People in the Qin Dynasty, entertained during the Warring States period

Li Kai risked his life to deliver intelligence at a critical moment, so he naturally had to be grateful.

Unfortunately, Li Kai was already dead, so there wasn't much he could do.

All we can do is clear his name and help him take good care of Madam Hu and his daughter Nongyu.

If Li Kaiquan could know this from beyond the grave, he would surely be very gratified.

Cao Ze rubbed his fingers, thinking of the man in the straw raincoat... no, he should be called the man in black now.

I wonder where this guy went and what kind of war service he's planning to provide.

If we get the chance to catch him, we'll have to give him a good "torture".

If this fiend hadn't temporarily swapped clothes with Li Kai, he wouldn't have missed the opportunity to save Li Kai.

……

Li Si ordered the carriages and horses to run day and night for several days in a row.

Finally, at nightfall, we arrived at the South Korean border.

He gazed at the setting sun, his expression serene.

Despite his exhaustion and long journey, he rushed to South Korea.

Besides wanting to see his senior brother Han Fei and see how his senior brother would beg him, he also wanted to strike while the iron was hot and make Han state hand over Nanyang.

Based on his understanding of King Han An, such a spineless man could be easily appeased by the Qin army's combined force pressing in.

Conquering a territory without losing a single soldier was a military achievement that would have been enough for him to step onto the Qin stage and make a name for himself.

While Li Si was brimming with confidence, four or five hundred li away, Gai Nie was having a bit of a headache.

Ying Zheng remained unmoved by Gai Nie's persuasion and continued, "I'm just going to Han to see Cao Ze and Han Fei. I'll leave after that. What danger is there?"

Gai Nie shook his head and said, "Young Master Shang, the six states are different from Qin. Moreover, if anything happens while the king is away, it will inevitably affect the stability of our country. I cannot agree to this."

Ying Zheng insisted, "What if I insist on going?"

Gai Nie felt a bitter taste in his mouth; he hadn't expected Ying Zheng to deceive him.

He said he would take a walk around Xianyang, the capital of Qin, to relax, and then go to Hangu Pass to secretly check on the army's situation.

Who knew that as soon as he left Hangu Pass, he was asked to drive a carriage to Yique.

If he still can't see through Ying Zheng's purpose, then he can go back to Guigu to start over.

"Your Majesty, is it really necessary to take such a great risk to meet Cao Ze and Han Fei?"

Ying Zheng sighed, "Gai Nie, you don't understand my predicament. I have now reached a crossroads and do not know which way to go."

Gai Nie remained silent.

When the ruler is weak and the ministers are strong, their thoughts are unpredictable, and this is the beginning of national chaos.

If he were in Ying Zheng's position, he would also find it difficult to make a decision easily.

One wrong move and the Qin state could slide into the abyss.

……

Chapter 333: Do it well~

The Qin state, outside Xianyang.

On the Wei River, a three-zhang-tall multi-story ship sails on the water.

Lu Buwei, who was already fifty years old, stood on the boat wearing a black and red cloak, quietly watching the boats sail out of the narrow waterway.

The view suddenly opened up, and the surging Yellow River seemed to be flowing from the horizon, stretching as far as the eye could see.

"Have you not seen the Yellow River's waters come from the sky, rushing to the sea never to return..."

"Have you not seen the bright mirror in the high hall reflecting the sorrow of white hair, like black silk in the morning turning to snow by evening..."

Lü Buwei softly sang "Lamenting the Empty Wine Cup," a song that was now widely circulated in Xianyang.

Old Zheng praised from the side, "Kuang Xiu is indeed remarkable."

Lü Buwei shook his head slightly, "This was composed by Cao Ze after he got drunk in Handan, and Kuang Xiu only set it to music."

Old Zheng remained silent.

Lü Buwei stopped admiring the Wei River and turned to walk into the ship's cabin.

This shipyard was his secret hideout, known to very few.

As the night wind picked up, layers of dark clouds piled up, and the moonlight grew dimmer.

Inside the study on the ship's deck, the surrounding shelves were piled high with bamboo slips, many of which had not yet been strung together with hemp rope. These slips contained the latest and most confidential intelligence collected by the Luo Net from various countries, including those within the Qin Kingdom.

Old Master Zheng took a scroll from the Bing-character bookshelf and carefully handed it to Lü Buwei.

Lü Buwei knelt before a gleaming black desk, upon which sat a jade pen holder and pen rest, an inkstone bound in gold thread, and a stack of exquisite white cloth.

"read."

Old Zheng paused for a moment, took back the letter he had handed over, and slowly opened it.

"Zheng left Hangu Pass and headed towards Yique, intending to enter Han."

The inscription is anonymous, with only a black spider drawn in ink quietly resting on its tail.

The mere ten characters caused Lü Buwei's hand holding the pen to tremble slightly.

Could it be that Heaven truly favors the Lü clan? Could it be that destiny is with the Lü clan? Is there really any hope that the Lü clan's legacy will be realized in his hands?

Lü Buwei was momentarily dazed.

These days, he has been working tirelessly and meticulously.

Let the young King of Qin deal only with those trivial matters.

He was in charge of all major military and political affairs.

Even so, it still made him feel very threatened.

It all stems from the administrative capabilities that the young King of Qin has demonstrated, which even he dares not take lightly.

If he waits until the young King of Qin comes of age and assumes full power, even he might find it difficult to restrain him...

With this thought in mind, Lü Buwei asked in a deep voice, "How is Xuan Jian?"

Old Master Zheng said cautiously, "His mind is no longer confused, but it is not yet completely stable."

Lü Buwei narrowed his eyes and pondered, "Let's wait and see. If he really is going to Korea..."

"In my name, inform Zhao Gao and order his six sword-wielding servants to go to Han and, on Xuan Jian's orders, assassinate... Cao Ze!"

Old Zheng paused for a moment, then suddenly realized, "I understand."

Now that Xuan Jian has absorbed the soul of the Hidden Sun, his strength is comparable to that of a Grandmaster. Coupled with the Six Sword Slaves who are capable of hunting down Grandmasters, even a Grandmaster would have to suffer a bitter defeat.

What's even more ingenious is that, on the surface, Prime Minister Lü ordered the killing of Cao Ze, rather than the killing of the young King of Qin.

If we use the Six Sword Slaves to kill Ying Zheng, we can then shift all the blame onto Zhao Gao and the Six Sword Slaves.

Given Lü Xiang's position, he could easily have extricated himself from the matter.

The only loss was Zhao Gao and six sword slaves, which was not a significant price to pay.

Lu Buwei suddenly asked, "Has the whereabouts of Lord Chang'an, Cheng Jiao, been found?"

Old Master Zheng said with shame, "I am incompetent. Since Cheng Jiao fled to the State of Zhao, I have lost all contact with him."

"Could it be that King Jia of Zhao took in Cheng Jiao?"

Lü Buwei muttered to himself.

To avoid any unforeseen circumstances, Lü Buwei said, "Mobilize all spies within the Zhao state to search for Cheng Jiao's whereabouts with all our might... regardless of whether he lives or dies."

Old Zheng bowed and said, "Yes."

……

Early morning.

The long-awaited sunlight filtered through the thin gauze, casting dappled yet bright light and shadow on the lacquered table in the waterside pavilion.

The dark clouds that had shrouded Xinzheng for many days gradually dissipated, and the majestic palace of the Han King's Palace shone brightly in the sunlight.

It seemed that overnight, the smoke and dust cleared, and the sky became clear.

At this time, Han Fei was hosting a banquet for Cao Ze and Cheng Jiao.

Because it was a private banquet with no other people present, the three of them spoke freely and without restraint.

Cheng Jiao, unaware that he had once again been added to Lü Buwei's kill list, was in high spirits and enjoyed the scenery and wine with Han Fei and Cao Ze at the waterside pavilion.

"I've been staying at home for months, and it's really stifling."

In high spirits, Cheng Jiao ate two roasted duck legs.

Han Fei laughed and said, "Soon, Brother Chengjiao will no longer have to feel cooped up in Xinzheng. Brother Cao and I have discussed it and are preparing to find a suitable time to send you back to Qin."

Cheng Jiao was both excited and worried: "How do we deliver it?"

Going to Qin was not difficult; the difficulty lay in how to get there and meet his elder brother, the king, before being killed by Lü Buwei.

Otherwise, if he falls into Lü Buwei's hands, no matter how innocent he is, he will end up in a miserable state.

Lü Buwei was truly capable of killing; his status as the Lord of Chang'an made him feel utterly insecure.

Cao Ze said, "At the latest, the new envoy from Qin will arrive in Xinzheng the day after tomorrow."

Han Fei continued, "At that time, I will use the pretext of presenting a gift to the King of Qin to let you infiltrate the entourage of the envoys from Han, and I will ensure that you see the King of Qin."

This was the best solution he could think of: using the relationship between Cheng Jiao and Ying Zheng to allow the state of Han to safely weather this year's crisis.

Cheng Jiao chuckled and said, "So, this gift is for me, isn't it?"

Han Fei sighed, "This can be considered a win-win solution. Han has very little money left to give to Qin."

Cheng Jiao nodded slightly: "I understand. My mother was born in the State of Han, and the State of Han once gave me a hundred li of land to help me become a ruler. We have a very deep relationship. If I can see my brother safely, I will do my best to help the State of Han."

Cao Ze smiled but remained silent.