a try." After hesitating for a moment, Gai Nie nodded and said.

He originally wanted Ying Zheng to see the Guigu School of Diplomacy. Although many people said that the Guigu School of Diplomacy was a technique for creating chaos, the Guigu School also had methods for self-cultivation.

However, he hadn't studied it himself, so he had to give up the idea.

"Why did Xiao Zhuang and I devote ourselves so much to swordsmanship back then? Was it because we're both naturally quiet?" Gai Nie pondered absently.

Since Xu Qing came to the Qin state, he has gradually transformed from Ying Zheng's chief swordsmanship instructor, bodyguard, and advisor into a full-time swordsmanship instructor.

Whether it was the pressure from Xu Qing or the conflict between his identity as a master of the Guigu School and the doctrines of the Daoist Tianzong School, he unconsciously regarded Xu Qing as a mirror.

By comparing himself to Xu Qing, Gai Nie realized that apart from swordsmanship, he seemed to have no other skills that surpassed Xu Qing's. This made him often think about why he had chosen the path of swordsmanship in Ghost Valley.

“Indeed, sir, you are a disciple of He Guanzi. With such a renowned teacher, it shouldn’t be difficult for me to learn,” Ying Zheng said.

It's a bit heartbreaking.

Gai Nie glanced at Ying Zheng, who seemed quite interested, then retreated behind the pillar, preparing to fulfill his role as a guard.

On the other side, after leaving Zhangtai Palace, Xu Qing first went to the Doctor's Palace to find Gongyang Di and took the Iron Eagle Warrior's standard sword before heading to Shangfang.

After being searched outside the Imperial Palace, Xu Qing was finally allowed to enter with his longsword. Before Xu Qing could even look for Gongshu Chou and Xiangli Guan, the two of them came running up to him.

"Greetings to Lord Zhaoming."

Gongshu Chou and Xiangli Guan bowed to Xu Qing in unison.

"Greetings, doctors." Xu Qing said jokingly, seeing their flustered appearance.

“Lord Zhaoming, you flatter us. We were able to rise from slaves and commoners to high-ranking officials thanks to your guidance and help,” Xiangli Guan said hastily.

“Lord Zhaoming, please don’t make fun of us two old folks. What brings you to the Shangfang today?” Gongshu Chou said, stroking his beard.

The two men looked at Xu Qing with awe and a hint of expectation. They knew very well that Qin Mo and the Gongshu family were able to rise to noble status thanks to Xu Qing; otherwise, they would have remained slaves and commoners for the rest of their lives.

"I've come to see you two today because I need your help with something," Xu Qing said, nodding.

"Please give your orders, and we will do our utmost," Gongshu Chou and Xiangli Guan said, bowing.

"No need to be so serious. The first thing I want to ask is for you two to take a look at this sword."

As Xu Qing spoke, he took the sword off his back, drew it from its sheath, and presented it to the two of them.

Xiangli Guan and Gongshu Chou took the sword from Xu Qing and began to examine it carefully. Xiangli Guan flicked the blade, then looked at the hilt for a while, and suddenly his expression became excited.

"This is the sword of the Iron Eagle Warrior!? There are still swords like this in existence? That's truly surprising," Xiangli Guan said in astonishment.

When Gongshu Chou saw that Xiangli Guan recognized the origin of the sword, he released the longsword.

While the Gongshu family was indeed superior to the Mo family in various bows and crossbows, the Mo family was truly better at sword forging.

“That’s right, this is the sword of the Iron Eagle Warrior. Since Master Xiangli recognizes it, do you know the origin of this sword, and do you know who might have this sword in their possession?” Xu Qing asked, seeing that there was a chance.

Sangori picked up the longsword, swung it a couple of times, and then, a hint of reminiscence flashing in his eyes, slowly began to speak.

“Then that’s it. I know the origin of this longsword. Back when Shang Yang was reforming the laws, he trained a new army on the banks of the Wei River and recruited many skilled swordsmen and horsemen. These people were very capable and most of them were swordsmen. Later, in the battle to recover Hexi, these people made outstanding contributions to the Qin army’s victory over the Wei Wuzu and were called elite soldiers.”

"Shortly after Duke Xiao went to the headquarters of the Mohist school to vindicate the reforms in Qin, my Mohist ancestor Mozi passed away. The Mohist school was divided into three. My ancestor Xiangliqin, because of his ideals, led the Mohist craftsmen to Qin, wanting to settle in Qin, unify the world, and create the world of Great Harmony in the Mohist ideals."

"After Shang Yang, during the reign of King Huiwen, General Sima Cuo expanded and reorganized this group of people, forming a new army, which was named the Iron Eagle Warriors."

"Upon learning of this, King Huiwen commissioned me, Qin Mo, to specially forge armor, swords, bows, and crossbows for the Iron Eagle Warriors. This sword is the special-style longsword that I, Qin Mo, crafted back then. It is two fen longer than ordinary swords, with a single-edged blade, making it easier to cleave."

As he spoke, Xiangli Guan began to explain the advantages and disadvantages of the longsword in Xu Qing's hand.

"Do you know who still possesses such a sword today?" Xu Qing asked again after Xiangli Guan finished speaking.

"I don't know. Back when King Zhaoxiang was in trouble, Lord Wu'an Bai Qi reorganized the Iron Eagle Warriors and turned them into Qin Warriors, saying that they were wielding swords for Qin and were unstoppable."

"Because King Wu conquered Yiyang and obtained some of Han's iron smelting technology, and because simple bronze swords could no longer compare with the iron swords of countries like Yan and Han that were proficient in iron smelting technology, I, Qin Mo, after studying and researching, integrated this part of the iron smelting technology and casting techniques to form a new casting technique."

"Then the Qin army began to rebuild its weapons, with the Qin elite soldiers taking the lead. Most of the original standard longswords were melted down and remade, while a small number were kept as merits for individuals or rewarded by King Zhaoxiang to meritorious officials."

"I don't know exactly who has them, but I've heard from my elders that Lord Wu'an, Bai Qi, once took away a batch of old swords that should have been reforged."

Xiangli Guan looked at the long sword in his hand, his face full of reminiscence and emotion.

Iron swords were superior to bronze swords in both sharpness and hardness, and were simpler to manufacture than bronze swords. However, Qin lacked iron ore but had abundant bronze ore. The six states east of the mountains were aware of this deficiency and strictly controlled the flow of iron ore into Qin.

This is why the artisans of Qin and Qinmo have been studying bronze casting techniques, and by mixing in some special ores, they have finally created bronze swords that are sharper and more resilient than iron swords.

However, precisely because of this, even though the Qin state later acquired places to produce iron ore, its focus on technology meant that iron smelting technology made little progress.

"Was it Lord Wu'an, Bai Qi?"

Xu Qing was taken aback, and couldn't help but think of the incident of Huan Yi's rebellion that he had encountered in Pingyang.

Could they be the Iron Eagle Warriors sent by someone like Huan Yi, who wanted to avenge Lord Wu'an, Bai Qi? A thought popped into Xu Qing's mind.

If that's the case, then this is a legacy issue and doesn't need to be taken too seriously; the solution is quite simple.

Back then, Bai Qi's achievements overshadowed the emperor, leading to his execution. Later, there was the assassination attempt on Bai Qi by the peasants. Regardless of how Bai Qi actually died, he remembered that Bai Qi's descendants were not implicated and were still in the Qin army. However, because of what happened back then, they were suppressed and remained relatively inconspicuous.

If we bring out the descendants of Bai Qi, this matter will be easily resolved.

Having made up his mind, Xu Qing put aside the Iron Eagle Warriors matter for now. He could deal with that later; he had more important things to do now, and he needed Gongshu Chou and Xiangli Guan's help.

"So that's how it is. I didn't expect this sword to be a witness to the history of the Qin Dynasty. Besides this sword, I also hope that you two can help me forge a few other things and smelt a finished product," Xu Qing said with a smile.

"Smelting!?" "Forging things?"

Xiangli Guan and Gongshu Chou looked at Xu Qing in astonishment and spoke at the same time.

Qin Mo and the Gongshu family took different paths, which led to their different focuses.

“That’s right, you two can take a look at these drawings and my requirements.”

As Xu Qing spoke, he took out a box from his bosom, carefully opened it, and took out several pieces of cloth from it.

Xiangli Guan and Gongshu Chou took the cloth, and their expressions became subtle after seeing what was on it.

As the two continued to examine the cloth in their hands, their faces gradually showed shock upon seeing what was written on each piece of cloth. Their expressions were filled with disbelief, as if they could not believe what they were seeing.

(End of this chapter)