Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 287

At the same time, Qin waved his hand again, and the rockets, their arrowheads ignited, were launched in unison...

"What are these little cars?"

Half an incense stick's time ago, just as the dragon-headed cart was being pushed in, Lu Wei and Ji Yan quietly arrived at the watchtower in the southeast corner of the General's Mansion and took care of the two archers on it. At that time, the entire mansion's attention was focused on the Thousand Machine Tower, and no one noticed their actions.

Ji Yan, having removed and destroyed the guard bells on the watchtower to eliminate the potential threat, was just as clueless as the dragon-headed carts pushed by the Golden Fire Cavalry.

From Lu Wei's perspective, these small carts looked quite like cannons from later times. Although cannons were not impossible to make in the Qin Dynasty world, and the Gongshu family could even create 'multi-warhead missiles', judging from the water tank-like bodies of those 'small carts', it was not hard to guess that they were probably filled with oil, not water.

"Meng Tian wants to use fire attack; they don't want this Thousand Machine Tower anymore."

"An oil-powered vehicle?" Ji Yan realized after being prompted, "The technology isn't advanced; we can replicate it at the crafts workshops in Jing County. But is this the Qin army's new weapon?"

It's not as complicated as I imagined, but in the current situation, it could indeed force the four people on Qianji Tower into a desperate situation, provided that Bai Feng doesn't come.

But that was obviously impossible. The dragon-headed cart had already taken a considerable amount of time to travel, enough time for Bai Feng to arrive.

The loud birdsong coming from the horizon is proof of this.

There are some incredible beasts in this world. There is a giant black panther being raised in the Great Ze Mountain. Although he had seen it several times in the Mechanized City last year, seeing the giant bird soaring in the sky again still made Lord Xia Kui yearn for it: the beast that can carry people in flight is much more functional than the black panther.

“Zhang Han has held back in his overt arrangements, but even if he hadn’t, he might not have been able to leave the Strategists alive.” As the black oil gushed out, the two men’s guesses proved true. Lu Wei looked thoughtfully at the raging fire that had already started on the Thousand Machine Tower. Even when he turned his head and saw several bat-winged mechanical beasts of the Gongshu family flying in from the direction of the sea, he did not change his opinion.

The Bat-Winged Mechanical Beast is a type of flying mechanical beast that the Gongshu family has been researching for a long time, with the goal of countering the Mo family's Vermilion Bird. However, the technology has never been very mature. It wasn't until last year, when Gongshu Chou attacked the Mechanical City, that he captured a Vermilion Bird at the Mo Gui Pond. After careful study, he applied some of its technology to his own research, which finally made the Bat-Winged Mechanical Beast stable.

However, the bat-winged mechanical beast is not large in size, requires one person to operate it, and the operating conditions require maintaining a fixed posture, which is still inferior to the Vermilion Bird.

I heard that Gongshu Chou is already researching larger bat wings, but he doesn't have enough time. Before the Mirage sets sail, his main focus will still be on the Mirage.

The current version of the Batwing Mechanical Beast is small and has weak resistance to attacks. Its attack method requires the operator above it to wield a bow and arrow. It's okay to bully ground units, but if it tries to fight Bai Feng in the sky, it will only be a humiliation.

“Since Zongheng was able to escape, this Thousand Machine Copper Plate is likely a fake,” Ji Yan said, sorting out her thoughts.

"This is a problem the anti-Qin alliance needs to consider. We know that Zhang Han's ultimate goal is to lure them to the Mirage Shipyard," Lu Xiaokui said calmly.

"The value of that place decreased after the Mirage was built. The Mirage is currently undergoing trial voyages. Great Qin is now rich in all corners of the world. The next place it will dock will be the developed Sanghai Wharf. There is no need to secretly repair it in the remote shipyard anymore. Using the shipyard as a trap can both draw the attention of the anti-Qin alliance away from Sanghai City and also allow us to devise a plan to wipe them out in one fell swoop."

The outcome is already known in advance; the details of the process will simply emerge as time goes on.

"There's no need to stay here any longer, let's go back."

"Ah."

The fire at Qianji Tower illuminated the entire General's Mansion. In Lu Wei and Ji Yan's lighthearted conversation, Zongheng and Daozhi Ji Bu seemed to have escaped easily, but in reality, they were not so relaxed after being smoked and burned.

The Batwing Mechanical City, which Lu Wei didn't rate highly, was indeed fragile, but Bai Feng was also having a hard time rescuing people while dealing with enemies.

A simple fire, coupled with the Qin army's rain of arrows and the bat-winged mechanical beasts harassing the sky, was enough to bring Guigu Zongheng and the three skilled swordsmen to the brink of death.

However, once Gai Nie, with Wei Zhuang's help, boarded the White Bird and unleashed his sword energy to cut down two bat wings, things began to develop in their favor.

The two farmers also evacuated from the center of the incident under these circumstances.

Returning to the base, the events of Sanghai City tonight could not be kept secret. The intense fire was visible throughout the city, and the chase between the giant white bird and the bat-winged mechanical beast was clearly visible under the moonlight. With things escalating like this, Zhang Han and Meng Tian would most likely be punished, but only His Majesty the Emperor could punish them, so the two of them didn't need to worry too much.

The eldest son's entourage was indeed very close, but the emperor's entourage had not yet set off. Fusu could reprimand them, but he had no authority to deal with them, and the same was true for Li Si.

"The situation has become clearer. It's highly unlikely that anything else will happen in Sanghai City behind the Thousand Machine Tower. We need to consider how we can profit from this." Ji Yan had her long hair loose outside, but when she returned to the house, she tied it into a ponytail.

Her neat hairstyle paired with a gray-black bodysuit accentuated the female assassin's imposing presence: "Fusu's convoy will arrive in five days. By then, the anti-Qin alliance will probably be able to react. Whether they fall for Zhang Han's scheme will determine the outcome."

“Zhang Han is a trusted confidant of Ying Zheng. He has been trained for many years and is outstanding in ability and experienced in doing things. What would happen if such a talented person died in Sanghai?” Lu Wei asked Ji Yan, half asking himself and half asking Ji Yan.

"When the emperor is angry, millions will die." Ji Yan gave the answer without hesitation.

"What if the Qin state were to face another inevitable war at this time?"

"...Brother Lu means...the North?"

Lu Wei chuckled but did not reply. He rubbed his temples, considering the complex situation from multiple perspectives: "I need to talk to Zhang Liang again. The power behind my Zifang needs to be mobilized."

Zhang Han's existence is an obstacle for the peasants, but he cannot die lightly. As a confidant of His Majesty the Emperor, he should have a clean cause of death.

This cause of death is something that Luo Wang (the organization behind the organization) probably wants as well; former enemies could cooperate.

"Yes, I'll arrange it tomorrow morning." Xiao Yan'er replied as she approached and took the initiative to massage Lu Wei. Her cool fingers had excellent control over the pressure, and she was already very familiar with Lu Wei's body.

------

Having escaped the pursuit of the bat-winged mechanical beasts, they landed in a remote mountain forest. Zongheng and his companion quickly returned to the Mo family camp with their belongings, while Daozhi and Jibu needed to camouflage certain areas in the forest, as a large army would soon be dispatched to search for them, and they needed to lure the enemy to a more distant place.

Gao Jianli and the others from the Mohist school, who were responsible for luring the enemy outside Sanghai City, had not yet returned. Gai Nie handed the Thousand Machine Copper Disc to Master Ban for use. After studying its application, he personally applied it to the Black Dragon Scroll, but the result made all three present frown...

Chapter 342 Azure Dragon and Vermilion Bird

"What does it mean that one can face the moon but not turn away from it?"

Master Ban stared in confusion at the contents of the secret message within the Black Dragon Scroll, which had been deciphered by the Thousand Machine Copper Disc, and slowly read it aloud.

Wei Zhuang was equally puzzled, and tried to interpret it in his mind: Did Taiyin refer to the moon, or the god of the north?

After Gai Nie closed his eyes and pondered for about ten breaths, he suddenly spoke up: "I once read this sentence in the library of Xianyang Palace from the anonymous manuscript of Ji Zhou."

The fragmentary passage reads: "Where the moon resides, one should not turn away but face; where the Big Dipper strikes, one cannot contend with."

"The Taiyin here does not refer to the moon or the North Pole as usual, but to Tianyi, or we can call it by its more well-known name: Azure Dragon."

"Azure Dragon!" Master Ban, who was well aware of the Azure Dragon Plan being carried out by the Mohists, was shocked. It was truly unexpected that this term would appear in the Black Dragon Scroll of the Qin State.

“It shouldn’t be referring to the Azure Dragon Plan.” Gai Nie knew what Ban was thinking just by looking at his reaction, and shook his head: “Among the gods, none is more noble than the Azure Dragon. This Azure Dragon most likely refers to Emperor Ying Zheng himself.”

"It's not the Black Dragon after all~" Wei Zhuang sneered.

Unconcerned about being interrupted, Gai Nie calmly continued his interpretation: "Therefore, according to the original text, this sentence can be interpreted as: The emperor's will cannot be disobeyed, but can only be obeyed; the country and people in the direction pointed to by the handle of the Big Dipper cannot oppose it."

"This is a provocation against us." The Master of Quicksand gripped the Shark Tooth Sword, looking down at the Black Dragon Scroll and the Thousand Machine Copper Plate, and said coldly.

"So this was indeed a trap set by the Qin state from beginning to end?" Master Ban frowned deeply. The effort and resources everyone had invested in this Black Dragon Scroll were immense; they had even risked their lives to break into the General's Mansion's Thousand Machine Pavilion tonight, only to decipher a provocation from the Qin state...

“Not necessarily.” Wei Zhuang shook his head: “If it’s just a provocation and a way to lure the enemy, it’s understandable that they would create a fake dossier, and it’s also understandable that they would burn down the Qianji Tower in the General’s Mansion in Sanghai City in order to kill us, but the Qianji Copper Plate is indeed in our hands now.”

“Indeed, the hidden value behind the Thousand-Machine Bronze Plate lies in the potential leakage of the entire Qin Kingdom's secret codes. We risked our lives to obtain it. If the contents of the Black Dragon Scroll were merely an insignificant provocation, then they wouldn't have needed to use the real Thousand-Machine Bronze Plate as bait.” Gai Nie also keenly sensed that Zhang Han had other intentions hidden behind the whole affair:

"Betting that we can get our hands on the real Thousand-Machine Bronze Disc to decipher a provocation... the price is too high."

“But if the Thousand Machine Copper Plate is actually fake…” Wei Zhuang continued, following his senior brother’s words, “then obtaining the fake Thousand Machine Copper Plate and deciphering the fake Black Dragon Scroll would be another step in Zhang Han’s plan.”

"His purpose could be twofold: on the one hand, to set a trap to kill us, and on the other hand, even if the trap fails, the false contents of the Black Dragon Scroll can conceal the real secrets within."

"The trap of the Thousand Machine Copper Plate lies both in the Thousand Machine Tower and after we obtain the Thousand Machine Copper Plate!" Master Ban exclaimed in surprise.

"It's uncertain, but there's a possibility." Gai Nie remained calm.

“Interesting.” Wei Zhuang’s lips curled into a smile. “Until now, I finally have a sliver of belief that this is the real Black Dragon Scroll.”

“And this may be Zhang Han’s real purpose,” Gai Nie warned his junior brother, Xiao Zhuang.

"So, even though we went to great lengths to obtain the Thousand Machine Copper Plate, we still can't confirm the authenticity of the Black Dragon Scroll?" Master Ban grabbed his hair, feeling a headache coming on.

“Our opponent is Zhang Han, the commander of the Shadow Guard. We can’t draw any conclusions lightly.” Gai Nie had just finished speaking when he heard the sound of someone descending the stairs from the ground. He and his junior brother Xiao Zhuang exchanged a quick glance, and when their target appeared, it was indeed Shi Lan from Mount Shu.

"What was the result?" Shi Lan knew about tonight's plan, but she was aloof and asked directly about the result when she saw Zong Heng return. This straightforward approach did not make Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang feel impolite.

"So it was Miss Shi Lan." Master Ban frowned and disappeared. He then handed over the deciphering results to the Mo family ally with a smile: "Take a look, these are the characters analyzed by the Thousand Machine Copper Plate."

"..." Shi Lan quickly finished reading the few words without expression, put down the paper, and under the gaze of the three people, she frowned and shook her head just like they had at first glance: "I can't understand..."

A perfectly normal reaction. Master Ban immediately explained Gai Nie's analysis to her, and pointed out the possibility that the Thousand-Machine Copper Plate they had obtained was fake. Shi Lan lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment: "This might provide a clue..."

"What advice does Mount Shu have for me?" Wei Zhuang's gaze instantly sharpened like a sword.

“As I said before, the encryption method of the Black Dragon Scrolls is based on the zodiacal star path to some extent. So even if the Thousand Machine Copper Plate you obtained is fake, the ‘Taiyin’ that it interprets, which is ‘Azure Dragon’, must be reflected in the original.”

Shi Lan lowered her head and pondered, organizing her thoughts: "Perhaps I can try to find a symbol that is related to the 'Azure Dragon' by using the witchcraft of Mount Shu."

“That is indeed a good idea.” Gai Nie agreed with Shi Lan’s idea: “I’m counting on you, Miss Shi Lan.”

The girl nodded and left the secret room. Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang still did not sense any signs of lying or any flaws in her words: their vigilance was a habitual behavior, not a deliberate act against this new ally.

"The authenticity of the Thousand Machine Copper Plate is probably only known to Zhang Han or Meng Tian themselves. We must be prepared that this path may not lead anywhere." Gai Nie studied the original Black Dragon Scroll and the Thousand Machine Copper Plate for a while longer, but found no answer.

"We can monitor Qin's movements around Sanghai. Perhaps they will deliberately reveal their weaknesses in reality, even if the code is unbreakable," Wei Zhuang suggested a reasonable alternative solution.

Master Ban nodded in agreement: "I will let Xiao Zhi and the others run around more."

...

As dawn broke, Gao Jianli, Dao Zhi, and the others lured the enemy away and returned to their stronghold. Upon learning the outcome, they were inevitably disappointed, but there was nothing they could do.

Two days later, news came from the Shushan allies that they finally made some progress: the Thousand Machine Copper Plate that they had snatched back that night was indeed a fake!

“According to the rules of the zodiac star chart, I did not find the symbol of ‘Azure Dragon’, but I found ‘Vermilion Bird’.”

In the secret room, Shi Lan, looking exhausted, took the original Black Dragon Scroll and used the Butterfly Summoning Technique from the Shu Mountain Witchcraft to mark the suspicious parts. It was clear that she hadn't rested much these past few days.

Even though she knew the answer in advance, she still needed to do the process of finding the answer herself.

“Vermilion Bird…” Gai Nie pondered: Unlike the complexity of Azure Dragon, his first thought when he mentioned Vermilion Bird was the directional word for the south, or perhaps it referred to the State of Chu.

However, when considered in the context of our current geographical location, the answer—south of the Sanghai Sea—is all too obvious:

"Mirage Shipyard!"

Gao Jianli was also present this time. He didn't know much about the Mirage, but because of the importance that the Mirage Shipyard displayed to the Qin State, the Mohists had been monitoring that unique building that had been erected out of thin air on the desolate coast.

And it turns out that there have indeed been some unusual things there recently, but it's hard to draw any conclusions from these unusual things in isolation: the mirage is a 'sea monster' that can swallow countless treasures brought from all over the world, and because it has a plan to find immortals for Ying Zheng, the mirage's special nature has existed from the beginning.

But now that Mirage has already begun its sea trials, what secrets could be hidden between the Mirage Shipyard and the Black Dragon Tome...?

We need to send someone to the shipyard for a detailed investigation!

------

"The Mirage Shipyard is a trap, containing treasures that the anti-Qin alliance cannot refuse."

Lu Wei was not surprised by what Tian Guang in black said; the place was destined to become a battlefield after Zhang Han's arrival.

However, who will die on this battlefield is probably not as easy as Zhang Han imagined.

"After the Black Dragon Scroll was stolen, Li Si summoned Zhao Gao. The core forces of the Luo Wang are on their way. Therefore, in the Luo Wang's plan, they hope that this trap can be launched later."

“Zhao Gao wants to take control of the whole situation himself through Zhang Han’s arrangements, and he certainly can do that.” Lu Wei was certain of Luo Wang’s strength, but he was taking a certain risk to meet with Tian Guang today not for Zhang Han’s plan, but for Xiaoyaozi’s plan: “However, as Yan Ri, what role do you decide to play in this drama?”

“The anti-Qin alliance cannot afford any more losses.” Tian Guang’s view was not his own, but rather the idea of ​​a third-party force within the Luo Wang that had ulterior motives: “Therefore, they want to use Fusu’s power to sabotage Zhang Han’s plan.”

"Couldn't Zhang Liang have simply informed the Mohists of Zhang Han's plan?"