Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 341

Thinking of this, Lu Wei couldn't help but feel a surge of heroic spirit. He rode on his horse and recited loudly: "The wind rises again, dust and smoke rise, heroes return, years pass in vain, the world is pacified, peace and prosperity will last forever, the mountains and rivers are unified, and the world will prosper for ten thousand generations."

It was a casual remark and had little literary value, but most importantly, he openly expressed his idea of ​​inheriting the Qin Empire's eternal legacy, completely dispelling the thoughts of some of his subordinates who wanted to restore the Zhou Dynasty's feudal system.

Of those who contributed enough to the uprising that destroyed Qin, only Li Mu of Shu was worthy of being enfeoffed. However, Lu Wei had already discussed this matter with Li Mu, and he did not seek enfeoffment. Those whose contributions were not as great as Li Mu's were even less qualified to demand enfeoffment.

"The Eternal Empire is just one step away. According to scouts, they have spotted Qin troops flying the Great Wall Legion's banner. A proper open battle is about to begin."

Chen Ping, who was standing next to Prince Qi, took the military report from Zhang Liang, glanced at it, and then raised his hand to report: "The troop strength is estimated to be over 30,000, and it is an outpost."

"Han Xin in the northern frontier has tied down Wang Li's battle-hardened armored soldiers and the Anbei garrison army. Now that the Great Wall army is returning exhausted, it's the perfect opportunity to give them a head-on blow!"

Lu Wei analyzed the overall situation: "After defeating this Qin army, Xianyang will only have 50,000 defenders left. The other soldiers temporarily recruited cannot be of much use... Immediately send Dian Qing as the vanguard to deploy the Twenty-Four Earthly Destinations to hold off the enemy. Ying Bu and Fan Kuai will each lead their troops to flank from the flanks, and Zhang Er will serve as a reserve force ready to provide support at any time."

"We, the Yin-Yang School, will serve as guides for the two generals who are flanking us from behind," Xinghun said, spurring his horse forward and volunteering for the task.

The Yin-Yang School once held a prestigious position in the Qin region and possessed an exceptional understanding of the terrain.

“Hmm,” Lu Wei naturally wouldn’t refuse. With his command, the entire army quickly sprang into action.

In a narrow encounter, the brave prevail. This is the Qin army's home ground, yet they cannot gain any support from it.

Although no one outside the Qi army knew that Wu Chen and Zhou Wen had fled back to Xianyang via a back road, their actions revealed that this army hadn't even received news of the fall of Hangu Pass, meaning they had no idea what lay ahead...

...

Ziying was Ying Zheng's younger brother and Huhai's uncle. It was because of this identity that he was able to survive Huhai's massacre of the royal family and gain some power.

Hu Hai's death list not only included his own brothers, but also spared no princesses of his generation who had no competitive advantage, using a frenzied approach to ensure that he was the only one nominally qualified to ascend the throne.

As an elder of the previous generation, Ziying was not at ease knowing that he had been spared from being killed. In order to survive or to preserve his useful body, he tried his best to please Zhao Gao.

Hu Hai was a sixteen-year-old boy who was completely blinded by supreme power. The palace was even more extravagant than when the First Emperor was alive. Zhao Gao satisfied all of this and was not only directly appointed as the prime minister, but also staged a farce of "calling a deer a horse" a few days ago.

A thing that defied common sense happened in the imperial court, yet His Majesty the Second Emperor merely clapped his hands and shouted "fun!" How could this not chill the hearts of the ministers?

"Bandits from beyond the pass have already reached Hangu Pass, yet no one in the court dares to intervene. If this continues, the centuries-old foundation established by our ancestor Feizi will be shattered!"

Ziying paced anxiously around the mansion. Only his two sons and his trusted eunuch Han Tan were in the hall. Ziying poured out all his worries.

The entire city of Xianyang is under the surveillance of the Net, and the only people Ziying can trust are the three people in front of him.

He was unaware that Hangu Pass had fallen, but the news of the Lishan convict uprising could not be kept from the officials in Xianyang: "Although the Lishan convict uprising was suppressed by the Great Wall Army, the real result was only a defeat rather than a complete solution, and the escaped convicts have become a major problem for the security of various counties in Guanzhong."

"Prime Minister Li, Prime Minister Feng, and General Feng were all killed by Zhao Gao. If we want to save the Qin dynasty, we must get rid of these officials!"

"However, the Luo Net is heavily guarded, Zhao Gao himself has profound inner strength, and now he holds the high position of Prime Minister. It would be very difficult for you, my lord, to find an opportunity to make a move against him."

Han Tan was relatively familiar with Zhao Gao because of his status, and knew that ordinary assassination strategies would be useless against this master of the inescapable net. Moreover, the second emperor in the court was protecting him, making it even more difficult to take action.

"That's why I'm trying to please him, hoping to find an opportunity..." Ziying's distress was evident in his words. He usually had to pretend to be obedient in public, and home was the only place where he could release his stress.

"Even if His Majesty the Second Emperor wants to kill me afterward, I will rid the empire of this scourge!"

“In that case, we should try every means to get Zhao Gao away from places he is familiar with…” Han Tan actively suggested to Ziying.

The secret conversation in the mansion did not leak out, but what Ziying did not expect was that Huhai, whom he considered Zhao Gao's protector, had become Zhao Gao's next target to be eliminated.

"Has Hangu Pass been captured by Lu Wei?" Zhao Gao toyed with the Black Widow Spider representing the Net in his hand, glanced absentmindedly at the disheveled Zhou Wen and Wu Chen, and after a long silence, said, "You may go down first. The other four sword slaves are already in place, and you can start training together."

The dejection in his voice was unbelievable; this was the Lord of the Heavenly Net.

Faced with the overwhelming tide of history, Zhao Gao was ultimately powerless; he simply couldn't understand why he had failed...

Why was Lu Wei's Qi army able to smoothly enter Guanzhong from Daze Mountain and trample the only victor of centuries of war, Qin, under his feet?

The Net had clearly taken control of everything...

"Everything will be alright once the Great Wall Legion launches its attack..."

Zhao Gao's lips curled back into a confident smile of 'having everything under control,' but in his heart, that confidence had vanished.

'No matter what, I must sit on the Qin Emperor's throne at least once!'

Even if it's just for a day, or even an hour!

Chapter 435 Hidden Dragon Unsheathed

The casting material used for the Eight Swords of the King of Yue is called "red gold ore," and its history can be traced back to the time of the great battle between the Yellow Emperor and Chiyou.

Legend has it that these eight exquisite swords were forged hundreds of years ago when King Goujian of Yue sacrificed white horses and white oxen to the gods of Kunwu Mountain and followed the energy of the eight directions of heaven and earth.

Unfortunately, two of them had already fallen into Lu Wei's hands. Xuan Jian was broken and could not be repaired, and Que Xie was changed to Wang Liang because it did not fit the temperament of Luo Wang. Thus, the eight swords lost their former power after falling into Luo Wang's hands.

The missing sword was replaced by Chaos God, making the Six Sword Slaves a product of compromise. Even though the previous generation of Six Sword Slaves could almost instantly kill any master in the world when they joined forces, they were still replaced by themselves, proving that this path cannot be invincible...

Looking at the new six sword slaves, including Zhou Wen, Wu Chen did not believe that he and his companions could surpass the generation that had been working together for more than ten years, let alone play any role in the current world situation.

If it were an assassination attempt on Prince Qi, Lu Wei, even if they found an opportunity, they wouldn't be able to defeat that person. But if it were an assassination attempt on other targets...

Wu Chen reconsidered his plan and concluded that Zhou Wen's cooperation was essential; they needed to have an open and honest discussion.

Zhao Gao then issued another order to Wang Li, demanding an immediate retreat to Guanzhong. After intensifying his reconnaissance of the front lines, Zhao Gao went to Wangyi Palace to pay his respects to Hu Hai.

After he purged the last group of court officials who dared to oppose him by pointing at a deer and calling it a horse, Hu Hai had a great time in court. However, after court, he realized what had happened and summoned the chief diviner in charge of sacrifices. After questioning him, he learned that it was due to evil spirits. So he moved out of the Xianyang Palace and went to the Wangyi Palace to meditate.

Zhao Gao and Shusun Tong strongly agreed with this, and out of trust in these two ministers, the Second Emperor entrusted the affairs of state to them.

The security of Wangyi Palace was overseen by Yan Le, and no minister other than Zhao Gao himself was allowed to disturb His Majesty the Emperor.

From that time onward, the Qin state truly became a place where Zhao Gao held absolute power.

Tai Bu was a disciple of the Yin-Yang School and was in charge of divination during the reign of the First Emperor. He did not follow the main force of the Yin-Yang School out of Guanzhong but stayed in Xianyang. Zhao Gao saw that he cooperated and did not replace him.

As a Confucian disciple, Shusun Tong was disliked by Zhao Gao. However, like Ziying, Shusun Tong's behavior, despite his attempts to gain favor with Huhai, clearly demonstrated that he understood who was the master of Xianyang at the moment.

These two men were just a microcosm of the many ministers in the court, representing the power that had already submitted to Zhao Gao. Therefore, even if they had some 'minor problems,' Zhao Gao turned a blind eye to them.

At Wangyi Palace, Hu Hai was drinking and making merry; his entertainment consisted only of these sensual pleasures.

At the beginning of his reign, as the second emperor, Hu Hai had thought of following his father, Emperor Ying Zheng, in making an eastern tour and completing the mirage-seeking ceremony that his father had not finished. However, there were many bandits outside the pass and insufficient food and supplies in the country. In order to demonstrate the emperor's benevolence, he had to give up the matter.

Hu Hai planned to make his eastern tour after the country had become prosperous and strong in a few years.

When he saw Zhao Gao arrive, he ignored him with his intoxicated eyes and continued to enjoy the music and dance.

Zhao Gao stepped forward to pour wine for His Majesty the Emperor. Knowing that he disliked state affairs, he never discussed them. Instead, he reported on the executions of court officials. Upon hearing this, Hu Hai's eyes lit up: "When will the executions take place?"

"Your Majesty, it will be the day after tomorrow," Prime Minister Zhao replied calmly.

"Alright, I'll go and see for myself. Let's arrange their execution days all together. It's rare to have something fun like this; it would be too painful if it all disappeared at once."

Even the most enjoyable songs and dances can become tiresome after a while. Hu Hai, who was well-versed in Qin law, treated the implementation of cruel punishments as a performance. Although he was not old, his mind had already become warped. Now that he had obtained supreme power, he became even more tyrannical.

Not only was he no less enslaving of the people than his father in large-scale projects, but he was also even more cruel in the implementation of private torture.

Having set the time for Huhai's journey, Zhao Gao didn't stay long before withdrawing to minimize his disturbance to the emperor... even though this emperor only had two more days to live...

Before leaving, he gave Yan Le a meaningful look, and the latter nodded in understanding.

The commotion at Wangyi Palace continued; the empire's splendor remained at its highest level here...

------

After several days and nights of long marching with only a few hours of rest, Xiang Yu and Tianming, riding three warhorses in turns, followed the main force across Yanmen County and Yunzhong County, and then circled back to Taiyuan from Shang County.

This elite cavalry force, totaling eight hundred men, has arrived here. Their purpose is self-evident: as a surprise force that Wang Li could never have imagined, they will directly attack the Great Wall Army's temporary granary in Taiyuan County and then strike the Qin reinforcements that are on their way to the battlefield.

Charging 100,000 men with 800 cavalry was tantamount to suicide, but Han Xin was confident, the cavalry commander Yan Bing was confident, and Xiang Yu and Tianming in the cavalry were even more confident!

The battlefield was too large for them to roam freely.

Although the Great Wall Legion was an elite force, their food supplies were insufficient from the beginning due to the fall of Aocang. Transporting food from Guanzhong to the northern border was inconvenient due to the lack of passageways. Moreover, Guanzhong also began to experience food shortages after losing Bashu and Aocang. In addition, the main duty of the Great Wall Legion was to retreat, so there would be no extra food supplies to be transported to the front line for them to consume.

The combined effect of these conditions was that the Great Wall Army's food reserves were extremely 'precise,' with not a single grain wasted.

Later, because Wang Li led his troops out of command to attack Han Xin, extending the supply distance, this gap appeared early on. However, the soldiers could still manage by eating less each day. But if they continued to add fuel to the fire on such a basis, the Qin army would collapse on its own.

Just as Li Mu's great fire in Yishan in the south scattered 200,000 Qin soldiers in the south, Han Xin also wanted to use a great fire to wipe out 180,000 soldiers of the Great Wall army.

Gripping his lance tightly, Xiang Yu felt his blood boiling; this great battle truly excited him!

In the original Qin-Chu War, it was Wang Li's grandfather, Wang Jian, who defeated his grandfather, Xiang Yan. Now, Xiang Yu intends to wash away this humiliation with the hottest blood and use it as the starting point of his military career.

Tianming sensed his friend's feelings and decided to protect him and help him complete this charge.

The cavalry commander Yan Bing is renowned for his strength and bravery at Daze Mountain, while Xiang Yu also accomplished the feat of lifting a tripod in the Mo family's mechanical city. The spearhead charge formed by these two would be a nightmare for the Qin army!

At Yanmen Pass, Han Xin, his slender figure draped in a white robe, stepped out of the camp, gazing up at the starry sky, the Hidden Dragon Sword at his waist faintly humming.

"Yan Bing should have started; we can launch a preemptive strike tomorrow!"

The hidden dragon has been unsheathed.

Chapter 436 The Overlord's First Battle

The hottest part of summer has passed, and as the weather cools down, the air also becomes drier.

In recent years, there have been frequent droughts in the summer, which has also increased the chill of autumn and winter. Xiang Yu rubbed his hands together on his horse, put on his armor, and felt his face stinging from the cool night wind.

The long-distance run was extremely physically demanding, but it also added the biggest surprise to this battle for them.

Now, it's time to turn this accident into a gift and give it away.

"Xiang Yu, you lead two hundred cavalry to charge from the left flank later. I will lead the main force to flank and launch a second wave of attack."

Yan Bing rode up to him and calmly gave him instructions. Xiang Yu nodded emphatically and accepted the order.

Although he did not reveal his identity as the young master of the Xiang clan when he joined the Qi army, he was quickly approached by the commander-in-chief Yan Bing after arriving at the front line and setting off as a cavalryman.

According to Yan Bing, he recognized him from the beginning because of another surviving member of the Xiang clan: Xiang Bo.

Xiang Bo had a close relationship with the Farmer's Family. He was rescued by Zhang Liang and came to Daze Mountain together, but left because he had the secret of "Bear Heart". After that, he never broke off the contact, even though it was always the Farmer's Family that was in contact with him.

For a long time, Xiang Bo had been secretly spreading rumors about Xiong Xin to divert attention from the real Mi Xin and to promote the fallen Chu state. As a result, he had to move around to remote places and wander the world, and his reputation was very little.

When the news of the restoration of the State of Qi and the extermination of the Xiang clan reached him, Xiang Bo only grieved briefly before immediately heading to Linzi.

There, Xiang Bo joined the Qi court and, together with Zi Wu, led the army back to Chu to open up the passage connecting with Jing County, and continued to purge the local powerful clans in Chu who were not loyal enough.

Therefore, the Xiang clan cannot be said to have completely perished.

Of course, revealing Xiang Bo's information was just an excuse; the real reason Yan Bing knew about Xiang Yu was because of Xu Fu.

After their meeting in Licheng, Xu Fu, who was only seven years old, returned home and immediately informed the Moon Goddess of Xiang Yu and Tianming's appearance. There was no need to send such a trivial matter to the front line for Lu Wei to handle personally; she arranged everything herself.