Chapter 17 Qin 17
Han replied fearlessly, "Can't I do it if I want to?"
She sized up Ying Ji, observing the life force emanating from him, and said with amusement, "Given his condition, it's clear he's nearing his end, which is why he can see us, and..."
"He'll probably forget about it once he leaves here. What am I afraid of? He can't spread the word. Why would I be afraid of losing the country?"
Ying Ji is so long-lived, she's finally about to die. If it weren't for the fact that she was in the wrong place and afraid of being humiliated by 'Qin', she could have put on a show of crying tears of joy right there.
Zhao, however, wore a slightly strange expression. She thought to herself that that might not be the case, and became more tolerant of Han, comforting her in a tone that soothed the little fool: "...As long as you're happy."
'Han': ?
But Han wasn't happy. She still smiled when Zhao was angry, but when Zhao stopped being angry, she couldn't be happy. She looked around...
She snarled, "Do you all think I'm stupid?!"
Wei smiled gently: "How could that be? We are both vassal states, how could we laugh at you?"
Zhao feigned surprise: "Oh my, aren't you quite clever?"
'Han': "You!"
Han grinded her small white teeth and glared at Zhao with hatred, but she didn't dare to get up and make a move like Zhao. First of all, she couldn't beat Zhao, and secondly, she didn't dare to make a move on Qin's territory.
"Hmph, a great nation doesn't hold grudges against small nations, so I'll reluctantly let it go."
Ying Ji's gaze also became subtle. He never expected that the timid and submissive King of Han would actually have... such a personality.
Zhao scoffed, offering no comment on Han's words. A nation's strength is not something that can be determined by mere words.
"Enough with this useless chatter, tell me what you've come all this way for," 'Qin' interrupted their bickering, then asked, "I don't recall inviting you."
"Let's forget about Han; she barely came with King Han."
'Han' nodded and gave the two countries opposite him a smug smile, but because he looked too young, the provocative smile had no offensive power.
'Qin' looked at the two countries. If they hadn't contacted her at the border to apply for entry, they wouldn't be sitting so peacefully in the back garden of the palace now.
Wei's eyes flickered, and he said, "Since the King of Wei has not taken the initiative to pay homage to the suzerain state, I should at least come to fulfill the obligations of a vassal state."
Seeing that Wei had gotten away with it, Zhao coughed and stopped giving any more outrageous reasons for threatening the country. Instead, he said, "I have something to discuss with you."
Han was genuinely surprised this time; she almost suspected that Zhao was possessed by something strange!
"If I didn't know you weren't human, I would really suspect that you've been possessed."
"You're not much better."
Han's expression changed, and he questioned Zhao, "What do you mean?"
She didn't change her expression because of what Zhao said about her. Anyway, she was already at the bottom among many countries, and surviving in the cracks was her daily routine. Hearing some truth wouldn't hurt her.
Her expression changed because of the tacit approval in those words. 'Zhao' didn't deny it, so she acquiesced! What's wrong with her? Why did she suddenly become so close to 'Qin'?
Aren't they sworn enemies?!
She felt like a normal person had wandered into a mental hospital. She felt that her virtual brain was not enough, and looking at the people and people around her, she felt that they were all sick.
Wei also looked at Zhao with a subtle expression. Logically speaking, these words should not have come from Zhao's mouth. It would have been more reasonable for them to come from Qi, who always believed in "harmony brings wealth".
Each of the countries felt it was the only normal one, and they were suspicious of each other's mental state.
Qin stared at Zhao for a while, and Zhao remained calm and composed, allowing Qin to scrutinize her.
Qin naturally knew who Zhao wanted to discuss, so...
She turned her head slightly to look at Wei and Han, who were kneeling on the other side: "If you have nothing else to say, I won't stay any longer."
Han's eyes widened slightly, which meant that Qin and Zhao really did have something to discuss!
She looked up at the sky; the sun was blindingly bright, and it hadn't risen in the west today.
She subconsciously glanced at Ying Ji beside her, trying to discern something from his facial expression. Unfortunately, he was a master of disguise; he showed no expression whatsoever, still sporting his standard smile.
Han then looked at Wei. She felt that what Qin and Zhao had to say was very important, and she wanted to stay and listen!
Ignoring Han's winks and various hints, Wei stood up deftly, bowed, and took his leave.
Han's plan to instigate the other party to test her failed, and she had no choice but to get up and say goodbye, following behind Wei.
****
The states of Han and Wei are adjacent to each other and have always had a relationship that is both hostile and friendly.
Here's a ridiculous joke: even when Wei surrendered and became a vassal state of Qin, Han had to follow suit and curry favor with Qin. (Scratch that.)
So when the two figures disappeared in an instant and stood on the border, 'Han', with her short legs, followed closely behind 'Wei' and urgently called out to her: "Don't you want to know what they have to say?"
"So what if we want to know? Do we have the right?" The cold voice startled Han. She blinked, wanting to say something, but ultimately shut her mouth. Wei saw her smile again and reverted to his gentle and easygoing self. "There must be something between them that we don't know. Forcing them to stay there would only be annoying."
"It would be better to say goodbye sooner rather than later."
Wei raised his hand and patted Han's head: "Don't be so willful next time. Not every country can tolerate your feigned ignorance."
Han lowered her head and let Wei do as she pleased. Her words, though meant to be caring, made Han feel as if she had fallen into an ice cave. They were both a concern and a warning.
She was very familiar with Wei, and of course she knew that it was not the mild-mannered country it appeared to be, just as Qin was not a dignified and cultured country.
Wei was extremely indifferent. Her reminder wasn't out of kindness, but simply because she was afraid of being implicated.
Their lives are a facade; their true selves are revealed in their unintentional actions.
Or rather, all of them are their true selves, as conscious beings—intelligent, foolish, sharp, gentle, kind, malicious, unrestrained, reserved… they are all them.
"oh...."
Han watched Wei leave the border and return to the Wei Kingdom. Her innocence vanished, and her eyes flickered as she pondered something.
As for whether she listened to Wei's warning... who knows?
'Han' straightened his back, hummed a little tune, and skipped and hopped towards the capital of South Korea.
****
Once the Qin and Zhao states had left Qin territory, the Qin ruler finally spoke to the Zhao ruler, saying, "I was just about to talk to you about something."
"What you're trying to say isn't exactly what I want to say, is it?" Zhao raised an eyebrow and chuckled, then looked at Ying Ji. "Is it alright to have a human listening here?"
"It's one thing if Han doesn't know about Zheng'er's existence, but you know that some people, when faced with national consciousness, might not completely forget it."
Ying Ji desperately wanted to question Zhao about why he called his son so affectionately. He was certain that this Zheng'er, whose whereabouts were still unknown, was a descendant of the Qin royal family—this was Qin's son! This was his son! (Thunderous voice)
Ying Ji wanted to roar out loud and make 'Zhao' face reality, but his good manners as a king made him hold back. He observed 'Zhao' calmly and began to imagine the other party's conspiracy.
He recalled Zhao's earlier threat to his motherland... A bold guess popped into his head: Zheng'er, whom he had been searching for, was actually in Zhao. No wonder he couldn't find him in Xianyang.
Various conspiracy theories popped into his mind, and he frowned as he began to think about how to negotiate with the country.
"It's alright. He's Zheng'er's great-grandfather. Even if... nothing you're worried about will happen."
"Since you don't care, I'll be frank. I won't stop you from going to see him. In the future, when war breaks out, I require that you not kill prisoners or commoners, but nobles can do as they please."
Qin nodded in agreement, but when she heard Zhao's almost surrendering words, she didn't show any joy. Instead, she frowned slightly: "I thought it was something serious. It sounds like you're saying your last words."
"You're giving up so easily?"
'Qin' looked up at her, as if seeing 'Zhao' for the first time, and softened her tone: 'This doesn't seem like you at all.'
Ying Ji also found it unbelievable; it was as if the people in front were fighting fiercely, and then the king in the back just surrendered.
Zhao said indifferently, "Anyway, we can't control human wars. The outcome is up to fate. The only price I paid was not stopping you from seeing Zheng'er. What I gained was what I care about most."
"How can it not be a good deal?"
Zhao chuckled softly, but couldn't help but say, "As for you, you agreed to my request so easily without even asking for his opinion?"
Zhao glanced meaningfully at Ying Ji, her words revealing an unconscious malice, waiting to see who would speak first between the two nations and their ruler.
When they finally speak, will they be all smiles but not inwardly at odds, or will they harbor resentment, or... will they truly be inseparable and trust each other implicitly?
Ying Ji spoke first before 'Qin': "Although all states have the custom of killing prisoners and using heads to calculate merit, I will always try to do what Mother has asked."
'Qin' glanced at Ying Ji, her lips twitching. There was no need to be so stern, like an invincible, filial son...
She said calmly, "In the past, the killing of prisoners was mostly due to the lack of popular support and the inability to support so many people. If these two problems are solved, which feudal lord would not want to have as many people under his command as possible?"
"A feudal lord who has no one under his command, do you think... he can still be considered a king?"
"..." Zhao was struck hard by Qin's words and was so surprised that he forgot to reply.
A note from the author:
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The practice of killing prisoners of war was common during the Warring States period, as mentioned in the author's notes in the previous chapter, so I won't repeat it here.
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