Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 238

Even if Gonggong Hall were separated from Jing County, its strength would still be the strongest among the six halls, and such power should naturally be entrusted to someone who is absolutely trustworthy.

However, Li Mu was unwilling to suddenly surpass the senior members of the court in status, so he refused the appointment. It seems that he has reflected a lot on the embarrassing experiences of the Zhao state in the past over the years, and his temperament has improved as he approaches sixty.

Lu Qing, the current head of Gonggong Hall, has been in charge of the hall's affairs for more than ten years. Logically, he should be the first in line to take over the position. However, when Lu Wei tentatively asked for his opinion, Uncle Qing, who referred to himself as "this old man," declined to take the position due to his advanced age.

I'm not some suspicious superior, why should I play the victim so early on?

Li Mu's identity cannot withstand close scrutiny. Lü Qing's son, Lü Chen, and son-in-law, Lu Shan, are both pillars of the family. These two have some hidden dangers. If they are unwilling, the Lord of Heroes will not force them.

The leader of the Armored Sect, Dian Qing, is reliable in his work, has no ambition, and is loyal enough to me. It's just a pity that he has only been with the sect for a few years and lacks seniority.

I thought I had a lot of talented people under my command, but when I actually used them, I realized I didn't have enough.

"Given Ji Yan's methods, it's probably no problem for her to ask Zhang Er to assist her in becoming the hall master of the Four Mountains Hall."

"Regarding the Kuiwei Hall, although Wu Kuang has returned and Chen Ping is relatively inexperienced, as long as I provide them with a 'fair' competitive environment, the position of hall master will still belong to Chen Ping."

“The Lieshan Hall can be dealt with in a soft way: under the pretext of investigating Luo Wang spies, let A Yu and his intelligence members move in. After two or three years of investigation, A Yu will naturally seize power. Then, we can appoint A Yu as the head of the Lieshan Hall. Even if A Yu is not capable enough to govern a hall, he has the qualifications and loyalty, which is enough.”

"For my own Gonggong Temple... I'll just erect a good-looking but unambitious puppet!"

Muttering to himself, Lu Wei mentally confirmed the arrangements of the four halls once again. The previous leader of the chivalrous sect, Tian Guang, did not centralize power; his main focus was on expanding the external development space for the Farmers' Clan. Therefore, the six hall masters had a great deal of private power within their respective halls.

As the new leader of the martial arts world, there is currently no room for expansion in the external space, so consolidating power within the country is his task.

Lu Wei's natural advantage lies in the fact that, apart from the Zhu family, the heads of the other five halls will no longer use the old people, so he will naturally not be hindered by the hall heads!

...

The next day, he specially sought out Duanmu Rong and gently whispered sweet nothings in her ear for a while. Then, Lord Xia Kui led her back to the medical hall at the three-way intersection. They wanted to find Physician Nian Duan.

This old doctor was the new head of the Gonggong Hall whom Lu Wei had decided upon.

As a puppet to be made public, Physician Nian Duan is very suitable!

First, in terms of reputation in the martial arts world, as the former head of the medical family and a master of medicine, her succession to Lu Wei as the head of the hall will not be hindered in any way.

In terms of reputation in the martial arts world, Lu himself is not even as good as this old man.

Nian Duan's good reputation means that once the news of her becoming the head of the Farmer's Hall spreads, it could even further enhance the Farmer's reputation.

Secondly, Nian Duan had no ambition for power.

Playing a puppet role will almost always leave one feeling uncomfortable and inevitably lead to a desire for real power. However, the old physician is different. She knows, of course, that she is merely a high-ranking figurehead, and even as the head of the hall, she will still devote most of her energy to teaching in her medical school.

Moreover, there is an additional layer of protection: Duanmu Rong is in my hands.

The only difficulty is that, like Li Mu, Nian Duan certainly doesn't want to take on this position.

"Let the teacher be the head of the Gonggong Hall? She won't agree." Duanmu Rong said with concern when she heard about Brother Lu's idea halfway there.

"It's just that Senior Nian Duan is only nominally in charge. I'll naturally arrange for others to handle the daily affairs, so it won't interfere with your important matters." Gently squeezing her soft hand, Lu Wei explained gently, "The Farmer's Clan is currently in crisis, and as its leader, I have too many problems to solve. If Senior Nian Duan can step forward, it can relieve a lot of my pressure."

Duanmu Rong had heard the news that the farmhouse had been infiltrated by the Luo Net and that several classes had suffered heavy losses. Now, hearing Brother Lu's request, she looked at her own reflection in his deep eyes, lowered her gaze, and couldn't bear to refuse: "...Okay...I'll try my best to persuade the teacher."

While waiting in the clinic for the old doctor to finish his morning lessons with the students, Nian Duan overheard a private message requesting that he be made the head of the Gonggong Hall. As expected, he decisively refused.

In this situation, Lu Wei decisively went to check on Wu Kuang's injuries, who had been brought here yesterday, leaving the conversation space to the master and apprentice.

Although Duanmu Rong always obeyed her teacher's words, the old doctor rarely refused her sincere requests.

...

Tian Hu's punch wasn't so easy to catch. Wu Kuang's internal injuries weren't immediately apparent, and because he was highly focused on his work, he was able to use his lightness skill to capture Tian Mi yesterday.

Now, as soon as he relaxes in the clinic, he can no longer stand for long and has to lie in bed to recuperate.

"Hero!" Upon seeing Lu Wei arrive, Wu Kuang hurriedly tried to sit up, but was prevented from getting out of bed to greet him, so he could only half-lie down and raise his hands in a fist salute.

"How are Brother Wu Kuang's injuries?" Lu Wei asked cheerfully, accepting the courtesy without hesitation.

“Tian Hu’s punch is not a big deal, he just needs to take medicine regularly…” Wu Kuang smiled bitterly, “but he accumulated a lot of other hidden injuries while he was infiltrating the Luo Wang, so we’ll have to trouble Physician Nian Duan for a while longer.”

“Accumulated hidden injuries are the most troublesome. You should take good care of yourself here with Senior Nian Duan so that you can make greater contributions to the farming community in the future!” Lord Xia Kui comforted him.

"Yes!" Wu Kuang nodded heavily upon hearing that he could contribute to the farming community.

"I've come here today because I have something to ask you." He walked to the table, poured a cup of herbal tea, and handed it to Wu Kuang. The latter gratefully accepted it and pondered, "Is it about the new head of the Kuiwei Hall?"

“Not bad.” Lu Wei said authoritatively, “There are many vacancies in the position of hall master in the Farmer’s Clan. We need to fill them as soon as possible to ensure the operation of the Farmer’s Clan.”

"You were the former head steward of Kuiwei Hall. You were ordered by Tian Guangxia to infiltrate Luowang. This time, when you return to the Farmer's Family, the selection of the new head of Kuiwei Hall will naturally take you into consideration first."

"However, more than ten years have passed since that incident, and the Kuiwei Hall has changed a lot in those years. If I, as the new leader of the Heroic Sect, were to rashly assign the task directly, I'm afraid it would cause resentment among the disciples. Therefore, my idea is to conduct the selection within the hall... What do you think?"

As a disciple who grew up in a farming family, Wu Kuang firmly believed that the position of Kuiwei Hall Master could only be held by his elder brother Chen Sheng.

However, Chen Sheng is currently imprisoned in Qin and his innocence has not been cleared. The peasants cannot leave a position vacant while he returns, so the appointment of a new leader is imperative.

Kuiwei Hall had been reduced to the bottom of the six halls by Tian Mi, which showed that the quality of the talents in the hall was not good. Wu Kuang was naturally unwilling to let the position of hall master fall into the hands of outsiders again, but the selection was a legitimate and proper means.

So he nodded solemnly: "I have no objection to the Xia Kui's idea. The Kui Kui Hall has been rebuilt after its destruction, and it is time to select a hall master who can be trusted by the disciples through a selection process!"

"Alright, it's settled then. You get some rest. Once you've recovered, we'll need your involvement in the affairs of the Kuiwei Hall!"

Wu Kuang's abilities are considered top-notch among farmers, but compared to his opponent Chen Ping, his chances of winning this selection are really slim.

Of course, if Wu Kuang really can defeat Chen Ping, then he can have the position of Kuiwei Hall, and Lu Wei will not interfere too much.

On the other hand, the old doctor was having a hard time dealing with Duanmu Rong's persistent pleading. It was clear that if Duanmu Rong could stay for a few days, the old doctor would have no choice but to agree.

I'll come to the clinic to resolve the issues of the leaders of Gonggong Hall and Kuiwei Hall. Lieshan and Siyue are long-term tasks, but there's no rush.

------

The situation in rural areas is improving.

At the Confucian Little Sage Village, Fu Nian's anger erupted early in the morning!

This head of the Little Sage Manor rarely gets truly angry: when he criticizes his students, disciples, and junior brothers, although his expression may seem unpleasant, he is always addressing the issue, not the person. Beneath Fu Nian's serious exterior, he is actually calm inside.

But this time was different. This time he reprimanded Tian An because Tian An's affair with the Qi state's "skilled warriors" had been exposed.

It's not a big deal that a royal grandson secretly brought some guards; what's important is that Tian An, who brought these guards, actually provoked some dangerous enemies, and then, after being defeated, sought refuge in Xiaoshengxianzhuang!

What did he take Xiaoshengxianzhuang for?!

After scolding Tian An in the tone of a sect leader and senior brother, Zhang Liang walked in with a smile, holding a book, while Fu Nian was still furious: "Greetings, senior brother."

"What is it, Zifang?" Suppressing his anger, Fu Nian tried his best not to let his emotions affect others.

"I have compiled my experiences and insights from my study abroad trips and would like to ask my senior for some criticism."

"Oh?" Fu Nian's anger subsided instantly. He was quite interested in his junior brother's travel experiences. This head of the Little Sage Manor had always been fair in his assessment: his own Confucian scholarship was far beyond what his third junior brother could achieve, but in terms of the knowledge of various schools of thought and his unique understanding of things, he was inferior to his junior brother.

After stepping down from his seat, Fu Nian went with Zhang Liang to the outdoor pavilion. He took the book from Zhang Liang's hand and began to carefully read through each page.

Seeing his senior brother's focused expression, Zhang Liang wanted to ask about Tian An, but before that, he needed to use another matter as a pretext:

"Senior brother, are you aware that the new leader of the Farmer's School of Heroes has already been chosen?"

“Brother Lu sent me news that the farmers are at peace, which is a good thing.” Without looking up, Fu Nian’s tone was noticeably more relaxed: “However, these are turbulent times, and I cannot go to congratulate you in person, so I only sent a gift and a letter of apology.”

"Is Zifang really willing to make this trip?"

Chapter 273 The Big Picture

Zhang Liang was naturally very interested in the Daze Mountain area, but his main purpose in coming here today was not to visit the farm, so he smiled and said:

“In recent days, the number of guests visiting Xiaoshengxianzhuang has been increasing, and their status is not to be underestimated. Zifang has already made appointments with several of the guests from Linzi a month in advance.”

“Given the current situation, Xiaoshengxianzhuang relies on the State of Qi and has received care from various forces in Qi for many years. Now that they are facing difficulties, it is only right that we help them out.” Fu Nian turned the pages of the book in his hand, his expression unchanged: “As long as we don’t break the rules of Xiaoshengxianzhuang, there is nothing to worry about.”

"So, Junior Brother Tian An is..." Zhang Liang hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.

"He has broken the rules of Confucianism by secretly sending his servants and his cronies into the manor, and has brought danger into Confucianism. He is no longer your junior brother."

Fu Nian calmly stated his decision: "I have already submitted a memorial to the King of Qi, requesting that he recall Gongsun An."

"I've heard about Gongsun An's actions..." Zhang Liang decisively changed his words to match the sect leader's: "But what do you think, Senior Brother, about his actions...?"

“I know you’re worried. You suspect that Gongsun An’s actions were instigated by the King of Qi. My aloofness might offend the King of Qi, and this could be seen as an insult to the King of Qi, whose country is in trouble.” Fu Nian calmly responded to his junior brother’s question: “But if I didn’t have complete confidence, would I do something that would bring disaster to Xiaoshengxianzhuang?”

"This time, Gongsun An and the Yin-Yang School's evil deeds in Sanghai have provoked the Yin-Yang School to hunt them down, which is definitely not the result that King Qi wanted to see."

"Moreover, his Go academy has done a lot behind the back of the King of Qi, and the young master is also plotting to deceive the king."

"The various talented individuals and retainers he adopted involved multiple forces, and the identities of some of them as members of the assassins would enrage the King of Qi."

Since learning about Tian An's secret stronghold when Lu Wei left last time, Fu Nian has been investigating it quietly, a fact that even Zhang Liang failed to notice.

Only after he had a clear understanding of the situation did he take advantage of Tian An's serious mistake to expose everything in one fell swoop.

King Jian of Qi would not be angry with Xiaoshengxianzhuang; on the contrary, he would feel a sense of gratitude towards him because of Fu Nian's secret letter.

Given Tian An's special status and the attitude of the Prince of Qi, if Xiaoshengxianzhuang cannot act without careful planning, it will inevitably bring a lot of trouble.

"But as far as I know, Junior Brother, this matter seems to involve... the Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon?" Zhang Liang said softly, "In Xianyang, Li Si, who once studied at the Little Sage Village, even sent someone to inquire about it?"

Mentioning the 'Seven Constellations of the Azure Dragon' and 'Li Si', Fu Nian finally looked up at Zhang Liang, closed his book, and said in a calm tone: "I have reported everything to the King of Qi. This matter has nothing to do with Xiaoshengxianzhuang anymore."

“I know that Zifang has an old friend from Korea who is closely related to the Azure Dragon Seven Constellations and Li Si. I also know that this old friend studied at Xiaoshengxianzhuang and I have met him a few times.”

“I have never stopped you from investigating him, but you should stay away from Tian An, as it involves some unnecessary danger.”

As the head of Xiaoshengxianzhuang, Senior Brother knew many secrets that only the head of the sect could know. When Zhang Liang heard Fu Nian's sincere answer, he was unwilling, but he still nodded in agreement and then turned the topic back to the guests from Linzi.

The State of Qi has dispatched a large army to the border cities of Gaotang and Pinglu. Both cities are among the five capitals of Qi, with strong defenses and the ability to defend against foreign enemies by taking advantage of the terrain and rivers. The two cities can also support each other and form an impregnable defensive line.

It seems that although the Qin state has not yet sent troops, it is only a matter of time.

Xiaoshengxianzhuang was far from the battlefield and was a peaceful place. As one of the top nine schools of thought among the Hundred Schools of Thought, Confucianism was unlikely to be affected by the ravages of war.

Therefore, just as King Qi had openly done before, many nobles wanted to devote themselves to Confucianism.

Fu Nian was subject to many restrictions, so he had to grant permission to take on a portion of the tasks, but he needed to be very selective.

He understood, of course, that opening such a door would cause trouble, but he had no choice but to do it. As the sect leader, Fu Nian could only personally lead his junior brothers to guard the gates and keep dangerous people out as much as possible.

...

Lu Wei received the gifts sent from Xiaoshengxianzhuang. In his letter, Fu Nian also mentioned the military preparations of Qi in Gaotang and Pinglu. Dazeshan is located very close to the battlefield, and the farmers will probably have to conscript some disciples to go to the battlefield, as well as provide some food and fodder to the Qi army nearby.

Fu Nian's warning was not unfounded. Less than a month after Lu Wei became the leader of the chivalrous knights, officials from the State of Qi came to meet him.

Besides manpower and provisions, the text also mentions money.