When both the Yinyang Family and Great Qin were actively promoting the marriage between Ying An and Dong Jun, and neither Dong Jun nor Ying An raised any objections, this wedding between a Great Qin Prince and Dong Jun, the quasi-successor of the Yinyang Family among the Hundred Schools of Thought, immediately began under the gaze of all.
The wedding process in Great Qin was quite cumbersome. Although Confucius of the Confucian school believed that the world's rituals and music had collapsed since the Spring and Autumn period, it cannot be denied that without these intricate rituals, the dignity of the royal family would not be highlighted.
Of course, while the wedding process was complex, for Ying An, the person involved, it had little to do with him.
As is well known, Prince Ying An suffered from a congenital deficiency, which had been diagnosed by several Medicalists masters as a condition that would prevent him from living past the age of sixteen.
No matter how cumbersome the rituals were, it was impossible to trouble Ying An with them. If he were to die from the ordeal, who would be responsible? Would it not turn a joyous occasion into a funeral?
During the wedding preparations, Ying An also met, for the first time, the future master of the Net, and arguably the culprit who brought about the downfall of Great Qin—Zhao Gao!
He had strange red hair, and his high cheekbones gave his face a sinister look. His skin also had an unsettling, sallow pallor.
Although Ying An knew that Zhao Gao would become the chief culprit in the downfall of Great Qin in the future, at present, Zhao Gao was a capable assistant whom Ying Zheng had placed within the Net.
Upon realizing Zhao Gao's special status within the Net, Ying An understood that Ying Zheng, disguised as a commoner, had gone to South Korea, Xinzheng with only Gai Nie by his side and no other guards, only to be assassinated by the Net upon his return. From beginning to end, even if it wasn't a conspiracy, it was likely a result of taking advantage of the situation.
It can be said that Zhao Gao is not only trusted by Ying Zheng now, but will also make indelible contributions in the future during Ying Zheng's process of reclaiming royal power. This is the true reason why Zhao Gao can truly be trusted by Ying Zheng.
Even if Ying An and Ying Zheng are father and son, it would probably be difficult to easily sow discord between Ying Zheng and Zhao Gao.
"Mister Zhao Gao! I hear you have a special position within the Net? I'm very curious about the Net. Is the Net truly all-encompassing, like a Net cast from heaven to earth, penetrating everywhere?"
Ying An spread his arms, waiting for the tailor to measure him for his clothes, and casually asked Zhao Gao, who was waiting nearby.
This time, Zhao Gao was ordered to arrange Ying An's wedding attire.
Great Qin favored black, and even the wedding attire was a black base with red trim!
Maintaining a humble, slightly bowed posture, Zhao Gao heard Ying An directly inquire about the Net, but felt no surprise in his heart.
In Zhao Gao's view, Ying An was merely a child who had been bedridden for sixteen years, and now, having finally recovered his health, was curious about everything.
From every perspective, Ying An could not possibly pose a threat to him.
Smiling slightly, Zhao Gao said, "My Prince, do not believe those baseless rumors. The Net merely acts somewhat mysteriously. That is why there are so many rumors!"
"Is that so?" Ying An feigned curiosity, looking noncommittal, and said, "Then I heard that the Net's Heaven-ranked assassins, if they want to kill someone, no one ever escapes. Is that true?"
"My Prince!" Zhao Gao said with a helpless expression, "The Net is merely an intelligence agency, not an assassin organization!"
"Oh?" Ying An said in astonishment, "Isn't the Net a famous assassin organization across the Seven Kingdoms? How did it become an intelligence organization?"
In Zhao Gao's opinion, Ying An, this little brat, was truly a handful with his curiosity about the Net. After some thought, he said, "The Net is indeed an intelligence organization, but when needed, it will eliminate some enemies for our Great Qin. However, it has no connection to an assassin organization!"
"So that's how it is!" Ying An seemed to truly believe Zhao Gao. He then changed the subject, saying, "Mister Zhao Gao, now that my body is recovering, can I practice martial arts? I heard that practicing martial arts can strengthen the body."
"My Prince, if you wish to learn martial arts, why seek far and wide?" Zhao Gao explained, "Within the Great Qin royal family, there are also secret cultivation methods taught only to the Ying clan. As the King's son, asking this question of your servant is somewhat like seeking far and wide when the answer is near!"
"Since Mister Zhao Gao can control the Net, your martial arts must be very high, right? May I ask what martial arts Mister practices?" Ying An probed subtly.
"My servant's martial arts are self-taught. They are completely incomparable to the royal family's secret cultivation methods." This time, Zhao Gao remained silent for a moment before giving this reply.
"But I think the royal family's cultivation methods are probably not that great. Otherwise, why would Father King learn from Mister Gai Nie?" Ying An said naturally, "Mister Gai Nie is our Great Qin's foremost swordsman! However, Mister Gai Nie needs to teach Father King swordsmanship and also protect Father King's safety. I naturally wouldn't dare to disturb him. So, perhaps I could trouble Mister Zhao Gao to send a few experts from the Net to teach me. How about that?"
The moment his voice fell, Ying An didn't give Zhao Gao a chance to react. He casually pointed towards the door and said, "I think those six are quite good. Since they can stay close to Mister Zhao Gao, their martial arts must be very high. Mister Zhao Gao, why don't you give those six to me? How about it?"
The six people Ying An spoke of were precisely the Six Swordsmen who had followed Zhao Gao for a long time.
That's right!
At this time, Zhao Gao had already gathered the Six Swordsmen. However, the current Six Swordsmen had not yet reached the level of Heaven-ranked assassins, but even so, they were still not to be underestimated. Otherwise, Zhao Gao would not have kept the Six Swordsmen by his side.
Zhao Gao felt a headache. He really hadn't expected that Prince An, who had been bedridden for sixteen years, would be so troublesome after recovering his health, practically thinking of something new every moment!
Handing the Six Swordsmen over to Ying An was definitely impossible. Even giving Ying An one or two of them alone wouldn't work.
The Six Swordsmen could only form a perfect coordination when together; once separated, they were merely ordinary first-rate experts.
"My Prince. Although their martial arts are decent, they are not skilled at teaching." Zhao Gao replied perfunctorily, "How about this: after I return, I will find a qualified sword instructor for you within the Net. How does that sound?"
"Is that so!" Ying An naturally knew that Zhao Gao would definitely be unwilling to give the Six Swordsmen to an ordinary prince like him.
In Xianyang Palace, princes like Ying An held a low status. For the first sixteen years, Ying An had been bedridden, had no supporters in the imperial court, and his birth mother had passed away early in the royal palace.
To make matters worse, his birth mother was from the weak South Korea. And Cheng Jiao's rebellion earlier had caused relations between South Korea and Great Qin to plummet to an all-time low.
Under these numerous disadvantages, the former Ying An, even if not completely invisible, was one of the most inconspicuous. It was also fortunate that Ying Zheng had not yet fully reclaimed royal power, and still showed some patience and concern for his children.
Otherwise, Ying An might not have even lived long enough to awaken his memories.
To put it bluntly, an inconspicuous prince like him, even if Zhao Gao perfunctorily dealt with him, he would be helpless against Zhao Gao.