Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 327

Zhao Gao's calligraphy was also quite good, but a servant is a servant, and ultimately cannot be displayed in a refined setting.

Li Si finished reading the short edict, his gaze lingering on the section about 'commanding the deaths of Fusu and Meng Tian' without surprise. He calmly closed the edict and said, "This edict is quite different from Your Majesty's usual sentiments..."

Upon hearing this, Hu Hai, who had risen to power, glared and was about to speak when Zhao Gao preemptively laughed and said, "Does Your Excellency wish to make appropriate modifications to the contents of the will?"

"Imperial edicts are always strictly worded, but this one is rather casual. I do need to revise it." Li Si seemed to be deep in thought, and after a long while, he slowly revealed his intentions.

"Please, Your Excellency, begin writing." Only then did Hu Hai understand, and he readily agreed.

I thought Li Si would still pretend to be a loyal minister, but I didn't expect him to be so cooperative now!

"Furthermore, the issue of ordering the death of Prince Fusu and Meng Tian will probably not be so easy," Li Si continued. "Prince Fusu has recently suffered a blow from His Majesty and may accept the order to die, but Meng Tian was His Majesty's beloved general and is a resolute man who will not easily yield to this."

If Huhai were to succeed to the throne, then Fusu and Meng Tian must die. Otherwise, the 300,000-strong northern army led by him and Meng Tian would become a hidden danger for civil war in the empire. Li Si believed that he was wholeheartedly devoted to the country, and that ordering the two to die was the most insignificant price to pay for the long-term stability of the empire.

He had no objection to this point, and even took the initiative to help consider it.

"Your Excellency, rest assured, I have already made arrangements for this matter." Zhao Gao chuckled. "The Empire's army is not the private property of the Meng family, and the Empire's generals are not limited to Meng Tian!"

"What does the Chief of the Imperial Carriage Office mean?" Li Si realized the deeper meaning behind it, but he couldn't say these things himself.

"Wang Li accompanied His Majesty on this eastern tour. At present, he is leading 30,000 armored soldiers to garrison in Dongjun as ordered by His Majesty. The Wang family and the Meng family had a relatively harmonious relationship in the previous generation, but the two leaders of this generation have a deep-seated hatred for each other."

“If an imperial edict is issued ordering him to go to the northern border to execute Meng Tian, ​​Wang Li will certainly not refuse.”

"Will this lead to conflict between the Hundred Battles Armored Infantry and the Golden Fire Cavalry?" Li Si asked cautiously.

"We can send a contingent of Dragon-Tiger Cavalry as the Emperor's special envoy, and also incorporate the Anbei Garrison Army into Wang Li's command ahead of schedule. You must understand that even the Golden Fire Cavalry are still part of the Empire's army; they will obey the Emperor's orders in the presence of the Dragon-Tiger Cavalry."

The First Emperor's prestige naturally placed him at the highest level in the Qin army. Although Wang Li's military achievements were not as great as those of his father and grandfather, the remnants of the Wang clan were present in large numbers in the Qin army. With the emperor's decree, taking over the northern army would be a piece of cake.

Once Fusu and Meng Tian are dead, Huhai's greatest danger will be eliminated, and the remaining royal brothers will be nothing more than fish on a chopping board!

------

On the mirage, after talking with Xinghun, Lu Wei originally wanted to go to Ji Yan to check on the deployment of the peasant disciples' spies in Sanghai: after Ying Zheng's death, intelligence was sent to Sanghai City every hour, presenting all the movements of the Qin state.

Lu Wei estimated that Zhao Gao would not make any major moves in the first three days. Even if he summoned Li Si and Meng Yi, it would be an internal matter of the Binhai Palace, and the news would not be leaked.

But as soon as he entered the corridor of the accommodation area, a figure rushed towards him.

Upon realizing the identity of the person behind the aura, Lu Wei did not resist, allowing himself to be pinned against the wall by the other party.

Her breath, as delicate as an orchid, was utterly indifferent. Lu Wei skillfully wrapped his arm around Xiaomeng's waist, while the Taoist sect leader simply asked, "You like purple?"

"..." Lu Wei didn't know how to answer. It was clear that Xiao Meng was dissatisfied with his choice of the Moon Goddess and Shao Siming last night.

The most detached from worldly affairs, the head of the Taoist Tianzong sect, is also the most jealous. Such a contrast is not hard to imagine: Xiaomeng, who values ​​nature, has always been straightforward about what she likes.

"I am the future..."

"Do not talk nonsense!"

The chivalrous leader wanted to appease the other party, but Xiaomeng directly covered his mouth, and the two of them collapsed.

"Wait, the floor here is too hard and cold."

"It's alright, you'll be down here this time..."

Chapter 409 War Preparations

Zhao Gao followed Lu Wei's plan without hesitation.

The reason given for the return journey of the imperial carriage this year was that "His Majesty the First Emperor felt a sense of urgency upon gaining the throne and urgently returned to Xianyang to build the Ascension Terrace".

The eastern tour was quite expensive, and it was absurd that the biggest goal, "the mirage's departure," was not achieved before returning to Xianyang. If they were to come again, it would be another huge expense.

In addition, the reasons given were not very convincing, leading to much speculation both in the martial arts world and in the imperial court.

But neither of these problems becomes a problem when faced with the 'First Emperor's order': who in the world dares to oppose the decisions made by His Majesty the Emperor?

The eldest son, Fusu, has been exiled to the northern frontier!

Thus, the emperor's carriage successfully returned home during the first snowfall of the year in Sanghai.

It was difficult to hide and bring back Ying Zheng's body. Zhao Gao originally wanted to leave it in the Binhai Palace and retrieve it secretly after Hu Hai returned to the capital to ascend the throne. However, this suggestion was opposed by both Hu Hai and Li Si: according to the two, how could the First Emperor's body be abandoned?

As Ying Zheng's son and his prime minister, one of them still showed basic respect for the First Emperor, provided it did not infringe upon their own interests.

Seeing their reaction, Zhao Gao wisely refrained from contradicting them over such a trivial matter.

However, when returning to Xianyang in Guanzhong by carriage from Sanghai, the easternmost part of the empire, His Majesty the Emperor had to pretend to be alive and eat and handle official documents along the way, so the decomposition of his body was inevitable.

In response, Zhao Gao could only use a large amount of spices as a cover-up, because since the incident was not sudden, the Luo Wang had ample time to prepare solutions for any potential problems.

The convoy set off quickly, while before that, Wang Li and his 30,000 battle-hardened armored soldiers, who were confronting each other at Licheng and Dazeshan, had already headed north.

This imperial general set his sights on Daze Mountain in order to gain military merit, but the order to execute Fusu Mengtian and take over the 300,000 northern troops was obviously more important than the mere 100,000 peasant disciples. Wang Li understood the relative importance of these two matters.

Moreover, he had already cooperated with Luo Wang before. When the Meng family supported Fusu, he supported Huhai. According to Zhao Gao's secret letter, Wang Li knew that Luo Wang had internal influence among the northern wolf tribes. As long as he took command of the army to attack the wolf tribes, he would receive Luo Wang's full support!

At that time, the achievement of wiping out the wolf clan will be no less than conquering a country.

The emperor's convoy and the battle-hardened soldiers had all left, and the Luo Wang organization had also made a clean and efficient withdrawal. Lu Wei lost control of Zhao Gao, but this also meant that the Farmer's School could no longer hinder their attacks on Qi and Lu.

On the other hand, the Moon Goddess and the Flame Consort personally took action: the Yin-Yang School headquarters in Xianyang City had been assigned a certain evacuation mission after the death of the Eastern Emperor, but to evacuate the most core part as well, the Moon Goddess and the Flame Consort needed to complete the task before the Emperor's carriage returned to Xianyang.

There's no time to spare, so the emperor's carriage won't be in a rush on the road, and the Net of Heaven is unlikely to obstruct us at this time.

When the Yin-Yang School was in the hands of Donghuang, it was a tool for the Ji clan of the Ji Dynasty to revive the Zhou Dynasty. However, after falling into the hands of Yueshen, it will only be used to pursue the limits of Yin-Yang arts.

Resources that should not be controlled by the current Yin-Yang School will be handed over to the Farmers.

...

In Lingnan, Ren Xiao received an urgent message from Luo Wang, the Black Dragon Scroll, which contained the emperor's decree to quell the rebellion. He was told that he could not rest after defeating his old rival Yi Yusong and had to immediately reorganize his army and set off again.

Zhao Gao knew perfectly well that the peasants were the masterminds behind the rebellion in the two counties. However, unlike his compliance in Sanghai, he not only did not obstruct Ren Xiao's order to quell the rebellion, but also had the Luo Wang (a powerful organization) deliver the order with all its might.

The cooperation with Lu Wei will end after he returns to Xianyang. Although he has already made up his mind to give away Qi and half of Chu, it would be more beneficial to Luo Wang if the rebellion in the two counties could be suppressed in advance.

Who would willingly hand over land to a future enemy? Even with so-called allies, a little sabotage is quite reasonable in this world.

This order had been given before Ying Zheng's death, and Zhao Gao pretended not to know it, believing that it did not touch Lu Wei's bottom line.

It will take some time to cleanse the Qin court, and during this period, the areas outside Guanzhong will have to rely on themselves for development.

Ren Xiao led an army of 200,000 to attack the two counties. His goal was not only the two counties, but also the Dong'ou and Minyue, who had surrendered to the Qin Dynasty long ago and were now rebelling with the two counties. The reality proved that the Yue people were ultimately untrustworthy, and only the threat of swords and spears could teach them true obedience.

Ren Xiao believed that for this task, continuing with his steady and cautious strategy in Lingnan would suffice.

The mountains and forests of Dong'ou and Minyue are also complex, but they are quite different from those of Lingnan. The Qin army has been enduring hardships in the mountains and forests for many years and has gradually become familiar with the lush greenery. Their ability to fight in the mountains and forests has increased dramatically. Even Yi Yusong, the most prestigious among the Yue people, was defeated. Ouyang Yao and Wuzhu will only be able to hold out for a shorter time.

As for the rebellion in the two counties, Ren Xiao believed that it should not be underestimated, but there was no need to be too cautious. For nearly a hundred years, the military capabilities of the Qin army had never been doubted. He believed in the strategy of the former general Wang Jian: to crush the enemy with the power of the state in a fair and square manner.

With an army of 200,000 men to deal with a mere tens of thousands of rebels, Ren Xiao believed his strategy was invincible...

After the uprising was launched in Jing County, under Xiao He's overall planning, the war potential was continuously developed and became the most reliable support force for the front line.

The population of Jing County is very diverse, including local Chu people, Yue people from the south, defeated soldiers from the former Zhao state, and craftsmen from the Yan state.

It was no easy task to unite these people of vastly different backgrounds and cultures to actively resist the Qin state. However, within the framework of the peasant school, they all shared the common identity of peasant disciples and possessed a complete household registration system, making such an initial step a simple matter for Xiao He.

Another person who thought the opening in Jing County was a simple model was the old general Li Mu, who came from Dazeshan. He was very satisfied with the fact that he was going to command a well-equipped, well-fed, and strong army.

Nearly twenty years ago, he was a general of the Zhao state. Although the army he led was larger than it is now, its quality was uneven, and food shortages were a common occurrence.

Moreover, at that time, the Zhao state was plagued by earthquakes, droughts, and locust plagues. In the last few years, Zhao's only hope was Li Mu, but Li Mu himself could not see any hope.

At that time, Li Mu even had to give his sword "Zhenyue" to Lu Wei, who was not yet the leader of the knights, in exchange for the help of the peasants, in order to strengthen the Zhao army as much as possible.

The most desperate situation belonged to the King of Zhao at the time, Zhao Qian, whose prime minister was Guo Kai, and whose only allies besides Sima Shang were people like Zhao Cong and Yan Ju...

Now, Li Mu's support is Lu Wei, Xiao He will manage the rear for him, and the deputy generals in the army include Peng Yue, Li Zuoche, Yan Shen, and others, as well as Chen Sheng and Wu Kuang who will come to support him later.

Even though the number of soldiers still cannot compare with the Qin army that has arrived, Li Mu will at least not be hampered by problems in the rear, and can lead the army to fight the Qin army again without any worries!

"The battle-hardened soldiers have gone north; only the Southern Army will come to quell the rebellion."

Looking at the talented people sitting below, Li Mu couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Starting from Lingnan, the Qin army only has one route of attack: first, head north and advance by waterway along the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, then take Fan County as a base to recuperate and annihilate us in one fell swoop."

"Is it similar to the strategy used by the Qin general Wang Jian to conquer Guangling of Chu?" Li Zuoche, in his prime, was very enthusiastic at the war council.

“Indeed, Wang Jian trained a group of outstanding Qin generals.” Li Mu said with some emotion, “In the last battle in Zhao, I was defeated by him.”

"General Li is too modest. In that battle, Wang Jian did not defeat you, General. He only defeated Zhao Cong and Yan Ju." Xiao He said at the right time, "If he could really defeat you, General, he would not have used the counter-espionage tactic."

“Defeat is defeat. Counter-espionage is also part of war. There’s no need to look for excuses.” Li Mu stroked his beard and shook his head, his mood suddenly becoming cheerful again. “But this time, Qin can no longer carry out counter-espionage, and Wang Jian has already died of old age.”

"Looking at it this way, it's still too early to say who the final winner will be!"

Chapter 410 Wei Zhuang's Reflection

As time passed, news of the uprisings in the two counties gradually spread to the Central Plains, causing a stir among the people.

The reason why the First Emperor returned to Xianyang from Sanghai was, in the eyes of the people, also implicitly, to deal with the rebellion.

The Qin Dynasty had only been established for a few years, but the sentiment of "suffering under Qin for too long" had already taken root in people's hearts. The assassination attempt on Qin at Mount Tai and the banquet assassination at Sanghai had greatly excited the martial arts world. Now, an open uprising had quickly emerged, and the prestige of the Qin Dynasty had suffered a considerable blow.

Some of the chivalrous heroes were so moved that they brought their own provisions and went to the two counties to seek refuge.

However, the response from the common people was lukewarm. Only those who were truly desperate would risk going there. Everyone knew that the two counties would be the center of the war. The powerful Chu state had only been destroyed a few years ago. Everyone recognized the heroic act of the uprising in the two counties, but they refused to go and die with the enemy.

Life is tough now, but most people can still survive. The psychological impact on these people will need to be challenged by even harsher measures after Hu Hai ascends the throne...

Wei Zhuang, who had parted ways with his senior brother Gai Nie at Sanghai, was also very interested in this uprising. After retrieving Chi Lian and Bai Feng from Daze Mountain, he headed straight south.

Of all the targets Liu Sha recognized, only these two subordinates remained.

Not long ago, during his last meeting with Zhang Liang at Sanghai, Wei Zhuang was somewhat devastated: his former ally from Han had chosen a different path, especially since he had always admired Zhang Liang's abilities and vision...

The leader of the peasant family has indeed far surpassed him...

Based on the timeline, both of them started developing their forces more than 20 years ago, and Wei Zhuang is even significantly older than the other.

At the beginning, Wei Zhuang was a disciple of Guiguzi who made many friends with powerful figures in the state of Han. He quickly established Liusha in the prosperous Xinzheng with Han Fei, Zi Nu and others. At that time, Liusha's enemies or friends were either kings or nobles. They could be said to be young talents with influence in the state of Han and even the world.

Lu Wei was merely a deserter from Zhao who had become a farmer. He was powerless and had no influence. Even in Luqiu Pavilion, he was suppressed by the Xu family of Jicheng. In the first two years, his status in the farmer's family was at most similar to that of the henchmen of the Poison Scorpion Sect whom Wei Zhuang casually killed.

However, in the subsequent development, Quicksand was confined to the struggle against Ji Wuye in the state of Han for several years. During this period, its strength increased and it even came into contact with Ying Zheng, who had not yet assumed power. However, Quicksand did not make any qualitative progress.

However, Lu Wei seized the opportunity of competing for the position of chief steward of Gonggong Hall and rose to prominence overnight. In just a few months, he not only became the chief steward of the Farmer's Clan, but also became the designated successor of the head of Gonggong Hall. It was from that time that Lu Wei gained a status in the martial arts world that was equal to that of Liusha.

After Han Fei died in Qin, the Quicksand gang suffered a major blow and, after several years of wandering, successfully turned themselves into pure assassins.