Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 290

This unexpected turn of events caused Lu Wei, who knew the most about the overall situation, to lose control of the information.

"I was careless. Go ahead, hopefully you'll make it in time. I'll go to Xiaoshengxianzhuang to pay my respects to Fu Nian." Quickly taking remedial measures, Lu Wei's mind was extremely calm: there was still time; the anti-Qin alliance's operation would definitely not begin until midnight.

He instructed Ji Yan to improvise and save the Zongheng and Mo family, while he himself went to find Fu Nian and used Fu Nian's reputation to show that he had been at Xiaoshengxianzhuang all night and had nothing to do with what was about to happen!

Chapter 346 Two Great Fires

"How are the security arrangements at the shipyard prison going?"

Fusu, feeling the night breeze, wrapped his cloak tighter around himself, his dignified face filled with seriousness.

To Lu Wei's surprise, as well as the anti-Qin alliance and Luo Wang, he was not in Sanghai City at the moment, but camped in the wilderness fifty miles away from the city. He had never entered Sanghai City at all today.

Before setting off from Xianyang, the astrologers of the Yin-Yang School secretly calculated his arrival time. Fusu's mission here was to prepare for His Majesty the Emperor's quest for immortality, so naturally, nothing would go against the will of Heaven: he would arrive on the day he was supposed to.

Zhang Han took advantage of this to create the illusion that Fusu had entered Sanghai ahead of time: the grand procession that entered the city during the day was actually just a stand-in for Fusu.

The reason for doing this was to prepare for contingencies under the premise of knowing the anti-Qin alliance's plan in advance!

Just as Lu Wei had guessed, if the real Fusu arrived, Zhang Han would definitely have to devote a lot more effort to ensuring the city's defenses.

"General Meng Tian did not make any moves to avoid attracting attention, but the two thousand Golden Fire Cavalry outside the city and our two thousand Dragon Tiger Cavalry, as well as the Gongshu family, were all mobilized."

The attendant beside the eldest prince replied respectfully, "The four thousand elite cavalry, in coordination with the black-armored Qin soldiers in the prison, are enough to wipe out the anti-Qin alliance completely!"

"Very good. The Gongshu family has made a great contribution to this operation to wipe out those rebels."

Fusu nodded in satisfaction. Suppressing these rebels entrenched in Sanghai before His Majesty the Emperor arrived was his achievement; failing to do so would be a crime: "Did Master Xiaomeng also go?"

Although Xiaomeng was invited out of Taiyi Mountain by Fusu, she was elusive and rarely seen along the way. Even though she had her own carriage, most of the other people in the caravan could only see the entourage of the Tianzong sect leader. As for the master himself, he remained elusive and unpredictable.

Xiaomengzi is young, but she is of a higher generation, and Fusu treats her with great respect. He is very polite throughout the journey, but the reason for his respect is to make use of her. Zhang Han's mission is extremely important, and the eldest prince is not so old-fashioned as to actually treat Xiaomengzi as a real person. He decisively sent his servants to ask her to go and help.

Having enjoyed the treatment he was entitled to, he had no choice but to do certain things, especially since it was rumored that Xiaoyaozi was also involved in this anti-Qin rebellion...

"Master Xiaomeng has already gone there, and the Yin-Yang School in the city has also sent people to inform them, as well as the Mirage..." Before the attendant could finish speaking, he saw Fusu raise his palm and quickly shut his mouth.

"This formation is even more massive than the attack on the Mo Family's Mechanical City. We cannot afford to lose it. Have General Meng Tian inside the city prepare to provide support. It doesn't matter if the plan is exposed if necessary. We must not let the rebels escape."

"Also, keep a close watch on the actions of the Confucian and peasant factions within the city."

"Yes, this servant will send someone to do it right away."

"When do you think those rebels will take action, Mr. Gongshu?"

Inside the shipyard prison, Zhang Han carefully examined the map on the wall in the core room and spoke with Gongshu Chou, who was repairing his mechanical hand.

"According to Potu Shiqilang's surveillance, the Mo family's Xuanwu has already set off." Gongshu Chou grinned, revealing an ugly smile, and the joints of his mechanical hand bent, emitting a beautiful mechanical sound: "They think the sea is their home ground, but little do they know that I have already laid a net across the entire coastal waters of Sanghai. Their mechanical Xuanwu is huge, and as long as there is any movement, it will not be able to escape my grasp!"

"Big things have their advantages, and small things have their own unique uses."

As he spoke, a mechanical snake the size of an eel emerged from his hand. This was Haruti Shichiro, who possessed the ability to explore the sea. Compared to the real Red Serpent, the mechanical snake could swim much farther.

"If it weren't for the Gongshu family's prior warning, my plan to launch an attack from the sea would have truly failed," Zhang Han nodded and sighed.

It will be discovered that the anti-Qin alliance's operation relied entirely on the investigation by the Gongshu family. It was Gongshu Chou who discovered the Xuanwu mechanism, which led Zhang Han to guess another possibility and temporarily change the plan with the help of Prince Fusu.

"Hehe." Gongshu Chou accepted the praise frankly: "Of Mozi's four mechanical beasts, the Vermilion Bird's technology has been mastered, the White Tiger's attack power is far inferior to that of Potu Sanlang, and the Azure Dragon has been destroyed in the mechanical city. Only this Black Tortoise has always been on my mind."

"They thought Xuanwu could strike unexpectedly, but little did they know that I had been searching for an opportunity to destroy this last trump card!"

"Tonight is their last battle."

Zhang Han made a final summary, concluding that with the empire's financial and material resources, if they were determined to resolve these rebellions, they could easily win!

...

"Xiao Zhi and his group will interfere with the shipyard on land at the end of the Chou hour. Earlier, disciples from Sanghai City will also set fire to it. We will take advantage of this opportunity to use the power of Xuanwu to rush in from the sea and rescue the imprisoned righteous men."

Master Ban spoke from the driver's seat about tonight's plans, while the four people meditating inside Xuanwu remained silent and nodded quietly.

Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang, along with Xiaoyaozi and Gao Jianli, formed the strongest team that the anti-Qin alliance could muster in a short time. Xuanwu also needed to leave enough space to accommodate the rescued righteous men, so it had to streamline its team to be as capable as possible.

The two strategists need no introduction, but Xiaoyaozi actually had other ideas in mind regarding tonight's actions:

He personally arranged the assassination of Fusu, so he knew it would be safer to act after tonight. However, since he could not explain the source of the information, and given that Fusu had just arrived in Sanghai City and Qin really did not have much power to guard against the prison, and the Mo family's Xuanwu could indeed launch a surprise attack, he did not say much.

As for Gao Jianli, he wasn't even qualified to join, as his strength was considerably weaker than the other three. However, considering that this was a maritime operation, Gao Jianli's Yi Shui Han internal energy could be enhanced by the environment and might even be useful in certain special moments, so he was included.

The four of them need to break out of Xuanwu and storm the shipyard in an hour and a half. The number of enemies they will face is likely to be hundreds of times their own. Their internal energy and physical strength are extremely precious, so they need to take care of themselves as much as possible now.

Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang had certainly considered beforehand whether their intention to break into the prison on the night of Fusu's arrival would be too obvious, but as they said before: Fusu's safety was a gamble that Zhang Han and Meng Tian could not afford to take, and this golden opportunity could not be missed!

Moreover, the operation has reached a point where it can no longer be canceled. The disciples in Sanghai City who risked their lives to set the fire should have already begun their operation by now...

Xiaoshengxianzhuang is situated on high ground, providing a clear view of the location of the fire within the city.

Fu Nian didn't ask Lu Wei any questions about his sudden visit. He simply set up a banquet at the seaside pavilion, and after learning that there was a fire in the city, he moved the banquet to a place overlooking the cliff.

"The fire started too close to Prince Fusu's residence. The arsonists had no way to escape. They entered the city with the determination to die."

Fu Nian gazed at the streets of Sanghai and shook his head, saying, "The anti-Qin forces suddenly paid such a price, and their purpose is very clear: to force the Qin army to retreat. This is an open conspiracy."

"Although we don't know what their real goal is, it must be outside the city."

"Is this why you've come to hide here?"

"The real show isn't over yet, let's keep watching." Lu Wei smiled calmly, without giving away too much spoiler.

"Oh?" Fu Nian turned his head and stared at Lu's calm eyes. He never thought that the strange behavior tonight was the work of the peasant family.

The small fire burned for about half an incense stick's time. Under Fu Nian's solemn expression, he was shocked to discover that flames had also broken out in Prince Fusu's residence. This was the second wave!

"They want to assassinate Fusu? That decision is far too foolish!"

Fu Nian stood up resolutely, his face even turning somewhat dark: Regardless of the success rate of the assassination, if Fu Su really died in Sanghai, Xiaoshengxianzhuang would still be in considerable trouble even if it hadn't been involved!

"It wasn't a single force; those who carried out the assassination belonged to the Luo Wang organization."

He reassured Fu Nian and explained part of the truth. Fu Nian's movements froze for a moment, and he sat down again expressionlessly: "Power struggle within the empire?"

This is the worst-case scenario. Internal strife within the empire does not guarantee the safety of outsiders like themselves; in fact, it could be even more dangerous.

However, for the time being, if it is an assassination attempt by the Luo Wang organization, Fusu will certainly not be killed tonight.

"Perhaps part of the reason is that the direct reason is Zhang Han's plan to lure and kill the anti-Qin forces."

"The shipyard prison..." Fu Nian calmed down completely; he did indeed know quite a bit.

At least the shipyard prison reform within Sanghai territory could not be hidden from him.

"The sect leader and Brother Lu are actually here."

Just then, Zhang Liang walked over with a refined and gentle demeanor. His gaze inadvertently swept over the two fires in the city, and he smiled, "Summer is almost here. It has been raining a lot in Sanghai City these days, but the fires are getting more and more frequent."

The fire at Qianjilou a few days ago is still fresh in our minds.

Zhang Liang was actually very anxious. He didn't know the cause of the two fires, but he did know that Lu Wei had come to Xiaoshengxianzhuang in the evening.

I was hoping to wait and see when the two finished chatting, but once the fire started, there was no doubt that Lu Wei had come specifically for these two fires.

If the fire had nothing to do with the farmers, it could only be the action of anti-Qin forces or the Qin army, but he knew nothing about either of them.

Lacking sufficient intelligence, the strategist could imagine far too many possibilities, especially considering Fusu's recent arrival. An unexpected turn of events at this time would certainly be bad news...

Therefore, Zhang Liang had no choice but to take the initiative and join in the conversation.

“Zifang hasn’t rested yet either,” Fu Nian nodded to his junior brother with an unchanged expression, and took out an empty wine cup: “Then let’s enjoy the moon together.”

"Senior brother, please don't tease me. The moonlight is beautiful, but the fire under the moon is even more captivating. I am feeling restless right now and have no heart to appreciate the moon."

Zhang Liang sat upright to one side, and with a wry smile, directly revealed the truth about his arrival.

"Many people will indeed be troubled tonight. Zifang, why don't you have a cup of cold wine to relax? At this moment, watching the fire is not as good as admiring the moon."

Lu Wei's words were clearly loaded with meaning, and Zhang Liang shifted his gaze from the flames to the moon in the sky, vaguely understanding: "In that case, it seems Liang's self-control is lacking..."

Chapter 347 The Mirage Returns

The number of patrols outside the shipyard prison has increased significantly compared to yesterday's patrols by bandits.

This is only natural. Although this magnificent prison is not yet fully completed, with prisoners moving in, at least all the elements of a prison are complete.

"Master Kuang Xiu, everything is ready."

Among the crowd hiding outside the shipyard prison, Xiang Liang put on his armor for the first time since the fall of Chu and nodded quietly to Kuang Xiu of the Mohist school.

Behind Xiang Liang were Long Ju and more than a hundred soldiers of his Tenglong Legion.

The Tenglong Legion was originally the elite of the Chu Kingdom, but since the fall of Chu, they had been acting as bandits and outlaws around Sanghai in order to survive. Their precarious lives had made them far less capable than before, and many of them were wounded or disabled, and their equipment was incomplete. The more than one hundred soldiers they brought today were among the few who could still maintain a certain level of combat effectiveness.

Another portion will be lost today...

Fortunately, according to Fan Zeng's observation, a considerable number of the hundreds of thousands of Chu soldiers captured in the Qin-Chu war were being assigned to various places as laborers, and there were quite a few in the shipyard prison right now. This time, by displaying the Chu flag, it is very likely to arouse the Chu people in the prison to resist and make them return to the Xiang family's banner.

"General Xiang, you've worked hard." Kuang Xiu nodded, glanced at the moon's position, and had a rough estimate of the time: "The agreed time is approaching. Next, Big Iron Hammer will lead the brothers of the Mo Family's forging department as the vanguard."

"Yes, our Xiang clan will firmly follow Iron Leader and never back down!" Xiang Liang issued the order to prepare to charge, and the soldiers immediately tensed up: it had been seven or eight years since the last Qin-Chu war, and the shadow of that crushing defeat still lingered in everyone's hearts.

Although this operation was just a feint, it was still a fight against overwhelming odds, so the pressure was bound to rise.

On the other side, Shi Lan was also involved in tonight's operation with about ten members of the Shu Mountain tribe. She hadn't had time to communicate with Lu Xiao Kui about the operation and felt very uncertain. Her only hope was to lead her tribe to survival; she had no intention of contributing much to the rebellion against Qin.

"They've arrived." Inside the shipyard prison, Gongshu Chou hadn't slept all night, which was quite common for a craftsman like him who studied mechanical arts: "Xuanwu has stopped at the bottom of the sea; they are gathering strength and waiting."

“There must be an ambush prepared in front of the shipyard.” Zhang Han said with a bright look in his eyes, “The guards in the prison, the regular soldiers, and the guards on the labor camp add up to several thousand people. If they want to make a big enough commotion to attract our forces away, they should at least prepare three to five hundred people.”

"The Yin-Yang School sent intelligence a few days ago that they discovered remnants of the Chu Kingdom's Tenglong Legion in the Sanghai Mountains. Unfortunately, with the help of the Shu Mountain, they were unable to completely wipe them out. This time, the Tenglong Legion and the Mohist disciples will be the main force for putting on a show."

"Besides the noble prisoners from the six states, the surrendered Chu soldiers under forced labor were also a major temptation that attracted the Xiang clan to rebel."

"So General Zhang Han intentionally sent those Chu people to patrol tonight in order to incite them to mutiny under the influence of the Xiang clan?" Gongshu Chou, who had a basic understanding of Zhang Han's arrangements, asked curiously.

"If you want to take something, you must first give something." Zhang Han smiled confidently. "If they see the hope of completely conquering the prison, they will ignore the dangers behind it as much as possible!"

"Once the Golden Fire Cavalry and the Dragon Tiger Cavalry arrive, these ants, no matter how numerous, will be annihilated by the iron cavalry of Qin!"

A strong military remains the empire's greatest safety net.

Both overt forces have entered the fray, while the observers in the shadows remain hidden.

The moon in the sky continued to move slowly. The prison guard on the watchtower, who had no idea what would happen tonight, couldn't help but rub his eyes unconsciously due to exhaustion. However, just as he had shaken off some of his fatigue and become a little more awake, he was slit in the throat by the Instant Flying Wheel before he could react.

Dao Zhi easily captured one of the watchtowers. When he turned to look at another watchtower opposite, his companion Ji Bu was not far behind, already smiling and giving him a 'safe' gesture.