People in the Qin Dynasty sought good fortune and avoided misfortune.

Chapter 130, Zi Nu's Comfort, Han Fei Returns Home Ahead of Schedule (4000 words! Two chapters combined, please vote!)

After returning home from the teahouse, Xu Qing tidied up briefly and then prepared to head to Zilanxuan.

Xu Qing sat in the carriage and soon arrived at Zilan Pavilion.

Looking at the brightly lit Zilanxuan signboard, Xu Qing then looked at the carriages parked to the side. All kinds of carriages were gathered together, but without exception, they were all luxurious.

"I am not here to seek pleasure. I am saddened by the departure of my teacher and need to distract myself. Otherwise, how can I serve the King and the concubines in the harem?"

Xu Qing comforted himself for a moment, then flicked his sleeves and strode into the Purple Orchid Pavilion.

Upon entering the main hall of Zilan Pavilion, one is greeted by a cacophony of decadent music. Looking around, one sees elegantly dressed young women indulging in revelry with various powerful and wealthy individuals.

"The Imperial Physician has arrived!"

After someone shouted that Xu Qing had arrived, the previously noisy hall instantly quieted down, as if Xu Qing were an official from the government who had come to crack down on prostitution.

The powerful officials and merchants all looked towards the main gate, and upon seeing Xu Qing's figure, they all abandoned the girls standing beside them.

The fawning smiles that were originally on the girls' faces were transferred to the faces of these powerful and wealthy people.

The girls at Zilanxuan could only roll their eyes at these treacherous dignitaries.

What kind of people are these? They push away someone as beautiful as me, but go to find a man instead.

The girls at Zilan Pavilion were inwardly complaining; every time Xu Qing came to Zilan Pavilion, they were destined to be ignored.

"Greetings, Imperial Physician." A group of sons of high-ranking officials and nobles bowed to Xu Qing.

Dozens of people bowed to Xu Qing. These people did not look like high-ranking officials or dignitaries, but rather like a gathering of underground gangs, and Xu Qing was the gang leader.

"Greetings, everyone," Xu Qing returned the greeting.

"Imperial Physician, do you still remember me? The other day you delivered a cartload of medicinal herbs while you were seeing patients."

"How could I forget the young master of the Sikou family?"

"I gave away two century-old ginseng roots."

"Chang Fengjun, it's been a long time, a long time."

"Imperial Physician, I've brought two tables." A voice rang out, and everyone turned to look.

Xu Qing also looked at the official who delivered the table with some confusion. Facing the gazes of so many people at the same time, the official subconsciously took two steps back and looked nervous.

"I don't remember, but don't worry, I don't hold grudges!" Xu Qing said jokingly.

"Haha, the Imperial Physician is still as humorous as ever!" Everyone laughed and said.

"Alright everyone, Zilan Pavilion is for discussing matters of the heart. I have friends waiting for me, so I won't chat with you all any longer," Xu Qing said with a smile.

"Oh~"

The crowd exchanged knowing glances, realizing that Xu Qing was referring to Zi Nu as his friend. They stopped pressing the matter and made way for her.

Their original intention was simply to become acquainted with Xu Qing and prepare for the upcoming changes in the court.

Xu Qing walked straight toward the stairs, and the gathered dignitaries dispersed and returned to their seats to continue their revelry.

Upon arriving on the second floor, Xu Qing saw Zi Nu waiting for him at the top of the stairs.

"So, Miss Zi Nu knew I was coming, so she specially waited for me at the top of the stairs?" Xu Qing teased.

"The Imperial Physician is joking. With the commotion just now, anyone who isn't deaf could have heard it."

The woman in purple crossed her arms, her breasts bulging, a sight that stirred the heart. Her deep purple eyes blinked slightly, carrying a hint of teasing.

"Miss Zi Nu, are you upset that I disrupted Zi Lan Xuan's business? Please don't take offense." Xu Qing said as she walked towards her private room.

Zi Nu followed beside Xu Qing, her hands placed on her lower abdomen, her thin lips moving slightly, and a seductive, mature voice rang out.

"How could I, a mere woman, dare to blame the Imperial Physician? If it weren't for you, my Zilan Pavilion would not be as prosperous as it is today."

The two entered the room, and Xu Qing went straight to the seating area and sat down.

Zi Nu closed the door behind her and walked slowly toward the desk, her small feet, clad in black stockings, making a rustling sound as they touched the floor.

Her slender waist swayed as she walked, her steps graceful and her posture dignified.

Zi Nu walked to Xu Qing's side, placed her hands on her lower abdomen, bent her long, beautiful legs, sat down, and picked up the wine and glasses on the table to start mixing drinks.

"How's it going? Any news lately?" Xu Qing asked.

His purpose in coming to Zilan Pavilion for pleasure was secondary; his main purpose was to gather information about the imperial court.

Although he was also a court official, he was ultimately just the Imperial Physician of the Inner Court, and his grasp of information from the outer court was not very high.

"Although the struggle between Ji Wuye and Han Yu hasn't stopped recently, it's not as intense as before. And there aren't as many officials seeking protection as before," Zi Nu said.

"It seems that Prime Minister Zhang's recovery and return to control the Prime Minister's residence have made the two of them wary, worried that someone else might ultimately benefit from it," Xu Qing said. This situation was within his expectations.

"The information on the six officials you asked me to gather has been completed, and there were indeed some unexpected discoveries," Zi Nu said with a smile.

Xu Qing's expression turned serious. The information he had Zi Nu gather on the six officials were the very six people he had promoted.

Although these six individuals held relatively low-ranking positions, they all held important posts in various departments of the imperial court and wielded considerable real power.

Since we've chosen to cultivate them as our henchmen, we must thoroughly investigate their backgrounds to avoid unknowingly harboring ghosts in our own home.

"What unexpected discovery?" Xu Qing asked in a deep voice.

"On the surface, these six people appear to have a clean background and outstanding abilities. However, because they did not belong to any faction before, they were not given important positions."

"But after much investigation, I finally found some clues. Four of these six people have some connection with a certain place."

"If it weren't for some special reasons, even a thorough investigation might not have been able to uncover it."

As Zi Nu spoke, she handed a cup of prepared orchid wine with added ingredients to Xu Qing's cup. Xu Qing picked up the cup and took a small sip.

"Where?"

"Nanyang!"

As soon as Zi Nu finished speaking, Xu Qing showed a look of surprise.

"Nanyang? Blood-Clad Marquis Bai Yifei!?"

Xu Qing's pupils dilated, a sense of horror creeping into his heart. He suddenly understood why the Tide Demoness had asked him to promote these six people.

Because four of these six people were originally her people, or rather, Bai Yifei's people. Although Bai Yifei was one of the Four Fiends of Night, he was not actually of one mind with Ji Wuye, but had his own schemes.

Bai Yifei was a hereditary marquis, commanded the elite White Armor Army, and possessed ability, prestige, and military power. Moreover, his fiefdom was the prosperous Nanyang.

This strength would make anyone wary, so it's destined that Bai Yifei can't have his own people in the court, otherwise the master of Han should really be replaced.

However, given Bai Yifei's ambition, he would certainly not be content with this and would inevitably cultivate his own power in the imperial court.
However, to avoid any appearance of impropriety, it is impossible to allocate resources to them.

His appearance, coupled with the imbalance in the court, made Han Wang An urgently need this fourth force to counterbalance the court. Therefore, Bai Yifei took the opportunity to hand over the spies he had planted to him and promote them in his name.

"That's right, it seems the Imperial Physician has also figured out what's behind this," Zi Nu said softly, a charming smile playing on her lips.

"What are your plans next?"

Xu Qing drank the wine in his glass in frustration. What could he do?
Could he really afford to completely break off relations and remove these four people? Obviously not.

He had no foundation in the court, making it extremely difficult for him to cultivate his own power. Although the four people provided by Bai Yifei were not of one mind with him, they seemed to be completely obedient to his commands at present.

If he really takes these four down, it will be difficult to explain to the Tide Demoness. Moreover, the fact that Zi Nu was able to find out the identities of the four already says something.

Bai Yifei didn't want to cooperate with him, rather than using him as a puppet. Because of the presence of the Tide Demoness, the two were, to some extent, related by marriage.

Given the same interests, in-laws are more reliable than outsiders like Ji Wuye.

In the imperial court, there is no such thing as liking or disliking; there is only the distinction between useful and useless.

These four people are still useful to him, so it's impossible to get rid of them for the time being.

"Are the remaining two completely alright?" Xu Qing asked seriously.

“That’s right. I’ve investigated these two thoroughly. One of them is a Legalist disciple, studying the methods of Shen Buhai. The other is a Confucian disciple, studying the Sun School of Confucianism, which is the school of Xunzi,” Zi Nu said.

Xu Qing nodded slightly. Zi Nu said that the two of them were fine, so they could focus on training them to become her own people.

Seeing that Xu Qing didn't say anything more, Zi Nu felt a little strange. She rested her chin on her hand, a faint smile on her lips, and blinked her upper eyelashes as she stared straight at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing glanced at Zi Nu and naturally understood her doubts, but what could he say?
To tell a woman that you're being kept by another woman? These four men are her retainers; you can't touch them.

How could he possibly say such a thing? He still has a sense of shame.

"Why are you staring at me like that? Are you lusting after my body?"

Xu Qing tried to change the subject, but Zi Nu wasn't having any of it and instead said...
"Given your personality, you wouldn't just swallow this injustice silently. What are you going to do with these four people?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Qing's face showed sadness, her eyes were full of melancholy, and she gave off a sense of vicissitude.

"What to do? There's never anything going smoothly in the imperial court. Whether I like them or not, as long as they're useful, I have no choice but to keep them."

"In this vortex called power, all I can do is go with the flow and preserve myself."

Zi Nu looked at Xu Qing, who was so sad, and was slightly taken aback. A complex and tender feeling appeared in her beautiful eyes, and she said softly.

"Yes, in this chaotic world, how can things go smoothly? Who isn't swept along by the tide and drift with the current?"

Seeing that Zi Nu had been successfully diverted from the topic, Xu Qing continued to put on a sad expression, leaning back in his seat and staring at the ceiling at a 45-degree angle.

"Outward glamour is always used to cover up the unhappiness behind it. Thinking back, just a few months ago, I was just a lowly medical officer, only needing to do odd jobs for the imperial physicians every day."

"However, things are unpredictable, and I have gradually come to where I am today. Back then, I was naive and ignorant of the ways of the world. The cannibalistic court has gradually turned me into the person I am today."

After speaking, Xu Qing slammed his wine glass on the table in a fit of indignation, trying to express his dissatisfaction, or perhaps his discontent with the state of the world.

Looking at Xu Qing in such a state, Zi Nu felt a sense of sympathy, for she was in the same boat.
At this moment, she felt as if she had never truly seen Xu Qing. His glamorous image as a divine physician, a member of the Imperial Hospital, and someone of high rank and power did not seem to be what he desired.

Behind this lies only the resentment and helplessness of being forced to become the kind of person one despises, and a heart disillusioned with the world.

Xu Qing's seemingly unbecoming behavior may be his silent resistance, a way of reminding himself not to forget his true self.

Xu Qing had no idea what Zi Nu was thinking, otherwise he would have sighed with admiration, realizing that no matter how rational a woman is, she is still emotional, and she had imagined so much from just a few words from him.

Xu Qing continues to portray a character disillusioned with the world, picking up the wine jug to pour himself a drink.

Seeing Xu Qing trying to drown his sorrows in alcohol, Zi Nu, as if possessed, reached out and stopped him, her slender hand grasping the wine jug in his hand.

“Drinking to drown your sorrows only makes them worse; why must the Imperial Physician do this?” Zi Nu sighed.

"Is that so? Why bother?" Xu Qing released the wine pot, grasped Zi Nu's jade hands with both of them, and looked at Zi Nu with a sad expression.

Looking into Xu Qing's melancholy and world-weary eyes, Zi Nu couldn't help but feel comforted and gently patted Xu Qing's hand.

And Xu Qing? As someone who isn't content with just taking advantage, but will insist on gaining an advantage even if it means suffering a loss, he naturally wouldn't let such an opportunity pass him by.

So he naturally fell into Zi Nu's arms, and immediately experienced an epic lung attack.

Zi Nu glanced at Xu Qing hesitantly, suspecting that Xu Qing was deliberately changing the subject and taking advantage of her.

But in the end, Xu Qing's image in her heart was established. Looking at that sad face, she softened and let Xu Qing lean against her.

A hint of gentle wisdom, like that of an older sister, flickered in her purple eyes as she gently embraced Xu Qing, offering silent comfort.

Xu Qing felt at ease enjoying Zi Nu's comfort. Chao Nu Yao had said that one should learn to exchange labor for value.

His earnest performance naturally deserves a corresponding reward.

"There's one more thing. Right Sima Liu Yi is about to return in triumph, but he suffered a crushing defeat this time, and Ji Wuye will not let him off the hook."

"The positions of Left Sima and Right Sima are truly high-ranking and powerful, and everyone is watching them closely. There will be even bigger developments in the court next."

"You have to be careful."

"it is good."

Just as Xu Qing was enjoying Zi Nu's embrace, news of the situation in Korea was sent to Xiaoshengxianzhuang in Qi.

Xiaoshengxianzhuang, in the bamboo house on the back mountain.

Han Fei, the ninth prince of the state, unusually refrained from drinking and was instead sitting at the table, intently examining the cloth in his hands.

The cloth depicts the changes in South Korea today: Xu Qing's rise, Han Yu's limp, Liu Yi's defeat, and so on.

"It seems I'll have to return to China ahead of schedule," Han Fei said softly.

An invisible black aura emanated from the box on the table, spreading a cold and desolate atmosphere, and a silent whisper arose.

(End of this chapter)