“That Yan man was extremely cunning. He used the pretense of presenting a map, but hid a sharp blade, intending to assassinate the King…”

“Gasp!”

Everyone nearby drew in a sharp breath, listening intently as Edward recounted this thrilling story. Only when they heard that the King was unharmed did they finally breathe a sigh of relief, cursing the assassin and the state of Yan, while expressing their gratitude:

“The King is protected by Heaven and will never come to harm.”

It was clear that, at least for now, King Ying Zheng of Qin was still regarded by ordinary Qin people as an existence equal to the heavens, held in the highest reverence.

Only Henry felt a sense of regret for Jing Ke, and soon fell into deep thought.

He had heard from Big Brother Brian that three years ago (230 BC), Han was conquered by Teng, now the governor of Nanjun; a year ago (228 BC), the Zhao capital Handan was also taken by the Qin army, and Brian had participated in that campaign.

Now, with Jing Ke’s assassination attempt on the King of Qin having already occurred, it meant that the state of Yan would soon be finished!

As a history enthusiast, Henry knew what would happen next: in retaliation, King Ying Zheng of Qin would send a great army to attack Yan. Next year, the Yan capital would fall, Crown Prince Dan would be killed, and the King of Yan would retreat to Liaodong.

At the same time, the Qin army was fiercely attacking Daliang City, and Wei would soon be destroyed as well.

With this, Qin would have swept through the north, and King Ying Zheng’s sword would soon point south toward the state of Chu!

“In other words, in just two years, the Qin-Chu war will break out in full.”

Counting on his fingers, Henry thought to himself that things were not looking good. Those seemingly distant affairs of the world were closely tied to him. With each victory of the Qin army, the footsteps of death crept ever closer.

The war to destroy Chu lasted several years. At its fiercest, the great general Wang Jian of Qin mobilized six hundred thousand men… Nanjun, bordering Chu, was a key area for conscription. As a local soldier, Henry would certainly not be spared.

When the conscription order arrived, what would he do?

Run away!?

The thought flashed through his mind, but Henry immediately dismissed it.

No! Qin was extremely harsh toward “deserters” who evaded military service. If caught, not only would the person themselves be punished and made a slave, but even their family and neighbors would be implicated. One person’s escape would bring disaster to the whole family.

Even if he did manage to escape, where could he go? Although Anlu County was not far from Chu, and with caution, it wouldn’t be too hard to sneak past the checkpoints, the unification of Qin was inevitable, and the fall of the Six States was only a matter of time.

Even leaving the Central Plains would be useless. Later, Qin Shi Huang would conquer all known lands. How did that saying go? “Within the six directions, all is the Emperor’s land. West to the drifting sands, south to the northern households, east to the Eastern Sea, north past Daxia. Wherever people set foot, none are not his subjects.” Even if Henry fled to the ends of the earth, he would eventually fall under Qin’s rule.

Besides, although the people of Qin had to pay heavy taxes and endure frequent labor and military service—making life harder than in the prosperous Central Plains, and their spiritual world less rich than that of the people of Qi—the most important thing was: at least here, the lower classes were given a fair and just path for advancement, namely, the system of military merit and rank!

Not only is being born a matter of luck, but so is transmigrating. Those novels where the protagonist wakes up as a noble’s son or a prince—Henry truly envied them. If he had been born into a good family, of course it would be better to live a life of luxury in another state, doing as he pleased. But as a commoner with no background but full of ideals, it was still better to stay in Qin.

“What are you all gossiping about again? If anyone speaks carelessly, slanders the King or the government, don’t blame Old Man for reporting you!”

At this moment, Retainer finally brought over the hot soup, albeit slowly, and didn’t forget to issue a warning.

Everyone quickly said they wouldn’t dare. They exchanged glances, stopped talking, and got up to take the hot soup.

The talkative Edward had just taken a sip when he complained, “Old man, this soup isn’t hot at all. Did you even boil it?”

Old Retainer glared at him. “If you don’t like it, go outside and drink rainwater!”

Only then did Edward stop complaining, merely muttering quietly behind Old Retainer’s back.

Henry found it amusing. Although this guesthouse wasn’t large, it was well maintained and at least provided shelter from the rain. Under someone else’s roof, you had to bow your head; no one dared anger Old Retainer. If they were thrown out to get soaked, this group—either rankless soldiers or low-ranking commoners—really had no standing to demand respect.

After perfunctorily dealing with Henry and the others, Old Retainer went back into the kitchen. Not long after, he came out with a young maiden behind him, dressed in a brown deep robe, carrying a tray and food box with both hands, following closely behind—presumably his daughter.

Though she couldn’t be called beautiful, she immediately caught the attention of the soldiers by the hearth. The lively Edward wanted to whistle, but in the end didn’t dare. He just stood up to look at the delicate food on the tray, swallowed, and asked, “Old man, who is that food for?”

Retainer still paid them no mind, replying with a cold laugh, “It’s for the doctor in the left guest room. If you want to eat like that, get your rank up first!”

Doctor (Dafu) was the fifth rank in Qin’s twenty-rank system—already considered a mid-level title.