Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 252

The relationship between the second junior brother Yan Lu and this organization forced him to take precautions. The newly recruited disciples of the Confucian school actually had certain similarities with those of the Mohist school.

However, as long as he, as the senior brother and sect leader, doesn't deviate from the right path, there shouldn't be a big problem. Fu Nian is still able to handle the situations of his second and third junior brothers within his control, which is largely due to the personalities of Yan Lu and Zhang Liang.

Yan Lu was too peaceful; he could easily forget his hatred for Luo Wang. He usually acted with a sense of non-interference, but this non-interference gave Fu Nian a headache.

In his early years, Zhang Liang harbored deep hatred for his country and family. Later, under the repeated guidance of Fu Nian with the principles of sages, Zhang Liang now only showed some grief over the death of his old friend Han Fei, and no longer felt such deep longing for his homeland, the State of Han.

The current conflict between the Farmer's Clan and the Net is not good news. Even though Fu Nian didn't want to interfere in the internal affairs of the other faction, he still asked a few more questions about the details because of his friendship with Lu Wei.

“Brother Fu Nian, there’s no need to worry. Although Luo Wang is Qin’s henchman, offending Luo Wang doesn’t mean offending Qin.” With a light smile, Lu Wei reassured Fu Nian, “The farmer’s duty is to farm peacefully. As long as we stick to our duty, I think His Majesty the Emperor won’t take action against Da Ze Mountain anytime soon.”

“It is good that Brother Lu thinks this way, but…” Fu Nian’s thick eyebrows and serious eyes said, “While a gentleman should not associate with a petty person, he should not be unguarded against petty people and give in to them all the time.”

"Brother Lu is in charge of 100,000 peasant disciples. The addition of students from Jixia Academy will undoubtedly attract more attention to Daze Mountain. In this regard, Xiaoshengxianzhuang can help."

"Oh?" Lu Wei looked at Fu Nian with surprise, genuinely not expecting such words to come out of his mouth.

Fu Nian has always been cautious and never caused trouble for Xiaoshengxianzhuang. For him to show such a willingness to help the farmers right after the Qin Dynasty was established seems a bit too early.

What did he see through during the process of the end of the chaotic era, and had he already subtly chosen to stand on the opposite side of the new country?

Chapter 292 Using Mi Lian

Fu Nian did indeed strive to protect Xiaoshengxianzhuang amidst the chaos of the world, and regarded Confucian etiquette as his code of conduct. However, on the other hand, he also strictly demanded of himself the principles of a gentleman.

The farmers were attacked by the Luo Wang, a bloodthirsty assassin organization that was also the empire's sharpest weapon.

The state does not use the orthodox teachings of the various schools of thought, but instead governs the martial world with killing and terror. Fu Nian had long been disgusted by this.

Fu Nian had old friends at the Jixia Academy, and Xun Kuang, an elder and senior disciple of Xiaoshengxianzhuang, was the academy's chief priest for many terms. If he hadn't been in seclusion, he would have definitely done his best to help the Jixia Academy in its current state. In addition, the academy itself had never made any mistakes as a place for learning and discussion, and Fu Nian also appreciated the academy's academic atmosphere.

Therefore, from the very beginning, Fu Nian regarded the fate of the academy as his own responsibility.

Lu Wei has always been a great help to the Confucian school. This time, after sending him a letter about the Jixia Academy incident, he quickly received a reply. The agricultural school spared no expense in accepting students from the academy. Regardless of the reason, the matter itself made Fu Nian owe him another favor.

Whether it is personal morality or the righteous path upheld by Xiaoshengxianzhuang, helping farmers is an unwavering responsibility of Confucianism.

Fu Nian's pursuit of stability and survival is not about abandoning justice, nor is it about simply retreating and yielding.

If the ruler is virtuous, follow him and be loyal to him. If the ruler is not virtuous, abandon him and attack him.

Although His Majesty the Emperor cannot yet be considered utterly immoral—after all, not everyone is Mencius, and a subject should not lightly criticize his ruler—Luo Wang is certainly immoral.

The power of Confucianism, whether it is the disciples who serve as officials in a group or the Holy King Sword Technique practiced by individuals, is a force to be reckoned with.

...

In the Daze Mountains, Lü Qing received an order from Lu Wei and immediately mobilized his disciples to raise funds to build the Daze Mountain Academy.

Lord Xia Kui still needs to entrust this matter to the most reliable Gonggong Hall. At the same time, in order to reduce the pressure on Gonggong Hall, he also ordered Shennong Hall and Lieshan Hall to assist.

As usual, the head of the hall, Nian Duan, ignored the matter, and her number of patients increased again: Ying Bu brought Mi Xin to Daze Mountain.

As a non-farmer's disciple, Ying Bu was not qualified to enter the depths of Daze Mountain. Although he was in a hurry, he did not dare to force his way up the mountain in the face of the guards blocking his way. Unlike the rural people, Ying Bu knew that he could not force the Nian Duan doctor of the Farmer's Clan to treat patients.

Just as he was in a predicament, Ji Yan, who had been monitoring Ying Bu's whereabouts, appeared with Mi Lian.

Mi Lian was overjoyed to see her younger sister and instinctively reached out to hug her, but Ying Bu stopped her fiercely with his twin halberds: "What do you think you're doing? Get out of my way!"

Ji Yan, who was watching from the sidelines, was not surprised by Ying Bu's behavior. She narrowed her eyes and waved away the surrounding peasant disciples: it is not difficult to drive such a hot-tempered brave general. The trouble is that Ying Bu's loyalty to the State of Chu, or at least to the royal family of Chu, is too high.

When the State of Chu was destroyed, most of the Chu army, represented by Long Ju, were loyal only to the Xiang clan. Upon hearing that the young master of the Xiang clan had fled, they immediately set off in the direction of the Xiang clan.

Ji Bu was a guard of King Xiong Qi of Chu. He was a man of great integrity. King Xiong Qi had entrusted Mi Lian to his sister Hua Ying, so upon hearing of King Xiong Qi's death, he immediately disbanded his troops and went to Licheng to reunite with his sister.

Only Ying Bu, though a rough man, quickly realized that there was still no news of the Queen of Chu and the King of Chu's newborn child, so he immediately risked his life to go and search for him.

What Ying Bu could think of, Long Ju and Ji Bu, who were both strategists, certainly couldn't have been unaware of, but both of them made different choices.

"I..." While Ji Yan was thinking, Mi Lian was forced back a step by Ying Bu's twin axes. Looking at the gleaming axe blades and the other party's fierce expression, she couldn't help but feel afraid. However, she still tried her best to pretend to be calm: "General Ying Bu, please look at this."

She held out her palm, revealing a small piece of fire jade.

"This is!" Ying Bu's pupils widened like copper bells. He immediately looked down at Mi Xin, who was hiding behind him and curiously peering out. Then he looked closely at Mi Lian, who had a calm expression. The latter met his gaze and said calmly, "My name is Lian. I once met the general in Chen Ying. At that time, the general was ordered to take charge of the defense of the East Gate."

"Princess!" Ying Bu finally confirmed the other party's identity. He couldn't help but call out the title. Instead, he gripped his two axes even tighter. He turned his head to look at Ji Yan, who had heard everything, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

"This is the head of the Four Peaks Hall of the Farmer's Family. I know why you brought Xin'er to the Farmer's Family. She can help Xin'er find Physician Nian Duan for treatment." Mi Lian moved her feet to block Ying Bu's killing intent. This time, her action of taking Mi Xin's hand was not hindered. Mi Xin felt that the older sister in front of her was kind and let her be picked up by the other party in a daze.

"I see." Yingbu's eyes lit up, and he put away his frown. "Then we should hurry and find Physician Nianduan. The little princess's illness may flare up again in about two hours."

"I'll take her to Gonggong Hall right now." Mi Lian touched her sister's coarse linen clothes, feeling her thin body, raised her eyebrows slightly, and calmly turned to leave.

Ying Bu was about to follow when Ji Yan, holding the Jingni Sword and holding her head high, stopped him: "Daze Mountain is a sacred place; non-Farmer's disciples are not allowed to enter."

"You!" Before Ying Bu could even draw his twin halberds again, he immediately sensed that he was being locked onto by a chilling killing intent.

The source of the intense killing intent was none other than the fourteen-year-old girl in front of him.

'If I make another move, I might die...' The incredible intuition told Ying Bu a shock. He felt that his idea was somewhat ridiculous, and he gritted his teeth and continued to grip the reins.

With a clang, a flash of cold light, like the cold moon, passed by, and the sharp blade pierced Ying Bu's neck. Bright red blood flowed out and dripped directly onto Ying Bu's clothes without lingering on the Jingni Sword.

His whole body stiffened; he had never been subdued so easily by a mere little girl.

“Go to Licheng. Mi Lian will naturally come to find you in a few days.” Ji Yan’s lips curled up slightly, her gentle smile like the first ray of sunshine in the morning, warm and serene.

But Yingbu was completely oblivious to this; he only felt that the girl's smile was more terrifying than the sword at his neck...

"I see..."

------

When Mi Lian and Ji Yan arrived at Gonggong Hall Medical Clinic, they unfortunately encountered Nian Duan administering acupuncture to the Black and White Sisters, and it would take at least half an hour before they could come out.

Moreover, even after coming out, the enormous energy expenditure from acupuncture means the veteran doctor needs to rest well.

Fortunately, Duanmu Rong was there. After Xiao Yan sweetly called out "Sister Rong," she told her about Mi Xin's situation.

Smiling, Duanmu Rong raised her hand and ruffled Ji Yan's hair. Her gaze swept over the uneasy Mi Lian and Mi Xin behind her. With just one glance, she had a general understanding of Mi Xin's situation.

"Put her down. It may be a bit troublesome, but you don't need Master. I can handle it."

"Okay! Thank you for your help, Sister Rong!" Ji Yan nodded with a smile while holding Duanmu Rong's older sister's hand. With this action, Mi Lian reluctantly put down her younger sister, Mi Xin.

"You all go out first. Remember to prepare a basin of warm water and a towel, and find some clean clothes. This girl is very weak; the clothes she's wearing now look like they've been worn for at least a month."

"Yes," Mi Lian said softly, uttering her first words at the clinic.

Mi Xin's situation is not difficult to resolve now, but it's hard to say what will happen if it drags on for a few more years. Duanmu Rong calmly opened her fist, with a note that Ji Yan had just given her in her palm.

Upon opening it, it read that Ji Yan hoped for a 'more secure' and 'fewer aftereffect' treatment for Mi Xin.

The meaning is not hard to understand: Ji Yan wanted to prolong the treatment time.

This is treating doctors as tools. Duanmu Rong immediately frowned, but quickly relaxed: Ji Yan naturally had her reasons for doing this. As someone who watched Xiao Yan grow up, Duanmu Rong knew that Ji Yan was well-behaved and cute, and would not do anything detrimental to the farm.

Since that's the case, let's do as she says. Seeking stability is still treatment.

Half an hour later, Nian Duan and Duanmu Rong walked out of the two treatment rooms almost at the same time. The old doctor went straight to rest, while Duanmu Rong appeared relaxed and found the two girls who had been waiting outside.

With her nod, Mi Lian took warm water to wipe her sister's body and change her clothes, leaving Doctor Duanmu and Hall Master Ji outside for a walk: "Has Lu...the Heroic Leader gone out and not returned yet?"

"Yes, it seems that Brother Xia Kui has gone to Jing County. He may not be back for another three to six months."

In response to Rong Jie's question, Ji Yan nodded and replied that she knew Lu Wei's whereabouts better than the former.

"I see." Duanmu Rong nodded thoughtfully. After understanding the question she most wanted to know, she told Ji Yan about the part of Mi Xin's illness that she hadn't mentioned to Mi Lian earlier: "If we treat that little girl steadily for six months, the direct torment of the illness can be removed. With further conditioning afterward, it can be cured in about two years at most."

"Thank you, Sister Rong, this is more than enough time!" Ji Yan smiled and hugged Duanmu Rong's arm. Duanmu Rong didn't ask her why she was taking so long, so Ji Yan didn't offer to answer.

The two chatted casually about other things, and in the evening, Ji Yan led Mi Lian back to the Siyue Hall.

As for Mi Xin, she will stay at the Gonggong Hall Medical Center for the next six months. Mi Lian can go and check on her whenever he has free time after completing Ji Yan's mission.

"You heard Sister Rong's diagnosis, so Sister Xin'er will be fine." Xiao Yan'er said, looking up at the moon with her hands behind her back.

"Yes, thank you, Master Ji." Mi Lian was finally reunited with her only relative. Her joy had never stopped since she learned of Ying Bu's whereabouts that morning, and she also felt a sense of gratitude towards Ji Yan.

"However," Ji Yan changed the subject, smiling serenely, "Although you are now a disciple of the Farmer's Clan, you belong to the Four Mountains Hall, while Sister Rong belongs to the Gonggong Hall. You will still need to bear the cost of your sister's treatment yourself."

“I asked Sister Rong, and those medicines are quite expensive. The rewards you usually receive for serving me are still far from enough.”

"Please teach me, Ji Tang." She had already said all that. Mi Lian was indeed not very smart, but having followed Ji Yan for so long, she was not a complete fool. Naturally, she understood what she meant, so she asked carefully.

“This morning I sent Ying Bu to Licheng to wait.” Holding Mi Xin in her hand, Xiao Yan’er became bolder in her use of Mi Lian: “In the Drunken Dream Tower in Licheng, I remember there are still some old Chu Kingdom assassins. Those people should have belonged to you.”

"Go and take Yingbu to retrieve those assassins. With more men under your command, it will be much easier to earn money for your sister's medical treatment."

With a sudden thought, Mi Lian quickly nodded in agreement: "Yes, I'll go tomorrow!"

She was somewhat impatient: being able to retrieve the assassins her father had entrusted to her was not just about making it easier to treat her sister's illness.

Mi Lian now understands very well that if she has a group of absolutely reliable subordinates, she can accomplish many other things...

Chapter 293 Preparations for Rebellion

After arriving in Jing County, Lu Wei, led by Yan Shen and Xiao He, first inspected the warehouse reserves: logistics is the foundation for future great undertakings.

Since there has been no need to transport grain to Dazeshan since last year, Jing County has a very abundant grain reserve: with government-run oxen available, land reclamation around the entire Jinghu Lake is very easy.

It's a pity that sowing still requires disciples to bend over, and the planting area is still limited by manpower.

How to create an automatic seeding mechanical beast is something that the Mechanical Workshop is working hard to experiment with.

As a result, Amu slowed down his research on the Twelve Zodiac Animal Mechanisms: apart from continuously improving the water snake that had already been developed, the primary task of the Mechanism Workshop had become solving the obstacles encountered in the development of Jing County.

The disciples' practical needs became a more direct consideration for Amu, and the motivation generated by these needs filled the disciples of the Mechanical Workshop with enthusiasm: their work was to help their companions.

Such changes have both advantages and disadvantages: the advantage is that progress in mechanical technology driven by demand is certainly more promising than simply studying existing mechanical blueprints.

There will always be a day when blueprints are thoroughly studied, and some technical requirements are too high. Trying to break through them out of thin air will not only be costly, but the finished products will also be of low quality and have limited uses, and it may not even be possible to recoup the costs.

Lu Wei clearly understood the benefits of popularizing the art of mechanical devices in the industry. Ultimately, the industry of agricultural mechanical devices needed to be used by more people to have a more vigorous vitality.

In contrast, the Mohist Vermilion Bird was an excellent mechanical beast. This ingenious mechanical beast was like an airplane in this era. If it could be applied to governance, the central government's control over the local areas would undoubtedly be more stable than simply using horses and roads to transmit messages.

However, these mechanical beasts were only produced and used by the Mohists, and their effectiveness was quite limited.

The drawback of choosing to meet the needs is that the agricultural sector's government industry was deformed from the beginning. Its formation was a process of imitation where Amu made a sample based on the blueprints provided by Lu Wei and then improved it step by step, without any self-innovation.

The difficulty of suddenly having to research and manufacture such replicas from scratch in the industrial sector is unimaginable.

Amu had never innovated before, and just then Lu Wei arrived. He nervously asked his boss for some ideas: Although the disciples were enthusiastic, everyone had been brainstorming about those mechanical parts for more than a month, and none of the proposed solutions were fully accepted and feasible.