Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 53

The Yin-Yang School is a mysterious school that broke away from Taoism five hundred years ago, taking an unorthodox approach and pursuing the limits of the universe.

As far as Lu Wei knew, this sect was mysterious and had been pursuing the secrets of the Azure Dragon Seven Constellations.

They are currently allied with the Qin state, but their true attitude is roughly the same as that of the Luo Wang and Daoist schools—mutual exploitation.

However, these three are fundamentally different:

The Luo Wang (Net of Heaven) allied itself with the Qin state in order to leverage Qin's power and achieve its goal of ruling the world. They wanted to create a new world belonging to the Luo Wang.

The Taoists allied themselves with the Qin state because Qin was the strongest among the seven states. In order to ensure the continuation of their sect's lineage for ten thousand years, they temporarily sought refuge under the protection of the mighty Qin. If Qin fell, the Taoists would never perish with it.

Even though Lu Wei had an impression of the plot, he couldn't accurately grasp the Yin-Yang School's attitude.

After all, even within the Yin-Yang School, aside from the lofty and unapproachable Lord Donghuang, everyone seemed to have different ideas...

As for the mysterious Azure Dragon Seven Mansions, it is said that whoever deciphers the secrets of the Azure Dragon Seven Mansions will possess the power to control the world!

It is said that Duke Zhuang of Zheng led the state of Zheng to rise rapidly and his power overshadowed even the Zhou emperor, because he learned about the seven constellations of the Azure Dragon.

However, the state of Zheng was eventually destroyed, which seems to suggest that the Azure Dragon's Seven Mansions were not invincible.

However, these matters remain distant from Lu Wei's concerns. What the Grand Steward is concerned about is why the Yin-Yang School has set its sights on him...

Is it because of the stars in the sky?

What can the Yin-Yang school of divination see in the stars?

Chapter 75 Standardization

Gonggong Hall, Dazeshan.

Lu Qing instructed his disciples to bring over all the data sheets for the hall this year and arrange them neatly.

While in Zhuangzhen, Lü Qing managed a restaurant, an inn, and dozens of people, keeping everything in order and frequently giving money to help the townspeople and refugees while ensuring profitability.

This was partly for moral reasons, and partly to build a reputation.

After joining the farm, he was entrusted with the important task of auditing by the head steward. He was not panicked by the rapid increase in the amount of data to be processed. On the contrary, he was able to handle the task more easily because of the increased manpower available.

For him, writing on paper, a convenient and lightweight medium far superior to bamboo slips, was a pleasure. When keeping accounts or issuing orders, he would even ponder how to write more beautiful characters to make it easier for his disciples to read.

Although the disciples of the Farmer's Clan are not of high average quality, they have the advantage of numbers. Moreover, within the Farmer's Clan's framework, they can command others at will by using the tool of 'power,' which is much easier than dealing with wild wandering knights with different personalities.

"The steward will be back soon. Arrange the daily records, monthly summaries, and major events in chronological order. If he is pleased with them, he will naturally reward you."

Holding a copy of the "Mathematical Classic" in his hand, Lü Qing leaned against the doorway, flipping through the pages as he studied, while verbally encouraging his disciples to work diligently.

"Yes, Lord Lü!" This encouragement had a good effect.

"Father!" Lu Chen ran over from afar, greeting the disciples he encountered along the way with a smile, and then asked, "When will Steward Lu be back? I also want you to see the patrol team I trained as soon as possible!"

"Don't meddle in things outside your jurisdiction!" He tapped his son's smiling forehead hard with the abacus in his hand, his tone serious: "No matter what, just do your job normally as usual."

“Although we are a martial arts sect, you are in charge of leading the patrol, which is closer to the nature of the army.”

"In governing an army and fighting battles, the most taboo thing is breaking the rules. The commander-in-chief is not the kind of person who enjoys superficiality. If you ask about his whereabouts and try to lead your men to do something like flattering him, it will only lower his opinion of you!"

"Even if you receive praise from adults for a while, you may not be used when it comes to important moments."

"Yes, son knows he was wrong." Upon hearing his father's admonition, Lü Chen put away his smile and immediately admitted his mistake.

“Go back immediately. Even if the adults have arrived at Gonggong Hall, you must not leave your post. You can only act according to orders when the adults summon you.”

"Yes, I will follow my father's instructions."

------

Once inside the Daze Mountain area, the gaze disappeared.

At this time, a woman from the Yin-Yang School with such power is probably the Moon Goddess.

Dongjun is extremely powerful, no less than the leaders of various sects, and his strength is certainly not something that can be easily measured by oneself.

The five elders below are also a possibility, but generally speaking, the heads of each department are responsible for a lot of complicated matters, and those who go out to 'travel' are mostly the highest-ranking members who do not have specific tasks.

For example, Tian Guangzhi, the leader of the Farmer's Knights, is related to the head of the Six Halls; Lu Weizhi, the chief steward of the Gonggong Hall, is related to Shan Yumuye, Lü Qing, and Lü Chen.

Lu Wei's strongest impression of this person was: she was a riddle-maker!

"You've only followed along the way without exchanging any words. Are you afraid I'll launch the Twenty-Four Earthly Encirclement and Suppression Campaign?"

Silently calculating the Yin-Yang School's objectives, Lu Wei's convoy arrived at the area under the jurisdiction of Gonggong Hall.

It had only been a short while since they entered the territory of Gonggong Hall from Qiufen Ridge, but the steward noticed that several guards had quietly appeared in the woods on both sides of the road.

They watched as the convoy openly traveled down the road under the banner of Gonggongtang, without revealing themselves to inquire.

Only when the official sentries stopped the convoy and began to check it did the two bodyguards step back and leave.

While this inspection process cannot be said to be entirely reliable, it is undoubtedly a significant improvement over the past.

This was definitely not a change that Zhou He, the hall master who was eagerly waiting to enter the Tomb of the Six Sages, could make. He had handed over the patrol duties in the hall to Lü Chen before leaving.

This kid is young, but he does things in an old-fashioned way!

Satisfied, he tossed his token from the carriage to Lu Mu, who immediately rode forward and showed the token to the sentry disciple.

Instantly, the sentry disciples panicked. The person in charge loudly ordered all roadblocks to be removed and the convoy to be allowed to enter the core area, and respectfully returned the token with both hands.

The layout of the core area of ​​Gonggong Hall has not changed and is exactly the same as before Lu Wei left.

He had the convoy parked outside the management area, then led Lu Mu and the Yan brothers to the headquarters lobby, where Lü Qing was already waiting with hands clasped in greeting.

"Your journey must have been tiring, Steward. Qing has prepared a room and refreshments."

...

Lü Qing is a perfect manager.

Compared to Lu Shan, whom she had trained from scratch, Lü Qing was clearly far superior in every aspect.

Of course, one of them is a mature man in his thirties, while the other is not yet twenty, so the difference in their experience is understandable.

After washing up in my room, I went to my office and study. Looking at the stacks of records arranged chronologically along the wall, it was undoubtedly a very pleasing sight.

Last year, when Lu Wei wanted to audit the accounts, it was like trying to pick flowers on a precipice, fraught with difficulties. This year, however, Lü Qing not only spent a lot of effort organizing and compiling the data from previous years, but also made sure that all the records for the new year were neat and orderly, with beautiful handwriting. In the rural village, which was almost a cultural desert, he was an absolute anomaly.

Open any monthly ledger at random, and you'll find clear entries and exits, with some larger amounts accompanied by explanations from Lü Qing himself, making everything clear at a glance.

A local tycoon with such skill has ensured the smooth operation of Gonggong Hall's logistics.

I wonder what kind of methods Xiao He, who managed the affairs of the world so well, must have used!

After a brief half-hour review, the head steward emerged from the accounting office with a smile, and Lü Qing stood at the door once again:

"Sir, Steward Mu and the Yan brothers have been arranged to stay in the 'B' section, and the caravan disciples have also been allowed to rest."

"Manager Mu said that the caravan will establish a new workshop at headquarters. I have already given Manager Mu a map of Gonggong Hall for him to personally select the workshop location, and I have also attached my personal suggestion: Bailu Rock."

"Uncle Qing, no need for formalities, just call me by my name~" Lu Wei patted Lü Qing's shoulder affectionately, and the two began to stroll one after the other.

When the conversation turned to account books, Lu Wei asked directly:

“Uncle Qing, I have observed that the handwriting details on the different books in the ledgers you have compiled are vastly different, which is obviously due to different disciples copying them.”

"But overall, there's a convergence; was this something you deliberately arranged?"

As Lu inhaled the mountain forest air, the steward felt refreshed and invigorated.

"This is all thanks to the master!" Lü Qing replied smoothly: "In the books the master left behind before he left, I came across a detailed explanation of the term 'standardization,' and I was immediately amazed. I then began to consciously imitate it in my daily actions."

"Although the disciples of the peasant family vary in ability, they are all of good character and willing to follow orders."

"Very few of them are literate, and although the characters they use are generally similar, there are still some variations that reflect their own habits."

“The accounts recorded in those words are often only understandable to them, which is extremely inconvenient.”

“In my spare time, I copied a ‘Standardized Writing Table’ based on the idea of ​​standardization. I ordered all literate students to use the text on the table as the basis and to unify the format from strokes to whole characters. In this way, there were fewer obstacles to the exchange of information among us.”

"The initial standard table only had a few dozen commonly used characters with differences. After my revisions and additions this year, it has been expanded to 521 characters. In addition to standardizing the writing of different characters, the writing characteristics of the same character have also been standardized."

"Now, the disciples will no longer misunderstand the commands due to differences in characters."

"Uncle Qing, you are truly talented!"

Upon hearing about Lü Qing's actions, Lu Wei clapped his hands and laughed. This person, whose name he had never even heard of in history, was bringing one surprise after another!

Chapter 76 Gentle Country Ghost

After a brief discussion with Lü Qing, Lu Wei, keeping track of the time, went to the main hall to pay his respects to Zhou He.

Zhou He was fishing by a small pond when he saw the newcomers. He instructed his disciples to give Lu Wei a fishing rod as well, and the two of them sat by the pond, enjoying a half-day of leisure.

"Your choices of Lü Qing and Lü Chen are both very good."

After half a year apart, Zhou He's internal strength had visibly increased again, which was rare for someone his age.

Given Lu Wei's current position, he naturally understands the significance of the six elders within the Tomb of the Six Sages of the Farmer Clan: in addition to helping the Farmer Clan during times of crisis, they are also responsible for deducing the operation of the Twenty-Four Earthly Branches and the advancement of the supreme cultivation techniques of each hall of the Farmer Clan.

Taking Gonggong Hall as an example, above its signature skill "Spring Cold Severing Palm," there is another technique called "Buzhou Severing Palm," whose palm force can be solidified from emptiness, gathered without dissipating, and possesses immense power.

However, only Elder Yu Tu among the six elders can learn such martial arts. Others, even if they are the leaders of Gonggong Hall, can only spend their whole lives mastering the Spring Cold Severing Palm.

As for whether Xia Kui can learn it, that's hard to say. That old fox Tian Guang certainly won't reveal it to everyone.

The elder of Yu's disciples inside the Tomb of the Six Sages was so weak that he could no longer stand up. Zhou He would definitely enter the tomb and succeed Yu's disciples in another year and a half. It seems that he has now obtained those few books of Gonggong Hall's true secret teachings.

"They both yearn for the Farmer's School. Even if I hadn't gone on that mission, the father and son would still have become disciples of the Farmer's School in the end."

Lu Wei baited the hook with an earthworm, used his inner strength to cast the fishing line with his right hand, and waited quietly for the result.

"Not everyone is like you, able to directly promote and appoint unknown people."

Zhou He focused entirely on the calm surface of the pond, keeping his voice very low.

"You flatter me, Master. I owe my current status entirely to your personal promotion."

"This is all thanks to the Xu family, father and son. I, an old man, am just doing what's in the way."

"Speaking of the Xu family..." Lu Wei suddenly thought of something and said calmly, "Back then, when Xu Qiu stole the medicine, he asked to be expelled from the farm family, didn't he?"

“That’s true.” Now that things have come to this, Zhou He no longer intended to hide anything: “I chose him to be in charge of the Farmer’s School’s expansion in Yan because I trust him.”

“But he betrayed your trust.” Lu Wei shook his head slightly upon hearing this: “He chose to make a deal with the Tian family.”