Qingnu brought the group back home with a brazen swagger!
After the State of Zhao learned of their return, the King of Zhao sent several groups of men to capture Zhao Ji and little Ying Zheng. However, with Qingnu present, they never succeeded.
Eventually, even the King of Zhao realized that Qingnu was a formidable existence he could not afford to provoke, and he no longer dared to send anyone else.
Little Ying Zheng and Afang finally enjoyed a relatively peaceful childhood.
When news of Ying Yiren reached them again, he had already changed his name to Ying Zichu. Word was that he had become the adopted son of Lady Huayang and had been appointed as the heir by Lord Anguo, Ying Zhu. It truly lived up to Lv Buwei’s assessment—a rare commodity worth hoarding.
Zhao Ji, her expression filled with sorrow, sought out Qingnu and asked, "Master, has my husband forgotten me and Zheng'er?"
"Rest assured, he still remembers you,"
Qingnu comforted Zhao Ji.
Yet, perhaps because the mindset of a former songstress did not quite align with hers, Zhao Ji remained convinced that Ying Yiren was living a life of high nobility in the Qin palace, having long since cast her and little Ying Zheng to the back of his mind.
The young woman spent her days sighing like a resentful wife, and her love and longing for Ying Yiren slowly morphed into hidden bitterness and a touch of resentment.
Qingnu watched her emotional shift and tried to offer guidance, but the bitter woman simply wouldn't listen!
'How annoying. Whatever, do what you want!'
Qingnu stopped worrying about Zhao Ji and instead devoted herself entirely to training Ying Zheng.
By the age of eight or nine, Ying Zheng had grown quite tall, nearly reaching Qingnu's height!
Under Qingnu's tutelage, he practiced his swordplay, and his progress was rapid.
"Master!"
Ying Zheng stood before Qingnu, a bright smile on his face and his eyes shining with intensity. "No one in the city of Handan can beat me anymore! I can complete my apprenticeship now, right?"
"Wipe your sweat first."
Qingnu handed him a handkerchief.
Ying Zheng wiped his face haphazardly and exhaled, about to say more, when the Prime Minister of Zhao, Lord Pingyuan, Zhao Sheng, arrived with his entourage.
Seeing this, Ying Zheng immediately stood in front of Qingnu with his sword drawn, saying in a low voice, "Master, be careful!"
"Can you even protect me?"
Qingnu felt a bit helpless watching Ying Zheng's actions.
If they actually started fighting, it was unclear who would be protecting whom! She patted Ying Zheng on the shoulder and said, "Move aside, let me handle this."
"Master..."
Hearing this, Ying Zheng fell silent and obediently stepped to the side, though his hand gripped his sword tightly.
Qingnu’s gaze fell upon Zhao Sheng as she asked, "What brings Lord Pingyuan here? Is it that Qin and Zhao are at war again, and your State of Zhao wants to use a helpless mother and son as shields? I must say, you people are truly pathetic..."
Seeing Qingnu’s nagging demeanor, Zhao Sheng looked embarrassed.
He gave a light cough and reassured her, "Mister Shaodian, you misunderstand. I have come to ceremoniously escort Lady Zhao and Young Master Ying Zheng back to Qin!"
"Back to Qin?"
Qingnu was stunned for a moment but quickly realized what had happened.
"I see! Is Ying Ji dead?"
After Ying Ji’s death, Lord Anguo, Ying Zhu, would become the King of Qin. Ying Yiren—no, wait... Ying Zichu—would naturally become the Crown Prince. As the son of the Crown Prince, it was impossible for Ying Zheng to continue serving as a hostage. It was only logical that the State of Zhao would want to send Ying Zheng home to mend relations with Qin.
Zhao Sheng nodded with a smile, confirming Qingnu's suspicion.
Qingnu asked another question: "But with the old King of Qin dead, why aren't you taking the chance to kick them while they're down?"
"Oh, right. You can't beat Qin!"
Her self-answered question left Zhao Sheng incredibly awkward. He said helplessly, "Mister Shaodian, please stop mocking my Great Zhao! Please inform Lady Zhao to prepare early. In a few days, we will send an escort."
"Mhm, I got it. You can go now."
Qingnu waved him off. Once Zhao Sheng had left, Ying Zheng, who had been standing behind her, said, "I'm sorry, Master..."
"Eh? What are you apologizing for?" Qingnu was baffled and looked at Ying Zheng in confusion.
Ying Zheng gazed at Qingnu, his eyes swirling with intense emotion. "If I were stronger, I wouldn't have to let Master stand in front of me! Mother said that I am the descendant of the future King of Qin, a man who stands tall between heaven and earth! Master, believe me, in the future, I will protect you properly!"
Those words...
They felt a bit strange.
Qingnu leaned back instinctively, staring at Ying Zheng for a long time before nodding. "Mhm, you have ambition! I appreciate that!"
Being praised like this made Ying Zheng smile, his expression full of joy.
The State of Zhao dispatched a large contingent of troops to personally escort Ying Zheng's group back to their country, but they were stopped outside the city of Xianyang.
By this time, the period of national mourning in Qin had passed. Although Ying Zhu had not formally ascended the throne, he had already begun to govern all of Qin as king. Lady Huayang, aware of Ying Zheng and Zhao Ji’s existence, had specifically ordered men to block them outside Xianyang.
No matter how much the Zhao envoys shouted, the guards did not respond.
"Honestly... let me..."
Seeing the situation, Qingnu rolled up her sleeves, ready to take action.
Ying Zheng suddenly grabbed her hand. Qingnu froze instantly and looked back at him. Her hand was very cold, with the smooth, icy feel unique to serpents. The sensation caused Ying Zheng to subconsciously squeeze a bit firmer.
Qingnu tilted her head and asked, "Are you crazy?"
"Master, don't be in a hurry. Leave it to me?"
Ying Zheng coughed lightly, looking at Qingnu. Seeing his serious expression, Qingnu twitched her nose and hummed. "Fine, go ahead! Pika-Zheng!"
Ying Zheng was long since used to Qingnu occasionally blurting out words he didn't understand.
He stepped out of the carriage, looked up at the defending general on the walls of Xianyang, and said in a deep voice, "I am Ying Zheng, the great-great-grandson of King Huiwen, the great-grandson of King Zhaoxiang, the grandson of King Zhu, and the son of Crown Prince Ying Zichu! I have come from Handan to reclaim my ancestry! General, what is the meaning of blocking me?"
The defending general was the only one who knew Ying Zheng's identity; the others were completely oblivious. Hearing these words, they looked at each other in shock.
"General... is he a prince?"
The general furrowed his brows and shouted angrily, "What prince! Words are cheap; who knows if it's true or false?"
The moment he said that, Ying Zheng’s gaze turned cold. He stepped directly off the carriage and walked toward the city gate.
The soldiers at the gate retreated in a panic.
They didn't know if Ying Zheng's identity was real or fake, but they didn't dare to gamble!
The general hurriedly ran down from the wall, trying to stop Ying Zheng. However, before he could even touch him, he was knocked to the ground by a pebble flicked by Qingnu from the rear.
Ying Zheng looked back at Qingnu, only to hear her say leisurely as she leaned against the carriage, "Kid, remember! Only great power can command submission. If you can't beat them into submission, no matter how much you say, they won't believe you."
Ying Zheng took a deep breath and bowed to Qingnu with his hands clasped.
"Ying Zheng understands!"
Qingnu hopped down from the carriage and walked to the city gate. Seeing that the gate was only opened a crack—not nearly enough for the carriage to pass—she pushed the soldiers aside and delivered a kick.
With a massive boom, the giant city gate shattered into pieces!
"Sorry, I used a bit too much strength."
Qingnu turned around and shrugged her shoulders.
Upon seeing Qingnu kick the city gate into splinters, the defending general finally rolled his eyes and fainted.
Seeing him pass out, Qingnu gave him a nudge with her foot, but he didn't wake up.
"Looks like he agrees to let us in. Little Ying Zheng, let's go!"
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