area51novel Chapter 213 Fengshan at Mount Tai
Chapter 213 Fengshan at Mount Tai
Lü Buwei's smile vanished, his voice dry: "Grand Preceptor, may you have good fortune. As for my affairs... that's none of your business. By the way—your old friend from Han is currently staying at my residence. Won't the Grand Preceptor come and visit him?"
Blood-Clad Marquis Bai Yifei!
It really was him. An old friend from Han? That's quite intriguing.
Lin Tian's heart sank suddenly—Xuan Jian... was probably in grave danger.
Bai Yifei may not have known about Xuan Jian's later misfortunes, but there is one crucial detail: Xuan Jian secretly entered the Qin state.
As for Li Wu's matter... Lin Tian's eyelids twitched; it was probably something that couldn't be kept secret for a long time.
This is a very troublesome matter. Once Lü Buwei learns that Li Wu is in his hands, who knows what kind of storm he will cause.
But on second thought, Xuan Jian could take this opportunity to clear himself of any wrongdoing—fortune and misfortune are always intertwined, and it might just be a turning point.
"Visit?" Lin Tian scoffed, lightly flicking his sleeve. "The Prime Minister's residence is surrounded by high walls and deep courtyards. The threshold is too high for me to cross. Prime Minister Lü, don't laugh too hard. If you break your skin, no one will mend it for you." Before he finished speaking, he flicked his sleeve, turned around and left, not even sparing a glance.
"Prime Minister Lü! This boy has no respect for his elders and is extremely arrogant. If he is not eliminated, the court will be in turmoil!"
"Let's use today as an excuse to thoroughly crush his arrogance!"
"All civil and military officials shall obey the Prime Minister's orders!"
His subordinates and attendants argued and shouted, their spittle almost splashing onto Lü Buwei's clothes.
Lu Buwei merely squinted at Lin Tian's retreating figure, his withered fingers slowly stroking the jade pendant at his waist, a cold smile playing on his lips: "Hmph... the time isn't right yet."
At this moment, Ying Zheng did not retreat to the inner hall, but sat upright in the main hall, waiting for Lin Tian. Seeing him lift the curtain and enter, he leaped down from the steps, rushed forward, grabbed Lin Tian's wrist, and pulled him into the inner court.
He walked along, complaining, his tone urgent and muffled: "These envoys from the six kingdoms are clearly here for me!"
After listening to his detailed explanation, Lin Tian realized that the so-called "alliance" was nothing but a fig leaf—behind it all was interrogation, questioning, and naked coercion.
In particular, the crucial information revealed by the Zhao envoy caused Ying Zheng's heart to sink and his brows to furrow. He summoned Lin Tian that very night, precisely for this matter.
The State of Zhao and the Xiongnu Chanyu secretly concluded a treaty:
If the Qin state refuses to disclose the whereabouts of Han Fei, Zhang Liang, and others, and refuses to provide an explanation that would convince the other six states, when the allied forces of the feudal lords arrive at the border of Han and Wei and march straight towards Hangu Pass on the agreed date, the Xiongnu cavalry will also march south simultaneously, breaking through the pass along the Yinshan line and driving straight to the walls of Xianyang.
Lin Tian was slightly shocked after hearing this—he originally thought that it was already difficult for Bai Yifei to maneuver among the various states, but he did not expect that this game of chess would be played so ruthlessly.
He looked up at Ying Zheng and asked, "Your Majesty, is the current ruler of Zhao King Youmou?"
"It is indeed King Qian of Zhao," Ying Zheng replied. "This man has inherited the ancestral teachings of the Zhao family and acts with composure, unlike a muddle-headed ruler."
"Ancestral precepts?" Lin Tian chuckled. "Isn't it just about learning from the barbarians to wear narrow-sleeved short tunics and hone their horsemanship and archery skills? That alone isn't enough to uphold the title of 'wise ruler.' Whether he's incompetent or not will be judged by this move—" He paused, his gaze sharpening slightly, "Could it be that Bai Yifei is behind this again?"
This plan strikes at the heart of the Qin state: it is besieged by the Xiongnu in the north and pressured by the six states in the west, leaving it vulnerable to attacks from both sides and unable to defend itself.
The two strolled slowly to the rear hall, passed through the vermilion pillars, and stepped onto the blue stone steps. At the end of those steps was a deep, winding corridor leading to the inner palace.
Lin Tian suddenly stopped and turned to look at Ying Zheng: "Does the King of Qin really think this idea came from Bai Yifei?"
Ying Zheng pondered for a moment, then slowly shook his head: "The Marquis of Blood Robe does possess strategic acumen, but it is limited to power struggles and court checks and balances. He is still lacking in the grand strategy of military maneuvering that involves millions of soldiers and influences the fate of the world. Back in the state of Han, he still had to bow down to General Ji Wuye; how can a former official of a fallen state possibly control the affairs of the Zhao court?"
Lin Tian nodded, his brow furrowing slightly: "That's true. It's possible he was acting as a go-between among the six kingdoms, passing on messages and manipulating the situation—after all, he currently holds real power in Han. But this kind of high-level, insidious scheme… who orchestrated it?"
"Sir, are the Xiongnu really that troublesome?" Ying Zheng's tone still carried the sharpness unique to young people. "They are nothing more than a group of bandits who live by following the water and grass."
Looking at the young king before him, who was still somewhat green but had a burning gaze, Lin Tian sighed inwardly—there was so much he needed to teach him.
He smiled and countered, "Do you remember the situation of the six states and the solution I told you about before?"
"Every word the teacher taught me is etched in my heart; I dare not forget it even slightly!"
Lin Tian nodded. He knew that the man before him was more clear-headed, more diligent, and more incisive than any of the previous rulers of the Qin state.
His voice lowered: "This is a 'drive the wolf to devour the tiger' scenario—let the wolf bite the tiger, the tiger devour the wolf, and the hunter sits back and reaps the rewards. And the one who can simultaneously instigate both the Zhao state and the Xiongnu must be someone with deep roots in both sides."
The State of Zhao and the Xiongnu... have always been locked in a bloody war.
Lin Tian searched through his memories, but couldn't find such a person for the time being.
Using one wolf to devour another... truly a tactic designed to wipe out one's own lineage!
Ying Zheng replied in a deep voice, "Since its founding, the State of Zhao has been engaged in continuous warfare with the Northern Hu and Eastern Hu, and the fighting has never stopped."
Wait a minute—a relentless battle?!
A bolt of lightning struck Lin Tian's mind. He stared sharply at Ying Zheng: "You said... the Zhao state and the Xiongnu have been fighting to the death?"
"Exactly," Ying Zheng replied readily.
"Who led the troops?"
"Li Mu".
Li Mu!
The name immediately came to mind, and Lin Tian's mind suddenly cleared—the famous general of the Zhao state who had defeated the Xiongnu so badly that they dared not look south for ten years! Only he had the prestige to intimidate the Hu tribes, the achievements to win the trust of the Chanyu, and the power of life and death over the border troops.
With Li Mu's death, the State of Zhao collapsed.
Li Mu, one of the four great generals of the Warring States period, was the only tough nut to crack on Qin's path to conquering Zhao. The reason Zhao was able to maintain a stalemate with Qin for several years, with neither side gaining a decisive advantage, despite the First Emperor's massive army pressing in, was entirely due to his strategic planning and personal supervision of the battles.
After listening to Lin Tian's detailed analysis, Ying Zheng finally understood the danger and ingenuity of "driving wolves to devour tigers." His expression turned solemn, and he bowed deeply to Lin Tian: "If you ever travel far away, I will definitely go to Mount Tai to offer sacrifices to Heaven and Earth to express my gratitude to you, my teacher."
This was the second time Lin Tian had heard these words.
Last time I was only moved, but this time my heart skipped a beat—no, it should be... a Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai?
After a moment's thought, Lin Tian proposed a solution: "Instead of waiting for a knife to our throats, let's strike first!"
The threat of the Xiongnu had always been a thorn in the side of the three states of Zhao, Yan, and Qin. The Qin state not only disliked these nomadic cavalrymen from the northern deserts, but also harbored deep-seated hatred for them.
"Sir, how can we strike first?" Ying Zheng pressed. "The Xiongnu occupy the depths of the desert, a vast wasteland stretching for thousands of miles. When they dismount, they are herdsmen; when they mount, they are warriors. Their archery skills are divine; even five-year-old children can control the reins and draw their bows..."
Lin Tian stood in the shadow of the palace wall, looking up at the blazing sun, his voice as sharp as a knife cutting through stone: "If he can come, then I can go."
He not only proposed a strategy of proactive attack, but also casually mentioned to Ying Zheng his long-term plans for defending against the Xiongnu. Once he started talking, he couldn't stop, becoming increasingly detailed and comprehensive—until cold sweat broke out, and he abruptly stopped: This wasn't just a plan; it was clearly the Great Wall that Qin Shi Huang would later build!
Seeing Ying Zheng's burning eyes and flushed face, Lin Tian's heart sank, and he cursed himself inwardly, "Why is my mouth wilder than a runaway horse?"
After the two agreed on the general outline, Ying Zheng simply raised his hand in a gesture of respect and said decisively, "The Grand Preceptor's decision is final; I have no objection."
Lin Tian's forehead twitched, and he turned and left, heading straight for the palace gate to find Zhang Liang and the others.
Just as I stepped out of the Xianyang Palace, a crisp "ding" sounded in my mind, and the system suddenly popped up: "Detecting excessive interference in the historical process by the host, the difficulty enhancement protocol has been activated—from this moment until you leave the Tianxing Jiuge world, your martial arts can only be used three times. The compensation mechanism has been activated: a mysterious roulette wheel with random surprise prizes will be set up at the entrance to the next world."