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

Chapter 150, King Han An: Imperial Physician, what do you think?
"The reason for today's court meeting is to discuss the Right Sima's defeat and return."

King Han An coldly surveyed the court officials, finally fixing his gaze on Liu Yi.

Liu Yi's body trembled slightly, then he immediately stood up, walked to the center, and bowed to Han Wang An, saying...

"Your Majesty, I, Liu Yi, have failed to live up to your expectations. We were defeated by the Qin army, resulting in heavy losses for our Han soldiers. I beg Your Majesty to punish me!"

As soon as Liu Yi finished speaking, Ji Wuye glanced at the officials behind him, and one of them immediately stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, the Right Sima failed in his duty to resist the Qin army, resulting in heavy losses of soldiers and generals, as well as the loss of cities and territories for our Han state. This crime must be punished to appease the people. I request that he be dismissed from his post as Right Sima."

As soon as he finished speaking, under Han Yu's command, the people belonging to the Four Young Masters' faction got up and walked out.

“Your Majesty, the words of the Junior Minister of Justice are inevitably biased. The Qin army came with great force. Although the Right Commander was defeated, he blocked the Qin army at Yewang, protected our Han state, and won the conditions for peace talks.”

"The doctor's words are incorrect."

At the behest of Ji Wuye and Han Yu, their officials stepped forward and began to argue endlessly about the outcome of Liu Yi's case.

Xu Qing stood aside and silently watched the two sides debate back and forth. At first, he was very interested in watching them debate, but after a while, he found it boring.

The two sides argued back and forth, but they were talking about the same thing. Ji Wuye's people believed that Liu Yi should be punished for his defeat, while Han Yu's people believed that Liu Yi had blocked the Qin army and secured peace talks, so his merits and demerits should be offset.

If we go by the facts, it is quite normal that Liu Yi was no match for the Qin army. Looking at the six states of Shandong today, apart from Zhao's senior brother Pang Nuan and Li Mu, and Wei's Lord Xinling who is about to die, who dares to say that they can defeat the Qin army?

If Liu Yi truly possesses such ability, then Ji Wuye's position should rightfully be given to Liu Yi.

Seeing that the six officials he had promoted remained silent, Xu Qing turned to observe the expressions of the others. Ji Wuye and Han Yu stared at each other, while Zhang Kai closed his eyes slightly to rest, seemingly unconcerned about the argument.

"It seems that the limp has had a significant impact on Han Yu. In the past, Han Yu would never have been able to go toe-to-toe with Ji Wuye like this."

Xu Qing looked at Han Yu's slightly trembling right leg, and it was clear that the tampering he had the Mo family do had taken effect.

The very night Han Yu sought out the Mo family to have leg braces made for him, the Mo family informed him of the news. At his request, the leg braces that the Mo family made for Han Yu were not entirely perfect.

The Mohist mechanism, with its wooden and stone walkways and bronze openings, is truly remarkable. This saying, "Ask Gongshu," is not just empty boasting.

Given the capabilities of the Mohists, they were fully capable of creating a perfect prosthetic limb or leg brace for Han Yu. However, the Mohists had already discovered that Han Yu was the one who killed Jing Changjun.

So, as Xu Qing requested, a special foot brace was made for Han Yu. No matter how much Han Yu practiced and adjusted, he could never walk like a normal person.

Moreover, standing for long periods of time can cause severe pain and lead to wear and tear on the right leg.

Unfortunately, Han Yu was unaware of this, believing that even if his right leg could not be cured, he could still walk like a normal person by supporting himself with his foot.

Xu Qing withdrew his gaze and glanced at King Han An on the throne, only to see the other looking down with a playful smile.

Upon seeing this, Xu Qing was slightly taken aback, and a sense of unease arose in his heart.

King Han An looked down at Ji Wuye and Han Yu, who were locked in fierce combat, with a satisfied gleam in his eyes. This was the result he wanted.

Back then, thanks to Ji Wuye and Bai Yifei's military achievements in pacifying Baiyue, he rose from an unfavored prince to become the crown prince and eventually the King of Han.

However, in return, he gave Ji Wuye a great deal of power, which led to Ji Wuye sidelining him and leaving him with only a fraction of his original power.

As South Korea became increasingly reliant on Ji Wuye, he gradually grew disheartened, focusing only on maintaining balance in the court and indulging in pleasure within the palace.

The recent changes in the South Korean court have given him a glimmer of hope. Although he cannot completely regain power, he can still influence the court through Xu Qing, so that he is not controlled by others in everything.

Han Wang'an glanced at Xu Qing, who was standing to the side in a daze, and a smug look appeared in his eyes.

"As expected, he's just a mere Imperial Physician. He was completely at a loss when faced with this situation for the first time. But that's fine too, as it makes him easier for me to control."

King Han An withdrew his gaze, looked at the ministers below whose argument was growing increasingly heated, and coughed twice. The heated debate instantly ceased, and everyone turned to look at King Han An.

"After all this arguing, do you still have any regard for the etiquette of the palace?" King Han An said coldly.

"We, your humble servants, have been disrespectful before the throne and beg Your Majesty to punish us," the officials said, bowing respectfully.

"What is the Prime Minister's opinion on the matter of Liu Yi, the Right Sima?" King Han asked Zhang Kaidi.

Zhang Kai opened his eyes, which were slightly narrowed, as if waking from a deep dream. He walked into the hall, cupped his hands, and said...
"Your Majesty," Zhang Kaidi said slowly, "I believe both the Junior Minister of Justice and the Grand Master have valid points. Although the Right Commander suffered a defeat, he successfully halted the Qin army's advance, preserving Han as much as possible and buying time for our peace negotiations."

"As for whether the Right Sima should be rewarded or punished, I ask Your Majesty to make the decision."

Xu Qing's lips twitched slightly as he watched Zhang Kai try to smooth things over. As expected of a seasoned veteran who had served as prime minister to two generations of the King of Han, his words were indeed sophisticated.

King Han An nodded slightly, then looked at Ji Wuye and asked...

"What does the General think?"

"Your Majesty's orders are absolute. If we do not severely punish the defeated generals, it will be difficult to win the hearts and minds of the people. If all the generals of our Han state follow this example in the future, who will be willing to risk their lives on the battlefield?" Ji Wuye said.

No sooner had Ji Wuye finished speaking than Han Yu jumped out to retort.
“Father, General, you are mistaken. I believe the soldiers are willing to die for their country out of gratitude for your kindness, not because they are forced by the law.” (Right Sima)

Ji Wuye looked coldly at Han Yu, and Han Yu looked back at Ji Wuye without backing down.

Seeing that the two groups below were about to start arguing again, Han Wang'an looked at Xu Qing and asked...
"Imperial Physician, what do you think?"

In an instant, all the officials and civil servants turned their attention to Xu Qing.

Liu Yi looked at Xu Qing with a mix of nervousness and excitement. Who spoke first wasn't important; what mattered most was who spoke last.

As his good brother, Xu Qing felt that even if the other party didn't care about the six pearls, they would still lend a hand out of consideration for the relationship between Hu Meiren and Madam Hu.

Ji Wuye looked at Xu Qing calmly. In his heart, although Xu Qing was not under his control, he was still one of his own and there was no need to worry about him.

Han Yu's face darkened, and he looked at Xu Qing with an unreadable expression, but he quickly returned to normal.

Liu Yi was, after all, Hu Meiren's brother-in-law, and he felt that Xu Qing wouldn't take advantage of her misfortune at this time.

Zhang Kaidi revealed an encouraging smile, hoping that Xu Qing could, like him, maintain neutrality and stability in the court.

"Who? Me? Asking for my opinion?"

A look of confusion flashed across Xu Qing's eyes. He was just watching the show, how did the fire end up on him?

However, he quickly realized that this was King Han's way of giving him an opportunity to establish his authority.

Xu Qing took a step forward and bowed to Han Wang'an, saying...

"Your Majesty, I am an official of the inner court and do not understand the affairs of the court very well, so I dare not speak presumptuously."

"I have granted you the power to participate in court affairs. You may speak your mind directly without any reservations," King Han An said in a deep voice.

"Then I will speak presumptuously. Although I do not understand military affairs, I know that only clear rewards and punishments can keep soldiers in line with their words and deeds. If the Right Sima is not punished after his defeat, it will not be enough to convince the troops."

Upon hearing Xu Qing's words, Ji Wuye revealed a satisfied smile.

Liu Yi and Han Yu looked at Xu Qing with some surprise, and their hearts became even more nervous.

(End of this chapter)