bdsm-fiction Chapter 141 What Strategy?
Chapter 141 What Strategy?
"An ancient precept states: when feudal lords send off each other, they should not cross the border. Your Majesty's request to personally escort the Qin envoy back for burial is a grave violation of propriety," Zhang Kaidi remonstrated, bowing with his hands clasped.
"Han and Qin were coexisting states, both ruled by the same ruler. How could they personally serve others and become a laughingstock among the other states?" Han Yu replied loudly.
"While the states coexist, there is a clear distinction between the noble and the lowly. Even a cuckoo occupying a magpie's nest still has its place in the family; although Han was established as a state, it was actually obtained by the Zhao, Wei, and Han families dividing up the territory of Jin. The title of King of Qin was personally bestowed by the Zhou emperor and is inherited through generations, its legitimacy is evident." Li Si spoke slowly and deliberately, yet each word was as firm as a hammer blow.
King Han's face turned purple, and the veins on his forehead throbbed slightly—these words pierced his very soul, clearly saying: Your throne is nothing but a prize obtained through the division of spoils; I, the King of Qin, am the one destined by Heaven.
"The way of Heaven is constant; it does not exist because of Yao, nor does it perish because of Jie. The collapse of the Jin dynasty and the division of its territory into three parts were not due to human effort, but rather the will of Heaven." Han Fei stepped forward slowly, his voice clear and resonant. "Lord Li, you raise the banner of the Zhou dynasty's legitimacy, but do not forget—it was your country that destroyed Zhou; it was your prime minister, Lü Buwei, who personally severed the Zhou king's bloodline. That so-called 'legitimacy,' in the eyes of the Qin people, has probably long been discarded like worn-out shoes."
In the eyes of his teachers and the world, he was always inferior to Han Fei, whose talent was more than ten times that of him; but he insisted on tearing away this prejudice and showing his brilliance to the world—he would never lose to Han Fei.
"If Your Majesty insists on not going to Xianyang in person, there is another option available," Li Si said, his voice steady as iron.
"What strategy?" Han Fei raised his eyes slightly.
"In the past, when Duke Huan of Qi aided Yan and won a victory, Duke Zhuang of Yan escorted him all the way, chatting and laughing so much that they didn't realize they had entered Qi territory. Duke Huan, moved by his sincerity and ashamed of his own rudeness, immediately ceded the land they had passed through to Yan, a story that has been passed down through the ages. Why doesn't Han follow the example of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period and take the place where the Qin envoy was killed as the boundary, ceding all the land along the way to Qin? This move would demonstrate their sincerity as clear as the sun, surely stopping the war before it even started and winning the respect of all nations." Li Si's words were like knives, each one cutting to the bone.
"Cease territory?!" King Han An blurted out, his throat tightening.
For South Korea, which is already cramped, the words "ceding territory" are tantamount to cutting flesh to feed a tiger—cutting off an inch means half of its country is trembling.
"This..." "Are we really going to cede territory?!"
In the imperial court, the ministers lowered their heads and whispered, their sleeves trembling slightly, and even their breathing was extremely low.
Han Fei remained unmoved, and instead asked loudly, "How many days did it take for the Qin envoy to travel from Xianyang to Xinzheng, where he was assassinated?"
"About ten days," Li Si replied readily, though he didn't understand the meaning.
"Very well." Han Fei nodded. "If the culprit cannot be captured within ten days, then we will follow your advice and cede territory to fulfill the treaty."
Before the words were finished, Li Si had not yet responded.
"Ninth Prince! Have you gone mad?!" King Han An abruptly stood up, a vein throbbing on his forehead. Ceding territory? He would rather abandon the country than sign such a traitorous contract than be driven to desperation!
"Is this really true?!" Li Si's pupils contracted, and he asked the question.
Han Fei smiled calmly and said, "Since the agreement is based on a set timeframe, if the case is solved more than ten days earlier, shouldn't the amount of territory ceded be reduced accordingly? Is this reasoning fair?"
"Naturally fair," Li Si replied without hesitation.
He didn't expect that by simply agreeing, he had stepped into a deadly trap set by Han Fei.
"The Qin envoy traveled from Xianyang to Xinzheng in ten days—five of which were spent on Qin territory, and the remaining five days were spent entering Han territory. If the case is solved within five days, shouldn't the territory traversed in the first five days also be ceded to Han?" Han Fei's eyes suddenly brightened, directly hitting the nail on the head.
With these words spoken, the outcome was already decided.
Li Si dared not predict whether Han Fei could solve the case in ten days; even though he was certain Han Fei would fail, he dared not take the gamble.
As an envoy of Qin, he could swear an oath on behalf of the king, but he had no right to take an inch of Qin territory or gamble with others.
His knuckles turned white as he gripped the envoy's hand, and the bronze bells on the banner were silent, as if even the wind had held its breath.
The verbal sparring in the palace ultimately reached a stalemate. King Han An only promised to use the full power of the nation to capture Tian Ze, leaving Li Si with no choice but to back down.
……
On the outskirts of Xinzheng, the river was shallow and clear, and willow branches drooped obliquely. Li Si invited Han Fei to this place.
"Brother Li Si was quite impressed by your eloquent speech in court. I serve Qin, while you serve Han. What I said just now was merely a matter of serving our respective masters. I hope you will forgive me." Li Si cupped his hands, his tone sincere.
As fellow students, we must always save face; even if there is some resentment in our hearts, we still retain some old feelings—at least for now.
"Junior brother, you flatter me." Han Fei sighed softly, his smile warm. "It is your demeanor today that truly impresses me."
"What a pity..." Li Si's tone changed slightly, and his smile faded. "Senior brother's words are clever, but in the end, they can't avoid the word 'debate'."
"You still have that competitive old temper," Han Fei shook his head and smiled, then smoothly changed the subject, "I'd like to hear your thoughts on this case, Junior Brother?"
Li Si pondered for a moment, then said, "Back then, when Qin and Han fought fiercely at Zhuoze, the strategist Chen Zhen lured Chu into feigning aid to Han, tricking Han into turning its back on Qin and attacking Chu, ultimately leading to a disastrous defeat. Now it seems that there might be another Chen Zhen in Han, secretly stirring up trouble."
"Back then, Han Xin was a hypocrite in Chu; today, Han Xin is a trustworthy man in Qin. Even if Tianze has a thousand schemes, how can he succeed?" Han Fei's lips curled slightly.
"Haha..." Li Si laughed loudly, his eyes burning. "If Korea were truly without blemish on its integrity, why would I be standing here, facing off against my senior brother?"
Han Fei remained silent, gazing at the shimmering gold on the water's surface. After a long while, he suddenly spoke: "Junior brother, do you still remember what we said when we parted ways outside Little Sage Village?"
"I will not show leniency because of our shared background," Li Si replied without hesitation.
These words are etched into his very being.
Han Fei nodded slowly, but then a bitter smile appeared on his face: "Junior brother, I want to take back what I said—do you believe me?"
"Um?!"
Li Si was taken aback, his brows furrowed, and doubt swirled in his eyes. After a long while, he said in a low voice, "Senior brother... these words don't sound like you."
In his heart, what an arrogant man Han Fei was! Back then, when he was determined to leave Zhuang and return to Han, even Xun Qing couldn't persuade him to stay. Now, he was actually showing weakness, clearly bending his spine an inch—bending it towards him.
"To be honest, junior brother, after I returned to Han, I met a master who was like a knife, dissecting me completely—the worst part is that I actually felt that every word was piercing my heart and every sentence made sense." Han Fei shook his head with a bitter smile.
"Oh?! Such a person exists? My teacher once praised you, senior brother, as a man of extraordinary talent, and even high-ranking officials in the court often exclaimed, 'Han Fei's single strategy is worth a thousand troops.' May I ask who this person is? Would you be willing to introduce me, senior brother?" Li Si's eyes lit up, his interest piqued.
"Of course I'm willing. I'd also like to hear what Brother Lin's opinion is of you, Junior Brother," Han Fei replied with a smile.
"Brother Lin Tian, no, no! Teach me martial arts! If I get kidnapped by bad guys again and you're not around, and Ninth Brother keeps messing things up, then Honglian will die!" In the Purple Orchid Pavilion, Honglian hugged Lin Tian's arm and shook it, her voice soft and sweet, the last syllable drawn out in a coquettish and cloying way.