Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 243

Wearing a red agate bracelet, Mi Lian peeled grapes on the side. After the fall of the Chu Kingdom, she now spends most of her time by Ji Yan's side.

The grievances of being treated like a maid have gradually faded away. Now, she is very curious about how Ji Yan, who is a year younger than her, became the head of the Farmer's Hall and was nominally on par with her herbal medicine teacher, Zhu Jia.

Mi Lian was less concerned about her situation, which was essentially one of being kidnapped, as she spent time with Ji Yan: she was a princess of Chu, and striving to restore her country was what she should do. Before gaining the power to restore her country, she felt that she could learn from her father.

If my father could serve Qin from a young age, why can't I serve as a maid for a few years?

As a top-tier noblewoman who had enjoyed numerous professional privileges, Mi Lian had enough experience to crudely imitate the actions of her former maids in order to please Ji Yan.

The other party had mentioned her identity as the daughter of Lord Xinling, and now held a very important position among farmers. Moreover, her usual behavior clearly showed that even though she had been living a life of wandering, she had received a good education, so it was not impossible for her to be of equal status with me.

In comparison, even though Hua Ying from Zui Meng Lou was very respectful to him, her status was far too low.

Born into a minor noble family, she has now fallen on hard times and is running a brothel. Even if it was ordered by her father, she is not worthy to be her 'older sister'.

"Hmm?" Ji Yan noticed that the princess beside her was moving a little slower, so she gave a soft hum to remind her. Mi Lian, who had come back to her senses, tried her best to speed up her work without being flustered.

"You've also studied the Five Vermin?" Ji Yan took the grapes offered to her and fed them to Mi Lian, then waved the Han Feizi book in her hand and asked with interest.

Given Mi Lian's background, she was certainly literate, but it was rather strange that she seemed quite familiar with the book in her hands, judging from her expression.

"Yes, my father was once the Lord of Changping in the State of Qin. The King of Qin was very fond of Han Feizi's works and once gave him a set of his own handwritten copy. I once sneaked into my father's study and glanced at it a few times."

Legalist thought had been the mainstream ideology in the Qin state since Shang Yang. Changping Jun Xiong Qi was able to serve as the Right Chancellor in the Qin state, so he naturally needed to understand Legalist thought in order to govern effectively.

“The people are naturally proud of love and obedient to authority…” To prove her words were true, Mi Lian recited one of the lines without hesitation, then lowered her head and grieved silently: such a past naturally reminded her of her father.

Moreover, the first part of this passage gives an example: There was a wayward child who committed many evil deeds. The love and care of his parents, neighbors, and teachers could not change his bad behavior. Only the severe punishments and laws of the government could make him afraid and thus take the initiative to change.

If we shift our perspective, isn't this example quite similar to Mi Lian's own situation...?

Xiao Yan'er, who had memorized the fatal article "Five Vermin" when she first read Han Fei's works at Jinghu Medical Manor, naturally guessed why her princess maid was feeling sad at this moment. So she smiled and patted the other's head to comfort her, but didn't say anything more and just continued reading the book in her hands.

Mi Lian is knowledgeable, but she has very few talented people around her, so there are some things she can be taught.

The Chu princess, who probably has other thoughts in mind at this moment, would surely be very happy.

Being hit on the head didn't hurt at all, but what bothered Mi Lian was that she used to be the one to hit others on the head, but now she was the one being hit on the head.

The reason for this reversal of fortunes was entirely because she had lost her status. But Ji Yan was younger than her, and the reason she was able to gain status was because that chivalrous leader doted on her.

If only she could snatch this affection... The girl had been nurturing this idea for a long time, and finally planted a seed in her heart that Ji Yan hoped she would plant.

A person without desires is difficult to control, but if a person has pursuits, then they also have weaknesses.

Noticing the princess's lowered head out of the corner of her eye, Xiao Yan'er subtly curled the corner of her mouth.

After a short while, a disciple outside the door clasped his hands and reported:

"Master, the two Qi merchants you instructed have arrived."

"Oh?" Ji Yan put down the book, stood up, and pondered for a moment: "Send someone to inform the leader of the chivalrous sect that guests from Sanghai have arrived."

...

Half a month ago.

After exchanging blows with Lord Dongjun of the Yin-Yang School in the grove for a long time, and finally satisfying his Yin-Yang needs, Yanfei gracefully departed without any lingering attachment.

She should go to the Mohist school. After the King of Qin unified the world, the only enemies Qin had to deal with in the Central Plains were the various schools of thought. The Mohist mechanical city could be targeted at any time, and Lord Dongjun needs to be prepared for this.

After one was dismissed, the other, Shao Siming, remained standing motionless in the woods. During the transfer of internal energy, the newly appointed elder of the Yin-Yang School's Wood Department had her red rope bell ring several times, presumably to urge him on.

According to the Moon Goddess, the position of Junior Master of Fate in the Yin-Yang School had been vacant for many years. When she came to Daze Mountain, the time was not yet ripe for the establishment of a new Junior Master of Fate, but now she has suddenly arrived at Daze Mountain.

The purpose was twofold: first, to deliver the props to Xiao Qian'er; and second, to fulfill the so-called order from the Eastern Emperor.

The Moon Goddess had hinted at this command a little while during her time at Mount Daze, but not much. The Moon Goddess intended for the new Junior Master of Fate to explain it to him in detail.

The incident dates back to the night before last when the Moon Goddess came to admire the moon, and the paints that Xiaoyan used for her painting.

At that time, the Moon Goddess confirmed that the pigment came from the hands of a disciple of the Yin-Yang School, and according to Ji Yan, the owner of the pigment was a merchant from Sanghai.

Upon returning to the Yin-Yang School, the Moon Goddess checked the roster of disciples but found no suspects. Another possibility immediately arose: the merchant who made the pigments was a traitor to the Yin-Yang School.

The atmosphere within the Yin-Yang School was indeed very oppressive for ordinary disciples, so it wasn't unexpected for traitors to escape. However, if this particular traitor was not only not hunted down but was still alive and well, even having the time to make pigments to sell in Daze Mountain, it could only mean one thing: this traitor hadn't yet reached the point of execution, and his death still had some value.

Very few candidates fit this description. Furthermore, the Moon Goddess suddenly remembered that when the Sun, Moon, and Star met in Chen Ying, Star Soul had mentioned "something interesting he encountered in the East." Therefore, she decisively sought him out to confirm her suspicions, and her ultimate target was indeed those two:

The former Shao Siming, black and white.

It was the defection of these two that left the position of Junior Master of Fate vacant for so long. It is not surprising that the two of them are now working for Prince Tian Jia of Qi.

The first thing to do after betraying the Yin-Yang School was to find a patron. Qi was the country farthest from Xianyang and far from war, making it the best candidate for a traitor.

Unfortunately, after Qi Gongzi Tianjia entrusted the two as talented individuals to Gongsun Tian'an, Tian'an then sent them to investigate the Mirage Shipyard.

This is practically prey delivered to their doorstep.

The shipyard's River God Mountain Spirit discovered that there was actually a user of Yin-Yang magic among the enemies. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the Myriad Leaves Flying Flower School, and the traitor's identity was immediately exposed.

Without the need for the Moon Goddess or Star Soul to inform on him, after Donghuang confirmed the former Shao Siming's identity from Hebo and Shan Gui, his need for the current Shao Siming naturally arose:

The Wood Department of the Yin-Yang School, which is under the jurisdiction of Shao Siming, is a department closely related to life. Disciples in the hall can use Yin-Yang techniques to make seeds sprout or even grow plants out of thin air, which is quite miraculous.

However, acquiring power always comes at a price: to gain life out of thin air, the user must lose their own life, exchanging soul for energy and life for life. This is the price that Shao Siming paid for gaining power.

The position of this ominous elder has changed hands very frequently, but due to the sudden betrayal of the previous Shao Siming, the vacancy period has been longer than the normal time when Shao Siming was in office.

Although the disciple that the Moon Goddess brought back from the Taoist school is an excellent candidate for the position of Shao Siming, if things proceed normally, it should take another year.

However, it's not impossible for the Moon Goddess, whose strength has improved rapidly compared to the original timeline, to force her to grow even faster.

The new Shao Siming was born ahead of time, and the Taoist spy who had infiltrated the sect was killed ahead of time: the new Shao Siming completed her last mission before becoming Shao Siming through killing, and she will also carry out her first mission after becoming Shao Siming through killing.

The Yin-Yang elimination principle of the new Shao Siming killing the former Shao Siming is the most important reason why Black and White were able to become traitors and still live to this day.

By killing her predecessor, Shao Siming's Myriad Leaves Flying Flowers Style can often achieve breakthroughs and gain deeper levels of power.

However, in the Moon Goddess's view, the Yin-Yang School can now complete its transformation in a way that is more in line with the 'Dao'. If Shao Siming, who exchanges soul for qi, can reverse yin and yang, and then exchange qi for soul to achieve a cycle, this is clearly the true orthodox path of the Yin-Yang School.

Coincidentally, her own Qian'er needed a trusted confidant to deliver the Dragon Pattern Jade, so having Shao Siming go was just a convenient matter.

Watching the girl with hair similar in color to the Moon Goddess arrange leaves in the air to form characters, roughly explaining the reason for her arrival and the Moon Goddess's instructions, Lord Xia Kui recalled the black and white chess academy he had found while tracking Tian An in Sanghai City:

The black and white plaque originally referred to the Black and White Lesser Master of Fate.

The purpose of the other party posing as a merchant to test the waters at Daze Mountain after already siding with Tian Jia is clear: the State of Qi is about to be destroyed, and these two traitors of the Yin-Yang School need a new backer.

Perhaps we could use this scheme to lure them to Daze Mountain and hand them over to the current Shao Siming for execution?

Chapter 280 Discovery of Yingbu

First, lead Shao Siming to the backyard to see Xiao Qian'er and teach her how to use the Dragon Pattern Jade.

As for Shao Siming's original mission, which was to go to Sanghai to pursue the Black and White factions, the Moon Goddess only sent her to Daze Mountain, so she naturally wouldn't make any other decisions, even though the mission was personally assigned by the sect leader, Donghuang.

The key to the first mission of every Junior Master of Fate is the breakthrough of the Myriad Leaves Flying Flower Flow. As long as this is achieved, the mission is successful.

Both her hair and eye color resembled the moon goddess. Even the banner on her back had a small moon decoration. Of course, a small sun hung symmetrically on the other side.

However, according to the Moon Goddess, the girl originally had blue hair when she was first brought back to the Yin-Yang School from Mount Taiyi. It was only through the secret cultivation method that her hair gradually became closer to the Moon Goddess's color.

The fact that she could cultivate a forcibly brought-back character into her trusted confidant suggests that, besides Yin-Yang magic, the Moon Goddess possesses other formidable practical methods. Lu Wei had already experienced this before, and now it only deepened his understanding of it.

The Daze Mountain is covered with lush trees, and the disciples of the Farmer's School are skilled at cultivating new varieties of plants. This environment is a fairly suitable place for Shao Siming to cultivate.

Xue Nu and Duanmu Rong were clearly jealous that Lu Wei had sent another girl into the backyard, and that the girl's color was so similar to that of the Moon Goddess. However, they did not show it. Instead, they smiled and found a house for the silent Shao Siming to settle in.

If Shao Siming's method of exchanging soul energy is only for replenishing the soul, it wouldn't be difficult for Lu Wei. However, considering that the symptoms of life force loss are very similar to those of Physician Nian Duan, he can use system-generated pills to compensate.

However, achieving the Yin-Yang cycle of exchanging Qi for the soul... that's a matter for another category.

This idea can be used as a test subject. If it succeeds, it can be applied to one's own martial arts, which would be a "blood-boosting" technique that can be used as a life-saving trump card.

Admittedly, given his status, strength, and future plans, it's unlikely anyone could drive Lu Wei to a dead end, but just in case~

For Lord Xia Kui, nothing is more important than his survival now.

However, this Shao Siming is a backup test subject. Before her, there was a black and a white sister.

The order was given to Ji Yan to try to contact the two sisters in Sanghai under the pretext of buying paint, as their backing had collapsed and their identities had been exposed while investigating the mirage, causing them to panic. After bringing them to Daze Mountain, the rest was naturally left to the care of Lord Xia Kui.

Within this mountain range alone, his orders were more effective than those of the King of Qin, who had become the ruler of the world after Qi surrendered!

A few days ago, after Wang Ben's army arrived at the city of Linzi, the city urgently conscripted soldiers and quickly gathered 100,000 troops to defend the city.

Lacking heavy siege equipment, Wang Ben could not possibly breach Linzi by force. However, with a single order from the King of Qi, the 100,000 Qi soldiers, relying on the city's fortified defenses, had no choice but to surrender to the mere 50,000 Qin troops, opening the city gates and letting Wang Ben into the city...

King Qi's desire to take a tough stance since the Qin-Chu War completely vanished after the Qin army besieged the city. He was cowardly his whole life, and retreat was always Tian Jian's first choice when facing difficulties.

After entering the city, Wang Ben first killed and then won, then imprisoned King Jian of Qi, practically trampling the dignity of the vast Qi state under his feet.

Although the King of Qin initially intended to award the credit for conquering Qi to Meng Tian of the Meng family, the credit ultimately fell into the hands of the Wang family!

Of the six states, all except the weakest, Han, were conquered by Wang Jian and his son Wang Ben. Such an achievement surpasses that of Bai Qi, who was once hailed as the strongest general!

King Jian of Qi witnessed his uncle being killed and himself being imprisoned. He was filled with extreme fear and thought that Qin was going to go back on its word. However, the King of Qin still valued his promise and indeed granted him a fiefdom of five hundred li.

However, that five hundred li of land was a pine and cypress forest.

There were no servants, no food, and no water.

King Jian of Qi, who thought he could survive by submitting and yielding, ultimately starved to death in the five hundred li of land granted to him by the King of Qin...

When Fu Nian of Xiaoshengxianzhuang heard about this, he stroked his Tai'a sword in silence for a long time. His resolve to remain in Sanghai and teach, rather than serve in the government, was completely solidified: the King of Qin was cruel, and he had used clever words to starve the King of Qi to death. He seemed to have kept his promise, but were the people of the world blind and deaf...?

After King Jian of Qi died, the other members of the Qi royal family scattered and fled. The Qi martial arts organization collapsed, with some joining the Luo Wang (a secret organization) and others escaping to the Jianghu (martial arts world).

Gongzi Jia and Gongsun An were listed as wanted criminals. They fled with only their closest confidants, while the other guests had to find their own way out.

Although the Black and White Shao Siming had long been prepared for the fall of the Qi Kingdom, their situation was far more dangerous than that of ordinary guests. Facing the constant pursuit of the Yin Yang School, they needed a new backer, just as Lu Wei had guessed.

Gongsun An did offer to take the two sisters with him when they fled, but the grandson of the King of Qi, who had lost his country, was of no value and was instead a burden. Therefore, the Black and White Sisters coldly refused and then looked around the world in bewilderment. The only places that were closest, most powerful, and likely to take them in were Daze Mountain and the Farmer's Family!

Just then, Ji Yan sent someone to their door to buy paint. The two sisters exchanged a glance and immediately realized this was an opportunity...

------

Ji Yan sent a disciple to inform Lu Wei, and then, accompanied by Mi Lian, Ji Yan met with Hei Bai Shao Siming, who was disguised as an ordinary traveling merchant.

The unique characteristic of the Lesser Master of Fate's role in exchanging soul energy means that the more times a cultivator uses their techniques, the weaker they become after reaching a certain limit, and the closer they are to death.

The black and white sisters have reached a stage of decline, with little life left.

They could easily deceive ordinary farm disciples using methods to conceal their presence, but it was impossible to deceive Ji Yan, who had cultivated the ability to read people's expressions.