Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 237

Ying Zheng sheathed his sword, and a young eunuch quickly stepped forward to offer him a towel.

"Yes, the founder of the Farmer's School is Shennong, who tasted hundreds of herbs in ancient times, and the highest leader is called the Heroic Leader. Although there are many disciples, most of them make a living by farming, and most of them gather in the Great Marsh Mountain. The reputation of the wandering knights who roam the Jianghu is far inferior to that of the Ink Knights."

Gai Nie answered the question. When it came to matters concerning the various schools of thought, the King of Qin still chose to consult his subordinate, who was also from one of the various schools of thought.

Gai Nie is the eldest disciple of Guiguzi. In addition to his title of Sword Saint, he is extremely knowledgeable: he can answer questions about everything from the identities of various people to the theories of Qimen Dunjia and Feng Shui.

Having such a person around is very useful.

"Since eighty years ago, the Tian family's power in the Farmer's Clan has been growing. Four consecutive leaders of the Chivalrous Clan have been members of the Tian family. Although the fourth leader of the Tian family has been in charge of the Farmer's Clan for decades, few people know his real name."

"Constant corruption, planting their own clansmen in key positions, and finally seizing power—the Tian family's methods haven't changed in hundreds of years." Ying Zheng snorted coldly. In the peasant family, he roughly saw the shadow of the Qi state: "My country must not have such family power!"

In the past, during the reign of Duke Huan of Qi, the ancestors of the Tian family came to Qi from the State of Chen. It took a total of 286 years for them to replace Qi as a feudal lord. Among them, the Tian family served as prime ministers and held power for 103 years.

The Tian family of Qi, by so diligently using the power of time to gain control of a country, was undeniably meticulous. Compared to the actions of the Sima family in later generations, which Ying Zheng was unaware of, their patience was even more prudent.

Gai Nie knew this history and remained silent. Zhao Gao lowered his head; this history was truly the best example for ambitious people...

"Now that the Tian family has been dealt with, does the Luo Net have control over the Farmer's Clan?" Ying Zheng asked expressionlessly as he turned and sat down in the pavilion in the back garden.

If the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven) truly controlled the Farmer School, Zhao Gao certainly wouldn't have come to report this news: "The Farmer School has 100,000 disciples, but the Luo Wang's power is scattered. To control such a school of thought among the Hundred Schools of Thought, the Luo Wang's strength is insufficient."

Zhao Gao said cautiously, "The Farmer's Clan is currently lacking a leader, and four of its hall masters have been involved in accidents. It seems that the only candidates for the new leader will be Lu Wei of the Gonggong Hall and Zhu Jia of the Shennong Hall."

Gai Nie glanced at Zhao Gao without making a sound, and was surprised: The Luo Wang is really big-spending. One leader and four hall masters, this is almost wiping out the top echelons of the Farmer's Clan.

But even if they manage to capture everyone, will they really still be unable to control the farmers?

"What is the attitude of these two towards my Great Qin?" Ying Zheng looked at Gai Nie. He had heard of these two names a few times, but he didn't know much about them. As a monarch, the world was too small for him.

“The Zhu family is a senior elder among the farmers, known as ‘three hearts and two minds, a thousand faces.’” Gai Nie searched his memory: “Also known as ‘the fish that will take the bait, Taigong,’ the Shennong Hall under his jurisdiction is well-informed, he is good at strategy, decisive in handling affairs, and smooth in his dealings with people. In the current situation, he certainly will not be an enemy of the Qin State.”

"As for Lu Wei... he should be a rising star among farmers, and we need the magistrate of the Imperial Carriage Office to introduce him."

Having spent a long time by the King of Qin's side, Gai Nie became very familiar with the veterans of the martial arts world, while newcomers lacked sufficient clues.

Seeing Ying Zheng looking at him, Zhao Gao whispered, "Lu Wei is a former Zhao state citizen and is now the most renowned leader of the Farmer's Clan. I actually predict that he will surpass the Zhu family and become the leader of the Knights."

"When he was young, this man participated in the Zhao army's attack on the Yan state, but he deserted during that war. He joined the Gonggong Hall in the Yan state and, through more than ten years of management, not only became the head of the Gonggong Hall, but also led the weakest Gonggong Hall to the top of the six halls. His methods are extraordinary."

"As for his attitude, I think he is a person who craves power. He certainly wouldn't go through the trouble of becoming a knight-errant and then rebel against the Qin Dynasty, thus destroying his own power."

"Oh~"

Upon hearing Zhao Gao's introduction, Ying Zheng became somewhat interested in this man's ability to "lead the weakest to become the strongest."

"Seems like an interesting guy..."

Chapter 271 The Little Romance of Informing

"Among the Hundred Schools of Thought, the Mohists are the most stubborn and unyielding rebels!"

When Ying Zheng mentioned the Mohists, his tone became even more forceful: the Mohists had long been enemies of the Qin Dynasty and were thorough traitors. In fact, the previous leader, Yan Dan, who was then the crown prince of Yan, had organized a crazy plan to assassinate him.

Before assuming personal rule, Ying Zheng lived in constant instability.

After Lü Buwei's downfall, despite countless open and covert political attacks, his noble status as the King of Qin naturally gave him the superior position and mindset to deal with them. Until the clanging sound of the Broken Rainbow Sword hitting the ground brought back some unpleasant memories...

Everyone may have a different identity, but their physical structure is the same: if they are killed, they will die.

The only thing that matters is life and death; everyone is equal, whether they are royalty with a history spanning hundreds of years or humble refugees.

"Taoists claim to pursue transcendence. They are protected by our Great Qin in Mount Taiyi and their influence on the outside world continues to expand, but they have never contributed the slightest bit to the unification of our Great Qin."

"The Xiaoshengxianzhuang Confucian School in Qi State is known as a model for scholars throughout the land. Its reputation is so widespread that it is revered by all. Even rebels from the six states can be taken in under the guise of seeking their education."

"The Dazeshan School of Agriculture has 100,000 disciples, and the number of men, women, and children influenced by it can reach hundreds of thousands."

"After the fall of the six states, the influence of the various schools of thought was not greatly affected; they were a hidden danger to the Qin Dynasty for generations to come!"

At this point, Ying Zheng gripped the sword hilt again with his right hand: "To some extent, even I cannot easily dismiss them and prevent the world from being thrown into turmoil. How can we eliminate the influence of the Hundred Schools of Thought and the remnants of the powerful families of the six states among the common people...?"

The Qin cavalry could easily conquer Handan, Jicheng, and Guangling, and naturally they could easily break through Taiyi Mountain, Xiaoshengxianzhuang, and Daze Mountain as well.

However, unlike the royal families of the six kingdoms, the various schools of thought in the Hundred Schools of Thought had a long history. Destroying them was more conducive to short-term national stability than demanding that they submit to the empire.

This also applies to the lower-level nobles of the six states in Shandong. The ambitious feudal monarchs certainly wanted to pursue the goal of making centralized power infinitely large, but in reality, it was highly unlikely to be possible.

“The various schools of thought are deeply rooted, but they are the people of Your Majesty.” Gai Nie knew that his words might not be well received by Ying Zheng, but he still spoke according to his true thoughts: “The world has the same goal but different paths, and the same ideas but different concerns. Your Majesty only needs to bring the world back to a prosperous era, and the problem will be solved by itself.”

Ying Zheng, as expected, did not react to Gai Nie's words, but instead looked at Zhao Gao, who had his head bowed, and asked, "What is your opinion?"

Zhao Gao pondered for a moment, then said in a high-pitched but respectful voice:

"This servant believes that, 'The sage governs the people by focusing on their fundamental needs, not by indulging their desires, but solely by aiming to benefit them. Therefore, his punishments are not intended to harm the people, but rather to show his love for them.'"

“When punishment prevails, the people are at peace; when rewards are plentiful, wickedness arises. If we require all the schools of thought in the Qin Dynasty to follow the laws of the Great Qin, and then punish the rebels among them and oppress the compliant ones, then we can naturally bring peace to the world.”

Zhao Gao's idea was mainly derived from a name that had already passed away: Han Fei.

The King of Qin liked Han Fei, even though Han Fei died in a Qin prison... Therefore, Zhao Gao took the initiative to study Han Fei's ideas, which was a key reason why he gained the King of Qin's trust.

In Han Fei's thought, imposing harsh laws and punishments on the people was not to harm them, but to care for them, because the people of today are different from those of ancient times and are inherently evil.

People affected by chaos prefer the feeling of lawlessness and dislike punishment. Therefore, implementing severe punishments and supplementing them with appropriate rewards can keep them in a stable position and prevent them from committing evil deeds. This is naturally a friendly measure to them and a means of loving the people.

Those tolerant governing philosophies might have been applicable in ancient times when people were simple and honest, but using them now is encouraging people to do evil and is actually harming them!

For Ying Zheng, Han Fei was a complex name. Zhao Gao's use of his words was all too familiar to Ying Zheng, who was well-versed in all of Han Fei's works.

"Indeed, Han Fei's ideas are the true ideas for becoming a king and a hegemon. After the world is at peace, the net should keep a closer eye on the other schools of thought."

"This servant obeys." Zhao Gao, flattered, immediately knelt down and complied with the order.

As for Gai Nie... Ying Zheng glanced at the silent Gai Nie: Gui Gu is, after all, a member of the Hundred Schools of Thought!

...

Of course, Dazeshan had no idea what had happened in the back garden of the Qin King's palace.

While Zhao Gao was still on his way back to Xianyang, Lu Wei easily obtained the Nine-Star Pearl Grass from the Tomb of the Six Sages and carefully hung it on his waist.

As the new leader of the Farmer's Clan, he should, in principle, hold a grand ceremony, just like when Fu Nian of Xiaoshengxianzhuang succeeded to the throne. This is the process of 'establishing his name,' and it cannot be omitted, no matter how difficult it may be.

However, the Farmer's Clan now has three vacant hall master positions. A new purge is about to be launched in the Lieshan Hall and the Kuiwei Hall, and the Chiyou Hall will not be spared either. The Farmer's Clan will be very busy from now on.

Moreover, in reality, the Qin army had already conquered the Dai state and was attacking the Yan state in Liaodong. At the same time, there were clues that Qin was gathering a large army and preparing to launch an attack on Qi at any time, making the situation in the world very tense.

At such times, when a ceremony is held, disciples from the Farmer's School branches in other places, except for those in Dazeshan, cannot send representatives back. Moreover, other schools of thought that are on good terms with the Farmer's School, including the major and only one small Sage Village, cannot send important figures to participate.

After much consideration, it was deemed inappropriate to hold a ceremony. Moreover, Qin's attention was currently focused on Qi, and Daze Mountain happened to be located on the border between Qin and Qi. Making too much noise and attracting too much attention would only be a bad thing.

Anyway, I'll be holding a much larger ceremony in the future, so being a small-time peasant hero isn't really something to celebrate.

The real key issue for the farmers right now is to fill the vacant position of head of the household!

It was evening when they returned to Gonggong Hall. Tian Mi's detention was entrusted to Dian Qing, and there would be no problems. At the same time, Wu Kuang was sent to the medical hall to ask Physician Nian Duan to treat him. Lord Xia Kui entered the hall and was about to take out the data to properly analyze the personnel appointments when Xiao Yan'er walked in.

"Shouldn't she still be in confinement? Has the order to lift the confinement been issued?" Lu Wei gently criticized the girl, but a rare doubt arose in his heart: With Ji Yan's intelligence and obedience, she shouldn't have made such a mistake.

"The confinement was forced to end at noon today due to some external disturbances, and that's why Ayan came to report to Xia Kui."

Ji Yan nodded and calmly continued to explain in the face of questioning, "It's Zhang Er's side from the Four Mountains Hall."

"He sent someone to inform Ayan of the situation at Daze Mountain these past two days. Ayan dared not hide it, and guessed from the information that her brother, the Hall Master, would definitely become the leader of the heroes after his return, so he came to inform him of this matter."

"Zhang Er was, after all, a retainer of Lord Xinling, and he was not absolutely loyal to the Xia Kui!"

By decisively betraying Zhang Er, who was loyal to her, Ji Yan's meaning was clear: Zhang Er was disloyal to Lu Wei, but she, Xiao Yan'er, was utterly loyal.

Even if it's his own subordinate, Ji Yan can still report him for righteousness!

"Oh~" Looking up at Ji Yan, who was blinking, Ji Yan's clear and bright eyes did not flinch or waver, openly displaying her loyalty.

Zhang Er did not tell Lu Wei about this during the day.

Zhang Er and a considerable number of Lord Xinling's retainers joined the peasant family because of Ji Yan's status.

After a few years, even if some people couldn't withstand the test of reality and actually accepted the peasant family, the vast majority remained loyal only to Ji Yan.

While this is understandable in principle, the leader of the chivalrous sect still felt a sense of dissatisfaction:

Originally, he planned to wait until Xiao Yan was a little older before sending her to the Four Mountains Hall, and then use the evidence of Situ Wanli's crimes that he had collected to make Zhang Er seize power and gradually push Ji Yan to take the throne.

However, now that Situ Wanli has died prematurely and Ji Yan is only thirteen years old, it is not appropriate for Ji Yan to become a hall master too early. Therefore, Lu Wei has revised the plan to let Zhang Er serve as the hall master of the Four Mountains Hall for a few years first, and then see how things go.

Now that they've learned that Zhang Er secretly sent someone to inform Ji Yan, who's been imprisoned in Gonggong Hall, about his plan to go to Siyue Hall this morning, they can't let him become the hall master!

"Your report is timely." He reached out and took out the intelligence information that Ah Yu reported every day from the upper left corner of the table. With a purpose in mind, he searched and found the information that the disciples of the Four Mountains Hall secretly sought an audience with Ji Yan at noon.

Throughout the entire Daze Mountain area, A Yu's intelligence network couldn't be omniscient. However, within the Gonggong Hall headquarters, A Yu's surveillance was extremely effective.

If Ji Yan hadn't violated her confinement and immediately came to see him to report the matter, but instead waited until Lu Wei saw the message himself, she wouldn't be able to explain herself.

"Given the current situation at Siyue Hall, would you like to go and take charge ahead of schedule?"

If we can't use Zhang Er, then the only way to get him to relinquish power without complaint is to let Xiao Yan'er do it.

“Ayan is worth a try!” Ji Yan was overjoyed to hear her brother, the chivalrous leader, ask the question she wanted to hear. She replied solemnly, “Although Ayan lacks experience, under the chivalrous leader’s guidance, she can also manage the Four Mountains Hall well for him!”

"In that case, you can handle things at Siyue Hall yourself. As for Mei San Niang... and that princess from Chu, you can continue to keep her with you."

"Yes, Ayan!"

With permission granted, Xiao Yan skipped back to her solitary confinement cell, where she would stay for another two days.

Entrusting the entire Siyue Hall, with over ten thousand people, to a thirteen-year-old girl sounds somewhat irresponsible.

However, with her own safety net, even if Xiao Yan'er doesn't do well, it won't have a huge impact.

Compared to the Siyue Hall and the Kuiwei Hall which had already been sent to Chenping, Lu Wei, the new head of the Lieshan Hall, had not had time to make arrangements. It would not be difficult to seize this hall from the Tian family, but choosing someone to be in charge of the complex situation of the Lieshan Hall required careful selection.

Lieshan Hall is the third largest hall in the peasant community, after Gonggong and Shennong. The hall contains various problems, including spies from the Luowang network, disciples of the Tian family, and disciples from other families.

If there are no suitable people available for this organization, then seeking stability is the least desirable option.

Furthermore, once I'm promoted, the person in charge of the Gonggong Hall should also carefully consider...

Chapter 272 Nian Duan Hall Master

Lu Wei's earlier idea for his successor was to use Li Mu.

Li Mu was exceptionally capable and mature beyond his years. The Gonggong Hall had a wide-ranging presence, and after he was promoted to the position of Xia Kui, places like Jing County in the south could no longer remain under the Gonggong Hall's jurisdiction but would be directly administered by him.