Chapter Twelve: Visiting the Virtuous

  The news of Qin's dispatching troops was naturally unknown to the six nations at this time. At this moment, under the cover of night, Prince Yan was strolling in Daliang City.

  The Wei State's embassy was heavily guarded during the day, mainly because of the Wei State's great defeat, and it was hard to prevent radical citizens from plotting something that would make relations between the two countries even more tense. Fortunately, the Crown Prince Yan had a low profile in the delegation, so he took advantage of the night to slip out.

  The news of the defeat had reached Wei State three days before the arrival of the Korean envoy, and there was a great panic throughout the state.

  Although the King of Wei tried his best to conceal the news, the rumor that they had lost 130,000 soldiers had already spread thoroughly among the people. The arrival of the Korean diplomatic mission further confirmed the accuracy of this news.

  Daliang City is only 90 miles away from Xinzheng, and the Korean delegation spent no more than two days before arriving at the capital of the Great Wei State, known as the first city in Central Plains.

  When the Korean delegation slowly entered Daliang City, all the Wei people had complex feelings in their hearts.

  This neighboring country, which was still dependent on Wei State just a few days ago, has lost its 130,000-strong army in a short period of time. The strength of both sides has also quietly changed. Even though the population of Wei State is one-third more than that of Han State, this battle has greatly injured the vitality of Wei State.

  The prince then mixed in with the envoy group and secretly arrived at the capital of the enemy country.

  Han and Wei are still at war, and if Wei finds out that the Crown Prince of Han is in the delegation, he will definitely be detained as a hostage to exchange for 800,000 prisoners of war. The King of Han was reluctant to let the Crown Prince take risks, but the Crown Prince insisted on going, even with unprecedented determination. After making various guarantees, the Crown Prince was finally allowed to join the delegation.

  Due to the addition of Taizi Ran, all members of the team were reviewed layer by layer. Especially Taizi Ran's personal bodyguard, Han Wang was worried and sent his own trusted assassin to follow him all the way, which made Taizi Ran quite helpless.

  The reason why he insisted on his own way was that the crown prince also had his own difficulties. Because Daliang had a great wise man, this person greatly accelerated the pace of Qin's unification of the world. For such a talented person, the crown prince would never give up. This person is Fan Yu.

  Later generations have different evaluations of Fan Sui, criticizing him for being vengeful and arrogant, driving Bai Qi to death; praising him for proposing "distant allies and nearby foes", pointing out the direction for Qin's unification. But without a doubt, Fan Sui was a true talent.

  If history had not deviated, Fan Yu should still be hiding in Zheng Anping's mansion, under the alias Zhang Lu. And half a year after the Battle of Huayang, he followed the visiting Qin envoy Wang Ke to the State of Qin, and a year and a half later, he met with the King of Qin, beginning to write his glorious future on this grand political stage of the Warring States.

  Fan Ju was also a poor soul, although he came from a famous family, he was a younger son of a side branch. His status was low, but he was good at debating, Fan Ju naturally did not want to be unknown in the countryside, so he worked hard to make a name for himself.

  Fan Ju originally wanted to serve as an official under the King of Wei, but because his family was poor and had no connections to gain access, he could not enter. He had to become a guest under the door of Zhong Daofu's subordinate, Gao Mou.

  Once, Fan Ju accompanied Su Jia on a diplomatic mission to the State of Qi. When Su Jia was repeatedly rebuked by the King of Qi, Fan Ju stood up and defended him, maintaining the dignity of Su Jia and the State of Wei. The King of Qi was impressed and offered Fan Ju gifts of gold, silver, wine, and food, as well as inviting him to become a guest minister, all of which were declined one by one.

  Things developed like this, and if Su Jia recommended Fan Ju next, everyone would be delighted. But heaven played a joke on Fan Ju, as soon as he returned to Da Liang, he was framed by Su Jia for selling Wei Guo's intelligence.

  The Chancellor Wei Qi hated this kind of petty person the most, and ordered someone to torture him until his ribs were broken and teeth fell out, with no intact skin left on his body. Then he was wrapped in a mat and thrown into a toilet, where guests would urinate on him. Fan Shi pretended to be dead and was abandoned outside the city. After returning home, he immediately asked his good friend Zheng Anping to hide himself, changed his name to Zhang Lu, and had his family hold a funeral for him, making Wei Qi firmly believe that he was already dead.

  Such an experience was a hundred times more humiliating than what Han Xin had suffered. If it were someone else, they might have been consumed by hatred and lost their way, but Fan Yu emerged strong and alive. This ultimately led to the legendary revenge that would be passed down for centuries.

  For the ambitious Fan Yi, the prince was confident that he could recruit him, as long as he lured him with benefits and promised him a high position. What's to fear if the vengeful Fan Yi wouldn't take the bait? But if Fan Yi refused to take the bait, for the sake of Han's safety, he would have no choice but to kill him mercilessly.

  In his heart, he silently recalled the famous person of the Warring States period, and Taizi then knocked on the large gate of "Zheng Fu".

  At this moment, Fan Yu was discussing the current situation with his good friend Zheng Anping in the Zheng Mansion.

  It has been two years since Fan Ju was humiliated. In these two years, Fan Ju lived in the Zheng residence, under the careful care of his good friends, the physical injuries had healed, but the spiritual wounds were still bleeding constantly. Even though half a year ago Wei Qi was dismissed and Mang Mao took over as Prime Minister, Fan Ju's hatred in his heart never diminished by half.

  He was originally a hot-blooded patriotic young man, but he thoroughly saw through the ways of the world. The extent to which this matter struck him only his good friend Zheng Anping knew.

  Although Fan Sui has not spoken about the humiliation for two years, when Han Guo annihilated the 130,000-strong Wei army, Fan Sui's barely concealed joy revealed that he had come to hate even Wei.

  Zheng Anping is a businessman who grew up with Fan Yu as playmates. He knows that his friend has great talent and ambition.

  Zheng Anping once sighed, if Fan Yi were a merchant, he would surely be the richest in the world, and would not lose to Tao Zhu Gong.

  In the casual conversation between He and Fan, Zheng Anping was occasionally mentioned, and the changes in the situation implied what kind of business opportunities. Just as the two were discussing this battle of Huayang, they were interrupted by the voice of Butler Zheng Fu.

  "The master of the house, there is a visitor outside who wants to see you. The old slave thinks it's best for the master to meet with him." After finishing speaking, he handed over a piece of silk to Zheng Anping.

  For Zheng Anping, who had been serving him for decades, Old Zheng was very trustworthy. Especially today, he had specifically instructed Old Zheng that he and Fan Yu were discussing something in the backyard, and unless it was a big deal, all visitors would be turned away. Therefore, Zheng Anping furrowed his brow, unable to guess what kind of person could make his butler disturb him.

  After opening the silk ribbon in his hand, Zheng Anping was suddenly stunned, with a mixture of shock and confusion on his face.

  Fan Yi also picked up the silk, but in the next second, he had the same expression. On the silk, there were two ordinary words - "Zhang Lu".

  "The master, Mr. Zhang's matter, the old slave has never told anyone else. Only a few people know that Mr. Zhang is in Zhengfu, and besides the old slave, no one else knows Mr. Zhang's background. Therefore, after receiving the message from the gatekeeper, the old slave rushed to inform the master."

  "How many people have come? What are they wearing? Has the gatekeeper said anything?" Fan Yi asked first.

  Zheng Anping also came back to his senses at this time, looking at the housekeeper with a tense face.

  According to the gatekeeper's words, there were only two people. The first person was dressed in luxurious clothes and should be of high status. The other person who followed him looked like a bodyguard from his attire." The butler replied.

  "In that case, the visitor should have no ill intentions. If it were really Wei Qi who discovered me hiding here, I'm afraid he wouldn't be so courteous. Brother Zheng, don't worry, let's just see this person." Fan Yi put his mind at ease and spoke to Zheng Anping calmly.

  Although Wei Qi had resigned as prime minister, as the clan brother of Lord Xinling and a member of the royal family of Wei, killing Fan Sui was no more difficult than pinching an ant to death.

  "Why don't we do it this way: let Old Zheng take the guest to my study, and Brother Fan hides behind the screen to check out the situation before making a move."

  "Brother Zheng is right, I'll just follow your lead."

  At this time, Fan Wei didn't hesitate either and followed Zheng Anping to the study. The butler went personally to the main gate to welcome Prince Ran.

  In the study, Zheng Anping calmly drank tea.

  The housekeeper hastily left after bringing Taizi Ran into the study, as Zheng Anping's confidant, he naturally knew how much responsibility the Zheng family bore in rescuing Fan Yu.

  Especially at this moment, the conversation in the study is not something that can be participated in by oneself. What one needs to do is ensure that there are no unclean people around the study.

  The prince also drank tea calmly and didn't say a word. Finally, Zheng Anping couldn't bear the silence and spoke first.

  "I heard that Mr. has a fortune to bestow upon me, but why didn't he mention it when we met?"

  This was what Crown Prince Yan had said to the steward of the Zheng manor at first, but later the steward still refused to let him go, so he wrote that piece of silk.

  "Mr. Zheng is in a serious condition. This time, I made an unannounced visit, which was not well thought out by me. I didn't expect Mr. Zheng's body to be unwell, and it should have been visited on another day." The crown prince paused for a moment, savoring the tea cup in his hand.

  "Alas, I'm a rustic person and my stay in Daliang this time is too short. I fear I won't be able to wait for Old Zheng's recovery, so I had to resort to this inferior plan and recommend an old acquaintance of mine to Old Zheng. Please forgive me, Old Zheng! But looking at your complexion, I suppose you're not seriously ill." The prince smiled as he spoke.

  Zheng Anping's face turned red as he thought to himself that his illness was just an excuse, and now being teased by the newcomer made him feel a bit embarrassed.

  "May I ask where you come from, sir? As for me, I'm old and can't recall having met you before."

  "Boss Zheng, however, has a good memory. My surname is Han, and I'm from Xinzheng. This is actually my first time meeting Boss Zheng today." The crown prince thought to himself that Zheng Anping was only around 40 years old, yet he dared to be so arrogant and pretentious, which was quite amusing.

  "Xinzheng?" Zheng Anping racked his brain to think of all the Korean businessmen he knew, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't figure out who would know "Zhang Lu".

  "I'm not sure what Mr. Zhang's wealth and nobility are, and who is this Zhang Lu? I suppose Mr. Han also knows that Zheng has been in business for over 20 years and has dealt with countless people. When I heard the name Zhang Lu, it seemed familiar, but somehow I couldn't remember him. Please enlighten me, sir!" After finishing speaking, Zheng Anping put down his teacup and looked at the prince.

  This implies that the Crown Prince is reminded that he is at the gate of his home, and many dignitaries are familiar with him. If the Crown Prince cannot explain himself, the consequences will be very severe.

  "That's the truth. Mr. Zheng, Han has been searching for someone all along. This person is extremely talented, but unfortunately, due to his talent, he was envied by the powerful and suffered greatly. After searching extensively, I finally found out where he is recently. To be honest, this person's name is Fan Mingxu, who is actually the 'Zhang Lu' of your esteemed household."

  Upon hearing this, Zheng Anping's face changed greatly.

  I really didn't expect the newcomer's words to be so straightforward, without giving people time to react.

  When it was time to refute, the crown prince suddenly interrupted and said: "Mr. Zheng, put down your guard, I have no ill intentions. If I wanted fame and fortune, I would have gone to Wei Qi's place long ago. Although Wei Qi has resigned as prime minister, his influence still exists. Today, I came to your mansion with great courage, because I am not ashamed of my conscience. If Mr. Zheng is still worried, you can ask the servants outside to lock us up here."

  One sentence made Zheng Anping's face flush with anger. The crown prince looked at Zheng Anping, thinking that if he dared to do anything unfavorable to himself, he would not be able to get past his own bodyguards.

  I have experienced the ferocity of the bodyguards assigned to me by my father, let alone the numerous response personnel not far from the Zheng residence. That's why I dared to say those big words and wanted to gain their trust. Now it seems that the effect is not bad.

  "Mr. Zheng can speak freely, he is a trusted friend." Looking at Zheng Anping's hesitant face, the prince immediately guessed his concerns.

  "May I ask when Mr. Han got to know Fan Yao? As for me, I've never heard Fan Yao mention it." Although he didn't admit to hiding Fan Yao, Zheng Anping implicitly acknowledged that his relationship with Fan Yao was not shallow.

  "Although I have never met Mr. Fan before, we have been in spiritual communication for a long time. I originally wanted to invite him to form a connection, but my friend told me that Mr. Fan had the intention of devoting himself to the state of Wei. A gentleman has the beauty of helping others grow, and although I am not a gentleman, I also know that an ordinary person cannot take away another's ambition. I did not expect that Wei Qi, as the dignified Prime Minister, would not recognize a precious pearl, causing Mr. Fan to suffer this great calamity. Over the past two years, there were rumors that Mr. Fan had already died, and I sighed endlessly. Recently, there were suddenly rumors that Mr. Fan was still alive, hiding in the Zheng residence, so I hurriedly came to your esteemed residence."

  "Although I am not talented, I also know that a scholar can be killed but not humiliated. Han certain makes an oath here, within ten years, he will surely take revenge for Master's great injustice." The crown prince said with a loud and clear voice.

  The Crown Prince knew that Fan Jushi was seeking revenge, so he worked hard to govern and eventually became the Prime Minister of Qin. He successfully humiliated Su Jia, forced Wei Qi to commit suicide, and avenged his great hatred.

  As for Fan Yi's revenge, the Crown Prince was quite clear about it. He did not believe that under his control, Fan Yi would not submit.

  "What makes you so bold as to say such a thing?" Zheng Anping asked curiously.

  Xu Jia is easy to deal with, but Wei Qi is a true royal. In the state of Wei, if a commoner kills a member of the royal family, three generations of their clan will be executed. How many people in the world can avenge their friend's death like this?

  Moreover, Zheng Anping knew that his good friend's desired revenge was not to send assassins to kill, but to humiliate him openly and fairly. What he wanted was a high-ranking official position with wealth and honor.

  "Just because I am the Crown Prince of Korea, that's why." The Crown Prince said this with an air of superiority that had been cultivated from long years of being in a high position.

  Fan Yi behind the screen exclaimed "Ah", the Korean prince? How did he come to Daliang?! Korea and Wei are now at odds, how dare he come to Daliang?!

  Things have come to this, and Fan Yi came out with a big and generous attitude. He bowed deeply and sighed: "Uncle (note: Fan Yi's word), what virtue and ability do you have? You actually made the Crown Prince personally go to a dangerous place. If there is any mistake, Uncle will die a hundred times!"

  The crown prince hastily helped up this ancient prime minister and carefully scrutinized Fan Ju.

  He was over seven feet tall, with a face like jade and a nose like a hanging gallbladder. Judging from his facial features alone, he seemed to have fulfilled the prophecy of being poor in youth but rich and successful in middle age.

  When Prince Chen was sizing up Fan Yi, Fan Yi was also sizing up the Crown Prince of Korea, the only legitimate heir to the Korean throne. In his free time, Fan Yi had also observed the celestial phenomena at night. Although he came from a family of strategists, due to a chance encounter in his childhood, he had the good fortune to follow an extraordinary scholar and learn about the astronomical observations of the Yin-Yang school.

  The Purple Star originally sat in the position of Xiyang in the west, which also predicted that Qin would unify the world. However, after the Battle of Huayang, Fan Sui was surprised to find that the Purple Star had a tendency to move eastward. If it weren't for Fan Sui's meticulous observation, he wouldn't have noticed such a change.

  When he saw the prince, Fan Jue's heart skipped a beat. The prince had a dignified and majestic appearance, with a dragon-like face and a regal demeanor, which was indeed the face of an emperor. This was not surprising, after all, most kings of various countries have similar noble facial features.

  But Fan Yi was a person who knew how to observe the aura, and with one glance, he was shocked to discover that there was a purple aura. The purple aura is a symbol of the ruler of the world. How could a Korean prince have such a thing? This is strange!

  Is he the chosen one? But Korea's national strength is weak, even with the Battle of Hwangsanbul, it can change the image of a weak Korea! However, Korea's geographical location is really bad, how could it unify the world?!

  But I can still take a gamble. Originally, I planned to go to the Qin state to make a name for myself, after all, the strongest Qin state is most likely to help me, followed by Zhao state, but unfortunately, there is no opportunity.

  In the states of Qin and Zhao, unless one had a noble patron, it was almost impossible for oneself to be employed.

  Now there is a great opportunity, Korea takes advantage of the Huayang War and defeats 130,000 Wei troops. At present, the strong and weak positions of Wei and Han have changed, and it's not necessarily impossible to take revenge!

  With this in mind, Fan Yi sat down with the Crown Prince Yan and had a conversation that would affect the world for thousands of years to come. Historical records state: "The Grand Ancestor visited Fan Yi on a snowy night, kneeling three times before obtaining Fan Yi's support. Fan Yi then presented three strategies, assisting the Grand Ancestor in conquering the world."