Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 182

Out of consideration for balancing the power within the military, the King of Qin might not use the father and son again after conquering Chu, the remnants of Yan, and Qi.

Because of killing Yan Dan, the young and promising general Li Xin won the favor of the King of Qin. It was conceivable that the king would want to give him the merit of destroying a country.

Furthermore, the Meng clan, based on their qualifications, deserves credit for the destruction of a state: the Battle of Jicheng can only be considered half of the Yan state, and Li Xin also played a significant role in it.

The remaining states are not enough for Qin to divide up, so Wang Ben will not show any leniency towards Wei. He must fight it decisively so that if his colleagues make mistakes, the king will remember the Wang family!

Wang Ben postponed his plan to attack Wei, and King Zheng of Qin issued an order agreeing to it.

From the rebellion in Xinzheng, Ying Zheng had already sensed the unrest among the people in the former territories of conquered states. The state of Han was weak; at most, another rebellion wouldn't require much effort.

However, if a rebellion were to break out in the vast former territory of Chu, the situation would become much more complicated!

Therefore, he intentionally sent people to investigate the old Chu territory and discovered that, based on the precedent of Xinzheng, there were indeed signs of undercurrents in the former Chu capital of Chenying...

If, after conquering Wei, the Qin army were to attack Chu, a rebellion like that in Xinzheng were to occur there, the Qin army at the front would likely be caught in a pincer movement.

This is something we must be wary of.

To ensure a successful conquest of Chu, it is essential to send a loyal and trusted minister capable of pacifying the people of Chu to oversee the campaign at Chenying.

Ying Zheng thought this person was the best choice, especially since Lord Changping had just distinguished himself in Xinzheng...

Chapter 204 The Hidden Dangers

Taoism originated from the ancient tradition of hermits, a fact that is still reflected in the Taoist Tianzong sect today.

While cultivating Taoism, the Human Sect also actively incorporated worldly ideas. In addition to the ideological disputes among fellow disciples, the Hundred Schools of Thought were also vying for worldly fame and inheritance.

To contend for worldly power, one must inevitably involve politics and the monarch of the state.

Among the nine major schools of thought, only the Legalists and the Military School lacked a fixed lineage.

These two organizations are already closely intertwined with the world: governing a country requires laws, and war requires soldiers.

From the perspective of inheritance alone, the methods of law and military strategy have already succeeded.

Farmers seem to be among the successful ones, and ordinary people in various countries use farming techniques as long as they farm. However, most of these techniques do not require special training in farmhouses; an experienced farmer can become a skilled farmer after cultivating the land for more than a decade.

Therefore, it can only be said that Shennong, the ancestor of farming, succeeded. It is possible that the farming families that relied on Shennong might actually perish as their farming techniques spread.

The fundamental concept mentioned in Taoist political thought is the idea of ​​governing by non-action (wuwei), a point that Xiao He mastered to its utmost, and he even proactively explained its principles to the head of the hall.

The so-called "governing by non-action" does not mean inaction, but rather avoiding reckless actions.

Taoism believes that the cycle of Heaven is in motion, and everything in the world operates according to the natural rules of the 'Tao'. As long as we develop in accordance with these rules, everything will always get better.

When applied to governing the people, the "way" is the system!

The principle of governing by non-action is to govern the country in accordance with the established system.

This sounds somewhat like Legalism and also somewhat like the Confucian "rites," but the difference between the Daoist system and the artificial conventions of Legalism and Confucianism lies in the fact that this system originates from objective laws.

Governing by non-action means doing everything within the framework of objective laws, without violating or violating them.

The fact that Legalism, Taoism, and Confucianism were valued and used in national politics at different times indicates that they had their own rationality and progressiveness in line with the times.

The Master doesn't believe that any one school of thought is necessarily correct, but he knows that Jing County is developing particularly rapidly under Xiao He's governance, so he is currently using Taoist ideas.

After hearing just a little bit of the theoretical outline, Master Lu gave Xiao He plenty of face. As for more in-depth Taoist doctrines, he could add Taoism to Xiao Yan'er's Legalist and Confucian courses after returning to the medical manor.

Xiao Yan'er is naturally intelligent. Even if she can't understand the three schools of thought, she can at least memorize their classic texts.

Xiao He understood that Lu Wei's thirst for knowledge was mainly focused on "breadth," so after explaining the principle of non-action, he did not delve further into Taoist teachings. Instead, he accepted Lu Wei's invitation to a sword duel on a snowy day.

The climate at Jinghu is much warmer than at Dazeshan. The snow here falls very lightly, creating a slow and elegant atmosphere.

According to Duanmu Rong, Jinghu Lake usually does not freeze in previous years, but in recent years the weather has changed drastically, sometimes hot and sometimes cold, and this year, a rare shallow layer of ice has formed on the edge of the lake.

The ice is very unstable; an adult standing on it would definitely break the ice and fall into the water.

It was under these circumstances that Lu Wei and Xiao He agreed to have a sword duel on the ice.

This is a competition that combines swordsmanship and agility.

Taoist martial arts primarily rely on the sword for combat, and Xiao He not only possessed exceptional swordsmanship but also unexpectedly wielded a rare and renowned sword.

"Master Lu, please."

With a whoosh, the sword rang out, ethereal and profound.

Xiao He drew his longsword; on its gleaming, inwardly curved blade, seven faint silver dots unevenly formed the Big Dipper constellation. As he channeled his inner energy, the seven-star pattern seemed to transform into a hidden dragon...

The sword of integrity and purity, Seven Star Dragon Abyss!

Lu Wei knew that the sword carried by Magistrate Xiao was no ordinary sword, but it was only now that he realized it was this very sword.

The two most famous swords in Taoism are Xueji, the symbol of the sect leader, and Qiuli, the hidden sword of the Heavenly Sect. The former was the focus of the sword competition held every five years after the split between the Heavenly and Human Sects, while the latter provided great inspiration for Zhuangzi when he wrote "Free and Easy Wandering".

The Seven Star Dragon Abyss is another famous sword forged by Ou Yezi and Gan Jiang. In terms of quality, it is by no means inferior to these two swords. According to Lu Wei's observation, it can even be compared with Fu Nian's Tai'a.

This sword was not collected by the Taoists. If it had been, it would have been difficult for it to have passed into Xiao He's hands. Xiao He must have had other opportunities to obtain this sword.

Master, you recall that this sword's previous, widely known owner was Wu Zixu, and the sword Wu Zixu used when he committed suicide, Lou, was delivered to him only after Xiao He's guidance...

For all these reasons, Xiao He didn't bring it up, so Master Lu wouldn't develop any unprofitable curiosity.

Nodding in acknowledgment, Lu Wei drew the Sea-Swallowing Sword from his waist, its sword energy condensing on the surface of the blade without dissipating.

Xiao He was quite strong, but not top-tier. Fighting him was pointless if the goal was simply to win. So, Master Lu restrained his inner energy and strength, focusing instead on exchanging sword techniques with him.

Taoist schools, regardless of whether they belong to the Heavenly or the Human school, are known for their internal energy. When fighting, their sword techniques are light, agile, and far-reaching, and when combined with other moves formed by internal energy, they can be described as elegant and graceful.

With a light tap of their feet on the frozen lake, two figures gracefully intertwined, swords drawn. Xiao He, his feet planted in the Nine Palaces formation, unleashed a sword strike...

...

Clang! Tian Guang's longsword was cleaved in two by Zhen Gang. He calmly used his Buzhou Broken Palm technique to catch the broadsword that was still slashing at him, and turned his head to dodge Luan Shen's slanted slash.

Having narrowly escaped this attack, Tian Guang took the opportunity to retreat, freeing himself from being surrounded on both sides.

His gaze swept around, and he saw that his trusted men, whom he had gathered, had already used the Twenty-Four Earthly Branches to surround the lower-level assassins of the Net.

But the fact that the number of people on both sides is equal is quite subtle.

Among the advanced combat forces, the Farmer's side only has himself, while the Luo Net has two Heavenly Rank One fighters.

After parting ways with Xiaoyaozi in Xinzheng City, the leader of the Human Sect headed south to the Chu region, while Tian Guang quietly awaited the arrival of Lord Changping's army. Seeing that the suppression of the rebellion had proceeded without incident, he did not risk meeting Lord Changping again, but instead left the city directly, heading straight for Daze Mountain.

In a few months, the Farmer's Clan will issue the Shennong Decree, and Tian Guang needs to lie in wait in the Daze Mountains to observe the movements of the Six Halls.

With the Shennong Token in Lu Wei's hands, given Lu Wei's abilities, I probably won't even need to show my face; he'll be able to take care of everything for the farmers.

But if things change for any reason, Tian Guangren can step out in time from Dazeshan to set things right and reassure people.

Even as one gets older, decades of experience still prove useful, and this is the only area where Tian Guang believes he can still surpass Lu Xiaozi.

However, just as he reached the forest on the border of Han, Jin Gang and Ran Shen appeared from both sides, becoming an obstacle in his path...

The net of traps is actually part of the plan...

There was no verbal exchange between the two sides; instead, they exchanged signal flares and immediately engaged in a fierce battle.

The six sword slaves have not yet been selected, but Zhen Gang and Luan Shen have already begun to cooperate in a tacit understanding.

Tian Guang's sword was broken, but he wasn't too afraid of the two men. However, it would be difficult for him to hurt them either.

Besides, if time drags on, he alone can't outlast the two from Luo Wang.

If they choose to retreat, even if Tian Guang manages to escape alone, his trusted disciples who are confronting the lower-ranking assassins of the Luo Wang organization will surely die here...

Of the two at the Heavenly Rank, both are assassins from the Luo Wang organization, yet their temperaments are completely different. Even though, as trainees for the Six Sword Slaves, they are theoretically required to sever all emotions unrelated to the sword, where in the world can there be truly heartless people?

Luan Shen was even more irritable. He remembered the mocking wooden carving that the old man had left on the road sign when he was tracking him last time. So he turned his ancient sword and slashed at Tian Guang again.

The Chaotic God Sword is ugly, but due to its shape and size, it is far more difficult to grip than the True Steel Sword.

Tian Guang didn't directly confront him. Instead, he used the Starry Sky Footwork to retreat while simultaneously employing the Five-String Acupoint Strike Finger Technique to unleash his internal energy from a distance to engage him. When Zhen Gang attacked again, the leader of the Farmer's Clan found himself under immense pressure...

On the other side, in the skirmish between the two sides' soldiers, the Farmer's faction, aided by their formation, still held the upper hand. The disciples whom Tian Guang had specially mobilized for the ambush were all elites from the Tian family, each possessing the individual strength of a skilled martial artist.

Individually, they were already quite strong against Luo Wang, and their formation made them even stronger!

The Luo Wang Earth-level assassins were being systematically eliminated. As long as a victor emerges here, the remaining Farmer disciples can still form the Twenty-Four Earthly Branches to participate in the battle against the Heroic Leader.

Since Shin'go Ranshin is unable to quickly defeat Tian Guang, the situation may still be reversed.

However, the two were not in a hurry at all, since the land they were standing on was, after all, Qin territory!

Wow!

As the battle raged on, a dark red killing intent suddenly filled the air, and four blood-red sword energies aimed straight for the lives of the four peasant disciples in the formation!

At the same time, a swordsman dressed in Qin armor, wielding a forked sword, emerged from behind a tree trunk...

The third one, ranked first in the Heavenly Class of the Net, is the Sun-Covering One.

The appearance of this person did not make Tian Guang panic; instead, he stepped back and laughed twice.

Was his dying wish a smile?

Yan Ri had more idle chatter than Zhen Gang and Luan Shen, and he still had the mood to chat with Tian Guang from afar.

Although Zhen Gang and Luan Shen are both of the highest rank, their status is lower than that of Yan Ri. Since Yan Ri wants to negotiate, they can only retreat and suspend their attack.

"If you were truly confident you could keep me here, why would you have hidden yourself away before finally showing yourself?"

Tian Guang knew he couldn't win a fight now, and even if he tried to escape openly, he might not be able to. But he wasn't worried at all: "Compared to the two of them, you have another identity in the martial arts world, and I know someone who is that identity?"

Pointing his finger at Zhen Gangluan Shen, Tian Guang immediately deduced an important piece of information about Yan Ri's hidden identity.

"If you surrender, I'll show you my true colors."

Yan Ri remained calm and composed. Despite the high price of his identity, he was not afraid of the possibility that Tian Guang might guess it.

"Looks like you think you've kept it a secret very well~"

Tian Guang raised his eyes and thought for a moment, then suddenly clapped his hands. The remaining disciples of the Farmer's Clan immediately released the encirclement of the lower-level assassins of the Luo Net, blocking his way and the three Heavenly-level assassins: "But I'm not as curious as young people, farewell~"

After saying that, Tian Guang turned around and left.

When the peasant disciples surrounded them, Yan Ri knew their plan. He, Zhengang, and Luanshen immediately attacked. However, even though the ordinary disciples' Di Ze Twenty-Four could not kill the three of them, if they really wanted to stop them, they could buy them enough time to buy them a few crucial minutes!

The three members of Luo Wang's lightness skill was not particularly outstanding.

With a series of rapid bursts, they broke through the first circle of the Twenty-Four Earthly Branches at top speed, the three of them hot on their heels in the direction Tian Guang had gone. But after only ten miles of pursuit, twelve more high-ranking disciples of the Farmer's Clan jumped out, forming the Twenty-Four Earthly Branches to block their path...