Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 117

Only the states of Yan and Chu were affected.

To be more precise and detailed, it was Yan Dan and Xiang Yan.

Xiang Yan accelerated his preparations for war. He understood that if Zhao could even replace Li Mu, then even if the Qin army failed to destroy Zhao this time, Guo Kai might have to personally lead the troops to their doom.

The demise of the Zhao state, like that of the Han state, was inevitable. The Qin state's goal was to unify the world, and the Chu state would certainly become a target in the future; therefore, serious vigilance was necessary.

Fortunately, given the Xiang clan's status in Chu, he wouldn't suffer the same fate as Li Mu. Instead, within Qin, in the high court, Xiang Yan and Lord Changping had a secret connection known only to the two of them...

With the cooperation of Lord Changping, I will be able to know all of Qin's military deployments in advance when Qin attacks Chu!

In order to carry out his assassination plot against the King of Qin, Yan Dan of the State of Yan was determined to ensure that there was only one voice within the Mohist school.

To this end, he summoned two upright Mohist leaders from the city of the mechanical city, and through several words of provocation, he forced the two to attack him in a fit of anger, but Jing Ke arrived in time to stop them.

In the end, the two resigned in indignation, which was originally just an angry outburst. But Yan Dan went along with it and immediately dismissed them from their positions of command, handing them over to Gao Jianli and Kuang Xiu.

Jing Ke wanted to say something about this, but he already knew about the assassination plan against Qin, and Gao Jianli and Kuang Xiu were his good friends.

In the end, Jing Ke silently agreed.

Thus, Yan Dan swiftly and decisively seized the voting rights among the leaders.

This will certainly provoke the resentment of other commanders, but it doesn't matter, Yan Dan will gradually replace those people in the future.

While acquiring a portion of Yan Yi's military power, he was searching for his own representative within the army. Over the years, Yan Dan has found his target and has been observing him closely.

His Highness the Crown Prince hoped to use Yan Yi's arrogance to create an opportunity for himself to invite his target into the ink.

When news of the change of general in Zhao reached the Crown Prince's residence, Ju Wu rushed over. Yan Dan calmly comforted his teacher, and his composure greatly pleased the old tutor Ju Wu.

'This is the kind of king my Yan Kingdom should have!'

After seeing Ju Wu off, Yan Dan arrived at the Mo Clan's stronghold. The four Mo Clan leaders from Ji City, along with Qin Wuyang, who had another mission, bowed to him.

"Master, news has come from the Mechanized City that the 'Dragon-Slaying Sword' is ready."

Jing Ke understood the weight of his mission: "Wu Yang and I are ready to depart at any time!"

As he spoke, Jing Ke clenched his fists tightly.

His pregnant wife, because of the harsh climate of Yan, was captured and presented to the Qin King's palace last year when she returned to her hometown...

Therefore, for Jing Ke, the assassination attempt on the King of Qin was driven not only by his anti-war ideology within the Mohist school, but also by his hatred for the loss of his wife!

Chapter 139 The Cruelest Way

Within the Zhao state, there was another person who was extremely indignant about Li Mu's dismissal: Zhao Jia, the elder brother of King Qian of Zhao.

He should have been the crown prince of the late king, but because the prostitute was favored, Zhao Jia was later deposed, and the prostitute's son, Zhao Qian, succeeded him as king of Zhao.

Zhao Jia had always looked down on his younger brother, who had been of questionable character since childhood. Although he himself had once considered his desire to marry a lowly dancer as dissolute, it was, after all, something he had said while drunk, and he had repented in time after sobering up.

"Li Mu is a pillar of our Zhao state; how can he be easily replaced at this moment because of a few false accusations!"

Although he did not become the King of Zhao, nor did he hold a high position, Prince Jia's mind was indeed much clearer than his younger brother's.

"The State of Zhao is about to perish at the hands of a mere scoundrel! Alas!"

Zhao Jia paced back and forth in the hall, pondering deeply, unwilling to see his ancestors' legacy perish.

His pupils flashed, and he immediately left the residence to seek a private conversation with one of the few upright officials in the court...

These upright men were all powerful figures who had been on good terms with him in the past, which is why they were not valued by the current King of Zhao...

The State of Zhao, in its broken state, is striving to buy the limited time available for preparation for various plans.

Lu Wei had just returned to Dazeshan and was getting used to the business of Gonggongtang over the past two years when Li Shiqi's visit kept him busy.

This old Confucian scholar was supposed to be serving as his younger brother Li Shang's advisor in Daliang City. His main purpose in coming to Qi was to make a trip to Xiaoshengxianzhuang in Sanghai City on the coast of the East Sea.

As a sacred site of Confucianism, the Confucian school is holding a handover ceremony this year. Although Li Shiqi has joined the Farmer's School, he studied at Xiaoshengxianzhuang in the past, so he wants to pay his respects and participate in the ceremony.

Just then, the Wei State's Siyue Hall caravan was transporting a batch of wealth and grain back to Daze Mountain. He used his connections with Chen Yu to find Zhang Er, who was doing very well in Siyue Hall, and hitched a ride with the caravan to Qi.

Upon arriving at Daze Mountain, I heard that the Hall Master had returned. As a disciple of Gonggong Hall, I naturally had to pay him a visit first.

"Is Fu Nian the new leader of the Confucian school this time?"

Lu Wei led Li Shiqi on a stroll along the field ridges, inspecting the busy farming scene together and chatting about the establishment of the branch in Daliang City.

After getting a rough understanding of Ayu and Aye's work, the head of the hall suddenly changed the topic to Confucianism.

“Exactly.” Li Shiqi nodded affirmatively: “Fu Nian is respectful and composed. He has been in charge of various affairs in Xiaoshengxianzhuang for many years. Now he has the right to succeed as the head of the sect.”

Master Lu's goal was to become the leader of the Farmer's School of Chivalry, so it's perfectly reasonable that he would pay attention to the issue of the Confucian School's leadership, which isn't too far removed from his own position.

"Reflecting on oneself, reflecting on oneself, is called retreating to examine one's own actions."

Lu Wei smiled as he read out the meaning of the word 'Fu Nian'. Tian Guang had mentioned this name to him before, and when he was young and naive, he had even briefly considered using his peasant background as a stepping stone to infiltrate the Confucian school.

I had several other plans to visit and befriend Xiaoshengxianzhuang, but for various reasons, the plans never materialized. Now, just as I returned to Dazeshan, Li Shiqi happened to deliver this news. It seems that heaven has finally granted me permission to go and have some fun in Sanghai!

"'Retreating to reflect on oneself' is indeed a fitting description of this leading figure of Confucianism. If Fu Nian realizes his mistakes, he will surely repent sincerely..."

Li Shiqi very sensibly introduced the new Confucian leader that interested him to Hall Master Lu: "But beneath Fu Nian's stern face lies extreme pride in his academic level."

"The saying 'a gentleman is as humble as jade' will not be well experienced in Fu Nian."

"This person, even in his youth, arrogantly believed himself to be the only suitable candidate to lead the Confucian school..."

Li Shiqi certainly hadn't studied the Yin-Yang school's art of observing qi, but he had his own way of judging people.

And in most cases, it is very accurate.

“He did it, didn’t he?” Lu Wei said, his hands behind his back and his back straight.

“Not bad.” Li Shiqi deliberately controlled his pace, keeping a half-step behind the Hall Master: “Just as the Hall Master is the only choice for the position of Heroic Leader!”

“I would never deny that.” Lu Wei glanced sideways at Li Shiqi, who was flattering him, and a smile appeared on his lips: “When will the Confucian succession ceremony be held?”

"Fifty-five days later." The old scholar understood the implication in the hall master's words and took the initiative to invite him: "Would the hall master like to come and observe?"

"Although Confucian etiquette is not actively open to the public, if fellow practitioners are willing to go, they will treat them with courtesy."

"Well, alright then." Lu Wei stopped and smiled kindly at his disciples working in the fields, then continued to ask Li Sheng, "When are you setting off?"

"From Daze Mountain to Sanghai, it will only take seven or eight days with a light horse and a whip." Li Shiqi did not answer directly, but only gave the information about the journey, and then cupped his hands: "The time will not be tight, just follow the instructions of the hall master."

"Arrive a few days earlier, so you can enjoy the scenery of Sanghai in advance..." Lu Wei pondered for a few moments before replying clearly, "Let's do it a month later. During this month, you can stay in Daze Mountain and deeply understand the current situation of the farmers."

"Li Shiqi obeys!"

...

After making an appointment with Li Shiqi for Sanghai and introducing him to Lü Qing, the hall master no longer paid him any attention.

Both Lü Qing and Li Shiqi were intelligent people. Lü Qing had also studied several Confucian classics. The two had many common topics and were able to get along well.

The reason Lu Wei wanted to stay in Daze Mountain for another month was because he still had many things to take care of.

These include those inside and outside the Gonggong Hall.

Daze Mountain was, after all, the headquarters of the Farmer's Clan, but Lu Wei hadn't spent much time there since becoming a hall master... Although the chivalrous leader Tian Guang didn't spend much time there either...

But that old fox's familiarity with Daze Mountain is unparalleled. I also need to gain a better grasp of the main camp.

He had only known them for a few days when someone came to his door late at night...

“I say, you’ve only infiltrated the Net, you’re not really one of them, so why did you have to sneak over here?”

Opening his eyes, Lu Wei remained calm as he looked at 'Tian Meng' who appeared in his room amidst the flickering candlelight.

"Aren't you just pretending to be innocent in front of me?"

Tian Meng sat cross-legged in front of him, speaking in his native Zhou Wenqing voice: "As a partner of the Anti-Net, you still have to act with me like this. It seems you can't wait for the position of the leader of the heroes."

"Such careless words, and even advising me to be cautious... this doesn't seem like the cunning Lu Wei!"

“Boss Tian Guang hasn’t stepped down yet, so how could I possibly have designs on the position of the leader of the heroes?” With a gentle smile, Hall Master Lu raised his eyes and stroked his chin. “As for being careless, it’s just that I’ve been too relaxed these days and my vigilance has decreased.”

"How could I be cunning?"

"Hehe." Zhou Wen didn't say much, wisely skipping this time-wasting topic: "I've lost contact with the Luo Wang."

"Out of contact?" The hall master's eyes flickered, waiting for what he would say next.

"Not only me, but all the spies lurking in the farmhouses, including that woman Tian Mi, have not received a single order since."

"We tried to contact the relevant channels, but no one responded."

"The person in charge of infiltrating the farmers' network probably got into trouble, and didn't have time to pass on our information before the incident."

"Do you think this is possible?" Lu Wei took out his Devouring Sea Sword and wiped the scabbard. Suddenly, he remembered that he still owed Zi Wu a scabbard. "Since we agreed to be partners, let's stop testing each other here."

"It's just tit for tat." With Tian Meng's old face, Zhou Wen grinned and changed his words: "The original direct leaders of the Dazeshan Net are probably dead, but we valuable pawns are definitely being watched by others."

"I came to you so that I can establish contact with the new Luowang superiors as soon as possible."

"What kind of role do you need me to play this time?" Lu Wei looked up and met Zhou Wen's smiling gaze. "You don't need me to 'die,' do you?"

"If you're willing, I can certainly gain your trust immediately!" Tian Meng winked. "But that's impossible~"

"We're short on time, so let's skip the jokes and get straight to the point."

Zhou Wen said solemnly:

“I know that you have been secretly at odds with the Luo Wang quite a few times.”

"As for who among the farmers is interested in using nets right now..."

"The leader is one, you are another."

"Therefore, I need you to voluntarily reveal some secrets!"

"Those who try to uncover my secrets never end well." The hall master's eyes narrowed, but he did not directly refuse.

“If you satisfy me, I will naturally satisfy you.” Zhou Wen suddenly removed the mask from his face, revealing his true appearance.

From that handsome face, Lu Wei could see a lot: "This is a deal, and in the future, you will need to pay a little more price for it."

Zhou Wen nodded slowly: "The earth nourishes all things, and Shennong is immortal."

"I only hope that someone will carve the words 'Disciple of the Farmer' on my future tombstone..."

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