Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 351

The loud report echoed in the main hall. Xiao Yu, who was in a side hall and recognized the voice as one of the three boys and girls she had seen in the Sanghai Little Sage Village, felt a strange sensation in her heart and body at the same time.

His former allies in the anti-Qin alliance were outside, while he, separated by a wall, was...

This shyness was soon noticed by Lu Wei through some means...

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The situation in the north was generally good. Although Han Xin was the General Who Conquers the North, after the Great Wall Army was defeated, the governance of the north was handled by the two Lu generals, A Shan and A Yu.

The absolute reason for this was, of course, the special relationship between the two men and the King of Qi. The relative reason was that the peasant disciples from the Yan and Zhao regions were infiltrated by these two men after the Qin people destroyed Yan and Zhao.

Therefore, in terms of control over the Yan and Zhao regions, no one in the Qi army could compare with Ashan and Ayu.

Without the authority to govern, Han Xin, while incorporating the Great Wall army, also sent troops to take over the Great Wall defense line from the Qi army.

This iron wall, stretching for thousands of miles, was built to defend against the wolf clan. Although the wolf clan's main force has been wiped out by Wang Li, and they have been unable to invade the Great Wall for another twenty years, the hidden danger still exists.

According to Han Xin, he wanted to take advantage of the fact that the Wolf Clan thought they were too busy fighting in the Central Plains to launch a northern expedition, and then launch another raid on the Wolf Clan's royal court to carry out a second "deep cultivation" and completely uproot any remaining roots in the soil.

Such a plan is feasible, but it cannot be implemented like the Qin Dynasty, which dispatched 300,000 troops at once. The Qi state's way of stabilizing the people's hearts is to reduce corvée labor and warfare; it cannot afford to lose sight of the bigger picture for the sake of small gains.

After all, even if the wolf clan returns in twenty years, they will be facing the Central Plains, which has been developing peacefully for twenty years!

A small-scale cavalry raid is acceptable, but a massive attack with hundreds of thousands of troops to wipe out the enemy is absolutely out of the question: the benefits of conquering the grasslands are too low now, and any deployment of troops would only result in losses.

After Xiang Yu reported to the King of Qi, he was not disappointed by the King's attitude. On the contrary, he was excited: his qualifications were not yet sufficient to command a large army, but the position of cavalry general was rightfully his!

"Xiang Yu, I knew your father many years ago, but it's a pity he met with such misfortune at a young age..."

Lu Wei, dressed neatly, walked out of the side hall. After finishing discussing the important matters in the north, he pretended to sigh and started talking about old stories.

Alone, Xiang Yu couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness, but outwardly remained resolute: "My friend is gone. Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I will serve Your Majesty to the death and carry on the will of my father and grandfather."

"Good, very good." Lu Wei nodded with satisfaction, reached out to help Xiang Yu, who was kneeling, to his feet, and patted his shoulder, smoothing out the wrinkles in his clothes: "You truly are a fine man of the Xiang clan. The Xiang clan will surely be rebuilt and restored in your hands!"

"I will certainly live up to Your Majesty's expectations!"

Chapter 454 Construction of Chang'an

As news of the war between the North and South reached the Central Plains, the new capital Chang'an was also rapidly being built on the foundation of the Qin palace. Everyone in the world knew that His Highness the King of Qi, who had destroyed the tyrannical Qin, would establish a new empire based in Guanzhong.

This is not a result that satisfies everyone:

The old nobles of the seven states still hoped that the King of Qi would accept their calls and resume the enfeoffment system. They did not want another "First Emperor" to appear and hoped that the King of Qi would be benevolent and share power.

The landlords of Qi and Lu were initially excited about the revival of the State of Qi. Even though the bloodline of the King of Qi had changed, as long as it was still called the State of Qi, it was enough for them to remain superior to the other six former states.

The news that the capital would be established in Guanzhong was undoubtedly a bucket of cold water for them.

Despite their many grievances, when faced with His Highness Prince Qi, whose mind was already made up, they could only kneel and kowtow, shouting "Long live the King!"

King Qi, possessing prestige, achievements, and most importantly, military power, had many trusted confidants. Even without noble blood, no one could defy his will unless he voluntarily severed ties with the world.

Especially after the eras of Qin Shi Huang and Hu Hai, the tolerance of officials and the people had become quite high. Under such circumstances, any normal monarch could get the country back on track as long as he didn't mess things up. It was just a matter of how fast or slow it would be and how long it would take to get back on track.

The construction of Chang'an was not a task that could be accomplished in a day. The enthronement ceremony of the emperor could not wait until the capital was completely completed. It could be held as soon as the basic structure of the new imperial palace was completed.

The modifications in this regard are not a major undertaking: Ying Zheng's aesthetics are not unusual, so as long as the main structure of the Guanzhong Palace is not damaged, only the interior decoration needs to be changed, and the orientation changes need to be minor.

As for how to make changes, that's a matter for the Yin-Yang School: the construction of the palace complex was originally overseen by the Moon Goddess, so she should be responsible for the current changes as well.

According to the Yin-Yang school's theory of the Five Elements and their cyclical succession, the Xia dynasty belonged to Wood, the Shang dynasty to Metal, the Zhou dynasty to Fire, and the Qin dynasty to Water, all of which were in a relationship of mutual restraint, which is why they were passed down through generations.

Therefore, Qi should belong to the element Earth, not the element Wood in terms of direction. This aligns with the characteristics of the Agricultural School: as a school of thought specializing in agriculture among the Hundred Schools of Thought, the state established by its leader should naturally be associated with the element Earth.

Furthermore, the original meaning of the character '齐' in the oracle bone inscriptions of the Shang Dynasty was neatly arranged ears of grain, just as the saying goes, "Those born in neatness are none other than grain and wheat," which is a country name closely related to agriculture and land.

Even more coincidentally, the current Prince Qi, the leader of the Farmer's Knights, happens to have the surname "Lu". The original meaning of "Lu" was "large earthen hill", which is also related to the earth element.

All evidence suggests that the agricultural state of Qi was truly the chosen one by Heaven.

Such rumors, uttered by diviners of the Yin-Yang school, quickly spread and became known to every household.

This publicity stunt was not actually Lu Wei's doing, but rather the work of the Moon Goddess. It had a very good effect on the common people, and even many of the landlords and nobles believed the saying that "Heaven's Mandate is with Lu."

Therefore, the main transformation of the Qin Palace was to replace the water element, which was predominantly black, with the earth element, which was predominantly yellow.

When His Highness Prince Qi personally came to inspect the Chang'an Imperial Palace, although the colors and decorations were not as solemn as the black of the Xianyang Palace, they possessed their own grandeur and magnificence, just as they had in his previous life.

The virtue of Earth is to bear all things with great virtue. This Yin-Yang school of thought is not entirely false, but for Lu Wei, the most important thing is that it is indeed useful for his rule, so he accepted it.

He completely rejected none of the following schools of thought: the Agricultural School, Confucianism, Taoism, Yin-Yang School, Mohism, the Gongshu School, the School of Diplomacy, the Military School, or even the Legalist School among the former officials of Qin.

Any useful ministers or doctrines were incorporated into Lu Wei's rule. Even so, there might be some hidden dangers, but nothing in the world is absolutely safe. He was confident that he could tame these arrogant men.

"Kings!"

The Moon Goddess, Yan Fei, and the Great Young Master of Fate lined up in two rows and led their disciples to bow to Lu Wei.

The iconic figures of the Yin-Yang School are all present, and Daze Mountain and Sanghai are no longer the most important core areas.

Although Gan Luo and Yun Zhongjun both belong to the Yin-Yang School, the former, after mastering the Yin-Yang Technique, had infinitely weak feelings for the Yin-Yang School, feeling neither love nor hate, and was merely using the identity of Xinghun.

Out of respect for Lu Wei, the Moon Goddess did not deal with the matter and deliberately ignored it.

As for Yun Zhongjun, his value lies in being sent to Shu to be displayed to further win the hearts of the people of Shu. The new Minister of Gold, Elder Yue Shen, had already decided on a candidate: Xu Fu.

Xu Fu is still young, but his talent is exceptional. At most, he will reach the level of elder in Yin-Yang arts within a few years.

The Yin-Yang School will then specialize in academic research, exploring the depths of Yin-Yang techniques, and anyone with talent can do so regardless of age.

"Hmm," Lu Wei responded, then gestured for the Yin-Yang School disciples to stand up before he began to stroll around under the guidance of the Moon Goddess.

The main part of the palace has been completed, so theoretically he could move his residence from Xianyang to Chang'an Palace.

"What is Your Majesty thinking?"

As the Moon Goddess was introducing the palace's facilities and layout to Lu Wei, she noticed that he seemed to be lost in thought and asked him directly.

Her first meeting with Lu Wei dates back to when he was only twelve years old, on New Year's Eve in Jicheng.

Over the years, the Moon Goddess believed she had a thorough understanding of Lu Wei, who had reached the pinnacle of power, so she was not worried about offending him by interrupting his thoughts.

"It's alright." His Highness Prince Qi smiled faintly as he came back to his senses: "Although I had considered this before, now that I truly understand why Ying Zheng was so determined to seek immortality, I still have a different feeling."

"The mirage is still on the shore of Sanghai..." the Moon Goddess replied, pursing her lips.

“I sensed his feelings, but that doesn’t mean I have to do it.” Shaking his head, Lu Wei walked into the side study used to summon ministers and casually took a copy of the Tao Te Ching from the bookshelf: “From the Yin-Yang School to the people of the world, it is not suitable to go to sea now.”

"The desire to explore deeper things should be reserved for when everything we already know is clear. Right now, we are still far from that."

"I see that everything in the palace is generally ready. The Yin-Yang School can move into the West Palace as its new headquarters. Xiao He will handle the details with you, and Ji Yan will also be involved."

"Yes, I will handle this matter..."

...

After leaving the palace, Lu Wei found Xiao He in Chang'an, a city that was only partially under construction.

Although Lü Qing came to Guanzhong from Linzi, the construction of Chang'an was still coordinated and arranged by Xiao He.

The white-haired Prime Minister Lü had no objection to this. He knew his place well and acted very calmly, already thinking about the future of his family after he retired.

"Chang'an will be larger than Linzi, and is expected to be able to accommodate hundreds of thousands of people. Apart from the disciples of the Farmer's School, we can also follow the methods used when the Qin Dynasty was first established. However, this may cause some unrest, and we need to make arrangements in advance."

Xiao He pointed to the blueprints on the table and solemnly introduced them to His Highness Prince Qi.

The Qin Dynasty's initial strategy was simply to relocate wealthy households from across the country to populate Guanzhong.

This will indeed attract some criticism, as only His Highness Prince Qi himself can give the order.

Lu Wei calmly analyzed the pros and cons, and finally nodded:

This is a necessary undertaking!

Chapter 455 The First Hero

The wealthy families in the land are all powerful clans, deeply rooted in their localities. But if they are forcibly relocated to Guanzhong, even a minor official can govern them with impunity.

It has been less than ten years since the last time Qin Shi Huang relocated wealthy families, but according to the intelligence network of the peasants, it can be found that a large number of powerful families are still hiding among the people.

Ying Zheng couldn't investigate these powerful clans because he couldn't personally investigate any county or township outside Hangu Pass. However, Lu Wei, who had a large number of disciples from the Farmer's School, had been collecting this data for over ten years.

Lu Wei dared not say that all the powerful local clans were able to maintain their wealth amidst the laws and chaos of the Qin Dynasty, but at least 80% of them had committed numerous misdeeds.

Because the peasant family could be considered a local powerful clan, His Highness Prince Qi knew his subordinates' style of doing things very well. Even though he had made rules of conduct, the proportion of vicious thugs among them remained relatively constant.

He, the leader of the knights, had done many of those bloody and immoral things.

Judging others by one's own petty standards will inevitably lead to predictable consequences.

Therefore, the benefits of relocating large clans are definitely greater. As for those hidden dangers, Lu Wei plans to use two sharp blades: quicksand and net!

Zhou Wen has already consolidated power in the Luo Wang organization. The killer nature of the members of this organization goes without saying. The Quicksand trio who returned from the south are not good people either. Some of their methods are even more ruthless than those of the Luo Wang assassins. It would be perfect to hand this organization over to Wei Zhuang to lead, so that they can do evil deeds.

Those rioters who are dissatisfied with the King's decree can all be dealt with by this duo.

As for how to prevent Wei Zhuang from doing things with Luo Wang that even he doesn't know about, there's still Chen Ping's intelligence agency there.

By placing Gai Nie under Chen Ping's command, the combined strength and resources available to them far surpass the combined power of Quicksand and Net!

Just like the Shadow Guard and the Net of the Qin State, Lu Wei also followed suit and established a violent organization.

However, the biggest difference between him and Ying Zheng and Hu Hai is that his military strength is not something that can be deceived by either of them, while Ying Zheng and Hu Hai do not have such military protection.

Having devised a plan for the organization to handle the dirty work, Lu Wei, together with Xiao He, inspected several important locations in the city and summoned Mo Ban and Gongshu Chou.

After the leaders of the Mohist school arrived in Xianyang, they ultimately passed the vote in the imperial decree to pledge allegiance to the State of Qi.

Although these remaining high-ranking members of the Mohist school all valued the spirit of chivalry, apart from Dao Zhi, the other leaders rarely actually traveled the martial arts world.

After the chaos and exhaustion of a chaotic world have ended, it is not an easy decision to abandon a stable life and venture into the world.

Most importantly, they could not allow the Gongshu family to continue to monopolize the court's support, as this would certainly be detrimental to the Mohist school in the future.

There has been an example before.

Given these factors, coupled with Yan Yun being the first to stand up and support joining the court during the final struggles of several commanders, the subsequent vote proceeded smoothly...

Now, masters of mechanical arts from both schools are jointly involved in the construction of Chang'an City, and domineering and non-aggressive mechanical arts will be integrated into this future premier city...

As dusk approached, instead of returning to Xianyang, dozens of miles away, under the cover of night, he spent the night resting in the Chang'an Palace.

That night, the lights in the bedroom of Chang'an Palace remained on all night, as His Highness Prince Qi practiced his martial arts all night long.