across the Quartet

Chapter Three

"I never knew that there are such complicated secret passages underground in Xianyang."

Gai Nie and Jing Ke bent over and walked side by side in the dark and cramped alleyway, followed by a short guide.Jing Ke said in a low voice: "Many of the fortifications and underground tunnels in Xianyang were left by the Mohists of the Qin State. Unfortunately, the maps of the construction have long been lost, and now only a few disciples of the same academy can understand the marks left by the predecessors. .If it's just me and my brother, I'm afraid we won't be able to get around until we die."

Ge Nie's left palm lightly touched an inconspicuous mark in the corner of the wall.That is the last figure engraved on the bamboo slips of each volume of "Bie Mo Jing".

They turn into an ear chamber to the left of the passage.The guides lit oil lamps for them, bowed and left, leaving only two people in the room.

Gai Nie's eyes slid to a mechanism hourglass in the corner, "My every move in Xianyang was watched by the eyes of the net. When I first entered Qin, they worked day and night and refused to relax for a moment. Seeing that I have never acted suspiciously, monitor It was only gradually that some omissions were made. But if I go out for a long time and don’t return, there will be spies who will report the matter.”

"How much free time do you have?"

"No more than two hours."

"It won't take that long." Jing Ke spread his hands and said.He took out the wine gourd that he carried with him, and poured two glasses with a smile.

"The last time we met was three years ago. Compared to that time, brother, you are very famous."

Ge Nie took the cup with both hands. "It's probably not a good reputation that has reached Jing Qing's ears."

"Not necessarily. Although there are always good people who are willing to add fuel and vinegar to make things worse and worse, not everyone is ignorant." Jing Ke raised his glass, "Do you still remember Boss Cao in the North City of Handan? He has a man named The thief from the third from the left saw you when the city fell. According to him, the king of Qin planned to kill hundreds of families that day. The third from the left had a good friend in the city who lived near Zhao Ji’s former residence; A few sworn brothers planned to try their best to steal the woman from the prisoner, but it turned out that you stood up and saved everyone's life. They are all very grateful to you."

"Ashamed." Ge Nie brought the wine cup to his lips and drank it in one gulp; it was as if a hot flame burned from his belly to the top of his head. "This wine—"

"This is a good thing." Jing Ke raised the gourd, as proud as if he brewed it himself. "Liaodong Lieyun Shao, the first-class liquor in Yan Kingdom."

"After all...you went to Yan Kingdom." Gai Nie lowered his head and pursed his lips, his expression unchanged. "Three years ago we bid farewell to Qi. Didn't Jing Qing go west and enter Qin? I wonder if he saved that old friend?"

"That's right. I couldn't rescue Kuang Xiu that year, but in order to fulfill a wish for him, I diverted to Jicheng." Jing Ke's tone was a little regretful at first, but then he became excited again, "However, thanks to this, I was able to In the country of Yan, I made friends with a very capable and funny little brother. I wonder if you have heard of Gao Jianli's name?"

"Never."

There was an awkward silence in the room.It wasn't until Gai Nie turned his eyes to the hourglass again that Jing Ke couldn't help laughing.

"A-Nie, A-Nie, how did your chatting ability move King Qin in the first place?"

"—just luck."

"Oh? I thought you never believed in luck. In Linzi back then, I said that you should never wash your hands before gambling. You refused to believe it, which made us lose all the time."

Ge Nie couldn't help but smile slightly. "I mistakenly believed the rumors, thinking that the more sluggish the cockfight, the easier it is to win. It seems that this is not the case."

Jing Ke also flicked his wine glass with a smile, "Speaking of rumors, some brothers of the Mohist family believed the gossip outside, and advised me not to come to see you; I asked them to go to Handan to inquire about it by themselves, and don't just listen to the side of Dai Wang's men. Although Jackal Den is just a den of thieves, they will never forget what kind of person you Gai Nie have been and what you have done.”

Gai Nie raised his eyes gratefully, "Jing Qing, my servant..."

On the contrary, Jing Ke leaned back and drank the remaining wine, the smile on his face gradually faded. "I shouldn't come, not only because you are the bodyguard of the King of Qin, but also because of the current situation of the Yan Kingdom. You probably already knew about it."

"Qin Yan, the battle is about to begin."

"...Anie, do you still remember that I said in Qicheng that year that I wanted to do something really big in this life."

Ge Nie had an epiphany in his heart, and his fingertips holding the scabbard couldn't help trembling. "I remember what you said back then, and I also remember what I said. But now, it's not a good time for me to fulfill my promise."

"Oh? Then when is the best time?"

"After the world is settled."

Jing Ke laughed loudly, but there was an indelible pain in his eyes. "Anie, are you really planning to assist the King of Qin to conquer the six kingdoms of Shandong?"

"I don't dare to say help. It's just that the general trend of the world is like this. I found that I went against the trend. Apart from blood flowing into rivers, I can't change the world." Gai Nie smiled bitterly, "For example, I didn't go forward in Handan that day. Lobbying, but assassination, even if you succeed by chance, how many people present will survive?"

Jing Ke said in a deep voice: "If you really act like this, you will die, brother, and many civilians in Handan will die together, but more importantly, King Qin will die. Qin's government will be in turmoil, and it will be impossible to send troops to attack other countries. At this time, the six All parts of the country raised righteous soldiers to punish tyranny, and will return the world to peace. Those who died in Handan were righteous men who died to save the world, not prisoners who were tortured and killed by King Qin to vent his anger."

Gai Nie shook his head and said: "Then the world has returned to the situation when King Zhou Ping moved eastward, and each of their bases was king, so we can stop the war? What Jing Qing planned was for the sake of the country of Yan. But Jing Qing still remembers At that time, Qi State was known as the Eastern Emperor. Which country's monarch built a golden platform, recruited wise men from all over the world, and conquered more than [-] cities in Qi? Annexation? Are these two wars caused by the Qin State? I am not targeting it, but I am afraid that as long as the world is divided, the monarch of any country will not be able to eliminate the desire to start a war. Therefore, Sun Bin once said: "A man with a tooth and a horn , the front paws and the back distance, when happy, unite, when angry, fight, the way of heaven is also unstoppable."

"You mean, since the fighting is unstoppable, the world will be stable if the King of Qin annexes all the countries and reaches the point where the war is invincible?" Which country is Yiling? Which country is it that does not leave any surrenders, but is happy at the sight of the war? You should know better than me the harsh punishments and cruel laws of the Qin State. When you are a person, you only think of their heads as military meritorious titles; if the people of the six countries are all under the rule of the Qin State, what will happen?"

Gai Nie also got up and said: "In peacetime, there are peacetime methods, and in wartime, there are wartime methods; I think a hero like the King of Qin will not fail to see this. When the world is at peace, the soldiers will be disarmed and returned to the fields, and the soldiers will return to the fields. The people are resting and recuperating."

"In your opinion, this tyrannical and warlike King Qin, who killed his brother and imprisoned his mother, is a far-sighted king."

"I have heard the discussion between King Qin and Ting Wei. More than 100 years ago, the Zhou royal family was in turmoil, and the east and west were separated within the capital. The country cut off the water source, and the Eastern Zhou Kingdom could not irrigate the crops. As a result, the two countries fought frequently, and even King Nan of Zhou could not mediate. The King of Qin once said with a smile that the entire Zhou Dynasty at that time was just a land of snails between the big countries. Let’s not stop fighting for now; if the Son of Heaven had not divided these two countries, these disasters would not have existed from the very beginning. So what he wants to do is to make the rivers flow through each other as one, and then the world will not be war-torn. Let's start again." Gai Nie said slowly, "I dare not claim to understand King Qin's way of being a man and being a king. But I am sure, at least for now, what he is doing is of great benefit to the world."

Jing Ke sat down again and filled the two cups.His hands were steady, and the previous anger gradually faded, turning into a peaceful determination.

"So I was wrong. Earlier, I thought it was the people of Qin who threatened the lives of the common people in Handan, so you had to follow them to Xianyang. Now it seems that you have made up your mind to put yourself in Qin State This side."

"I don't belong to either side." Ge Nie bit the flesh on the inside of his cheek, his voice hoarse. "I also thought about using a sword to correct everything, but the result was always the same. On that day in Handan, I once put a sharp sword under the throat of a Qin officer and ordered him to stop killing; Before he died, he issued a military order to kill all the Zhao people in front of him. If my position was different, maybe things would not have turned out like this—”

"Do you think that if you stand on the side of the Qin people, that person will spare the captives?"

Ge Nie was silent for a moment. "...they are not prisoners. Since the Battle of Changping, the Zhao people have never surrendered."

Jing Ke nodded, and said in a deep voice: "Anie, don't you understand this very well. Compared with death, there are more terrifying things in the world. I know you have good intentions and choose life instead of death for them. But people can't just To live and to live. There are men who would rather fight with their lives than be the slaves of an enemy who kills their fellow man."

Gai Nie flinched as if being pricked by a needle. "It's not the same thing. The people of Qin and the people of Zhao are all human beings. Qin and Zhao share the same origin. They are all descendants of Boyi, and they both served the Emperor Zhou. If there is no war, they are not enemies, and there is no need to kill each other. He smiled wryly, and stared intently at the person in front of him: "Jing Qing, you have confessed your heart to me, and I will not hide anything from you. I heard some rumors that envoys from Yan State planned to enter the palace to ask King Qin for peace. But whether these plans are really beneficial to the country of Yan and the common people, I hope you can think twice."

"It's good or bad... I can't talk to you, and you can't talk to me." Jing Ke raised his neck and took a sip of wine, then suddenly grinned. "But it doesn't matter. I, Jing Ke, am a gambler. You and I are all gambling for the things we plan and the people we trust. What a pleasure! Come on, do it!"

Gai Nie had a big drink with him.Under the muddy light, Jing Ke's black eyes were still as bright as morning stars.

"In 30 days, the envoys of Yan State will leave from Yishui."

"...Today's conversation, I will not mention it to anyone."

Jing Ke patted his shoulder. "Anie, I can trust you."

Gai Nie gritted his teeth tightly, but could only remain silent.He knew that in this matter, no matter whether he intervened or not, Jing Ke had already embarked on a road of no return. The word "world" is too heavy, and no one can bear it on one shoulder.And they have made their own choices.

When we parted, Jing Ke smiled very lightly, "I still remember that time in Handan, when you came out of the water holding a pile of white bones, and your eyes were so fierce that it frightened people. But from that day on, I knew that this old bone was also I can entrust it to you. Regardless of whether you and I face each other in the future, you will always be my friend."

"...The same goes for the next one."

It was noon when we came out of the tunnel.The blacksmith shop was still so lively, the sound of hammers and anvils was deafening, and the raging charcoal fire was roasting the face and arms of the weapon master.No one seemed to notice the sudden disappearance and reappearance of the two suspicious persons.

Gai Nie stared at the fireworks rising from the top of the shop for a last moment, and then walked along the main road towards his home.

When you step through the gate, you feel as if you have entered another world.Although it was also after the snow, the streets of Xianyang were still tidy and lively, with people and cars passing by; but the house was always cold, so quiet that not even a bird chirping was heard.It is said that this place is the confiscated property of an official who committed suicide, and there seems to be a lingering coldness in the house.

Gai Nie saw the old woman who washed and cooked for him was sitting under the persimmon tree, mending clothes by the light of the snow.He also sat on the ground under the eaves, picking up a thick and long firewood branch from the ground.In the past few days, he noticed that the young man named Ating often peeped at him while he was practicing swordsmanship, and when no one was around, he took a firewood stick and hacked to imitate his movements; The barb pierced his palm and had to be picked out with a sewing needle, causing him to scream in pain.

Gai Nie has no plans to accept apprentices.But he figured he could at least whittle the wood into a handy shape, especially where he held it.

Just as he was digging, a sudden sleepiness gradually hit him.He felt weak in his limbs, his upper and lower eyelids were almost glued together, and the snowdrift mixed with mud looked like a soft silk bedding, making one want to lie down on it immediately.

Doubts abounded in Gai Nie's heart, so he could only travel to Taiyang, Baihui, and Fengchi to forcefully stop his sleepiness.He saw the young man named A Ting come out of the back room bouncingly, passed by the old woman, and said hello: "Mother! I'm going out."

The boy's figure quickly disappeared outside the door.Half asleep and half awake, Gai Nie heard a gentle and pleasant voice asking from not far away: "Sir, are you alright?"

Ge Nie raised his neck vigorously, and pressed the back of his head against the wall behind him.I saw the old woman under the tree flicking her clothes and getting up, slowly coming towards him.As if waking up from a big dream, the messy silver-white hair became soft and black, hanging heavily on the side of the cheeks.Her skin was as white as first snow.

His eyes widened in shock.

"Li... Madam Li."

The young woman bowed to him, "Mister, don't you know me? I thought you had heard that three years ago, the State of Qi presented a pregnant woman to the King of Qin, and the King of Qin insisted on giving this to the King of Qin regardless of the objections of his ministers." Women were included in the harem. This matter was widely discussed back then, but fortunately, the rumors have gradually subsided."

"I have heard about it, but I don't know that the woman is actually... But Madam should live in the deep palace, how could she appear here?"

"I'm Zou Zi's student." Li Ji pointed her finger at her neck—Gai Nie found that only half of the original emerald green jade ring was left, and the other half was missing. "This is an illusion, please forgive me. In the eyes of others, I am a court lady, a passer-by, and an old woman. No one will see me as I am in the eyes of my husband. But I must return to the palace as soon as possible, In case I wake up in the morning and can’t find my mother, I won’t stop crying.”

"Tianming, is Madam's child?"

"Yes. He is also that person's child, and now lives in Xianyang Palace. Your Majesty loves him very much."

Ge Nie was shocked all over. "A child from that time? But why..."

Li Ji smiled bitterly and said: "Why do you think the king is not afraid of the crowd's opinion, so he decided to accept me into the palace? Could it be that he was really seduced by beauty? King Qin is rich all over the world, how can he lack women? What he wants is not me, but mine. Eye."

"Eye?"

"I sent my disciples to learn different foresight techniques from their predecessors because of their talents. Some can use flame divination, some can manipulate water waves and swim fish, and some can observe the trajectory of stars. Different methods can see different things about the future. The same phantom has different interpretations. However, King Qin wants to see all phantoms, all possibilities. He hopes to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, and choose the most powerful and most beneficial from all kinds of uncertain futures. Qin State. Others may be like weeds growing among the crops, which must be removed as soon as possible. So even if there are many Yin-Yang disciples serving Qin State, the King still needs me. Similarly, Tianming is my blood, maybe One day, his power will awaken."

Gai Nie nodded suddenly, and the encounters of this day became a coherent line in his mind: "It has been a while since I entered the Qin Dynasty, and Madam came out of the palace today to look for me, could it be—"

"Yes, I saw from the water—" Lizzie's eyes gradually moistened, "I saw him."

Gai Nie was surprised and said: "He... came to see me in Xianyang today. It is a secret that very few people know. The magic of the Yin Yang family is really amazing. I don't believe in all divination and deduction in the past, it is really too shallow."

Li Ji said: "In the past when I was doing divination, I could only see some blurred scenes; it seems that after arriving in Xianyang, my ability has been enhanced, not only can I see more clearly, but I can also use blinding techniques that were not available in the past. I guess it's because Qin is prospered with the virtue of water, and the spell I learned happens to belong to water."

Gai Nie said: "Madam came today, do you want to try to see him?"

"No, I can't see him." Li Ji's eyes were dim, but her tone was firm: "I'm here to ask Mr. for help. Mr. Please advise him to leave Qin and never come back."

Gaine shook his head. "I can't persuade him."

Li Ji choked up and said, "Isn't Mr. his friend? Or does Mr. not believe me? I've seen it through the water mirror many times... He came, wearing the fine clothes of an envoy; the hall was full of blood-red mist... He Lying in a pool of blood, eyes unable to close for a long time..."

Genie sighed. "It's not that I haven't tried before. But Madam should know that once he has made up his mind, he is fearless. Besides, he doesn't act alone. There are many people behind him, who trust him and expect him. He would rather die than will fail them."

"Could it be that we can only watch all this from the sidelines?"

Gai Nie murmured: "Of course I want to save him, but there are wolves around here, so I can't act rashly. However, Madam's appearance today gave me a glimmer of hope. If Madam is willing to help me, maybe the future can be changed."

"...Can I help you?"

"Madam's illusion is the best weapon."

Li Ji lowered her head thoughtfully.After a while, she raised her eyes in embarrassment, and said: "The spell is not a sword, but a ball of fire. No one can control it precisely, just like no one can hold a ball of fire and burn it at the enemy without hurting it." Myself. I'm afraid that I won't be able to help my husband, but will bring misfortune to my husband instead."

"Madam just needs to be able to blind other people's eyes and come and go freely like today. I will figure out the rest." Gai Nie said, "Of course, this move is still very risky and may not be successful. Madam is willing to take care of him. Are you in these dangers?"

Li Ji smiled, "If I don't want to, how can I come today. If the family members leave the palace privately, if they are reported, it will be a serious crime."

"...Then does he know about Madam Qin Palace? And Tianming?"

Lizzie sighed deeply.

"I'm afraid he doesn't know, and I'm afraid he already knows."

In the deep palace, Tianming just woke up from a good dream.He blinked, pushed open the big window beside the bed, and poked his head halfway out.

"Mom—" he yelled.No one answered.Tianming stood upright on the couch and stepped out of the window with one leg.

"Young master!" The two drowsy maids in the room were frightened and rushed over, pulling him in frantically.The child was riding on the windowsill crying and fussing. "Mother! Mother!!" As a three-year-old boy, his strength was astonishing, his hands and feet were slippery, and the maids grabbed and pulled them, but they didn't stop the half of the child from slipping away; Big, and the maids were afraid that the palace people would think they were bullying the young master, so they didn't dare to use too much strength.Seeing that Tianming was about to fall out of the window sill, a guard in black suddenly walked over from one end of the corridor.

Tianming's eyes met the man's, hiccupped in fright, and stopped crying immediately.

The black-clothed guard glanced sideways at the chaos here, and drifted away.He passed the pavilions and courtyards without making any sound of footsteps, and skillfully avoided all the sentry posts of the guards with halberds.In the end, he jumped lightly into the other courtyard of the Imperial Physician Order, and found a hiding place in the back of the medicine room.

He went in with his front foot, and the imperial physician on duty for that day arrived with his back foot.The two had a face-to-face meeting in the room, and the imperial doctor showed a surprised expression, then turned around and locked Chai-men from the inside.

"I didn't know that your lord was here. The last time the bird sent news, your lord was still in the country of Yan and couldn't get away."

The black-clothed guard took off his helmet, revealing his bundled white hair: it was actually the leader of Quicksand himself. "After the meeting in Jicheng, Prince Dan first put us under house arrest to test the attitudes of each country; then he coerced the envoys of various countries to swear a blood alliance and never reveal the plan to assassinate Qin. Of course, if this trip goes well, most of the six countries will be happy to see it succeed. , so most people will indeed fully cooperate with him. As for Wei, he just wants to wait and see what happens in a closer place."

The old imperial doctor stroked his beard and sneered, "The plan has not yet succeeded, and Prince Yan has already regarded himself as the leader of the six kingdoms."

"No, in your opinion, how feasible is Yandan's plan?"

"Very little. There are too many unfathomable monsters in the net, and the trusted guards of King Qin are all masters. Not to mention Gai—"

Wei Zhuang interrupted him: "Then if it succeeds, how will the situation change? Is there any possibility of political chaos in Qin?"

The imperial doctor shook his head and said, "I don't think so. Young Master Fusu is the eldest son, he is benevolent, filial and generous, and is deeply supported by all the officials. There should be no doubt about his succession."

"That's right. If Yan Dan's plan fails, King Qin will devote all his power to attack Yan; if this plan succeeds, after the son succeeds to the throne, besides mourning his father, the first thing I'm afraid is to send mourners to attack Yan for revenge. Yan The prince only hoped for one possibility—the death of the King of Qin and the chaos of the Qin State, but he didn't seem to know that there was no necessary relationship between the two." Wei Zhuang put his hands behind his back and looked at the ray of afterglow that squeezed into the room. "If there is no choice for the successor, and if the goals of the ministers are always the same, then even if the assassin succeeds in one attack, besides venting anger and revenge, what other meanings does Yandan's plan have for the Yan Kingdom?"

The imperial physician nodded in agreement. "Regardless of success or failure, that assassin just lost his life in vain."

Wei Zhuang said: "The assassination of Qin, they have been planning for too long, and now Quicksand can't get involved. But even if there is a slight chance, I don't want to see Yan Dan get what he wants, and order in the name of He Zong Six countries in Shandong. The fate of South Korea will still be at the mercy of major powers. It is not impossible to kill a person, but that person must be killed just right to have the greatest effect; it will not work if it is too early or too late. It is too late to act hastily. , It’s what laymen do.” As he spoke, he turned to the old man, with a sly gleam in his eyes, “Wu Qi, you have to save him.”

"Prince Qin?"

"If possible, it's best to save the assassin as well. I don't expect that person to be intact, as long as he can vent his anger. I want to ask some things about Yan Dan and the Mo family from him."

"My lord, if you want to try to protect the King of Qin, this old man can still act wisely, but when it comes to assassins... this old man is not capable enough."

"Don't worry, you'll have a strong helper. Almost as strong as me."

The old doctor was shocked and said, "Could it be that your lord plans to send Wushuang, Canglang and Baifeng together?"

Wei Zhuang snorted softly, "Just rely on them? Each of them is broken into three halves, and then grow into exactly the same. It won't work together. I'm talking about Gai Nie."

"Gai Nie?! But he is King Qin's bodyguard——"

"Based on what I know about Gai Nie, if the situation is critical, he will do his best to protect King Qin. That is his duty. But he will also try to save the assassin; that is his friend."

"If the matter is critical - either save King Qin or the assassin. No one can do both at the same time."

"No one can do it." Wei Zhuang nodded. "But someone will definitely try it. Going to the sky and entering the earth, there may be only this one person."

The doctor still couldn't believe it. "Impossible. That's just...stupid."

Wei Zhuang smiled slightly. "The degree of stupidity of this person is far beyond ordinary people's expectations. That's why his actions are completely unpredictable."

The imperial physician didn't know what expression to put on, so he could only ask struggling: "So, do you need your subordinates to go to him to discuss this matter?"

"No. If my guess is right, he should come to you first. And what you have to do is to wait here." Wei Zhuang said as he covered his hair with the copper helmet again, and walked out. "It's a pity that Yandan doesn't understand this truth—the best plan is inseparable from waiting and watching."

TBC