Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 72

“I have a friend in the Qin state. He is of noble status and is the Right Chancellor of Qin, Lord Changping!”

Tian Guang leaned forward and took out another small piece of wood. This time, he carved a small figure with his knife—Prince Dan, who had met with Lu Wei...

Place the two figurines face to face on the table, with the dagger between them: "This Lord Changping has a plan that will affect the fate of the world, and many people will die in order to implement this plan."

"No matter what the situation in the world is, as long as the earth and all things are blessed and Shennong is alive, the agricultural family will never change." Lu Wei's heart skipped a beat. Was he going to be chosen by Tian Guang to be the successor of the agricultural family for that mysterious Azure Dragon Project?

“I agree with you on this point.” Tian Guang smiled, a sudden glint of ferocity flashing in his eyes. He gripped his dagger and slashed, decapitating both the 'Yan Dan' and 'Tian Guang' figurines.

"In that Lord Changping's calculations, both I and Prince Dan will face numerous crises, but the peasant family will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for development."

"So, the reason why the Farmer's Clan has been able to expand so smoothly in the six states all these years is because of that Lord Changping?"

“That’s right. If I hadn’t agreed to his request, you wouldn’t have had the chance to join Luqiu Pavilion in Jicheng.”

Tian Guang nodded, stood up, walked behind Lu Wei, and carefully looked at the map of Ji City, finding the location of the Crown Prince's residence marked on it:

"Over the years, I have been working tirelessly for Lord Changping. In return, the number of disciples of the Farmer's School has increased from 46,631 fifteen years ago to 95,999 today!"

"Once the first step of Changping-kun's plan is implemented, regardless of its success or failure, this number has the potential to increase by another 30,000!"

"Although we 'peasants' have never been valued by the leading figures of the Hundred Schools of Thought or by nobles, if we were to gather tens of thousands of disciples, who could say that the Farmer's School wouldn't become the leader of all schools?"

He turned around, placed his hand on Lu Wei's shoulder, and his voice echoed in the steward's ear:

"As the leader of the number one sect in the martial arts world, with your ambition, you certainly wouldn't let someone else succeed you, would you?"

------

Tian Guang left, but he didn't go far. He stayed in Jicheng, preparing to find an opportunity to contact Prince Dan.

Even knowing the future plot developments, Lu Wei couldn't fathom how much of what this old fox said to him was true and how much was false.

Unless, Chief Steward Lu personally goes to Qin to meet with Lord Changping.

But there was one thing that Tian Guang and he were both certain of: his own ambition for the position of the leader of the knights!

There's no denying that the other six hall masters, even Zhou He who is about to enter the Tomb of the Six Sages, all yearn for that identity.

With this foundation, Tian Guang was not worried that the farmhouse would fall into chaos while he was still alive.

As for what happens after he dies, that's a problem for the next leader of the knights.

During his tenure as the leader of the Heroic Sect, the number of Farmer disciples had already doubled. How could any infighting possibly halve the number of 100,000 Farmers again?

At the end of the conversation, Tian Guang asked Lu Wei to recruit more disciples of Luqiu Pavilion into the military and to gain control of the Yan army as much as possible.

At the same time, he also had to try his best to gain Yan Chunjun's trust so that he could eliminate this enemy of Yan Dan at the crucial moment when needed.

Finally, when Yan Dan gained power, the disciples of Luqiu Pavilion helped him mobilize the forces of the Yan Kingdom.

All of this was to ensure the implementation of Changping-kun's plan. As for more details about the plan, Tian Guang did not elaborate.

But the head steward had a guess:

From the demands Tian Guang made, he realized that the first step of the initial version of the Azure Dragon Plan was not to assassinate the Qin emperor at all, but rather to reorganize the Yan army and resist Qin by force.

Considering the direction taken by the State of Chu, the original form of the Azure Dragon Plan was most likely to involve cultivating rulers in the six states who hated Qin, in order to launch a campaign against Qin by the six states!

But if that's the case, what would have caused the plan to ultimately escalate into Jing Ke's assassination attempt on the King of Qin...?

A name surfaced in the chief steward's mind: Prince Yan Xi...

When Lu Wei met with Yan Dan last time, he said that Yan Chun Jun's power ultimately came from Yan Wang Xi. As long as Yan Wang Xi was still alive, Yan Dan's actions would not be able to be carried out without Yan Wang Xi's support.

No matter how wonderful the idea of ​​the six states resisting Qin by force may be, the King of Yan only needed a royal decree to strip Crown Prince Dan of all his power.

Thus, it is understandable that Yan Dan, having lost the power of the Yan state, could only launch an assassination attempt against the Qin emperor using the power of the Mohists.

"Furthermore, the Qin army was too strong, swiftly destroying Han and Zhao, leaving only four of the six states within a few years. This was also a significant reason for the failure of military resistance against Qin..."

Lu Wei carefully repaired the two 'figurines' left by Tian Guang with adhesive. His mind was working, and he decided to flexibly refuse to carry out the Xia Kui's request to assist Yan Dan in his mission.

This plan was destined to fail and be modified. Even if he, as a variable, were to succeed, what benefit would it bring to him?

It remains a country ruled by the powerful and wealthy, with bloodlines governing the nation.

The steward is only sixteen years old this year; time is on his side!

Chapter 94 Yin-Yang Witch Dance

Although they did not intend to carry out Tian Guang's mission, they could not do it in a clever way or openly expose their intentions.

Tian Guang was, after all, a chivalrous leader.

Lu Wei could carry out the task of killing Yan Chunjun. He estimated that once he took over as the head of the hall next June, the peasant disciples of Jicheng could retreat into Daze Mountain in batches. At that time, Yan Chunjun's life would be on its last legs.

However, Daze Mountain can only accommodate a limited number of disciples. The mountain range and surrounding towns are only so big. If too many people enter, the food supply will be insufficient.

At one of his disciple expansion meetings, Xia Kui set the upper limit for the number of disciples from the farming families in Daze Mountain at 100,000, averaging 17,000 per class.

The number of disciples in Gonggong Hall has already exceeded this number, and it will increase further once Qin unifies the country.

When the time comes, how to settle the disciples who exceed the limit needs to be handled properly.

The shelves in Luqiu Pavilion can still be reused...

While pondering, Lu Wei repaired the figurines and casually placed them on top of the bookshelf. Then, looking at the small sundial by the window and calculating the time, he went to the backyard to find Lu Ni and challenge her to a sword duel.

However, the location was not the backyard training ground, where there were too many disciples. For formal combat practice, Lu Wei found an empty warehouse.

An indoor environment like this is restrictive for his Flying Snow Lightness Skill, but since it's sword practice, he doesn't need too much space.

Lu Ni's swordsmanship is ruthless and insidious. It is a killing technique that she honed during her time as Jing Ni, and it is highly practical.

Lu Wei's Butterfly Swordplay and Maple Forest Swordplay, one showcasing skill and the other showcasing aura, are both sword techniques suitable for sparring on a proper dueling arena.

They are very powerful, but ultimately somewhat complex, and still leave some room for maneuver against the enemy in certain aspects.

Steward Lu attacked the opponent with the Jade Soul Sword, starting with the move "Flower Whiskers and Butterfly Strokes," the tip of the sword pointing erratically.

Lu Ni deftly deflected Yu Po with her sword, and Jing Ni's sword energy, like waves on the sea, blocked all his attacks layer by layer.

Compared to defense, Jing Ni's characteristics are more offensive. However, Lu Ni knew that she was no match for her opponent and that Jing Ni's sword was thin, so she did not seek to fight with the blade. Instead, she would seize every opportunity to strike from strange angles, and her sword moves were mainly thrusting.

The two exchanged blows for over a dozen rounds. Suddenly, Lu Ni's eyes sharpened, and she unexpectedly took the initiative to block Yu Po with her sword in reverse grip. At the same time, she suddenly pulled a pink slender blade from the hilt of Jing Ni sword with her other hand and slashed at half of Lu Wei's body.

The Jingni Sword is a mother-and-child sword, and the steward naturally knew that a child sword was hidden in the hilt, so he couldn't possibly be unprepared. Taking a step forward, Lu Wei raised his left hand, accurately grabbed Lu Ni's wrist, and flipped the child sword, turning the tip of the child sword to stab her back.

In terms of close combat skills alone, Lu Ni's level is extremely high. When faced with her master's overwhelming force, she loosened her grip on the Jingni Sub-Sword, causing it to fall straight down. Then, she raised her leg and used her knee to flick the sub-sword, which then pierced the opponent's thigh like a dart.

With just a slight grasp of the position of the sword as it falls, this strike can be aimed at the throat of the enemy in front of you.

Lu Wei remained calm and seized the opportunity when Lu Ni's strength was too biased towards the sub-sword. The sword energy of his right Jade Soul Sword vibrated, forcing Lu Ni's mother sword to retract. He then dodged to the side, avoiding the sub-sword 'dart' that had been released into the water. He grabbed Lu Ni's wrist with his left hand and pulled hard, using the reaction force to turn behind her. The Jade Soul Sword was now horizontally against Lu Ni's neck.

But between the jade-like skin and that delicate spot, the Jingni Sword stopped it from advancing further...

Given their skill level, this sword duel won't end so quickly...

------

After a short while, just as the head steward returned to the first floor of Luqiu Pavilion after the sword practice ended, a disciple in the hall hurriedly approached and respectfully presented him with a package.

The caravan that went to Qin has returned, and a friend of Lu Wei's in Qin asked the caravan to bring him a gift.

"My friends in Qin?"

With a carefree smile, he carried the package to the third floor of Luqiu Pavilion.

Having wandered the world for many years, the Grand Steward has visited the seven kingdoms, but he has not yet been to Qin and Han. He certainly does not have any friends in Qin, but he does have a friend who is currently in Qin.

Gao Jianli

During the journey from Zhao to Yan with Xue Nu, Lu Wei overheard the Mo family disciples discussing Gao Jianli's current situation. He learned that Gao Jianli had found Kuang Xiu, and the two of them had even repelled a pursuit together, making them famous throughout the martial arts world.

Unexpectedly, he received a message directly from Gao Jianli himself so quickly.

Unwrapping the light, black cloth bundle, the contents were laid out and immediately apparent:

There were only two pieces of cloth, covered with writing.

One of the cards is a letter from Gao Jianli, and the other is a musical score.

After Gao Jianli followed Lu Wei's advice and entered Qin territory, he immediately encountered two waves of assassins from the Luo Wang organization.

Then, before finding Kuang Xiu, he seemed to be destined to meet Jing Ke, who would draw his sword to help him.

The two were completely incompatible; one was aloof, the other lively.

However, they unexpectedly complemented each other. At this time, neither Jing Ke nor Gao Jianli were as famous as they would be in later generations. Jing Ke also knew some music, and when he learned that Gao Jianli was looking for Kuang Xiu, he decisively expressed his willingness to follow him.

He knew that Kuang Xiu was being hunted down by the Qin state, and it was precisely because he knew that he wanted to meddle in this matter.

Although the two didn't talk much along the way, their relationship progressed rapidly. Despite their vastly different appearances, Jing Ke and Gao Jianli shared a high degree of consistency in their principles.

At Jing Ke's suggestion, the two kept a close eye on the movements of the team tasked with capturing Kuang Xiu, and successfully rescued the world-renowned musician at a critical moment.

The rumor circulating in the martial arts world that "Gao Jianli and Kuang Xiu joined forces to fight against more than fifty Qin henchmen with music" refers to the time when they met. However, in reality, Jing Ke played a greater role in the encounter.

For some reason, Jing Ke was overlooked in the rumors.

Having found Kuang Xiu and temporarily escaped capture by the Qin army, Gao Jianli immediately explained his musical predicament to Kuang Xiu. Kuang Xiu was delighted to have suddenly found a kindred spirit, and even more delighted that this kindred spirit had such a unique understanding of music at such a young age.

With his help, Gao Jianli easily solved the problem that had been bothering him within a few months and smoothly completed the music he had created.

Along the way, at a country tavern, the three encountered the Luqiu Pavilion caravan. Gao Jianli was excited and immediately wrote a letter, attached his musical score, and entrusted it to be delivered to the steward to report on the current situation.

During his escape, Gao Jianli accidentally broke a string on his bell-shaped zither. He was filled with remorse and apologized to Lu Wei, vowing to repair the string with the most suitable material or he would die with his bell-shaped zither.

After flipping through Gao Jianli's letter as if reading a story, Lu Wei raised his eyes, looked out the window, and said in a loud voice, "Since the Moon Goddess has come, why not show herself?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a purple mist drifted into Lu Wei's room. The mist quickly thickened, and in the dim light, the figure of the Moon Goddess, whom he had seen outside Daze Mountain, appeared gracefully.

In terms of clothing, the Moon Goddess is similar to that time.

"Has Chief Steward Lu mastered the Five Virtues?"

As she took her first step, the sound of her crystal shoes, adorned with a golden, round moon, was somewhat similar to that of the Snow Woman's dancing clogs.

Having achieved some minor success, she wrapped the letter and sheet music again in black cloth and moved them aside: "Did the Moon Goddess come here today to give me something?"

"No." The Moon Goddess slowly shook her head, kneeling honestly in place. The long, flowing, sea-blue dress she wore stretched out on the floor, forming a full moon shape.

"I came to Yan State because of a friend from the Yin-Yang School. I accidentally discovered that the chief steward had returned to Ji City, so I came to pay him a visit."

"Since you, the steward, have mastered the Five Virtues, you must have a profound understanding of the Five Virtues theory of my Yin-Yang School."