Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 140

The high-pitched voice of the young eunuch reached Yan Dan's ears. Yan Dan nodded, and a moment later, Ju Wu, who had been appointed as the prime minister, walked in with a calm expression.

He knelt down and clasped his hands, saying, "Your Majesty, with the cooperation of General Yan and the military assistance of the Mohist disciples, we have now gained control of the army in Zhao."

"This is merely a temporary measure." Yan Dan gestured for the eunuch to offer his teacher a seat. "General Yan, can you launch an offensive and achieve victory in the near future?"

"Now, both the Yan army at the front and Jicheng need some good news to boost morale!"

Urgently urging the front lines to advance from the rear is a major military taboo, a lesson Yan Dan understood even when he was crown prince. But now, as the Queen of Yan, he vividly understands why such a simple principle has been repeatedly erroneous throughout history.

A victory, even a small one, is really important in a chaotic domestic situation.

Now the Yan state has two kings, and he must win a victory against Qin to encourage the people to recognize him as their king.

"Let General Yan consider the matter carefully. If it really doesn't work, prioritize consolidating the defenses."

In the end, Yan Dan still did not issue a firm order to attack.

"Yes, this old minister understands." Ju Wu then reported on the economic and civil affairs within their jurisdiction, which were all deeply rooted problems that were extremely difficult to solve.

Yan Dan rubbed his temples, discussing solutions with Ju Wu one by one. Although it was difficult, he had aspired since childhood to become a great King of Yan like King Zhao of Yan, and he had to do his utmost.

In the inner palace, Queen Yan Yun, her hands covered in blood, emerged from the underground passage. Wearing a phoenix crown, she immediately spotted the Yin-Yang Master, dressed as a palace maid, holding her daughter.

Both women were filled with venomous hatred. After spending some time together, they developed an absurd tacit understanding of each other's feelings.

Without a word, they automatically maintained the deal.

For Yan Fei, although her "good sister" Yue Shen hadn't come from Xianyang for some reason, with Yan Yun's help, the revenge could still proceed...

...

"asshole!"

Xiao Duanmu raised his hand and threw out three silver needles, which were inserted into the chest of the stubble-faced thief who was grinning and lunging at him, sealing his meridians and causing him to faint.

She stood in front of the two horses, protecting the carriage behind her, and warily watched the eight thieves who were closing in on her with their fine clothes.

Two people had already collapsed not far from her feet.

The thieves' appearances were completely mismatched with the fabric of their clothes; some of their clothes even had black bloodstains on the chest, making the fate of the original owners of those clothes self-evident.

The thieves did not all have the same weapons; three carried swords, two carried axes, and the remaining three carried farm tools.

They were all very thin, and even after years of being thieves, they still suffered from hunger, and their lives of robbing and plundering were always unstable.

"This little girl has such a fiery temper, hopefully she can keep it up for now."

The bandit leader, who was holding a sword, had a wicked glint in his eyes. He himself remained motionless, but viciously sent his men forward one by one to wear down the silver needles in Duanmu Rong's hand.

It's rare to encounter a woman with such delicate skin; I mustn't hurt her.

Wait until it's exhausted before you really have your fun with it.

Beads of sweat clung to his hair as he held the last six silver needles in his hands. His eyes sharpened, and instead of throwing them away, he charged forward to fight the thieves, using the needles as his melee weapons.

This is the third group of thieves they've encountered on this journey, and also the most dangerous one. Half an hour ago, Duanmu Rong had just subdued the second group of five thieves.

But in the end, these people were just ordinary farmers with no martial arts skills. Even though she was just a doctor who didn't focus on martial arts, she still had internal energy.

Even when facing multiple opponents, Xiao Duanmu skillfully maneuvers among the thieves, precisely inserting silver needles into their acupoints to render them incapable of fighting.

However, while the thieves could suffer some losses, Duanmu Rong could not afford any mistakes, otherwise...

"Hmm..." Xiao Duanmu's first target was naturally the more lethal enemy wielding a sword and axe.

However, in a moment of carelessness, she was hit hard on the back by a thief wielding a hoe, and then another thief wielding a long-handled farm tool took the opportunity to swing it at Duanmu Rong's knee.

With a grunt and a bite of his lip, before collapsing, Xiao Duanmu tossed out half of the silver needles he held, piercing the necks of three careless thieves...

With a roll, she dodged another thief's attack and stood up despite the pain.

She now has three silver needles left, and there are three thieves left, including the thief leader who is finally ready to make his move.

'I should make my move too, otherwise Nian Duan in the carriage will.'

The master and apprentice healers weren't at their wits' end yet, as most wild thieves were ultimately ordinary people. However, their current situation was sufficient; their true strength lay in the energy pills that kept Nian Duan alive.

Two thieves, one wielding an axe and the other a sword, charged towards Duanmu Rong. Just as Duanmu Rong and Nian Duan in the carriage were about to release their silver needles, a sword whistled through the air and flew over!

Without any suspense, the sword energy precisely sliced ​​open the throats of the two thieves.

"This is..." Staring at the ancient, broadsword with wave-like patterns stuck in the ground, Xiao Duanmu remembered that the sword's owner was...

"Hmph!" A cold snort accompanied by the sound of a long robe cutting through the air, Lu Wei's figure darted out from behind the carriage, passed by Duanmu Rong, took the Devouring Sea Sword from a distance, and lightly beheaded the stunned bandit leader.

Before the leader's head hit the ground, the hall master sheathed his sword and flashed to Xiao Duanmu's side, supporting her arm and helping her regain her balance.

"Miss Duanmu, how are your injuries?"

A calm voice reached her ears, and recognizing the person, Duanmu Rong finally felt relieved. Her tense nerves immediately relaxed, and her legs went weak...

------

After helping Xiao Duanmu onto the carriage, the hall master lifted the curtain and saw that Nian Duan was pretending to be unconscious.

After taking his pulse and examining his body, the physician had a general idea of ​​the condition: if he didn't strain himself, he could last for about four more months.

It's not too bad.

After channeling his internal energy into Nian Duan, he didn't take out the energy pills he had prepared beforehand, but calmly lowered the curtain.

Turning his head, Lu Wei saw Duanmu Rong blinking and staring at him. He understood immediately and chuckled softly.

"Miss Duanmu, please go into the carriage and rest. The rest of the journey can be left to me, Lu."

"Thank you, Senior Lu."

Xiao Duanmu lowered his head and entered the carriage.

But after a short while, she came out again.

He had changed into a new set of clothes, and his injuries had likely been treated with ointment; his mental state seemed much better.

"Why is Senior Lu here?"

Recalling her master's instructions to her before setting off into the Taihang Mountains, Duanmu Rong cautiously probed for Lu Tangzhu's hints as he focused on driving.

"I, Lu, specifically followed your carriage here."

Lu Wei's words startled Xiao Duanmu, but he continued, "I have been very worried about the safety of the two doctors ever since we parted ways in Handan, so I specially sent a disciple of the Farmer's School to impersonate a hunter and keep watch over them."

The head of the hall was very honest, confirming the guesses that the two doctors had already made: "When I learned this year that Physician Nian Duan was going to return to the old Wu-Yue region, I immediately had my disciples from the Farmer's School send a carriage in the hope of helping the physician. Moreover, in order not to break the physician's rules, I instructed my disciples not to give him anything for free, but to accept money!"

"The situation in Zhao is dire, and the two doctors may encounter danger traveling alone. Fortunately, I am in Zhao territory, so I plan to come and escort them."

"Fortunately, we arrived at just the right time."

Lu Wei was composed and upright, and Duanmu Rong had no doubts. She simply nodded gently and said, "It is indeed thanks to Senior Lu. I will remember your kindness."

While feigning unconsciousness inside the carriage, Nian Duan overheard the conversation outside and couldn't help but sigh inwardly:

"Rong'er ultimately doesn't understand the treacherous nature of people..."

Chapter 161 Nourishing Soup

Nian Duan had no objection to Lu Wei himself, or rather, she would not have any particular objection to any individual.

Moreover, just as Nian Duan himself said in Handan City: Master Lu is not a selfless person, but he has done many selfless things.

When making friends with people, judge them by their actions, not their intentions.

What truly troubled Nian Duanzhen was the innocence of his young disciple, Duanmu Rong, and how she could so easily believe the words of others.

Thinking of this, the old doctor slowly opened his eyes. Hearing the conversation outside the carriage turn to a discussion about his condition, he hesitated for a moment before silently leaning back into the carriage.

Master Lu of the Farmer's Clan must have come here with premeditation, but on the bright side, there's really no need to worry too much about safety along the way.

I'll repay this debt of gratitude once we reach Mirror Lake Medical Clinic...

Nian Duan closed her eyes, and when she regained consciousness, the carriage had already passed Daliang City.

She fell into a coma again, and this time it lasted much longer than the last time!

But this is not a bad thing.

Instead, Lu Wei's infusion of the Rejuvenation Technique's internal energy into Nian Duan's body automatically alleviated some of her symptoms, and her unconsciousness was a form of self-protection by her body.

Nian Duan will be able to maintain his energy for a long time during the rest of the journey.

"Master, you're awake!"

After exclaiming in surprise, Xiao Duanmu hurriedly lifted the thick cloth he was holding, revealing an exquisite food box inside, where the medicinal soup was still piping hot.

"Brother Lu judged that you would wake up around this time today, so he asked me to prepare a mild medicinal porridge."

"Is Doctor Nian Duan awake?"

Lu Wei's calm voice came from outside the carriage at just the right time: "I remember we will pass through a small town on this road. We will rest for a day at an inn in the town after we arrive."

"Hmm." Seeing that Nian Duan's movements with the spoon were steady and his expression was normal, Duanmu Rong lifted the curtain slightly and peeked out: "Brother Lu, you can arrange it."

Judging from the intensity of the sunlight shining through the small opening, it is noon.

"Master, what happened is..."

From Duanmu Rong's perspective, her master had already fainted before Brother Lu arrived, so he certainly didn't know much about the situation. Therefore, she carefully and quietly recounted everything that had happened in the past few days.

After Nian Duan listened calmly, the carriage arrived at the small town that the hall master had mentioned.

After getting off the car and thanking Lu Wei, the two exchanged a few words and then Duanmu Rong helped her into the inn to rest.

After the physician and his apprentice left, Master Lu's smile faded, and he turned and headed directly towards the teahouse opposite the inn.

As for the carriage, the waiter will arrange it properly, so there's no need to worry about it being stolen.

After all, this entire town is owned by the Gonggongtang Farmhouse!

"Master!" "Brother Lu!"

On the third floor of the teahouse, Lu Wei met Li Shang and Lu Yu:

"This is the new headquarters of Wei that you have chosen?"

Naturally, he sat in the main seat, and the hall master pressed his palm to signal the two of them to sit down as well.

“Yes,” Li Shang replied. Li Shang and A Yu had different areas of responsibility, and this kind of matter was reported by him, a local of Wei: “As instructed by the hall master, most of the peasant disciples in Daliang City were to be withdrawn. Therefore, after careful discussion and investigation, we chose this town.”