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

"By then, the problem of military pay will be solved, and Emerald Tiger will have nothing left, his entire fortune gone!"

A deathly silence fell over the private room.

"Ninth Young Master, your plan... is practically perfect." Zi Nu took a deep breath, trying to calm the turmoil in her heart. "However, there is still one fatal flaw in it."

"Oh? Please speak, Miss Zi Nu." Han Fei humbly sought guidance.

"Time," Zi Nu pointed out the crux of the problem. "His Majesty has only given you ten days. Transporting grain from Wei is a long and arduous journey with complicated customs procedures. Within ten days, the grain simply won't reach Xinzheng. If the grain can't be transported, the price of grain won't come down, and Emerald Tiger won't collapse. Your gamble is doomed to fail."

Upon hearing this question, Han Fei's smile gradually faded. He remained silent for a moment, then raised his head, looking at Zi Nu with unwavering determination.

"Therefore, we need the strong support of Miss Zi Nu and Zi Lan Xuan."

Han Fei bowed deeply to Zi Nu.

"The grain that Zilan Pavilion has stockpiled in and around Xinzheng City over the years, while not enough to supply the entire state of Han, is sufficient to sustain Xinzheng City for half a month. I want to borrow grain from Miss Zinu! Before Wei's grain arrives, use Zilan Pavilion's reserves to forcefully drive down the grain price in Xinzheng!"

"Not only that, I also need Miss Zi Nu to use all her connections to block the news of Wei's impending grain shipment, while simultaneously spreading the word that Zi Lan Xuan's grain reserves are inexhaustible. I want to psychologically crush Emerald Tiger completely!"

This is an extremely risky move. If Han Fei's plan fails, the wealth that Zi Lan Xuan has accumulated over the years will be lost, and it may even suffer a vicious revenge from the Nightfall.

Zi Nu quietly watched Han Fei, who remained in a bowing posture, her peach blossom eyes flashing with countless complex emotions. There was hesitation, there was worry, but there was no retreat.

Han Fei was someone they had already chosen and selected.

However, the necessary procedures still need to be followed.

"Ninth Young Master, are you trying to completely tie Zilan Pavilion to your war chariot?" Zi Nu sighed softly.

"If Korea falls, how can Zilan Pavilion remain unscathed?" Han Fei raised his head, his gaze piercing. "In the end, someone must break this deadlock. I, Han Fei, am willing to be that player, even if it means my own destruction! Miss Zinu, would you be willing to join me in this chaotic world to build something that belongs to us... 'Quicksand'?"

"Quicksand?" Zi Nu murmured the name softly, a strange light flashing in her eyes.

"Like quicksand, life and death are unpredictable." Han Fei's voice carried a powerful, infectious force. "We must be like quicksand, all-pervasive and indestructible. We must use the sword of law to sever the corrupt roots of this state; we must use the shadow of technique to bury those greedy parasites! The Emerald Tiger is merely the first touchstone for our quicksand!"

Looking at Han Fei's face, which radiated idealism, Zi Nu suddenly smiled.

"Since Young Master has such lofty ambitions, wouldn't it be too rude of me not to accompany him to the end?"

Zi Nu walked to the table, picked up the cup of sobering tea that had long since gone cold, and offered it as a toast to Han Fei from afar.

"This round, Zilanxuan takes it!"

Han Fei laughed heartily, picked up his wine cup again, and clinked it heavily against Zi Nu's teacup.

"bite--"

The next day, the sun was high in the sky.

The sky over Xinzheng City is like a sapphire that has been washed by water, clear and bright.

The cries of street vendors and the rumble of horse-drawn carriages mingled together, creating a unique and vibrant symphony in this Korean capital.

In the elegant pavilion on the top floor of Zilan Pavilion, sunlight streamed through the carved windows, casting dappled shadows on the floor.

Ying Chen, dressed in a loose-fitting black brocade robe, leaned lazily against the soft couch. Jing Ni stood quietly to the side, holding a scroll of bamboo slips and reading softly, while Gongsun Li brewed tea, the fragrant aroma filling the room.

In this tranquil and pleasant moment, the wooden door of the Elegant Pavilion was pushed open without any politeness.

Accompanied by a strong smell of alcohol, Han Fei staggered in.

He still carried an exquisite wine jug in his hand, and his handsome face had a hint of languor from being hungover, but his eyes were surprisingly bright, like two stars burning in the dark night.

"Brother Ying, what a fine mood you're in!" Han Fei swaggered over to the table opposite Ying Chen, plopped down, and slammed the wine pot heavily on the table. "Since we parted yesterday, I've been longing for Brother Ying's insightful views. So, my thirst for wine has been stirred, and I've shamelessly come to ask for a cup of wine again."

Ying Chen slightly raised his eyelids, looking at the seemingly dissolute but actually meticulous Ninth Young Master of Korea before him, a playful smile curving his lips. He waved his hand, signaling Jing Ni and Gongsun Li to step back for the time being.

After the door closed again, Ying Chen sat up straight, picked up a cup of tea, and looked at Han Fei with a half-smile: "Ninth Young Master got completely drunk at Zilan Pavilion yesterday, and you've come to find me so early this morning. I'm afraid it's not just about asking for a drink, is it? Tell me, what are you plotting this time?"

Han Fei chuckled, making no attempt to hide his feelings. He picked up the teapot in front of Ying Chen, poured himself a cup of hot tea, and drank it all in one gulp, using the bitterness of the tea to suppress the smell of alcohol in his stomach.

"Brother Ying is straightforward, so I, Han Fei, will get straight to the point." Han Fei's nonchalant expression vanished, replaced by an unusually serious one. He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice, "I've come today to discuss a deal with Brother Ying—a sure-fire, lucrative deal that will make you incredibly wealthy!"

"Oh?" Ying Chen raised an eyebrow, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes. He feigned ignorance and asked, "Is there such a good thing in Xinzheng City? Why don't you tell me about it, Ninth Young Master?"

Han Fei took a deep breath and revealed to Ying Chen the "cut off the fuel supply" plan he had discussed with Zi Nu the night before, without reservation.

From using false rumors about the severe drought in Nanyang and unusual activity on the Qin border to create momentum, to luring Fei Cuihu into hoarding grain with all his wealth, to secretly transferring cheap grain from Wei to disrupt the market, and finally forcing Fei Cuihu, whose cash flow had dried up, to mortgage his property... Han Fei described every step in great detail and with clear logic.

"Jade Tiger is greedy by nature. In order to monopolize grain prices, he will inevitably go on a buying spree in the market. But his cash is limited. Once his cash runs out, he will use his farmland, shops, villas, and even his priceless antiques and jade artifacts as collateral for loans."

Han Fei stared intently at Ying Chen, revealing the true purpose of his trip: "In this Xinzheng City, there are very few people who can take over such a massive industry as Jade Tiger in one go and have the cash to spare. Although Zilanxuan has some resources, if they were to take it all over, it would inevitably arouse the vigilance of Nightfall."

"Therefore," Han Fei slammed his teacup down on the table, "I need Brother Ying's help! With your wealth and resources, as long as you're willing to take over Jade Tiger's collateral, this game will become a stalemate! Once the grain price in Xinzheng plummets and Jade Tiger's grain becomes a pile of wasteland, the properties he mortgaged to you will rightfully belong to 'Ying'!"

After hearing Han Fei's grand plan, Ying Chen did not speak immediately.

Feng Yu and Lin present "The Great Qin: Ying Zheng is My Brother, I am the Bad Commander", exclusively published by Cola Novels!