Chapter 198: Ying Zheng's return to Qin was more direct than Fu Li's...

Compared with Fu Li's direct indoctrination of knowledge, Dai Xuan and Zheng Cuo's subtle influence was more effective on Zhao Ji.

The main reason was that Fu Li had been in a high and mighty position for too long. Whether she was facing Ying Zheng or Zhao Ji, all her humility carried the meaning of "lowering one's status to make friends".

She was used to it, so she didn't feel it. She just regarded herself as a teacher. Ying Zheng and Zhao Ji, mother and son, had not yet enjoyed real power, so they didn't think there was anything wrong.

Unfortunately, Zhao Ji was a poor student, and she subconsciously feared and even rejected her teacher's strict teaching.

With Fu Li as a reference, Dai Xuan and Zheng Cuo's attitude of "serving the king as a minister" made Zhao Ji feel very comfortable. She was more willing to listen to them and tell them her true feelings.

The two men quickly understood Zhao Ji's true nature, knowing that what she cared about most was wealth and glory. And the source of her wealth and glory was her husband Zichu's care.

Those who have aspirations are most afraid of others being too weak to pursue them. Knowing Zhao Ji's desires, the two of them had a clear direction to guide her, and the results were naturally significant.

In just a month, Fu Li and Nezha clearly felt that when Zhao Ji met them again, her attitude was much more sincere, and she no longer had that pretentious tone.

The inner fulfillment dispelled Zhao Ji's inferiority complex. She had already regarded Dai Xuan and Zheng Cuo as her confidants, and promised them privately: One day when we mother and son return to Qin, we will definitely reward you two handsomely.

This was what the two of them wanted, so they naturally didn't act pretentiously and thanked Zhao Ji openly.

Such a frank attitude also made Zhao Ji like them even more.

After a year, Ying Zheng had laid a solid foundation, so Fu Li offered to take him on a study tour.

Through the guidance of Dai Xuan and Zheng Cuo, Zhao Ji knew what was better for them and their son, and of course she would not refuse this proposal.

So, Fu Li and his wife took Ying Zheng out of the valley and traveled around the world starting from Zhao State, focusing on observing the lives of the people in Qin State.

A few years later, King Yingji of Qin died. The entire Qin state mourned, while the six states in Shandong rejoiced. The entire Central Plains was in turmoil over the old Qin king's death, and the three people traveling in Chu soon learned of the news.

Fu Li knew that not long after Ying Ji's death, his son, King Xiaowen, Ying Zhu, died after only three days on the throne. After his grandson Chu ascended the throne of Qin, he would negotiate with the State of Zhao to bring back Zhao Ji and Ying Zheng.

She was not prepared to change this history and immediately decided to take Ying Zheng back to the valley outside Handan City.

When Zichu sent someone to greet the mother and son, he secretly contacted the other party to ensure Ying Zheng's safety to the greatest extent possible.

Nezha and Ying Zheng naturally had no objection to her decision.

When the three of them were halfway there, they received another piece of news: the new king of Qin had passed away again!

Ying Zheng's expression changed drastically, and he couldn't help but ask Fu Li, "Teacher, the kings of a country have passed away one after another. Could it be that God is not blessing our Qin?"

"Why do you think so?" Fu Li said with a half-smile, "There's another possibility. Qin is about to produce a sage ruler, and they have to sacrifice one or two other rulers to balance the will of heaven."

"One or two?" Ying Zheng counted on his fingers. "King Zhaoxiang lived a long life, so he was naturally not among those offered sacrifices. Then there would be King Xiaowen and..."

His expression changed again.

Because after Ying Zhu died, the new King of Qin was his father Ying Zichu.

Although Zichu abandoned them and their mother in Zhao State, he was his biological father after all. Ying Zheng had extremely strong feelings of love and hate, and was a man with rich emotions. How could he not have any feelings for his biological father at all?

Besides personal feelings, there was another important reason, that is, Zichu had a second son, Ying Chengjiao. If he died soon after taking the throne like Ying Zhu, Ying Zheng would be held hostage abroad, while Chengjiao would be in Qin and could take the throne smoothly.

By that time, what use would Ying Zheng have to him?

"Teacher, can we go faster?"

Fu Li nodded and sold the carriage at the next post station, exchanging it for two strong horses. Nezha rode one alone, while Fu Li and Ying Zheng rode the other. They traveled day and night, returning to the valley at the fastest speed.

Seeing her son return safely, Zhao Ji was overwhelmed with emotion and hugged him, saying, "Zheng'er, your father has succeeded to the throne. He is the King of Qin and will definitely come to pick us up."

Ying Zheng was not as optimistic as his mother, but he was not disappointed either.

In his opinion, regardless of whether Zichu would send someone to greet them or not, they could all return to Qin State, so he should just make his mother happy. Why spoil the fun?

Seeing that Zhao Ji's face was rosy, she looked fatter than before he left, and her spirit was much better than before. Ying Zheng thanked Dai Xuan and Zheng Cuo for taking care of and guiding his mother.

The two men both claimed they dared not take credit for themselves, and only hoped to live up to the prince's expectations. Their words already hinted at their support for Ying Zheng.

It’s not that they don’t want to support Zhao Ji, but after years of in-depth understanding, they have seen through Zhao Ji.

——She is not fit to be a monarch at all. The two of them want to show their strengths in the Qin court, not to turn the Qin country upside down.

Zhao Ji didn't hear it, but Ying Zheng did. He nodded slightly to them and didn't say much in front of his mother.

But we are all smart people, and many times, just revealing a little bit of our attitude can make each other understand each other tacitly.

Dai Xuan and Zheng Cuo were determined in their hearts, and their smiles became more sincere. They walked to Zhao Ji's side eagerly, supporting her on the left and right.

Dai Xuan smiled and said, "Please take a seat, Madam. The two of us will go to the kitchen to prepare some wine and food to welcome you and the two gentlemen."

Zhao Ji almost obeyed their every word. After listening to Dai Xuan's words, she felt that they acted very sensibly and were worthy of being the daughters of a wealthy family.

"You guys go ahead. I want to talk to Zheng'er. I don't need you to wait on me anymore."

The two of them bowed and left with Fu Li and his wife.

=====

When Wukong arrived in Shu, he first met Taiyi Zhenren. Dai Xuan and Zheng Cuo were chosen by Taiyi Zhenren himself, who sent dreams to both of their families.

The status of the God of Work and the God of Wealth in Shu was absolutely unimaginable to the princes and people in the Central Plains.

The whole family dreamed of the God of Work at the same time, and no one would think it was a coincidence.

So, the next morning, Dai Xuan and Zheng Cuo arrived at the Temple of the God of Works one after another.

Taiyi Zhenren asked the temple keeper to lead them to the back hall, explained clearly what they needed to do, and then gave each of them a book and sent them out.

There are two specific things: one is to assist Zhao Ji, and the other is to cooperate with Prince Ying Zheng's two teachers.

Because the couple were still going through trials and tribulations, it was not convenient for them to reveal their identities, so Taiyi Zhenren only said that they were talents that he had high hopes for.

For the people of Shu, this sentence is enough. Dai Xuan and Zheng Cuo respect the two ladies very much.

Fu Li briefly asked about Zhao Ji's performance in recent years. She was a little disappointed, but she also knew that the two of them must have tried their best.

"Thank you for your hard work!" Fu Li said sympathetically.

The two girls' eyes became hot and they almost shouted "Long live understanding".

God knows how hard it is for them to be with a fool who is so soft-hearted? They can't leave him alone for a moment!

Fu Li said, "Don't worry, it won't be long before we can leave here and go to Xianyang. Zheng'er is a man who will definitely not treat you unfairly."

The two exchanged glances and said in unison, "In the future, if you two gentlemen have any instructions, we will never dare to refuse."

"That's not necessary," Fu Li said. "You just need to do your part. Now, go prepare the welcoming banquet."

That night's drinking was not mentioned. The next day, Nezha and Dai Xuan left the valley and went to Handan City to gather information. Three days later, Dai Xuan successfully contacted the people sent by Zichu.

Zichu sent two groups of people, one open and one secret, to bring Zhao Ji and her son back to Qin. The open group went directly to the Zhao Palace to ask for them, while the secret group had already found out that the lady and the son had been missing for several years and were investigating their whereabouts.

Nezha was not wrong in his previous guess. The reason why Zichu did not send anyone to take care of his wife and children after returning to the country was because King Zhaoxiang Yingji stopped him.

In Yingji's view, the death of a great-grandson he had never met in exchange for an excuse to attack the State of Zhao was simply too good a bargain. So he allowed the State of Zhao to treat Ying Zheng and his son harshly.

Unexpectedly, the mother and son were lucky enough not only to survive, but also to have other opportunities.

Yingji and Yingzhu died one after another, and Zichu succeeded to the throne smoothly and soon sent people to welcome the mother and son.

Zhao Ji was his first woman, and Ying Zheng was his eldest son. Secretly, he hoped that his family would be reunited.

Politically speaking, the highest-ranking concubine in his harem was Xia Ji, who was from the same clan as his mother, Queen Dowager Xia. Xia Ji gave birth to Cheng Jiao, Zichu's only son, and Queen Dowager Xia naturally hoped that her son would make Xia Ji his empress.

But Zichu knew very well that although he had become the King of Qin, his foundation was not solid and he needed the support of the Chu forces headed by the Queen Mother Huayang.

He had already acknowledged Lady Huayang as his mother, but after ascending the throne, he also made his biological mother the Queen Mother, which was already quite unkind. Lady Huayang put the greater good first and did not make a fuss about it, for which Zichu was grateful.

If he made Xia Ji the queen and Cheng Jiao the crown prince, it would be tantamount to destroying the hope of the Chu clan and completely breaking off relations with the Chu clan.

This would do him no good but only harm, so Zichu would certainly not do it.

However, if he was asked to obey Lady Huayang's order and marry a noble lady from the State of Chu as his queen, he was unwilling to do so.

Because the Chu faction had already taken deep enough roots in the Qin court, he did not want to encourage the Chu faction's arrogance.

At this time, the best solution would be to bring back Zhao Ji and her son, and make Zhao Ji the queen on the grounds that Ying Zheng is the eldest son.

The Fuli couple understood these principles, as did Ying Zheng, and even Dai Xuan and Zheng Cuo. But Zhao Ji didn't understand and simply believed that Zichu was deeply in love with her.

Dai Xuan and Zheng Cuo were from the Kingdom of Shu, a kingdom where women had always held power. If Zhao Ji had been more sane, they would have been more willing to support her, a woman, and make her a powerful queen dowager like the Queen Dowager Xuan.

But Zhao Ji was in a hopeless situation, so they had no choice but to settle for the second best and surrender to Ying Zheng.

On the way back to Qin, Ying Zheng had more contact with them and truly felt that it was a waste of their talents to let them serve Zhao Ji!

However, Zhao Ji became the queen and needed their assistance, and the queen's power was not small. Seeing that they had no complaints, Ying Zheng put aside the idea of ​​recommending them to the front court.

Ying Zheng actually always kept in mind the words Fu Li said when he learned of Ying Zhu's death.

——If the Qin State wanted to produce a sage king, it would always have to sacrifice one or two kings to balance the will of heaven.

Before returning to Qin, he was sad about this. But after returning to Qin, the complicated situation in the court, the two queen mothers' ambiguous attitude towards him, and his brother Cheng Jiao's inexplicable sense of superiority in front of him made him very unhappy.

At this time, the ten-year-old Ying Zheng was already the crown prince of Qin. Once the monarch died, he would be the rightful king.

He was kind of looking forward to his father's death.