Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 320

"Yes, I'll arrange it right away." Mei Xuan strode away.

...

"Since General Li is coming, we might as well take over a few counties north of the river first, to pave the way for the main army to cross the river and head north later."

In the county government office of Jing County, Xiao He, Yan Shen, Peng Yue, and Li Zuoche discussed the uprising.

Compared to Fan County, Jing County, which controlled both the Minyue and Ouyue regions, far surpassed Fan County in both the number of soldiers and the quality of their equipment. It could recruit 50,000 soldiers. Xiao He also prepared ample provisions and a subsequent recruitment plan. Therefore, their first strategy was very bold: to launch a northward expedition from Jing County and take Shouchun, the former capital of Chu, which was 800 li away.

They could recruit more Chu people along the way, bringing their army to 100,000.

If Qin generals Ren Xiao and Zhao Tuo were to escape from the Nanyue region to quell the rebellion, their regular forces would number around 200,000. Jing County, along with Fan County and the Yue troops, would be capable of fighting.

This was a proactive plan, requiring the Jingxian army to quickly capture Shouchun, recruit the Chu people, and then engage in a decisive battle with the hastily arriving Qin southern army.

If a conservative approach is desired, then a northern defense line should be established along the river, with Fanxian as the western defense line and Jingxian as the rear base. Supplies of grain and reinforcements should be continuously provided to wage a war of attrition against the Qin army. Small detachments led by Peng Yue should also be sent to conduct guerrilla warfare to disrupt the Qin army's supply lines.

If the former can successfully capture Shouchun, the Qin people's power in Chu will be greatly reduced. In addition, if the southern army is defeated, Qin will have to launch another Qin-Chu war if it wants to return.

Ying Zheng was already dead at that time, and Hu Hai and Zhao Gao needed to carry out a major purge within the country in order to secure the throne. How could they possibly conscript an army of 600,000?

The latter was the preferred option for controlling the scale of the uprising, thus limiting the rebellion to the south of the Yangtze River in the short term.

According to Xiao He, Peng Yue, Li Zuoche, and others, they all supported the second conservative approach, but the first approach did not mean abandoning it: it could be implemented as the second phase of the second plan.

Regardless of which strategy is chosen, eliminating a few counties in Jiangbei is something that needs to be done.

Defending the river cannot be limited to just the river itself; it must extend its reach to the major transportation routes north of the river, thus making the river a stronghold for the defenders, allowing them to both attack and defend.

After all, once the upstream was sealed off by Fanxian, the downstream became the domain of Jingxian's naval forces.

“In that case, the three of us will each lead three thousand troops northward, raising the banner of ‘Lord Jing’ and the heir of the King of Chu’ as the symbol of the first uprising,” Yan Shen said. His seniority was higher than Xiao He’s, and he was personally trained by Xia Kui, so he had the most say among the three generals.

Peng Yue was the oldest, but had the least seniority. However, he disliked being high-profile, so he calmly listened to Xiao He and the others make their decisions.

Li Zuoche was the grandson of Li Mu. He was taught by Li Mu from a young age and dared not be high-profile.

"After General Li arrives, we will ask him to take command of the army."

The atmosphere in Jing County was much more harmonious than what Li Mu had told Han Xin.

------

In Sanghai City, Zhang Liang secretly met with Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang.

"Zifang deliberately avoided meeting him, surely it wasn't just because Ying Zheng came to Sanghai?"

Wei Zhuang stroked the gem on the hilt of his Shark Tooth sword with his thumb, his tone unpleasant, as if he would draw his sword if Zhang Liang's answer did not meet his expectations.

Gai Nie remained silent. He had rarely spoken since his last meeting with Lu Wei, and Wei Zhuang, who was familiar with his senior brother, roughly knew the reason for this.

It was precisely because he knew this that he was now pressuring Zhang Liang.

"I'm sorry, the Confucian school has already made its choice, and so has Liang."

Zhang Liang calmly met Shark Tooth's gaze and spoke softly.

He didn't bring the Lingxu Sword today, so there was no need to meet with the Guigu School, and it would be even more unnecessary if the Qin army discovered his identity.

"The Farmer's School? Lu Wei wants to become the new Qin Shi Huang, while the Little Sage Village hasn't even sided with the already established Qin state, yet now they're taking the risk of standing with a martial arts sect?"

Wei Zhuang uttered these words almost sarcastically, but it was unclear who he was actually mocking...

Will your choice clash with my path?

The master of quicksand asked a question he already knew the answer to.

“This is the fastest way to eliminate the suffering that Qin has brought to the people.” Zhang Liang nodded affirmatively: “Brother Wei Zhuang has already met Lu Wei and understands his ambition, but I think he would not like to be described as ‘wanting to become Ying Zheng’.”

“Ying Zheng is a person who has never appeared before, and will never appear again.” Gai Nie suddenly spoke up: “He made historically significant contributions, but for a long time, future rulers probably will not consider being ranked alongside Ying Zheng as a compliment.”

After saying that, he turned around and said, "Xiao Zhuang, let's go."

"Whether the path is right or wrong, you have to walk it yourself." Wei Zhuang clenched his left fist, and this last sentence proved that he hadn't given up on 'Quicksand'...

"Wait, Brother Gai Nie..." Zhang Liang stared at the retreating figure and tried to call out to Gai Nie, but before he could say anything, a sword was thrown into his arms.

"Give it to Tianming. He's a smart kid; he'll understand." The Sword Saint didn't turn around; he knew everything.

Yuanhong, ranked second in Feng Hu Zi's sword manual, seems to be destined to return to the hands of Jing Ke's descendants, as if by reincarnation...

Chapter 396 Tianming's Awakening

"This is... Uncle's Abyss Rainbow?"

After a swordsmanship class at Xiaoshengxianzhuang, the three children were instructed by Yan Lu to go to the back courtyard.

Today in class, the self-proclaimed successor of the Sword Saint, "Tianming the Great Hero," once again drew ridicule from many Confucian students for his chaotic and haphazard swordsmanship. Then, he was severely beaten while sparring with other students using wooden swords, leaving him with numerous bruises and swellings, and nearly exhausted.

However, upon learning that it was their Third Master Zhang Liang who had summoned them, Tianming, who was still groaning, immediately regained his energy. Without needing his 'little brother' Shaoyu's help, he arrogantly took the lead on his own, leaving Gaoyue and Shaoyu, who were used to this, helplessly shrug and quickly follow along with a light laugh...

After Zhang Liang stopped Tianming Shaoyu from climbing over the wall to go out last time, he promised to give them good news the next day. The good news turned out to be a simple Qin state wanted poster, which included Gai Nie, Xiang Liang and other members of the anti-Qin alliance. The date was set for the next few days.

This wanted poster only proves that the person has not yet been arrested, which is not what Tianming and Shaoyu expected. They wanted more specific information about their close relatives, and it would be best if they could contact each other.

However, this news at least put the two little ones at ease, and they no longer had any plans to risk going out in the near future.

The Third Master suddenly summoned them over today. Could it be that there has been a new development in the matter?

The three entered the courtyard with curiosity and were immediately drawn to the long swords displayed on the pine sword rack on the stone table.

The scabbard wrapped in black cloth, the ancient-style guard and hilt passed down from the Canhong lineage...

Tianming, the leader, widened his eyes and hurriedly ran to the stone table. He picked up the famous sword that he knew all too well in his memory, and with a whoosh, he drew it three inches. The two characters 'Yuanhong' engraved on the sword in Qin small seal script completely confirmed his guess.

“Brother Gai asked me to give this sword to you, Tianming.” Zhang Liang stood by the railing with his hands behind his back, his eyes closed, seemingly lost in thought. He only spoke slowly after the three little ones had arrived. “He said you are very smart and would understand his reasons for doing this, so I will just act as a messenger.”

The sword is a swordsman's life. A swordsman revered as a sword saint passed on his sword, and the meaning behind this can be considered from many diametrically opposed perspectives...

“Tianming…” Shaoyu was clearly thinking in the worst possible direction. His expression was solemn as he raised his hand and pressed down on his friend’s shoulder, hoping to lend some strength to help his friend stay strong.

Gao Yue also looked worried, staring at Tianming's profile with concern.

As the center of the incident, Tianming did not have the same self-worried thoughts as Shaoyu and Gaoyue.

In this time and space, he did not receive Yan Dan's inheritance of internal energy, nor did he accept the lofty status of the leader of the Mohist school, nor did he learn the butcher's knife skills. It can be said that he missed many opportunities.

But what remained unchanged about Tianming was that he still witnessed firsthand the most important experience of his life—fighting his way out of Qin and Guanzhong with his uncle.

It was during this experience that Tianming first learned what 'chivalry' and 'strength' meant!

Although the concepts of chivalry and strength were still somewhat vague to him, as his knowledge and experience grew, they would only become more profound and clear in Tianming's mind...

Gai Nie never spoke nonsense in front of him. At this moment, sensing the coldness of Yuan Hong, Tianming couldn't help but close his eyes. All the little things he had done with the uncle in his daily life instantly burst into his mind. However, the Sleep-Sealing Curse was also automatically triggered under the intertwining of these emotions, causing him to have a splitting headache.

"Ah..." Tianming screamed and leaned forward, supporting himself on the stone table with one hand while holding Yuanhong tightly in his arms with the other, refusing to let go.

"Tianming!" Gao Yue exclaimed in surprise, realizing Tianming's condition. Without hesitation, she came behind him and used her Yin-Yang magic to regulate the chaotic and disordered spells within his body. She didn't even have time to consider the issue of 'exposure,' but with her strength, it was ultimately too much for her...

Shao Yu dared not delay. Unable to offer any further assistance, he could only hastily step forward to support his friend's arm and look up with pleading eyes at the Third Master not far away.

But Zhang Liang turned around and just watched all this quietly, without any intention of stepping forward to help: Gai Nie had already left Lian Yuanhong behind, so how could he ignore the sealing curse mark on Tianming's body?

To break free from this deeply ingrained and forbidden technique, he can only turn to one person in the world...

Zhang Liang couldn't help with this. The reason that person hadn't brought it up was because he was waiting for Gai Nie to speak up, and he couldn't ruin his plan.

"Third Master, please save Tianming!" Shaoyu shouted urgently when he saw that Zhang Liang had not moved for a long time and that his friend's body temperature was rising, almost exceeding the limits of human endurance.

It was at this moment that Gao Yue, whose forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat, suddenly felt a latent internal energy in Tianming's body being triggered when she was about to lose control. This energy forcefully suppressed the Sleep-Sealing Curse Seal with absolute power, but at the same time, most of its own power was also worn down, and it seemed that it could not be triggered a second time.

It has the aura of the Guigu School.

"Huff..." The curse seal was suppressed, and Tianming was panting heavily. He was so exhausted that he had almost lost all his strength, but he still stood up stubbornly and weakly looked up at Zhang Liang and said, "Third Master, I have figured it out. Please teach me swordsmanship."

Ignoring Gao Yue Shaoyu's gaze, Zhang Liang smiled and shook his head at Tianming's request: "I'm not qualified. The second answer you're looking for is in Yuanhong."

With a slight frown, Tianming pondered for a short while before his eyes suddenly lit up: He placed Yuanhong back on the stone table, reached out and untied the black cloth wrapped around the scabbard, revealing a layer of light yellow cloth underneath, on which was written a sword manual...

...

Shao Yu helped Tianming leave, while Gao Yue, who was at the back, deliberately slowed down a few steps and turned back to the backyard at a corner.

Zhang Liang seemed to have known she would return, and he sat down at the stone table, smiling as he gestured for Gao Yue to sit down.

His identity was probably exposed quite early on...

Gao Yue clenched her fists, hidden in her sleeves, and mustered her courage to say to the seemingly indifferent gaze, "Third Master, I would like to go out for a while."

"No need. Your value is not enough to persuade Brother Lu to agree. There will be someone more suitable to do this. The primary requirement for a transaction is that the two parties can be equal in at least one aspect."

So the Third Master knew everything...? Gao Yue was about to say something more, but Zhang Liang shook his head and interrupted her:

“Tianming may seem easily discouraged, but he is the most resilient of the three of you. In comparison, you and Tianming should take better care of Shaoyu.”

"Shaoyu?" Gao Yue asked in confusion. As the young master of the Xiang family, Shaoyu was usually cheerful and confident, and had a wide circle of friends. He didn't seem like someone who needed special care.

“Yes,” Zhang Liang said calmly. “He may soon receive some bad news, and given Shao Yu’s temperament, this bad news may cause him to become completely despondent.”

"Is it related to the Xiang family?" Gao Yue's guess was very astute.

"The Xiang family may be reduced to just him." Zhang Liang nodded, his answer causing the little girl's pupils to tremble violently...

In an ordinary little town off the main road in Dongjun, Xiang Liang and Fan Zeng felt a vague sense of unease. The two seasoned warriors knew this was not a good omen; it could very well be a warning sign of impending doom.

However, this warning is not the first time it has appeared, and it is unlikely to be the last. This operation will be dangerous, but with so much help from many forces, seizing the Yinghuo Stone is a must!

"I really didn't expect that the farmers could empty the whole town in advance and then fill it back with our people."

Xiang Liang decided to use conversation to calm his palpitations. He stood by the window and looked out. The seemingly ordinary people coming and going on the town's streets were all his own people and allies. Under such a trap, he felt truly at ease.

"With 100,000 disciples, the Farmer's School has a natural control over the counties and prefectures centered around Daze Mountain. In my opinion, they could even replace an entire county with their people. A mere small town in the wilderness is not their limit."

Fan Zeng was also amazed. The power shown by the peasants had already posed a huge threat to the rule of the Qin state, and it was incredible that they had not been suppressed all these years.

"Once the Yin-Yang School people arrive here with the Yinghuo Stone, they won't be able to get out... Are you sure they will definitely take this route?" Xiang Liang repeated to confirm the accuracy of the information one last time.

"The intelligence was obtained by Ji Bu, and the farmers' friends have also investigated. With his caution and the farmers' strength, there shouldn't be any surprises!" Fan Zeng said this, but he wasn't actually that confident.

But no matter what, even if the enemy didn't take this route, they could still bear the cost.

Chapter 397 Chen Ping and Han Xin

"Warfare is based on deception. Therefore, when capable, feign incapacity; when active, feign inactivity; when near, feign distance; when far, feign nearness."