This was different from destroying the state of Han.
The annihilation of Zhao was what Ying Zheng truly desired; it was his deepest obsession.
For Ying Zheng—no, perhaps for the boy he once was, Zhao Zheng—Handan was a land of humiliation.
There, Zhao Zheng had suffered endless torment and injustice. If not for the guidance of his teachers, and if not for the resilience he was forced to learn from a young age, Zhao Zheng would have died there long ago.
It was not only for the sake of Qin’s unification of the world, but also for revenge!
He was determined to annihilate the Zhao state, to transform that land of humiliation into his own territory. He would crush Zhao Yan under his feet and show him what a true king was.
"I will convey the Great King’s words to General Wang Jian," Fusu replied immediately.
"Yu Qing," Ying Zheng called. "What is the situation in the Zhao Dai Region?"
Military reports from Lantian Camp arrived continuously, but dispatches from the Dai Territory were scarce.
"Please, Great King, do not worry," Yu Liao reported with a smile. "General Meng Wu and his son have personally led the expedition to the Dai Territory. Li Mu’s 200,000-strong Frontier Army has no opportunity to advance south. I have maintained contact with General Meng Wu. The Senior General is still employing guerrilla tactics in the Dai Territory and has not yet confronted Li Mu directly."
"Good." Ying Zheng nodded, then turned to the ministers of the court. "Does anyone else have a report to present?"
"We have no reports to present," the ministers called out in unison.
"Then court is dismissed." With a wave of his hand, Ying Zheng slowly stood and departed from the Morning Discussion Hall.
"We respectfully send off the Great King," the ministers all bowed.
Once Ying Zheng had left, Wang Wan and Huai Zhuang immediately approached Fusu.
"My Lord, let us speak more at your residence later," Wang Wan said with a slight smile.
"Brother Han." At that moment, Li Si stepped forward to block Han Fei’s path.
"What is it, Tingwei?" Han Fei asked, looking at Li Si with an indifferent expression.
Li Si glanced at the ministers who had yet to disperse and said seriously, "May I have a private word?"
Han Fei nodded and walked toward the side of the Morning Discussion Hall, with Li Si following close behind.
"Is your trip to the Zhao state for personal or public reasons?" Li Si asked with a faint smile.
"What difference would it make?" Han Fei glanced back at him.
"If you are willing, for the sake of our old friendship as classmates, could you please tell Zhao Feng the truth about the plot against him by Wang Wan and Chunyu Yue?" Li Si whispered.
Han Fei glanced at Li Si. "Why?"
"Fusu has gained the support of the imperial clan and the old nobility. The reason he requested to go to the Zhao state is to win over Zhao Feng, or perhaps to mend their prior rift. If Fusu succeeds, he may win Zhao Feng to his side. With the support of a future Senior General, Fusu’s influence in the court would become nearly untouchable," Li Si said with a grave expression.
Han Fei looked at Li Si with a wry smile. "Tingwei, you are asking me to sow discord between Zhao Feng and the Eldest Imperial Son. What’s in it for me? Besides, while I haven’t known Zhao Feng for long, I respect his character. Offending the Eldest Imperial Son would do him no good."
"Handle this matter yourself."
After saying his piece, Han Fei departed with a flick of his sleeve.
Watching Han Fei’s retreating back, a look of irritation flashed across Li Si’s face, but it was quickly replaced by helplessness. Today’s Han Fei was no longer the man who had been thrown in prison upon his arrival in Qin. He was now the Interior Secretary, and there was nothing Li Si could do to him.
"My Lord," Wang Wan said, "it was the right decision to ask the Great King for permission to go to the Zhao state and reward Zhao Feng. Judging by Zhao Feng’s current momentum, it is already impossible to suppress him. Furthermore, the Great King has shown him such exceptional favor that he may well be appointed Senior General in the future. As things stand, it is best not to offend him."
"I asked for the Great King’s permission precisely to clarify the events of that day," Fusu said, nodding slowly. "After all, what my tutor did back then went too far."
"You are the Eldest Imperial Son! How can you apologize to a subject?" Chunyu Yue immediately said, displeased. "As the Eldest Imperial Son, the future Crown Prince of the state, even if you are wrong, you are not wrong!" Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on novel·fiɾe·net
Upon hearing this, Wang Wan could not help but retort, "Grand Tutor, in the future, could you please consult with us before you act? First, you offended Zhao Feng for no reason. Then, today in court, you recklessly accused him without a thought for the consequences. It is fortunate the Great King decided not to pursue the matter, otherwise you would have implicated the Eldest Imperial Son yet again! You must understand that you are the Eldest Imperial Son’s tutor. Your actions inevitably reflect upon him. From now on, you must be more cautious and stop being so reckless."
Listening to Wang Wan’s lecture, Chunyu Yue became even more displeased. "Chancellor Wang, are you suggesting I was wrong?"
"If you were wrong, you were wrong," Wang Wan said, his face stern. "For the sake of the Eldest Imperial Son’s great future, you must not act so thoughtlessly."
Seeing Wang Wan’s angry expression, Chunyu Yue wanted to argue but found himself at a loss for words. After all, in terms of both status and official rank, he was no match for Wang Wan.
"The Prime Minister is correct," Huai Zhuang, who had been silent until now, finally chimed in. "Grand Tutor, you must be more careful from now on. You represent the Eldest Imperial Son."
He was truly frightened by Chunyu Yue’s potentially ruinous impulsiveness.
Faced with the reprimands of two Prime Ministers, Chunyu Yue could only fall silent, however reluctant he felt.
"However, this Han Fei... I cannot understand why he volunteered to go to the Zhao state," Wang Wan remarked.