Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 294

After a silence of about ten breaths, Ying Zheng turned to look at the eunuch huddled together and asked indifferently.

"Yes, according to Lord Zhao Gao's investigation, the wolf tribes are gathering, and the number of wolf cavalry heading south is no less than 50,000." Suppressing the tremor in his voice, the eunuch tried his best to speak naturally: His Majesty the Emperor dislikes servants who are too timid when answering questions.

Therefore, despite being terrified, he did not pause between each sentence he uttered.

It's not that difficult to do this: after all, those who can't do this won't have the opportunity to be by His Majesty's side and be responsible for reporting intelligence from all over the country.

"Is the progress on the Baiyue Tu Sui still slow?" The emperor's voice grew even more serious.

"Yes," the eunuch answered instinctively, even though he knew this answer would only provoke more of the emperor's anger: "Tu Sui requests Your Majesty to send more reinforcements..."

The Baiyue tribes in the south, the wolf tribes in the north, and the rebels in the east—all three faced troubles simultaneously, which Ying Zheng believed was no coincidence.

Those rebels were easily crushed by the Qin Dynasty in the Mechanized City last year, but they have resurfaced so quickly in Sanghai this year. There must be someone assisting them behind the scenes.

There was also the wolf clan. For many years, the wolf clan had been a collective name for scattered tribes, but in recent years they had united and posed a threat to the Qin Dynasty. Ying Zheng's keen intuition made him certain that there was a force stirring things up behind the scenes.

The war between the Baiyue people not only dragged on for a long time but also became increasingly difficult. Was there some force helping the Yue people?

When these events came together, Ying Zheng saw them as pointing directly to the mirage, and to his own immortality.

Those remnants of the six states who harbored ambitions for the Qin dynasty, the various schools of thought, and even those vying for power within the empire, had already become entangled together.

The things they least want to see are precisely the things they fear!

Thinking of this, Ying Zheng put down the intelligence report in his hand: "What were the results of the mirage's trial voyage?"

"Everything is going smoothly. The Gongshu family believes that the minor issues with the power system will not affect the final departure. The Prime Minister has mobilized sufficient resources to ensure that everything on the Mirage is well-supplied at the time of departure. Lord Yunzhong has also set off with the boys and girls. The Mirage's departure is just waiting for the right time."

"Mobilize military provisions to Jiuyuan and Yunzhong counties, recall Meng Tian and the Golden Fire Cavalry, and order him to launch a preemptive strike against the Wolf Clan." Upon learning of the overall situation, Ying Zheng quickly made arrangements item by item: "Issue another order to reprimand Tu Sui, instructing him to accelerate the advance into Yue territory at all costs."

"As for Sanghai, the eastern tour is scheduled to begin ahead of schedule, immediately!"

...

"Zhang Han is dead, and even you can't sit still anymore?"

Lu Wei looked at the young man in front of him with amusement, speaking in a very friendly manner.

The martial law in Sanghai was not extended because of Zhang Han's incident, and the news of the death of this Shadow Guard leader was not widely announced, so little was known about it in the martial arts world.

Therefore, after Prince Fusu survived the assassination attempt unharmed, the benevolent ruler quickly lifted martial law.

However, the timing of this lifting of restrictions coincided with the time when Zhao Gao of the Luo Wang organization took over. Clearly, the empire's rigorous investigation had been moved underground, and the apparent relaxation of controls was intended to allow the rebels to come out on their own.

Five years later, Lu Wei was no longer afraid of the Six Sword Slaves, but there was nothing to do when he went out, so he simply continued to cultivate new interests at the stronghold to keep his mood cheerful.

This morning, Prince Fusu made a grand visit to Xiaoshengxianzhuang. Almost all of the imperial forces were gathered on the mountain. Lu Wei did not join the commotion, but waited for an old acquaintance at the stronghold.

"The leader is indeed a master strategist. I have concealed my identity very well, but I still cannot hide it from him."

Han Xin, who usually carried a gray hemp bundle and held the Hidden Dragon Sword horizontally, gave a wry smile, looking like he was trying hard to cheer himself up.

“Imperial spies infiltrated Daze Mountain. According to the usual practice of farmers, they are usually allowed to die accidentally. But you owe me a favor, so I will spare your life until you repay it.”

With his legs crossed, Lu Wei moved the chair next to him behind Han Xin from a distance, inviting him to sit down before joking with a smile.

"Thank you for sparing my life, Chief Hero." Han Xin clasped his hands in thanks, offering no rebuttal to Lu Wei's words.

"It's nothing. This is the second favor you owe me. Just remember it." Lu Weiyun accepted Han Xin's bow with a nonchalant air.

"Then I have already incurred the debt of gratitude to the three chief knights, and from now on I can only repay it with my life."

Han Xin forced a smile and, before the chivalrous leader could ask, said, "The chivalrous leader transferred me to study under Zhao Wu'an Jun Li Mu. There is no way in the world I can repay this kindness."

After Han Xin infiltrated the Dazeshan Mountain in the countryside and was discovered by Lu Wei, he quickly came down and assigned the task to Li Mu.

Li Mu's identity was very special and hidden among the farmers, but Han Xin was clever and could guess his true identity from various clues after only a few days of contact, and at the same time he realized that his own identity had been exposed.

This could have had very dangerous consequences, but he did not choose to evacuate; instead, he resolutely stayed.

Han Xin's greatest expertise lay in military strategy. Theoretically, he was confident that although he was still young, he already had few rivals, so there was no need for him to seek out a teacher.

But when Li Mu was in front of him, he realized that he had new room for improvement.

In terms of both theory and practical experience, Zhao Wu'an Jun, who is over sixty years old at this moment, is superior to Han Xin. Under Li Mu's command, he can realize his potential in a leap forward.

However, this wasn't the most important thing. What truly convinced Han Xin to stay with the peasants was that he witnessed, while following Li Mu, the deeply hidden rebellion preparations in the Daze Mountains...

This is not hard to understand: the fact that the farmers took in Li Mu means that they had been plotting a rebellion for at least more than ten years. The key question is how far this rebellion has progressed.

Han Xin knew very well that once he was sent to Li Mu's side, the possibility of him leaving was already slim. Staying for even one more day would increase his chances of escaping, and once he saw those secret objects, he would be completely bound to them.

But he didn't reject these things. Han Xin wanted to stand out and achieve lasting fame, and the Farmer's School was now a platform that had developed to a sufficient level, a platform that was welcoming him...

Refusing would mean losing this opportunity completely... not to mention, it would mean losing your life immediately. The choice is obvious.

When news of Zhang Han's death reached Daze Mountain, Li Mu made no attempt to conceal the information from Han Xin, who immediately went to Sanghai.

Although Lu Wei likely already knew that Han Xin was a Shadow Guard, Han Xin still needed to explain it to Lu Wei in person:

“My identity as a Shadow Guard was obtained through Zhang Han’s invitation. He mentored me extensively, but now that he is dead, my backer in the Shadow Guard has disappeared.”

"However, the advantage is that I am no longer burdened and can concentrate on working for Xia Kui."

"Besides having a little talent in military strategy, I am also quite good at intelligence gathering. Given the current situation in Sanghai, I should be able to provide more assistance to Xia Kui."

After making his choice, Han Xin immediately became more candid.

"What do you think is the key to Sanghai right now?" Lu Wei asked calmly, observing this future military genius with a smile.

"...It's not that large ship at sea, nor the emperor who will arrive in the future. I think the key lies in our farmers' plan."

Chapter 353 Seeing Xiaomeng Again

The Mo family's strongholds on the surface of the Sanghai Mountains have been wiped out, and the remaining members have been forced to hide underground.

Since the ordinary disciples of the Mohist school and the soldiers of the Xiang clan's Tenglong Legion were almost completely wiped out in the battle at the shipyard, the underground space was spacious enough and they had enough supplies to last... I wonder if this can be considered a stroke of luck amidst misfortune...

The atmosphere underground must have been incredibly somber after the deaths of so many of her companions. Shi Lan and the five remaining members of her clan, being outsiders, felt out of place in this environment, and she didn't even think about how to integrate. The unnecessary deaths and injuries at Shu Mountain filled Shi Lan with self-blame.

Although the mission of Shushan was to contact and join the anti-Qin alliance, it seems that the alliance is now powerless, and Shushan's mission has automatically failed.

This failure made her realize even more clearly that the only things Shushan could rely on now were the farmers and that chivalrous leader.

Once the Qin army's search and capture efforts ease up, we need to find a way to leave this place...

"This failure was because the Qin state knew about our plan beforehand, and there were spies among us who are still alive."

Meanwhile, in the underground conference room, Gao Jianli gathered several of his most trusted allies to discuss the awkward situation.

“If that were the case, the Qin army would have discovered this place long ago.” Fan Zeng did not participate in the actual operation that night due to his age; otherwise, he certainly would not have been able to escape.

"Compared to catching the traitor, we should be more concerned about the fact that the reason our troops are not yet scattered is because the Qin army is pressing us very hard."

"Once the Qin army retreats, I'm afraid Liu Sha and Shu Shan will leave as well."

The issue is now being addressed, so Fan Zeng's remarks were ruthless, directly exposing the stark reality.

The Mohist school lost its lineage of disciples, thus losing its status as one of the Hundred Schools of Thought. Similarly, the Xiang clan, having lost its soldiers, could no longer be considered nobles.

The two companies invested the most in the shipyard prison and also suffered the greatest losses.

"..." Gao Jianli couldn't refute it. He hadn't considered Fan Zeng's perspective. Gao Jianli felt a heavy weight in his heart, realizing that despite being the Grand Master, he could no longer lead the troops; his abilities were truly insufficient...

'The Mohists... no, perhaps I can still find a last resort for the Mohists...'

"We might have another chance."

While Gao Jianli was feeling depressed, Dao Zhi, who was leaning against the door of the conference room, crossed his arms and struggled to speak.

"What do you mean by the brothers Dao Zhi?" Fan Zeng asked, puzzled.

"I'm sorry, but I actually received some news when I went out to investigate yesterday, but I deliberately didn't tell you." Dao Zhi shrugged, his forced chuckle adding, "Because I was hesitant; this news could lead us to utter ruin."

"What is it?" Gao Jianli believed that his biggest weakness was not knowing what to do. If he could have a direction to take, at least his mind wouldn't be completely blank.

“A friend from the Hundred Schools of Thought told me that Ying Zheng is likely to arrive in Sanghai in the next few months,” Dao Zhi joked. “If we use this information to carry out the Azure Dragon Plan, we should be able to reunite everyone.”

"However, the cost is that we could all die because of this plan."

"What is the identity of this friend of the Hundred Schools of Thought?" Gao Jianli frowned, asking about a premise he was more concerned about.

"She wouldn't let me say it, and she even used one of my weaknesses as leverage against me." Dao Zhi stroked his chin and chuckled wickedly. "But I'm never afraid of threats, so now that I've decided to reveal this information, I naturally won't hide anything anymore."

"It's Ji Yan, the head of the Four Mountains of the Farmhouse who once appeared in the Mechanical City."

“The peasants… how could they possibly know this information? It must be highly credible…” Gao Jianli had no more doubts. Now, he was concerned with whether or not to seize this opportunity to assassinate Ying Zheng.

If it were the old him, he would never have hesitated on this matter: assassinating a tyrant is a duty he cannot shirk.

But as the leader of the Mohist school, should the Mohist school's legacy really be placed entirely on this assassination attempt?

Unlike before, the Mohists now have to exert all their strength to carry out an assassination, and even if they succeed, the fruits of their success may be reaped by others... such as the Farmers.

This is something that farmers have always done.

"We need to discuss this matter with more allies," Fan Zeng said, stroking his beard. He was quite inclined to agree with this decision...

...

Despite his composure, Xiaoyaozi reunited with Chisongzi and Tianguang at Sanghai Waterfall. There was no time to analyze the failure, and he had to immediately begin working on the next plan.

He was in a hurry; Zhao Gao was coming.

His exposure in the shipyard prison meant that his position as the leader of the Renzong sect was likely to be removed by the sect under pressure from the Qin army. He had to give Zhao Gao an explanation for this breach of his authority.

The Mohist Azure Dragon Plan might be a valid reason, but it's not sufficient.

In addition, Lu Wei and Xiao Meng already know about Chi Songzi's faked death, but these two potential threats are beyond his ability to eliminate, so he needs to take the initiative to cooperate with them.

As for Lu Wei, things are relatively easy. This leader of the Farmer's Clan is not an obedient person. They can make a deal, and with Tian Guang around, there's a high probability that he won't expose the matter of Chisongzi.

But Xiaomeng couldn't say for sure: judging from her personality, this genius of the Taoist Heavenly Sect shouldn't be involved with the Luo Net, nor is she a loyal dog of the Qin State. But she is uncontrollable, and anything is possible, which is the most worrying thing.

Once Chishongzi's feigned death is exposed, his plan will be discovered by the Luo Wang organization immediately, and then he will truly have nothing left.

Xiaoyaozi originally disliked the skin of Yanri, but it was actually quite useful.

"I'll go talk to my junior sister." After Xiaoyaozi expressed his concerns, the honest Chisongzi volunteered, "Although I am not familiar with Junior Sister Xiaomeng, I think her Dao has not reached the point of completely forgetting emotions."

"If we explain to her the impact of this matter on the Heavenly Sect, Junior Sister Xiaomeng might still join us."

"I'm sorry to trouble you, Senior Brother." Xiaoyaozi nodded and raised his hand to show off the Snow Clearing Sword: "I am no longer worthy of possessing this Snow Clearing Sword. Please help me give it to Junior Sister Xiaomeng. The Daoist tradition should not be cut off in our hands."

"Well, that's fine then." Chishongzi did not refuse, and after receiving Xueji, he gracefully left and entered the city.