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

Chapter 136, Heart-to-Heart Talk, Honesty and Sincerity
Hu Meiren looked at Xu Qing with some surprise, her beautiful fox-tailed eyes full of doubt.

"Xu Lang, do you mean to let Right Sima pledge allegiance to Han Yu? When did Right Sima offend you? You want to push him into a fire pit. No matter what, he is still my sister's husband."

Hu Meiren cupped Xu Qing's cheeks in her hands and asked, puzzled.

The struggle between Han Yu and Ji Wuye is common knowledge. Liu Yi was originally Ji Wuye's confidant. Wouldn't his defection to Han Yu at such a critical moment further provoke Ji Wuye?
Outsiders may not know about the hatred between Xu Qing and Han Yu, but she does.

She even suspected that Xu Qing wanted to use Liu Yi to make Ji Wuye and Han Yu fight even more fiercely, so that she could use Ji Wuye to get rid of Han Yu.

As for Liu Yi, as a traitor, how good could his fate be? That's why she thought Xu Qing held a grudge against Liu Yi and wanted to get rid of him along with him.

Xu Qing looked at Hu Meiren with a solemn expression and slowly spoke.

“Of course I know. Weren’t you always curious about who was behind the Fire Rain Manor massacre?”

Hu Meiren was stunned at first, then looked at Xu Qing with a shocked expression, covering her mouth with her right hand, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief.

"No, no, it can't be!? Xu Lang, you're lying to me, right? You must be lying to me, right?" Hu Meiren asked in a panic.

She couldn't believe Xu Qing's words. If Liu Yi was really the culprit who destroyed Huoyu Manor, then what about her sister?
Was she willing to submit to her enemy in order to get rid of Liu Yi? But the two had been married for many years, and Liu Yi was completely obedient to her sister.

If that were the case, her sister should have gotten rid of Liu Yi long ago, but Liu Yi is still alive and well.

Although her sister disliked Liu Yi, she had no intention of killing him. She also knew that her sister still harbored hatred and wished she could tear the real culprit to pieces.

For a moment, Hu Meiren felt a darkness before her eyes. The sudden news was something she simply could not accept or understand.

Xu Qing didn't speak, but just looked at Hu Meiren seriously.

He didn't tell Hu Meiren the truth before because he was worried that she would be eager for revenge and implicate him. Later, when she recognized Madam Hu, he was afraid that she would be caught in the middle because of Madam Hu.

However, he had promised Hu Meiren that he would tell her the truth and avenge his father-in-law, Huo Yugong, who had died young.

That's why he had previously gone to great lengths to help Liu Yi become the Right Sima, tricking him into going to the front lines to resist the Qin state, all so that he could wait for Liu Yi to return defeated and then eliminate him with the help of Ji Wuye.

Once Liu Yi loses his official position, it will be easy for him to avenge Hu Meiren.

Seeing Xu Qing's serious expression, Hu Meiren's hands fell limply to her sides, her expression somber.

"Xu Lang, your sister doesn't actually know the truth, right? You didn't want to tell the truth before because you were worried about Liu Yi's identity and your sister, right?" Hu Meiren said softly, leaning against Xu Qing's chest.

Looking at the somewhat dejected beauty in his arms, Xu Qing gently stroked her hair, the dark ends brushing through his fingers.

"Yes, at first I was worried that after you learned the truth, you would be too eager for revenge and bring trouble upon yourself."

"Later, when you and your sister reunited, I worried that Madam Hu would be unable to accept the truth and might do something that we would both regret for the rest of our lives."

Xu Qing frankly revealed his initial thoughts one by one. At this point, he could pretend to be confused and cover up the fact that he had previously deceived others.

But playing dumb isn't always appropriate. If he were to deceive Hu Meiren, who has such a sincere heart, he would be utterly despicable.

Upon hearing this, Hu Meiren gripped Xu Qing's clothes with her small hands, her body trembling slightly, and her beautiful eyes becoming somewhat red.

She wasn't sad because Xu Qing had deceived her; she understood that Xu Qing's lies were to protect her.

Now that the time they agreed upon has come, and Xu Qing has frankly told her everything, she doesn't blame Xu Qing.

Her tears were for her sister, who had thought Liu Yi was her benefactor, but she never expected that the benefactor she had submitted to was actually their family's enemy. Such an experience was too heartbreaking.

"Cry, it'll make you feel better. The time has come, it's time for us to take our revenge," Xu Qing gently comforted Hu Meiren in his arms.

"Ah."

Hu Meiren clutched Xu Qing's clothes and began to sob softly, like a little fox who had been bullied and found its parents.

Xu Qing looked tenderly at Hu Meiren in his arms, gently stroking her back to comfort her.

After crying, Hu Meiren felt much better. She sat up from Xu Qing's embrace, tucked her loose hair behind her ear, and wiped away the tears on her face.

"Xu Lang, what are you planning to do? Isn't it too easy for Liu Yi to simply become cannon fodder in the struggle between Han Yu and Ji Wuye?"

A hint of hatred flashed in Hu Meiren's eyes. If it weren't for Liu Yi, how could she and her sister have ended up in such a predicament?

"Don't worry, Ji Wuye's methods of dealing with traitors are more ruthless than you can imagine, and we have to do it this way to prevent your and your sister's identities from being exposed."

As Xu Qing spoke, he reached out his finger to wipe away the tears from the corners of Hu Meiren's eyes.

Of course, Xu Qing did not reveal his other plans. Eliminating Liu Yi to avenge Huoyu Manor was only one of them.

He also wanted to use Liu Yi to intensify the conflict between Han Yu and Ji Wuye, thereby slowly undermining Han Yu's morale, and ultimately to lure out the person behind Luo Jing. Xu Qing only believed half of Luo Jing's words; he always felt that there was someone else behind her.

Since the other party wants to make the hatred between him and Han Yu clear, then he might as well go along with their wishes.

Firstly, he could lure out the person behind Luo Jing, and secondly, he could see what the other party's true attitude was.

If the other party truly wants to cooperate with him, then he can use them to eliminate Han Yu.

Hu Meiren nodded seriously, but then asked with some concern.

"What about my sister? Are we going to keep it from her? If Liu Yi dies, my sister will be heartbroken. Wouldn't that be letting that bastard Liu Yi get away with it?"

Seeing Hu Meiren gritting her teeth, Xu Qing helplessly pinched her cheek.

"Don't worry, since I've decided to avenge you, I've naturally made all the necessary preparations. The person who will tell my sister the truth won't be you or me, but someone suitable," Xu Qing said.

"The right person? Who is it?" Hu Meiren asked curiously.

"I can't tell you for now, you'll find out when the time comes," Xu Qing said mysteriously.

If he and Hu Meiren were to tell Madam Hu the truth, Madam Hu would certainly not be able to accept it, and might even do something extreme.

The only person most suitable to tell him the truth was Li Kai, who was still alive.

However, he didn't know exactly where Li Kai was, so he could only ask the Mohists to help him search in the Chu or Baiyue region for the time being.

Seeing the mysterious Xu Qing, Hu Meiren puffed out her cheeks and pounced on Xu Qing like a cat, pinning him to the ground.

"Tell me, tell me quickly, tell me... who exactly is that person?" Hu Meiren said, straddling Xu Qing and pinching his face with both hands.

"I can't say it now, or it won't work anymore," Xu Qing said with a smile.

"Tell me quickly, just tell them."

Seeing that coercion was ineffective, Hu Meiren prepared to try a softer approach.

Looking at Hu Meiren's pretty face after crying, Xu Qing thought to himself that this was still too much.

Hu Meiren was too excited to notice Xu Qing's unease and continued to act coquettishly. The folds of her pink palace robe tightened, outlining her exaggerated hip and waist curves.

By the time they realized something was wrong, it was too late.

Xu Qing hugged Hu Meiren and, without waiting for her to resist, carried her into her boudoir.

"Xu Lang, Xu Lang"

He tossed Hu Meiren onto the bed, then lowered the curtains on both sides. Wisps of white smoke rose from the lid of the purple-gold incense burner, and a faint fragrance filled the boudoir.

The windows were partially obscured, making the room somewhat dim. Xu Qing and Hu Meiren, hidden behind the curtains, gazed at each other silently, and could faintly hear each other's heartbeats.

The subtle fragrance of incense filled the air, adding an atmosphere of ambiguity and passion, igniting the desire in their hearts.

The feelings between the two were already obvious; if it weren't for external constraints, they would have already confessed their feelings long ago.

The ambiguous atmosphere made the two of them lose their senses, and the incense aroused their desire. The excitement of resolving their pressing matters made Hu Meiren disregard everything else.

Hu Meiren reached out and hugged Xu Qing, burying her face in her neck.

"Xu Lang, thank you for everything you've done for me," Hu Meiren whispered in Xu Qing's ear.

"It's what I should do. Beautiful flowers shouldn't wither because of insects, and the only thing I can do is help you get rid of these annoying insects so that the flowers can stay beautiful forever."

Xu Qing had barely finished speaking when Hu Meiren covered his mouth with her hand.

Their lips met, feeling each other's passionate love, letting the atmosphere grow increasingly heated, as they removed their robes one by one...

Hu Meiren closed her eyes shyly, feeling the unprecedented love Xu Qing was giving her. As for everything else, she had long since put it out of her mind, forgetting the deal she had made with Madam Mingzhu.

Looking at the beautiful woman, Xu Qing could no longer suppress his reason. Although he had studied Confucianism and remembered that emotions should be expressed but restrained by propriety, he felt that even Confucius would forget what propriety was.

As for the warning from the "Trendy Fairy," Xu Qing said that she didn't know who she was at the moment.

Holding that slender waist, inhaling the fragrance of incense mixed with the woman's delicate scent, Xu Qing snatched the crimson mandarin duck bodice and hung it around his waist, transforming into the legendary madman.

Just as Xu Qing and Hu Meiren were lost in their own world, little did they know that someone in the nearby Mingzhu Palace was already getting impatient.

(End of this chapter)