Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 333

Lu Wei's plan was to enter the pass quickly and not waste time in Xingyang. So while he was setting up the attacking army, he used the most effective method: sending someone to infiltrate Xingyang to carry out the assassination.

This is not a purely historical world. Of course, martial arts masters will use decapitation tactics whenever possible. Under normal circumstances, they cannot complete this task alone, but having a large army outside the city to cover them is a different story.

Lu Wei has a number of subordinates, including the master of transformation, Da Siming and Hei Qilin, as well as Dao Zhi, who is skilled in lightness skills, Gai Nie, who can cut off throats with a single blade, Gao Jianli, and many others. The most reliable assassin would of course be Prince Qi himself, but unfortunately, the least reliable assassin would also be Prince Qi himself.

Given his current position, Lu Wei cannot risk his life alone. A mistake could shatter the newly formed Qi state. Forget about Xingyang; this is a price worth more than the entire world. After all, he desires the world, and if he is not the master of it, he would rather destroy everything.

With both military force and assassinations employed, good news first came from the south after June began.

Li Mu used two large camps and the Mohist White Tiger mechanical beast to block Ren Xiao's army, trapping 200,000 Qin soldiers in the Yishan Mountains for several months. After gaining naval superiority, the morale of the Qin army quickly declined as the weather warmed up.

When Ren Xiao learned that the bandits possessed the Mo family's White Tiger mechanical beast, he had no choice but to halt his offensive and begin building heavy catapults. He also deployed heavy crossbows urgently requisitioned from the rear to set traps. There was a standard procedure for dealing with mechanical beasts within the Qin army.

The rebels' mechanical beasts alerted Ren Xiao to the enemy's unusual nature, but he couldn't retreat just because of a few mechanical beasts. The Prime Minister's letter was urging him to pacify the two counties as soon as possible and then head straight for the rebels' main camp in Qi.

In this way, the Qi army, having lost their homeland, will surely be thrown into chaos. At that time, the Northern Great Wall Legion should also return, and a single charge will be enough to behead the false king.

Thinking of this, Ren Xiao committed more offensive forces. At this time, Li Mu’s ability to coordinate and allocate military forces and supplies was demonstrated. His command ability enabled the two counties’ armies, which had fewer troops, to maintain their morale and keep their internal situation stable. Peng Yue would occasionally launch surprise attacks on the Qin army’s supplies and aid by taking mountain roads or waterways, making it difficult for the Qin army to defend against.

If our side makes no mistakes and maintains high morale, the Qin army, though numerous, will be unable to advance or retreat and will be constantly disturbed. The two counties' armies will face considerable pressure in this defensive battle, but they are capable of withstanding it.

When the June sun made both banks of the river sweltering, forcing the Qin army to retreat deeper into the dense forests to escape the heat, Li Mu, with ample supplies and supported by Xiao He, decisively launched a fatal attack:

Taking advantage of their overwhelming naval superiority, Li Mu personally led the Jiangbei army across the Yangtze River, carrying flammable materials and singing Chu folk songs as they charged into the Qin army's central camp, where Ren Xiao was stationed. The Jiangnan army also launched an attack from the east, setting Yishan ablaze.

Without boats to cross the river for reinforcements, the Qin army's Jiangbei forces hastily launched a fierce attack on the Jiangbei camp, only to be scattered by Peng Yue's sudden appearance from the mountainside. Ultimately, they could only watch helplessly as the fire on the south bank of the river turned the sky crimson...

Exhausted and facing a much smaller force from two counties, the Qin army collapsed instantly in the face of the raging fire. The Chu people in the Qin army surrendered on their own initiative upon hearing the songs of their homeland. Ren Xiao completely lost control and was forced to flee. He was caught and killed by Li Mu, who was over sixty years old and led his personal guards.

At the same time, Yu Ziqi, with two thousand elite troops from the Shu Mountains, mobilized three thousand Shu civilians to form an army of more than five thousand men to attack Ziyang City from the rear. Although they failed to capture it, they forced the Qin army left behind in Shu to be on high alert and were unable to support the Yishan army.

In the end, Ziyang City did not receive the returning Qin army, but instead received troops from two counties.

Li Mu has defeated Ren Xiao and entered Shu.

Chapter 420 Zhao Tuo of the South

"What should we do now?"

Looking at the raging fire at Yishan, Chilian stepped forward to Weizhuang's side. In Liusha's original intention, this war was an opportunity to be included in their plan. However, as soon as the Qi State of Dazeshan was established, the righteous armies of the two counties immediately announced their surrender, which made the identity of the mastermind behind this rebellion self-evident.

The first uprising leader, Jing Gong, and the peasant hero who first advocated against Qin were the same person: Lu Wei.

The subsequent standoff between the two county armies and the Qin army did not give Liu Sha a chance to intervene. They defeated Ren Xiao and gained a good opportunity to enter Shu. The defeat of the 200,000-strong southern army brought the Qin state one step closer to its demise.

Now that Qin has lost its mandate, only Lu Wei remains as a pursuer. The remnants of the other six states and the powerful and influential figures in various regions do not lack the desire to establish their own armies. Rather, given the current state of affairs, almost everyone is a peasant, and establishing their own army would not only bring no benefits but could also lead to their eventual purge.

Seventy years have passed since the Qin and Qi dynasties, the two emperors of the east and west, but other forces at that time were not entirely powerless to resist. Now, the two countries that are still vying for the world are still the two nations.

The quicksand was not strong enough on its own, and the clearly defined world situation did not give anyone the opportunity to fish in troubled waters. If they did not want to miss this great change, then they had better find one side to join.

No matter how you look at it, if this choice had to be made, it seems that Liu Sha could only admit his mistake and return to farming: the Qin state was already universally condemned, and the name of the tyrannical Qin would not be forgotten even after a hundred or a thousand years. In addition, after the two counties' armies entered Shu and captured Hanzhong, they could seek an opportunity to attack Guanzhong from the south...

A few years ago, even if such an opportunity existed, the probability of success would have been extremely low. Everyone knows how difficult the Shu Road is. However, Qin currently lacks sufficient military strength and faces the threat of the main force of Qi in the east. It does not have enough power to specifically defend against the northern expeditions from Shu.

With attacks from both sides, if His Highness Prince Qi were to send another army to attack Wuguan, it would be a three-pronged attack, and the Great Wall Legion would certainly be unable to provide timely assistance.

The collapse of this vast empire was inevitable in the eyes of any discerning person. Although it appeared to have lasted only a few months, the underlying problems had begun from the very beginning of its unification, and could even be traced back to its conquest of the state of Han...

Chi Lian hadn't forgotten her memories of Korea; she especially remembered Wei Zhuang's promise: "To give myself a better Korea."

But now, she is unwilling to continue waiting for something that is impossible.

"Not everyone in the Qin state supports it, nor does everyone oppose it, and the same is true for the new Qi state."

Bai Feng couldn't explain why he insisted on chasing Liu Sha: Mo Ya, who could be considered his teacher, pointed Bai Feng towards the 'broken' sky before he died. On that day, he neither saved Mo Ya nor the woman who died in his arms.

He still couldn't save the doomed Quicksand, but Bai Feng didn't give up. He offered a rare suggestion: "The reason those local powerful figures don't dare to stand alone is because their individual strength is too weak. If someone could unite these scattered powerful figures..."

“It’s useless,” Wei Zhuang said calmly. “Those cowards who rule over a region can never decide victory; they can only choose to win.”

"When Qin came, they surrendered to Qin; when Qi came, they surrendered to Qi. It seemed that they would never lose and could keep their families alive. But if the people in power wanted, even an ordinary village head could use the power of the state to destroy them."

"They're just a bunch of pathetic speculators; they'll help whoever wins."

Chi Lian's gaze dimmed slightly upon hearing this. Since Wei Zhuang had described them as 'pathetic opportunists,' he certainly wouldn't make the same choice as them. In other words, he wouldn't lower his pride to side with Lu Wei: "Then shall we choose Qin? The cooperation between Liu Sha and Luo Wang is rarely harmonious..."

"No, we can do what those speculators dare not do." The actions of the Qin state over the years have destined it to perish, and surrendering to Qin at this time would undoubtedly be cutting off our own escape route.

"Shall we follow suit and raise an army in Xinzheng?" Chi Lian asked hesitantly. "That place is currently within the battlefield area between Lu Wei and Li You."

“No.” Wei Zhuang coldly denied her guess: “Don’t forget, there is another army that will be ignored for a long time to come.”

"You mean?" The former Korean princess Honglian's mind went blank.

"The land of Baiyue!" Wei Zhuang revealed the answer. Although Ren Xiao's 200,000-strong army had lost, Zhao Tuo still had 100,000 troops in Lingnan.

If these 100,000 soldiers don't go north to participate in the war in the Central Plains, they won't be seen as a thorn in anyone's side in the short term. This gives Wei Zhuang an opportunity, at least an opportunity to try.

“Baiyue…” Chi Lian paused for a moment, then smiled charmingly: “I remember, we had dealings with them in Korea before, and even became friends with some of them.”

“Yes, now, our experience dealing with the Yue people is our advantage.” Wei Zhuang turned away, no longer looking at the fire at Yishan. Now he only had one last choice left, a choice that would determine the fate of Liusha…

The news that Li Mu's army had invaded Shu was good news for Lu Wei, but it also urged him to hurry up and capture Xingyang.

It would be inappropriate for the reputation of being the first to enter the pass to fall into the hands of any outsider; only if His Highness Prince Qi obtains it can he be free from any worries.

Thinking of this, he patted the head of the Grand Master of Fate beneath him. In particular, the Fire Elder of the Yin-Yang School, who was well-versed in the art of transformation, naturally could not escape the tyranny of His Highness Prince Qi.

The Grand Master of Destiny, having transformed into her original appearance, removed the clothing that she considered strange and outlandish. She swallowed what was in her mouth, then transformed back into a member of the Qi army's personal guard and stepped out of the military tent. She had come to report on the assassination attempt on Li You, and incidentally, to demonstrate the mysteries of Yin-Yang magic to His Highness the King of Qi, which was also part of the official business of promoting the spread of Yin-Yang magic in the future new empire.

"Xingyang and Aocang are backed by the Yellow River. After tonight's surprise attack cuts off the connection between these two places, it's time to have the Vermilion Bird's airborne troops find an opportunity for the assassination team to enter the city!"

Sun Tzu's Art of War states that attacking cities is the worst strategy. The Xingyang-Aocang area has abundant supplies and troops, making a direct assault even more difficult.

However, if the connection between the two places could be severed, it would create a situation where one place has food but no safety, and the other has safety but no food. Li You took this into consideration and deployed heavy troops at the connection point between the two places. If attacked, both places could send troops to support each other. But this ultimately gave up the initiative on the battlefield.

Lu Wei had already devised a breakthrough plan, but just as Li Mu was anxiously waiting for Ren Xiao, he was also supposed to wait, but now he had no choice but to implement it ahead of schedule...

Li You's conventional defenses caused some trouble for the Qi army. However, in Guanzhong, the peasants' good 'ally' Luo Wang took the initiative to help him overcome this difficulty.

Zhao Gao made a move against Li Si...

Chapter 421 New Deal

The Qi army has already reached Xingyang, and one more step forward will take them to Hangu Pass.

Zhao Gao did not expect the situation to deteriorate so quickly. The lands of Yan and Zhao surrendered almost before the Qi army even arrived. The eastern counties of Wei also made tentative resistances but failed, so they simply let the Qi army run rampant on their territory.

The Chu region itself adopted a wait-and-see attitude towards the Qi army in the two counties. When the First Emperor was alive, they pretended to resist. However, upon hearing that the Second Emperor had returned to Xianyang and that the Qi state had been restored, the two counties of Changsha and Dongting were not so much conquered by the Qi army, but rather that the local governors voluntarily gave up the Yangtze River area as a battlefield between Qin and Qi.

A great fire in Yishan destroyed 200,000 southern troops, making the counties and prefectures in Jiangnan and Jiangbei instantly realize that they were about to change masters, and obediently waited for Xiao He of Jing County to send officials to organize the local household registration and geological maps.

The Chu region was remote, and the local minor nobles held the most power in the area among the seven states. Less than ten years had passed since they surrendered to Qin after Shouchun was captured, so they had no psychological burden in surrendering to Qi now.

When Xiao He sent a detachment to Shouchun, the Qin army did not resist and surrendered voluntarily. The tall city walls here had long been demolished, and it was wishful thinking to expect the local Chu people to support the Qin army when they knew there were other options. Besides, these Qin soldiers were also living in poverty, and a large proportion of the middle and lower-ranking soldiers were from Chu.

With Qi and Chu in ruins and the Three Jin states in peril, the only hope for the Yan and Dai regions lies with the Great Wall Army, but Zhao Gao no longer expects the Great Wall Army to win.

Excluding South Korea, it took Wang Jian and Wang Ben ten years to conquer five states, and the attack on Chu alone required the mobilization of 600,000 troops. Wang Li's own abilities were inferior to those of his grandfather and father, and his Great Wall Army was neither superior in number nor in combat strength compared to the army that had attacked Chu...

Such a risky attack could very well result in being swallowed up by the former territories of the six states.

While the grain transport routes in Zhao are still intact, we should quickly retreat from the north back to Guanzhong and defend Hangu Pass to the death!

In this way, the Qin Dynasty could recuperate for another hundred years, and if the Qin state of the Ying family were replaced by the Qin state of Zhao Gao, it might not be impossible to reunify the world.

Could it be that Lu Wei, a lowly deserter, and his descendants could govern the six states of Shandong, which even the First Emperor could not govern well?

The primary task now is to defend Guanzhong to the death, so those factors that are unfavorable to Guanzhong and to my rule over the Qin state must be eliminated as soon as possible.

Li Si was the first; he gained a certain degree of trust from Hu Hai, though not as much as he himself, but ultimately could not be kept...

...

"Prime Minister Li, Han Fei, whom the late Emperor admired, once said: 'Ancient rulers were always diligent.' But is becoming an emperor just about suffering and toil?"

In a side hall of the palace, Hu Hai summoned Li Si and asked him how to become an emperor.

However, the process was somewhat different from what Li Si had imagined: "In my opinion, it was all due to the incompetence of those so-called wise men!"

Hu Hai's words were astonishing, and Li Si stroked his beard...unable to comment for a long time.

"A truly wise emperor should make the world adapt to his will. If an emperor cannot even satisfy his own pleasures, how can he govern the world well?" The Second Emperor nodded matter-of-factly and continued, "I aspire to be such a wise emperor. Does Prime Minister Li have anything to teach me?"

"This..." Li Si felt the Emperor's eager and expectant gaze and hesitated, "Han Fei's theories do indeed have many errors. Your Majesty might as well implement the 'method of supervision and accountability'."

"What is 'supervision and accountability'?" Hu Hai asked with great interest.

"Your Majesty should indulge in your desires and not toil and exhaust yourself. As long as you supervise your subjects and reward them lightly and punish them severely, you can remain in your high position for a long time, hold great power, and monopolize the benefits of the world."

Li Si stepped back, bowed, and said, "If Your Majesty were to be so supreme, you would not need to do everything personally like Yao and Shun. Otherwise, as the emperor, you would be working even harder than the common people. Wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse?"

"Good, this is good!" Hu Hai clapped his hands in delight, very satisfied with Li Si's words, and smiled as he asked him to formulate a plan to be promulgated throughout the country.

As soon as the prime minister left, Zhao Gao came out from behind the screen in the side hall and respectfully bowed to His Majesty the Second Emperor.

"No need." Hu Hai waved his hand casually, looked towards the palace gate, and laughed, "The Prime Minister is still willing to worry about me. Zhao Gao, do you think this test is not enough?"

"Does Your Majesty know why the Prime Minister is so uneasy today?" Zhao Gao asked Hu Hai calmly, reciting the prepared words.

"Oh?" Hu Hai did notice that Li Si was somewhat hesitant today, but his restlessness prevented him from seeing it: "What have you discovered?"

"Your Majesty, Prime Minister Li's eldest son, Li You, is the governor of Sanchuan Commandery. Today, the Luo Net discovered that the Prime Minister secretly issued an order for governors of multiple commanderies to transport money, grain, and soldiers to Sanchuan Commandery. The number of Qin troops gathered in Sanchuan Commandery now exceeds 100,000, and the grain supplies stored at Ao Cang are countless... And Xingyang is only a stone's throw away from Hangu Pass!"

"You mean to say that Li Si is plotting a rebellion?" A hint of disbelief flashed in Hu Hai's heterochromatic eyes: "He is already the prime minister, does he still want to become the emperor?"

"Has Your Majesty forgotten that all of Prime Minister Li's sons have married princesses of the Empire, and all his daughters have married princes of the Empire?" Zhao Gao reminded him.

This is true. More than 20 years ago, Li Si joined Ying Zheng from the position of Marquis Wenxin, Lü Buwei, who was then the prime minister. He had always enjoyed Ying Zheng's trust and received the most favors and riches.

But after Hu Hai ascended the throne, he killed almost all of his brothers and sisters...

Even though Hu Hai didn't think he was wrong, and Li Si didn't object, who knows what he was really thinking?

The consensus reached at the court meeting that day, at the cost of a minister's life, was that there were petty thieves outside the pass. Now, the evidence that Li You had gathered a large army is conclusive. With just a little investigation, the charge of treason against Li Si can be firmly established.

'Perhaps we can try to communicate with Lu Wei again. I'll get the Qin territory, and he'll get the six states of Shandong. That's a more favorable deal.'

"Is that so... Zhao Gao, has the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven) already obtained evidence?" Hu Hai was still somewhat hesitant.

"Your Majesty, please wait a few days; the evidence will arrive on its own."

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