Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 221

“The situation in Chu is clearing up. You should go back and reunite with Dongjun and Xinghun,” Lu Wei said, continuing the topic that Yueshen had just brought up.

"The Eastern Emperor has no intention of seizing the Azure Dragon Seven Constellations of Qi. There are too many people in Linzi City who are loyal to Qin. Therefore, the next step of the Yin-Yang School will be Mount Shu." The Moon Goddess did not say much else, but revealed all the inside information of the Yin-Yang School that she knew: "After Mount Shu, the Mirage of Sanghai will be the place of decision."

“That’s the last one. As for Xinghun, his stance won’t be a problem, but Dongjun… are you confident?” Near the end of the plan, Lu Wei pointed out the most likely hidden danger directly.

Dongjun Yanfei, although she was generally cooperative after being captured, was ultimately not as irredeemable as Xinghun. This matter was being handled by the Moon Goddess, who was meticulous, but Lu Wei still felt compelled to offer a word of advice.

"Since I've released her, I'm confident I can control her." The Moon Goddess was full of confidence in the sister who controlled her.

"If she reports everything to Donghuang after returning to the Yin-Yang School, have you considered how to deal with the consequences?"

The lord shook his head. Confidence is a good thing, but the contingency plan must include the worst-case scenario.

"Even so, at most the Eastern Emperor would only imprison me."

The Moon Goddess understood his meaning, a smile playing on her lips: "I have my best trump card up my sleeve~"

"Oh, what is it?"

Lu Wei was curious about what other preparations the Moon Goddess had made that he didn't know about.

Then, he saw this bold woman provocatively lift his chin with her hand, but due to the height difference, even though the Moon Goddess was always tall and wearing moon-white high heels, she was still shorter than Lu Wei.

With such a difference in appearance, it was impossible to look directly at each other. He could only casually place his hand on her sharply defined face and say, "As long as you are safe outside, I am absolutely safe inside the Yin Yang Clan."

"In addition, I have quite a few secret confidants among the Yin-Yang School disciples. If something happens, she will naturally come to you to continue the Mirage Project."

The moon goddess's lips parted slightly, revealing a delicate, alluring pink hue.

The moon-viewing experience will take on a different charm later tonight. Lu Wei glanced at the other girls watching them, realizing that besides the moon, there would also be snowflakes and pastry desserts to add to the ambiance...

------

Jun Jin Xuan, an inconspicuous restaurant in a small town outside Daze Mountain, has been closed for some time. Compared to the disappearance of Boss Chen Ping, a grown man, the fact that Hua Ying, the courtesan of Zui Meng Lou, which is just two streets away from Jun Jin Xuan, needs to go home to pay respects to the deceased elder of her family is obviously more regrettable.

I wonder when my beloved will return...

Hua Ying, who was being thought of by the guests, had no time to care about their feelings. She had already traveled all the way south to Guangling City.

Here, Huaying was reunited with her younger brother Jibu.

Also escorted by cavalry were Lady Changping, her eldest daughter Mi Lian, and her youngest daughter Mi Xin.

Guangling in Jiangdong was the last line of defense established by Lord Changping and Xiang Yan. After sending their families there to settle down first, the army's departure would be slower.

Although Wang Jian's stance suggests that he wants to first subdue the heartland of Chu and eliminate any worries before steadily advancing to defeat the remaining Chu forces, he will not let his own actions go unchecked. The 600,000 Qin troops suffered few losses in the previous battle with Xiang Yan, and it is entirely possible and feasible for them to harass along the way.

With an army of over 100,000, it would be impossible to keep the operation secret. If Wang Jian led his army to attack, the families of the soldiers would be in grave danger amidst the chaos.

Instead, they used a small cavalry escort beforehand, which made them a smaller target and less likely to be discovered, and this proved to be true.

Unlike Lord Changping, Xiang Yan's family was all in Shouchun. After the fall of Shouchun, they must have all been captured by the Qin people, but Xiang Yan was not worried about this.

Shao Yu is in the army! As long as this young master of the Xiang clan is here, the Xiang clan will exist. In Xiang Yan's eyes, those family members are completely disposable compared to the State of Chu and Shao Yu.

Originally, Xiang Yan wanted Shao Yu to go to Guangling with Ji Bu, but having been sent away beforehand once, Shao Yu was unwilling to leave this time, even if it meant disobeying orders.

Looking at her grandson's stubborn face, Xiang Yan sighed and then suddenly burst into laughter. She didn't press him too much: Although Shao Yu was young, his strength far surpassed that of ordinary soldiers.

Moreover, according to Lord Changping's estimation, even if there are great obstacles on this road ahead, the Chu army, with its current momentum, will be able to break through the Qin army.

Wang Jian of Shouchun did indeed discover Changping Jun and Xiang Yan's plan to lead their troops to retreat eastward. Combined with the fact that the Chu navy had already retreated to Guangling, their destination was obvious.

However, he did not intend to pursue them this time. This was partly because the main task at hand was to secure the rear, and partly because the Chu people had only recently learned that their capital had been captured and were now a desperate army.

As Lao Tzu said: "No calamity is greater than underestimating the enemy. Underestimating the enemy will almost cost us our treasure. Therefore, when armies clash, the one who grieves will prevail."

Forcibly stopping this Chu army would require the Qin people to suffer at least 10% to 20% more casualties, and they might not even be able to win, which is not worthwhile.

Once time has dispelled the grief and indignation of the Chu people, they will become afraid, and then the risk of attacking them will be much smaller.

With the future target of attack shifting from Chenying to Guangling, Wang Jian immediately devised a new offensive strategy: Guangling is surrounded by numerous rivers and streams, and to capture such a city, a combined land and water attack is necessary. While pacifying the rear, they can also collect large ships.

Placing King Fuchu at the front of the army would further weaken the morale of the Chu people.

Changping Jun and Xiang Yan had imagined this scenario with great sorrow, and their solution was...

Soon after, news reached Shouchun that Lord Changping, who had arrived in Guangling, had been enthroned by Xiang Yan as the new King of Chu.

This did not surprise Wang Jian, because he had more important things to do at the moment:

King Ying Zheng of Qin will come to Chu to inspect the military situation.

Our first destination: Chenying, abandoned by Lord Changping!

Chapter 249 Quit Drinking

The news of Changping Jun and Xiang Yan's retreat had obviously reached Xianyang through some special channels, which is why this trip to Chenying was made possible.

Although the Chu army had withdrawn, Wang Jian had not yet subdued the old capital of Chu, which had changed hands many times. Now that the King of Qin's itinerary was set, the direction of the convoy to Xianyang would certainly not change. Therefore, before the King of Qin arrived, he needed to completely clear the area around Chenying.

Two years ago, that city was part of Qin territory. Later, the court sent Lord Changping to appease the former Chu people, but he led a rebellion, causing the city to revert to Chu. After most of the Chu army withdrew, the officials in the city, who had been replaced just a year ago, also left with Lord Changping, along with the able-bodied men.

Therefore, when the Qin soldiers arrived outside the city, they entered the city without encountering any obstacles.

The Chen and Ying people, consisting only of the elderly, the infirm, the disabled, and women, were not even worthy of hatred. As the victims of both Qin and Chu, they could only send a few frail old men to surrender to the Qin people; there was nothing more they could do.

This is basically the norm in war-torn areas.

Fortunately, because of the King of Qin, Wang Jian personally handled the matter of Chen Ying and would not make things difficult for them.

Whether these people will be judged as having joined the enemy depends on the arrival of the King of Qin and his decree.

The city of Chenying was hardly qualified to receive the King of Qin, but Wang Jian wisely only repaired the old palace and left everything else untouched.

The King of Qin definitely wanted to see the true state of Chenying City under the rule of Lord Changping. These people were more likely to be pardoned if they suffered now.

After gaining control of the situation, the Qin army conducted a very thorough search of the vicinity of Chen Ying, clearing away all the forests within a certain radius to prevent thieves from hiding there.

However, just as the patrolling Qin army passed through a barren old forest, the figures of the Moon Goddess and the Eastern Lord suddenly appeared.

One came from the Farmer's Mountain and the other from the Mohist City. In Donghuang's plan, these two schools of thought happened to be within their respective spheres of responsibility.

Under the meticulous search of the Qin army in Chenying, the wilderness offered no cover, and even for them, completely concealing their tracks required considerable skill.

The Yin-Yang School is an ally of the Qin State, so they are not afraid of being surrounded by a large army even if they are exposed. However, the Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon of Chu have been nominally lost, and the appearance of the Yin-Yang School at this time only increases suspicion.

Although, the item is indeed in their hands now.

Unlike when Xinghun accompanied the army during the conquest of Wei, Xinghun's actions that time were useful in Wang Ben's calculation of the timing of the eon by digging open the river mouth. Moreover, since he ultimately did not 'obtain' the Azure Dragon Bronze Box, the Left Protector left the Qin army with composure and equanimity.

"Two days have passed since the agreed time, why hasn't Xinghun arrived yet?" Dongjun frowned slightly. The three of them, Riyuexing, were now bound together.

For the time being, she did not intend to inform Donghuang, but Xinghun's unpunctuality was very likely to cause trouble for Riyue alone.

"With Xinghun's strength, he shouldn't be in danger and unable to escape." The Moon Goddess's expression was cold. She disliked Xinghun's misfortune, but she wasn't worried that Xinghun would get into trouble.

The two waited a while longer before the exciting fluctuations of Yin-Yang magic finally appeared: a Qin soldier walked straight towards the sun and moon, and after entering within ten steps, his figure slowly shrank with each step he took. Three steps away, the Left Protector of the Yin-Yang School, who had returned to his original appearance, curled the corner of his mouth and said, "I seem to be late?"

"Lord Xinghun, what has happened that has delayed you for so many days?" the Moon Goddess asked calmly.

"It's nothing much, I just encountered some interesting things in the east and stayed a few days longer." Xinghun chuckled. "It's related to the mirage, and it's beneficial to our plans. I wasn't doing any personal work."

“Mirage? Sanghai?” Dongjun pondered, “Didn’t Lord Xinghun go to the Three Jin before he left? Why did he suddenly change direction and go to Qi?”

"I will follow my own path and go wherever I want." With his head held high, Xinghun said with a half-smile, "Aside from some small rats, it should be two old guys called Hebo and Shangui who are in charge of the early planning of the Mirage."

"You two should know these two people better, right?"

Xinghun was unaware that the descendants of the Ji clan of the Ji Dynasty had usurped the Yin-Yang School, but he had always been very observant. Some minor details allowed Xinghun to obtain some investigative results about these two most mysterious elders of the Yin-Yang School.

"Just two dying old men from the old era." Dongjun's attitude toward Hebo and Shangui was the same as that of Yueshen: "If Donghuang really thought these two were useful, he wouldn't have given the positions of the sun, moon, and stars to the three of us."

"I still trust them more, but they are too old and their talents are too ordinary." The Moon Goddess nodded in agreement.

Xinghun actually went to Sanghai. This was the second time the Moon Goddess had heard this name in a short period of time. She kept her thoughts to herself and didn't ask any more questions.

"So we're the right-hand men of the Eastern Emperor, huh?" Xinghun laughed mockingly. Just then, the sound of horses' hooves came from afar, and the three of them quickly left.

The messenger arrived on horseback from the heart of the southern Chu state, bringing Wang Jian news of the peace and stability in the south.

Overall, King Fuchu of Chu surrendered, and the local nobles would not raise private armies to resist the nominal rule of Qin. However, on the other hand, they also did not want the Qin people to interfere too much in local affairs.

Taxes can be paid, and laws can be followed to a certain extent, but other things are hard to say.

Unsurprisingly, this was their attitude when Chu was powerful, and they still want to do the same now that the Qin people have arrived.

As long as they behaved themselves, Wang Jian could tacitly approve for the time being. Governing the region was a matter for later, and it had nothing to do with him as a military general.

However, in addition to these predictable attitudes, there was also the unexpected surprise of the distant Eastern Ou Kingdom south of the Yangtze River voluntarily pledging allegiance, which could be presented as a gift when the King of Qin arrived in Chenying.

Dong'ou was a small country with a population of only tens of thousands, and it was poor and remote.

But the significance lies in the fact that the Baiyue were all vassals of the Chu state, and now, before the Qin army even arrived, the Dong'ou had already expressed their submission, which was undoubtedly a good example.

In the State of Chu, the King of Qin lost a great deal of face. Now, even if he conquers the capital of Chu, what has been lost will never be regained.

Only by creating more achievements can we make those minor flaws seem insignificant.

Wang Jian personally took out the letter of surrender from the Dong'ou Kingdom separately, and collected the surrender documents from other counties into a separate box, among which the names of Fan County and Jing County were prominently listed.

Those who were among the first to surrender voluntarily would receive more lenient treatment than those in other counties.

------

The order for Jing County, Fan County, and Dong'ou Kingdom to surrender was naturally issued personally by Lu Wei.

The leading party was Jing County, and Wu Rui, the ruler of Fan County, immediately followed suit. He was a smart man. Although Fan County had more than 15,000 strong men who could be recruited over the years, it was still insignificant compared to Wang Jian's army of 600,000.

Among these, weaponry was key. Thanks to their advanced technology, every Qin soldier was fully armored, covering both man and horse completely.

The Jiangnan and Yue regions have abundant metal mineral resources, and the advanced forging technology of Chu and Yue is in no way inferior to that of Qin. However, before the emergence of Jing County, their lack of tools and craftsmen prevented the people of Fan County and Yue from producing iron armor on a large scale.

If armored soldiers fight unarmored soldiers, it will be a massacre.

Lacking sufficient strength, they had no choice but to submit to the Qin people.

King Ouyang Yao of Dong'ou had lofty ideals, but his abilities were only average compared to those of truly outstanding individuals. However, after seeing that he had already chosen Jing County and Fan County, and after the Prime Minister Ouyang Guang, with his far-sighted vision, analyzed the comparison of strengths and the possible future trends for him, he decisively followed.

Another accomplice, the Minyue Kingdom, was still hesitating.

King Wuzhu of Minyue originally wanted to follow, but after hearing that his title of king might be revoked, he hesitated.

Minyue is located in a remote area, and further south lies the sea. Would the Qin people go to great lengths to attack and seize this barren land? Wuzhu was not convinced.

Besides, if they really come, we can just surrender then.