northernbook Chapter 192 King Qin Welcomes the Crowd
Chapter 192 King Qin Welcomes the Crowd
Outside the Zhangtai Palace, sunlight streamed down upon the majestic palace, casting a golden glow. The King of Qin, dressed in a black dragon robe, stood tall and straight before the palace, his gaze deep and sharp, quietly awaiting the arrival of the Kings of Qi, Chu, and Wei.
In the distance, a series of ornately decorated carriages slowly entered Zhangtai Palace. The sound of their wheels broke the palace's tranquility, drawing the attention of all the civil and military officials, who began to whisper and murmur amongst themselves.
Through the carriage windows, the Kings of Qi, Chu, and Wei saw the figure standing before the palace—the King of Qin. He was tall and slender, with an extraordinary and refined air, befitting a supreme ruler. Even from a distance, he exuded an undeniable majesty and charisma.
The Kings of Qi, Chu, and Wei harbored extremely complex feelings towards this King of Qin. On one hand, they were afraid of him. Despite his young age, the King of Qin possessed extraordinary strength, and his army was exceptionally brave and skilled in battle, boasting a galaxy of generals. Faced with such a powerful opponent, they felt deeply uneasy. On the other hand, they couldn't help but secretly admire the King of Qin. He seemed born to be a ruler, possessing outstanding leadership skills and governing strategies, managing the vast Qin state with remarkable efficiency and witnessing its ever-growing power.
However, at the same time, their hearts were filled with even greater hatred for the King of Qin. His overwhelming power made them feel deeply threatened, and they constantly longed to eliminate him. They simply never expected to gather here today to discuss cooperation.
As the carriage gradually approached Zhangtai Palace, its speed slowed down until it came to a steady stop. King Qi was the first to lift the curtain and step down. He was tall and imposing, with a resolute face, but a hint of tension flickered in his eyes. King Chu and King Wei followed suit. The three men straightened their clothes and looked up at King Qin, who was descending the steps of Zhangtai Palace.
With a smile on his face, the King of Qin walked steadily toward the crowd. When he reached them, he said loudly, "King of Qi, King of Chu, King of Wei, welcome to my great Qin! It is a great honor to gather here today." His voice was loud and powerful, echoing in the spacious courtyard.
The King of Qi smiled and bowed to the King of Qin, saying, "Your Majesty is too kind! It has been a long time since we last met. I wonder how Your Majesty's health has been lately?"
Upon hearing this, the King of Qin responded with a broad smile: "Thank you for your concern, King of Qi. I am in good health and everything is fine. I wonder how your health is, King of Qi?"
King Qi laughed heartily and replied, "Haha, I think so too."
At this moment, the King of Chu spoke up, "King of Qin, do you intend to make us stand here in the cold wind forever? Why don't you invite us inside?"
Upon hearing this, the King of Qin's smile remained unchanged as he calmly replied, "Oh dear, King of Chu, don't be in such a hurry! I was just about to greet you all. Besides, Chu is renowned throughout the world for its emphasis on etiquette; how could I possibly be impolite?"
The King of Chu had intended to use this opportunity to give the King of Qin a hard time, but he hadn't expected the King of Qin to respond so cleverly. His face immediately turned very ugly. However, as the ruler of a country, he couldn't easily lose his composure, so he could only force a smile and explain, "The weather in Xianyang is indeed very cold, unlike the pleasant, spring-like climate of our Ying. So I felt a little uncomfortable and thought I should go inside the palace to avoid the cold as soon as possible."
The King of Qin's lips curled slightly upward, a half-smile playing on his lips as he looked at the King of Chu. He said slowly, "Oh? I see. It seems I haven't considered things thoroughly. Your Majesty, you are getting on in years, and your constitution is naturally not as robust as ours, so it's understandable that you can't withstand this severe cold. Well then, I happen to have some precious elixirs that can strengthen the body and prolong life. I will send some to Your Majesty later to help you recuperate."
Faced with the King of Qin's sharp words, the King of Chu was momentarily speechless and could only stand there, his face flushed. However, the King of Chu's resentment surged like a tidal wave. His eyes darted around, and a plan came to him. He suddenly spoke: "I have heard that the King of Qin has always been particularly fond of the art of immortality. I wonder if he has already found a good way?"
Upon hearing this, the King of Qin knew that the King of Chu was deliberately provoking him. His face instantly darkened, and he coldly replied, "The path to immortality is mysterious and elusive; how could one find a method so easily? However, if I were to one day truly obtain this method, I would certainly share it with the King of Chu without hesitation. But I hope the King of Chu will be patient and wait a while. I wonder if the King of Chu has that kind of patience?"
Upon hearing this, the King of Chu was so angry that he almost fainted, but he had no choice but to bite the bullet and reply, "Hmph! I am in good health, what harm is there in waiting a few more years?" After saying that, he angrily shut his mouth and stopped talking.
At this moment, King Wei, standing to the side, witnessed this fierce confrontation and felt his heart pounding, cold sweat pouring down his back. He wanted to step forward and offer some advice to prevent the situation from escalating further, but he was intimidated by the majesty of the Kings of Qin and Chu and dared not take a step. Helpless, King Wei could only secretly cast his gaze toward King Qi, hoping to gain some help or hint from this bystander.
To everyone's surprise, the King of Qi remained indifferent, as if everything happening before him had nothing to do with him, leisurely watching the spectacle. Seeing this, the King of Wei knew he couldn't rely on the King of Qi and inwardly groaned. Just as he was pondering how to minimize his presence and avoid getting caught in the crossfire, he suddenly felt a sharp gaze fixed intently on him.
King Wei was startled and slowly raised his head, meeting King Qin's deep, unfathomable eyes. In that instant, King Wei felt as if struck by lightning, and hurriedly bowed, forcing a fawning smile as he said, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"
The King of Qin gazed at the King of Wei with a smile, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, and said softly, "King of Wei, how have you been! You are as radiant as ever today!"
The King of Wei said with a smile, "The King of Qin is even more charismatic than before!"
The King of Qin nodded, shifting his gaze from the King of Wei. Then, he raised his voice slightly and called out enthusiastically, "Gentlemen, please come inside!" With that, the King of Qin turned around and took the lead in stepping onto the wide and solemn steps, striding towards the magnificent Zhangtai Palace.
Upon seeing this, the Kings of Qi, Chu, and Wei immediately followed the King of Qin's steps towards the Zhangtai Palace. Behind them followed a group of officials, all of whom were respectful and followed closely, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.
The remaining guards and attendants stood in neat rows outside the palace, silently waiting, as motionless as statues.