Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 349

The revival of Korea is impossible, but some of the significance of quicksand can continue to be implemented in a new empire.

The strategists like Su Qin and Zhang Yi achieved their fame by leveraging the power of other states. The previous generation's Guiguzi once asserted that his senior brother Gai Nie and he himself were the two most talented individuals in the history of the Guigu School, yet the outcome...

But it doesn't matter, the two of them, who are not yet fifty, still have a chance. At this mature age, they are in a period where they can play a role in the court.

Wei Zhuang had to completely change his previous ways of doing things and learn to be patient; this was the new requirement he set for himself.

Upon arriving outside Xianyang City, a swordsman with a sword was waiting at the city gate.

"Senior brother..."

"His Highness Prince Qi believes that we should have something to talk about, so he specially sent me here to receive you."

With a calm expression, Gai Nie stepped aside to make way: "Please, it's been a long time since we sat down and had a drink together..."

Chapter 450 The Imperial Border Lies Beneath the Wings

Although there was no danger in Xianyang City, Chi Lian still turned around from time to time to look at the table in the center of the tavern.

When Bai Feng returned after escorting Zhao Tuo to Xianyang Palace, she smiled faintly and said nothing more.

“His Highness Prince Qi bestowed this tavern upon me, so there will be no outsiders to disturb us. Your men need not be so nervous.”

Gai Nie reached out and poured wine for himself and his junior brother. Wei Zhuang, sitting opposite him, was deeply surprised that he would drink wine on his own initiative.

As a sword saint, one needs to maintain a clear mind at all times; he did not recall his senior brother having a drinking habit.

"You've given up on the sense of crisis, but the quicksand hasn't."

Despite his words, Wei Zhuang took the wine cup and drank it down in one gulp without hesitation.

Gai Nie did the same, then continued to refill the two empty wine cups: "Xianyang doesn't need a sense of crisis now."

"The people of the world have been tense for too long. Even if they indulge themselves a little, there will be no punishment waiting for them."

"You have disappointed me..." Wei Zhuang said solemnly. He looked at the hand that should have been holding a sword but was now holding a wine pot, and a hint of anger rose in his heart. Suddenly, he picked up two chopsticks and tried to grab the handle of the pot and take it away.

Gai Nie was not surprised at all. With a slight turn of his right hand, he used the spout of the teapot to deflect his junior brother's probing attack.

'My senior brother's swordsmanship hasn't declined due to laxity; on the contrary, he's taken another step forward!'

After this simple move, there's no need for further probing.

"You don't seem as颓废 (颓废 is a difficult word to translate directly, but it implies a state of being listless, dispirited, or demoralized) as you appear."

“Xiao Zhuang, there is more than one way for people in the world.” Gai Nie shook his head and refuted his junior brother’s stubborn idea: “I thought that when you persuaded Zhao Tuo to surrender to the King of Qi, you had already seen through your obsession.”

“The reason why an obsession is an obsession is because it possesses an indomitable tenacity!” Wei Zhuang’s voice was deep but full of power: “Do you think your naive ideals have really come true? Lu Wei is not the righteous person that the people say he is.”

"But he will stop the 'children's crying' and wipe away the tears of all people." Wei Zhuang will not change his mind, and Gai Nie will not be swayed by his few words.

“These simple principles should not become a point of contention between us. Now we are both ministers of Qi, and we should consider more important matters.”

"What's coming later?" Wei Zhuang's lips curled up. "I will easily be ennobled based on my merits in the south, while you, who have been Lu Wei's lackey since the beginning, what will you gain?"

"That's right, I won't immediately achieve a status equal to yours, but as you pursue official rank, as long as you don't make mistakes, I will still become your rival."

Gai Nie calmly replied that his junior brother, Xiao Zhuang, had given up wandering the martial world in order to shine in the Qi court with the title of Marquis. As Xiao Zhuang progressed, Gai Nie would also have the opportunity to become his opponent.

Every school of thought in the Hundred Schools of Thought had a worldly perspective. Even the Taoist Tianzong, which claimed to be detached from worldly affairs, would obediently kneel before His Majesty the Emperor when he was given important positions in the imperial court.

The reason why the Qin state was not chosen before was partly because Qin's laws were tyrannical, and partly because Qin really did not leave any opportunities for the various schools of thought.

Any arm that might try to interfere in the Qin court was cut off by Chancellor Li Si, and the Legalists firmly held absolute power.

"Is this the order Lu Wei wanted you to convey?"

"His Highness Prince Qi usually doesn't explicitly state facts that are easily obvious."

Gai Nie raised his wine cup, calmly staring at his junior brother. Wei Zhuang, not to be outdone, met his gaze for a long time. Faced with Lu Wei's obvious move to counterbalance his opponent, he also raised his wine cup, and the two clinked glasses and drank...

One pot emptied, one jar emptied... When someone is determined to get drunk, they can definitely do it, even someone as skilled in internal energy as Guiguzi...

...

A vast map of the empire's territory covered half a palace wall. Lu Wei gazed at this enormous map left behind by Qin Shi Huang and was genuinely amazed by the surveying and drawing techniques employed.

The southernmost corner of the Baiyue region was clearly newly added. Although it was not complete, it left ample space for filling in details, to be carried out after it was conquered.

Now, it has become Lu Wei's task.

In this era, ruling such a territory was extremely difficult, as can be seen from the fact that the territory gradually becomes rougher the further away from Guanzhong on this map, a fact that even the most exquisite paintings cannot conceal.

It was too far for messages to travel from the empire's border regions back to Guanzhong.

Once an alarm was raised, local county officials lacked sufficient authority, and the capital city simply couldn't react in time: this was one of the factors that enabled the uprisings in the two counties and the Dazeshan Uprising to succeed.

Faced with this problem, enfeoffment is a viable solution. Instead of enfeoffment, Ying Zheng built a large number of roads to increase the speed of horse-drawn transport. However, in the world of Qin's Moon, Lu Wei has another solution: flying mechanical beasts.

Flying is far faster than running. The Mohist school's Vermilion Birds are limited by the school's size and cannot be mass-produced. However, if the power of an empire were utilized, and a large number of Vermilion Birds were deployed to every crucial point in the land, coupled with the Gongshu family's bat-winged mechanical beasts as support, the capital's control over the borders would rise several levels...

This is a considerable expense, but if it can be achieved, from now on the empire's borders will be determined by the limits of the empire's air force!

With such a distant goal, Lu Wei has ample time to achieve it.

Furthermore, with the foundation laid by the Vermilion Bird and the Bat-Winged Beasts, and in response to new demands, the Flying Beasts can achieve even further development.

Silently, he drew several circles on the map of the territory that were suitable for placing the Vermilion Bird. At this moment, the guard cautiously reported that Zhao Tuo had arrived.

Nodding, Lu Wei ordered Zhao Tuo to be brought to him and then headed south.

Lu Wei had relations with the Yue people in the Lingnan region, so he could subdue them in a more peaceful way. Almost all the stubborn Yue people in the Lingnan region who had already experienced a brutal war were dead, and those who were still alive would not be willing to fight another war with the new empire.

Therefore, he did not need Zhao Tuo to control Lingnan, but Zhao Tuo was, after all, the deputy general of the Qin Southern Army, and had outstanding personal abilities, and was at least a talent who could serve as a prefect.

He must be feeling terrified right now, which is a good opportunity for His Highness Prince Qi to talk to him, reassure him, and help him calm down.

As for Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang... they are disciples of Guigu, and although they may not be very useful in governing a country, they are still young.

At around forty years old, even without experience in governing a country, one still has thirty or forty years to learn gradually.

Therefore, Guiguzi and his companion are usable. As for how to use them, Lu Wei needs to train them slowly: their personalities are not 'lively' enough, but this is not necessarily a disadvantage.

The ministers in the court cannot always be of one mind; deliberately letting some outliers in can allow them to play a unique role.

Chapter 451 There are too many prime ministers

"Hey kid, hurry back to Xianyang. Why are you suddenly so depressed?"

Xiang Yu rode alongside Tianming and laughed, "Didn't you say you had memories of this place when you were in the Mechanized City?"

"Those are false memories given to me by the sealing spell. I was taken out of the palace right after I was born."

Tianming lowered his head, his months of battlefield experience had made him accustomed to the feeling of riding a horse: "The Lord Dongjun of the Yin-Yang School has told me a lot of things."

Although Xiang Yu contributed more and was more famous when facing the Qin army's Great Wall legion, Tianming's contribution was no less significant.

His Highness the King of Qi wanted to summon a group of soldiers from the Northern Army of Qi to participate in the Emperor's coronation ceremony at the beginning of the new year. Both of them were among the first batch of people to enter the court.

According to Xiang Yu's understanding, Tianming had always wanted to leave the Qi army and venture into the world after the fall of Qin, but he did not refuse the royal decree of the King of Qi. The reason could only be one person: Gai Nie.

After all, this was the reason why Tianming chose to leave Xiaoshengxianzhuang and join the army with him.

"Is that so..." Xiang Yu shifted his gaze from his companion's face, looking at the clouds on the horizon ahead, no longer feigning ease: "Actually, I know you're hiding a lot, but I will believe that all your choices come from your own heart!"

"Shaoyu..." Xiang Yu had already reverted to his own surname and had grown up, but the name 'Shaoyu' was still the only choice Tianming made when they were alone together.

He turned to look at his longtime friend and realized that although he was usually proud, he would show amazing patience and help when facing those close to him, especially after Xiang Liang and Fan Zeng had left.

If the two of them were still in the Mechanical City or even the Little Sage Village, he would definitely make a face and mock Shao Yu. However, now that they are no longer children, they can no longer hurt their friend's good intentions with their own whims and so-called jokes.

Therefore, Tianming nodded emphatically: "Thank you, don't worry. After being separated from Uncle for so long, I only want to ask him one question."

'Is it related to the surname...?' Xiang Yu felt a slight worry, but did not ask.

The "Jing" in Jing Tianming is the same as the "Jing" in Jing Ke. This fact became known to Tianming and Gao Yue after the Yin-Yang School's Dongjun broke the sealing spell on Tianming.

How Jing Ke died was no secret among the wandering knights of the land; it would be easy for Tianming to find out...

'Judging from the fact that this kid still calls Mr. Gai "Uncle," he probably won't go too crazy after getting the answer to his question personally from Mr. Gai.'

Xiang Yu comforted himself, just as he had said: he chose to trust his comrades and didn't want to bother Tianming any further on this matter...

Two young men in the prime of their lives, each with their own goals, approached Xianyang step by step.

...

“Since the time of Jiang Ziya, the core area of ​​the State of Qi has been the land of Qi and Lu. Now that Your Majesty wants to choose Guanzhong as the capital, the ministers in Linzi have been discussing it extensively.”

"But they still came here, didn't they?"

Lu Wei smiled and invited Fu Nian, who had traveled a long way, to play chess. The head of the Little Sage Manor dared not refuse, and after bowing respectfully, he asked His Highness Prince Qi to take the black pieces and make the first move.

Mr. Lu's chess skills have never been considered outstanding, but he has improved a lot over the years and is now at an above-average level.

Fu Nian is a master of Go. He usually plays against his second junior brother Yan Lu and his third master's disciple Fang at the same time in Xiaoshengxianzhuang. He is one of the world's top Go players.

With just a few simple moves, he discerned Prince Qi's true skill level and naturally decided to maintain a stalemate, making the game quite thrilling and exciting.

During the Qi army's westward expedition, Fu Nian assisted Chancellor Lü Qing in Linzi in managing the conquered territories. This was the first time he held a high position of power, and he performed reasonably well.

After all, Confucianism is a discipline that governs the country and manages the administration.

However, Fu Nian was used to managing his subordinates as strictly as he managed his students, so his reputation was mixed... The results from the Linzi intelligence agency were mixed.

However, Lu Wei knew that Fu Nian was a loyal and upright gentleman. Those shortcomings that belonged to 'strictness' were not shortcomings in the eyes of the monarch. It was precisely because of his reputation and efforts that the Linzi court did not make any major mistakes on the way to Guanzhong.

Moreover, because of his presence, some people dared not direct their anger at Lu Weishi, so they secretly cursed Fu Nian and the Confucianists as a way of venting their anger.

It can be said that Fu Nian helped to quell the resentment of many officials for the sake of King Qi.

“Traditionally, Linzi should have been the capital, but considering the stability of the empire, Guanzhong, where the Qin state had been diligently governing for generations, was the only option.” Fu Nian never cared about the insults others hurled at him. If he heard those insults to his face, he would definitely punish them, but if he didn’t hear them, he wouldn’t bother to find out who was dissatisfied with him.

Fu Nian specializes in the Holy King Sword Technique. His inner sainthood and outer kingship emphasize cultivating character internally and practicing the kingly way externally. The latter is a policy he could only implement after the peasant uprising, while the former has been ingrained in his bones over the past few decades.

“Xiaoshengxianzhuang has always respected tradition, but it is not just about tradition. The development of Confucianism in the past three hundred years has been the fastest among the various schools of thought. It will naturally obey the king’s command.”

"With our cooperation with Prime Minister Lü, those resentful ministers dare not disobey us."

Seeing Fu Nian's respectful and methodical reply, Lu Wei leisurely placed a piece on the board and gestured to the young eunuch serving beside him to pour him wine. The head of Xiaoshengxianzhuang dared not be presumptuous and raised his wine to express his gratitude in an orderly manner.

Such a virtuous minister is truly a prime minister, but he probably won't have the chance to become prime minister.

Among Lu Wei's ministers, Lü Qing, Fu Nian, and Xiao He were all pillars of the court and could serve as prime ministers. However, relatively speaking, Lü Qing was the most suitable to be the first prime minister of the empire. He had followed Lu Wei for more than 20 years and managed the Gonggong Hall for nearly 20 years. He was the first prime minister of the new Qi Kingdom and should also be the first prime minister of the Qi Dynasty. With such qualifications, no one would have any objection to his position.