Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 123

He knew that many people were dissatisfied with Qin.

These forces, which will be called 'rebels,' would seem incredibly weak if they existed alone in any one place. However, as long as these small forces can connect with each other, they will accumulate like grains of sand forming a tower, exerting, in a sense, the invisible power of 'gathering and dispersing quicksand'...

This will be a long-term commitment that will last for ten, twenty, or even more years, and Zhang Liang has long been mentally prepared for it.

Lu Wei, a farmer, could be a key point in his plan.

Population is a very important and indispensable strategic resource. Among the hundreds of households, only the farming households can provide tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people.

"My understanding of Lu Wei is less than his understanding of me. As for farming... I need to brush up on my knowledge..."

Walking along the path behind Xiaoshengxianzhuang, Zhang Liang did not encounter Hall Master Lu again this time...

Confucianism has relatively weak external exploration capabilities. Its disciples are engrossed in studying the classics in Xiaoshengxianzhuang, and when they go out, they at most wander around Sanghai City.

To understand the current situation of the peasants, Zhang Liang's primary target was his senior brother, Fu Nian.

As the soon-to-be successor as the head of the Confucian school, Fu Nian has been extremely busy these days, but for his diligent "third junior brother," he can always find some free time.

"Senior Brother, you've worked hard these past few days."

As dusk fell, Zhang Liang and Fu Nian sat in the Ruyishui Pavilion, playing a game of chess on a square chessboard in front of them.

The name "Ruyi" in Ruyi Pavilion is taken from the Analects of Confucius, Book 10, "Ruyi, Ruyi," which describes the affection between friends.

Every pavilion and even the magnificent garden in Xiaoshengxianzhuang is named after a famous line from a literary classic. In this way, Confucian disciples can feel the wisdom of the sages wherever they go in the manor.

This serves as a reminder to be mindful of one's own learning and to continue to work hard and diligently.

"It's just part of my job, why complain about how hard it is?"

Fu Nian sat upright with the most proper posture, and lightly used his internal energy to draw up a white piece and place it on the chessboard.

“What you say is very true, Senior Brother.” Zhang Liang also picked up a piece and placed it close to the white piece, then frankly stated his purpose: “I am bothering you today, Senior Brother, because I want to ask about the affairs of farmers.”

"Farmers sow all kinds of grains and encourage cultivation and sericulture to ensure sufficient food and clothing. Their strength lies in providing for the people's needs. What is there to ask?"

Fu Nian glanced at the orderly chessboard situation and then wrote another word: "Zi Fang came for Lu Wei."

“Yes,” Zhang Liang smiled. “Lu Wei has been a prominent figure in the Farmer’s School in recent years, and there are even rumors that he is almost certain to be the next leader of the Farmer’s School.”

"The current leader of the Farmer's Clan is extremely well hidden, and most people in the martial arts world do not know his name or appearance. Liang is quite interested in the next leader who has been exposed."

"The succession within a farming family is a matter for internal arrangements; how can we believe in rumors from the martial arts world!" Fu Nian shook his head in displeasure. He believed in the principles of "ruler and subject, father and son" and "not concerning oneself with matters outside one's official position." These principles applied equally to the martial arts world.

"However, this person has risen to become the head of Gonggong Hall in just a few years, with tens of thousands of people under his command. Moreover, he has been able to lead the bottom-ranked Gonggong Hall to the point where it is now showing signs of becoming the number one hall in the Farmers' Clan. His methods are indeed extraordinary."

Changing the subject, Fu Nian also boasted to the Hall Master: "Yesterday, this Hall Master Lu also entrusted Li Shiqi to deliver a gift to Xiaoshengxianzhuang. After I checked it, I was quite surprised."

"If Zifang is interested, he may wish to take a look in the library."

"A gift that can amaze even the eldest brother must be a rare treasure!"

Zhang Liang placed a piece, captured several white pieces, and then removed them, saying, "I'll go check on them later."

"Hmm, our Confucian school has had no contact with the other schools of thought for many years. Master Lu Wei's visit this time..." Fu Nian also finished speaking, capturing several black stones on the other side:

"Although Confucian and agricultural scholars may occasionally disagree on the doctrines, they can generally get along. Since both families live in the Qi-Lu region, it would be bad to make enemies."

Confucius once said: "When a crude and vulgar person leads a farming family, he wants the ruler and his subjects to farm together, which violates the order between superiors and inferiors." He strongly refuted the farming family.

"Today, farmers are far removed from the imperial court and can focus on farming, which shows that they have heeded the teachings of the sages."

"When Zifang meets Master Lu Wei again next time, he should choose one or two gifts from the treasury to give in return."

"I will obey my senior brother's orders."

Zhang Liang got what he wanted and accepted the order with a smile.

'Li Shiqi is the direct source of information about Lu Wei.'

'These Confucian farmers are now far removed from the imperial court; from a practical standpoint, they are very worthy of being befriended.'

...

While Fu Nian and Zhang Liang were playing chess, Lu Wei came to Xiaoshengxianzhuang again and had a pleasant conversation with their junior brother and senior brother, Yan Lu, on the lake bridge.

"The two of them are doing very well in the farmhouse."

"Xiao Yan is seven years old. She spends her days playing with fish and shrimp in the mountains behind the farmhouse. She has a very happy childhood now."

With his hands behind his back, gazing at the fish swimming in the lake, the hall master spoke calmly.

"I see," Yan Lu said, sensing that his expression was genuine. He nodded gently. "I parted ways with them when I was young and came to Xiaoshengxianzhuang to study. Since then, I have not known the whereabouts of my old friends."

"So it was Hall Master Lu who took them in."

Yan Lu's first master was an unnamed swordsman who was once hunted down by Jing Ni, who was still in the Luo Wang organization.

Midway through, Wuming discovered that Jingni was pregnant and used this to successfully persuade her to escape from the net. Later, he was even willing to die, using his own life to temporarily save his disciple 'Lu' and Jingni and her daughter.

Thus, the young "Lu" and Jingni spent a period of escape together until he joined the Confucian school and became Yan Lu.

In retrospect, Lu Ni and Ji Yan are the only acquaintances of this future Confucian 'Second Master'.

This brief connection may not be very important now that time has passed, but when we look back, neither party will refuse to help the other out.

Lu Wei brought news of the two to Yan Lu, which naturally made the latter, who already disliked farmers, feel more favorably toward him.

"It was also by chance that I was only fourteen or fifteen years old at the time," Lu Wei seemed to be lost in memories along with Yan Lu: "I had some power in the farmhouse. I saw her carrying a child to Daze Mountain. The child in her arms was weak."

“It just so happened that a senior physician was diagnosing the disciples of the peasant family, so he took them to the physician’s residence, and they stayed there afterward.”

"I see. Master Lu is indeed a kind and benevolent man."

Yan Lu had very limited trust in these words, but guessed that there might be some minor details that were not mentioned, but overall they should be pretty much the same.

After all, he knew Jing Ni's strength very well. As for Lu Wei, who was only fourteen or fifteen years old, if the former were unwilling, Lu Wei certainly wouldn't be able to stop them from leaving.

"My junior brother led us on a tour of Little Sage Village yesterday. Is there anywhere else you'd like to visit today?"

"No, thank you." Looking up at the golden colors on the horizon, Lu Wei firmly grasped the horizon line: "I've only come today to check on the well-being of our deceased friends."

"It's getting late, and I know there are evening classes at Xiaoshengxianzhuang, so I won't disturb you any longer."

After bidding farewell to Yan Lu, the Hall Master leisurely descended the mountain, his pace outpacing the fading sunlight.

He spent two days communicating with Yan Lu and Zhang Liang.

Fu Nian must have already seen the "Confucius Observing the Leaning Vessel" painting that Li Shiqi sent him. With his intelligence, he couldn't possibly be unaware of the importance of the painting's material to Confucianism.

In the next few days, all you need to do is stroll around Sanghai City in peace, and you can expect someone to come and see you.

The sunlight was no match for Lu Wei's speed, and the darkness was left far behind him.

But unexpectedly, the cunning sun, 'seeing it was about to lose,' immediately arranged for someone to block its path halfway up the mountain...

'Shark teeth are never picky eaters...'

Silently thinking to himself, the Hall Master prepared to grip the hilt of the Devouring Sea Sword at his waist at any moment, his gaze meeting that of the long-haired Wei Zhuang standing before him.

This was an unexpected turn of events beyond Lu Wei's plans...

“I can tell from your eyes that you recognize me.”

His white hair, hanging down his chest, swayed in the sea breeze, and Wei Zhuang's voice was full of scrutiny.

"No martial arts hero would fail to recognize the appearance of the master of the quicksand."

The lord maintained eye contact without looking away, which was a dangerous move.

“That sword is quite extraordinary.” Wei Zhuang saw the Devouring Sea Sword: “Yesterday, after appraising the Tai’a Sword, the sword appraiser Feng Hu Zi showed unusual interest in another sword among those present.”

"This matter has been circulating throughout the entire city of Sanghai. It is said that the owner of that sword is Lu Wei, the head of the Gonggong Hall of the Farmers."

"Coincidentally, I only recently heard this name from a friend."

“And you…” Wei Zhuang slowly drew his Shark Tooth sword, its fiery red aura more dazzling than the afterglow of the sun from the very beginning: “We met on the bridge in Sanghai City yesterday, didn’t we!”

They met on the bridge yesterday, and although they weren't face to face, Wei Zhuang could remember all the passersby around them for a period of time.

Based on the words that suddenly came up during his conversation with Zhang Liang, he had reason to suspect that this Gonggong Hall Master was tracking Liusha.

"I think you're not targeting me."

Lu Wei stretched his palm out in front of his chest, seemingly drawing the Devouring Sea Sword into his hand out of thin air: "If you take this step forward, today's Quicksand Project will fail."

"It's alright..." Wei Zhuang had barely uttered these words when he leaped forward and unleashed a vertical slash.

The sect leader turned his sword and blocked the attack, preemptively parrying it.

The two swords clashed, and the red and blue sword energies immediately divided the not-so-wide mountain path into two colors:

"The renowned Master Gonggong is worthy of making the Quicksand deliberately fail once!"

"Is that so?" Lu Wei pushed with his wrist muscles and forcefully cleaved Shark Tooth away.

Wei Zhuang deflected the attack to his outside, flipped over and swung his sword horizontally, but once again Tun Hai anticipated and stopped Shark Tooth's trajectory: "Then taking a small price is within your acceptable range."

With a push of his feet, the Hall Master actively propelled the quicksand master, who had come to the edge of the cliff and was using the narrow space, out of the mountain path!

With no firm footing, the two continued to clash with their swords as they fell off the cliff, the clanging of metal almost completely drowned out by the boundless waves of the sea.

At this rate, without taking any precautions, they will be crushed to death on the beach by the unstoppable forces of nature at a height of over a hundred meters...

Guigu's horizontal sword technique is highly skilled! The time from the top of the cliff to the sea is very limited. Wei Zhuang knows that the battle will be over once he hits the bottom, so he decisively uses 'Horizontal Sweep'!

Lu Wei's response was the fourth move of the Whale Drinking Sword Technique, "Hundred Rivers Flow into the Sea"!

Spanning all directions, seemingly simple yet complex; like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, seemingly mixed yet unified; the instant the two moves collide, the outcome of the sword clash is already decided...

Chapter 145 Confucian-Farmer Mutual Gifts

After returning to the inn calmly, Lu Wei resumed his meditation and internal energy cultivation as usual.

Night had already fallen, and the Sanghai night market was exceptionally lively, bustling with crowds. The battle with Wei Zhuang lasted only a short time. The reason they delayed their return from dusk until after sunset was that most of their time was spent traveling back to the city from the seaside.

The internal energy consumption was not significant, and it recovered on its own not long after the Devouring Sea Sword was sheathed.

The mental strain is slightly greater. The Guigu Horizontal Sword Technique has been modified and improved by Guiguzi over so many generations. Its characteristics are as raging as the wind, as fierce as the waves, as imposing as the sky, as fast as lightning, ever-changing, and every move is deadly, leaving no chance for the enemy to breathe.

In addition, Wei Zhuang is a genius who has integrated his own characteristics with the Shark Tooth Sword into his swordsmanship. Even though he has not yet reached the mastery stage he will reach in ten years, he is only half a step away and is very difficult to deal with.

Faced with such swordsmanship, most people would likely be beheaded before they could even keep up with the rhythm of his first few strikes.

But thankfully, I still have a slight edge.