As long as Zhao Feng did not misunderstand, everything would be fine.
Hou Sheng was worried that Zhao Feng would think these assassins were sent by the state of Qi. If that happened, no amount of explanation would matter.
"Lord."
"All the assassins have been eliminated."
"There were no casualties among our guards."
Zhang Ming rode forward and reported respectfully.
Zhao Feng nodded slightly.
Then, he scanned the crowds of civilians gathered on both sides of the main road, many of whom appeared panicked.
"I stand here now. If any remnants of fallen states still wish to take my life, this is your last chance. If you miss today, you will never get another opportunity."
Zhao Feng's voice rang out as he swept his gaze across the surroundings.
In the shadows.
Those who had not yet acted clenched their fists in fury and hatred.
Since the fall of the Han, Zhao Feng had played a role in the destruction of every state Qin had conquered.
Countless nobles and officials from fallen states had perished at his hands. To these remnants of the past, Zhao Feng was their most hated enemy, the man responsible for their deepest grievances. If they could, they would tear him apart with their own hands.
Inside a house.
"Scoundrel!"
"That damned Qin warlord!"
"How dare he be so arrogant!"
"I swear I will kill him!"
A young man, filled with fury, grabbed his sword and was about to rush outside.
"Yu'er shut up!"
"Behave yourself!"
"In this situation, charging out would be nothing more than seeking death!"
A middle-aged man in his thirties rebuked the young man harshly.
"Uncle."
"My grandfather died at his hands. Half of our Xiang family perished under the Qin army."
"All of this is because of that damned Zhao Feng!"
"If we do not kill him now, once he returns to Qin's capital, we may never get another chance!" The young man gritted his teeth in hatred.
"Zhao Feng is deliberately provoking us into acting rashly with his words."
"Although he does not have an entire army at his side, the personal guards he brought are elite warriors hardened by countless battles. Do you think your strength alone can match them?"
"Endure it!"
"Qin will not remain powerful forever. We must wait for our opportunity." Xiang Liang let out a deep sigh.
From this, one could deduce the young man's identity
The legendary Western Chu Overlord, Xiang Yu.
And the man before him was his uncle, Xiang Liang.
Back when Zhao Feng led the army to destroy the state of Chu, countless Chu citizens perished. Among the three great clans of Chu, Xiang Yan's family was wiped out under Zhao Feng's command.
"Brother Xiang."
"Your uncle is right."
"If we wish for revenge and to restore our state, now is simply not the right time."
"At present, Qin is at the height of its power. The king is brilliant, and his ministers and generals are mighty."
"When our home states were still intact, we could not defeat Qin. Now that our states have fallen, what can a handful of us hope to do?"
"If we reveal ourselves now, Qin can crush us in an instant."
"Right now, we are nothing more than rats hiding in the shadows. It is only by staying hidden that we survive. To show ourselves would be to seek death."
"We must wait for the right time."
A young man spoke up.
"Zifang."
"With Qi now surrendering, what should we do?"
"Qi is the last remaining state. Once Qi falls, its land will become Qin's land. Things will only become harder for us in the future."
Xiang Liang looked at the young man before him with concern.
"Though Qin may unify the world, its territory is vast. They can't control everything."
"We have Qi identities and Qi household registrations. As long as we do not expose ourselves, we can still gather strength in secret and bide our time."
"Not only that."
"In our fallen homelands, there are countless people who resent Qin and wish to resist them. These people can be recruited and nurtured in secret. When the time comes that Qin weakens, we can rise against them."
The young man spoke with unwavering determination.
"But Qin is at the height of its power now. When will they ever grow weak?"
"That Ying Zheng is only in his thirties."
"If he lives as long as King Zhaoxiang of Qin, will we have to wait for decades?"
"By then, we may no longer have any strength left." Xiang Liang sighed bitterly.
"Brother Xiang."
"You are mistaken."
The young man shook his head.
"Zifang, what do you mean?"
Xiang Liang immediately asked.
"Once Qin unifies the world, it may not remain strong."
"Qin has a flaw, a fatal flaw."
The young man spoke with a smirk, his voice laced with mockery.
"What flaw?"
Everyone in the room turned to look at him.
"Since Qin's reforms, the country has grown from weak to strong, and its army from fragile to formidable."
"The key to this transformation lies in Qin's military merit system."
"This system allows even the lowest peasant to rise to the highest ranks through battlefield achievements, just like Zhao Feng."
"In just ten years, he climbed from an ordinary soldier to Qin's Grand Commandant. That is the power of Qin's military merit system."
"As long as one has contributions, they will rise in rank and be rewarded."
"But..."
The young man let out a cold laugh.
"The situation is different now. The world has been unified, and Qin's million-strong army has no wars to fight, no battles to earn merit from. Without war, their value will be lost."
"The military merit system that Qin relies on to survive will cease to exist."
"And without the merit system, the land grants tied to noble ranks will also vanish."
"The very foundation of Qin will be gone."
"In a few years, this may not have a great impact, but what about five years later? Ten years later? The very system that built Qin will inevitably lead to its downfall."
"That will be our opportunity."
"Of course."
"Besides the flaws of the military merit system…"
"There is another one." The young man exuded an air of confidence and control.
"What is it?"
All eyes turned to him.
"The successor to the Qin throne."
He enunciated every word.
"I know about this."
"The King of Qin is still in his prime, and he has many sons. Yet, he has never designated a crown prince."
"His eldest son, Fusu, is said to be benevolent and kind, but if he were to take the throne, could he command the army? Could he rule the empire?"
"Is this our chance?" Xiang Liang's eyes lit up.
"Exactly."
The young man nodded.
"In the end, all men must die."
"The King of Qin may be a ruler of unmatched brilliance, the first to unify the world. He is truly a sovereign without equal in history."
"But even he will one day perish."
"And without a worthy successor, Qin is doomed." The young man smirked coldly.
He spoke as if he had already foreseen Qin's inevitable fate, painting a picture of its downfall.
"You're right."
"Zifang, with your wisdom, we will one day destroy Qin and restore our nation."
"It is also said that Zhao Feng and Crown Prince Fusu do not get along. They are even openly at odds."
"Right now, Zhao Feng holds immense prestige and is deeply favored by the King of Qin. But who can say what the future holds?"
"With every new ruler comes a new set of ministers."
"There's a chance Zhao Feng won't die by our hands but by those of his people." Xiang Liang chuckled darkly.
In their vision of the future, Qin would fall, and Zhao Feng's fate was already sealed.
"The hatred of a slain father is irreconcilable."
"Zhao Feng."
"One day, I will grind your bones to dust."
Through the window, the young man watched Zhao Feng's departing figure, his heart filled with nothing but hatred.
Years ago, when Zhao Feng first joined the military, he led the attack on Han.
It was during Qin's campaign to destroy the State of Han.
During that war, Zhao Feng made a name for himself. The conquest of Han was the true battle that established his reputation as a great commander of Qin.
A once-unknown soldier, Zhao Feng had since become a military leader renowned throughout the land.
During the fall of Han, Zhao Feng stormed the royal palace and personally beheaded the Chancellor of Han, Zhang Ping.
And that young man watching him now was none other than Zhang Ping's son.
A man who would later be known as one of the greatest strategists in history Zhang Liang, also called Zifang.
A City in Turmoil
Zhao Feng's mocking voice echoed across the square.
Not everyone had the same level of strategic foresight as Zhang Liang and Xiang Liang.
"Qin traitor!"
"I swear to kill you!"
"Slay the Qin tyrant! Execute Zhao Feng!"
"Revenge!"
Furious voices rang out once again.
From within the crowd, dozens of assassins emerged, weapons drawn, eyes blazing with vengeance as they charged toward Zhao Feng.
"Kill them."
With a single wave of his hand, Zhao Feng commanded his guards.
His soldiers immediately moved to intercept.
In an instant, the would-be assassins were reduced to corpses sprawled across the ground.
"Pathetic remnants of fallen states. Utterly meaningless."
Zhao Feng smiled indifferently.
He paid them no further attention and continued riding toward the Qi royal palace.
As for the corpses littering the streets, the people of Qi would handle them.
This scene sent a chilling shock through the hearts of Qi's citizens.
To them, Zhao Feng's arrival in their capital had already demonstrated an overwhelming show of power.
The Qi Royal Palace
The Grand Hall of Court Affairs.
King Tian Jian of Qi was already waiting outside the palace hall.
Beside him stood two breathtakingly beautiful young women.
As Zhao Feng approached with steady steps
"Your Excellency, Lord Wu'an, welcome."
King Tian Jian bowed humbly to Zhao Feng.
"There's no need for such formalities, Your Majesty."
Zhao Feng stepped forward with a slight smile.
Although he held little regard for a ruler who surrendered so easily, he still maintained the proper courtesies.
At the very least, King Tian Jian's surrender had spared countless soldiers and civilians from unnecessary bloodshed.
Even if it was out of fear, his submission had inadvertently saved many lives a deed that, in some sense, could be considered a great virtue.
"I have long heard of Lord Wu'an's valor. To think that at the young age of twenty-seven, you have already ascended to the rank of Guowei (National Guard Commander), standing second only to the King of Qin himself."
"Now that I have met you in person, your reputation is indeed well deserved." King Tian Jian smiled.
"Your Majesty overpraises me."
Zhao Feng responded with a faint smile.
King Tian Jian understood well the reason for Zhao Feng's arrival.
He did not waste any time.
With a wave of his hand, a servant stepped forward, holding a box.
King Tian Jian took the box, opened it, and revealed its contents.
Inside lay a royal seal and a territorial map.
Looking at these symbols of sovereignty the royal seal and the map King Tian Jian's eyes flickered with reluctance and unwillingness. But in the end, all that remained was resignation.
"This is the royal seal and the map of my Qi Kingdom."
"I, Tian Jian, King of Qi, hereby pledge my kingdom, its ten million citizens, and my five hundred thousand troops in surrender to the Great Qin."
Despite his unwillingness, Tian Jian raised the box with both hands and bowed deeply to Zhao Feng.
Seeing this, Zhao Feng solemnly accepted the box with both hands.
"I, Zhao Feng, accept the surrender of the King of Qi on behalf of the King of Qin," Zhao Feng declared.
"This is the royal sword."
"It is now yours."
Tian Jian then removed the sword from his waist and presented it respectfully.
Zhao Feng took it without hesitation, handing it over to Zhang Ming behind him.
"This surrender of Qi to Qin has spared countless lives and prevented the land from being ravaged by war. This is a great merit."
"Our King will not treat the King of Qi unfairly."
"From now on"
"The ancestral temple of the Qi royal family will be preserved, and the King of Qi shall enjoy wealth and honor." Zhao Feng assured Tian Jian.
Historically, however, Tian Jian's fate after surrendering was far from ideal.
After his surrender, some of his descendants still called for rebellion against Qin and even raised troops.
In the end, Qin Shi Huang ordered his execution by starvation.
"With Lord Wu'an's guarantee and the benevolence of the King of Qin, I have no reason to doubt." Tian Jian smiled faintly.
Then, he gestured towards the grand hall. "Lord Wu'an, please, I have already prepared a banquet in your honor."
"I appreciate the hospitality."
Zhao Feng nodded and stepped inside.
As soon as he entered, Tian Jian turned to the two stunning young women beside him and gave them a meaningful look.
The two women, their expressions filled with unease, quickly understood and hurried after Zhao Feng.
Only then did Tian Jian look satisfied.
At the center of the hall, a grand feast had already been arranged.
"Lord Wu'an, please have a seat."
Tian Jian gestured towards a seat.
Zhao Feng did not stand at the ceremony and sat down.
Tian Jian also took his seat.
"Now that I have surrendered to Qin," Tian Jian began, "there are still some concerns in my heart. I hope Lord Wu'an can clarify them for me."
"If Qi King has anything to ask, speak freely."
"You have saved Qi from war and spared Qin from unnecessary losses. This is a great merit. If you have any requests, I can grant small matters personally, and for major matters, I can relay them to the King." Zhao Feng said.
"May I remain in Linzi in the future?" Tian Jian asked.
"You must be joking, Your Majesty."
"Our King has already chosen a fine city for you. Staying in Qi would not be beneficial for Qin's governance." Zhao Feng replied with a slight smile.
Hearing this, Tian Jian's eyes showed a hint of disappointment. "I suppose I was overthinking."
"Rest assured, Qi King."
"Our King is not one to discard those who have served their purpose."
"As long as you truly pledge loyalty and sever ties with Qi, if any remnants dare to stir trouble in the future, you will not be implicated, and your wealth and noble status will be secured."
"As for Qi's ancestral temple, Qin will relocate it to your new city."
"The King will allow you to continue offering sacrifices with the rites of a noble." Zhao Feng said.
Hearing this assurance, Tian Jian nodded in understanding. Then, he said, "These are my two daughters, both sixteen years of age. The elder is Tian Ling, and the younger is Tian Xun. What does Lord Wu'an think of them?"
Zhao Feng glanced at them, his expression indifferent. "They are indeed beauties."
"I wish to offer my daughters in marriage to Lord Wu'an. Would you be willing to accept them?" Tian Jian asked with concern.
"This matter must first receive the approval of the King."
"Although I hold a high position in Qin, I am still but a subject." Zhao Feng replied tactfully.
However, upon hearing this, Tian Jian's face lit up with excitement.
"Lord Wu'an need not worry I have already obtained the King of Qin's approval."
"When the Qin envoy arrived in Qi, I made my request clear. Aside from wealth and security, my daughters' marriage to you was one of my conditions."
Zhao Feng was momentarily stunned.
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