Qin Dynasty: Ying Zheng is my brother, I am the Bad Commander

"What my father wanted was never the 100,000 taels of 'original' gold bearing the official seal of Korea. What he wanted was just the number '100,000 taels of gold,' just real gold and silver to fill the national treasury deficit and appease the morale of the troops at the front."

Upon hearing Han Fei's words, a strange light flashed in Wei Zhuang's cold eyes.

He only thought about it for a moment before he instantly saw through Han Fei's thoughts.

"You're trying to switch the money?" Wei Zhuang's voice held a rare hint of unease. "Since we can't find the original money, we'll use other money to replace it. As long as the quantity matches and the quality is fine, the King of Han won't care where the money came from."

"You understand me best, Brother Wei Zhuang." Han Fei clapped his hands and laughed, his eyes full of admiration. "Since we can't find it back, we can only 'borrow' it."

"Borrow?" Wei Zhuang sneered. "Ten thousand taels of gold, that's no small sum. Looking across the entire Korean penniless state, aside from the national treasury, there are only a handful of people who can come up with that much cash at once. Who do you want to borrow from? Prime Minister Zhang Kaidi? Although he holds a high position and wields great power, the Zhang family has been a family of upright officials for generations. Even if they sold everything they owned, they couldn't scrape together ten thousand taels. As for the other princes and nobles, they're all misers who won't part with a single penny."

Han Fei shook his head, his smile growing increasingly sinister: "Brother Wei Zhuang, you've overlooked someone. Or rather, you've overlooked the truly wealthiest person in Han."

Wei Zhuang's eyes narrowed slightly, and an image of a pig-like figure covered in jewels instantly appeared in his mind.

"One of the Four Fierce Generals of the Night, the Emerald Tiger on the Stone." Wei Zhuang slowly uttered the name, his tone carrying a chilling killing intent.

"Indeed, it's this fat tiger." Han Fei's eyes gleamed with shrewdness. "The Jade Tiger is richer than a nation, monopolizing most of Korea's trade and grain. One hundred thousand taels of gold is an astronomical figure for others, but it's not much for him. Since Ji Wuye wants to use a hole of one hundred thousand taels of gold to force me to my death, then I'll use the money in his subordinates' purses to fill that hole. Using Nightfall's money to break Nightfall's trap, isn't that wonderful?"

Wei Zhuang quietly watched Han Fei, observing his confident, even somewhat frantic, demeanor.

He knew that Han Fei's plan was extremely bold, even audacious.

Borrowing money from Jade Tiger? That's like pulling teeth from a tiger's mouth!

The Jade Tiger is Ji Wuye's money bag; touching the Jade Tiger is tantamount to directly undermining Ji Wuye's foundation.

"Aren't you afraid of pushing Ji Wuye to the brink?" Wei Zhuang asked coldly. "Although you tricked Ji Wuye in court, he commands the most elite troops in Han, and the Nightfall assassins are omnipresent. If you really extort 100,000 taels of gold from Fei Cuihu, Ji Wuye will definitely go mad. A mad general is capable of anything."

Despite Wei Zhuang's warning, Han Fei showed no fear. He turned around, walked back to the table, sat down, poured himself a cup of wine, and played with it in his hand.

"No, he won't." Han Fei's tone was unusually firm, his eyes revealing a profound insight into people's hearts. "Even if Ji Wuye finds out, he won't do anything openly. He's a smart man, but also an extremely greedy and life-loving person. What he fears most right now is that things will escalate and expose the truth about him switching military pay."

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Han Fei took a sip of wine and continued his analysis: "If he were to attack me openly, it would be tantamount to admitting his guilt to the whole world. Therefore, at most, he would engage in some underhanded tactics, such as sending assassins from the Hundred Birds Sect to kill me, or continuing to sabotage me in court."

At this point, Han Fei's eyes suddenly became incredibly sharp, like a peerless sword drawn from its sheath, radiating a chilling sharpness.

"Besides, Brother Wei Zhuang, do you think it's any use for me to back down now?" Han Fei sneered, his voice carrying a do-or-die determination. "Since I chose to take on the case of the ghost soldiers robbing the soldiers' pay, since I chose to stand on the side of law and justice, I have already become a thorn in Ji Wuye's side."

"In this power struggle, there is no middle ground, no way out. Even if I do nothing now and obediently offer my neck clean, Ji Wuye will not let me go. He will only think I am weak and easy to bully, and then he will tear me to pieces without hesitation."

Han Fei slammed his wine cup heavily onto the table, splashing wine everywhere. He raised his head, his gaze piercing as he looked at Wei Zhuang, and said, word by word:

"So, I don't mind if he hates me even more! I want him to know that I, Han Fei, am not a pushover! Since he dared to do the first thing, I dare to do the fifteenth! He wants to force me to my death with 100,000 taels of gold, I'll make him bleed profusely and show him what it means to try to steal a chicken and lose the rice instead!"

Silence fell over the room once again.

Only Han Fei's resounding words still echoed in the air.

After listening to this, Wei Zhuang's cold face did not show much change in expression, but a bright look of admiration flashed in his deep eyes.

This is the kind of person Wei Zhuang is willing to cooperate with.

Unafraid of powerful forces, daring to break the deadlock, and able to maintain a clear mind and a fierce fighting spirit even in desperate situations.

Wei Zhuang nodded slowly, his slender fingers tapping lightly on the table, making a "tap, tap" sound.

"Since you've made up your mind, then go for it." Wei Zhuang's voice remained cold, but now held a firmness. "Leave the Nightfall assassins to me. As for that fat tiger, that's up to you, Ninth Prince."

Upon hearing this, Han Fei's solemn expression vanished instantly, replaced by his usual carefree smile. He raised his wine jug and offered a toast to Wei Zhuang across the distance: "With Brother Wei Zhuang's words, I, Han Fei, feel completely reassured."

……

On the other side, Qin Anju.

Deep inside Qin Anju, in a secluded private room that was extremely elegantly decorated and well-soundproofed.

The fragrance of sandalwood wafts through the air, accompanied by the gentle strains of a guqin.

Ying Chen, dressed in a black brocade robe, stood with his hands behind his back by the window.

His posture was as upright as a pine tree, exuding a unique majesty and unfathomable aura of a superior. He quietly gazed at the bustling scenery of Xinzheng City outside the window, his eyes as deep as the boundless night sky, making it impossible for anyone to guess what he was thinking.

The door to the private room was gently pushed open, and the manager of Qin Anju, a middle-aged man who appeared to be amiable and good at making money but was actually shrewd and capable, strode in.

He stood three steps behind Ying Chen, bowed respectfully, and performed a very proper salute.

"My lord," the shopkeeper said in a low voice, his tone filled with absolute awe and obedience.