Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 317

Standing on the cliff overlooking the vast sea, Zhang Liang said with some emotion: "Having come this far, the next target of the anti-Qin alliance will be Ying Zheng himself."

Unlike the previous risky assassinations, this time the goal is to kill with a single blow, without causing any unnecessary complications.

“The Net hasn’t won yet, but Fusu has definitely lost.” Lu Wei was pleased to see his plan proceeding smoothly and corrected a minor error in Zhang Liang’s words.

"With the inn being investigated, Xiaoshengxianzhuang has also been investigated. The eldest brother is busy dealing with it, and I'm afraid Ying Zheng's attention will inevitably turn to the Hundred Schools of Thought again."

Zhang Liang shook his head dismissively, his gaze drifting into the distance, rising from the white line at the edge of the sea to the clear sky:

“We don’t have much time. Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang have tried to contact me several times.”

“If I go to see them, I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep it from them; but if I don’t go, it will hurt our past relationship… Brother Lu, please be understanding of Zifang’s situation.”

"Zifang, rest assured, the Farmer Clan has also been affected. Meng Yi's investigation into the Farmer Clan is even more thorough than Zhang Han's. I will not let things drag on into trouble." Lord Xia Kui turned around: "The Farmer Clan's assassination attempt on Ying Zheng began a long time ago, and the Luo Wang will be even more anxious than us. It won't be easy for Zhao Gao to pass the First Emperor's scrutiny."

"It will only take a little time before the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven) can no longer suppress their urgency, and then I will help them solve one last problem."

"And from now on, it will be their turn to solve my problems~"

Chapter 390 The Stone of Fire

Ying Zheng's decision was not a simple punishment. Fusu was exiled to the northern frontier to live with Meng Tian. At least in Meng Yi's view, this result was not bad.

The power struggle within the empire has already begun. The eldest prince's personality is not yet suited to this political environment, so he stays far away to seize the crucial opportunity for development: with his elder brother Meng Tian in Shangjun, a plot like the assassination attempt at the Sanghai banquet would never happen under the protection of the Golden Fire Cavalry.

Since their defeat, the Wolf Clan's vanguard had been able to conduct harassment warfare as scattered troops, far from being able to threaten the rule of the Qin Dynasty. Once the Great Wall was connected for thousands of miles, the Qin army's attacks would be able to advance or retreat as needed.

For hundreds of years, without internal collusion, the barbarians, even when they had only managed to divide the Central Plains into seven parts, could only be defeated and forced to flee in terror by the Yan and Zhao states. Now, in the face of the unified Qin Dynasty, they will only be more vulnerable.

In such a threatening situation, the eldest son was able to freely participate in the military and political affairs of the prefecture and gain ample experience.

As for the rule that "one cannot return without an imperial edict," the assassination attempt has only recently occurred, and His Majesty the Emperor is still in Sanghai, so this rule cannot be broken for the time being.

But once His Majesty returns to Xianyang, the ministers who support the eldest son will naturally step in, and once the eldest son has made further contributions in the north, His Majesty will see his growth after the Great Wall is repaired and will issue an order to recall him.

However, the eldest son himself has been exiled, and he must be feeling quite bad. His elder brother will comfort him about this.

No longer worried about Fusu, Meng Yi focused his energy on investigating the source of the internal strife within the empire and the anti-Qin rebels upon arriving in Sanghai.

These two things can actually be combined into one. The various clues in the banquet assassination case have pointed to a powerful force within the empire that is colluding with the rebels and plotting treason. Meng Yi decisively turned his attention to the Luo Wang, the traitor within the empire.

Admittedly, since His Majesty assumed personal rule, Luo Wang has played an indelible role in His Majesty's conquest of the six kingdoms and made numerous contributions. However, Luo Wang is clearly an institution under Li Si's rule, and its close relationship with the Eighteenth Prince is no secret in the court and among the people.

The direct controller of the Luowang (Net of Heaven) was Zhao Gao, the Qin law teacher of the 18th Prince.

The power struggles within the empire were not without cause. If one were to say who benefited the most after the eldest son was framed, it would undoubtedly be the eighteenth son. In addition, given the suspicious points exposed by the Luo Wang organization in the Mount Tai assassination case, Meng Yi was certain that there were problems with the Luo Wang organization.

However, once the matter is brought into the picture of the eighteenth prince, some things cannot be dealt with forcefully: His Majesty could not possibly be unaware of the problems involved, yet His Majesty still ordered the Luo Wang (a secret police organization) to continue its investigation outside, which shows that His Majesty's target for testing is not only the eldest son Fusu, but also the eighteenth prince Huhai.

The position of Crown Prince of the Empire is currently unsuitable for any of the princes, which also means that any prince could potentially hold the position.

Meng Yi firmly believed that he needed to exclude the eighteenth prince for the sake of the emperor: personally, the Meng family and the eldest son had always had a friendly relationship; publicly, a prince who employed an assassin organization and used treacherous means to frame his elder brother would inevitably be disliked by the ministers if he became emperor.

"The key points are Xiaoyaozi in the Qinglong assassination case and Paoding in the banquet assassination case. There are no clues about the former, but the latter can be investigated by starting with Confucianism, and Confucianism is closely related to the Agricultural School, so the Agricultural School cannot be ignored either."

Once Meng Yi established the direction of the investigation, he immediately began to make arrangements. He and Zhang Han had a huge difference: Zhang Han was more of a military general and would personally lead the team for each investigation, while Meng Yi was more of a civil official and would mostly direct his subordinates.

...

"Snow Clears?" Lu Wei murmured the name of the long, slender, and unique sword that Zhao Gao had taken out. He already knew what would become of Xiaoyaozi.

"I must thank Xia Kui for his help; otherwise, Luo Wang would have been able to deal with this traitor." Zhao Gao's attitude towards Lu Wei was as respectful as when he was captured last time. He had come to the farmhouse stronghold today to appease Lu Wei, so his tone was quite friendly: "Xue Ji is a Taoist token. In Luo Wang, it is just a collectible. I imagine it will play a greater role in Xia Kui's hands."

Zhao Gao knew that Lu Wei and Xiao Meng had a close working relationship.

Xue Ji is ranked sixth in Feng Hu Zi's sword manual and also holds the significance of a sect leader bestowed by Taoism. Originally, Luo Wang would not have just treated him as an ordinary collectible after obtaining him. They could use him to cultivate another highly respected inside agent in Taoism: not to mention reaching the position of Xiao Yao Zi's sect leader, at least becoming an elder would not be a problem.

But if Xiaomeng can find out Xueji's whereabouts from Lu Wei, then this plan will not work.

Since that's the case, why not hand it over to Lu Wei and let him make a deal with Xiao Meng, while Luo Wang can get some other help from the farmers?

Since Lord Zhao has said so, I, Lu, will accept it without hesitation. Without refusing, Lu Wei took the snow-cleared sword and drew it from its sheath. As he channeled his inner energy, a clear sword sound rang out, deepening Zhao Gao's apprehension: this sword energy was even more powerful than that wielded by Xiaoyaozi himself.

However, it lacks the essence of 'Tao' and only possesses simple sharpness and edge.

It is more than enough to kill, and the dead do not need to comprehend the 'Tao' from the sword that killed them.

Most people on their deathbed only want to keep living and don't care about anything else.

"Lord Zhao, you must not have come simply to deliver a gift. Now that the gift has been delivered, tell me your plan." Xueji was a fine sword, but it was not suitable for Lu Wei's swordsmanship. It was far less comfortable to use than Tunhai. Therefore, he quickly sheathed it and turned his attention back to Zhao Gao.

Zhao Gao came to see him, probably to delay the matter of Luo Wang being seized upon by Meng Yi.

"The leader of the chivalrous sect is truly magnanimous; Zhao Gao is being petty," Zhao Gao said, seizing the opportunity. "Since the leader of the chivalrous sect now controls the Yin-Yang School, he must also know about the event that will occur in Dongjun in a few days, right?"

"Mars is in conjunction with Antares? Is Lord Zhao trying to buy time with this?" Lu Wei nodded. The Moon God's astrological laws had indeed discovered the meteorite that would fall on Dongjun these past few days.

The eastern side of Dongjun is Daze Mountain, so it is greatly influenced by the Farmer School. Therefore, there is a high probability that this stone will be discovered by the Farmer School disciples first.

"The appearance of Mars in the sky shows that even the heavens are pushing for cooperation between the Net and the Farmer's School." Zhao Gao revealed his plan: "After the assassination attempt at the banquet, Fusu was sent to guard the north, which will allow His Majesty the First Emperor to continue his investigation in Sanghai. Thus, the secrets of both the Net and the Mirage will not be kept hidden for long. Fortunately, with this Mars stone, the empire's attention will be diverted once again. Isn't this heaven helping us?"

"The Net has some influence over the Northern Wolf Clan, which allows us to tamper with the Firefly Stone."

As Zhao Gao spoke, he raised his hand and wrote several characters in a continuous motion on the table: Although no trace was left, Lu Wei could tell that they were 'the one who will destroy Qin is Hu'.

"Fusu has just arrived in the north, and the wolf clan immediately marches south. Furthermore, a meteorite fell from the sky, accompanied by the prophecy 'The one who will destroy Qin is Hu.' Does Lord Zhao intend to exterminate Fusu?"

“His Majesty believes in immortals and gods. Otherwise, how can His Majesty’s mind be temporarily diverted from Sanghai?” Zhao Gao did not deny his guess: “The Luo Net is currently under close surveillance by the Shadow Guards. As for the matter of the Yinghuo Stone, there is no one more suitable than the Farmer School to handle it… What does the Heroic Leader think?”

“Sure, I’d like to add a few more words.” Lu Wei agreed with a smile, and began to write strokes in the air, adding two more characters than Zhao Gao did.

With a solemn expression, Zhao Gao read the contents aloud: "After the First Emperor dies, the land will be divided?"

"Ying Zheng pursued immortality, so the word 'death' must have been a trigger for him."

------

Zhao Gao left satisfied. The Yinghuo Stone had bought him crucial time, and although he still couldn't understand Lu Wei's cooperation, the Luo Wang had no other choice.

Sure enough, not long after Zhao Gao left the farmhouse stronghold, he encountered the Shadow Guard Deputy Envoy 'Unintentionally' passing by and asked him what he was doing.

The Luo Wang and the Ying Mi Wei were originally of the same rank, and in fact, the Luo Wang had received far more trust from His Majesty than the Ying Mi Wei in the past. However, Meng Yi was, after all, a high-ranking official of the empire, and after the Qinglong assassination case, the Luo Wang's senior officials were investigated by him, which led to the Ying Mi Wei surpassing the Luo Wang in a short period of time.

"I inquired with the leader of the Farmer's School of Chivalry about matters related to rebellion. The Farmer's School is the most powerful of all the schools of thought, and we must be wary of it."

Zhao Gao answered the questions with a smile, and when he saw the other party fairly taking out a small notebook and charcoal pencil to record them, Zhao Gao's expression remained unchanged.

"I see. We will report this to Minister Meng. You may leave now."

The deputy envoy of the Shadow Guard made a deliberately arrogant statement, but Zhao Gao simply said "yes" and left discreetly. This reaction made the deputy envoy even more vigilant, and he also made a note of it.

He glanced at the second floor of the farmhouse, and after much deliberation, he still didn't go in to confirm whether Zhao Gao's words were true.

This was not in Meng Shangqing's orders.

Chapter 391 The Conflict Among the Three Little Ones

"Tianming, Shaoyu, our Third Master has already said that Sanghai City is very dangerous right now. You are both wanted by the authorities and cannot go out!"

In the Xiaoshengxianzhuang of Sanghai City, Gao Yue spread her arms wide, making her expression as fierce as possible, and blocked Tianming and Shaoyu, who had quietly come to the corner of the back garden.

“My third master knew you wouldn’t be able to hold back, so he specifically instructed me to keep an eye on you, and he was right.”

The girl's eyes widened, her pupils as bright and clear as the moon. The two who had been caught looked embarrassed. Tianming scratched the back of his head and said awkwardly, "Yue'er, we're just going out to have some fun. Nothing will happen."

Shao Yu tried to laugh it off: "Yes, Miss Yue, we haven't gone out since Fusu came to Sanghai. We've been cooped up for too long. Besides, it's not that dangerous outside. If we're careful, nothing will happen."

"When that tyrant Ying Zheng came to Sanghai, Qin's elite guards, Shadow Guards, and various secret agents must have filled the entire city. Your faces have been drawn on the wanted posters, and they're all big, lucrative cases. How can you possibly avoid being discovered just by being careful? Don't be ridiculous."

Gao Yue shook her head violently, her gaze sweeping over Tianming before fixing on Shaoyu: "Tianming is one thing, but Shaoyu, you are the young master of the Xiang family, you should know the seriousness of this matter, how can you not advise him but instead join in!"

"What do you mean 'I'll let it go'! Besides, why can't we go out and play when Ying Zheng comes? Yue'er, Sanghai City doesn't belong to that tyrant alone!" Tianming muttered indignantly upon hearing Gao Yue's words.

“Yes, Miss Yue, Sanghai City belongs to all the people. This tyrant Ying Zheng wants to control the mouths and feet of the people. We must not submit to his violence!” Shao Yu appreciated that Tianming had said something that aligned with his views, and pressed on while the iron was hot: “He wants the people of the world to obey his ideas, but I will not!”

"I will definitely be able to replace him in the future!"

"Tianming! Shaoyu!" Gao Yue was annoyed by the two's stubbornness. The girl bit her lip, withdrew her outstretched hand, and stepped closer to her two companions. Her tone softened as she tried to gently persuade them: "Have you forgotten Mr. Gai and Master Fan's patient instructions when they brought us to Xiaoshengxianzhuang?"

"Miss Yue, please stop trying to persuade me." Neither side could convince the other at the moment. Shao Yu's expression turned cold, and he became extremely solemn: "It is precisely for Uncle Liang and Master Fan that I must go out."

“That’s right, Yue’er, I’m doing this for Uncle. Aren’t you worried about Aunt Yan?” Tianming also became unusually serious: “We haven’t received any news from outside for a long time. Last time, Uncle said they were going to assassinate the tyrant and told us to wait patiently.”

"But now the tyrant has arrived in Sanghai, and there's still no news of Uncle and the others. We can't wait any longer!"

The seriousness of the two men made Gao Yue pause, unsure what to say next. She could only spread her arms again to block them, saying, "But it can't be just the two of you going out. We can ask Third Master..."

Seeing that Gao Yue refused to budge, Shao Yu, feeling helpless, suddenly grabbed one of Gao Yue's arms, while his other hand slashed at her neck in a swift motion: "Miss Yue, forgive me..."

Seeing that his gentle approach was ineffective, he decided to simply knock Gao Yue unconscious. However, before he could complete half of his maneuver, the numbness from the hand that was gripping Gao Yue's arm caused him to stiffen. Gao Yue then instinctively retaliated and knocked him unconscious...

On the other side, Tianming stared blankly for a moment before realizing what was happening. He wanted to go forward to help, but Gao Yue easily knocked him unconscious with a pressure point...

'Damn it, they used Yin-Yang magic on Shaoyu.' Having subdued her two companions, Gao Yue was even more troubled: Yin-Yang magic is characterized by its unpredictability and difficulty to defend against, especially when there is physical contact, but because of this, the consequences are also easy to detect.

"There's no other way. I can't just watch Shaoyu and Tianming leave like this. I'd better go find Third Master."

After dispelling the curse on Shao Yu and applying a sleeping acupoint, Gao Yue, panting heavily, moved the two to the corridor to prevent them from catching a cold from lying on the mud for too long. Then, Gao Yue immediately went to find Zhang Liang.

A short while later, the girl arrived with the third leader of the Confucian school. Gao Yue originally wanted to release Tianming Shaoyu's acupoints herself, but Zhang Liang beat her to it and completed the task first.

'I wonder if Third Master can see the Yin-Yang aura within Shao Yu's body...' Gao Yue was a little worried. She had already made up an excuse for herself, but once the fact that she knew Yin-Yang techniques was exposed, her mother would definitely be implicated as well.

Tianming and Shaoyu groggily awoke to find Zhang Liang smiling gently down at them. They quickly stood at attention. They felt no resentment towards Gao Yue for summoning Zhang Liang; rather, they felt ashamed. This was partly because Tianming and Shaoyu knew Gao Yue was concerned for their safety, but more importantly, they had actually lost a two-on-one fight, and even more so because they had ambushed a girl...

Zhang Liang seemed unaware of the lingering Yin-Yang techniques within Shao Yu's body, and calmly said, "Haven't I already told you? It's very dangerous outside now. If you go out, you won't be able to do anything, and you'll only become a burden to your uncle, Uncle Liang, and Master Fan."

"But Third Master, how are Uncle and the others doing now? What's the situation like outside?" Tianming was very stubborn: "You haven't told us the results, and we're very worried. We can only think of going out to see for ourselves."

Shao Yu shared the same attitude: "Third Master, Master Fan taught me that 'a general who knows his troops is the master of the people's fate and the master of the country's safety.' Now, I, the young master of the Xiang clan, don't even know where my own soldiers are. How can I be worthy of my status?"

“You’re right.” Zhang Liang wasn’t angry at being refuted. He smiled and nodded, actually agreeing with the two first. Then he said, “However, in yesterday’s class I taught you that ‘preparation is the key to success, and lack of preparation leads to failure.’ You rushed out. Did you think about how you would act after you left?”

“Well… ‘Victory is the key to war, not prolonged battles.’ If we go quickly and return quickly, we will naturally catch Qin off guard and prevent them from capturing us.” Shao Yu tried to justify himself by quoting Sun Tzu’s Art of War: “This is what is meant by ‘The skillful warrior’s strategy is risky and swift; his momentum is like a crossbow, and his timing is like the release of the trigger.’”

“Sun Tzu’s Art of War also says, ‘He who does not know the plans of the feudal lords cannot make friends beforehand; he who does not know the terrain of mountains, forests, dangerous passes, and marshes cannot march; he who does not use guides cannot gain the advantage of the terrain.’” Zhang Liang also used Sun Tzu’s Art of War to refute Shao Yu. As for Tianming, he could barely understand these words, but it would be difficult for him to use famous quotes to argue.

"Go back to your dorms, you have classes this afternoon." Seeing Shao Yu's struggling expression, Zhang Liang shook his head slightly: "As for the news about Mr. Gai, General Xiang Liang, and Master Fan, I will give you a satisfactory answer tomorrow."

"Really?" Tianming and Shaoyu's eyes widened.

“A gentleman keeps his word,” Zhang Liang nodded with a smile.

"A promise is a promise!" The two still believed in the Third Master's character, and it was obviously impossible for them to climb over the wall and leave now.