It is said that Qin Shihuang was controlled by a daughter

Chapter 408: Weak Talk
The next day, when I came out of Fuqiu Palace, frost was as thick as snow, hanging on the pine branches on both sides.

The servant beside her bowed and handed her a long coat, and took the initiative to tie the sword to her side.

"Thank you."

The servant paused, as if he had not expected her to answer, and this kind of answer.

The man stepped back very quickly and looked at her as if she were a monster.

That look was humble and fearful.

Xu Zhi paused, then came to his senses and laughed to himself.

She thought about the fire in Linyuan Pavilion that happened last night after Ying Teng came. She didn't want to think the worst of people, and didn't want to speculate with malice, but when she looked around, the palace was majestic, the steps were long, and the bamboos were beamed, and suddenly there was a sense of emptiness.

After walking a short distance, the corridor was still far away from the carriage.

"Princess Yongan."

She turned around slowly and saw Dun Ruo, who was holding the wooden stick given by the emperor.

Just now in the hall, it was Dun Ruo who first accused her.

Being perceptive is the basic requirement for being a veteran minister.

The attendants around, including Azhi, consciously avoided him.

But in personal relationships, she always respected them, including Li Si.

She said modestly: "If there is any inconvenience in what I said in the palace just now, you can speak to me directly. It is windy here, so you can talk to me in the side hall."

"It doesn't have to be in the palace. If the princess feels it's okay, we can do it here."

He looked towards a pavilion in the distance.

The maid immediately moved the red and black lines aside and lowered the curtain.

Xu Zhi glanced at him silently and did not speak immediately, intending to wait for Dun Ruo to speak first.

He didn't know if she understood the real reason for his words in the palace. He wanted to know what the young princess wanted to do, so he knelt down and cooperated.

Dun Ruo folded his hands on his knees and stood up slightly, "Look, this old minister, it's clear that His Highness is waiting for me intentionally."

Xu Zhi smiled slightly, "I already understood what Shang Qing meant in the palace. Although my father gave me the seal, he only allowed me to investigate the assassins in Bolangsha on my own. I shouldn't have taken the opportunity to set fire to the attic, making it difficult for Xianyang to thoroughly investigate the arsonists."

"When I spoke just now, the princess fought back without changing her expression. Why did she admit it immediately now?"

Xu Zhi said calmly: "If it weren't for Shang Qing saving face and speaking first to avoid the main point, how could Yong'an escape unscathed under the questioning of the court judge?"

No one can express these complicated things directly.

Except Ying Hehua.

She did not mention Ying Teng and attributed the burning of the banned books to her own consideration.

"Your Highness, are you doing this to avoid Li Si?"

Xu Zhi took a sip of tea. Not knowing which side Dun Ruo was on, she couldn't show her true feelings too much.

"You know, I accidentally shot Li Xian with a crossbow in front of the Longtai Palace in Handan." Seeing that Dun Ruo remained silent, she continued softly, "Shang Qing also knows that later, he almost lost his life during the incident between him and me in Chu."

She continued, "Although I know that Li Tingwei has always been fair and precise, I am also afraid that he will not like me. Does the Lord have any good suggestions?"

...This sentence is not welcome and has profound meaning.

Dun Ruo is not interested in young people's affairs.

What's more, it was related to Ying Hehua. If this kind of palace secrets did not involve the state affairs of the State of Chu, how could the court officials know about it?

Dun Ruo's embarrassment was visible to the naked eye, and he showed it in his actions. He had to change the topic to the current situation she was in.

"The most important thing now is to find out whether Her Royal Highness the Princess has any forbidden books in her possession."

Xu Zhi finally answered the question smoothly, "I have already said enough to defend myself in the palace. It's just that Shang Qing is holding on to me."

"In fact, if Your Highness admits it, then the fire will be set off in a timely manner. Naturally, someone will clean up the mess for Your Highness."

Xu Zhi would not admit to anything he had not done.

She almost guessed something from Dun Ruo's words. She smiled and said, "It happened to be after General Ying Teng met me. If I wanted to burn the books, why would I go out late at night and put myself in such a suspicious situation? You clearly know who it is, so why don't you tell me?"

The tea in Dun Ruo's hand started to bubble up a little.

Xu Zhi stood up and looked down at him. "Shang Qing is a loyal minister of our ancestors for three generations, and he is still honored to this day." "But I heard that the secret envoy sent by Qi State recently is not Shang Qing, nor is he his disciple."

He was stunned. He didn't know about this.

He secretly replaced all his people...

"I don't know whether Lord Shangqing really pretends to be ignorant of the truth, or is willing to be a knife to others." She continued.

"Sir Shangqing can't even trust himself, how far can he go if he trusts others?"

Her words suddenly turned cold.

The cold wind blew through the curtains and he suddenly started coughing. At that moment, he saw the boundaries of his body. It was the cry of an old minister.

——The times gave him such a brilliant beginning, but never gave him the time to see the glory.

Dun Ruo had been an official for fifty years. He was not like Bai Qi and Fan Zeng, who had served in the same dynasty with him, nor was he like Cai Ze.

Dun Ruo has a very vicious eye for people.

He saw at a glance that Li Xian was not to be underestimated, and what happened later proved this point. Who could have been on the verge of beheading so many times, yet managed to escape danger every time and win the favor of the princess?

And Li Xian's father.

Li Si was a person similar to Shang Yang.

People with vision often extend different approaches when facing younger generations who are superior to themselves. Gongshu Zao, who knew Shang Yang's talent, spared Shang Yang, but also advised King Hui of Wei to kill him. Dun Ruo was a man of many talents. He boasted that he had been in the court for many years and his mind was definitely greater than that of Gongshu Zao. Therefore, he could foresee that the future of Qin and the future foundation of Qin would be planned by Li Si.

Therefore, he was willing to give Li Si such an opportunity.

Therefore, between Wang Wan and Li Si, he supported the latter.

Among the Qin State's high-level civil servants, the position of a veteran minister who has served three dynasties is extremely important.

Until today, someone actually told him to believe in himself.

Yes, he could not see through Li Si - perhaps, Ying Zheng had never seen through Li Si either.

There is always an uncomfortable edge about this person.

When people get older, they can feel their life slipping away.

Dun Ruo admitted that he was somewhat unwilling.

The little princess in front of him looked at him calmly with a dull look in her eyes.

The long stares made him feel uneasy. When he was in diplomacy, he would be looked at closely at the negotiation table.

"What does the princess want to see from me?" He asked calmly, but he was already feeling a little nervous.

Xu Zhi smiled softly at him, "I am watching, Shangqing, whether you care more about Daqin, or choose to follow your heart."

Great Qin.

Qin!

Dun Ruo trembled all over.

Countless wars, plans, and plots passed before his eyes.

It was not just Li Si alone, but the entire Qin State.

If Li Si is entrusted with the task of carrying out the Qin State, will he be able to shoulder this responsibility? At the critical moment, will he lose his edge and choose the Qin State?
Dun Ruo didn’t know, he couldn’t guarantee it!
After all, Ying Hehua had just told him the doubts he had had in recent months - his envoy to Qi did not bring back the accurate letter from Xunzi of Qi.

Xunzi was Li Si's teacher. Li Si couldn't even tolerate Han Fei, so how could he tolerate the teacher who taught him knowledge?

He is old! He is so confused about this matter at the end of his life!
He can't even tell a princess apart!

Dun Ruo was filled with shame and almost cried. "Your Majesty..."

Only someone like Dun Ruo, who has close ties with the Qin State and deep feelings for the Qin State, and all those whose roots are rooted in the Qin State, can be persuaded by this method.

Xu Zhi decided to quit while he was ahead and immediately gave Dun Ruo a way out.

"It is inappropriate for Yongan to presume upon the Lord's thoughts. Fortunately, Lord Lord does not take it seriously."

If Ying Hehua was really the same as Ying Zheng, she should have gone a step further and forced him to kneel down and admit his mistake to her, and then ordered him to track down the culprit behind the banned book incident before dusk, and let him act as a shield to test how sharp Li Si was.

But she didn't.

She said they were all meritorious officials. She also said that the ban on books was probably a misunderstanding caused by her harsh treatment of Li Xian.

In diplomatic rhetoric, kindness is often a means. So in Dun Ruo's dictionary, the word "kindness" is not a commendatory word, but a neutral word.

He suddenly laughed weakly and wanted to say something funny.

"Princess, do you think that if I, an old minister, pass away before the king unifies the world, will anyone still remember me?"

As an octogenarian, how could his wish not be the same as her grandfather's, that his colleagues live in peace, that the chaos ends soon, and that his country and family be at peace.

She stared into his wrinkled eyes, and at that moment she thought of Mo Qi and her grandfather. "Perhaps, in the future, there will be thousands and thousands of people who will sigh at some point how hard it is to have a country without divisions."

“It’s not easy to come by…” Dun Ruo’s eyes fell on the tea, and the ups and downs of many people appeared in front of him, including the owner of the banned book, the high-spirited Lu Buwei at the time - when he died, he was thirty years younger than Dun Ruo.

"It's not easy to come by." He sighed.

Xu Zhi looked at Dun Ruo as if he was flipping through an ancient book.

After Cai Ze passed away, he is the only one whose legacy is passed down from three generations of kings.

She looked at him expectantly like all the younger generations, "A hundred years later, someone will write a biography about you in the annals of history."

He remained silent, the corners of his beard-covered lips twitching slightly.

This is the highest honor.

"I guarantee it has, and it must be completely carved in stone and will never be erased."

Xu Zhi used 'I'.

How could Dunruo not be moved.

Although there was no wine during this conversation, it was actually quite enjoyable.

Dun Ruo understood what kind of person his king was. Such a person would naturally be attracted to people who were equally cold and decisive.

If Ying Hehua possesses not only wrists but also a strong and gentle heart, what kind of path will she take among the mountains of sharp swords?

For Xu Zhi, in front of her, perhaps she is not as without any reference as Dun Ruo and the others.

Countless sages have given the answer.

When she is in it, she will spend her whole life writing the answer.

Dun Ruo glanced at the snow outside and said, "If my guess is correct, the banned books are just a precursor."

What Ying Zheng wanted to investigate was not the banned books, which happened eight hundred years ago. What he wanted to see was Ying Hehua's attitude - his attitude towards Han Di - his attitude towards Zhang Liang.

She looked at the long steps beneath her feet. The winter ice and snow were colder than in previous years.

(End of this chapter)