Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 84

And then, that was it...

The reason why the matter was raised so high and then dropped so easily is the result of the actions of both the Crown Prince's Palace and Luqiu Pavilion.

Ah Shan personally intervened, using a large amount of treasures, bribes, or threats against officials at all levels investigating the case, to extricate Fei Xue Ge from the death of Yan Chun Jun and demand that the case be closed as soon as possible.

If Luqiu Pavilion intervened because they were genuinely guilty, then Yan Dan had no choice but to cooperate with Luqiu Pavilion to gain more benefits.

"I never expected that this Jueying would also be a member of Luqiu Pavilion!"

Inside the Crown Prince's residence, Ju Wu frowned. He already thought it unbelievable that the Yan Chun Jun steward had been infiltrated by the Farmer's Clan. Now, even Jue Ying, the most trusted servant of the Yan Chun Jun, had somehow become a disciple of the Farmer's Clan... How did that boy Lu Wei, who was not even twenty years old, manage to do that?

He could scheme so meticulously against the Yan Chun Jun residence... Could it be that the Crown Prince's residence is also...?

"What's most hateful is that they also exposed the butler!"

Ju Wu said bitterly. He didn't care about the steward's life or death, but he did care about the negative impact the steward's death would have on the Crown Prince's residence.

Although Yan Chunjun was indeed not killed by the Crown Prince's residence, the fact that Yan Chunjun's steward was a spy for the Crown Prince's residence is conclusive evidence due to those letters that should have been destroyed!

Given that the Crown Prince's residence did indeed benefit the most from the death of Yan Chunjun, even though there is a lot of evidence that clearly shows the Crown Prince's residence was dragged into this, many people only need an answer they want to believe, rather than the truth.

If you randomly pick a passerby in Jicheng and ask them about the proverb "Yan Chunjun was killed, so be the murderer," the answer will most likely be "His Highness the Crown Prince."

"It's just a small price to pay, teacher, there's no need to be angry."

Yan Dan remained calm, but what he was truly thinking was something only he knew.

"The farmers helped us solve this problem and even found a scapegoat who has disappeared. It's only right that we handle the follow-up investigation for them. It's a tacit and fair deal."

Yan Dan knew that, considering factors such as stabilizing public sentiment, quickly taking over this hard-won situation, and giving Lu Wei face, the case also needed to be resolved as soon as possible.

Once the storm passes, he can foresee how wonderful the Yan Kingdom will be without Lord Yanchun as an obstacle.

By reforming the Yan state according to his own plan and leveraging the power of the Mohists throughout the Yan region to carry out reforms, this country may very well return to the strength it possessed during the reign of King Zhao!

"What Your Highness said is also known to this old minister." Ju Wu stroked his beard, chuckled, and then shook his head:

"Although it was our plan to incite conflict between Yan Chunjun and Lu Qiuge, the plan has been implemented a little too smoothly."

"The plot had only just begun when Yan Chunjun was killed... I have never liked peasants, but I don't think that Lu Wei is the kind of person who would act impulsively for the sake of a mere dancer."

"Does he have some other scheme targeting us as well?"

"It's alright. Lord Yanchun is dead. From now on, all our efforts should be focused on taking over power. Whatever he wants, I can give it to him!"

Yan Dan stood up and gave his final instructions.

The Crown Prince's residence is currently extremely busy.

Luqiu Pavilion was just as busy.

Once the New Year was over, the main force of Luqiu Pavilion was to withdraw to Daze Mountain, some elite troops were to go to Zhao State to cultivate the land for Li Mu for a year, and the caravans were to shrink across the board.

Of the few remaining disciples who chose to remain in Yan, some continued to smuggle horses with the grasslands under the name of Luqiu Pavilion, while others joined Feixue Pavilion, where they remained infiltrated to gather intelligence.

Even if the Yan Kingdom is destroyed in the future, the existence of these people will allow Gonggongtang to continue to control information about the Yan region.

As the head instructor of the reserve knowledge disciples, Lu Ye didn't even celebrate the New Year and urgently led his students to Daze Mountain.

As a result, of the five members of the Lu family who came to Jicheng together, only Lu Wei and Ashan remain.

Luqiu Pavilion is planning to sell its assets to the public, while the Hall Master is shopping in the system's online store.

His martial arts skills haven't been updated in a long time. Last time he made a fortune at the Xu family, not only was he able to afford to consume his daily cultivation pills without feeling the pinch, but he could also freely share a bottle with Amu. This time, at Yan Chunjun's mansion, his "All Rivers Run into the Sea" skill was more than enough to support the hall master's full set of red-level skills!

When the Soul-Sweeping Skill was at its purple quality, Lu Wei used it with extreme caution, fearing that revealing too much would allow enemies to target him and cause backlash against his spirit. But once it was upgraded to the top level, there was no need to worry anymore.

When using it, although the mental pressure is still considerable, as a one-way outward output technique, the enemy can no longer influence Lu Wei's body through the internal energy!

The internal energy of the Five Virtues Rejuvenation Exercise is the foundation of everything. After it rises to the red level, it undergoes a peculiar change: in its initial state, it returns to the energy of no virtue, and only when needed does all five virtues manifest.

Aside from spending 20,000 gold to upgrade those two special techniques to red level, he didn't touch the Butterfly Swordplay and Maple Forest Swordplay, which were offensive techniques. Instead, he chose to purchase a third red-level martial art for himself: the Whale Drinking Swordplay.

It comes bundled with a famous red sword: the Sea-Swallowing Sword.

This is the meaning of the line: "Before the whale has drunk its fill of the sea, the sword's aura has already swept across the autumn sky!"

The deep blue hilt is simple and understated, while the blade is decorated with wave patterns. When held horizontally and slicing through the air, it exudes a powerful aura that presses down on you.

Compared to the exquisite elegance of the Jade Soul Sword, the Devouring Sea Sword is grand and majestic. The two sword styles are vastly different, and even if the sword techniques used are the same, the feelings they evoke are completely different.

By this point, Lu Wei had acquired quite a few famous swords.

The Devouring Sea and Jade Soul are of the highest quality and can be selected and used to defeat different opponents.

The Zhenyue Sword is a military sword, originally belonging to Li Mu, but it will eventually be returned to this great general.

The Hao Cao Sword is the sword of the Net. After Jueying's death, it came into Lu Wei's hands. In the future, he can give this sword of death away to whoever finds it interesting.

The Jingni Sword is also a sword of the Net, belonging to Lu Ni. When Xiao Yan grows up, she can inherit her mother's business and continue to use this sword to serve her.

Besides the five famous swords already in hand, Master Lu also sent his disciples to secretly investigate the whereabouts of Gan Jiang and Mo Xie. As a result, Lü Qing actually found some clues in the ancient books, which happened to be related to Daze Mountain.

As for whether it is real or whether it can be found, he analyzed it based on the experience of later generations and believed that it was very likely.

In the original timeline, Tian Meng was able to find these two swords by chance, and it's not impossible for him to deliberately create a similar coincidence!

...

While practicing the newly acquired Whale Drinking Sword Technique in the backyard of Luqiu Pavilion, Lu Ni and Xue Nu were teaching the Butterfly Sword Technique on the other side, while Xiao Yan'er sat quietly watching from the side.

The scene was harmonious until dusk, when, after the Snow Maiden took Xiao Yan'er down to rest, Lu Ni quietly approached:

"All the lurkers in the Net have also been dealt with."

Even though the method by which Jueying obtained the Hao Cao Sword is unclear, his identity was officially conferred by the Luo Wang, making him the rightful master of the Hao Cao Sword.

Moreover, due to Yan Chunjun's status in the Yan Kingdom, Jueying's position rose accordingly, and he had a group of Luo Wang assassins under his command who nominally obeyed Jueying's orders and worked for Luo Wang.

He had reported this to Lu Ni when Luo Wang and Jueying were linked, but much of the information in his report was incomplete, which was to be expected.

Both sides were inherently using each other, but within this relationship, Lu Ni always held absolute power of life and death over Jueying.

The Hall Master probably knew some of the hidden thoughts beneath his outward loyalty, but in Lu Wei's eyes, Jueying had always been a pawn that could be discarded at any time, so he didn't care.

As the past year has passed, Jueying has gained a higher position in the Luowang, which has made him more complicated. If Lu Ni hadn't been keeping an eye on him, Luqiu Pavilion would probably have been sold by Jueying for a high price long ago.

Now that Jueying has completed his mission and died along with Yanchunjun, there is no need for his subordinates in the Luowang organization to live any longer.

Sending Hao Caojian away didn't catch any big fish; it only destroyed Luo Wang's branch in Ji City, which could only be considered a minor gain.

But from that moment on, Lu Wei's intention to oppose the Luo Wang organization became completely clear. The question now was whether the Luo Wang organization would retaliate or remain inactive for the sake of a larger plan...

------

In the Yan State General's Mansion, Yan Yi was contemplating his future.

With the death of Yan Chunjun, his powerful patron in the Yan court, it's uncertain whether he can still hold onto his position as Grand General.

Anyone with eyes to see knows that originally, the court was a power struggle between Lord Yanchun and the Crown Prince's residence, but now that Lord Yanchun is dead, His Highness the Crown Prince will hold all the power.

I must immediately change my attitude and get back on the good side.

While everyone else is still doing nothing, I quickly threw the ball over; it was a timely help, albeit a difficult one.

"How about a marriage alliance with His Highness the Crown Prince?"

The trusted steward cleverly offered advice and strategies to the general.

"A marriage alliance?" Yan Yi stroked his chin, his eyes widening in surprise.

“Not bad.” The trusted steward turned his head and glanced around, then whispered, “Although the general has no biological children, his niece is a beautiful young woman of sixteen. Why don’t you adopt her as your own daughter and discuss it with His Highness the Crown Prince? He will surely not refuse!”

"Yan Yun?" Yan Yi frowned. This was his elder brother's daughter. She should have been executed a few years ago, but because she was not captured immediately, when they finally caught her and were about to kill her, the king suddenly remembered the former general's many merits and spared her life.

As her only relative, Yan Yi reluctantly adopted this niece out of consideration for her own image.

Surprisingly, the bloodline of my elder brother, which I find so annoying, is now actually having some use.

"Didn't His Highness the Crown Prince bring a woman back from Qin?" Yan Yi was already tempted, but then suddenly remembered something: "It is said that His Highness the Crown Prince has already informed the King that he wants to marry that woman from Qin as his Crown Princess, and the ceremony will be held next year?"

"How can a mere country bumpkin be compared to the daughter of a great general?"

The trusted steward chuckled, "Besides, the marriage hasn't even taken place yet. If the General is willing to use marriage as leverage, His Highness the Crown Prince will surely make the right choice."

Upon hearing this, Yan Yi considered it carefully, then narrowed his eyes and a high arc appeared at the corners of his mouth...

Chapter 107 The Six-Fingered Black Knight

Yan Dan walked out of the Yan Kingdom's palace, his heart heavier than ever before.

Looking at the red sun hanging in the sky, even someone who always strictly demands of himself to never show his emotions couldn't help but reveal a hint of bitterness on his face.

The joy of defeating Yan Chunjun lasted only seven days before his heart turned to ice.

"In this Yan state, am I the master, or are you the master?"

The king's roar still echoed in Yan Dan's ears. His various plans and personnel changes, which he proposed, had only been partially completed in the past seven days, when the king personally intervened and abolished most of them.

In terms of power, Yan Dan is indeed much more powerful than when Yan Chun Jun was in power, but the most crucial elements are still firmly in the hands of his father, the king.

As for his proposal to rebel against the Qin state, he was met with the most ruthless rebuke:

"Qin is a great power, and we must never offend it or use it as an excuse to attack it."

After his grand plan was completely thwarted by this decree, Yan Dan's rationality told him that he needed to conceal his ambition: his father was old and would only live for ten years at most, and he would be able to succeed to the throne and act decisively according to his own wishes.

But in reality, let alone ten years, even a single day's delay would reduce the Yan state's strength to resist Qin; it simply couldn't afford to delay...

Could we use methods to deal with Lord Yanchun...?

The moment this rebellious idea crossed his mind, he immediately shook his head and rejected it: this was his father, the King of Yan, and this matter could never succeed.

In the court, there was not much he could do. Yan Chunjun's remaining forces had reinstated a new leader. Although Yan Chunjun's prestige and the trust that Yan Wangxi placed in him were far inferior, he was still a troublesome figure who required considerable effort to contend with. Given his father's attitude today, dealing with him would only be a protracted struggle.

Besides his identity as the Crown Prince of Yan, he also needed to make use of his other identity as a disciple of the Mohist school.

Sometimes, what can be done in the martial arts world is far more direct and effective than what can be done in the imperial court.

"I need to go back and talk to the Grand Master!"

With a flick of his sleeve, Yan Dan's resilience roused him, his expression returning to seriousness as he headed back to the Crown Prince's residence.

Upon arriving at the residence, he saw Ju Wu pacing anxiously back and forth at the gate, which startled him: "Teacher, what has happened!"

"Your Highness, there is news that requires your personal decision..." Ju Wu hurriedly stepped forward, grabbing Yan Dan's sleeve, disregarding the fact that this behavior was a great disrespect to the royal family: "General Yan Yi wishes to form a marriage alliance with you!"