Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

"No need for such formalities, Han Zi."

Ying Zheng raised his hand and helped him up.

"To have you, sir, preach is like finding a precious gem." He took a half step back, looking directly at Han Fei with a burning gaze. His tone was relaxed as usual, but the last syllable rose slightly: "Sir, you need not be reserved. In my Xianyang city, you may go wherever you want and say whatever you want without any reservations."

He stared intently at Han Fei, his tone relaxed as usual: "Sir, you might as well listen more, observe more, travel around, and see what the similarities and differences are between my Great Qin and your Han... Perhaps you will gain a clearer understanding."

The last four words were pronounced very softly, as if casually mentioned, but the gaze never wavered.

Han Fei bowed his head in greeting, his tone sincere, even slightly apologetic, but he maintained a very proper demeanor: "Qin is a vast country, naturally different from Han. This humble subject also hopes to learn more about it. Thank you, King of Qin."

His voice was respectful, his posture upright, and he still resembled a Korean envoy, without overstepping any bounds.

Ying Zheng's eyes darkened slightly.

—It seems that if we want to completely bring them under our control, we'll have to take it slow.

It's best not to test the king's patience; his junior brother's temper is absolutely inflexible.

Li Si quickly stepped forward, his smile warm, and said softly:

"Junior brother, you must be tired from your journey. His Majesty has prepared a residence for you, and all the furnishings have been arranged according to the etiquette of a high-ranking official. You should go back and rest well. If you encounter any inconvenience in Xianyang, you can come to your senior brother at any time."

"Thank you, Senior Brother Li Ting." Han Fei cupped his hands in thanks, then frowned slightly and voiced his doubts.

"However... as a foreign envoy of Korea, I am supposed to reside in the embassy's residence according to the rules. This arrangement is probably not in accordance with etiquette."

"Of course." Li Si's smile remained unchanged, but a quick calculation flashed in his eyes. He lowered his voice, as if he was thinking of Han Fei's best interests.

"Of course, Junior Brother can stay at the guesthouse tonight, but since you have already achieved your mission, it would be inappropriate for you to stay at the guesthouse after they return to Korea and write a letter tomorrow."

He paused, patted Han Fei's arm, his smile deepening, and said casually, "What difference does it make if it's a day earlier or later? Junior Brother, you don't need to worry about these trivial matters. If you're really concerned, you can bring the Han delegation along. His Majesty won't mind."

"This..." Han Fei hesitated and remained silent.

He had already prepared himself for being moved to the hostage residence after the delegation left—that was the path from envoy to prisoner, humiliating but also expected and willingly accepted. But now…

He raised his head and looked at Ying Zheng.

The King of Qin was looking at him, his gaze deep and calm.

Han Fei didn't need to say anything to know that the young king would never agree to let him live in the hostage residence.

However, if he had his own residence in Xianyang, and it was furnished according to the rites for a high-ranking official, and if this were reported back to Han, saying that he had not betrayed his country and returned to Qin, even he himself would not believe it.

Sunlight seeped in from outside the palace gates, turning the floor tiles golden. Han Fei's fingers, hanging by his sides, tightened slightly, then slowly relaxed.

"I don't know..." He raised his head, his voice lower than before, but each word was clear, "Is there a place to live in this academy? If I don't wish to live here, I can observe how the Great Qin teaches its students, which will be convenient for my future lectures."

Ying Zheng was slightly taken aback, then burst out laughing.

"Sir, would you like to live near the university?"

He took a half-step with his hands behind his back and nodded slowly.

"Okay."

Han Fei was about to express his gratitude when Ying Zheng said again:

"However, my academy is still under construction, and the matter of admitting law students has not yet been discussed with my senior officials. Would you be willing to attend the morning court session tomorrow to discuss this matter with me?"

Han Fei was stunned.

It would be better to just move into the mansion and participate in the Qin court's affairs. By then, would he still be able to sever his ties with the Qin state?

"Sir, there's no need to worry."

Ying Zheng's voice rang out unhurriedly, as if he had anticipated his reaction.

"It is common for envoys from Han to meet in the court when they come to Qin. However, today is a day of recess, and you are in a hurry to see me, so I have only summoned a few of my ministers here to discuss this privately. Tomorrow morning, when all the officials are gathered, you will be present as an envoy from Han to listen to the proceedings, which is in accordance with proper etiquette."

Is it in accordance with etiquette? Is it in accordance with the etiquette of Qin or Han? If he were really just "attending as an observer," that would be fine, but the King of Qin said he wanted to "discuss this matter together."

To participate in discussions is to be involved. For a Han envoy to participate in the Qin court's deliberations would be considered an act of usurpation in any other country.

Seeing his solemn expression and dilemma, Li Si immediately stepped forward and earnestly advised him in a low voice, each word carefully protecting his bottom line:

"Junior brother, please don't be troubled. The King's intention is not to have you participate in politics or to force you to come to Qin and become a vassal. The matter of establishing a law department in the academy was raised by your senior brother in court, and it has nothing to do with you."

He paused, looking at Han Fei's tense face, and his voice softened slightly:

"If any minister questions Legalism at tomorrow's court assembly, then I will ask my junior brother to come as a scholar, or even as an official, to give a brief explanation, citing precedent."

"Just like the scholars of Jixia Academy in the past, who traveled to various countries, they had freedom of speech, discussing only academic principles and not getting involved in politics; and just like the envoys of various countries who visited and answered questions in the court, it was a common practice, and no one ever regarded it as betraying their own country or joining others."

Li Si looked at Han Fei, his gaze so sincere it was almost overflowing:

"Junior brother, you only need to discuss the essence of Tao, learning, and law. You must never talk about politics, Qin, Qin, or Qin. Whether to adopt your views or not is entirely up to the rulers and ministers of Qin. Whether to speak or not is entirely up to your own heart."

"I believe that with your wisdom, junior brother, you will be able to uphold the boundaries and distinguish between inside and outside, thus fulfilling your promise to teach and upholding the integrity of Korea."

Han Fei's brows furrowed slightly, but he still seemed somewhat hesitant.

Wei Liao, who had been standing to the side with his hands behind his back, finally spoke:

"Sir, you can rest assured. The Han delegation came to Qin to apologize and seek peace. They urgently presented their letter of credence and the list of gifts for the handover, which is why they did not enter the main hall."

"Since Your Majesty has not yet accepted the gift, why not ask the Han delegation to stay in Xianyang for another day? We can hold the court ceremony tomorrow morning and present the letter of state to explain the matter. This will not only demonstrate Your Majesty's magnanimity but also prove the friendship between Qin and Han."

"In this way, you, sir, can enter the palace as an envoy of Korea, holding the imperial credentials, and attend the proceedings. Qin will welcome you with the rites due to the Grand Master of Ceremonies and record your visit with the pen of the Grand Historian. Your envoy's visit and attendance at court discussions will be in accordance with propriety and recorded in history. All of this is merely the usual practice in diplomatic relations between our two countries. In this way, you will have no worries, will you?"

"this……"

Han Fei's gaze slowly shifted to the throne.

If that's the case, with the imperial edict in hand and the delegation by his side, there's nothing wrong with that, and he can certainly agree.

But would the King of Qin agree to this?

Ying Zheng nodded slightly in approval.

Although it differed somewhat from what he had imagined, the bottom line... always needs to be broken through step by step, no rush.