Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 208 Li Si Meets Han Fei, Cultivating Fate as a Persuasive Agent

"Xianyang City!"

Outside Xianyang, in the Qin state, a young man stopped and looked at two characters on the city wall. His gaze became distant, as if he were listening to the songs of time.

Legend has it that its name comes from its geographical location. This place is located south of Jiuzong Mountain and north of the Wei River. Both the mountain and the river are sunny, hence the name "Xianyang".

The overall city planning adopts the concept of "imitating the heavens and following the earth," with the Wei River flowing through the city, forming a pattern of "the Wei River running through the capital, resembling the Milky Way."

Later, Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, stormed into Xianyang, burned down the palaces, and the fire raged for three months, eventually reducing the ancient city to ruins.

Along with the fall of this ancient city came the dynasty that rose like a comet and then fell swiftly: the Qin Dynasty, a dynasty that broke new ground in history, which perished after only two generations.

"People in front, make way!!"

Just then, a voice came from behind the street. The boy didn't say much, but stepped aside to make way.

Then several fast horses galloped away in a cloud of dust.

"It's an urgent message! It seems there's more good news from the front lines!"

"I just don't know if this news is from South Korea or Zhao."

“My eldest son went to South Korea. This time, he’ll definitely get a general’s position.”

"Dream on. Being a general isn't that easy."

As the fast horse galloped into Xianyang City without any hindrance, the local people smiled and started talking amongst themselves.

These people don't seem to be that afraid of war; for them, war is the best way to change the status quo.

Upon hearing these words, the boy gently shook his head.

Relying on Junmo's words to seal the affairs of the princes, one will succeed in a thousand bones.

War is cruel to everyone, and it is definitely not as wonderful as they imagine. Only a very small number of people can be ennobled and appointed as generals.

When a war ends, all people see is the triumphant return, but they don't see the countless families torn apart, with elderly parents burying their children.

In this war that swept across seven kingdoms, who will be the lucky ones? Even the common people here may not be able to completely escape the persecution of this war, and among the men who went to the battlefield, who can guarantee that they will definitely come back alive?

Just like what the old man said about the Korean battlefield, if his eldest son really wanted to gain military merit, he would definitely be at the forefront. At that time, would he still be able to decide his own life and death?
The boy lifted his foot and stepped onto the hard bluestone road, remaining silent. As the capital of Qin, the streets here were much better built than in other places.

Before I knew it, it started raining.

As autumn arrives, the rain brings a touch of coolness to people.

"The phoenix rises from the ashes; after its rebirth, will it be reborn or destroyed?"

The boy sighed softly to himself.

He abhorred war, yet he also respected it.

Because war inevitably leads to death, many people die, perhaps not hundreds or thousands, but tens of thousands, even millions.

However, some wars are unavoidable and must be fought.

A sentence often lingered in his mind: "Peace will survive if we seek it through struggle, but it will perish if we seek it through compromise."

For this era, war is inevitable in order to achieve peace and stability.

Raindrops fell, bouncing gently about half a foot away from the boy. In the rain, the boy's figure suddenly became fainter and fainter, until he miraculously disappeared from the spot.

Today, a person of unparalleled honor has arrived at the Qin State's prison. King Ying Zheng of Qin, who now holds the reins of power, has humbled himself to come here.

He stayed for a full two hours, and when he left, the master of Qin looked extremely grim.

About half a day later, the Prime Minister's carriage stopped again at the entrance of the prison.

Prime Minister Li Si walked in with a complicated expression. Following the jailer, he went to the deepest part of the prison and looked at the young man in the cell. Li Si remained silent for a long time.

After a long while, Li Si finally spoke, "Senior Brother Han Fei, how have you been?"

The person in the prison was none other than Han Fei, the ninth prince of the state of Han.

"It is you!"

Han Fei was still dozing off, but when he heard the sound, he slowly opened his eyes, a smile appearing in them.

For this guest, reuniting with an old friend was still a joyous occasion.

However, he also knew that his junior brother's visit today was probably not for anything good.

"When my senior brother returned to the State of Han, I chose the State of Qin. We made a pact to have a showdown."

At this point, Li Si paused, his tone somewhat wistful. Even now, as the Prime Minister of Qin, he still dared not underestimate the Ninth Prince of Han.

As a favored minister of Ying Zheng, he knew just how much the King of Qin valued this young man.

Han Fei waved his hand upon hearing the other party's words.

"It's obvious that you won that deal."

Upon hearing this, Li Si was taken aback.

He hadn't expected that the other party would be so indifferent to his defeat.

"Senior brother, have you ever considered that if you had chosen Great Qin back then, you might be the one who wins now? Because in this game, it's not just the two of us at stake, but the two countries."

"The Qin Dynasty has an unparalleled advantage over the Han Dynasty. At the very beginning of this game, I already had half of the territory. The worst outcome would only be a draw!"

Upon hearing the other party's words, Han Fei's lips curled into a smile.

"Junior brother, are you here to laugh at me today?"

Li Si shook his head.

"how come!"

“You are, after all, my senior brother. If you do not mind, I am willing to give up my position as prime minister so that you can display your talents and ambitions.”

Han Fei, who was lying down, sat up abruptly upon hearing Li Si's words.

He thought he knew his junior brother very well, but today's words forced him to re-evaluate the person in front of him.

He relinquished the position of prime minister so that I would be asked to advise Ying Zheng?
Looking at Li Si's expressionless face, Han Fei suddenly laughed twice. The person was still the same person. His junior brother was still the same politician who liked to pursue fame and fortune. His words now were just a pretext!

The other party was certain that the request would not be granted, or perhaps it was just for show. Back in Xinzheng, he knew that Qin had a net that covered the seven states, and that net had a unique name—the Net of Law.

The master of this network today is none other than the master of this empire—Ying Zheng.

"Did he send you as an intermediary?"

Dealing with intelligent people can sometimes be quite boring, just like now, where Li Si neither nodded nor shook his head.

He knew that person absolutely did not want to see the current situation, so he could not nod. But Han Fei was no ordinary person after all, and the other party had already guessed the truth of the matter.

"Ji Wuye has already sided with Qin; Han is doomed."

A shocking piece of information was revealed by Li Si, and for Han Fei, perhaps nothing had a greater impact than this.

Upon hearing this, Han Fei remained calm and even lay back down.

Upon seeing this, Li Si frowned. From his perspective, Han Fei's reaction was not right.

After a moment of silence, Li Si asked again, "Senior brother, you already knew about this?"

Han Fei smiled and shook his head.

"Nightfall has long been associated with the Net of Heaven. Quicksand knew about this years ago. Ji Wuye's defection to Qin was expected. Whether he knew or not makes no difference to me."

Li Si greatly admired Han Fei's composure, but he also knew where Han Fei's bottom line lay.

Then the Prime Minister of Qin spoke again, saying, "Does Senior Brother feel nothing about the destruction of Han? General Teng, the Minister of the Interior, has led an army of 300,000 men eastward. In a month or so at most, they will arrive at Xinzheng and be at the city gates."

Upon hearing this, Han Fei sighed softly.

He had heard of Neishi Teng. He was originally the governor of Nanyang in the state of Han, but later defected to the state of Qin and was appointed governor of Nanyang by the King of Qin.

Both were governors of Nanyang, one from the state of Han and the other from the state of Qin. One guarded Han's natural barrier, while the other was the vanguard attacking Han.

For South Korea, this result is indeed quite ironic.

"How dare Qin value a surrendered general so highly? If Nei Shi Teng could betray Han, one day he will betray Qin as well." "Our master taught us that a gentleman understands righteousness, while a petty person understands profit. How could a petty person who only knows how to pursue profit be willing to sacrifice everything for Qin?"

Outside the prison, upon hearing Han Fei's words, the expressions of the two men beside Li Si changed.

Such a conclusion seemed highly plausible to them; how could someone who had betrayed their former master guarantee that they wouldn't betray their new one?

"Those who understand the times are wise. In the present world, Qin is the most powerful country. Even if General Neishi Teng has that idea, there is no better country for him to choose from."

"Furthermore, Qin will only grow stronger in the future. Under these circumstances, do you think he has any other options?"

Han Fei suddenly chuckled.

"Junior brother, how did you determine that General Neishi Teng had truly defected to the Qin state?"

"Three hundred thousand Qin soldiers, that's quite a number. I'd like to see if Qin will still have the ability to continue its eastward advance if it loses three hundred thousand men in this battle."

Li Si's face darkened. Although he didn't believe Han Fei's words, he couldn't guarantee that the situation Han Fei described wouldn't happen.

The two people beside him exchanged a glance, and one of them turned and left.

Now that the states of Qin and Han are at war, the generals facing off have a huge impact on the entire battle, and there is no room for carelessness.

"Senior brother, such petty cleverness cannot change the fate of South Korea."

Han Fei waved his hand.

"Junior brother, that person should be asking you questions soon."

Li Si clenched his fists tightly. He hadn't gained any advantage in this confrontation, even though the young man opposite him had already been imprisoned.

"My lord, the king requests your presence."

A short while later, a jailer walked over quickly and whispered something in his ear.

Li Si gave his senior brother a deep look. He had to admit that some people were indeed very talented in certain areas, such as the one in front of him. A murderous intent rose in the heart of the Prime Minister of Qin.

After a while, Han Fei slowly opened his eyes.

In the silent cell, there was no one else but him. This was a special treatment given to him by that person. This cell, located in the deepest part of the Heavenly Prison, was separate from the cells in front of it.

"Neishiteng"

To be honest, the betrayal of this Nanyang garrison commander was completely unexpected and caught the state off guard.

He had already anticipated that Ji Wuye would eventually betray him, so when Li Si mentioned that matter, his expression did not change at all.

Now that he has come to Qin, Wei Zhuang, Zi Nu, and Zhang Liang are still in the quicksand, so it will not have a significant impact on the situation in Xinzheng.

And he also had a new trump card: his younger sister, Honglian.

She didn't know what that boy had taught her that led to her improvement. Over the years, he had taught her to become someone else entirely. Although there was still some difference between her and her original self, the difference wasn't significant.

In his view, whether he was in the quicksand or not was no longer of much importance.

However, the current situation is still very pessimistic for South Korea. Apart from the soldiers in Xinzheng, South Korea has almost no soldiers left outside. In recent years, Qin has been constantly encroaching on South Korea's territory. Even with the heroic efforts of people like Xueyi Hou, the number of soldiers is decreasing rapidly. In other words, no matter how brilliant a plan is, it still requires enough manpower to implement it.

Today, South Korea no longer has the strength to resist the Qin army's iron hooves.

"I just don't know if Zhang Liang's strategy of forming alliances and counter-alliances will actually have the desired effect!"

Thinking of his final arrangements, the ninth prince of South Korea sighed softly again.

Suddenly, Han Fei frowned.

Because everything around became extremely quiet, a quiet that was different from stillness; it was a stillness in which even sound was blocked out.

"Is Ninth Prince lamenting that ending?"

A somewhat familiar voice rang in Han Fei's mind, causing him to pause in surprise.

"It's you?"

Han Fei's tone carried a hint of surprise; he seemed not to have expected to see that person again in this place.

Should I address you as Xiuyuan, or as Master Qingxu of the Heavenly Sect?

The moment he spoke, Han Fei felt a slight darkness before his eyes, and the world lost its color. Even the oil lamp beside him, which emitted an orange glow, turned white.

A young man suddenly emerged from the void.

"A name is just a label! Ninth Young Master can call me whatever he wants."

Han Fei tried to move his body and found that there was no resistance. He asked incredulously, "This should be the Heavenly Sect's ultimate skill, 'The World Loses Its Color,' right? But I heard that once this ultimate skill is used, all living beings within the domain will lose all ability to move, and they won't even be able to speak."

The newcomer was Xiu Yuan. He glanced at the other party and said leisurely, "The world has lost its color. Ultimately, it is because of an absolute domain formed by my inner strength. Within this domain, I am the master. I can make those people unable to utter a sound, and naturally, I can also make you move freely."

Upon hearing this, Han Fei touched his chin. If that was the case, then he understood.

"I see. But why would Master Qingxu come to see a prisoner like me at this time?"

"Could it be that Master Qingxu is also here as a persuader?"

Xiu Yuan stood outside the cell, his gaze becoming very profound.

"South Korea's defeat is now irreversible, and the same applies if you are in Xinzheng now."

The voice came again, without much variation, seemingly stating a fact rather than anything else.

Han Fei responded with an "oh" upon hearing this.

"What do you mean by that, Master?"

Xiu Yuan shook his head.

"Back in Xinzheng, I told you, sir, that someone would come to end this chaotic world."

"Currently, Qin's military campaign against Han is divided into two lines, one overt and one covert. Neishi Teng is in the open, while Wang Jian is in the covert. Even if Neishi Teng is replaced, it will not have a significant impact on the war situation. In fact, for Han, this situation will be more troublesome."

"As for the alliance strategy you arranged for Zifang and Weizhuang to implement, I'm afraid it will have little effect. Zhao is currently preoccupied with its own problems, as is Wei, and even Chu."

"The six kingdoms of today have lost the conditions for forming alliances, and their kings have long lost the fighting spirit of their predecessors. They will absolutely not agree to that plan."

Upon hearing this, Han Fei seemed unconvinced. Even if the kings were unaware of the proverb "if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold," the ministers in the court should have heard of it. The present state of Han was remarkably similar to the state of Guo in the past. After destroying Han, one of the six states' allies would be gone, while Qin's national strength would increase by three points. With one gaining at the expense of the other, how could Qin possibly avoid defeat?

"How can this be?"

Xiu Yuan shook his head.

"The infiltration of the Luo Wang is far more serious than you imagine. Currently, about one-third of the people in the courts of various countries have been infiltrated by the Luo Wang. Under the influence of these people, do you think those kings will believe what Zifang and the others say?"

"Furthermore, the date for this military expedition was carefully chosen by the Qin state. All the states have problems that urgently need to be solved, and even if some people want to help, they are unable to spare the time to provide support."

Han Fei clenched his fists lightly. According to what the young man in front of him said, this time the State of Han needed to face the State of Qin on its own.

But how could that be? Qin's military strength was several times, even more than ten times, that of Han, plus its famous generals and strategists.
"Now that the facts are settled, what is Master Qingxu here for?"

Xiu Yuan remained silent for a moment before speaking again: "I remember that you said you had seen death."

Han Fei's eyes flickered, but he didn't reply.

Then the boy said softly again, "What if I told you that I, too, have seen the future?"

Han Fei narrowed his eyes.

"you??"

Xiu Yuan gently raised his hand, and a glittering light shone in his palm.

"I am indeed here as a persuader, but not for Ying Zheng, but for myself."

Upon hearing this, Han Fei was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter.

"Is the master joking?"

Xiu Yuan didn't care about Han Fei's questioning; he just sighed softly.

"The laws of heaven and earth shall be executed without fail; techniques shall be used to detect treachery, and punishments shall be used to stop punishment."

"Does the young master believe that either the state of Han or the state of Qin can truly allow you to implement your own laws as you wish?"

(End of this chapter)