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

Chapter 552, The Invincible Weapon (Bonus Chapter 1)

Xu Qing's whispered complaints were naturally heard by Jing Ni, whose earlobes immediately turned slightly red.

The thought of Xu Qing's weak and feeble sword and his affectionate gaze filled Jing Ni with complex emotions. For her, practicing such a sword as an assassin was a disgrace and a foolish idea that threatened her life.

But thinking about what had just happened, she felt that it wouldn't be bad to practice swordsmanship with Xu Qing occasionally.

At the very least, it brought some different feelings to a otherwise calm and uneventful life.

After the two entered the room one after the other, Jing Ni sat down at the table, picked up the teapot, poured Xu Qing a cup of hot tea, and pushed it to the opposite side of the table.

At this moment, Jingni no longer possessed the sharpness and indifference she once had. Her waist-length black hair was tied back, and her usually stern face now had a gentler touch. Her long, bright eyes held a peaceful gaze.

Her slender and graceful figure was perfectly outlined by the thick black dress, her beautiful back was straight, and her ample breasts pushed the collar of the dress into an exaggerated arc.

Her kneeling legs were encased in flesh-colored stockings, and her pert buttocks were slightly pressed against her calves.

She was like a cold and noble rose, covered in thorns, yet her vibrant petals carried the gentle warmth of the sun.

Looking at Jing Ni, whose temperament had changed so drastically, Xu Qing's eyes flashed with a glimmer of light. The former Jing Ni was not bad, but compared to the cold, ruthless, and murderous Jing Ni, he preferred the current Jing Ni.

After all, the current Jingni is more realistic than before, and looks like a person rather than a sword.

How are you feeling?

Xu Qing sat down across the table and looked at Jing Ni with concern, asking her what was wrong.

"It's alright now. She hasn't come out for a long time, and she might just disappear one day," Jing Ni said, shaking her head slightly.

"That's good. The Luo Wang is currently being reorganized, and if nothing unexpected happens, I will be in charge of it for a period of time. When that time comes, if you want to completely say goodbye to the past, I will erase your identity as Jing Ni in the Luo Wang and sever all ties with it."

Xu Qing nodded slightly and spoke slowly.

"No need. Luo Wang is where I was born. Let bygones be bygones," Jing Ni said calmly.

The net was not a stain on her life, but rather the path she had taken.

"Alright, everything will be as you wish. This peaceful life is truly rare; it's been a long time since I've had such a quiet tea."

Xu Qing picked up the teacup, sighed, and began to sip the tea.

Although the tea was very ordinary, the lingering fragrance of the person who poured it still made Xu Qing feel somewhat intoxicated.

Looking at Xu Qing's blissful expression, Jing Ni glanced at him, a hint of speechlessness in her eyes, and her lips moved slightly as she spoke.

"Even I, who never leaves my house, know that His Majesty intends to appoint you as Prime Minister, thus stirring up a great deal of discussion in Xianyang. It is no surprise that the various factions in the court are currently discussing countermeasures. Yet you have the mind to sit here and enjoy tea, instead of thinking about the next steps?"

"A solution? What's there to think of? Neither the imperial family, the Chu state's relatives, nor the scholar faction would want me to serve as prime minister," Xu Qing said indifferently, opening his eyes.

“I can understand the opposition from Chu’s foreign relatives and royal family, but why would the scholar-official faction oppose it as well? You are also from the scholar-official family of the six states. Now that Lü Buwei has fallen, shouldn’t these people be siding with you for their own future?” Jing Ni asked in confusion.

"Don't underestimate these scholars. Although they come for fame and fortune, they also have their own bottom line. Since Lü Buwei has taken them in, they will be loyal to Lü Buwei, even more so than to the King and the Qin State."

Xu Qing sighed softly and began to explain to Jing Ni. Although retainers and assassins are two different types of people, they have something in common: the former are unwaveringly loyal to their lord, while the latter are utterly loyal to their organization.

The loyalty of retainers to their lords was influenced by the times and could not be changed by one person alone. Even after the Qin Dynasty fell and the Han Dynasty came to power, the traditions of the Spring and Autumn Period persisted, and many people still maintained this kind of relationship.

However, as the emperor's power increased, these people's only remaining master was the emperor, which gradually led to the decline of their retainers.

It was precisely because of the loyalty of these retainers to Lü Buwei that he did not choose to accept all those promoted by Lü Buwei, but instead had to screen them. Moreover, this elaborate arrangement was also to allow these people to switch allegiance.

Historically, Lü Buwei dismissed his retainers, but most of them still followed him to Luoyang.

Then, a member of the Qin royal family submitted a petition to expel the retainers, and Ying Zheng readily agreed, thus expelling all these retainers from Qin. Later, due to a letter from Li Si urging the expulsion of retainers, Ying Zheng welcomed back all the officials and retainers from the six states who had served as scholars.

This back and forth effectively cleared these people's identities.

After being expelled from the Qin state, they naturally wiped the slate clean of their past dealings with Lü Buwei in the court.

Li Si advised Ying Zheng to welcome them back. Li Si, a staunch supporter of the King of Qin, gained prestige through this favor and his advice, and thus became their new leader. Ying Zheng, the King of Qin who "suddenly realized his mistake," welcomed them back despite pressure from the royal family. This act of kindness moved heaven and earth, and he naturally became their new lord.

In this back and forth, the loyalty of these people was transferred from Lü Buwei to Ying Zheng. Li Si also gained prestige, enough to support his further advancement. These people also returned to the court to continue serving the Qin state.

The only ones who suffered were the Qin royal family.

However, Xu Qing cannot allow the expulsion order to happen again, otherwise the image he has worked so hard to turn around for Qin will collapse again. Therefore, he can only find another way to achieve the above goals through this scheme.

"If that's the case, what are you going to do next? Are you going to give up the position of Prime Minister?" Jing Ni continued to ask.

“Give up? Of course not. Tomorrow at court, I will give them a reason they can’t refuse, so that they will support me as prime minister.”

Xu Qing's lips curled up slightly, revealing a confident smile.

"It's good that you have confidence," Jingni said.

Since Xu Qing was confident, Jing Ni naturally believed that he could succeed. After all, the fact that he had risen from a minor physician in Han to become the wise ruler of Qin was enough to prove his ability.

At the same time, there was a sudden knock on the door, and Jingni and Xu Qing looked in the direction of the sound.

"Your Majesty, someone from the Imperial Household Department has arrived. They say that Master Gongshu and Master Xiangli have completed what you requested and request that you go to the Imperial Household Department to investigate," a maid said from outside the door.

"Is it finished? That's timely. Now we are fully prepared for tomorrow's court meeting."

Xu Qing chuckled twice, then got up to leave.

"I'll go to Shangfang first and come back later."

"Okay, let's go."

Xu Qing nodded slightly to Jing Ni, then turned and left, preparing to go to the Imperial Palace to find out his sure-fire secret to securing his position as Prime Minister tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)