Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 227

Hua Ying had reported the matter of Zui Meng Lou to the Zhu family a few days earlier, and the details were even reenacted in Shennong Hall. When the Zhu family learned of this news, their first suspicion was actually that of Gonggong Hall.

The reason wasn't that it was targeting Lu, but rather that, considering the location of Licheng and Dazeshan, Gonggongtang was the most capable of accomplishing all of this.

However, Gonggongtang had no reason to do so, and even if they did, the Zhu family would have no way to get the person back.

Therefore, the possibility of Gonggong Hall could be ruled out first before a covert investigation was conducted. The investigation focused on the young son of a local wealthy merchant the day before Mi Lian disappeared: this person was the first to mention the identity of 'Lianyi' in public, which led to Hua Ying having to comply with the other party when the boy acted the next day.

However, the wealthy businessman moved away with his entire family on the very day Mi Lian disappeared, and their whereabouts could not be traced.

All of this undoubtedly demonstrates that this kidnapping was a planned act by a large organization...

Suspicion naturally shifted back to Gonggongtang.

Zhu Jia had no other choice at this point. Out of a sense of responsibility to King Xiong Qi of Chu, he had no choice but to go to Gonggong Hall in hopes of getting a response.

Now that Lu Wei has directly admitted that Gonggongtang knew about this, he has thrown the problem back to the Zhu family.

“Each hall has its own area of ​​expertise. The Shennong Hall’s understanding of the turmoil in Licheng is far inferior to that of the Gonggong Hall.” Zhu Jia stroked his beard, his tone bitter. “Since Brother Lu knows that it was the Shennong Hall that brought the King of Chu’s daughter to Licheng, and also knows about this disappearance case, you should… have investigated this case, right?”

“We did investigate, and like Brother Zhu, we searched that local wealthy family, but we found no clues. All we know is that the family left in the direction of Qin.” The hall master shook his head, his tone frank: “This lead is not viable. If Brother Zhu really wants to investigate further, I’m afraid he’ll have to send someone to Qin.”

"Is that so..." Zhu Jia sighed, "Brother, I understand."

Lu Wei's attitude could be interpreted as sincerity or as arrogance. Zhu Jia understood that regardless of the interpretation, he couldn't obtain any more clues from Gonggong Hall, so he had to skip the topic and return to the war situation in Chu:

"The situation in Chu is very unfavorable. After Qin destroys Chu, its next plan is likely to be to attack Qi. We farmers have been avoiding this for so long, but we still have to face Qin head-on. Brother Lu, have you thought about how you plan to deal with this?"

"No matter what, the Farmer School is still a member of the Hundred Schools of Thought, and unlike the Mohists, it has never interfered in the affairs of various states. Even the Qin state would not attack Daze Mountain without a reason."

“Brother Lu’s thinking is understandable, but there are still hidden dangers with the Tian family.” The Tian family that Zhu Jia was referring to could be the peasant Tian family or the royal Tian family of Qi, or it could be both.

“Brother Zhu and Tian Meng have been getting very close lately, so he should know that Tian Meng is not Tian Hu after all,” Lu Wei replied calmly.

The Zhu family was still testing the waters. This old fox would always try to probe repeatedly with words when he couldn't fully control the situation.

The Master has experienced this steady and reliable personality many times over the past ten years, and he handles it with ease.

Even the most cunning old foxes still have their bottom lines. Take Tian Guang and the Zhu family, for example. As long as Master Lu grasps their bottom lines, he can always do whatever he wants.

...

Less than half a month after the Shennong Hall Master's visit, news from the battlefield of Guangling City arrived by express courier: after a arduous retreat from Chenying to Guangling, the State of Chu had finally perished.

The Qin state launched a general offensive from multiple directions. General Xiang Yan, surrounded, committed suicide. Two days later, even the dilapidated city of Guangling could not hold out, and King Xiong Qi of Chu made the same choice as Xiang Yan on the city walls...

After the Qin army entered the city, another Chu king, Fu Chu, was still alive. During the attack on Guangling, Fu Chu was always used as a tool to demoralize the Chu army and was placed in the Qin army camp.

But after Xiong Qi and Xiang Yan died, his value vanished, and he could only kneel before King Ying Zheng of Qin, be reprimanded for many crimes, and then be demoted to a commoner.

Although the State of Chu was destroyed, some counties in the south still did not submit. Apart from the Dong'ou, none of the Baiyue tribes had submitted. Wang Jian still had to continue fighting in the Chu territory to quell any forces that dared to resist.

Ying Zheng was very satisfied with the fact that King Ouyang Yao of Dong'ou had taken the initiative to surrender and relinquish his title of king. He agreed to demote him to a ruler, and allowed him to make his own decisions on all matters concerning Dong'ou and the appointment of officials, as the place was too remote.

Because of the submission of the Dong'ou, the other Baiyue people became particularly rebellious. The King of Qin intended to bring all the Baiyue people under the direct rule of Qin, but he could only do so after the six states were completely destroyed.

In the present world, besides Qi, there is also Dai and Yan in Liaodong.

These two countries could easily wipe out Chu with a small force of 50,000 men. The losses to Qin in the war against Chu cannot be ignored. Let's use these two countries as our new achievements next year.

The intelligence report submitted to Lu Wei did not mention Ying Zheng's plans, but it did mention that the Mohists blatantly reappeared when the Chu army retreated.

Several leaders and a new Grand Master of the Mohist school appeared and rescued a remnant of the Chu army from the Meng family's Golden Fire Cavalry.

This remnant force was the last hope of the Chu state. While the Mohist school's actions won the Chu people great favor, they also made the King of Qin remember the names of all the various schools of thought once again...

Chapter 257 The Fate of the Five Royal Families

"Master, the State of Chu has also fallen. Shall we go to the State of Qi next?"

Sitting atop the mechanical Vermilion Bird, Big Iron Hammer asked in a muffled voice.

His size was too large, but Master Ban and Dao Zhi had gone to direct their disciples to hide the white tiger that had been transported to Chu. Only the Grand Master, Gao Jianli, and he rode the Vermilion Bird, which was barely enough for them.

As a former general of the Yan state, Da Tiechui was trusted by many for his anti-Qin stance, but from the perspective of using people for their own purposes, he was not involved in certain confidential matters at the meeting.

Therefore, although the Great Hammer knew that the Grand Master and King Xiong Qi of Chu had a secret discussion, he did not know the specific content of the discussion.

“No,” Gao Jianli glanced at the silent leader, and knowing the truth, he took the initiative to explain to his companion, “Let’s go back to the Mechanical City.”

"Go back?" Big Hammer was stunned, then turned to look at the Grand Master: "What about the anti-Qin plan?"

"Now that the enemy is strong and we are weak, the anti-Qin plan can no longer be carried out openly. We need to secretly contact the various schools of thought." The black-clad leader, manipulating the Vermilion Bird, took over the topic in a deep voice: "We have a new Azure Dragon Plan with the King of Chu."

"What is it?" Big Hammer asked with concern. He was just that kind of straightforward person, and that was why there were some things that shouldn't be known to him.

Having just suffered another crushing defeat against Qin, and whether answering the Great Hammer or speaking to himself, Yan Dan, concealing his identity, gathered his thoughts and said, "The fight against Qin still needs more like-minded allies. We should retreat into the shadows, just as the King of Chu did when he was still Lord Changping, and slowly accumulate strength."

“The various schools of thought, the exiled nobles of the six states, and even discontented voices within Qin can all become our friends.”

"Then, most importantly: launch another assassination attempt on the King of Qin!"

"Another assassination attempt on Qin? But we no longer have an excuse to get close to Ying Zheng." Big Hammer scratched his bald head in distress: "Even the great hero Jing Ke's Five-Step Kill couldn't kill that guy Ying Zheng, so it's unlikely that the assassination will succeed, right?"

“If he hides in Xianyang, we will indeed be unable to assassinate Qin again, but…” Gao Jianli said coldly, “Ying Zheng came out after destroying Zhao last time and Chu this time, and he may come out again in the future.”

"As long as Ying Zheng leaves Xianyang, we'll have a chance!" Yan Dan's movements as he manipulated the Vermilion Bird were a little too forceful: "We'll use the Azure Dragon!"

"Project Azure Dragon?"

"Mechanical Azure Dragon!"

The Mohist school's policy of non-aggression was now equated with anti-Qin. After several failures, Yan Dan, in several discussions with Xiong Qi, both firmly believed that to overthrow Qin, they must first kill the King of Qin.

After the last uprising of Xiong Qi and the failure of Li Xin's 200,000-strong army, the King of Chu and the King of Yan estimated that, although the peasants did not take the opportunity to add fuel to the fire, the Qin state would still be in turmoil for a while because of these two events.

However, under Ying Zheng's methods, the impact of these events on the Qin state was only considered as some external injuries, not enough to cause serious damage. As a result, Wang Jian's 600,000-strong army immediately followed.

Yan Dan had to admit that even if Ying Zheng's abilities were not as good as those of King Zhaoxiang of Qin and King Zhao of Yan, whom he admired the most, he was still an outstanding monarch.

This is where Qin's advantage lies over the other six states; to oppose Qin, Qin's advantages must be eliminated one by one.

"Will the mechanical Azure Dragon be of any use?"

Big Hammer has been a member of the Mohist school for several years, but he has little knowledge of mechanical arts, let alone the legendary mechanical beast, the Azure Dragon, which was personally crafted by Mozi, the founder of the Mohist school, hundreds of years ago.

"As long as we can find out Ying Zheng's route in advance, the destructive power of the Azure Dragon is unimaginable even to its creator!" Yan Dan was the only one of the three present who had seen the Azure Dragon and was proficient in mechanical arts, and he was full of confidence in this.

"Alright, killing that bastard Ying Zheng will also avenge the people of the six states who have been harmed!" Big Iron Hammer slammed his thigh, then suddenly thought of something: "How do we find out the route of the Qin King's convoy?"

"There will definitely be a chance."

“The powerful figures of the six states are relatively easy to deal with, as they are the backbone of the anti-Qin movement. However, I’m afraid it won’t be so easy for the various schools of thought to unite.” After the discussion between the Grand Master and the Great Iron Hammer, Gao Jianli looked down at the small mountains and rivers under the Vermilion Bird: “The most important ones are the Daoists, the Agriculturalists, and the Confucians. Their attitudes are unknown.”

The influence of Taoism and Confucianism was mostly in the middle class and some lower class of society. After Mohism was wanted, the Agricultural School completely controlled the lower class of society. These three schools were the most important allies in the plan. If they could not be taken down, the unity of the Hundred Schools of Thought would only be a joke.

Gao Jianli's cold nature remained unchanged, but since the defeat of the Yan state, he had been trying to communicate with useful fellow martial arts practitioners in a friendly manner, and he also took the initiative to gain a deeper understanding of the various schools of thought in the martial arts world. He also developed some unique insights into the complex relationships among the martial arts forces.

"Taoism is based on the unity of heaven and man. Its headquarters, Mount Taiyi, happens to be under the jurisdiction of the Qin State. The Tianzong sect has always been indifferent to worldly affairs. The sect leader, Chisongzi, has not left the mountain for many years. Everyone knows that he is devoted to cultivation."

"Although the Human Sect is more proactive, and Xiaoyaozi of the Human Sect is quite chivalrous, and has taken good care of the Mohist disciples who have been hiding their identities in recent years, he is constrained by the fact that the Daoist sect leader's token, Xueji, is in the hands of Chisongzi. Even if he is willing to join us, he can only represent himself."

"Taoist doctrines provided some influence for the governance of secular officials, but under the rule of Qin, they were ultimately not as fundamentally sound as the Legalist approach of ruthlessly exploiting the people to ensure the country's military strength. This is something we might be able to leverage. I have had dealings with Brother Renzong Xiaoyao before; he is a man of considerable insight. Even if only one of him joins us, he would be an excellent asset." Yan Dan nodded in approval of Gao Jianli's analysis.

Having received the Grand Master's affirmation, Gao Jianli continued, "The Confucian school is currently the strongest voice in the martial arts world. At its peak, they were on par with our Mohist school, but in recent years they have remained in the Qi and Lu regions, following the Qi state and not participating in various battles, thus preserving their strength intact. The Confucian school, led by Xiaoshengxianzhuang, is a model in the hearts of scholars all over the world."

"It will be quite difficult to persuade them to give up their current status and unite with us, with whom they have had a past rift."

“Fu Nian of Xiaoshengxianzhuang is always law-abiding and rigid in his actions. It is indeed impossible for him to rebel against Qin.” Yan Dan was unsure about the attitude of the Confucianists, but he knew a breakthrough: “But as far as I know, their third leader Zhang Liang is from the state of Han. His family has served as prime ministers of Han for five generations. This man must have a deep hatred for Qin.”

"Finally, there's the Farmer's Clan..." Gao Jianli paused, hesitating for a long while before continuing, "The Farmer's Clan's leader, Tian Guang, has disappeared, and the Six Halls are out of control. But the Zhu family of the Shennong Hall has an alliance with us. What does the Grand Master think will happen to the Farmer's Clan?"

“Those guys from the Farmer’s Clan are all cowards!” Yan Dan didn’t speak, but after listening for a while, Big Hammer finally found a way to interject: “From the time Jing Ke attempted to assassinate the King of Qin, the Farmer’s Clan was timid and hesitant. They planned the assassination together, but they were unwilling to contribute anything. Later, when they arrived in the State of Chu, they still refused to help because of a mere title of chivalrous leader and their internal strife.”

"We're all brothers, yet we're all wary of each other. I think we're all cowards!"

"Especially that Lu Wei of Gonggong Hall, who clearly had such a large business in Yan, I've heard of it. But after the Qin people came, not a single person in the entire Gonggong Hall stood up to resist. They so easily submitted to Qin rule, losing a lot of shops and land. It's really shameful."

"He claims to be the number one expert of the Farmer School, but he's nothing more than a despicable coward who only knows how to surrender."

"Brother Lu Wei is a good person, so it's best if Big Iron Hammer doesn't speak recklessly." Gao Jianli glanced sideways at his fellow disciple, who was getting increasingly angry, and calmly interrupted his evaluation of some people who shouldn't be evaluated.

"What did I say wrong..." Big Hammer was about to retort and argue with Gao Jianli about this issue when Yan Dan interrupted him with a light cough:

"The Farmer School has 100,000 disciples. Such a large number of disciples is both an advantage we value and a weakness of the Farmer School itself."

As soon as the Grand Master spoke, Gao Jianli and his giant iron hammer fell silent.

“Managing 100,000 people is almost as complex as managing a small country. Various interests and conflicts are intertwined. Although we need the strength of the peasant school, now is not the time for us to get involved.” Yan Dan shook his head: “Among the various schools of thought at present, it is key to first cooperate with some Confucian and Taoist figures. We can gradually advance at the level of the martial arts world. More broadly, we still need to help the nobles of the six fallen states.”

"Following the Grand Master's orders, we have already contacted most of the towns and nobles in Yan. Among them is a wandering knight named Han Guang, who, although a native of Zhao, is quite chivalrous and worth winning over." Gao Jianli nodded and turned his gaze back to Yan.

"After we return to the city, you'll handle the big iron hammer." Yan Dan's mood had improved considerably compared to when she was reliving the defeat: "Xiao Gao, you and Kuang Xiu will go to Sanghai after the New Year."

"Although we have no contacts in Qi, it is an important task to make possible communication with the Confucianists in advance. Anti-Qin sentiment is also growing in Qi, and you should pay attention to those among them who can cooperate."

"Yes, Master, rest assured!" Big Iron Hammer and Gao Jianli clasped their hands in acceptance of the Master's mission.

------

Unlike the Mohists who were firsthand witnesses, other factions had varying degrees of concern about the fall of the Chu state.

In Dazeshan, only the Zhu family, though looking worried, also seemed somewhat relieved.

King Jian of Qi was acutely aware that his country could not escape the wrath of Qin and was determined to resist. However, he also harbored a degree of wishful thinking, hoping that the Qin army might delay their arrival or even not come at all. He did not want to launch a preemptive attack on Qin; he only wanted to protect his own territory.

Therefore, King Jian of Qi summoned his prime minister, Hou Sheng, wanting to discuss this matter with his uncle.

When King Jian of Qi was young, his mother managed the overall affairs of the country. After his mother passed away, he handed over the important domestic affairs to his uncle, and there were no major problems.

King Jian of Qi knew that his uncle had dealings with the State of Qin, but he didn't care much. Before this, he himself had a good relationship with the State of Qin. He even went to Xianyang to pay homage to the State of Qin a year after King Ying Zheng assumed power. Every time the Qin army won a great victory, he would send envoys to congratulate them, putting himself in a very humble position.

But now it concerns the power of his entire family, including his uncle's family. King Jian of Qi does not believe that his uncle would be willing to give up his position as the Prime Minister of Qi to become an ordinary minister in Qin.

It's important to remember that Guo Kai of Zhao set a precedent. Guo Kai was nominally killed by bandits, but what was the truth? Did these powerful figures not see through the machinations Qin had orchestrated behind the scenes?

"Does the Prime Minister believe that after the fall of Chu, Qi has any way to survive on its own?" King Jian of Qi asked a delusional question.

"Does Your Majesty know the fate of the royal families of the five states of Han, Zhao, Wei, Chu, and Yan?" Hou Sheng, believing he had already prepared his escape route, not only did not answer, but instead smiled and slowly asked King Jian of Qi in return.

Chapter 258 Kuiwei Hall Arrangements

The royal families of the five kingdoms generally met with unfortunate ends.

The first to fall, Korea, was initially in a relatively good position: King An was imprisoned, and some members of the royal family lived as commoners abroad.