Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 220

Putting aside everything else, his reputation in historical records is definitely much better than that of Lord Wu'an.

The Wang family's status in Qin is now at its peak. If they were to rise any higher, they would become too powerful and threaten the emperor's authority... or perhaps they already are, but because they have always been cautious and the war has not yet ended, they have not suffered the same fate as the former Lord Wu'an.

Shouchun has now fallen, but a large area of ​​Chu territory has not yet been submitted, and there is still a tough battle to be fought in Chenying in the north. At this time, we must be even more cautious, as the slightest carelessness could lead to the loss of all our previous efforts.

First, a portion of his troops, along with the well-dressed King Fuchu of Chu, were sent south to pacify the various counties and prefectures in the heartland. As for the armies of Lord Changping and Xiang Yan, they did not need to be paid much attention to them for the time being. Once the southern Chu region had surrendered to Qin, there was no need to attack. Even just by blockading, the Chen and Ying regions could be locked down!

...

In Chenying City, Lord Changping and Xiang Yan had been in contact for more than a decade, but this was their first real meeting.

Even when Lord Changping betrayed Qin and returned to Chu, Xiang Yan did not have time to enter Chenying City due to various reasons.

However, this rare meeting was shrouded in the gloom of war, and it was filled with only a sense of desolation.

Xiang Yan did not appear to be a defeated general, and his bright armor did not lose its imposing presence despite being covered in dust. After all, he was the Grand General of Chu and the commander-in-chief of the army. If even he was covered in dust and looked disheveled, he certainly would not be able to lead the remaining 100,000 or so troops back.

The mild-mannered demeanor that Lord Changping had deliberately maintained these past few days had vanished. News of the army's defeat was already out of control. Now was not the time to appease the people, but rather to let the threat of national subjugation spur the Chu people to resist.

"Lord Changping." Xiang Yan bowed respectfully, and with a glance, he deterred the stunned and bewildered Shao Yu who was about to rush forward. His grandfatherly authority remained undiminished.

"We'll talk about it once we get into the city." The resettlement of the hundreds of thousands of troops is the top priority; these soldiers must be deployed quickly to deal with any possible continued pursuit by Wang Jian.

When the bold scouts confirmed that Wang Jian's army had crossed the Huai River and headed south to Shouchun, Changping Jun and Xiang Yan, who had recovered in the city, clenched their fists at the same time: this was the worst possible outcome for the State of Chu.

But it also gave them time to adjust their course.

“I have committed a grave crime. Shouchun is doomed, and so is the King…” After Lord Changping waved for the scouts to leave, Xiang Yan behind him said in a hoarse voice.

This crushing defeat aged General Xiang ten years in a short period of time, even though he was already quite old.

"We are all guilty, but the most important thing now is to save the State of Chu!" Lord Changping turned around and patted the old general's strong shoulder.

"Is there still hope?" Xiang Yan looked up, her eyes filled with rage.

"Should we give up if there is no hope?" Lord Changping asked calmly. He had been planning for twenty years and knew better than anyone that the hope of helping Chu to rebel against Qin was slim, but so what?

He was a native of Chu. When his father, King Kaolie, fled Qin, Xiong Qi was only a few years old, but he would always remember his father's words:

"Aqi, you are a Chu person, do not forget the Chu Kingdom..." His father's image, after he turned eighteen, grew paler with each passing year, until finally only a faint, tall, dark shadow remained, still shouting sternly: "Even if you've never seen it!"

'Father, I have now seen the Kingdom of Chu, and it is about to be plunged into eternal darkness along with it.' But at this moment, the image of his father in Xiong Qi's mind regained its color and became increasingly clear: 'Until the flames of Zhu Rong rise once more, the Kingdom of Chu will surely be reborn from the ashes!'

Xiang Yan's resolve was briefly broken by the heavy blow, but he quickly regained it. He held Changping Jun's hand in his own, and the two hands were vastly different: one was rough and strong, while the other was slender and smooth.

But the owners of these two hands reached a consensus once again: "Shouchun is too late to save; we'll wait for Wang Jian to attack from Chenying?"

"No," Lord Changping shook his head: "Chenying City is too small and its location is too close to Qin, so it cannot obtain enough food to supply the army."

"Where are we going?"

"Guangling City! If we retreat to the Wu and Yue regions, even if Wang Jian wants to attack, he will have to travel a long and arduous naval campaign, and the supply route will be extended by hundreds of miles."

------

News of the fall of Shouchun City on New Year's Eve of the fifth year of King Fuchu of Chu did not reach the State of Qi for half a month.

On this day, Dazeshan was celebrating the first full moon night of the new year. Later generations would call this day the Lantern Festival, but at this time, this name had not yet been established.

Farmers celebrate this day simply because the full moon symbolizes good fortune, and not everyone participates in the celebrations.

Lu Wei has been back from Sanghai City for a month. A month ago, he noticed something strange about the city when he was in Sanghai, but he thought it had nothing to do with him. The Hall Master only told Fu Nian about it when he left, and Xiaoshengxianzhuang would handle everything.

We already celebrated once during the New Year. With the support of Sanghai Commerce and Jingxian Agriculture, Gonggongtang is now very wealthy, so funding another full moon celebration wouldn't be difficult. This is also part of uniting the disciples.

Upon learning of Hall Master Lu's generous decision, cheers erupted throughout the Gonggong Hall. Some disciples even shouted inappropriate slogans, for which they were severely punished by the Hall Master with three cups of wine as a penalty.

After dark, when he finished his business with his confidants in the front hall and came to the backyard, the women had already set up a banquet on the newly built moon-viewing platform and were enjoying the moon together in a lively atmosphere.

Even the Moon Goddess was in a good mood today and had the inclination to sit with the women.

Xiao Qian'er and Xiao He'er were taken to rest by the maid. They couldn't stay up too late, so they would drink the nourishing soup that Duanmu Rong personally brewed every day and go to bed early to replenish their brains and spirits.

The news of the fall of the Chu capital did not affect the mood of the women at all. The only one who was somewhat concerned was probably the Right Protector of the Yin-Yang School.

The fall of the Chu state also signaled her departure.

The Moon Goddess understood this, but that didn't stop her from enthusiastically taking out a sky-blue glass bead tonight: the Moon-Illuminating Bead, to demonstrate her unique 'Moon Divination Technique' to everyone.

Compared to Xinghun's cultivation of techniques like the String Puppet Technique and the Yin-Yang Technique of Gathering Qi into Blades, which are clearly understood in their uses and bear the strong characteristics of Xinghun's identity, the offensive methods that Yueshen and Dongjun have openly displayed are mostly manifested as the Soul Soaring Dragon.

Further in, they were nothing more than forbidden spells, which, though strange, did not reveal the characteristics of the 'Moon Goddess' or 'Eastern Lord'.

This Moon-Illuminating Pearl, shaped like a full moon and shrouded in cold mist, is clearly a unique treasure belonging to the Moon Goddess.

Its material is extremely special, and even a mortal can see that it is extraordinary. Even if you ignore its Yin-Yang properties and treat it as just an ordinary decorative treasure, it is still a priceless item.

As Lu Wei watched as the Snow Maiden and the others sat one by one in front of the Moon Goddess, their eyes fixed on the Moon-Illuminating Pearl, their eyes always reflecting the moon's image, and then their expressions turned strange, he knew that this pearl could activate illusions.

Judging from the girls' subsequent behavior, the illusion cast by the bead seems to be developing in a positive direction.

"Would you like to try it too?" The Moon Goddess glanced at Lu Wei, who was standing to the side, without saying a word. The other women had already experienced the bead and were also looking at him.

"What is the purpose of this bead?"

Lu Wei calmly took a sip of water to dispel the smell of alcohol that had lingered on him in the front hall. After Xiao Yan'er left her seat with a strange expression, he immediately sat down in front of the Moon Goddess.

The women immediately surrounded him, each one usually very elegant, but now they were all full of anticipation, ready to see how Lu would react after entering the illusion.

The mischievous Xiao Yan even took out a piece of white paper, spread it out on the spacious table, thinking of noting down the hall master's expression before drawing it.

"The Moon-Illuminating Pearl, combined with my Moon Divination Technique, can reveal a person's most likely future trend in an illusion, allowing you to experience the feeling of a 'fake' dream coming true in advance."

When the Moon Goddess said this, she met Lu Wei's gaze without flinching: she knew what Lu Wei's dreams were and what he was striving for.

"Is it really that amazing?" Lu Wei chuckled lightly. "Just by looking at this bead?"

“If you have any concerns, I can give you a simplified incantation for the Moon Divination Technique, so you can control it yourself.” The Moon Goddess spoke frankly: “However, the effect may not be able to fully meet the expectations of the Moon Illumination Pearl.”

After saying that, she didn't wait for Lu Wei to make a choice, and recited a long string of mental cultivation techniques in front of everyone, not worried that the other women would also listen to it.

This incantation, though described as a simplified version, is quite long. After the Right Protector of the Yin-Yang School finished reciting it, the Hall Master repeated it again to confirm its accuracy. Then, Lu Wei suddenly smiled and said, "Everyone has already tried it, why should I disturb your fun? Yue'er, you can do it. I completely trust you~"

Looking at that seemingly serious face, the Moon Goddess was already used to it. She remained expressionless and said nothing more, only using her inner energy to lift the Moon-Illuminating Pearl, which swayed rhythmically in front of him.

If Lu Wei's attention was focused on something at that moment, it was that through the cold mist in the bead, he noticed that the hand seals the Moon Goddess was making in front of her chest were quite beautiful.

I've held it many times, but this is the first time I've observed it in detail as the main target.

Then, in a daze, his consciousness entered the Moon-Illuminating Pearl...

From the perspective of the Snow Maiden and the others, Lu Mouren simply closed his eyes while focusing on the bead, but after only a moment, his eyelids quickly opened again.

The Moon Goddess then lowered the Moon-Illuminating Pearl, indicating that the time allotted for the Moon Divination Technique had come to an end.

So fast? Just now, the others maintained a duration of about a hundred breaths, with Ji Yan maintaining the shortest at sixty breaths.

"How do you feel?" the Moon Goddess asked in a cool, clear voice.

The echoes of the courtiers' homage lingered for a short time, but Lu Wei had already memorized the figures of Xiao He, Chen Ping, Lü Qing, and others standing in the front row.

Zhang Liang wasn't there, but it didn't matter. As long as it was indeed me who received the homage at that time, that was enough.

Shaking his head, Lu Wei subconsciously adjusted the non-existent twelve-tassel crown on his head and smiled: "This lunar divination technique is indeed very realistic in multiple senses."

"It's just a small use for the Moon-Illuminating Pearl." Putting away the glass Moon-Illuminating Pearl, the Moon Goddess said lightly as she looked up at the moon.

What happened in the hall master's illusion? Why was it so short? None of the girls dared to ask these two questions. Seeing that he was not going to answer, they all dispersed on the moon-viewing platform, busy with their own affairs.

But Lu Wei, instead of talking about his own, generously inquired about the results of their lunar divination...

Chapter 248 Ying Zheng's Journey to Chu

The art of lunar divination has at least two levels. In addition to prophecy, the incantation in the illusionary experience also contains a layer of pure 'fantasy time'.

Illusion is a very important component of the Moon Goddess's Yin-Yang arts, and Lu Wei experienced this firsthand during his first formal meeting with her.

This 'virtual reality' illusion technique, developed for everyday use rather than combat, is probably the correct way for Onmyoji to pursue the limits of humanity and transcend its own limitations.

Today, taking advantage of the opportunity to admire the moon, we are performing the Moon-Illuminating Pearl. Even if the Moon Goddess's purpose is not malicious, it must have an additional meaning.

For example, Lu Wei speculated that the more 'prophecies' the Moon-Shining Pearl collected, the more it would enhance the Yin-Yang Arts realm of the Right Protector's illusion magic.

Master Lu had a general idea of ​​what the prophecy about the Snow Maiden and the others was about.

Unlike basic astrology, which relies on the movement of stars to arrive at predictions that even the Yin-Yang masters themselves cannot foresee, lunar divination emphasizes contact and understanding with the person being predicted.

While this makes it difficult for the Moon Goddess to study unknown territories through lunar divination, it makes the exploration of known targets clearer.

Such prophecies are more of a deduction.

However, there's also a little romance novel mixed in.

Compared to adults whose worldviews are already mature, twelve-year-old Xiao Yan'er is more innocent and now only thinks about how to please herself in order to become the future leader of the Four Mountains Hall. Her deduction results will undoubtedly demonstrate the ability of the Moon Divination Technique more clearly.

Ji Yan had been watching from the sidelines, and had even taken out paper and pen to prepare to paint. After the moon divination ended, she didn't waste the paint she had prepared, so she simply changed her painting focus to the scene in front of her and continued to paint under the moonlight.

Master Lu approached and watched the little girl, who had mastered painting skills under the guidance of the Snow Maiden, create beautiful works of art. However, his attention turned to the paints: "The paints this time are quite vibrant."

Picking up the small bottle on the table, I poured out some mineral powder and rubbed it between my fingers. The fine powder had no grainy texture at all, and the amount of minerals used in the pigments from Dazeshan was significantly better, and the production process was also more refined.

"After Brother Tang left last year, Sister Xue bought them from a merchant from Sanghai. Because there weren't many, they hadn't been used even once."

As Ji Yan blinked, imagining the composition on the scroll, she answered softly.

"This pigment was made by the Yin-Yang School." Seemingly unintentionally noticing the situation here, the Moon Goddess walked over silently.

Reaching out, he touched some of the powder on Lu Wei's hand to feel its characteristics, which further confirmed his judgment: "It is a mineral powder made by a disciple of the Yin-Yang School using alchemy techniques. In the Yin-Yang School, it is generally used for practicing Yin-Yang arts or inscribing runes."

"Some disciples at headquarters do use them for painting."

"Clang!" Upon hearing this, Ji Yan put down her pen in surprise, looked up, and instinctively glanced first at Hall Master Lu, whose brows furrowed in thought, then at Moon Goddess: "The Yin-Yang School is mysterious and unpredictable. For such pigment to flow into Daze Mountain at this time, who could be...?"

Lu Wei had also thought of this, but he paid more attention to Ji Yan's statement that "the pigments came from merchants from Sanghai".

As far as he knew, there were indeed Yin-Yang School disciples in Sanghai City, but their purpose was to build the Mirage Base, so they wouldn't have the energy to disguise themselves as merchants and make a trip to Daze Mountain.

“These pigments are fine.” Under the gaze of Lu Wei and Ji Yan, Yue Shen inspected the other mineral powders in various colors, including the bottles themselves, and confirmed that although these pigments were made by disciples of the Yin Yang School, their purpose seemed to be simply to sell pigments.

"As for the other party's identity..." The Right Protector of the Yin Yang School shook his head slightly: "I need to go back to the Yin Yang School to check the disciple roster of the past fifty years to find out. Perhaps, like Wen Cheng Xu Wang you met before, he is just an ordinary disciple who was abandoned due to insufficient talent."

"Hmm." Lu Wei brushed the powder off his hands, temporarily putting aside his question about Xiao Yan'er, and walked with the Moon Goddess to the railing in the corner of the Moon Viewing Platform.

Ji Yan picked up her pen again, squinted as she watched the two walk away, looked up at the moon, pouted, and continued to focus on her painting.

...