Diqin Designer

Chapter 125 Zhang Liang Meets the King of Qin

After Zhang Liang entered Xianyang, he thought it would take some time before he could be summoned by the King of Qin.

Because even if someone recommended him to the King of Qin, saying that he had an extraordinary family background and great talent, he had no real achievements after all and was still an unknown person in the world.

Even if the King of Qin was interested in him, he would not meet him too soon.

However, he did not expect that on the day he entered Xianyang, the King of Qin sent an envoy to inform him that he would summon him the next day and asked him to be prepared.

This made Zhang Liang feel something was wrong. Why was the recommendation letter so effective that it made the King of Qin so interested in him?
Or had the King of Qin guessed the purpose of his visit and deliberately wanted to meet him?

If it was the latter, wouldn't it mean that everything had been seen through when he arrived in Xianyang and his plans had not yet begun?
But, what if it was the latter? He had no way back. Besides, what if he was just worrying too much and it might be the former?

He was unwilling to let it end like this without giving it a try.

The next day, with a voice saying "Summon Zhang Liang to the emperor!", Zhang Liang stepped into the Zhangtai Palace and came into Ying Zheng's sight.

Ying Zheng had a very good first impression of Zhang Liang.

He was wearing a simple light blue dress, which did not look shabby but rather clean and neat. Coupled with his beautiful face like a pretty girl, he was a delight to the eye just standing there.

Not only modern people are obsessed with appearance, but ancient people were too. People with good looks also had an advantage in ancient times. For example, those top scorers in the imperial examinations often had good looks.

It is said that a certain man who wrote "If I were the Jade Emperor in that year, I would let the peach blossoms bloom together" was deprived of the qualification of the top scholar by the emperor because of his ugly appearance, and then he was furious and gave the emperor a big punishment.

Having a good-looking and talented person working under you will make you feel happier, not to mention that the young man in front of you is so talented and good-looking.

Ying Zheng thought: "No wonder Li Nian admires him so much, it's a pity that he can't be used by me or the Qin!"

Even though the person he was meeting was the King of Qin, the only king in the world and the most powerful person in the world, Zhang Liang remained calm and saluted Ying Zheng in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "Commoner Zhang Liang greets the King of Qin!"

His manners were perfect and there was nothing wrong with them. His tone was gentle and soft, and when people heard it, it felt like a spring breeze in their ears.

If Ying Zheng knew the popular internet quotes of later generations, he would definitely say “a gentleman without parallel in the world.”

Ying Zheng could see that this was not an act, but what he did at his own will. Unlike the day when Xu Fu was captured, Xu Fu's calmness was all an act.

But this also shows that this person has a very strong will and can act according to his heart and will not go against his inner will. Once he makes a decision, it is difficult to change it.

Thinking this in his mind, Ying Zheng said: "Your courtesy name is 'Zi Fang', right? I am older than you, how about calling you 'Zi Fang'?"

Zhang Liang was slightly surprised by the Qin King's intimate address to him, and thought secretly: Could it be that I was wrong, and the Qin King did not guess his intention?
But this is a good thing for him. The King of Qin has a good impression of him, so what he wants to do is more likely to succeed.

This was a good start, better than he had expected!
Zhang Liang bowed and said, "Your Majesty, if you would like to call me Liang by my given name, it would be a great honor for me. How dare I refuse?"

Ying Zheng pointed to a chair in the hall and said, "Zifang, sit down and talk!"

When Zhang Liang saw the chair, he knew that it must be one of the gifts made by the King of Qin to the people of the world.

When Zhang Liang heard that the King of Qin had given him a chair, a strange picture emerged in his mind: when the King of Qin and the ministers of the Great Qin were discussing matters, all the ministers in the hall were sitting on chairs. That scene felt strange...

After saying "Thank you, Your Majesty!", Zhang Liang sat on the chair and instantly realized the advantages of the chair. Ying Zheng asked casually, "Zifang did not come to Xianyang before, why did you come now?"

Zhang Liang secretly said in his heart, "It's begun!" This meant that the King of Qin had begun to test him, and it was also an opportunity for him to show his talents.

If he passes successfully, he will gain the trust of the King of Qin. If he fails, then everything will be over.

In this era, many talented people experienced this and were valued by the king and rose to prominence. For example, Wei Liao was recommended to Ying Zheng by Li Si. Ying Zheng talked with him and was impressed by his talent, so he appointed him as the national lieutenant.

Zhang Liang had already anticipated this situation and had thought of many questions that the King of Qin might ask.

He said: "I didn't go to Xianyang before because I hadn't learned enough, and the world hadn't been unified yet, so I was waiting and watching."

"Now the king has unified the world, and his power is supreme. He has created an unprecedented cause, which makes me admire him."

"I think about it day and night. This world is unprecedented. The changes in this world are also unprecedented. What should I do in this world?"

"Will you live in mediocrity, be just a passer-by in the world, and be buried in the dust after a hundred years? Or will you be unwilling to live like this, stand up and join the game, achieve great achievements, and leave your name in history?"

Zhang Liang's words were a mixture of truth and falsehood.

If there were no national hatred or family feud, he had indeed imagined joining the Qin Dynasty to make achievements and leave his name in history, but there is no if!

"It was late at night and the dew was cool. Liang suddenly woke up. When he asked this question, he already had the answer in his heart. Liang was not willing to be just a passing traveler in the world."

"You are indeed unwilling to be a passing traveler in the world, but you are also unwilling to be a minister of the Qin Dynasty and give me advice. Your plan is bigger than what you say!"

Although he knew Zhang Liang's intention, Ying Zheng did not reveal it at all. He said, "So Zifang came to Xianyang, and also wanted to participate in this unprecedented change?"

Zhang Liang said, "That's right. This is a time of great change, and many talented people have gathered here. I think I have some wisdom, and I would like to join this game and meet the world's talents!"

Be humble when you should be humble, and show your talents when you should.

Now, in front of the King of Qin, it is time for him to show his talents. If he continues to be modest, the King of Qin will only think that he is not confident and look down on him.

Ying Zheng said: "Zifang is not just a little bit smart. As far as I know, Zifang's wisdom is hard to compare with in the history."

Zhang Liang keenly heard the problem in the King of Qin's words.

Let’s not talk about the sentence “Zifang’s wisdom is hard to compare with anyone else throughout the ages”, which may be considered as exaggerating him, but the sentence “as far as I know” is very problematic.

He was not well-known and not many people in the world knew him. The King of Qin probably got to know him from the bamboo slips that recommended him.

But now from what the King of Qin said, it seems that the King of Qin has other channels to know him, and that is not an ordinary channel, and that channel makes the King of Qin very confident!
That channel or that person or those people know him and are familiar with him?
A thought suddenly popped up in Zhang Liang's mind that surprised him: Could it be that the channel that allowed the King of Qin to know about him was his goal of entering Xianyang this time?

After thinking about this, Zhang Liang had more doubts in his mind: Did that person know him? What did that person tell the King of Qin about him?
Judging from the King of Qin's current attitude towards him, that person should have said good things about him to the King of Qin.

This made Zhang Liang feel a little ashamed. Others spoke well of him to the King of Qin, but he came here to kill them.

(End of this chapter)