Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 173

Given the secluded beauty of this place, Lu Wei could not possibly use it as a venue for other disciples' activities. He tacitly agreed to allocate the entire island to his own name, planning to retain only a portion of the traditional medical hall while building other areas in a style resembling the backyard of Daze Mountain.

Xiao Duanmu had no objection, but the construction of Yizhuang would not begin this year. Only after Jing County was largely completed would there be enough manpower to be sent to build this island in the middle of the lake.

This year, we can only squeeze in a few rooms, following the allocation scheme used for horse-drawn carriages on the way south.

As for the maids, they brought four from Daze Mountain. Lu Wei kindly gave up his room, and he was forced to squeeze into the other two rooms, leaving his room for the maids to squeeze into.

The journey from Daze Mountain to Mirror Lake was arduous, and Xue Nu felt as if she were back in the past, being dragged by Lu Wei on horseback from Handan to Jicheng. Sitting in the carriage for so long was just as unbearable. After listlessly landing on the small island of the Medical Manor, she didn't even have time to admire the clear lake water shimmering in the setting sun before Duanmu Rong pulled her into a room that had been quickly cleaned and tidied up to examine her pulse.

Overall, there was no major problem, but the fatigue needed to be relieved. Since Lu Ni needed to hold Qian'er and instruct the maids to clean the remaining rooms, Xiao Yan'er actively took the prescription from Sister Duanmu and carefully took the medicine from the prepared medicine box to brew it.

The head of the hall returned to Jing County on the shore. He ordered a table of light dishes to be delivered to the island later. Before the sun set, he urgently pulled Yan Shen and Amu aside to discuss the current situation in Jing County.

Of the three thousand peasant disciples in the heart of the city, the majority were from Zhao, and a smaller portion were from Qi and Yan. Their most direct difference from the absorbed Chu and Baiyue people lay in their culture. Due to various cultural barriers, Jing County's productivity, even with advanced technology and tools, was always limited.

Farmers are easy to manage, and it's not difficult to lure the Chu and Yue people who come to their aid by offering them food and a place to stay. However, to unite them together, it requires the Chu people to govern Chu and the Yue people to govern Yue.

Among the refugees from Chu and the Yue people, we should select representatives who are willing to cooperate and appropriately integrate them into the middle management of Jing County, so that they can take the initiative to accept each other.

The chivalrous Tian Guang once voluntarily served Changping Jun, the Right Chancellor of Qin, enabling the peasant clan to expand rapidly in the Central Plains over the past decade. Now, the Gonggong Hall, now a behemoth, wants to recruit people as lackeys in Jing County, and just as many will be willing to bark at its doorstep.

When dogs are judged not by their breed, but only by their social status.

When he was in a lowly position, Lu Wei could say that he had once been a dog for the Xu family of Jicheng.

Jing County was originally intended to be a secret base, but after Yan Shen came to inspect it, he believed that placing it on the official level as a county town would eliminate the need for secrecy.

Like Fan County, the territory of that Fan Jun, this place was too remote compared to Xianyang, and was also inhabited by Yue people. Even after Qin unified the country, it was unable to exert actual control over the area around Jinghu Lake.

For the sake of stability, Jing County, as long as it was willing to submit, could boldly use its official seal to expand its own power.

...

Jing County is in dire need of talent, especially talent like Xiao He.

Yan Shen, with his strong sense of righteousness as a farmer, directed his disciples and, following Lu Wei's advice, selected pragmatic locals, which allowed Jing County to develop somewhat, but this was already the result of his best efforts.

There was no way to make rapid progress in a short period of time. He had been studying military strategy and training troops in Daze Mountain for many years. When he came to Mirror Lake, he was only in charge of the disciples of the Farmer's Headquarters to reclaim wasteland.

Although the proposal to establish the county was a conclusion he reached after conducting research, who knew that making a proposal would immediately require him to take responsibility for it...

The head of the hall knew it would be difficult to transform Yan Shen from a military strategist into an administrative talent all at once, but there was really no one else available near Mirror Lake.

Amu's talents should be fully utilized in mechanical arts; he should not be distracted unless there is an emergency.

After reassuring Yan Shen to hold on a little longer and promising that a great talent would soon take over, Lu Wei spent the last few days playing on Mirror Lake with the girls...

When Xiao Yan'er left Daze Mountain, she released all the fish and crabs she had raised back into the mountain stream. After arriving at Mirror Lake, she decisively started raising even larger fish there...

Make friends by feeding the white cranes that occasionally linger in the medical village and the swans that sway on the lake!

These are all rare animals that cannot be found in Dazeshan or Jicheng.

The Snow Woman also loves these elegant birds; their movements can be incorporated into her dance. Although she can't dance yet, she can memorize them.

Lu Ni usually spends most of her time accompanying Duanmu Rong to collect and sort herbs, so it feels like she's going to have another daily skill.

Little Qian'er can now walk steadily on the grass of the medical estate. The maids take great care of this young master of Gonggong Hall, paying more attention to his safety than their own.

They were all daughters of concubines who were at least three-star stewards in the Gonggong Hall, so they naturally knew how taking care of the young master could help their families in the future.

After a few days of leisurely strolling around the medical village, important news arrived from the shore, causing Lu Wei to raise an eyebrow and, finding it intriguing, leave the medical village and return to Jing County:

Yan Shen's spies sent to Fanhu have returned...they were captured alive...

However, the local chieftain of Fanhu did not make things difficult for these people. After inquiring about their identities, he released the spies directly and even sent a merchant caravan to accompany them back to Jing County.

The envoy from the foreign kingdom hoped to have peaceful talks with the magistrate of Jing County so that the two sides could cooperate without conflict.

The Baiyue region was so vast that the two sides could divide up spheres of influence.

Yan Shen dared not make such a decision on his own. Even when Lü Qing encountered such a cooperation, he would immediately notify the Hall Master Lu to handle it personally while the Hall Master was in Daze Mountain.

Fanxian County showed friendliness, so Jingxian County naturally had to respond in kind.

Lu Wei indicated that he agreed and changed into a coarse linen outfit, attempting to disguise himself as Yan Shen's bodyguard and accompany him to meet the foreign envoy!

The meeting place was not in Jing County, but rather at the Jinghu Wharf, where tables and chairs were set up. They chatted while enjoying the cool lake breeze, which made the meeting even more elegant.

The representatives from Jing County consisted only of Yan Shen and the guard Lu Wei.

The representative from Fan County also only sent an envoy and one attendant.

The envoy from Fan County was very young, with a youthful face, probably no more than fifteen or sixteen years old. He introduced himself as the younger brother of the Fan County ruler, Wu Rui.

If the title "Fan Jun" is only vaguely familiar, then the name "King of Changsha Wu Rui" immediately brings everything back to mind!

This envoy is not the brother of the barbarian king; he is clearly the barbarian king himself!

If it is this person, it is not surprising that the "Fan Jun" was able to win the hearts of the people in the Baiyue region.

Wu Rui's ancestor was the son of King Fuchai of Wu. After the state of Wu was destroyed, he fled to the state of Chu. For seven generations, they were unknown in the historical records. However, in the generation of Wu Rui's father, Wu Shen, Wu Shen served as the Sima (military advisor) to King Kaolie of Chu for a period of time. Later, he offended the king by remonstrating and was demoted to Poyang.

Lu Wei did not know about his father's deeds, but he did know that when Wu Rui was only eighteen years old, he had more than 17,000 soldiers and private troops under his command, guarding the key passage from Poyang to the Baiyue region.

As a local strongman in Poyang, Wu Rui hid his troops among the people. After the Qin Dynasty unified China, the First Emperor established Fan County in Poyang Lake, and the young Wu Rui was unanimously elected by the locals as the magistrate of Fan County.

After the Chen Sheng and Wu Guang uprising, Wu Rui was the first Qin official to tear off his skin and join the rebel army. During the Chu-Han Contention, he joined Liu Bang's camp at the urging of Zhang Liang. He was the only one of the eight non-royal kings who founded the Western Han Dynasty who was not killed by Liu Bang and Empress Lü.

This is Wu Rui from history. In the context of Qin Shi Mingyue, this "Fan Jun" established Fan County with his subordinates five or six years earlier.

Returning to reality, the Hall Master watched as Wu Rui bowed respectfully to Yan Shen, and then, surprisingly, also bowed respectfully to him.

"If I'm not mistaken, this guard is the real magistrate of Jing County."

Young Wu Rui, with bright eyes, spoke confidently and eloquently:

“Jing County is truly a place of outstanding people and abundant resources, which is truly enviable. Both of you are first-rate talents, but in my opinion, this ‘guard’ is a level above you in terms of status!”

"It is said among the Baiyue people that the 'barbarian king' is no more than twenty years old, but looking at it today, he is clearly no more than fifteen years old."

Yan Shen opened his mouth but couldn't say anything. Lu Wei waved his hand, signaling him to step aside first. He smiled and sat down himself, while gesturing for Wu Rui to sit down as well: "Truly, heroes emerge from among the young."

"Our disguise in the first round was exposed, so it was a draw."

Wu Rui sat up straight, slightly surprised that her identity had been exposed, but what the hall master said next was even more surprising:

"No, he really is Yan Shen, the magistrate of Jing County, but I'm not his bodyguard. Only if you can guess my true identity can it be considered a draw."

A stronger wind picked up on Mirror Lake, creating waves that spread out towards the distant center of the lake, where the horizon was no longer visible...

Chapter 194 Joint Plot

Wu Rui is yet another child prodigy.

In his youth, he enjoyed reading military books. When he was around ten years old, facing the ever-changing political situation, he took the initiative to organize local militia to protect the local people and fight against vicious bandits without mercy, while treating peaceful refugees with kindness and hospitality.

Now, Fanxian has developed 5,000 elite soldiers. According to the historical process, Wu Rui's subordinates will expand to nearly 20,000 in two years. Including other laborers and civilians who cannot go to the battlefield, this man has almost single-handedly developed Gonggongtang from scratch.

Even if his father helped him to some extent, Wu Rui, who was not yet twenty years old, could still be called a young hero for achieving these things.

What is even more remarkable is that despite his great achievements at a young age, he remained humble and composed. During Wang Jian's campaign against Chu, he calmly listened to his mother's advice, hid his troops among the people, promoted agriculture and commerce, and established a solid base of popular support near Fanhu.

Wu Rui, Gan Luo, Zhang Liang, Li Zuoche, Xiao Yan'er, and the future Xiang Yu, Xiao Meng, and even the Moon Goddess who appeared behind Lu Wei when he was hanging lanterns in Ji City, were all geniuses who showed extraordinary talent from a young age. How many talented people there are in this chaotic world!

Perhaps in the eyes of the world, Lu Wei could be considered among these geniuses... but that's fine for fooling outsiders who don't know the truth. It's pointless to continue deceiving yourself after you've made a show of it to outsiders to gain fame. The Hall Master knows the truth, so it's pointless to keep deceiving yourself.

When Lu Wei said that Yan Shen was the real magistrate of Jing County, Wu Rui's shock was palpable. However, he quickly regained his composure, his gaze sweeping over the two representatives of Jing County, before he respectfully bowed again.

"This humble one is ignorant and could not guess your identity, sir. I have lost. May I ask how this sir should be addressed?"

Wu Rui knew that Jing County had official backing from the State of Chu, which made it superior to his own Fan County.

While this local ruler was able to make his territory thrive, he lacked understanding of the situation in the Central Plains, which is a limitation of a person's limited energy.

According to Wu Rui's natural assumption, if Yan Shen, as the county magistrate, was so respectful and obedient to this person, then this person must be a high-ranking official in the Chu state.

'And so young, could he be a member of the Xiang clan?'

Muttering to himself, he began to observe Lu Wei more closely out of the corner of his eye, trying to actively look for certain details.

At first glance, the muscle structure in this person's right hand... indicates a master swordsman!

"My lord, there's no need for such formalities. My surname is Lu."

He raised his hand to help Wu Rui up. Wu Rui's internal strength was not bad, but it was not outstanding. His future achievements in martial arts would only be average.

The surname Lu? It is likely mostly distributed in the Three Jin regions or the Qi region, and there are also some in the Chu region, but it is not a surname of high status and power.

"So it's Lord Lu." Wu Rui sensed the other party's profound inner strength and felt more and more that this person seemed more like a martial arts figure than someone who stood in the imperial court. However, he did not dwell on this for long. The reason he pretended to be an envoy to come to Jing County was ultimately for the sake of Jing County itself.

There are reasons why Lord Lu is unwilling to reveal his true colors for the time being. Asking too many questions would be pointless and impolite, and would affect the formal matters I need to discuss next.

"The young man has come to Jing County to discuss cooperation matters."

"At the same time, it is also to resolve the unintentional misunderstanding that broke out between the two sides of Baiyue."

Sitting upright, Wu Rui took a roll of cloth from the silent servant beside him, unfolded it, and laid it on the table, allowing the two people from Jing County to see the whole picture first.

This is a hydrological map of the Chu region, covering an area from the easternmost ocean to the western border between the Chu state and Bashu.

The map is brand new, it was just drawn, and from now on this map belongs to Jing County.

The most striking part of the map is the coastal Baiyue area: in addition to the large-scale regional divisions, there are also more detailed markings of individual small tribes.

The tribe's name is also listed under the name of its chieftain.

This indicates that the ruler of the Chu state had a very deep understanding of the Baiyue people. Even the Chu government did not send anyone to visit and investigate each of the Baiyue tribes.

"The Baiyue region is vast, and although its population is not as dense as that of the Central Plains, it is still large enough to support two counties." Wu Rui smiled and gestured on the map with his finger.

"The last conflict between the two counties on the Baiyue land was merely due to the failure of the two caravans to communicate amicably. Therefore, I have dismissed the head of the Fanxian caravan and will not employ him again. I have also brought all the profits from that caravan to Jingxian today as a gift to apologize. I wonder what Lord Lu thinks of this outcome?"

One cannot hit a smiling face, especially since Lu Wei had been plotting to use Wu Rui ever since he learned her identity. Wu Rui was highly respected among the Yue people and was now showing great friendliness, so Lu Wei couldn't remain silent.

"The chieftain is adept at managing his subordinates and impartial in his dealings." Meeting Wu Rui's gaze, the hall master spoke calmly, "I've heard that Fan County was built by the chieftain himself, yet it has never gained the court's approval, which is truly regrettable..."

"Thank you for your concern, Lord Lu!"

Wu Rui knew that Lu Wei's words meant the official seal of Fan County would likely arrive soon, so he stood up and bowed to him for the third time: a title is too important.

Although the State of Chu appears to be in dire straits, such a legitimate identity can be passed down to the next state as long as no one actively chooses to die.

The position of county magistrate is no small matter. Master Lu secured the position for Jing County because the Xiang clan had exchanged fine horses with Luqiu Pavilion in the past. This time, they want to secure another one. Although the Chu Kingdom doesn't need to contribute money or effort, only fame, Gonggong Hall will still have to pay a certain price.

Preparing for the threat of the Qin army is the most important thing for the State of Chu right now, and we can start from there.