Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 132

After meeting with Gao Jianli, the Hall Master prepared to head south immediately. Even though the New Year was approaching, he had no intention of staying in Jicheng for a few more days to rest and then setting off after the New Year.

Time is getting tighter and tighter. If you are less lazy for a few days, you will be better prepared than others when things happen.

Lu Wei has two goals for next year: to travel to Hubei and Sichuan, and to make a name for himself.

Although Master Lu has befriended many prominent figures over the years, and his simple and genuine nature has prevented these figures from harboring any ill will towards him, the general public of the martial arts world still doesn't know much about him.

Lu Wei's ambition for this trip to gain fame was modest; he would consider it a success if his name could be heard of by most people in the martial arts world.

He didn't need to be too flashy, nor too inconspicuous. The sect leader decided to use a sword duel in the martial arts world to achieve this goal of making a name for himself.

From the State of Yan to the State of Chu, this basically encompasses the entire Central Plains region of Jianghu (martial arts world). Fight your way through and strive for a hundred consecutive victories!

If one considers gaining fame as a side quest in one's overall plan, then going to Chu and Shu is the main quest.

The State of Chu was a very influential vassal state, and the Lord of the Hall had always regarded the Chu region as a key area.

However, he never established a branch of the Gonggong Hall in Chu, and his previous preparations in Chu were always focused on the Xiang clan.

However, in recent years, Lu Wei has never gone to Chu to run his business again. In addition, the horse trade between Luqiu Pavilion and the Xiang family has also declined significantly, which has made his relationship with the Xiang family more distant.

Moreover, because Lu Wei frequently traveled between the four states of Qi, Yan, Zhao, and Wei, his personal correspondence with Xiang Bo decreased significantly.

Renewing ties with the Xiang clan in Chu is essential. However, the Master feels that cultivating influence in Chu is unnecessary at this time.

If they were to expand into the Chu territory now, they would inevitably come into contact with Lord Changping, who would become the last king of Chu. Lu Wei had absolutely no desire to have any direct connection with the living Lord Changping.

But Lu Wei was willing to accept the name of the deceased Lord Changping.

In short, they only want to reap the benefits without making any sacrifices.

Aside from the hidden value of Changping Jun's estate, the most direct beneficiaries were the two generals, Ying Bu and Ji Bu.

He already has Li Mu and the three young talents he has trained, and if he were to acquire Han Xin in the future, he would have a top-tier command team. However, he still lacks a vanguard general.

Ji Bu was a strategist, and Ying Bu was a brave general; both were of considerable value. Such rare military talents should certainly be included in the Gonggong Hall to ensure their abilities are not wasted!

On the other hand, the Zhu family's Shennong Hall is already doing quite well in the Chu region. Once Hall Master Lu succeeds as the leader of the chivalrous sect, the achievements of Shennong Hall will naturally fall under his control, and then people can simply reap the rewards.

The three things Lu Wei planned to do in Chu were to befriend the Xiang family, observe the power of the Shennong Hall in Chu, and prepare for seizing the descendants of Lord Changping in the future.

Knowing the general trend of the world in advance, it is not difficult to do these things, but each one must be done by Lu Wei himself.

After the trip to Chu, it is important but not necessary to go to Shu to establish a connection in advance.

Although the Shu region was nominally incorporated into the Qin state, due to the treacherous roads, communication between Bashu and the outside world was always poor, and the local indigenous people in the mountains and forests still had a high degree of autonomy.

The Shu Mountain faction is the local power in Shu, and has a special relationship with the Yin-Yang School, which separated from Taoism.

In comparison, the value of the Shu region was far less than that of the Central Plains. After the world descended into chaos, that isolated land found it difficult to receive feedback or offer any response.

However, the fact that their Yu Yuan Guardians and Yu Yuan Seals could persuade the Yin-Yang School to specifically persuade the King of Qin to send Meng Tian to attack and seize them, and even to steal the Fusang Divine Tree and transport it to the Mirage Tower, must have some interesting secrets behind it.

"Among the three immortal mountains overseas lies the secret to immortality..."

As Lu Wei softly recited the explanation that the Immortal School had always insisted on among the Hundred Schools of Thought, he remembered that the leader of the Immortal School had disappeared without a trace a few years ago, which was most likely due to the Yin-Yang School's involvement.

It's a pity the Moon Goddess is nowhere to be found; otherwise, I could have exchanged some more information for benefits before entering Shu. This woman is always the one who comes looking for me, yet I can never find her.

------

After Jing Ke and Qin Wuyang arrived in Xianyang, they presented the letter written by Yan Dan himself, but it was like throwing a stone into the sea, receiving no response whatsoever.

The two were secretly anxious, but they had no choice but to settle down in the capital of another country.

One day, Qin Wuyang bought a fish from the market. Upon cutting open the fish's belly, a layer of grayish-white cloth, tightly sealed with waterproof material, rolled out...

Surprised, he summoned Jing Ke to examine the document. The words "Zhong Shu Zi Meng Jia" written on it immediately made the two of them realize: this was the internal assistance from Qin that Prince Dan had told them before his departure!

"I'll go and find out what kind of person Meng Jia is!"

Qin Wuyang immediately ran out of the house, but soon, the sound of footsteps returned.

Jing Ke's ears twitched, and Can Hong's hand, which was slicing fish, stopped. He turned his head and saw that the person who had come was indeed the one he least wanted to see in Xianyang City:

Gai Nie.

"You shouldn't have come."

The disciple of Guigu Zongjian stood at the kitchen doorway, without stepping inside.

"You shouldn't have come."

Jing Ke smiled and turned to continue cutting the fish. His swordsmanship was sharp and precise, and with the power of the broken rainbow, he did not damage the cutting board in the slightest.

"This is a dead end."

Gai Nie stared at Jing Ke's retreating figure. This was the only person he could call a true friend: "Change your mind now, and you can still return to your life in the martial world."

"My world of chivalry is dead, and so is the wandering knight Jing Ke."

Jing Ke placed the chopped fish pieces into the pot, skillfully added water, covered the pot, and simmered the soup: "Are you going to report me to your king?"

“You are now an envoy of the Yan state, and I have no reason to report you.”

Gai Nie gripped his sword with his right hand, his fingers tightening slightly: "But if a Yan assassin appears in the royal palace, I will stop him."

"Then let's have one more drink together before that."

Jing Ke casually tossed the Broken Rainbow Sword aside, took the wine gourd from his waist, gulped down a mouthful, and then threw it out the door.

Gai Nie reached out and took it, then looked down and examined it carefully: "You've kept this wine gourd all these years."

"Here you go now." Jing Ke tilted his head back, gulped down the wine a few times, smiled contentedly, and squatted down on the steps by the door after leaving the kitchen. "In return, will you do me a favor?"

"Please say."

Gai Nie remained standing, his expression as serious as ever.

"Can you leave Xianyang for three months?"

"No."

"That's straightforward!" Jing Ke wasn't surprised. He rested his chin on his hand and chuckled again. "Then help me find my child."

He closed his eyes, facing the sun, and said in a low voice, "I hope his or her name is Tianming..."

Chapter 153 The Year of the Quail Fire

Just as the gong of the hour of Yin sounded, the Moon Goddess looked up at the bright moon in the sky that was about to be replaced, and faintly noticed the traces of blood-red color emanating from the edge of the moonlight.

The moon will not change. What changes is only perceived by the Right Protector of the Yin-Yang School.

Today is the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, the day before Lunar New Year's Eve. Blood will flow in the Xianyang Palace.

The assassination plan, in brief, involved Jing Ke, holding a broken rainbow pendant, entering within five paces of King Zheng of Qin.

There are only two key words: Jing Ke and within five steps.

The very fact that the envoy sent by Yan Dan was Jing Ke, a swordsman renowned for his skill that could "defeat a hundred men within five steps," is a huge flaw in the whole.

No matter how harsh the Yan Kingdom was, it shouldn't have been reduced to sending a wandering knight-errant as its envoy.

On the contrary, Qin Wuyang, as Qin Kai's grandson, has the qualifications to be the instigator.

Did the King of Qin, who aspired to rule the world, notice this flaw? That actually depended solely on whether his spies informed him.

Having long resided on his throne in the deep palace, how could the King of Qin possibly know mere wandering knights of the Jianghu?

Currently, the King of Qin's eyes and ears are nothing more than the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven), the newly established Shadow Guard, Wei Liao's spy organizations of various countries, and Gai Nie.

Among these people, the Shadow Guards are too shallow in their understanding of the palace's defenses. They are quite knowledgeable about the palace's security, but outside the palace, the young commander Zhang Han still needs time to be tested.

Did Gai Nie know Jing Ke? The Moon Goddess didn't know.

Could the Net of Heaven identify Jing Ke? It could identify him, or it could not, depending solely on which situation would bring them greater benefits.

Taking herself as an example, the Moon Goddess personally stayed in Ji City for several months, with her main target being Yan Dan, and naturally she got to know Jing Ke.

However, after returning to Xianyang, she only reported the news to the Eastern Emperor.

As for the King of Qin, the Eastern Emperor allowed the Moon Goddess to decide for herself.

Her decision was to first conceal the truth, wait for the assassination attempt to occur, and then intervene to save the emperor. This would naturally bring the greatest benefits to the Moon Goddess and the entire Yin-Yang School.

What about the old minister Wei Liao? He probably wouldn't know Jing Ke either, but this old man would definitely inform the King of Qin that the Yan envoy's visit was proposed in court by the power of Crown Prince Dan of Yan.

King Zheng of Qin was not a complete stranger to Prince Dan...

Thinking of this, the Moon Goddess walked towards Xianyang Palace. In a few hours, when it was fully light, the good show would begin.

She's not the director, yet she can profit from it all for herself and the Yin-Yang School by acting as an insightful observer. Such a good opportunity shouldn't be missed.

Today is the last grand court assembly of the year. In addition to the good news that General Wang Jian on the front line has defeated the Zhao army, the fact that the State of Qi sent an envoy to congratulate them and the State of Yan sent an envoy to cede territory and become a vassal state is a major event that demonstrates the prestige of the nation.

The King of Qin specially arranged for the envoys of the two countries to wait together outside the palace, and then enter the palace together to congratulate the Prime Minister of Qin in front of the assembled officials.

The Yin-Yang School had been in Qin for some years, but they were only truly given important positions after Yun Zhongjun relieved the King of Qin's migraines.

After Qin conquered Han last year, the King of Qin officially began to think about the matter of immortality and ordered the Yin-Yang School and the Gongshu School to work together to plan the feasibility of the Mirage Project.

From then on, the status of the Yin-Yang School began to rise.

Today's court assembly, on the surface, has little to do with the Yin-Yang School. The Moon Goddess is hidden among the officials, quietly waiting for the show to begin.

Through her veil, she deliberately and quietly memorized the expressions of everyone present. Perhaps because of her preconceived bias, the sword-wielding Gai Nie in front of the emperor seemed somewhat uneasy.

The disciples of Guigu, in reality, are nothing more than sword-wielding guards, and are utterly lacking in ambition.

Shaking her head, the Moon Goddess lowered her gaze:

The Prime Minister, Lord Changping, also seemed somewhat dazed.

These foxes are usually very shrewd and capable of remaining calm even in the face of a collapsing mountain. Today, however, they deliberately showed suspicion and found fault, which actually led the Right Protector of the Yin-Yang School to discover some oddities in the court.

The moon goddess calmly withdrew her scrutinizing gaze, for out of the corner of her eye she saw the sole king on the throne also observing his courtiers.

The figure in the black and gold royal robes waved his hand lightly in the silent hall, and messages were quickly relayed outside. The guards' shouts of "Summon the envoys from Qi and Yan to the palace!" drifted into the Moon Goddess's ears.

She followed the crowd and looked towards the outside of the hall, most of her gaze focused on the tall man who stood a step ahead of the other envoys:

This man was none other than Jing Ke, whom the Moon Goddess had secretly observed in Ji City. He held an exquisite wooden box containing the head of Fan Yuqi, a former Qin traitor.

On such a day, having the Yan envoy bring the traitor's head to the main hall was naturally intended to establish authority.

Ying Zheng rose from his throne, took three steps forward, and looked down at Jing Ke, who had opened and displayed a pale head. He sneered and ordered a young eunuch to take the wooden box.