It is said that Qin Shihuang was controlled by a daughter

Zhang Liang tried countless times to reach the other side of the river, but turbulent whirlpools appeared on the river surface again and again. In the splashing white foam, there were reflections of the past, and because they were shadows, they seemed particularly unreal.

He finally understood what it meant to be like a dream. He seemed to not know whether to take a step forward with his left foot or to step back with his right foot. While he was waiting, the river gradually calmed down.

This river is the moat of Liyang, and its tributaries meander into the Wei River, flowing all the way to the Yellow River and directly to the Bohai Bay - the territory of Qi State.

From beginning to end, Zhang Yuan never received any news from Zhilan Palace. He believed that this was Yong'an's rejection of the Zhang family.

During this period, Yao Jia asked Zhang Yuan once in a roundabout way. Zhang Yuan did not like Yao Jia, but his attitude this time was a 180-degree change from before. He basically meant that Li Si and Princess Yong'an were too busy to ask about their affairs. If they had any problems in Liyang, they could send someone to write to him.

When Yao Jia said this, he told Zhang Yuan a message - if they could continue to behave themselves like this, Ying Zheng would most likely not pursue the Zhang family's guilt anymore.

This is a good thing.

But Zhang Yuan still looked worried in an unnatural way.

"I don't know what's on my brother's mind. What should I do if this continues?"

Zheng Chou was silent for a moment, recalling that Ying Hehua had personally summoned her father not long ago.

She moved a rice plant in her hand and said, "Your brother has just recovered from a serious illness, so he may not be used to it yet." She continued, "The weather is nice in spring, so we can invite him to go outside with us, maybe he will feel better."

It is strange to say, since they were moved out of Xianyang, they must have been under constant surveillance, but no one in the Qin court restricted their activities.

Zhang Yuan never liked to think about meaningless things, so he stopped thinking about it.

The breeze blew the hair by Zheng Chou's ears, and he finally noticed the small black mole above her nose.

It seemed as if he had seen her many years ago.

-

Linzi in Qi had also lost its severe cold. It had just rained, and the rainwater flowed freely along the drainage pipes. There was no water on the main street leading to the palace. The shops were neatly lined up on both sides, and the merchants set out early in the morning to rush to the market.

In early spring, the weather is warm and the rain under the sun makes the shops and streets shine brightly.

Also shining brightly were the dazzling jewels in Hou Sheng's hands - the glittering gold was no longer rare, the oriental pearls as bright as the moon were no longer shiny enough, and the agarwood and rhinoceros horn treasures could no longer attract Hou Sheng's attention.

A perfect golden nanmu carved wall is decorated with bird, animal and fish patterns. In the middle of the intricate carvings is a round piece of jasper, which is emerald green without a trace of impurities.

This priceless jade wall was brought by Chen Ping.

Li Si and Yao Jia had arranged secret council members in the six countries long ago, and there were naturally quite a few in Qi, which provided a lot of convenience for Chen Ping's movement.

Hou Sheng's skill in raising the price was even better than Guo Kai's. Having been immersed in the cultural environment of a country of etiquette for many years, Hou Sheng was different from the average profit-seeking person.

The art of speaking is one of them.

Spring is not always warm. It has been raining in Linzi these days, so the weather is cold.

Hou Sheng was also old, wearing a tall hat and thick robe, and a dark brown fox fur coat. His tone was neither fast nor slow, and his every move was polite and courteous.

"I understand what the Qin envoy said. Xunzi is a saint of his time, and the King of Qin invited him to Qin. It is a blessing for Xunzi. However, he lost his favorite student in his old age, and he must be very upset. Moreover, he is already old this year, and the journey to Qin is thousands of miles away. How can he show his sincerity to the saint?"

The ups and downs of his words neither lost his sincerity towards the State of Qin for many years nor the dignity that the State of Qi should have, and he was also considerate of Xunzi.

Chen Ping is not like Zhang Liang at all. Although this trip was a secret, Chen Ping was the mastermind.

"Xunzi was a native of Zhao. Although he served as the chief priest of Qi three times, he later went to Lanling, Chu, to serve as the county magistrate. If the King of Qi had not strongly invited him, why would he have come to Qi?"

Chen Ping paused for a moment before speaking slowly, "Are you trying to imitate others?"

This sentence quickly reminds people of the incident where Han An sent Han Fei as a hostage to Qin.

Hou Sheng glanced at the jade bi and sandalwood carved screen, turned his head away from the intricate carvings on it, and placed his hand on his stomach.

"The Qin envoy doesn't need to hint at me with Han Fei. Haha, I don't care what kind of prime minister I will become. However, does the Qin envoy think that old Xunzi is really the key to this secret talk?"

Chen Ping turned his head and raised his hand to prop up a small corner of the window in the guest room. He casually glanced down outside, then turned his head back and said seriously, "The Prime Minister has his own way of running the Qi State, and it has been very effective over the years."

Hou Sheng smiled and rubbed the jade stone in his hand greedily. "Before you, there were many people who advised me to do this. Why should I give you such a great opportunity for nothing?"

Most of people’s desires are similar, but what they seek are different.

Hou Sheng is different from Guo Kai.

Chen Ping set his eyes on the rare treasures he had placed in front of Hou Sheng.

In a country that values ​​commerce, people rely more on the actual goods.

"Of course it's because the price I offered is higher than others."

Hou Sheng didn't take it seriously. He had already done a thorough investigation of who had gotten Chen Ping's current position as an envoy.

The State of Wei had been in decline for a long time, and Chen Ping came from a poor country family. How could such a man dare to speak so wildly?

Hou Sheng couldn't help but smile contemptuously.

Chen Ping asked someone to carry up another box.

The servant carefully opened the lid of the box - Hou Sheng was stunned! A unique work of art!
The best crystal in the world is not as good as it. A nine-story pagoda half a meter high, with embossed cloud and grass patterns on all the uneven places, and a pearl with a diameter of ten centimeters on the top, which is rare even on the coast of the East China Sea!

What’s even more legendary is that the crystal clear tower body shines brightly under the candlelight, like the light of a silver sword, and the refracted fluorescence instantly fills the entire secret room.

Chen Ping sent someone to gently turn the nanmu base of the object. As it turned, the pagoda naturally emitted pleasant Shao music. The colorful light and the Shao music were so dazzling that Hou Sheng almost felt dizzy.

Hou Sheng was stunned.

Not to mention Hou Sheng, everyone was stunned when this artifact was carried from Zhilan Palace to the main hall of Qin State for the first time.

"Whose craftsman made this? What kind of skilled worker could have made such a beautiful thing?"

With the praise of Hou Sheng.

The servant's technique was well-trained. When Chen Ping called for a stop, the music from the pagoda came to an abrupt end. The music suddenly stopped in the room without a trace of lingering music.

This is what makes people feel itchy.

Hou Sheng had to pay a price for his disdain just now - it made him feel anxious, but he couldn't humble himself and ask Chen Ping to open it again.

Chen Ping himself knew that he was bribing people. He could stimulate the most essential desires in people's hearts and utilize them. This was his ability.

"Fame, wealth and honor are all external things." Chen Ping said leisurely.

His next sentence was: The only things you can hold in your hands are gold, silver and jewelry.

They are all smart people. Hou Sheng understood what he meant after just a glance.

"I know that you used 30,000 gold to alienate the King of Chu and the Xiang family. Do you think that old Xunzi is worth this price?"

He glanced at Hou Sheng, who was dazzled by the dazzling lights, and Chen Ping just smiled.

"Thirty thousand gold is not nothing. Qin conquered the five kingdoms, and the treasury is filled with inexhaustible treasures. There are many exquisite items like this one."

When Chen Ping saw Hou Sheng squinting at him, he took a step back to the side of the pagoda to make a suitable position for Hou Sheng.

The glass clearly reflected his slender figure, and his slightly upturned smile looked sincere and tender.

"Xunzi invited me first. On the road of Linzi in Qi, the wheels of the carriages collided and the shoulders of the people formed a curtain. If the prime minister considers the people of Qi, it will not hurt the people's harmony and the harmony of nature. Qi and Qin are one, how much more can the prime minister gain?"

Hou Sheng said nothing.

Fifteen days later, a man indeed appeared in the old Jixia Pavilion.

The so-called "Blood, energy and physical strength will decline, but wisdom, consideration and choice will never decline." This is from Xunzi, who is revered as a saint.

When the Qi soldiers surrounded him, the flash of swords and shadows appeared before his eyes again.

He was so calm and composed.

He has white hair and looks very old.

In my 90 years of life, I have experienced too many wars, such as the Battle of Changping and the Battle of Handan...

I have seen too many lives and deaths, Bai Qi, Fan Zeng, Huang Xie...

Han, Zhao, Wei, Chu and Yan have fallen under the banner of Qin.

What he saw more were people who were displaced, forced to leave their homes, and suffering deeply from the war.

When Chen Ping met Xunzi, he was sitting at his desk writing something without saying a word.

A student about forty years old was serving respectfully at his side.

Xunzi's hair was white and his speech was unclear. The hand that was writing the letter was shaking due to the decline of his body functions.

Chen Ping did not know that Xunzi had visited Qin a long time ago, nor did he know that Yingji had once told Xunzi that "Confucianism is of no benefit to a country."

"Who are you?" the student asked.

Chen Ping recognized this student through his waist badge - Sikong Ma, who had worked with Li Si under Lu Buwei.

Xunzi was initially a little surprised by his arrival.

Chen Ping heard Xunzi's trembling laugh again, "It's good that the Qin people haven't forgotten."

It was not until Chen Ping participated in the conversation between Ying Hehua and Xunzi that he truly realized why Li Si was so wary of Ying Hehua.

Not only her behavior, but also what she thinks is absolutely extraordinary.

Xunzi is indeed a true master.

Only he could teach Li Si and Han Fei, and also teach Zhang Cang of Zheng.

He wandered all his life, coexisting with chaos, and never lost hope. (End of this chapter)