Under normal circumstances, Ying Zheng, as the King of Qin, should adhere to the principle of a gentleman not standing on a dangerous wall, not traveling unfamiliar paths, not entering deep water, and a son of a thousand gold not sitting under a crumbling hall.
After arranging for Ying An to be the chief envoy of the Great Qin delegation to South Korea, Ying Zheng himself should not have taken the risk of traveling incognito to South Korea.
However, Ying An knew that Ying Zheng's trip to South Korea, while seemingly to recruit Han Fei, was essentially just a pretense. Recruiting Han Fei was merely a smokescreen.
Han Fei certainly had talent. But ultimately, Han Fei was a Gongzi of South Korea. How could he truly devote himself to the great cause of Qin?
One must not forget that South Korea was strategically located at Great Qin's throat for eastward expansion. As long as Qin had the ambition to unify the world, South Korea was inevitably the first target to be annihilated.
Under such circumstances, Ying Zheng could not be unaware that the purpose of his trip to South Korea could not be achieved.
The only explanation was that recruiting Han Fei was just an overt excuse; from beginning to end, Ying Zheng's goal was to seize military power!!
A king with military power is a true king!!
If he wished to assume full power, military power was the ultimate guarantee.
When Gai Nie spoke these secret orders from Ying Zheng in front of him, Ying An was completely certain. Ying Zheng would definitely go to South Korea himself. However, this time, besides recruiting Han Fei, he would probably also be added to the excuse.
Of course, although he appeared to have recovered physically, Ying Zheng might still have had the intention of using his son as a bargaining chip.
Countless thoughts flashed through Ying An's mind in an instant.
Meanwhile, Gai Nie, in front of him, maintained a calm and composed demeanor, saying, "Gongzi, please rest assured. The King seeking a marriage for Gongzi with the Korean Princess is also merely to give South Korea a sense of security. No matter how much King An of Han dotes on Princess Honglian, he will absolutely not refuse!"
Ying An instantly understood; this was clearly a threat to South Korea's safety!!
Did King An of Han have the courage to refuse? Would he not worry that if he refused, it would become an excuse for Qin to send troops to South Korea?
Even Ji Wuye, who was in the Korean court, could force King An of Han to maneuver and even sacrifice Princess Honglian. So, with the survival of the entire South Korea at stake, how could he possibly have the courage to refuse?
Sighing softly, Ying An said, "Since Father King has ordered it, then I will certainly do my best!!"
Gai Nie hesitated for a moment, opened his mouth as if to say something, but after a brief pause, he ultimately remained silent.
"Gongzi, please take care on your journey!!"
Bowing with cupped fists, he saluted Ying An. Gai Nie did not forget to remind him.
"Thank you, Master!" Ying An smiled, "My body has recovered, although three days is a bit short. But I think, given my condition, I can withstand the hardships of travel!"
After seeing Gai Nie off, Dong Jun soon arrived in the side hall.
"It seems Gai Nie has given husband a difficult choice!!"
As soon as she entered, Dong Jun noticed the grave expression on Ying An's face.
"Wife, why do you say that?" Ying An's expression instantly changed to one of bewilderment, as if he completely did not understand what Dong Jun was saying.
Dong Jun did not respond directly, but after a moment of silence, she said softly, "Husband, although you and I became husband and wife by chance. Since we are now married, we should henceforth share weal and woe! I just don't want to become a widow so young, that's all. Furthermore, Gai Nie openly teaches the King swordsmanship in Xianyang Palace. But he comes from the Vertical and Horizontal lineage of Ghost Valley, and is the contemporary inheritor of Zongjian! Although the King of Qin has not yet assumed full power, he would never make such a trivial use of Gai Nie as a mere bodyguard!"
One had to admit, Dong Jun was indeed intelligent. Merely from Gai Nie's identity, she deduced that Gai Nie must be entrusted with delivering some order from Ying Zheng this time. And this order would definitely put Ying An in a difficult dilemma.
"Can wife truly share weal and woe with me?" Ying An looked at Dong Jun with a half-smile.
"That depends on whether husband is willing to take a gamble!!" Dong Jun retorted, unwilling to show weakness.
"What if I said I needed the Yinyang Family's classics?" Ying An's sudden change of topic almost caught Dong Jun off guard.
"The Yinyang Family's classics?" Dong Jun looked at Ying An in surprise, then asked suspiciously, "Is husband planning to learn our Yinyang Family's methods and become a disciple of the Yinyang Family?"
Shaking his head, Ying An explained, "I merely want to read the Yinyang Family's theories and classics. Not including those secret martial arts and various Yinyang arts!"
"Only the classics?" Dong Jun was even more surprised.
"That's right!" Ying An said with an air of righteousness, "In my eyes, the most valuable aspect of the Yinyang Family lies in those classics that expound the thoughts of our ancestors. Regardless of the various secret transmissions of the Yinyang Family, in the final analysis, they are merely means derived from the Great Dao."
"I didn't expect husband to actually approve of the Daoist philosophy. Could it be that, in husband's eyes, my Yinyang Family is also a heterodox path that takes an extreme approach?" Dong Jun said with feigned anger.
Since the Yinyang Family split from the Daoist school several hundred years ago, the relationship between the two schools' philosophies had completely frozen.
The Yinyang Family regarded the Daoist school as rigid and unyielding, while the Daoist school denounced the Yinyang Family as extreme and perverse.
Ying An's current statement clearly aligned with the Daoist school's view of the Yinyang Family, which was why Dong Jun was feigning anger.
Don't forget, in this era, although the Hundred Schools of Thought were gradually not as intensely competitive as before, the struggles between the Hundred Schools themselves had not weakened in the slightest.
Only after Great Qin unified the world did the Hundred Schools of Thought truly divide into two distinct camps: one cooperating with Great Qin, the other firmly opposing Qin.
Currently, the contradictions among the Hundred Schools of Thought themselves were already a tangled mess.
"Of course not!" After acquiring the Hong Yi template, Ying An could almost be said to have the qualification to ascend to heaven in one step.
But as for his views on the Hundred Schools of Thought, his attitude was quite similar. In his eyes, every school among the Hundred Schools had its own advantages and disadvantages.
To be precise, he more recognized the scientific concepts of his previous life.
Daoism and the Yinyang Family were more like the contradiction between theory and application.
"Daoism's pursuit of the Great Dao is not wrong. And the Yinyang Family's use of techniques is also not wrong. In my opinion, the two are more like a contradictory spiral. Just like the two poles of Yin and Yang, they generate and overcome each other, only then can they cycle endlessly!"
Ying An's words immediately plunged Dong Jun into deep thought.
Ever since the Yinyang Family became independent from the Daoist school, the relationship between their two philosophies had completely frozen.
The Yinyang Family viewed the Daoist school as stubborn and unyielding, while the Daoist school denounced the Yinyang Family as extreme and perverse.
No one had ever, like Ying An, viewed the contradiction between the Daoist school and the Yinyang Family from a higher perspective.