Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Han Fei remained silent for a moment, his lowered eyelashes concealing the deep sorrow surging in his eyes. When he raised his eyes again, his expression had returned to calm and composure.

"My lord is willing to surrender the city and cede territory. The land of Yanling can be incorporated into the Qin territory to show our sincerity. We will also prepare gold, silk and jade as compensation."

He took out a silk scroll from his sleeve, presented it respectfully with both hands, and the eunuch took it and placed it on the imperial desk.

Ying Zheng glanced at it, then casually put it aside, his gaze never leaving Han Fei for a moment.

"Yanling?"

He chuckled lightly, his tone calm yet revealing the domineering authority of a monarch, "That place is near Chu and far from Qin, merely a tiny corner, not worth mentioning. Gold, silk, and jade are not rare even for Great Qin."

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze fixed on Han Fei, and asked calmly, "Anything else?"

Han Fei's fingers tightened slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "If the King of Qin is willing to forgive the mistakes of Han, my lord is willing to send a hostage to Qin to prove the sincerity of the eternal friendship between Han and Qin."

Beside him, Zhou Wenqing was fanning the spicy hot soup with a folding fan with a look of disgust. Hearing this, he paused and suddenly looked up.

No way?

It can't be as he thinks, can it?

Han Wang An shouldn't be this shameless, right?

But Han Fei's next sentence confirmed his guess—

"My lord's intention," Han Fei raised his head, his gaze meeting Ying Zheng's deep, unwavering eyes with unwavering resolve:

"Since I am already in Xianyang, a member of the royal family of Han, and a former classmate of Li Tingwei for several years, and have considerable ties with Qin, if Your Majesty does not despise me..."

He paused, then said, word by word, "This foreign subject wishes to remain in Qin as a hostage."

That's really shameless!

With a "crack," the folding fan in Zhou Wenqing's hand nearly broke.

When states send hostages, they have always relied on the king's eldest son or crown prince, or at the very least, the king's own son. How could they possibly send out Han Fei, a member of the royal family who has been idle and neglected for many years, as a hostage?

What's even more infuriating is that they've put the cart before the horse.

Han Fei was able to enter Xianyang and stand in this hall because Ying Zheng specifically invited him by name in his letter to the King of Han. Although there was a hint of threat, the words were still meant to win him over as an honored guest.

As a result, when it came into the hands of the King of Han, it was twisted into the story that Han "voluntarily sent and endured humiliation" to Qin as a hostage.

This not only deceived Han Fei and damaged his loyalty to the country, but also disappointed the King of Qin in valuing his talent.

Such a blatant scheme... Han Fei... I'm afraid it wasn't just Han Fei, but the entire state of Han. Surely it wasn't just the king who read the contents of that letter?

Otherwise, why would they allow Han Wang'an to do such a brainless thing?

Or perhaps the South Korean courtiers remained silent, or even joined forces to fuel the flames, driven by jealousy and envy of talent, to such an extent that they disregarded all decorum.

Was Han Fei really that unpopular?

Well, as for Han Fei... given his personality, it's not impossible.

However, Your Majesty is probably not in a position to directly point this out.

Zhou Wenqing immediately turned his head and shot his eyes at Li Si like arrows.

Brother Gu'an, it's your turn to speak!

Hurry up! Expose South Korea's dirty tricks!

Li Si understood immediately. He slightly moved his knees, about to get up, but then forced himself to sit back down.

Zhou Wenqing raised an eyebrow, silently asking with his eyes: What's wrong with you?

Li Si could only shake his head with a wry smile, his eyes full of helplessness, and could only mouth:

It's not that I'm unwilling, but he and I are fellow disciples. If I publicly humiliate him now, it will be difficult to persuade him to return to Qin and serve the country in the future. Will he still give me face?

Oh, that's right! Zhou Wenqing suddenly realized, that—

The next second, Wei Liao stood up.

"Is that really what the King of Han said?"

He looked at Han Fei, his tone seemingly offering guidance, but in reality, every word was like a knife.

"As far as I know, it is because our king is eager to see talented people in Qin and admires your talent. He also learned that you are in Han and are probably somewhat... unsuccessful. Therefore, he was heartbroken and sincerely invited you in the letter to Han, intending to treat you as a guest minister and honor you as a distinguished guest."

"How has it come to be that the King of Han has sent a hostage to Xianyang...?"

Well done, Mr. Wei Liao, that was a perfect strike!

Upon hearing this, Han Fei was indeed shocked and froze.

He suddenly raised his head, first looking at Wei Liao in astonishment, then turning urgently to Li Si, his eyes swirling with disbelief and an urgent need for confirmation.

Li Si met his gaze, felt a pang of sadness, and though he couldn't bear it, he still slowly and gently nodded.

The movement was so light it was almost invisible, yet it was enough to shatter all of Han Fei's self-deception.

—You, Han Fei, are nothing more than a pawn discarded by the court of your homeland. They keep it from you, tell you the truth with the guise of righteousness, but they humiliate and belittle you, and push you out to take the blame and vouch for you.

Hot blood freezes into ice.

In an instant, a sharp and humiliating feeling of being betrayed by one's homeland and deceived by one's king poured down on me like ice water.

His lips trembled slightly, he opened his mouth, and after a long while, he managed to squeeze out a hoarse whisper:

"This humble servant...is unaware of this matter."

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall fell into a moment of deathly silence.

The air seemed to freeze, and only Han Fei's slightly rapid breathing could be heard.

Zhou Wenqing slowly turned her head away, feeling a pang of reluctance.

This man's talent is unparalleled; his discussions on military strategy and tactics are always insightful and to the point.

But when it comes to the game of political intrigue in the imperial court, he is too naive and too idealistic.

When faced with a wise ruler, one becomes a pillar; when faced with a foolish one, one is merely a discarded pawn in the game. And this King Han An…

Forget it, I won't scold him anymore. Perhaps it's precisely because of his series of blunders and disregard for dignity that Han Fei's return to Qin went more smoothly than expected...?

Han Fei slowly cupped his hands, his voice still calm, but sounded more strained than before, probably due to his stutter. Under the influence of his emotions, he was even more unable to control himself.

"Thank you for your favor, Your Majesty. However, I, your humble servant, have failed to discern the truth of your mission, nor have I considered your intentions. How foolish and ridiculous I am..."

He paused, his voice lowering even further.

"I fear that Han Fei is of limited talent and learning, how could he possibly be worthy of such a... generous invitation from Your Majesty?"

"This foreign subject wishes to remain in Qin as a hostage."

Han Fei raised his head, his voice slightly raised, his eyes filled with bitterness and self-mockery, yet also with an almost stubborn clarity.

"It is both the will of my lord and the duty of a foreign subject. If this can help establish friendly relations between our two countries, I will be extremely grateful. I humbly request Your Majesty's permission."

What a brilliant Han Fei!

Zhou Wenqing gazed at that slender and solitary figure and sighed inwardly.

Even though he was caught in deception, betrayed by his homeland, and heartbroken, he still managed to stay steadfast and uphold his original intention to preserve the Han state.

He never lost his composure or composure, never switched sides, and never wallowed in self-pity.

The phrase "willing to be a hostage" preserved the last vestige of dignity for South Korea, while also upholding the pride and bottom line of a prince, a Legalist scholar, and a steadfast adherence to the principle of respecting the ruler and his subjects.

Zhou Wenqing couldn't help but glance at him sideways.

How can Your Majesty subdue such a person?

Such pride, such clarity, such stubbornness...

If it were him, he probably wouldn't know where to begin.

He looked toward the throne.

Han Fei slowly raised his eyes, his gaze meeting Ying Zheng's with a calm yet resolute look.

—If the King of Qin respects me, he will grant my request.

—I came to Qin with the intention of being a hostage.

Even though we were hit with this cold shoulder along the way, in terms of the outcome... it makes no difference.