Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 282

As he spoke, Li Si's smile deepened, and he made no attempt to conceal his background.

If Lu Wei had been an official in the imperial court, he would have been ruthlessly suppressed by Li Si. However, since Lu Wei was only a figure in the Jianghu (江湖, the martial arts world), Li Si inevitably felt a little more favorably toward Lu Wei, whose life experience was similar to his own.

"Your Excellency, Lu Wei, the leader of the Farmer's School of Chivalry, has arrived." Just then, the soldier's report from outside came at the perfect time.

"Then please invite the leader of the knights in."

Li Si's smile faded, and a moment later, a tall and robust young man walked in, immediately surprising the Prime Minister once again:

His steps were steady and rhythmic, combining elegance and strength; with his sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, he was truly a handsome swordsman.

There was no aversion to him to begin with, so Li Si was naturally happy to chat with a handsome and charming knight-errant...

------

"Senior brother seems distracted?"

Zhang Liang placed a piece, and across the chessboard, he could clearly see Fu Nian's distraction.

"A storm is brewing, and Sanghai City is now the focus of attention from all sides. Xiaoshengxianzhuang cannot extricate itself from this situation and can only endure the storm, not knowing where to go from here."

When questioned, Fu Nian frankly expressed his concerns, then picked up two chess pieces with two fingers and threw them forcefully, landing them on the chessboards where he was playing against Zhang Liang and Yan Lu.

Yan Lu listened silently to the conversation between his senior and junior brothers, remaining completely silent and calmly focused on the chessboard, while Zhang Liang was clearly prepared:

"Prime Minister Li Si's entourage should have arrived in Qi by now. It is said that they went towards Daze Mountain."

"It's not surprising. The Prime Minister is busy with affairs, so he would naturally not miss the opportunity to negotiate with the Farmer's Clan, which has 100,000 disciples, during his trip."

Fu Nian calmly nodded: "Beyond Daze Mountain lies Xiaoshengxianzhuang. We need to focus more on scholarship and writing scriptures from now on."

After saying that, he gave Zhang Liang a meaningful look.

Zhang Liang had made an appointment with the two masters of the Guigu School to go to Daze Mountain some time ago, but Fu Nian has been assigning him a lot of tasks these days. The Mo family also accidentally encountered an ambush during an attack on a Qin army squad, which led to a martial law being imposed in Sanghai City for several days.

Just as the atmosphere began to ease, news arrived that Li Si's convoy had set off.

If nothing unexpected happens, Lu Wei will come to Sanghai on his own initiative. If they go to Dazeshan now, they might miss him, so they might as well wait in Sanghai.

The importance of mirages is greater than some people realize...

“What you say is true, Senior Brother.” Zhang Liang replied to Fu Nian with a smile, and then said, “It’s just that Xiaoshengxianzhuang is quiet, but that doesn’t mean that the noise won’t come. I heard that the Prime Minister brought the famous scholar Mr. Gongsun with him on this trip.”

"The Prime Minister's intentions have been clearly revealed. If we don't prepare in advance, I'm afraid the students will lose face."

“Zicong and the others really don’t have much experience with the art of debate and negotiation,” Yan Lu chimed in to support Zhang Liang.

“That’s exactly why we need to let them see for themselves; this is a rare opportunity.” Fu Nian shook his head: “What kind of logic is it to be so lazy in your studies and only start preparing when you’re facing an upcoming opponent?”

"We should let Zi Cong, Zi Mu, and Zi You see that there are always people more capable than themselves, so that they won't become arrogant and complacent within the manor!"

"And there are Ziming, Ziyu, and Ziyue. They are disciples brought in by Zifang. They have only been studying for a short time, so they can also learn from the lessons of not focusing on their studies."

The meaning of "Fu Nian" is to pretend not to know the purpose of Li Si's visit, and let the disciples below compete and debate with the famous Gongsun at an ordinary level.

The Confucian teachings on the way of the gentleman differ significantly from the way of debate and harmony. Without training, most disciples are easily trapped in sophistry and find it difficult to extricate themselves in front of others.

However, Fu Nian was unwilling to have his students learn debate techniques only temporarily to prepare for dealing with famous masters.

It would be better to let the students learn a lesson, so that they can make greater progress through self-criticism afterward.

Moreover, the renowned scholar Gongsun was a household name. It was not shameful for Confucian students to lose to Gongsun in debates. In the end, the "Three Heroes of Qi and Lu" could step in and teach the students the true path of a gentleman through examples.

Chapter 334 Wolf Clan Matters

The wolf tribe and tribal alliance have always been in a state of flux, sometimes large and sometimes small, and often scattered. Since Li Mu's decisive defeat of 100,000 cavalrymen decades ago, they have rarely posed a significant threat to the Central Plains.

However, the nomadic peoples who have been entrenched in the border regions since the Western Zhou Dynasty have existed to this day. Whether they are Rong or wolves, they must have their reasons for existing.

The wolf clan's largest tribe has never had a large population, peaking at only 300,000, roughly the same number as Lu Wei's 100,000 peasant disciples and the Yue people of the south. Judging from this alone, the wolf clan's strength is average.

However, they also have a large number of other nomadic servants and a mobilization capacity that is almost universal, living for survival and possessing formidable fighting power.

Moreover, the grasslands were vast. After Li Mu defeated the wolf clan, the elite wolf clan was almost wiped out, leaving large grazing areas on the grasslands. These areas were naturally occupied by some of the Central Plains people who fled north. As the grazing activities progressed, these Central Plains people automatically became members of the wolf clan over two or three decades.

Therefore, as long as the grasslands remain, the nomads who follow the water and grass will never become extinct, which is the greatest guarantee for the existence of the wolf clan.

Normally, although such wolf tribes are tenacious, it is difficult for them to cause the destruction of a country in the Central Plains, especially after the Qin Dynasty unified the country. The corvée labor in Guanzhong alone was twice the population of the main wolf tribes.

However, in recent years, after the Luo Net (a powerful organization) pushed Touman, a leader of one of the wolf clans, to unify the scattered tribes in all directions, the wolf clan has become a certain threat to the borders of the Qin Dynasty...

With a hiss, the Autumn Toad Sword pierced the heart of Maodun, the eldest son of Touman Chanyu. This wolf king, who was historically expected to be several times greater than his father, was killed before he even grew up.

With his left hand, Zhou Wen twirled and stirred the sword, confirming that he had completely shattered the target's heart. Without a word, he sheathed his sword and left the secluded tent. Half an hour later, Maodun's body was discovered and presented to Touman.

Touman was furious. Although he no longer liked his son after taking a young and beautiful Hu woman as a concubine, the fact that his son was killed on the grassland was undoubtedly a contempt for his authority as Chanyu!

"Your Majesty, please do not be angry. This is actually an opportunity."

Touman's favorite Hu woman nestled against his muscular chest, her fingers gripping a gold-inlaid wine jug, her voice as smooth as stolen silk: "To dare kill the King's son on the grasslands, this must be the work of the Qin people. The King's army can march south and avenge this grudge!"

The candlelight flickered in the large tent, and Hu Ji's heterochromatic eyes shone like two jewels in the candlelight. Her left eye was a deep blue, as dark as a glacial sea, while her right eye was a golden, sparkling gem, like a rare amber.

She knew exactly how to appease Touman, pouring the wine into her lap and using her body as the most unique wine glass.

Touman buried his head in his drink and took a big gulp, his beard stained with wine. At the same time, his anger subsided: as the Chanyu of the wolf tribe, he felt very pleased to be addressed as "Great King" by the Hu woman in a sweet and charming manner.

"Qin people?" Touman tilted his head. "You mean those Net members who cooperate with us?"

"You're mistaken, Your Majesty. They are our allies. How could they kill Your Majesty's son?" Hu Ji chuckled lightly. "Just drag a Central Plains prisoner from among those slaves and behead him. Wouldn't that find the murderer?"

The Toumans were quite direct, so the Hu Ji didn't use any metaphors and simply recited the instructions. Their pretext for war was rather childish.

But for Touman, he didn't need any pretext for war; whether he looked for one or not didn't matter, as the wolf clan didn't care about such things.

Now, having an excuse would be even better: with more and more tribes being annexed, he had long wanted to go south and plunder the Qin people!

Therefore, Touman decisively followed Hu Ji's instructions, and he didn't care about finding the real culprit.

In the wolf pack environment, the son growing up is also a threat. With Hu Ji around, he would like to have another son. It would be better if the eldest son died at this time!

This is also the meaning of the "Net of Heaven": the wolf clan's southward migration creates pressure on the Qin state, allowing them to gain more opportunities from within.

As for the now-dead future ruler, Modu, his name will be completely erased from the annals of this world...

...

Touman decided to take action. When Hu Ji finished serving him and returned to her tent, she found two men in black robes inside.

She wasn't frightened at all; instead, she smiled and said, "We've done as you said. When autumn comes, Touman will send troops south."

"You've killed Maodun and completed the Luo Wang plan. Qiu Chan, you've done a great job this time."

The man in black, who held a higher position, nodded slowly and looked at his companion with satisfaction: "It seems that the investment that the Chief of the Imperial Carriage Office made in you has not been in vain."

The other black-robed man, who only had a left arm, was Zhou Wen, who had killed Maodun. He held the Autumn Toad Sword and bowed slightly: "Lord Zhao Cheng has commanded effectively. I have only done my bit."

Zhao Cheng, the younger brother of Zhao Gao, the master of the Heavenly Net, was not of high status in the Qin court, but he was highly respected in the Heavenly Net. Zhao Gao could only feel at ease entrusting Zhao Cheng with the task of supporting the wolf clan to attack Qin.

Killing Maodun was an action that Lu Wei instructed Tian Guang to inform Zhou Wen of. It was just a casual action taken after hearing that Zhou Wen was in the territory of the Wolf Clan, but in practice it was able to cleverly coordinate with the plan of the Luo Wang.

The reason for this is naturally because of Hu Ji: Maodun was the son of Touman, but not the son of Hu Ji, and Hu Ji had long wanted to get rid of him.

But after several failed attempts, Zhou Wen decided to take matters into his own hands, which Hu Ji strongly supported: nominally, she was the biggest beneficiary of this.

As for the matter of sending the wolf tribe south, it would have happened regardless of whether Maodun died or not.

The fundamental reason driving the wolves south was not hatred, but food.

Having helped Touman incorporate those scattered tribes, the Wolf Clan's food needs are much greater this year than in previous years.

However, adding the death of Modu to what was already destined could win back the heart of Hu Ji, who had already secretly joined the Luo Wang organization, which would be even more beneficial to the Luo Wang organization!

------

Lu Wei had lost count of how many times he had come to Sanghai. Sanghai City remained as prosperous as ever, but this was the first time he had ever received such a grand welcome.

Of course, this was thanks to Li Si: after being received by this prime minister in Licheng, the content of his conversation with him was actually quite ordinary.

If the peasant family were thoroughly investigated in the martial arts world, they certainly wouldn't be completely clean. However, the peasant family wasn't Li Si's primary target. Furthermore, since he wanted to take Lu Wei to Sanghai to sow discord within the martial arts world, he naturally wouldn't bring up those unpleasant matters.

During the conversation, Lu Weihai pretended to reconnect with his two "old friends," Xinghun and Chu Nangong, and the three of them made a lively scene in the Prime Minister's residence with their fake smiles.

As he had expected, Li Si invited him to go to Sanghai, and Lu Wei agreed without hesitation, which made Li Si even more satisfied.

The journey was smooth, and Lu Wei remained calm in the carriage. However, news spread that Yin You, the leader of the peasant chivalrous family, had become a retainer of the Prime Minister of the Empire. The anti-Qin forces in Sanghai City reacted differently upon hearing this news...

"Lu Wei arrived in Sanghai riding in Li Si's carriage. Have the peasants decided to pledge allegiance to the Empire?"

In the Mo family camp, Big Iron Hammer, with his volatile temper, was the first to speak, his loud voice causing the tea on the table to tremble slightly.

Everyone fell silent; this was truly bad news for the martial arts world.

Dao Zhi, who had a relationship with Lu Wei, spoke up: "Just as Mr. Zhang Liang said, the peasant family has always been protecting itself, but it shouldn't be considered a complete lackey of the empire yet."

"I plan to visit several of the farmers' strongholds tomorrow to investigate their movements."

The King of Thieves, with his exceptional lightness skills, intended to venture into the farmhouse stronghold to search for clues, so that the Mohists could quickly decide on their next plan.

"Let's send someone to ask Mr. Zhang Liang about this matter." Gao Jianli shook his head. He was now the new leader of the Mohist school. Although he did not believe that Lu Wei would submit to the empire, his status dictated that he could not express a decisive opinion rashly. So he calmly said, "The anti-Qin alliance is of one mind and one heart. The movement of the peasant school is a matter of concern to everyone."

As he spoke, Gao Jianli looked at Yan Yun and said, "It is inconvenient for us to appear in the city. If we are exposed, it will cause trouble for Mr. Zhang Liang and the Confucian school. We should send Tianming, Shaoyu, and Gao Yue back to make a trip."

"Don't worry, Your Excellency, they will be back the day after tomorrow," Yan Yun nodded softly in response.

After Yan Dan's death and the destruction of the Mechanized City, Yan Yun should have taken his daughter and followed Lord Dongjun back to the Yin Yang School. However, Lord Dongjun was busy with his cultivation retreat, and since Yan Yun and Gao Yue's identities had not been exposed, and a spy at the level of a Mo family leader held a high position, the two decided to continue to lie low and pass on Mo family information to the outside world.

Their superiors have now been handed over to Lu Wei by Dong Jun... along with the Mo family's leader's token, Mo Mei!

Chapter 335 Li Si Visits the Confucian Scholars

Like a sword, yet not for attack; dark eyebrows, yet without edge.

As the symbol of the leader of the Mo family, the Mo eyebrow is said to be able to make anyone who possesses it and passes the test in the forbidden area of ​​the Mo family become the leader of the Mo family.

But now that the Mechanized City is gone, there's no way to test it. Mo Mei was even stolen by the murderer who killed Yan Dan. Even though Lu Wei isn't afraid of the Mo family's revenge, he doesn't want to damage his reputation at this time.

Therefore, he placed this sword together with the Hao Cao and Shu Lou swords he had acquired in the past, waiting to use them later.

Another Mo family treasure, "Non-Aggression," has been sent to the Jing County Mechanical Workshop, where Amu will carefully study the Mo family's mechanical techniques contained within.

Having lost two precious treasures that could not be recovered, Gao Jianli, observing the silent expressions of the commanders after Yan Yun's speech at the Mo family stronghold, knew that this was because the continuous failures had put too much pressure on their hearts.

From now on, all actions of the Mohists, regardless of scale, must succeed!