Chapter 8: The Poisonous Plan

  Li Si arrived at Han Fei's cell, looking through the solid wooden bars to see Han Fei sitting comfortably on a soft rug, staring blankly at the teacup in front of him. The prison warden, who was usually strict and stern, was respectfully serving tea to Han Fei, occasionally flattering him with words. Li Si couldn't help but smile slyly: "Enjoy it, Brother Han, enjoy it to your heart's content. Because today is your execution day, I hope you won't blame me, it's not that I intentionally wanted to harm you, it's just that you shouldn't have come to Qin State!"

  Don't be surprised that Han Fei is treated so well here, because most of the prisoners sent to this special cell are either rich or noble. It's common for people to enter prison one day and receive a special pardon the next, and some have even been pardoned after already being taken to the execution ground. So the guards in the big prison don't dare offend these nobles who might turn their fortunes around at any moment!

  Especially now, this prison guard knows that the Lord of the Tribunal Li Si is an old classmate of Han Xin's, so he serves him even more diligently. But there is one more important point that the prison guard dare not say out loud!

  Li Si arrived, and the prison warden hastily came forward with a flattering smile: "Sir, how did you come! I pay my respects to the Lord of the Court!" "Hmph! Get up!" Li Si's official demeanor was full, his face expressionless as he responded. He turned around and smiled at Han Fei: "Is the prison officer being respectful enough to Brother Han?"

  The prison governor was startled and looked at He Fan with a pitiful expression, hoping that He Fan wouldn't harm him. He Fan was an honest person, so he told the truth: "They treated me well!" Li Si sneered in his heart and took credit for himself, smiling and saying: "With my younger brother around, they didn't dare to bully Brother He!" (The main character, Fu Su, was furious and said: "He Fan, you really are a fool! If I hadn't helped you this time, you would have been dead for sure!")

  The prison governor let out a sigh and forced a few smiles. Han Fei couldn't smile, his face anxious, he asked Li Si: "Brother Li, yesterday I was still the guest of honor, why today have I become a prisoner? I hope you can save me!"

  Li Si pretended to be puzzled and said: "I also just heard about it, and I was caught off guard. It seems that someone secretly accused Brother Scholar of being a spy from the state of Han, and that he is in cahoots with Zheng Guo, who had come to Qin under the guise of repairing canals but actually intended to exhaust Qin's resources."

  I'm a humble person with little to say, and I couldn't possibly defend my fellow student. Moreover, having studied together, there are many things that can't be said. During the time of Qin's "Expulsion of Guests", even Guest Ke was treated as a spy, and I almost got expelled too! Not to mention Brother Han!

  Han Fei was puzzled, still glaring with wide eyes: "I'm Han Fei... famous, famous all over the world, noble as a young master, can I... can I do special tasks? I'm not stupid, not a fool!" Han Fei got anxious, his stutter came out again, his face flushed bright red, unable to speak, only slapping the table in frustration.

  "Not brother, not brother. Li Si hastily comforted him: "I also know that Brother Han will definitely not be a spy or a special agent, but the emperor believes in this point, and I have no way to do it for the time being. But Brother Han can rest assured, I will definitely think of a way to let Brother Han escape punishment!" Li Si immediately put on an appearance of loyalty and friendship! Han Fei was grateful to Li Si and said: "Thank you!"

  Suddenly, Li Si seemed to have some doubts and asked the jailer, "How do you treat prisoners of war here? Now that nothing is wrong, let me hear some stories! If it's too severe, I'll make a call to the officer in charge of the trial later and ask them to be more lenient!" Li Si had studied Qin law and was also the head of the廷尉 (a high-ranking official), how could he not know about various punishments? He was intentionally trying to scare the timid Xunzi!

  When Tian Yi heard the judge ask him about his profession, he was overjoyed and exaggeratedly described how he had coerced confessions from spies in prison.

  The prison guard smiled and said: Some people refuse to confess, so many methods are used: there is flogging, branding, for a small number of tough guys, hot iron branding doesn't work, so pincers are used to pull out their fingernails. There are even more severe methods, using boiling silver needles to pierce the prisoner's... and anus, these laws are enough to make even an iron man open his mouth!

  "Stop talking! Stop talking!" Under this terrifying remark, Han Fei's handsome face had already turned pale and was trembling all over, almost collapsing to the ground.

  "Stop, stop, stop! Look at how scared Xian is! Quick, get out!" Li Si pretended to be a good person again.

  The jailer seemed to be frightened and hastily retreated. As he walked away, he accidentally bumped into Li Si's sleeve.

  In the side hall of the Epang Palace, Fu Su was paying his respects to Queen Dowager Zhao. The struggle between Fu Su and Li Si, Zhao Gao's faction had officially begun!

  Fu Su respectfully said: "Empress Dowager, I, Fu Su, pay my respects to you!" The wise and kind Empress Dowager also loved Fu Su very much, this clever child, and hastily said: "Get up, what brings you to see me today?"

  Fu Su's face turned solemn as he said, "I have come to beg for mercy on behalf of Han Fei!" The queen was shocked upon hearing this and asked, "What happened to Han Fei that you need to come and plead for his life?"

  Fu Su pretended to be surprised and said: "What? Doesn't the Empress Dowager know that Han Fei has already been imprisoned? With Han Fei's frail body and straightforward temperament, he probably won't last a few days in prison! I, your son, have always admired Han Fei's talent, so when I heard about it, I was anxious like burning fire, and specially came to ask the Empress Dowager to plead with the Emperor to pardon Han Fei!"

  The queen heard this and hastily said: "Li Si and others repeatedly said that Han Fei had the suspicion of being a traitor, I and the great king did not quite believe it, so the great king only said to put Xian in prison for investigation! How could it become imprisonment?" Fu Su pretended to be surprised and said: "Mother queen doesn't know, according to Qin law, if the suspect has a house in Qin, he can be imprisoned in his own house. If not, he must be sent to the great prison of Tingwei. It seems that father king and mother queen both ignored this Qin law!"

  The queen was a woman of the imperial harem, who would have known about this law? Thinking that Han Fei's fate was uncertain, she hastily said: "Then come with me to see your father the king?" But Fu Su shook his head and said: "Mother, it's not possible. This time Han Fei has been thrown into prison, clearly a result of Zhao Gao and Li Si's plotting and framing him. If they find out that I was the one who informed you, Mother, although they wouldn't dare to harm you, they would dare to harm me, your son. So please forgive my difficulties!"

  The queen mother suddenly realized, and hastily let Fu Su be at ease, then hurriedly went to see the King of Qin. Ying Zheng was also neglectful of this law, and since he had some doubts about whether Han Fei was a spy or not, so he immediately dispatched an envoy to the廷尉大牢 (Imperial Prison) to pardon Han Fei, and bring him into the palace for personal interrogation!

  "Brother Li, save me!" Han Fei exclaimed in a panic, no longer stuttering.

  Li Si hesitated and said: "But the king's torture is imminent, and I'm not the main judge, what can I do? Otherwise, I'll give up my career and let Brother Han escape, how about that?"

  "No, no! Brother Li is in the prime of his life in Qin State, you have been waiting for this day for a long time, how can you give up for me? What I mean to say is that I, Han Fei, have always been proud and unyielding, how can I be humiliated by those petty officials! Please, Brother Han, give me a bottle of poisonous wine, I will settle it myself!"

  Li Si hastily said: "Absolutely not, absolutely not! I'll think of another way, farewell!"