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

Chapter 149, Attending Court Discussions and Participating in Political Affairs
Inside the Hall of State Council in the Han King's Palace.

Xu Qing, dressed in a brown official robe, entered the Chaoyi Hall and immediately attracted a lot of attention.

The officials who had already arrived all looked at Xu Qing with surprise, clearly unable to understand why Xu Qing, an official in the inner court, had come to the Hall of State Affairs.

The six officials promoted by Xu Qing nodded slightly to him. They already knew that Xu Qing was serving as an advisor to Prince Han, but their eyes were filled with worry as they looked at him.

Han Yu and Liu Yi, who were talking with Zhang Kaidi, also noticed Xu Qing and were quite surprised to see him enter the Chaoyi Hall.

Xu Qing glanced around at the officials present, and after seeing Han Yu and Zhang Kaidi, he stepped forward.

"Greetings, Prime Minister, Fourth Young Master," Xu Qing said, bowing.

Zhang Kaidi, Han Yu, and Liu Yi looked Xu Qing up and down, their eyes filled with surprise.

"Hmm, why is the Imperial Physician here at the Imperial Council Hall?" Zhang Kai asked.

"The King ordered yesterday that I attend court discussions and participate in political affairs."

Xu Qing's voice wasn't loud, but it was just loud enough for everyone present to hear.

Han Yu and Liu Yi looked at Xu Qing with some surprise. "Attending court discussions and participating in politics"—these eight characters are short, but they have a different kind of profound meaning behind them.

In the inner court of the King of Han, only the Attendant-in-Ordinary was qualified to participate in court discussions. Although the Attendant-in-Ordinary was a nominal position, he was always by the King of Han's side and involved in court affairs. Without exception, he was a confidant of the King of Han.

King Han An did indeed establish the position of Attendant-in-Ordinary at the beginning of his reign. Later, General Ji Wuye impeached three Attendants-in-Ordinary, leading to their imprisonment. Ultimately, they committed suicide out of fear of punishment.

From then on, King An of Han never appointed a Chamberlain again, and everyone knew the reason why.

It's simply that Ji Wuye wants to usurp the royal power, so he doesn't allow King Han An to have his own forces.

Attending court sessions was the duty of the Imperial Physician. Generally, when the emperor was unwell but needed to continue attending court, the Imperial Physician would accompany him to court in case of emergency.

King Han An did not promote Xu Qing to the position of Attendant-in-Ordinary, but allowed him to participate in politics by attending court meetings. This clearly made Xu Qing a more illegitimate Attendant-in-Ordinary position.

Even if Ji Wuye knew, he could only grit his teeth and bear it. After all, it would be disrespectful for a great general to target a hapless imperial physician, and if word got out, he would be accused of disrespecting the King of Han.

"It seems that the recent fierce struggle in the court has given this king, who has lost power for many years, the idea of ​​regaining power."

The same thought popped into the minds of Han Yu, Liu Yi, and many other officials. After all, they couldn't think of any other reason why Han Wang'an would go to such lengths to involve Xu Qing in politics.

Zhang Kai looked at Xu Qing intently, his feelings quite complicated.

While pleased that King Han wanted to regain power, they were also worried that his move would exacerbate the already strife in the court and intensify the internal strife in Korea.

“I see. Court politics is different from the inner court. This is the first time the Imperial Physician has attended court. He should observe and listen more, and speak and do less,” Zhang Kai said.

"Thank you for your guidance, Prime Minister. I have learned a great deal," Xu Qing said, cupping his hands in greeting.

Han Yu gave Xu Qing a meaningful look. Han Wang'an had promoted Xu Qing, but had not informed him of it.

Does this mean his father has something to say about his recent overly intense conflict with Ji Wuye, and is therefore giving him a warning?

King An of Han wants to regain power, but he doesn't want the fight between him and Ji Wuye to escalate to the point of no return.
Putting aside his questions, Han Yu smiled and looked at Xu Qing, saying...
"Congratulations to the Imperial Physician! I have long heard of your exceptional talent. You are not only proficient in medicine, but also have a deep understanding of Confucian principles for saving the country and governing the people. You must serve your father well in the future."

"Fourth Prince, you flatter me. I am merely a servant of the King, a privilege granted to me. The governance of the country and its people still depends on you, the Prime Minister, and all the loyal ministers," Xu Qing replied.

As he spoke, Xu Qing looked at the other officials, who smiled and nodded in agreement.

"The Imperial Physician is too modest." Although Han Yu maintained a smile on the surface, he couldn't help but feel wary of Xu Qing.

He already had some grudges against Xu Qing, and after gaining Liu Yi's allegiance, he planned to bypass Xu Qing and form an alliance with Hu Meiren through Liu Yi.

There's a saying in officialdom: never offend someone lightly, because if you do, you must put them to death.

Now that Xu Qing has the power to participate in politics, he has been made the spokesperson of his father in the court. If he offends the other party and the other party sides with Ji Wuye, it will be extremely disadvantageous for him.

However, Xu Qing was standing between him and Hu Meiren, which was also disadvantageous to him, making it difficult for him to make a decision for the time being.

Xu Qing smiled as he looked at Han Yu. He loved seeing Han Yu's dislike for him, yet unable to do anything about it.

Looking at the two seemingly harmonious people, whose relationship was actually fraught with undercurrents, Zhang Kai sighed inwardly.

Liu Yi didn't see the subtle confrontation between Xu Qing and Han Yu. He had a happy smile on his face, clearly having been completely fooled by Xu Qing's family.

He felt that Xu Qing's power had increased and that he was Han Wang'an's spokesperson. He believed that as long as he united with Xu Qing and Han Yu, along with Zhang Kaidi, they would be able to fight against Ji Wuye and protect himself.

"Haha, the Prime Minister, the Fourth Prince, and the Imperial Physician are all pillars of our Han state. We can't do without any of them," Liu Yi said with a smile.

Just as Liu Yi finished speaking, a voice suddenly rang out from outside the hall.
"The general has arrived!"

In an instant, the once lively Imperial Council Hall fell silent. The officials stopped whispering and quickly returned to their seats, remaining silent.

Liu Yi immediately tensed up, glancing fearfully towards the door. Standing with Han Yu today meant he had completely betrayed Ji Wuye, and he was bound to face a furious and vengeful retaliation. Xu Qing, seeing the last protagonist of his carefully orchestrated drama arrive, nodded slightly to the three people, then walked towards his seat.

As a servant, he was positioned to the lower left of the throne, the very spot where the three dead servants had stood.

Han Yu gave Xu Qing a meaningful look, then turned to Liu Yi and said...
"Right Sima, come with me."

"Okay." Liu Yi followed Han Yu nervously to the side.

Han Yu tried his best to walk like a normal person, but his slightly uneven gait made him look like a wild duck.

The officials lowered their heads, not daring to look, and suppressed their laughter, trying not to let it out loud.

"The Fourth Young Master has come to participate in court affairs before he has fully recovered. His concern for the country and its people is truly admirable," Ji Wuye said before he even arrived.

Having his sore spot touched, Han Yu clenched his hands tightly under his sleeves, trying his best to keep his expression calm.

"As expected of someone who trains in physical strength, he came in all bravado right from the start! It seems today's show will be even more exciting than I expected."

A smile flickered in Xu Qing's eyes. The court proceedings hadn't even begun, and Ji Wuye was already mocking Han Yu, leaving no room for negotiation.

The sound of steady footsteps and the clanging of armor rang out, and Xu Qing and the others all looked towards the palace gate.

A figure clad in armor, with an arrogant expression, strode into the hall.

Seeing Ji Wuye arrive, Han Yu suppressed his anger and calmly retorted.
“As a subject, it is my duty to worry about the affairs of the state. As a son, I should share my father’s burdens when my elder brother, the Crown Prince, is overwhelmed with other matters.”

Ji Wuye didn't care about Han Yu's retort, after all, it was common knowledge that Crown Prince Han was a good-for-nothing.

After surveying the court officials, Ji Wuye paused briefly when he saw Xu Qing. The Tide Demoness had already informed him that King Han An had allowed Xu Qing to participate in politics.

He didn't care about this; he just treated it as playing along with Han Wang'an to prevent Han Wang'an from doing anything else that he couldn't control.

Finally, Ji Wuye turned his gaze to Liu Yi, a smile appearing on his face.

"I remember that the Right Sima was ordered by the King to be suspended from his post and reflect on his actions. Why is he participating in court affairs now?" Ji Wuye said.

Seeing the smile on Ji Wuye's face, Liu Yi felt a chill run down his spine. He nervously swallowed and raised his trembling hand to speak.
"Greetings, General."

"The Right Sima holds an important position, and he has already realized his mistake, so I reported to my father and had his confinement lifted," Han Yu said calmly.

When Han Yu stood up to speak for Liu Yi, Liu Yi looked at Han Yu gratefully, and the other officials also looked at Han Yu with different expressions.

"Is that so? Then Liu Yi, you'd better remember the Fourth Young Master's kindness to you from now on," Ji Wuye said with a forced smile.

He had already figured out how to deal with Liu Yi. He wanted to make Han Yu and Liu Yi suffer a loss instead of trying to steal a chicken. Naturally, he wouldn't deal with the two of them now, as that would be beneath his dignity.

Watching Han Yu and Ji Wuye clash in secret, the surrounding ministers couldn't help but feel anxious. When gods fight, it's the mortals who suffer.

Xu Qing watched this scene with great interest, as it was exactly what he wanted to see.

Hearing Ji Wuye's threatening words, Liu Yi was afraid, but since they had already broken off all pretense of civility, he decided to stand up to him rather than continue to be submissive.

The fear in Liu Yi's eyes vanished immediately, replaced by a smile.

"Thank you for the reminder, General. I will remember the Fourth Young Master's kindness."

Just as Ji Wuye was about to say something more, Han, the eunuch, spoke up.

"The King has arrived!"

Ji Wuye simply smiled and glanced at Liu Yi and Han Yu before walking towards his seat. Han Yu, with a solemn expression, led Liu Yi towards his seat.

He knew that, given Ji Wuye's personality, the other party would never let him go so easily; the other party must be plotting something terrible and waiting for him.

A minor disturbance was interrupted by the arrival of King Han An, but everyone knew that this was probably the beginning of a major upheaval in the court proceedings.

King Han An entered the main hall surrounded by a group of attendants, and the officials all stood up and bowed to him.

"Greetings, Your Majesty! May Your Majesty live ten thousand years!"

King Han walked to the throne, flicked his sleeves, and sat down.

"No gift."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

The court officials returned to their seats, and Xu Qing stood silently to the side, waiting to see what would happen next.

(End of this chapter)