The person Jing Ke was waiting for was unknown to Crown Prince Dan, nor did Jing Ke reveal it. After all, assassinating Ying Zheng was a sure death. The more people who knew, the worse it would be for them. Therefore, he could not leak the identity of the person he was waiting for. If they could somehow escape from Xianyang Palace alive, they could still live on anonymously.
However, Jing Ke's behavior greatly displeased Crown Prince Dan. Since preparations were already made, he naturally wished to capture Ying Zheng as soon as possible. After all, their Yan state was already in peril. If anything went wrong, Lin Tian would lead his army to attack their Yan state. If such a thing happened, it would be too late even if they surrendered.
Therefore, Crown Prince Dan was extremely anxious. He incessantly complained to those around him. This also caused many of his subordinates to harbor resentment towards Jing Ke.
"Why is Jing Ke still unwilling to set off? Could it be that he is afraid?"
"That shouldn't be the case. He personally killed Fan Yuqi, so he shouldn't lack the courage to take the final step!"
"How is that impossible? Everything is ready now, and all he needs to do is act!"
"If he truly feels the team is too small, our Yan state has people too! We must know that our Yan state has never lacked brave warriors!!"
All these words were spoken to urge Jing Ke to quickly assassinate Ying Zheng. Especially when they spoke of the brave warriors of their Yan state, they each gave examples. It was as if their Yan state had countless heroes, and if they sent just a few, they could capture King Qin Ying Zheng. However, when it came to being the vanguard and assassinating Ying Zheng, none of them had such courage. And as for fighting Lin Tian, there were even fewer. Many of them, despite their reputations, were only known for their arrogance and brute force, lacking substance.
Among them, Qin Wuyang of Yan was a well-known figure. He was a renowned warrior of Yan and the grandson of the virtuous general Qin Kai. He already had a reputation in Yan. Furthermore, although he was young, he had a fierce temperament and had killed many people. Thus, his fearsome reputation had long spread. He was also one of the candidates for the assassination of Ying Zheng.
When his life experiences reached Crown Prince Dan's Yan state, Crown Prince Dan immediately took a liking to him. Qin Wuyang was young, his appearance was not particularly ferocious, and he was bold. Such a person would not arouse much suspicion when sent to assassinate. With his cooperation with Jing Ke, success was guaranteed. This was Crown Prince Dan's idea, and thus, he urgently sought out Jing Ke.
"Who is the person you are waiting for?"
"Your Highness, please forgive me, but I cannot say!"
"Is it absolutely necessary to have this person?"
"Indeed, it must be him!!"
The person Jing Ke was waiting for was no ordinary individual. He was Gai Nie, a descendant of the Ghost Valley school, known as the Sword Saint. Gai Nie not only possessed extraordinary swordsmanship but also astonishing courage. He and Jing Ke were exceptionally close, bonded as sworn brothers and inseparable friends. With Gai Nie's cooperation, Jing Ke was confident that Ying Zheng would surely die.
However, Gai Nie was not in Yan state at this time. Therefore, it would take a few more days to wait for Gai Nie's arrival. Thus, Jing Ke planned to wait a few days for Gai Nie to arrive, and then, together with Gai Nie, they would go to Qin to assassinate the King of Qin.
Crown Prince Dan of Yan, however, had other plans. After Jing Ke refused him, he returned. In Crown Prince Dan's mind, there was nothing but resentment. He believed Jing Ke was showing him disrespect, which was a great loss of face for him as the Crown Prince. Therefore, he grumbled incessantly in secret.
"If it weren't for your strength, do you think I would need to rely on you?"
"Just you wait. Once the assassination of Ying Zheng is successful, I will certainly let you know what the dignity of a Crown Prince is!"
Afterward, he went to Qin Wuyang and spoke of Jing Ke's unwillingness. Upon hearing this, Qin Wuyang immediately waved his hand and declared, "If Jing Ke dares not, I, Qin Wuyang, can do this alone!!"
"Assassinating the King of Qin, I, Qin Wuyang, have the courage to do it alone!"
At this moment, Qin Wuyang was filled with heroic spirit, as if he feared nothing. And indeed, he reeked of alcohol. Clearly, he spoke such grand words casually, without considering what it truly entailed. He also did not know the significant impact on Yan state if the assassination of Ying Zheng failed. Of course, he was not the only one who was unaware; Crown Prince Dan of Yan was also in the dark.
After hearing Qin Wuyang's words, Crown Prince Dan was greatly tempted and almost sent Qin Wuyang alone to complete the mission. However, he ultimately sent someone to provoke Jing Ke. He had someone tell Jing Ke that if he was unwilling to go, then Qin Wuyang alone would go to assassinate the King of Qin, Ying Zheng.
Upon hearing this, Jing Ke was instantly enraged. He had met Qin Wuyang and knew that while Qin Wuyang had some skill, he was far from sufficient to assassinate Ying Zheng. If he went alone, the assassination of Ying Zheng would surely fail. Therefore, Jing Ke quickly said, "No, how can this matter be entrusted to Qin Wuyang alone? Absolutely not!!"
"Since you, Master Jing, are not going, then only Qin Wuyang can go!!"
"Fine, fine! I will go!!"
This was clearly a stratagem to provoke him, and Jing Ke realized it. However, to repay Crown Prince Dan of Yan for his kindness, Jing Ke could only accept. Therefore, before Gai Nie arrived in Yan, Jing Ke agreed to go with Qin Wuyang to assassinate the King of Qin, Ying Zheng.
When Jing Ke departed, Crown Prince Dan of Yan led his men to see him off. They all wore white, symbolizing mourning. They seemed to be sending him off, but more like accompanying him to his death. In their eyes, Jing Ke's departure was surely a death sentence. Therefore, many of them wailed as if attending a funeral. Among them, Crown Prince Dan of Yan cried the loudest, making it seem as if he were the most affected.
However, seeing this, Jing Ke sighed inwardly. He knew Crown Prince Dan of Yan was faking it. But even if Crown Prince Dan was heartless, Jing Ke could not be unrighteous. He still had to go and assassinate Ying Zheng. As he departed, he sighed and recited:
"The wind howls and the Yi River is cold,
A warrior departs, never to return!"
Afterward, Jing Ke, with Qin Wuyang, set off. As they departed, they also sent a message to Lin Tian's army. They were now going to surrender to Xianyang in Qin. At this time, they naturally did not wish for Lin Tian to lead his army to attack them. Otherwise, if Lin Tian of Qin directly attacked their capital, all their plans would be in vain. Therefore, they needed to inform Lin Tian of this to avoid being attacked and to prevent their plan from failing.
...