I traveled back to the Qin Dynasty, and the First Emperor begged me to become his empress.

Chapter 255 The King of Qin harbors murderous intent towards Liu Bang

After a while, the King of Qin did not continue to ask questions, but changed the subject and asked, "Then, where exactly did Cao Can and Xiao He come from?"

Ying Wuyou hurriedly replied, "Reporting to Father, they are all from Pei County, Sishui Prefecture."

Upon hearing this place, the King of Qin narrowed his eyes slightly and said thoughtfully, "Sishui County is now part of Chu."

Sitting to the side, Ying Wuyou quickly nodded respectfully and replied, "That's right, Father, Pei County is in Chu territory."

The King of Qin gazed into the distance, as if trying to see more secrets hidden in that land. He then asked, "It is quite surprising that such an important place as Pei County has produced two such outstanding individuals."

Ying Wuyou sighed inwardly: [Father, you are unaware of the fact that Pei County has produced far more talents than just these two! People like Liu Bang, Fan Kuai, Zhou Bo, Lu Wan, Wang Ling, Xiahou Ying, Zhou Chang, and others are all formidable figures.] However, her face remained impassive, and she simply replied, "Father, Pei County is indeed a place of outstanding people and abundant talent."

Just then, the King of Qin suddenly caught a crucial piece of information. A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he clenched his fists tightly, thinking to himself, "Liu Bang is actually from Pei County. This man must not be allowed to live; he must be eliminated as soon as possible!" He composed himself and continued to ask Ying Wuyou, "Jiayang, in your opinion, are there any other capable people in Pei County?"

After a moment of contemplation, Ying Wuyou slowly opened his mouth and said, "Your Majesty, I still have Lin Xi and a group of people stationed in Pei County. In time, if any virtuous and capable people emerge, we can order Lin Xi to go there and persuade them to come to Xianyang to serve the Great Qin."

Upon hearing this, the King of Qin's previously relaxed brows furrowed slightly, and he immediately asked, "Hmm? Why would you specifically arrange for several people to remain in Pei County?"

At this moment, Ying Wuyou thought to himself: [Of course it's to keep a close watch on Liu Bang! This guy has to be kept in mind at all times, or maybe just kill him outright? But killing him won't be that easy! It took so much effort and trouble to get rid of Zhang Liang, and Liu Bang is like a son of God, so how can it be easy to get rid of him! Maybe I should just lock him up first? No, no, even if I lock him up in prison, it probably won't be safe. Who knows if this guy will use his methods and charm to become friends with all the prisoners, or even become sworn brothers with them?] Thinking this, Ying Wuyou felt a throbbing pain in his head.

However, she maintained her composure and answered calmly, "Father, you may not know this, but Pei County is indeed a wonderful place. It has beautiful mountains and clear waters, and the scenery is delightful. In my opinion, this place is very likely to nurture all kinds of outstanding talents. Therefore, I have specially left a few people to secretly investigate and search for them. Once we find truly talented people, we can immediately persuade them to come to Xianyang and serve our Great Qin Dynasty loyally."

The King of Qin heard Liu Bang's name again, and what surprised him even more was that Jia Yang actually sent people to monitor him!

[So, this Liu Bang really is the emperor who founded the Western Han Dynasty? It sounds like he's God's favorite son! Could it be that I'm not even as good as Liu Bang?] The more the King of Qin thought about it, the more frustrated he felt.

However, it wasn't long before the King of Qin calmed down and began to carefully consider Jia Yang's words. Suddenly, he remembered that Jia Yang had mentioned wanting to get rid of Zhang Liang.

[Who exactly is Zhang Liang? Why did Jia Yang send someone to eliminate him? Even people like Zhao Gao and Xu Fu were not directly eliminated by Jia Yang, yet she personally deployed people to carry out the assassination of Zhang Liang. Could there be some unknown reason behind this that makes Jia Yang so hostile towards Zhang Liang?] A series of questions flooded his mind, and the King of Qin thought about it again and again, but still could not figure out the key to the matter.

However, after only a moment, the King of Qin decided to set the matter aside for the time being and not pursue it further. After all, there were many more important matters that required his attention and decision-making. So, the King of Qin said, "Hmm, you have considered everything very thoroughly. If there is a shortage of manpower, I can certainly allocate some more for you to use."

Upon hearing this, Ying Wuyou quickly replied with a joyful expression, "Thank you for your concern, Father. The troops I currently have are sufficient to handle the current situation."

The King of Qin nodded slightly in approval, then asked, "That's good. Among the talents you've recruited this time, are there any other noteworthy individuals?"

Ying Wuyou said, “Father, besides this, there is another person named Li Shiqi. Although he is just a minor official in charge of guarding the gates of Chenliu County, he is very learned and knowledgeable about both ancient and modern times. He can readily recall historical events and various allusions, making him a rare talent! It is just a pity that he is quite stubborn and obstinate. I once sent someone to recruit him, but he insisted on refusing to agree. In desperation, I had no choice but to order someone to forcibly bind him and bring him back.”

Upon hearing this, the King of Qin was astonished and hurriedly asked, "You actually brought this person back bound like this? And where is this person now?"

Ying Wuyou looked slightly embarrassed and replied with an awkward smile, "He is currently being held at my estate, and there are people guarding him."

The King of Qin frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "Since this man is an official of our Great Qin, he should obey the orders of the court. This time, he dared to openly defy the imperial decree and refuse to obey. Even if we bind him here now, if he still cannot wholeheartedly serve the court, wouldn't it be a completely futile effort? It would be better to simply execute him to prevent future troubles!"

Ying Wuyou sighed inwardly, "Father, I am by no means a bloodthirsty person! To kill someone simply because they refused our offer of service is hardly a glorious thing. Take Li Shiqi, for example. He was eloquent and persuasive, truly extraordinary. He single-handedly persuaded the Qin army in Chenliu to surrender without using a single soldier, all for Liu Bang. Later, he offered strategies to help Liu Bang capture Ao Cang, providing crucial food supplies. Still later, with his silver tongue, he successfully persuaded King Tian Guang of Qi to submit to the Han Dynasty, resulting in the surrender of over seventy cities in Qi without a fight! Such abilities are beyond the reach of ordinary people. Wouldn't it be a pity to kill such a man?"