Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 101

In the Yan Kingdom, the royal palace was at a loss for how to react to the news of the impending crisis from the Han Kingdom. Meanwhile, Yan Dan, who had learned of the news from the Mohists a little over a day earlier, was extremely agitated.

First, the Mohist school encountered trouble; the Six-Fingered Black Knight was very likely to fail in his breakthrough in the forbidden area and die; and the position of the Mohist school's leader became vacant.

He now knows that the state of Han is on the verge of destruction and that the state of Zhao is in imminent danger.

Yan Dan wanted to aid Zhao, because the relationship between Yan and Zhao was now truly one of interdependence. If Zhao fell, Yan would face the Qin army directly!

Even if we cannot send troops to help, we should at least transport more grain to the State of Zhao so that they can fight the Qin army to the death without worry.

However, on this point, his father, King Xi of Yan, strictly forbade it: Qin and Zhao have been almost mortal enemies in recent years, and aiding Zhao would give Qin an excuse to destroy Yan in the future!

Smash! Thinking of this, Yan Dan slammed his fist on the table in anger: He knew the personality of King Zheng of Qin; no matter how docile Yan was, Qin would not stop!

The example of Han is right before our eyes: Han was extremely obedient to Qin, yet it still could not escape its impending destruction. If Yan learns from Han, it will only follow in their footsteps!

"We cannot sit idly by and wait for our demise; we must take the initiative to change!"

Yan Dan stood up and had just stepped out of the hall when he saw his wife, Yan Yun, coming with ginseng soup.

"Your Highness, are you going out?"

"Hmm," a gentle look appeared in his eyes: "You are pregnant, so stay in the manor and rest well during this time. I will be traveling for a while."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I obey." Watching Yan Dan finish the ginseng soup in one gulp and stride away from the residence, Yan Yun, unsure who she was putting on an act for, suddenly bowed respectfully...

Upon arriving at the Mo family's stronghold in Jicheng, both commanders, Jing Ke and Dao Zhi, were present: "Your Highness!"

"From today onwards, do not call me Your Highness. I have come today to borrow the Vermilion Bird Mechanism!" Yan Dan said decisively.

"Does Your Highness want it?" Jing Ke asked, puzzled.

"I'm going to the Mechanized City, venture into the forbidden area of ​​the Mo Clan, and retrieve the Mo Clan's Grand Master's token: Mo Mei!"

"According to the rules of the Mohist school, the current situation is as follows: the leader is lost, the token is lost in the forbidden area, and any disciple who can break through the forbidden area and retrieve the Mo Mei can become the leader of the Mohist school."

Yan Dan clenched her fist: "I'm going to give it a try!"

"The forbidden area of ​​the Mo family is full of traps, and His Highness the Crown Prince's identity..." Dao Zhi was about to dissuade him when he was forcibly interrupted: "I said, there is no Crown Prince now, only Yan Dan, a disciple of the Mo family."

"The Mohist school has been without a leader for a long time, and it will soon split apart. Meanwhile, the tyrannical Qin is about to destroy Han and annex Zhao. For the sake of Yan and for the sake of the people of the world, I must become the Grand Master!"

"Only in this way can I use the full strength of the Mohist school to fight against the Qin state and save the people of the world from the suffering of oppressive rule!"

"The Vermilion Bird, the instrument of the Yan Kingdom, was taken away by the Grand Master a few months ago. It wasn't until recently that Master Ban transferred a new Vermilion Bird over. He should still be at the stronghold outside the city." Jing Ke looked at Yan Dan's resolute eyes, and after much deliberation, he chose to tell him this news.

"Thank you, Brother Jing Ke. Time waits for no one. I will leave the city immediately. I hope you can inform Grand Tutor Ju Wu of this news for me tomorrow."

"I will not fail in my mission." Jing Ke clasped his hands in a fist salute and watched Yan Dan leave.

“Little Ke, what you’re doing…” Dao Zhi walked over and closed the door that the other person hadn’t had time to close, his tone no longer that of the King of Thieves: “If Prince Dan dies in the forbidden area, it’ll be trouble; if he doesn’t, it’ll be even more trouble…”

"Do you really think he's suitable to be the leader of the Mohist school?"

“If you care, you can also try to break into the forbidden area.” Jing Ke hugged his sword to his chest, lay down on the bed, and pretended to be asleep: “Any Mo family disciple who breaks into the forbidden area and can bring out Mo Mei is qualified to become the Grand Master. This is the key to breaking the current dispute.”

"Moreover, the war that Qin is currently waging is extremely unjust according to the rules of our ancestors. On this point, it is not a problem for the Mohists to support Prince Dan."

When the Mohist doctrines were mentioned, Dao Zhi fell silent. Although he was usually very flexible, there were strict boundaries between what could be changed and what could not.

"Well, the situation can't get any worse."

------

News from South Korea dispelled Lu Wei's desire to go to Zuimenglou to compete with the Chu Kingdom's Huaying girl. He asked Xue Nu to take Lu Ni there to resolve the matter themselves, and then he went alone to the streets of Daliang to investigate.

Snow Maiden has extensive experience in the internal struggles of the Dance Pavilion, but she is a bit arrogant. With Lu Ni as her martial arts guarantee, she will definitely get a satisfactory result on this trip.

Including the three-day curfew, the Xinling Temple is almost dry. Tomorrow, I can take Ji Yan and have a good talk with Zhang Er.

As they walked, a sudden intense gaze alerted the hall master.

The person staring seemed completely oblivious to concealing himself, instead feigning drunkenness and staggering towards Lu Wei with the flow of people.

He was a middle-aged man of about forty, with a few white strands occasionally peeking out from his long black beard. From his unsteady movements, one could tell that he was indeed somewhat drunk, and that he probably didn't possess any internal martial arts skills.

The middle-aged man held a gourd-shaped wine pot in his hand, the lid open, his wrist muscles tense, seemingly intending to deliberately spill the wine on Lu Wei.

I'm dressed in pretty expensive clothes, I can't let myself get soaked in cheap liquor.

Just as the two were about to meet in the crowd, before the other could make a move, the sect leader preemptively grabbed the wine jug in his hand: "Old man, be careful, don't spill it!"

In that instant, Lu Wei's eyes met the man's: from the calm composure lurking in his cloudy eyes, he knew this middle-aged man was no ordinary person.

This doesn't refer to martial arts skills, but rather to knowledge and insight.

In this era, even a fool might master advanced martial arts if he works hard enough, but gaining experience and knowledge is not so easy...

Putting himself in the other person's shoes, since the other party was not an ordinary person, he also saw something in Hall Master Lu's eyes.

"I am only forty years old, so I cannot be called an old man."

The middle-aged man smiled freely and bowed deeply to Lu Wei, saying:

"I have unintentionally offended Hall Master Lu Wei, and I am truly terrified. Would you be so kind as to offer me a cup of fine wine to calm my nerves?"

"Playing the zither and the lute, the music is harmonious and delightful." The hall master smiled slightly: "I have fine wine to entertain our guests."

"You should understand, my wine isn't that good."

Upon hearing the other party respond with a line from the Book of Songs, the middle-aged man's face lit up with joy: "I am a disciple of Confucianism, and I am most skilled at drinking 'unpalatable' wines."

Please follow me.

...

At the nearest restaurant, Lu Wei bought three different kinds of rare and fine wines, paired them with specialty dishes, and sat opposite the man:

"After you drink this first cup of wine, you shall tell me your name."

The man poured wine remotely using his internal energy, a feat that astonished the middle-aged man who knew absolutely no martial arts. He picked up the wine cup, first bowed to the hall master, then tilted his head back, covered his face, and drank it all in one gulp.

"My name is Li Shiqi, a native of Gaoyang, Chenliu. I studied at Xiaoshengxianzhuang, but after failing to achieve anything, I returned to Wei and came to Daliang City to seek opportunities."

Ignoring the other party's words that he was 'a failure', although it was indeed true, the mere mention of the name 'Li Shiqi' filled the hall master with joy, for the other party was definitely a talent that could be put to good use.

"For this second cup of wine, Mr. Li, please tell me how you came to know me."

Using the same procedure, but with a brand new wine glass, Lu Wei continued to pour wine for the other person:

Li Shiqi, a figure etched in history, was a man of exceptional talent with both distinct strengths and weaknesses. While his wisdom in governing affairs might not have matched that of Lü Qing, employing Li Shiqi in diplomacy proved to be a perfect fit!

Moreover, he was genuinely curious about how the other person had recognized him...

Chapter 124 Lord Changping, Xiong Ji

"Several days ago, Gongzi Bao was brutally murdered on the streets of Daliang. The perpetrator was said to be a traitor from the peasant family."

"When I was drinking in a tavern, I overheard the chatter of the wandering knights at the next table: the sword guild that the murderer went to had had a member of the Farmer's Hall appear there the night before."

"That traitor must have learned of this news and wanted to take revenge on the farmers, but failing to find his target, he killed Young Master Bao in a fit of rage..."

So this whole mess is being shifted onto me? Lu Wei remained unfazed, still smiling. Chen Sheng was clearly deliberately looking for trouble, wanting to end up in Wei's death row!

"The reason for Young Master Bao's death is not my concern, but the identity of the head of the Farmer's Hall is of great interest to me."

Looking at the Hall Master's composure, Li Shiqi smiled and continued, "So I took the initiative to inquire and learned that his identity was Lu Wei, the Hall Master of Gonggong Hall."

"Last year, Master Lu risked incurring Qin's wrath by bringing agricultural supplies to aid the disaster-stricken people in Daidi. Such a righteous act is unparalleled in the world!"

"I admire him to the extreme."

"Upon learning that Hall Master Lu had arrived in Daliang City, I specifically sought out several friends who had been with me at the sword shop that night. After learning about Hall Master Lu's physical characteristics from them, I have been wandering around the city for the past few days."

At this moment, Li Shiqi also drank the second cup of wine on the table in one gulp.

The information revealed in his statement is all concentrated at the end:

First, Li Shiqi actively sought out himself, and his purpose was immediately apparent.

Secondly, Li Shiqi had "several" friends on the fifth floor of the sword hall, and these friends happened to be there that night.

Lu Wei's thinking diverged: He must have even more friends who aren't at the sword club!

The Master has always enjoyed making friends.

"After drinking this third cup of wine, will Li Shengxiang take the initiative to say something to this hall master?"

"Haha!" Li Shiqi laughed loudly, choking slightly after finishing the last cup of wine, patting his chest and coughing.

“Master Lu is mistaken. I have nothing more to say.”

"But since the hall master has poured me this third cup of wine, he must already know what I'm thinking!"

"Li Shiqi wishes to serve under Hall Master Lu!"

Then, before Lu Wei could ask any questions, he began to ramble on:

"Only those who understand the nature of Heaven can accomplish great things."

"The wise men of the world regard the common people as their heaven, and the common people regard food as their heaven. Master Lu is a farmer and knows how to care for the people. In the future, he will surely be admired by thousands and his name will be recorded in history!"

"Although I am forty years old and do not know martial arts, I can still help Master Lu take power in the peasant family with just my tongue!"

Next, he analyzed the situation of the peasant faction as far as he knew for the sect leader, boldly pointing directly to the position of the leader of the knights.

Nowadays, most of those who can become emperors and generals are still from the bloodline and powerful families. Considering that Lu Wei is a Jianghu person, Li Shiqi catered to his interests and focused on discussing the internal strife of the peasants.

But he was, after all, an outsider, and knew nothing of the many secrets of the farming community. As for the struggle for the position of leader of the knights, Lu Wei had long planned ahead, and now he was just waiting for Tian Guang to step down or for something unexpected to happen to him.

As for Lu Wei's ambitions to incite peasant uprisings and act like an emperor, Li Shiqi was naturally unaware of them and therefore had no way of discussing them.

However, regardless of the circumstances, if a talented person is willing to serve us, we cannot let them go. Losing the wandering knight Zhou Shi but gaining the Confucian scholar Li Shiqi is not a loss.

In this era, talented people tend to cluster together. Moreover, in general, families with a lineage that has a distinguished member often have one outstanding individual, and their siblings of the same generation are usually not far behind.

Therefore, Li Shiqi unsurprisingly introduced his younger brother, Li Shang, to the head of the hall.

Li Shiqi studied literature and was a Confucian disciple. Li Shang, on the other hand, studied martial arts and became a wandering knight-errant!

The friends on the fifth floor of the sword pavilion that Li Shiqi mentioned earlier were actually all friends of Li Shang. Li Shang's swordsmanship was excellent, probably even better than Zi Wu's, and he had many friends in Daliang and even throughout the entire Wei Kingdom. According to him, he had "more than a hundred friends and chivalrous men"!

Li Shiqi led to Li Shang, who in turn led to a whole host of wandering knights—a classic case of pulling up a radish and bringing out the mud.

This is a great surprise. The Master really doesn't remember what Li Shang's historical achievements were, but as it stands, he is a warm-hearted person who is steady in his work. He has the talent of a great general and is quite capable of handling things independently.

Holding Li Shiqi and Li Shang's hands, Lu Wei smiled and booked a large table at the restaurant that evening, inviting Li Shang's friends, including Youxia, and using his charm and acting skills to bring them all into his household!