Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 177

But in the end, the solution will definitely be the one that gets approved by me.

Before this, Ying Zheng's interrogation of Lord Changping was not to persuade him, the King of Qin, but to persuade Wang Wan later.

"If I were to send you to quell the rebellion, how do you think you should appease the rioters?" Ying Zheng was pleased that Xiong Qi understood his meaning and continued to ask.

To appease the people, military generals cannot be sent to lead the suppression of this rebellion: it's not that they are incapable of appeasing the people, but rather that they are not suited to doing so...

Changping-kun is a trusted confidant who understands my thoughts and intentions, making him the perfect candidate.

"This matter is of great importance and should not be taken lightly. I need to personally arrive in Xinzheng before I can make a careful decision."

“Very good. When Wang Wan arrives later, you can discuss the details.”

...

Although the plan to capture Xinzheng was reported beforehand, the capture process still went smoothly.

With the private armies of the former powerful nobles as the main force, the first key targets of these "righteous armies" were the armory and the county magistrate's office. After obtaining a large number of weapons and cutting off the organizational connections of the Qin soldiers in the city, the Han army encountered almost no organized resistance during the remaining mopping-up operations.

The battles that couldn't be won on the banks of the Yellow River seemed to have been unleashed on this day... even though a significant portion of the Qin army within the city were, by definition, former Han people...

Wei Zhuang did not make a move during this process. Among the members of the Quicksand organization who were originally scattered around carrying out missions, Chi Lian and Bai Feng also quietly arrived in Xinzheng City.

They were forced to leave their homeland after this city burned down, and now they've returned to make it burn again.

With her hand resting on the intricately carved pillars of the old Korean royal palace, Chi Lian's face was filled with hidden sorrow. The once innocent Princess Hong Lian of Korea, after enduring countless fires, had been transformed into nothing more than a bloodthirsty, venomous snake...

She is now a ruthless and vicious assassin in the martial arts world. Among the enemies she has slaughtered in the past four years, in addition to her targets, there have also been many innocent people.

In terms of killing efficiency, Chi Lian can kill even faster than Bai Feng.

"The Qin troops in the surrounding cities were not mobilized; the plan succeeded."

Bai Feng leaned against the palace entrance, raising his hand to allow the silently approaching blue spy-winged bird to land on his slender fingers.

Listening to the melodious birdsong, Bai Feng translated the intelligence about the Qin army near Xinzheng that she had gathered.

“That empire appears powerful, yet it dares not expose the slightest weakness.” Wei Zhuang stood before the high steps outside the palace, looking down at the empty palace square, and explained emotionlessly, “When it loses even its powerful army, its fate will only be more tragic than our country’s.”

"Who can defeat the Qin army, which numbers a million?" Snapping back to reality from her reverie, Chi Lian swayed as she walked out of the palace and stopped beside the Master of Quicksand: "Chu? Qi? Or the Hundred Schools of Thought?"

“Neither.” A crimson glint appeared in Wei Zhuang’s eyes, as if the city of Xinzheng beneath his feet had burst into flames once more: “The only thing that can completely defeat a swordsman is that swordsman himself. The only thing that can completely destroy a country is that country itself.”

"There is one more thing that deserves our attention."

Bai Feng released the Spywing Bird, which flew to the other side behind Wei Zhuang:

"The quicksand orchestrated this rebellion in Xinzheng, but we were not relisted as wanted criminals."

"Given the capabilities of the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven), how could they not have investigated this?"

“Of course not.” Wei Zhuang’s lips curled into an amused expression. “This is the most useful information we’ve obtained since arriving in Xinzheng, besides achieving our plan.”

"Even an enemy's ally can sometimes become a partner!"

...

The quicksand awaited the next phase of their plan. The chaos they had instigated would now need to be suppressed by Qin themselves.

What we're really after is this small skirmish—the real war!

At this time, anyone still in the mood to drink in the taverns of Xinzheng City is a drunkard trying to find sobriety in his drunkenness.

For example, Tian Guang and Xiaoyaozi.

"It's really strange." Tian Guang swirled the wine in his glass and laughed, "Even though it's the first time I've met Brother Xiaoyao, he always gives me a sense of familiarity."

"People who share the same path will be attracted to each other by their common goals. Isn't that a matter of course?"

Xiaoyaozi refilled his wine cup, which he had just finished drinking, and calmly nodded, saying, "Just like how we came to Xinzheng together due to various coincidences."

Tian Guang's arrival in Xinzheng was no coincidence; he believed Xiaoyaozi was as well.

"A well-organized opera troupe always needs someone to perform on stage. Whether it's a blessing or a curse that we can enjoy such a performance up close is debatable."

“The entire city of Xinzheng is a stage, and since we live in the city, we are also part of the performance.”

"Oh, what does Brother Xiaoyao mean?"

"Last year, I visited Jicheng and met the new leader of the Mohist school. This leader later invited me to discuss a plan... Brother Tian Guang is also part of this plan, isn't he?"

------

Because the Qin state strictly suppressed news of the Xinzheng rebellion, most people in the world were unaware of its existence.

It's not difficult to keep it from ordinary people; they certainly shouldn't know this news. But those who should know haven't missed a lot of details either.

From Jiguancheng to Xiaoshengxianzhuang, and then to Jingxian County, people who paid attention to this news had different reactions.

Under the new leader's reorganization, the Mohist school was able to calm the people's hearts. The rebellion of the people of Xinzheng against Qin greatly inspired the Mohist disciples to uphold the spirit of Mohist chivalry. It was precisely because of the existence of these rebels that it proved that the cause they were doing was not a solitary endeavor.

The Confucian scholar Zhang Liang paused briefly, then silently dismissed the fact that his hometown's name was once again in the spotlight, continuing to prepare for the lessons he would teach his students the next day. He would definitely return to his hometown in the future, but now was not the time.

This rebellion will only bring more suffering and bloodshed to Xinzheng, even if there are likely deeper plans lurking behind it, those plans are still being built on the blood of countless innocent Koreans...

Upon learning of the rebellion in Xinzheng in Jing County, the Hall Master only used it as a starting point: he had been resting in Gonggong Hall for nearly two years, and it was time for him to emerge from seclusion, establish himself in the martial world, and once again undermine the foundation of the Qin state.

Under Xiao He's governance, the resources of Jing County were allocated in the most rational way, and the population of the county continued to grow. If the newly arrived refugees and Yue people were considered as disciples of Gonggong Hall, then with the power of just one hall, even if a civil war broke out openly, the peasants would be in Lu Wei's hands.

Master Lu, who obtained the Shennong Token, was destined to become the next leader of the heroes, and now, this matter has been completely secured.

The atmosphere at Jinghu Medical Village, which faces Jing County across the lake, is somewhat solemn today.

With her hair in pigtails, Xiao Yan'er stood on the shore of Yizhuang Lake, watching her crane friend 'Xiao Bai' gracefully spreading its wings towards her. Suddenly, she raised her hand and drew the Jingni Sword.

With a flash of sword light, the white crane had no time to react before its head fell off...

Chapter 199 The Darkened Immortal Doctor

It wasn't easy to drag the dead Little White into the medicine room.

The white crane wasn't particularly heavy, but its slender body was difficult for Xiao Yan'er to handle. After trying unsuccessfully, she had no choice but to put it down and ask two maids for help.

"Sister Duanmu said that Sister Xue Nu's delivery time may be tonight or tomorrow. A few days ago, I saw in a book that there is a White Crane Ginseng Soup that is extremely nourishing."

When the two maids were summoned, they were so surprised to see the large bird lying on the ground, its body still twitching slightly, that they opened their mouths wide.

They knew how much Miss Yan'er liked this white crane, and because the crane often appeared near the medical manor, the two ladies had grown accustomed to seeing it and would also admire its elegant figure.

Now it's actually...

"Little White is a gentle bird. It did not refuse to give itself to you. You take care of Little White first, and I will go prepare the herbs needed for the soup later."

Kneeling down, Ji Yan plucked the most beautiful feather from the large bird's wing as a memento of their friendship. After instructing her maid to take care of things, Wen Ya headed towards the pharmacy.

"Miss Yan'er is truly compassionate, willing to sacrifice her favorite toy to take care of Miss Xue Nu's health."

"Yes, I heard from my elders that there was once an upright knight-errant in the martial world who killed his own child to serve as food to his benefactor in order to repay a debt of gratitude. He was admired by all the knights-errant in the world. Although Miss Yan'er is a woman, if today's events were to spread, she would surely be praised by the disciples in the hall as well."

The whispered conversation between the two maids reached Xiao Yan'er's ears clearly. She looked down at the feather she was holding, kept her feet steady, and pursed her lips without saying a word.

Later, the story reached Lu Wei's ears when he returned from accompanying Duanmu Rong to gather herbs.

Xiao Duanmu, who was also listening to the story, was initially surprised. She also liked the white crane quite a bit, but after all, the reason it was killed was to make soup for Ah Xue to nourish her body.

Duanmu Rong felt a little regretful, but she didn't care about him. After putting down the medicine basket, the first thing she did was run into the medicine preparation room to check on the progress of the decoction.

The sect leader stroked his chin and thought for a moment. After memorizing this trick, he didn't squeeze in to join the fun. Instead, he smiled and walked into the Snow Woman's room.

"It smells so good! A light and unique fragrance has been wafting into the yard since the afternoon, and it has woken me up."

Snow Maiden leaned against the headboard, with Lu Ni by her side. Although she had witnessed the Moon Goddess giving birth, she was still somewhat nervous about facing such a moment for the first time.

Lu Ni held Xue Nu's hand tightly, having been responsible for relieving her stress these past few days.

As the door opened, a slightly stronger, more enticing aroma wafted in, causing Ah Xue's nostrils to twitch slightly. She then asked Lu Wei, who had walked over, in a sweet voice.

"Yan'er is preparing soup for you. It will be served soon."

"Yan'er is so good, it's no wonder I've doted on her for so long~" Xue Nu said with delight. She had always liked Xiao Yan'er, and now that she was able to receive the soup made by Xiao Yan'er herself, she was naturally even happier than usual.

Lu Ni knew that her daughter had been studying Han Feizi's works these days, but she couldn't remember her looking at any recipes. However, considering that her daughter was always intelligent, she probably had seen them occasionally before and remembered them.

The main ingredient smells like meat broth, but I don't know what kind of meat it is; the aroma is so tempting.

In the medicine-brewing room, a specially prepared, huge earthenware pot was bubbling and boiling.

"Thank goodness you remembered to move my little jars and herbs out, otherwise they would have been ruined because of your soup."

Adding firewood to the huge earthenware pot to keep the fire within a certain range, Duanmu Rong pretended to be angry and glared at Ji Yan, scolding him for using her own medicine-making room to brew soup.

Xiao Yan blinked and stared back at her without saying a word. Duanmu Rong was now at a loss for words. Just as she was hesitating over her words, the young girl suddenly stepped forward and reached for Duanmu Rong's waist sash...

"Sister Duanmu, you tied your ribbon backwards."

Ji Yan's sudden approach caught the Mirror Lake Healer off guard. The little girl circled around her again, and Duanmu Rong remained clueless throughout.

Ji Yan took another step closer, lowered his head to carefully examine the bluish-white belt around her waist, and after confirming that he wasn't mistaken, he said something shocking: "Did the hall master tie it for you again when you were gathering herbs today?"

The child's voice was full of curiosity.

"Little Yan, don't talk nonsense!" Startled, Duanmu Rong quickly covered Ji Yan's mouth with her hand. After turning her head and seeing that there was no one else in the medicine room and that the maid had already left, she put her arm around the little girl's shoulder. Then she looked down and saw that the small herbal pattern on her blue and white ribbon was indeed upside down. Her face turned slightly red: "How could it be tied by Brother Lu? I tied it backwards by accident."

The herbal pattern on her sash was very small, and the difference between the front and back was not significant; most people could not even tell that it was the right or wrong side.

“But Sister Duanmu’s sash was tied correctly when we went out this morning.” The clever Xiaoyan’er was not easily fooled: “Besides, Sister Duanmu’s way of tying the sash is completely different from Brother Tangzhu’s. The way it’s tied now is clearly different… Waaah.”

Before she could finish speaking, her mouth was covered again. Biting her lip, Duanmu Rong simply pressed the girl's speech and immobilization acupoints, then turned around, angrily untied the ties, and re-tied them.

"Yan'er, you know a lot of secrets~"

Reaching up to rub her face, Duanmu Rong turned around again, a smirk playing on her lips. Her purple eyes, beneath her willow-leaf eyebrows, maliciously scrutinized the immobilized girl, and she chuckled coldly.

What usually happens to disobedient children?

"Waaah..." Seeing that her usually gentle doctor sister had suddenly turned into a dark figure, even though she knew it was a joke, Ji Yan still quickly circulated her inner energy to try to break through the sealed acupoints.

But this time, Duanmu Rong used her unique medical techniques, and Xiaoyan could only watch as her eager sister Duanmu approached her step by step...

A brilliant mind sometimes needs to be supported by physical strength. Their playful antics in the pharmacy didn't disturb the cozy atmosphere in the main room at all...

------

For the Mirage Project, Yun Zhongjun, a Yin-Yang alchemist deeply trusted by the King of Qin, went out to investigate a large coastal area and even traversed the densely forested Yue region. In the end, he chose Sanghai, the place where he started, as the construction site for the Mirage.

Although that area was Qi territory, preliminary work for construction could already be prepared.