Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 258

The overly lax defenses and the presence of the Giant Sword were actually a huge weakness, but for Chen Sheng, who had just learned that his brother, whom he had been separated from for more than ten years, had returned to Daze Mountain, no matter how obvious this weakness was, did he have any other choice?

If Chen Sheng were to escape from prison and reappear in the Daze Mountains, the empire could use the pretext of searching for prisoners to force the peasants to hand him over. What would then happen to the young Lu Wei, the chivalrous leader?

Was he forced to defy the empire to protect his reputation as a chivalrous leader, or was he willing to lose face and personally hand over Chen Sheng again?

Chapter 300 Tunnel Map

Having devised a plan targeting the peasants, Zhao Gao returned to the Qin Palace without stopping, continuing to serve His Majesty the Emperor while also taking time to instruct Huhai.

His Majesty the Emperor was surrounded by other eunuchs eager to climb the ranks, and countless servants of all ranks wanted to curry favor with the young eighteenth prince. Zhao Gao was able to maintain his favor on both sides not only because of his outstanding abilities, but also because of his diligence and constant networking.

The trap set for Chen Sheng wasn't intended to be closed immediately, since the ultimate goal of this scheme was to curry favor with Wang Li. And above Wang Li, although Wang Jian had retired, Wang Ben could still hold out for a few more years.

With Wang Ben present, Wang Li is not yet qualified to lead troops to Daze Mountain.

So for now, we can only prepare a reason for Wang Li to attack the Farmer's Clan. Later, when the real show begins, Luo Wang will have to do the Farmer's Clan another favor.

By constantly shifting left and right, the ultimate goal was to defeat Wang Li and force him to join the Luo Wang camp.

With the Wang family's reputation in the Qin military, Zhao Gao could gain the opportunity to influence and even completely control the army in the future.

The Qin Dynasty was able to unify the world precisely because of its invincible black-armored Qin army. Whoever controlled the army was the 'emperor'.

However, the news that Chen Sheng had fled after only a month in Wei Province truly surprised Zhao Gao: "You mean that after Chen Sheng fled, he did not return to Daze Mountain to find Wu Kuang, but went south to Chu Province and continued to be a lone knight-errant in Chu Province, searching for someone to duel with?"

"Yes," the assassin from Luo Wang knelt and bowed his head, whispering, "The entire escort team was killed, leaving no survivors, and even the bodies have disappeared. We can't find any evidence..."

Zhao Gao wanted to let Chen Sheng escape, so the escort team was small and of average strength; these people were destined to die anyway.

However, the fact that the farmers reacted so quickly indicates that their plan was seen through from the very beginning.

Listening to his subordinate's report, Zhao Gao narrowed his eyes slightly, but a smile quickly returned to his face: "Then continue to monitor him. Our opponent is stubborn, but even the most meticulous plans can have a flaw. A deadly hunter is always very patient."

Zhao Gao was very patient. In fact, simply defending would not lead to victory. However, the peasants could not launch many counterattacks, which meant that Lu Wei's counterattacks had to be powerful enough each time!

"Is this box a keepsake from your father?"

Inside Xiaogeng Manor in Daze Mountain, Lu Wei picked up the wooden box respectfully handed over by Mi Lian and immediately recognized its identity:

After Tian Guang passed the title of Xia Kui to Lu Wei, he showed him a simple mechanical box and taught him a special way to open it:

This box was designed by a highly skilled mechanic when Xiong Qi, the former King of Chu, was still the Lord of Changping. It was a secret communication mechanism designed by him. Only by repeatedly opening and closing the lid in a standard order and at a specific angle could the hidden layer at the bottom of the box be opened.

If forcibly disassembled, the highly corrosive colloid in the dark layer will immediately destroy the internal documents.

This mechanism has been used by Xiong Qi ever since it was designed. Although the box that Mi Lian handed over was covered with an exquisite decoration, Lu Wei, who had learned about the mechanism's structure in advance, was able to detect its internal mechanism properties as soon as he touched it.

The wooden box has a semi-circular notch in the normal place where things are stored. Judging from its size, it should have been holding a priceless luminous pearl.

“Yes, Ji Bu obtained this from Qin.” Mi Lian replied with her head down. “Ji Bu once commanded my father’s personal guards and was highly trusted. According to him, my father told him before his death that this box contained a secret that could pose a great threat to Qin.”

"After the fall of the Chu state, this box, along with the luminous pearl inside, was secretly hidden by a greedy Qin general, which is why it was not seized by the Qin government."

"After finding this clue, Ji Bu sneaked into Xianyang and spent a lot of effort to retrieve the box from the Qin general's family."

“Mi Lian is a disciple of the Farmer’s School. She thought the box might be useful to the Hero Leader, so she specially presented it to him.”

After summoning the Chu princess, Lu Wei originally intended to use the Drunken Dream Pavilion to target Wang Li, but unexpectedly, she gave him another surprise first, which brought the chivalrous leader a new gain.

At the same time, new ideas also emerged.

Li Luo opened the box in front of Mi Lian, following the method taught by Tian Guang. A piece of cloth with densely etched lines popped out from the dark layer. After opening it and examining it closely, the lines on it were clearly a map of tunnels covering Qin, Chu, Yan, Qi, and Han!

Some of these tunnels pass through city gates in the wilderness, while others connect the inside of the city to the outside...

Xiong Qi served as the Prime Minister of Qin for more than a decade, and he secretly used his power to excavate these tunnels!

In theory, with this information about the tunnels, if the peasants were to launch a surprise attack and send a small elite force through the tunnels into Guanzhong, they could work together from within and without to help break through the city!

However, this map was drawn at least three years ago, and not all of those tunnels may still exist today. Some of them may have already been discovered, so he needs to send his disciples to investigate each of the locations drawn on the map.

Even so, the value of these dozens of tunnels is immeasurable in monetary terms!

“This wooden box is indeed useful for farmers; you’ve done a good job.” Actually, there was another piece of cloth hidden in a corner of the wooden box. After Lu Wei’s eyes caught sight of the words ‘To Lian’er’ written on it, he calmly placed the wooden box on the table without taking out the letter that Xiong Qi had left for Mi Lian.

Mi Lian is doing well now, and it would be good if she continued to develop as she is, providing the greatest value to the farmers. However, if Mi Lian reads her father's letter, all of this could very well change.

For your own benefit, it's best to pretend this letter doesn't exist.

"Thank you for your praise, Lord Xia Kui. This is all I should do," Mi Lian said happily, unaware of the truth behind the hidden layer. The wooden box was useless to her. She had initially planned to hand it over to Princess Shi Chang because she thought it would be more helpful in gaining Lord Xia Kui's favor.

While Mi Lian was overjoyed that his expectations had been met, he had no intention of taking back the wooden box containing his father's belongings, which he had already handed over as a keepsake.

"In farming families, meritorious service is rewarded."

Lu Wei raised his hand to touch his chin, staring at Mi Lian's smooth face, and said calmly, "Your current subordinates include Ying Bu, Ji Bu, and Zui Meng Lou, so you do have the strength to establish a branch in Licheng."

"How about I give you this as a reward?"

Granting Mi Lian a degree of independence was a no-investment decision, but logically, freedom would be incredibly tempting for a princess who was previously controlled by others. However, after showing genuine fear and trepidation, Mi Lian surprisingly refused Lu Wei's offer to establish a branch office and appoint her as its manager:

“Mi Lian’s abilities are far inferior to those of Hall Master Ji Yan, and he is not capable of leading a region. Therefore, I humbly request that the Heroic Leader allow me to stay by Hall Master Ji’s side to continue learning and improving.”

"Oh?" Seeing the Chu princess's shifty eyes and her efforts to appear humble, Lu Wei thought for a moment and guessed that she was unwilling to leave the core area of ​​Daze Mountain. He didn't mind and nodded in agreement.

For the time being, Zui Meng Lou, Ji Bu, and Ying Bu can only be led by Mi Lian, so regardless of whether Mi Lian wants to establish a branch or not, she will still be in charge of things there.

Compared to being stationed in Licheng, she usually needs to travel back and forth between Licheng and Dazeshan more frequently.

"In that case, let's add another pearl grass to your collection."

"In addition, I will have Dr. Duanmu prescribe better medicine for your sister so that you sisters can live together as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Xia Kui!"

------

The Moon Goddess was in charge of the subsequent progress of the Extreme Palace, and she also had other ideas regarding the construction of the palaces there.

The extent to which the empire mobilized the people far exceeded her expectations from the very beginning. His Majesty the Emperor's obsession with Legalist methods of weakening, humiliating, and exhausting the people continued even after unifying the country.

Having witnessed firsthand the arduous labor of the people building the palace, even though the Moon Goddess knew nothing of governance, she understood that public resentment was rapidly escalating.

The people fear death and are willing to endure anything to survive. But when the burden becomes too heavy, and the accumulated floodwaters overflow the dam, the consequences are unimaginable...

However, instead of showing any pity, she deliberately became even more harsh on the palace's location, scale of construction, and timeframe.

The Moon Goddess's intention is to use the power she currently holds to deepen the perception of the Qin state as brutal in the eyes of its people!

In any case, she was building the Heavenly Kingdom on Earth under the orders of His Majesty the Emperor, and the Qin Empire itself had to bear all the consequences.

This would naturally increase the chances of success for the farming family in the future...

The First Emperor's decree made her more convinced that the country would collapse than Lu Wei's preparations.

The Moon Goddess had a thorough understanding of astrology from the very beginning of her study of Yin-Yang arts. Guiding the construction of palaces required little effort from her, so she usually spent more of her energy researching how to decipher the curse that the Eastern Emperor had secretly placed on her.

Xinghun's sacrifice of deliberately going into a demonic state was not in vain. His battle with Donghuang successfully helped him find the curse node on his body. Using this curse node as a sample, Yueshen and Dongjun also quickly found the location of the forbidden curse on their bodies.

With the Mirage Project imminent, breaking this curse is key to their rebellion against the Eastern Emperor, and it must be accomplished as soon as possible.

Otherwise, judging from the state of Star Soul's rampage, even if Sun, Moon and Star unleashed their full power, they wouldn't be able to harm the opponent in the slightest while the curse on their bodies was still intact.

However, Dongjun has gone to Shu, Yueshen is in charge of the Star Palace, and Xinghun is recuperating from his injuries. Although Yueshen personally arranged every single event, these events coincidentally separated the three of them.

This prevents the sun, moon, and stars from coming together to analyze the principles of the spell, delaying the possibility of breaking the spell by at least a year.

In the Yin-Yang school, no coincidence can be simply regarded as a coincidence. As the plan nears its end, and with the Moon Goddess's understanding improving, the Eastern Emperor seems to become more and more profound in her eyes.

Has Donghuang already seen through their mirage plan...?

Chapter 301 Three Years Later

On the shores of the East China Sea, the shipyard where the mirage is located is an absolute no-go zone.

The Qin soldiers in black armor and the Yin-Yang School guards spread out their perimeter widely, patrolling day and night in shifts. Without permission, outsiders couldn't even see the shipyard, let alone observe the mirages at sea.

The combination of a ship and a city is one of the most complex and sophisticated techniques, and its construction difficulty is no less than that of the mechanical city built by the Mohist school over hundreds of years and maintained and repaired by generations of disciples.

At the order of the King of Qin, hundreds of thousands of people were required to serve this mirage, but the proportion of actual shipbuilders and construction craftsmen was not large; the majority of the labor force consisted of ordinary farmers.

They could only do manual labor such as logging and carrying materials. Most of the laborers were in the mountains and mines of Chu, providing the basic raw materials for the mirage.

Even so, compared to other places, the treatment of laborers in the Mirage was still quite good. The skilled craftsmen who could enter the shipyard did not have to worry about basic food, clothing, and shelter, and the ordinary laborers outside the shipyard could also receive simple meals every day without having to pay extra expenses.

Mirages are built for seeking immortality, and are naturally superior to palaces and highways. Therefore, the labor required for building mirages is also of a higher standard than that for ordinary labor.

The duties of the River God and the Mountain Spirit in guarding this place have become much easier since the surrender of the State of Qi. Under the majesty of the empire, no one dares to trespass into this area.

Over the years, the main body of the mirage has become visible, but the fine work inside still requires a lot of time to complete, and the missing materials from the Conquering Shu Mountain also need to be transported here as soon as possible.

The departure of this ship is of great significance. Before setting sail, a trial voyage is required. It is too tight to complete all the work within the date set by His Majesty the First Emperor. We must travel day and night!

With this understanding, the strange gems in the shipyard that glowed by the input of internal energy did not go out for more than three years, from the twenty-seventh year of the First Emperor's reign to the thirtieth year of his reign.

Three years have passed, adding a complex interior environment, towering golden sacred trees, red and gold pavilions and towers, and a magnificent yet elegant and beautiful furnishing arrangement to the mirage ship.

For the Qin state, each magnificent mirage signified a dramatic shift within the empire:

First, the Qin state won a great victory in the battle to conquer Shu Mountain, which was most closely related to the mirage. This was a war that was not unexpected at all.

With no reinforcements, the only hope for victory for Shushan lies in the fact that the Shu Road Maze, which encircles every foot of the mountain, remains unbroken. After Meng Tian sent troops in to probe the area but they disappeared, he decisively asked Lord Dongjun of the Yin-Yang School to take action. The Shushan Maze and the Yin-Yang School's Illusion Array are essentially the same, both following the law of the Five Elements.

For any disciple of the Yin-Yang School, escaping such a maze is easy, but breaking the formation to allow Meng Tian's army to pass smoothly is a difficult task that even the elder Yun Zhongjun could not accomplish.

However, Dongjun easily achieved a reverse five-element effect by modifying the positions and combinations of the five-element objects in the Shu Road, successfully creating a gap that allowed the army to enter and exit.

The Shu Road shouldn't have been breached so easily, but the Grand Elder, the ruler of Shu Mountain and the Shu Road, clearly judged Dongjun's strength from his aura. He was surprised by the Yin-Yang School's power, and also understood that the fate of the Shu Mountain Yu Yuan Guardians was about to be temporarily interrupted...

Calmly abandon the idea of ​​sending Yu Yuan Guards to besiege Dong Jun who broke through the formation: Using the Shu Road to deal with ordinary enemies, Yu Yuan Guards can fight against enemies several times stronger than themselves, and if they take advantage of their numbers, they can even kill the invaders.

However, when facing Dong Jun, a top master of Yin-Yang arts who is even more profound than in the original work, Yu Yuan's guards have no chance of winning and can only die in vain.

After the Grand Elder of Shushan wisely withdrew, Shushan was essentially abandoned by its own people: 50,000 Qin troops stormed the mountain, including elite forces like the Golden Fire Cavalry. The Shu tribes failed to organize an effective resistance, and the Battle of Shushan was easier than Meng Tian had imagined.

He scoffed at the cowardice of the Shu people. Such a force, which dared not resist and only knew how to run away, posed no threat to the Great Qin!

Meng Tian's only task in conquering Shu Mountain was to assist the Yin-Yang School in obtaining the Fusang Divine Tree and to help Yun Zhongjun collect rare herbs. The 50,000 Qin troops could briefly conquer this place, but they could not organize an effective rule in the area. After they finished looting and left, this place would eventually be handed over to the Shu people to govern.

Meng Tian never killed too many people who were willing to submit. In his eyes, these people were also subjects of the empire, subjects of His Majesty the Emperor. Whether they were used for labor or to provide taxes, the living were more useful than the dead.

Thus, the sacred Fusang tree and the unique exotic flowers and herbs of Shushan were unearthed and sent to the coast of the East China Sea, thousands of miles away, becoming an indispensable part of the mirage design.

The empire's continued victories on the battlefield made the country seem as if it were truly destined for greatness. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the First Emperor inspected the star palace complex built under the supervision of the Moon Goddess and was greatly satisfied. He could not see the countless white bones beneath each palace floor tile, but felt that he was destined for greatness and began his eastern tour.