Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 55

The next morning, Lu Wei left the camp alone and found Lü Chen. Under Lü Chen's guidance, he thoroughly inspected the defenses of Gonggong Hall. The chief steward then affirmed his abilities.

After further questioning, Lu Wei learned that Lu Chen also loved reading military strategy. The wandering knight who had given Lu Chen and his son the internal energy cultivation manual had also left behind a copy of "The Essentials of Military Strategy," which Lu Chen could recite from memory. This gave Lu Wei a lot to think about.

He decisively introduced another promising general from among his subordinates to the Yan brothers. Although the three men had different personalities, they shared many common topics regarding military strategy. Through mutual exchange, they all learned and improved.

The steward informed them in advance that each of them would receive a squad of fifty people after the New Year, which made the three of them extremely excited.

In a good mood, Lu Wei left the three-person cabin and then went to Lu Mu's residence, only to find that Lü Qing was also there: the two were discussing the mechanical workshop.

Upon seeing the steward arrive, they hurriedly rose. Lu Wei pressed his palm down, indicating that there was no need for further formalities, his expression revealing keen interest.

"How's the location selection?"

"Following Uncle Qing's recommendation, we plan to build it at Bailu Rock," Lu Mu replied solemnly.

"The area around Bailuyan is densely wooded and offers excellent concealment."

"Moreover, if you want to enter from the front, you will definitely have to pass through the main road in front of the Gonggong Hall headquarters. If you choose to go around, you must go in the direction of Siyue Hall and cross Shuangjiang Ridge."

Lü Qing added the information with a smile.

"The terrain is easy to defend and difficult to attack; it is indeed a good location."

Lu Wei recalled the terrain of Bailu Rock in his mind, nodded affirmatively, and then looked at Lü Qing: "The mechanical workshop must be established as soon as possible. Uncle Qing, organize the disciples in the hall to ensure the quality of the project."

“This is not difficult. First, get a few key projects running so that the workshop can quickly resume its external production capacity.” Lü Qing pondered the plan: “Once the basic structure is determined, then we can fill in the gaps. By focusing on key areas, the disciples in the hall will not be under much pressure.”

"It's good that Uncle Qing has a plan." Lu Wei thought for a moment, then specially instructed, "During the construction of the workshop, give the disciples more pay. Although the project needs to be completed quickly, we cannot exploit the people at the bottom too much."

"Rest assured, Steward," Lü Qing nodded, his eyes flickering. He understood the unspoken meaning in Lu Wei's words.

When appropriate pressure is applied, lower and middle management should be held responsible; when favors are bestowed, they must be done in the name of the adults themselves...

...

On the third day after returning to Dazeshan, Lu Wei received two invitations.

The first letter was issued by Kuiwei Hall in its official capacity, inviting the head steward to attend the inauguration ceremony of the new hall master at noon on December 29th.

According to normal rules, this invitation should have been handled by Zhou He, but the higher-ups of the various halls of the Farmer's Clan now know that Lu Wei, the chief steward, holds the power in the Gonggong Hall. People in the martial arts world are not bound by formalities, so the invitation was simply sent directly to him.

Even now, the head steward is no longer modest. When Zhou He was fishing with him, he had already made it clear that he no longer wanted to meddle in the affairs of the hall. Lu Wei felt that he should not disobey the elder's request, otherwise it would be impolite.

Tian Mi's succession was tantamount to officially announcing the formation of the "six halls of the farming family, half of whom have returned to the fields" structure. This was naturally not good news for the head steward, but now that he had grown powerful, he was not without the ability to resist:

Currently, apart from the three hall masters who can lead their respective areas, there are no other capable people in the Lieshan Hall, Chiyou Hall, and Kuiwei Hall.

Tian Meng had to personally oversee every plan and action. He couldn't rely on anyone else, not even Tian Hu or Tian Mi, to think they had any brains...

Therefore, although the Tian family seemed powerful, they were unable to effectively concentrate and utilize the strength of the three halls.

Moreover, the Tian family has three branches, and there are also three branches for people from other families!

During the expansion of the Zhu family's Shennong Hall into Chu, it received strong support from Lord Changping of Qin, and its strength grew rapidly.

Situ Wanli, a gambler, set his sights on the strength of Shennong Hall and briefly placed his firm bet on the Zhu family, presumably because he saw that the Tian family was showing signs of weakness.

Unless it was a situation where defeat was inevitable, Situ Wanli remained quite steadfast in his stance as someone from outside the family.

Gonggong Hall was originally the weakest among all the halls, so much so that in recent years, anyone like Tian Zhong could quickly rise to power and seize authority.

However, since Lu Wei took over as the head steward, he has recruited many talents for the hall. Judging from the development speed this year, in a few years, even without the help of external forces, Gonggong Hall has a great chance to become the head of the six halls!

...

The second invitation was a bit more complicated than the first: it was a private message jointly sent by Tian Meng, Tian Hu, and Tian Mi, inviting Lu Wei to a banquet on the evening of December 28th.

Arranging a private invitation the night before the official invitation speaks volumes about its targeted nature.

The reason given was that the Tian family leaders wanted to welcome him, the chief steward of Gonggong, back from the Yan region after traveling a long distance.

Although the story of the Feast at Hongmen had not yet occurred, in Lu Wei's eyes, the invitation clearly conveyed that meaning.

However, this banquet will not have any real impact on the steward. In an open and aboveboard banquet, Lu Wei's life safety is basically guaranteed, and his attitude of opposing the Tian family will not change because of a banquet.

Therefore, it seems that avoiding trouble will reduce the risk.

However, upon receiving the invitation, Lu Wei immediately informed the disciple who delivered the message: Wei will attend the banquet on time.

The reason for doing this is that the steward knows that only he knows his own attitude. In the eyes of the other five members, he is still a newcomer who has never been involved in disputes over the rights of farmers.

Those with the surname Tian believed he could be won over, while those with other surnames considered him a natural ally.

Although Lu Wei himself plans to unite with Shennongtang and Siyuetang in the future, if he talks about cooperation without demonstrating his value, the two old foxes, Zhu Jia and Situ Wanli, may not be willing to 'respect' him.

But if I were to actively try to get closer to the Tian family, then the third invitation, which hasn't been sent yet, wouldn't be far off.

When the time comes, they will be the ones proposing cooperation!

Steward Lu could easily raise the price on the spot.

------

Even when wielding the same sword, different people will produce vastly different sword aura characteristics.

Tian Meng dismissed all his disciples and quietly began to study the Absolute Fierce Sword Technique alone. He needed to integrate himself into his new identity as soon as possible.

In a farming family, it is extremely dangerous to lie in wait with such an identity; one must be very careful in all matters, big and small.

Otherwise, if they are even slightly careless and their identities are exposed, they will surely die without a burial place.

However, along with the risks come even greater rewards.

As long as he can maintain his identity as 'Tian Meng', even if he was just a newcomer to the Killer-level Luo Wang organization before, his promotion to the Heaven-level is probably already on its way.

In a few years, I will not only be a high-level assassin, but also someone who can stand on equal footing with the top leaders of the Luo Wang organization and be a collaborator rather than a subordinate!

Thinking of this, Tian Meng revealed a strange smile.

"Big brother!"

A sudden, agitated shout from behind interrupted his daydream. He knew by his hearing alone, without even turning around, that the person was Tian Hu, the younger brother of this body.

In a farming family, only this person would dare to approach them without prior notice.

"What is it?" Tian Meng asked seriously, trying his best to suppress his impatience.

Seeing his brother with his back to him, Tian Hu didn't care. He said in a rough and loud voice, "That kid from Gonggongtang has agreed to attend the meeting. I came to tell you."

"Okay, I understand." Tian Meng's response was indifferent.

The lower-level assassins of the Luo Wang organization do not share information. For years, he had been lying in ambush near Daze Mountain, focusing on how to replace Tian Meng, and his understanding of other farmers was only a basic impression.

Therefore, in Tian Meng's eyes, Steward Lu was just a subordinate that the peasant family wanted to recruit, completely unaware that three members of his organization, nominally at the level of Killer, had already fallen at his hands.

If Lu Wei himself knew this, he would definitely object: he only killed two, the third was killed by Zhuang Jia!

"Brother...you..." Tian Hu's smile slowly froze, and he frowned: "Brother, have you been in a bad mood lately?"

The two were brothers, and Tian Hu asked very directly.

"Brother Tiger," Tian Meng said calmly, choosing one of his prepared statements: "I'm about to break through in my cultivation level, and I'm feeling restless, so I'm trying to suppress my emotions."

"Really!" Tian Hu exclaimed in surprise, bursting into laughter twice. Realizing he'd been a bit too forward, he lowered his voice, "Then, brother, focus on your cultivation. I won't disturb you any longer!"

After saying that, he strode out of the backyard of Lieshan Hall.

As he took his last step away, he turned back to look at his older brother's retreating figure, his expression unusually thoughtful for a few seconds...

He, who always relied on instinct rather than his brain, sensed a slight unfamiliarity about his older brother...

Upon arriving at the front courtyard of Lieshan Hall, Tian Hu frowned, his face gloomy. As he walked, he suddenly grabbed a lone gatekeeper, lifted him up by the collar with one hand, and demanded, "My elder brother, has he been acting strangely lately?"

Tian Hu's expression was fierce, his eyes as wild and untamed as a real tiger's. The disciple he was holding was caught off guard and terrified.

"Second...Second Master, the First Master..."

"What happened to him!" He pulled his arm back, bringing himself almost face-to-face with the disciple. "Speak quickly!"

"Ever since the chief returned from Kuiwei Hall that night... he's become much quieter..."

"Kuiwei Hall!" Tian Hu forcefully threw the disciple in his arms to the ground. His long hair, stirred by his inner force, danced wildly in the air. A murderous glint flashed in his eyes. He took out a piece of broken gold from his robes with his left hand and tossed it to the disciple slumped on the ground: "Don't tell me about this...don't tell the leader!"

As soon as he finished speaking, with a gloomy face, Tian Hu walked towards the Kuiwei Hall...

Chapter 78 Banquet

Lu Wei arrived at Lieshan Hall for the banquet as agreed, and met Tian Meng, Tian Hu, and Tian Mi as equals.

"Please." Tian Meng, the local host, spread his palms out, and his peaceful attitude made Lu Wei feel a little uncomfortable.

"Please, Hall Master Tian Meng~" With a smile, Lu Wei was half a step behind Tian Meng. He glanced at the expressionless Tian Hu and the swaying Tian Mi out of the corner of his eye, and a sense of incongruity arose involuntarily.

"Why are these three acting like complete strangers?"

With doubts in his mind, Lu Wei silently noted down these strange points, preparing to calm down and analyze them carefully.

At tonight's banquet, only the three hall masters and I had a small table to ourselves. We were seated at a bronze table with our disciples. Lu Wei was seated opposite Tian Hu and Tian Mi, while Tian Meng sat at the head of the table beside me.

Before the formal banquet began, disciples brought water and silk. Lieshan Hall had strict rules, and Lu Wei, as a guest, followed them all.

After washing his hands, he casually glanced at the others, but when his gaze fell on Tian Meng, he suddenly paused, then quickly looked away:

Something is wrong, very wrong!

Lu Wei was shocked, but he remained calm on the surface. After all the pre-meal etiquette was over, the main course was served.

"Young Brother Lu, you've come from afar, so I'll offer you this first toast!"

Even though it was located in the mountains, the dishes at tonight's banquet were not much worse than those in ordinary restaurants in Jicheng. However, Lu Wei had no interest in putting effort into the dishes. When he heard Tian Meng, who was in the host's seat, speak, he skillfully raised his wine cup: "Master Tian Meng, you are too kind. I dare not refuse."

He tilted his head back and drank the warm wine in one gulp, then held the wine cup with both hands and displayed it to everyone.

"Good, that's great!" Tian Meng finished his drink and gave his younger brother and Tian Mi a wink.

Tian Hu, true to his name, was somewhat listless today, though he didn't know why. At his elder brother's urging, he forced himself to cheer up and raised his wine cup.

"Young Brother Lu has just succeeded to the position of Gonggong Hall, and we haven't even had a drink together yet. Today, you can't escape! I'll drink first as a sign of respect!"

After saying that, without waiting for anyone to answer, he gulped down the wine in one go, slammed the wine cup on the bronze table, and stared at Lu Wei.

"I have always admired Master Tianhu, so I will naturally give him this face." While his disciple was pouring him wine, Lu Wei made eye contact with him for two seconds, then raised his glass from afar and drank it all in one go.

"Young Master Lu truly lives up to his reputation as a chivalrous hero of Yan and Zhao. His heroic spirit is so captivating and inspiring, I can't help but admire him!"

With seductive eyes, Tian Mi held a wine cup in one hand and a wine pot between her thumb and forefinger in the other. She dismissed the disciples and personally went to Lu Wei, filling his cup with wine.