socalfunplaces Chapter 186 Delighted in Self-Interest, Intent to Kill
Chapter 186 Delighted in Self-Interest, Intent to Kill
Li Si's voice was low and cold: "Han Fei entered Qin only to prolong the life of Han. He is the ninth son of the King of Han, close to the king, intending to spy on the court's strength and weaknesses and to fathom the king's intentions. His aim has never been to strengthen Qin, but to weaken, trap, and exhaust Qin! Even if this man is eloquent and wise beyond compare, even if he truly understands the essence of Legalism, he must not be allowed to live! Allowing him to remain for even a day will cause Qin to erode its strength; allowing him to remain for a hundred days will surely lead to the collapse of the nation's foundation!"
Lu Buwei tapped the edge of the table lightly with his fingertips, then suddenly changed the subject, his smile fading slightly: "I've long heard of Li Tingwei's eloquence, and seeing it today, I can confirm it's well-deserved. However... has Tingwei ever heard of a man named Lin Tian? He accompanied Han Fei to Xianyang, and right now, an undercurrent is stirring within the territory of Han."
"Lin Tian?" Li Si's pupils contracted slightly as he blurted out, then he frankly stated, "A wandering swordsman, known for his free and easy manners and reputation in the martial world. However, I have never heard of the 'matters of Han' mentioned by Prime Minister Lü."
Xuan Jian suddenly opened his eyes, his dark pupils as deep as an ancient well, his gaze like needles, firmly fixed on Lü Buwei's lips.
Lü Buwei rose from his seat and slowly walked to Li Si's side. His voice was extremely low, yet every word was like a hammer blow: "King Han An has already accepted Bai Yifei's strategy and secretly summoned envoys from five states to discuss forming an alliance against Qin—do you know why?"
"Your Majesty...I do not know." Li Si frowned, frantically searching through all the secret reports in his mind, but found nothing.
"On the border between Han and Qin, 100,000 Han soldiers died suddenly in the wilderness, their corpses strewn across the land, their blood soaking the yellow sand. The Han court insists that it was the work of our Great Qin cavalry. This is an open and blatant attack, intended to incite the six states to unite in hatred! — And that Lin Tian…" Lü Buwei paused, leaning closer by half an inch, his voice deep and resonant like muffled thunder, "According to reliable intelligence, he carries a shocking secret buried for a hundred years, which the rulers of the seven states and the various schools of thought have sought frantically — and he is the only key to unlocking this secret door."
"The Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon—Li Tingwei must be a household name."
Lu Buwei's lips curled slightly, his tone carrying three parts probing and seven parts sharpness: "Not to mention your junior brother. The Han court has already issued an edict denouncing Han Fei for colluding with the enemy and betraying the country—it was he who secretly leaked the secret, causing 100,000 Han soldiers to lie dead in the wilderness, their blood staining the Wei River."
The Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon!
Li Si's back suddenly tensed, his fingertips trembled as if burned by the four words, and his gaze suddenly fixed on Lü Buwei's face, a surge of surprise and doubt rising to his brows. But when Han Fei was mentioned, his expression became calm, without the slightest ripple.
He whispered, "He who holds the key to the Azure Dragon holds the destiny of the entire world in his hands."
Lü Buwei did not respond, but instead slowly walked away, gently tidying up the bamboo slips that Li Si had just rummaged through, his movements as calm as if he were smoothing out an old scar.
Li Si regained his senses, straightened his clothes and composed himself, and bowed deeply: "Prime Minister Lü, you are wise: the Qin army did not move a single soldier. The so-called annihilation of 100,000 Han soldiers must be a fabrication."
"Truth or falsehood is no longer important." Lü Buwei's voice was not loud, but every word was forceful. "Once these words are spoken, they are now an ironclad case! Not to mention that Qin did not send troops, even the nearby state of Wei could not have taken down these 100,000 elite troops—it was clearly a self-directed act by the Han people, just to stab Xianyang in the back! As for the other five states? What they wanted was never the truth, but an excuse. The Minister of Justice is well-versed in the classics and the law, yet he is too fixated on the word 'truth,' which is rather stubborn."
Li Si lowered his head, speaking humbly: "Prime Minister Lü's teachings have deeply touched my heart."
Xuan Jian, standing to the side, lowered his eyes and remained silent, but a thunderbolt seemed to rumble in his heart: "None of you will believe it—to kill 100,000 people, why would you need the strength of an entire nation? One person is enough. That cold glint of sword light must have come from the hand of Young Master Lin Tian."
Without hesitation, his mind was already set on Lin Tian.
During his time at Zilan Pavilion, he had sparred and discussed Dao with the Twin Swords of Guigu. The two of them said that Lin Tian had single-handedly charged into the formation, and with a single green sword, he had wiped out ten thousand armored Wei soldiers, leaving behind mountains of corpses and blood-soaked yellow sand.
As for what secrets the Azure Dragon's Seven Mansions hold, Xuan Jian had no idea. He only felt that this matter was like a blade hanging over his head—he immediately made up his mind: to send another secret envoy to report back quickly.
"Now that Han Fei has entered Qin, his talent and influence have already been thoroughly explained by the Minister of Justice. However, the actions of the Han people are tantamount to licking blood off a knife's edge, directly challenging the might of our great Qin. While the other five states are still observing, Han has already dug its own grave."
……
Lü Buwei suddenly raised his eyes, his gaze sharp as hooks, and slowly swept over Li Si's face: "Regarding your junior brother's matter, how to proceed depends entirely on how much effort the Minister of Justice will put into the Qin Dynasty. You and I are both guarding this magnificent state."
Li Si, his hands clasped in a respectful gesture, stood ramrod straight: "Prime Minister Lü, rest assured. Anyone who harms Qin's interests is an enemy. Although I come from a Confucian family, how could I dare to be ambiguous about the fundamental principles of loyalty between ruler and subject, or the distinction between loyalty and treachery?"
"And then there's Lin Tian—since he's come with the Han envoy, the Minister of Justice should keep a close eye on him. The secret of the Azure Dragon must not be allowed to fall into the hands of another country. As for the Han people's collusion with the five kingdoms, you will handle that on behalf of the King once he returns to court. I am old and frail, and this position... will ultimately have to be passed on to you energetic young people."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lü Buwei turned around with his hands behind his back, flicked the hem of his robe, and walked straight into the back hall, disappearing without a trace.
"Respectfully seeing off Prime Minister Lü!" Li Si bowed deeply to the ground, the veins on his forehead throbbing slightly. When he looked up again, a bright smile flashed in his eyes, which quickly turned into a cold, sharp glint.
Delighted to scheme for his own benefit, with murderous intent directed towards only one person: Han Fei.
Li Si stepped out of the mansion gate, flanked by two figures, one in black and one in white, who escorted him to the foot of the steps. Xuan Jian returned to the inner courtyard and found Lü Buwei in the back garden, where he waited quietly with his head bowed.
Lü Buwei did not turn around, but handed over a roll of plain silk: "Quickly present this to Marquis Changxin and forward it to the Empress Dowager. The officials should also know that none of the Han people who entered Qin this time are simple. Especially that Lin Tian, who holds the 'key'. From the moment he stepped through the gates of Xianyang, I will make him restless and walk on thin ice... until he personally comes to my door begging for my protection."
"Here you go." Xuan Jian accepted it with both hands, bowed, and stepped back.
Three days' journey from Xianyang, the caravan was suddenly stopped—in the middle of the official road ahead, a rider in a black robe stood, his horse neighing with its head held high, its hood pulled low, revealing only half of its cold, hard chin.
"Pass on the message! Only deliver it to Young Master Lin Tian!"
His voice was loud and clear, each word piercing the wind, drawing the attention of the entire team.
Lin Tian was already riding slowly at the head of the group when he heard the sound and waved his hand to signal the soldiers to let him pass immediately.
The man spurred his horse forward, dismounted, and said only one sentence: "The message has been delivered—everything is as you predicted, sir."
"A messenger from the martial world?" Lin Tian raised an eyebrow and smiled, casually unfastening the leather pouch from his waist and tossing it over with a clatter. "Here's your reward."
"Farewell!" The man grabbed his money bag, mounted his horse, and rode away in a cloud of dust, his very back exuding a swift and decisive air.
Lin Tian watched the dust settle in the distance, a slight smile playing on his lips: "He's quite an interesting errand runner."
Han Fei rode closer and asked in a low voice what had happened. Lin Tian nodded slightly and said succinctly, "Xuan Jian's men have returned."
Lin Tian didn't elaborate on the details to Han Fei, only saying, "I'll explain everything to you in a few days." Seeing that he had no intention of saying more, the others wisely kept quiet. Only Zi Nu raised an eyebrow, her gaze lingering on Lin Tian's face for a moment, as if she had doubts, or perhaps she had realized something.