Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 174

"It was just a small favor, why be so polite, sir?"

After accepting the greeting with composure, Lu Wei changed the subject and said with great interest, "I am very interested in the cooperation that you mentioned, Fan Jun. May we discuss it in detail?"

“Of course.” Wu Rui nodded: “Whether it’s joining forces to help the Baiyue people escape the wilderness, taking in refugees from Chu and giving them a peaceful and prosperous life, or exchanges between the two counties, the scope of our cooperation can be very large.”

He pointed to the location of Fanhu on the map on the table. It was clear that although Fanhu and Jinghu were far apart, Fanhu was directly connected to the main stream of the Yangtze River by waterways, while Jinghu, although separated from the main stream of the Yangtze River by some distance, was also connected by tributaries.

Using waterways will make trade between the two counties more convenient.

In theory, Jing County and Fan County could even form an alliance in the south, backed by the Great Lakes and the Baiyue people, becoming powerful local powers in the south...

------

Wei Zhuang returned to Xinzheng and stood at the entrance of the rebuilt Zilan Pavilion for a long time. Even someone as strong as him, after experiencing so many events, would silently reminisce about his youthful arrogance when he was alone.

This brothel was destroyed in a fire in Xinzheng four years ago. Now that it has become Qin territory, the rebuilt Zilanxuan has undergone significant changes in appearance compared to before.

Although the name is the same, the people inside have all changed...

Stepping back in, Wei Zhuang requested a private room, placed the Shark Tooth Sword on the table, and went to the window, gazing towards the old palace.

The private room was filled with floral fragrance, quite different from the scent of more than ten years ago. A cacophony of noises drifted in from outside, and the presence of ordinary, vulgar women further dampened Wei Zhuang's mood.

Only a pot of purple Phalaenopsis orchids on the windowsill made him feel that the whole room wasn't entirely without merit.

Knock knock, the time it takes for an incense stick to burn has quietly passed, and there is a knock on the door of Wei Zhuang's private room... Not just anyone dares to enter one's room without permission.

"Come in"

With a deep voice, a furtive young man pulled open the door and entered. He leaned against the newly closed gauze-covered wooden door, looked at the broad back of the man, swallowed hard, and hesitated before asking, "Are you the one who came to cooperate with us in restoring our country?"

"Yes"

Turning around, Wei Zhuang looked at the newcomer whose body was trembling slightly, whether from excitement, fear, or both. He spoke sparingly.

He had no patience for the dying unless they still had value: “Take me to your gathering place.”

"Wait...wait a minute." Despite being overwhelmed by Wei Zhuang's imposing aura and trembling all over, he was no useless person who had been sent to make contact: "We need to check the tokens."

At this point, the contact sent by the old nobles of Han took out half of a tiger tally from his pocket and looked directly into Wei Zhuang's eyes as bravely as possible. But after just one glance, he was forced to lower his gaze to Wei Zhuang's chest.

Although he's not useless and isn't afraid of death, he's not particularly shrewd either.

...

"The quicksand in South Korea should have already made contact."

After being taken to Xianyang by the chivalrous leader Tian Guang, Zhu Jia temporarily stayed at the Changping Jun Mansion as a reliable assistant.

Tian Guang himself left quickly. He was listed as a key target by the Luo Wang organization, and it would be dangerous for him to stay in Xianyang City for a long time, no matter how he changed his appearance.

"Once news arrives from Korea, Master Zhu should also leave Xianyang. The State of Chu will need the Shennong Hall's help."

Since the change of battlefield, the Azure Dragon Plan has gone smoothly: whether Yan Dan faked his death to continue to lead the Mohist School, or Liu Sha entered Xinzheng to carry out the rebellion plan, there have been no unexpected events.

This gave Lord Changping a greater sense of hope, and he gradually gained a smoother advantage in dealing with Qin general Li Xin.

The generals of the Wang and Meng clans are not easy to target, but Li Xin is relatively easier to deal with.

A fierce general is easily provoked, and Li Xin was also eager to achieve military merits in hopes of elevating his status to the level of the Meng and Wang families. Adventurism was more likely to emerge in this young general.

"Yes, Lord Changping, rest assured." Zhu Jia's face had been beaming with 'joy' ever since he entered Xianyang: "Shennong Hall's grain reserves are the best among the six halls, and we can also allocate a batch of weapons to the Chu army first."

The vast land of Chu is almost entirely within the territory of Shennong Hall. The bond between Shennong Hall and the State of Chu is quite deep. Lord Changping has also provided a great deal of assistance to Shennong Hall. From the perspective of chivalrous gratitude, Shennong Hall's current gratuitous investment in the State of Chu is all about repaying a favor.

Whether Zhu Jia liked it or not, he had to do it.

Chapter 195 Mi Lian

"I heard that among the six halls of the Farmer's School, the number of disciples in the Shennong Hall has dropped to second place?"

Lord Changping took a scroll of bamboo slips from the bookshelf, flipped through a few lines, and then inquired about the internal situation of the peasant family from the Zhu family.

In his tone, he naturally regarded the farmhouse as his own possession.

Zhu Jia seemed unaware of any problem. His expression and mask had long since become one with the myriad changes of a cultivator; this Shennong Hall Master was arguably the most difficult person in the world to discern from his appearance his true thoughts.

"In the past two years, about three thousand Shennong Hall disciples have joined the Chu army, which has reduced the number of Shennong Hall disciples in the area including Daze Mountain and the Chu Kingdom to twenty-two thousand. Compared with five years ago, the total number of Shennong Hall disciples has actually increased by one thousand."

"However, after Gonggongtang absorbed parts of Yan, Zhao, and Wei, the number of its disciples expanded extremely rapidly." Zhu Jia suddenly turned to look at the tightly closed study door, then glanced at Lord Changping. Only after receiving a nod from the other party to continue did he speak again:

“Especially the Dai region, which became the solid territory of the Gonggong Hall. Even though the Gonggong Hall suffered some losses during the Qin's conquest of Zhao and Yan, a rough estimate suggests that the total number of disciples under Lu Wei's command is no less than 30,000, and most likely more.”

The Zhu family was unaware of the existence of Jing County in Chu, and the only one who knew, Xiang Yan of the Xiang family, did not care much about it. Given the current urgent situation in the world, the Chu general would not bother to report such a small matter to Lord Changping. Therefore, the two in the study were relatively conservative in their assessment of Gonggong Hall.

The intention behind this statement by the Shennong Hall Master is quite clear: it's not that the Shennong Hall has regressed, but rather that the Gonggong Hall has progressed too quickly.

"Lu Wei is a rising star, his methods are ruthless." Changping Jun rose and silently walked to the door. Zhu Jia then chimed in, "Brother Lu Wei is indeed mature and experienced. Judging from the leader's expression, he seems to have his eye on him as the next leader... If that's the case, the Farmer's Clan will have a worthy successor..."

With a bang, in the Zhu family's sight, Changping Jun suddenly opened the study door. The swift movement startled the little girl who was eavesdropping outside. With a clear scream, she fell towards the inside of the room, only to be scooped up by Changping Jun, who was already prepared.

"Lian'er, didn't I tell you not to eavesdrop outside the door when I'm entertaining VIPs?"

Changping-jun pretended to be angry and pinched the girl's nose. The startled girl then realized what was happening, and after calling out "Father" in a coy manner, she looked curiously at the 'painted face' Zhu Jia sitting on the other side.

She was none other than Mi Lian, the eldest daughter of Lord Changping.

At this time, Mi Lian could still play freely in the mansion without any worries. Although she was not a princess, her father was the Right Chancellor of Qin in public and the brother-in-law of the King of Qin in private. As the only child of Lord Changping, Mi Lian's treatment was no less than that of the real princesses in the palace.

Lord Changping doted on his daughter. Watching the father and daughter playing around in front of him like an ordinary family, Zhu Jia stroked his mask and beard and couldn't help but have even more faith in Lord Changping.

Being sentimental is a huge plus in the eyes of chivalrous heroes.

The tender moment between father and daughter lasted only a short time. After putting his daughter down, Changping-jun continued discussing the previous issues with the Zhu family, while Mi Lian remained in the study, quietly listening in beside her father.

“In terms of his abilities, Lu Wei is suitable to succeed as the leader of the Xia family, but he is still very young and inevitably lacks experience. The Zhu family hall master is very righteous. Let him hold the high position for a few years first, and when he grows up a bit, he will be the perfect successor to the Zhu family hall master.”

"Changping Jun is too kind. Although Lu Wei is still very young, Elder Tian Guang is in good health and will be just right to serve as the leader of the chivalrous sect for another ten years."

It's impossible that the Zhu family wouldn't be eyeing the position of the leader of the chivalrous sect; otherwise, they wouldn't have colluded with the Four Mountains Hall and subtly begun to reject their former ally, the Gonggong Hall.

Even if the Zhu family agreed with Changping Jun's suggestion, how could he openly display the infighting within the peasant faction in front of outsiders? Even if the infighting within the peasant faction was indeed real, the leader of the chivalrous sect was still alive!

No matter how much internal strife there is, if the leader of the Xia clan truly chooses a successor and announces it publicly, no one will dare to oppose the leader's order in front of the statue of Shennong.

"Things are unpredictable, anything can happen." Lord Changping smiled faintly. He had already expressed his support for the Zhu family to become the leader of the knights. Anyway, it was just a casual remark, and the Zhu family would only develop a good impression of him because of it. This might be useful in the future.

Mi Lian vaguely remembered the content of her father's conversation with the short uncle. She knew that the fact that her father had allowed her to come into the study to listen in meant that the topic they were talking about today might be related to her in the future.

'farmhouse...'

...

A vast and inescapable net.

If you develop fear of the organization represented by this statement, you will inevitably die at the hands of the Net.

However, as a veteran swordsman, Tian Guang has accumulated a wealth of experience dealing with the Luo Wang organization in recent years, and he is quite satisfied with his abilities for surviving to this day.

Even with Changping Jun's assassins covering for him, his appearance within the Qin state's borders still caused some minor disturbances that were sensed by the web veins, attracting the killing spiders.

Fortunately, before the other side could call upon their friends and summon even stronger helpers, Tian Guang had already gracefully walked out of Hangu Pass and escaped into the territory of the State of Chu.

Upon returning from their mission in the Yan Kingdom, Zhen Gang and Luan Shen, instead of returning to Xianyang, spent three days tracking clues along the way. Frustrated at realizing they had been misled, they immediately rejoined the correct path, but ultimately failed to intercept their target.

He could only gaze at the Chu Kingdom's pass, behead the mocking wooden figure on the road sign to the left of the road with a single sword stroke, and silently turn away.

Before joining the Luo Wang organization, both of them were renowned assassins in the martial arts world, with superb killing skills. However, when facing Tian Guang, who commanded 100,000 disciples of the Farmer's School, their overall abilities were simply inferior to that old fox.

After staying in the border town for three days, and without seeing the Luo Wang assassins relentlessly pursuing them, Tian Guang was slightly disappointed and dismissed most of the farm guards he had recruited... It was indeed not so easy to carry out a counter-ambush against Luo Wang.

"Did Lu find out about the contact with the Tian royal family?"

Opening the letter given to him by the secret guard, which was sent by Tian Du, Tian Guang read the description of what happened that night in Sanghai, Qi State. Looking at the embellished words, Tian Guang shook his head and smiled, then destroyed it over a candle.

"The Tian family's arrogance in the peasant community has gone too far. It's inconvenient for me to deal with them. Leaving them all for Lu Xiaozi to establish his authority would involve too many people. Let's send some to Luo Wang instead."

Tian Guang casually tore a piece of cloth from the inn's bed sheet, wrote a few words, and handed it to the remaining guards to take back to Osawa Yamada Takeshi.

From the moment he handed the Shennong Token to Lu Wei, he had already chosen a path, a path from which there was no turning back.

Tian Guang cannot clear all obstacles for farmers on this road, but he can soften its thorns.

The Farmer's School aims to become the foremost school among the Hundred Schools of Thought. This was the vow Tian Guang made before the statue of Shennong on that rainy night thirty years ago when he succeeded as the leader of the Knights. He believes he has at least accomplished half of that vow.

The remaining half of the road was more difficult than the first half; he was old and could no longer walk...

------

After the two sides agreed on a sustainable harvesting arrangement for the Vietnamese trade caravans, the conflict between Jing County and Fan County was resolved, and the remaining issue was the exchange of goods between the two counties.

This is a long-term issue, but with the leaders of both sides communicating amicably beforehand, chaos is unlikely to ensue.

The reception of Fan Jun Wu Rui should have been handled personally by the Hall Master, but an unexpected accident forced Lu Wei to apologize and let Yan Shen take over the discussion of cooperation matters.

A small explosion occurred in the workshop due to a problem with the materials. Amu, the only master of mechanical arts, was hit in the chest by a flying gear and lost consciousness at the scene of the explosion.

In addition, two senior disciples died on the spot, and the other six disciples sustained varying degrees of injury.

Upon learning of this news from his disciple, Lu Wei simply nodded, smiled, and bid farewell to Wu Rui before rushing off to the scene.

The city's doctors had already given Amu emergency treatment: his chest had collapsed, and he looked like he was on the verge of death.

Master Lu ordered his disciples to quickly go to the medical clinic to invite Duanmu Rong over, while he himself channeled internal energy into Amu to stabilize her injuries.

Fortunately, a pulse examination revealed that although Amu looked miserable, he was not in mortal danger. He had also learned the Rejuvenation Technique since childhood and had received many Power Pills as a reward. Although he had no combat experience in recent years, his ability to preserve his life through internal energy was excellent.

A short while after the internal energy was channeled in, Amu woke up, but was unable to sit up due to chest pain.

He apologized to his boss, explaining that his carelessness had destroyed the newly built mechanical cabin. Lu Wei calmly pressed his pressure point to induce sleep and told him to rest more.

Since there's nothing seriously wrong, all that's needed is to reattach the sternum.

Master Lu was not comfortable letting these ordinary doctors do this skill, so he had to wait for Duanmu Rong to come.

The study of basic mechanical arts can be described as a child playing with building blocks, but as one delves into more advanced stages, danger will accompany the mechanical engineer at all times.

Extreme caution must be exercised when using highly destructive liquids or poisons.

Master Ban of the Mo family and Gongshu Chou of the Gongshu family were the most outstanding mechanical masters of their time. They had one thing in common: they only had one fleshy arm, and the other arm was a prosthetic hand.

Of course, it was impossible for the two of them to agree to saw off one of their hands at the same time to better study mechanical arts. Even for them, the slightest mistake would be life-threatening.

Today's events serve as a lesson. Lu Wei plans to wait until Amu's chest bone is set, since he can't easily return to the front line anyway. He'll simply have him stay home and write a set of safety operation guidelines for the mechanical workshops, print them out, and distribute them to every disciple in the workshops so they can memorize them thoroughly.

The Master isn't actually exploiting his subordinates to the point of exhaustion... it's just that only front-line disciples know the procedures in this safety operating guide. He himself has never worked in the workshop forging iron or installing mechanisms, so naturally he doesn't understand where safety is and where caution is needed in daily operations.