Chapter 13: Anti-Scam (Part 1)

  "This Lü Buwei is indeed the most cunning of all merchants, I won't give in, he won't make an effort." Qin Yiren sat on a low table, constantly turning his head.

  Today, although I gained some advantage in dealing with Lü Buwei, I didn't get any actual benefit. What Qin Yiren needs most now is money and wealth, but Lü Buwei didn't give him a single coin, which doesn't match Qin Yiren's expectations.

  "Watching our food run out, how are we going to get by?" Qin Yiren got a headache again.

  Qin Yiren has made so many moves, wanting to engage in limited cooperation, hoping to gain some benefits during the haggling with Lü Buwei, and get through this period of time first. Who would have thought that Lü Buwei's appetite was too big, he wanted Qin Yiren to completely obey him, thoroughly becoming his puppet, which Qin Yiren absolutely did not want to do.

  Not to mention, there's also the matter of wearing a green hat, which makes Qin Yi people resentful. This kind of thing is something that no man would accept.

  "Bang! Bang!"

  Just then, a heavy footstep sounded, like thunder.

  "Your Highness, something's wrong! Zhao Ping has arrived." Meng Zhao hurried over to report.

  "Come on then, come on, and get beaten out of here." Qin Yiren didn't take Zhao Ping seriously.

  "Master, this time it's not going to work. Zhao Ping has brought over a dozen men, and each of them is armed." Ma Gai sighed: "If we still had our swords, if we still had our combat strength, what would we have to fear?"

  They had been starving for three days, and their combat effectiveness had decreased too much. Now they only have less than one-tenth of their original strength left, and they really didn't have a chance against the dozen or so thugs with equipment.

  "Not good!" Qin Yiren's heart skipped a beat as he immediately sensed something was off.

  Before he could react, a loud crash was heard and the door burst open. Zhao Ping, accompanied by several red-clad attendants and ten street ruffians, stormed in with an air of fury.

  Looking at the gleaming Zhao Jian in their hands, Qin Yiren's heart sank, and his back felt chilly: "Today we're going to suffer a great loss, what can be done about it?"

  In this situation, Qin Yi was also at a loss, and could only pretend not to see anything.

  "Haha!" Zhao Ping was in high spirits, like a proud rooster, strutting around with his head held high, laughing loudly and freely. With a flourish of his sword, he pointed at Qin Yiren and shouted: "Qin Yiren, you're done for!"

  "Nonsense! I knew it even if you didn't say it." Qin Yiren, aware of the strong and weak situation, gritted his teeth and said: "Even if I, Qin Yiren, am going to die today, I will still bite off a few pieces of your flesh!"

  Qin Yiren is not a coward and even though he clearly knows the situation is unfavorable, he will not admit defeat.

  "Right! We Qin people can only die standing, not live on our knees!" Meng Zhao, Ma Gai, Fan Tong, Hei Bo and Mo Er echoed in unison, holding their heads high, puffed out their chests, and raised their fighting spirit.

  The six states of Shandong accused the Qin state of being a nation of tigers and wolves, accusing the Qin people of being tiger-like and wolf-like Qin people, because the Qin people "heard war then rejoiced", meaning that the Qin people regarded fighting as a joyful thing like eating meat and drinking wine.

  At this moment, Meng Zhao and his five men's performance is the best interpretation of "delighting in battle".

  They knew they were no match, they knew they couldn't win, yet they didn't retreat, didn't show any fear, instead their fighting spirit soared.

  "This is a real man!" Qin Yiren watched with admiration and warmth in his heart.

  "Hit! Hit! Hit me hard!" Zhao Ping stretched his neck, almost as long as a giraffe's, and roared: "Qin Yiren, settle all old and new accounts at once! Die!" He charged forward like a leopard.

  "Zhao Dog, look out!" Meng Zhao, Ma Gai and Fan Tong shouted in unison, not showing any fear, and charged towards Zhao Ping and the others.

  Qin Yiren closed his eyes, unable to bear looking again.

  As expected by Qin Yi, what greeted Meng Zhao and his two companions was a group of over ten people punching and kicking them, along with gleaming swords.

  Meng Zhao, Ma Gai and Fan Tong were brave, but after three years of hardship, their bodies were worn out, they didn't have much strength left, their combat power was not as good as before, and they couldn't even maintain one-tenth of their original combat power. They were no match for a dozen or so people and were quickly knocked to the ground, covered in blood.

  However, their stubbornness is admirable. Although they were beaten until they were covered in blood and scars, they refused to give up, shouting curses loudly.

  "Tiger wolf Qin people, if you don't shut up, I'll kill you!" Zhao Ping's face was ferocious, his hand holding the Zhao sword on Meng Zhao's neck, and with a slight exertion of force, fresh blood flowed down along the blade.

  "Come on! The Qin people are tigers and wolves, how can we be afraid of you, a mere dog!" Meng Zhao's loud roar was like thunder.

  "If you don't surrender, I'll kill them!" The red-robed official placed his sword on Ma Gai and Fan Tong's necks. With a slight exertion of force, the two men's necks were injured, and blood flowed freely.

  "Rather die than be humiliated! The people of Qin can be killed but not insulted!" Ma Ge and Fan Tong showed no fear, their eyes wide with excitement: "Twenty years later, another good fellow will emerge, what's there to fear in death?"

  Qin Yi's words struck a chord in his ear, and his heart felt a pang of sourness. Such a tough and good fellow is rarely found in the world.

  "I've long heard that Qin people have a tiger-wolf nature and never admit defeat. It seems to be true!" Ten street urchins couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

  Although Qin and Zhao became sworn enemies due to the Battle of Changping, Meng Zhao's heroic spirit is still admirable, and even a commoner like me can't help but praise him.

  "Qin Yiren, hand over a thousand pieces of gold and I'll spare their dog lives." Zhao Ping's grip on his sword tightened, the blade sinking deeper into Meng Zhao's neck.

  "A thousand taels of gold?" Qin Yiren really wanted to burst out laughing, and sneered: "If I had a thousand taels of gold, would I let you run amok? I would have had someone slaughter you like a dog long ago."

  As Zhao Ping's status and position, it would not take a thousand taels of gold to have him killed, ten taels would be enough.

  "You borrowed one thousand taels of gold from Mr. Lü just now, and Mr. Lü personally told me about it." Zhao Ping shouted even louder.

  "You scoundrel, Lü Buwei! You actually dare to scheme against me. I won't let you off." Qin Yiren finally understood the situation and hated Lü Buwei so much that his teeth itched: "He wants to force me to surrender."

  Qin Yiren clearly understood Lü Buwei's intentions, and since he couldn't persuade Qin Yiren, he used Zhao Ping's hand to deal with Qin Yiren until Qin Yiren completely submitted.

  "Hit! Hit Qin Yiren hard for me." Zhao Ping glared at Qin Yiren fiercely, and several red-clad small officials rushed up like wolves.

  If they were to rush up, Qin Yiren would not be able to avoid this beating, and it would still be the kind that left him with a splitting headache, Qin Yiren's scalp was numb, how could he get out of this predicament?

  In this situation, who else can have a solution?

  "Run, Master!" Meng Zhao, Ma Gai and Fan Tong shouted in unison, wanting to rush up and rescue Qin Yiren, but they were restrained by others and couldn't move.

  Miao Er and Hei Bo wanted to go forward to block them, but it was of no use. They could only watch as these people were about to pounce on them.

  "Qin Yiren, you won't die today without losing a layer of skin. Aren't you very capable? I'll see just how capable you are. Even if you were ten or a hundred or a thousand times more capable, you'd still be like a dog begging for mercy at my feet. I want you to lick my toes! A noble prince like you licking my toes will surely make me feel comfortable and happy!" Zhao Ping was full of himself, looking very pleased with his own cleverness.

  Just as Qin Yi was about to suffer a great loss, Meng Zhao, Ma Gai, Fan Tong, Hei Bo and Mo Er painfully closed their eyes, unable to bear watching any longer.

  "Zhao Ping, you have a big dog's guts, how dare you scold the Prime Minister, Lord Pingyuan." However, just at this moment, Qin Yiren's eyes rolled over, as if he had thought of something, and suddenly let out a loud roar, with a smile floating on his lips.

  "Nonsense, I didn't scold the prime minister." Zhao Ping vehemently denied it.

  Pingyuan Jun was the prime minister of Zhao State, high and above, even if he borrowed a leopard's courage to scold Zhao Ping, he didn't dare.

  "I ask you, didn't you scold Ping Yuanjun for lacking the ability to judge people, and recommend Zhao Kuo as a general, which ultimately led to the great defeat at Changping?" Qin Yiren's voice grew even louder, loudly questioning.

  "This...". Zhao Ping indeed had cursed Ping Yuan Jun like this before, his face greatly changed.