Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

"When Lord Changping was in Qin, he was the Right Chancellor, second only to the emperor. Now that he has made great contributions in Chu, Chu naturally cannot let its meritorious officials feel disheartened. His status in Chu cannot be lower than it was in Qin, can it? So, should we appoint him as the Prime Minister, in charge of the Chu government, or should we appoint him to a position even higher than the Prime Minister?"

Xu Qing's words were like the sun breaking through the clouds, instantly enlightening Ying Zheng.

At present, Wang Jian's predicament lies in the tacit understanding between Lord Changping and Xiang Yan.

The two men attacked from both inside and outside, forcing the 300,000 Qin soldiers into a desperate situation.

However, this tacit understanding was extremely fragile. Its biggest flaw was that Lord Changping had no foundation in the State of Chu and his identity was extremely sensitive.

He was the eldest son of King Kaolie of Chu, of pure blood, and far more legitimate than King Fuchu of Chu, who seized power through a coup.

Such an outstanding status and ability is itself the greatest threat to King Fuchu of Chu's throne.

In an instant, Ying Zheng thought of a way to break the deadlock and said, word by word, "Sow discord!"

When the Qin state conquered the Zhao state, it used a divisive tactic, sowing discord between the King of Zhao and Li Mu, causing the Zhao state to replace its general on the eve of battle, removing the peerless general Li Mu. This allowed the Qin state to advance unimpeded, break through the Taihang Mountain city, and march straight to Handan, ultimately destroying the Zhao state.

Now, if we can repeat the same trick and use a divisive tactic to break the alliance between Xiong Qi and Xiang Yan, causing them to distrust each other and become enemies, then the predicament of Wang Jian's army will be torn open, and a glimmer of hope will appear.

And Qin's great cause of destroying Chu can get back on track.

Chapter 350 Xu Qing's Journey to Chu: Fate's Unpredictability

After considering specific countermeasures in his mind, Ying Zheng sincerely bowed to Xu Qing and thanked him, saying, "Thank you, Mr. Xu!"

He became increasingly certain that the person in front of him was definitely an extraordinary individual, always able to break free from existing frameworks and offer completely different solutions.

Xu Qing remained calm and spoke softly, "There's no need to thank me in such a hurry. While the divisive tactic may break the tacit understanding between Lord Changping and Xiang Yan, Your Majesty needs to understand one thing."

"It always takes time for a rumor to ferment."

Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng's anxiety instantly subsided.

Yes, whether it's a scheme to sow discord or to spread rumors, it takes time for things to settle and ferment, and right now, the Qin state is precisely lacking time.

Every day of delay would reduce the food supplies for Wang Jian's army at the front lines. Even if the scheme to sow discord could put Lord Changping in a difficult situation in Chu, by then, Wang Jian's 300,000-strong army might have already perished in Chu.

Even so, there is still a glimmer of hope.

Ying Zheng could only secretly resolve to do his best, and as for the final outcome, he could only leave it to fate.

But Xu Qing never believed in fate.

He looked at the lingering anxiety between Ying Zheng's brows, his tone still calm, but with an undeniable certainty: "Your Majesty, the plan to sow discord is merely a temporary measure. It will ultimately not solve General Wang Jian's urgent problem, nor will it save the lives of those 300,000 Qin soldiers."

Ying Zheng's body jolted, and he looked up at Xu Qing with urgency in his eyes: "Sir, do you perhaps have another good plan?"

Xu Qing nodded slowly, his expression remaining calm: "I wouldn't call it a good plan, but there is still a dangerous path to take. The Luo Wang organization has been entrusted by the King, but it has repeatedly failed. If they continue to be so incompetent and unwilling to go all out, then I will not hesitate to go to Chu and take Xiang Yan's head."

"What?" Ying Zheng stood up abruptly, his voice filled with shock. Then, a chill ran through him as a memory flooded back.

That was an old story from when the State of Wei was destroyed.

Wang Ben led the Qin army to besiege Daliang for several months, using all kinds of siege methods, but he was still unable to break through the impregnable city.

Just when everyone thought that Daliang City was difficult to conquer, Xu Qing quietly appeared. No one knew what kind of cunning methods he used, but overnight, the gates of Daliang City were quietly breached, and the Qin army was able to drive straight in and take down this city that had been besieged for a long time without breaking a sweat, making an unparalleled contribution to the Qin state's conquest of Wei.

Ying Zheng read the military reports sent by Wang Ben countless times.

It was precisely because of this incident that Xu Qing summoned the other party immediately upon returning from his travels.

Coincidentally, it was during that meeting that Xu Qing told Changping Jun about his ulterior motives.

Unfortunately, he didn't take it to heart at the time, and now, looking back, Ying Zheng is filled with regret.

It was that incident that convinced him that Xu Qing was an extraordinary person.

He seems to possess a strange power that turns the impossible into the possible, always able to do things that are beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Taking the head of a general amidst a vast army is an incredibly difficult task. As the commander-in-chief of the Chu army, Xiang Yan was heavily guarded and possessed considerable martial arts skills. Even the top-tier assassins of the Luo Wang (a powerful military organization) suffered repeated setbacks and lost their elite troops. How much more difficult would it be for Xiang Yan to attempt an assassination alone in the Chu camp?

But if Xu Qing were to make a move, Ying Zheng felt a strange sense of certainty.

Perhaps, he really can do it.

After the initial shock, an indescribable feeling of emotion welled up in Ying Zheng's heart. His gaze towards Xu Qing was filled with emotion and gratitude.

However, he did not agree to Xu Qing's suggestion. Instead, he urgently dissuaded him: "Mr. Xu, you must not! Assassinating Xiang Yan is extremely dangerous, with a nine-out-of-ten chance of death. This matter is a matter of state affairs of Qin and has nothing to do with you. How can we trouble you to personally venture into such a dangerous situation?"

He was not dissatisfied with Xu Qing's decision to wait until Luo Wang suffered a defeat before taking action; on the contrary, he was clear-headed.

Xu Qing was not a subject of Qin, so he had neither a salary nor a duty to his sovereign. Yet, when Qin was in dire straits, he took the initiative to personally take action. This favor was already heavier than a thousand pounds.

Moreover, assassinating Xiang Yan was a perilous mission with a high risk of death; the slightest mistake could result in immediate demise. Xu Qing's willingness to speak up showed that he had already disregarded his own safety.

Seeing Ying Zheng's expression, Xu Qing waved his hand dismissively, his tone remaining calm and composed: "Your Majesty need not be so. Now that I have intervened in this matter, I will not stand idly by and watch 300,000 Qin soldiers die in vain, nor will I allow Qin's great cause of destroying Chu to fail at the last moment."

He paused, then added, "Besides, if Luo Wang can prove itself and take Xiang Yan's head sooner, I won't need to go through all this trouble. My words are both to put pressure on Luo Wang and to reassure Your Majesty. Regardless of whether Luo Wang succeeds or not, I will find a way to deliver Xiang Yan's head to Your Majesty."

Looking at Xu Qing's calm profile, Ying Zheng felt even more moved. This time, he did not object.

After all, Xu Qing has already created too many miracles, and in this desperate situation, he must seize every glimmer of hope.

Therefore, Ying Zheng agreed to Xu Qing's decision and repeatedly instructed him: "Sir, you must take good care of yourself on your journey! Qin cannot do without General Wang Jian, and even less can it do without you! If things cannot be accomplished, do not force it. Your safe return will be the greatest blessing for Qin!"

Xu Qing nodded slightly, saying nothing more, but raised his eyes to look in the direction of Chu, a barely perceptible sharpness flashing in his eyes.

Whether it's Xiang Yan or Lord Changping, now that they've intervened, they will never let this predicament continue to stalemate.

……

Zhao Gao was under immense pressure.

After meeting with Xu Qing, Ying Zheng became even more convinced that Luo Wang had not gone all out. He immediately sent a message to Zhao Gao with extremely harsh words. Although he did not explicitly say "if the assassination fails, bring me your head," Zhao Gao knew in his heart that if this mission failed, he would definitely suffer a terrible fate.

After all, when he met Ying Zheng at Zhangtai Palace, Ying Zheng had already made it clear that he was only giving him one last chance.

If he fails to seize this opportunity, his control over the Luo Wang organization may be completely stripped away.

This was something Zhao Gao absolutely could not accept.

In the past, he served Empress Dowager Zhao Ji and witnessed Lao Ai gain power through the Luo Wang network. From that time on, he developed ambition to firmly control the Luo Wang network and use it for his own purposes.

After Lao Ai fell from power, he won Ying Zheng's favor through his own means and finally found his opportunity.

Ying Zheng never valued the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven). He took the opportunity to seize control of the Luo Wang from Ying Zheng. Over the years, with the help of the Luo Wang, he accomplished many things, and his ambition grew day by day. He secretly regarded himself as the ruler of the dark world.

But now, he is facing an unprecedented crisis.

Zhao Gao naturally knew the way to break the deadlock: the only way was to successfully complete the mission of assassinating Xiang Yan.

At this thought, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

After this battle, Luo Wang may suffer heavy losses, but at least it can keep everything it has.

One general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand; for the sake of his own power and position, he had no choice but to make sacrifices.

"Send the order to the Net..." Zhao Gao gritted his teeth and spat out the four words. In the darkness, several figures immediately appeared, crawling on the ground, waiting for instructions.

……

Xu Qing was never one to stay idle.

Although no one pressured him, since he had taken the initiative to enter the game and decided to participate in the war of Qin's conquest of Chu, and had previously given Ying Zheng many suggestions, he naturally had to do some practical things himself.

After returning to his residence in Xianyang, he first spoke a few words to Jingni and his disciple Xiaomeng, then made a special trip to the Yin-Yang School to instruct everyone to abide by the rules, before quietly leaving Xianyang.

Due to the urgency of the matter, Xu Qing did not bring any companions with her.

It's not that those traveling together can't help; even a wild grass or a stubborn rock by the roadside can be useful, let alone the Yin-Yang School members and Jing Ni.

However, Xu Qing's trip was of great importance, and he was confident that he could escape unscathed from the midst of a massive army. Therefore, he decided to go alone to avoid dragging others into danger.

In addition, traveling alone allows for greater speed.

With all his might, Xu Qing quickly arrived in the territory of the Chu Kingdom.

Here, farmhouses are scattered everywhere.

Because of Lord Changping, the Farmers originally regarded the State of Chu as their future foundation and recruited disciples extensively within its territory. According to Lord Changping's plan, once he revealed his identity as the mastermind behind the Farmers, he would move the entire Farmers to the State of Chu.

Unfortunately, he never got to live to see that day.

After Tian Guang's death, Lord Changping lost control of the Farmers' Clan. Subsequently, internal strife broke out within the Farmers' Clan, which ironically benefited Xu Qing.

To this day, no new leader of the peasant faction has emerged, or rather, after the peasant faction sided with the Qin state, it no longer needed any so-called leader of the peasant faction.

However, Xu Qing, as the acting leader of the Xia clan, temporarily managed the affairs of the peasantry. The peasant strongholds within the Chu Kingdom were not dismantled.

Upon arriving in the State of Chu, these strongholds immediately came in handy. The disciples of the Farmer's School continuously delivered the latest intelligence on Chu to Xu Qing, allowing him to keep abreast of the situation in Chu.

Although Ying Zheng had given him military reports in Xianyang, it took a lot of time for the reports to reach Xianyang, and by the time they arrived, they were already outdated.

In contrast, within the territory of Chu, Xu Qing could easily obtain first-hand intelligence.

"Wang Jian truly lives up to his reputation!" Xu Qing couldn't help but exclaim as he looked at the intelligence gathered by the peasant disciples in his hand.

According to intelligence records, even when surrounded and running out of supplies, Wang Jian was able to keep his composure, abandoning direct confrontation and instead using guerrilla tactics to constantly harass Xiang Yan's army.

The Qin soldiers were all seasoned veterans with exceptional mobility. Wang Jian ordered his troops to split into multiple routes, sometimes launching surprise attacks on the Chu army's supply lines, sometimes harassing the Chu army's camps, and sometimes feigning defeat to lure the Chu army into pursuit. Once the Chu army was ambushed, they would immediately launch a counterattack.

In just half a month, Xiang Yan's hundreds of thousands of troops were thrown into disarray and exhausted. The cities and strongholds within the Chu territory were also thrown into chaos by the Qin army. The people were displaced and the morale of the Chu army gradually wavered. Although Xiang Yan ordered the reorganization of the formation several times, he was still unable to contain the flexible and mobile Qin army.

However, this only allows Wang Jian to hold out for a little longer; the core problem remains unresolved—Wang Jian's army's retreat route has been cut off.

Another intelligence report detailed Changping-kun's movements.

With his status as the son of King Kaolie of Chu, and the momentum he had generated by stirring up trouble in Huaiyang and rushing to the aid of Chu, Lord Changping actually managed to gather a lot of former Chu troops and scattered soldiers, and even gained the secret support of some Chu nobles.

Instead of joining forces with Xiang Yan to attack Wang Jian from both sides, he took the opportunity to lead his army to fight in various places, constantly recovering the Chu territory previously occupied by the Qin army. In just a few days, he captured several cities in the southern part of Chu, and his momentum became increasingly powerful.

Upon seeing this, Xu Qing understood that Lord Changping's actions, seemingly aimed at recovering lost territory for the State of Chu, were actually a covert effort to accumulate strength and expand his own power.

The hidden dangers he mentioned to Ying Zheng at Zhangtai Palace were probably already realized by Lord Changping himself. His sudden return to Chu without informing Fu Chu and others would inevitably arouse their suspicion.

To gain a foothold in the State of Chu, the only option was to develop a sufficiently powerful force.

After all, whether or not someone dares to take action out of fear depends entirely on the strength of the other party. If Lord Changping has no foundation, he will surely be easily eliminated; but if he has considerable power, even if someone is wary of him, they will never dare to take action easily.

Getting back to the main point, although Lord Changping did not immediately join forces with Xiang Yan to surround Wang Jian, this does not mean that Wang Jian's situation has improved.

On the contrary, this steady and methodical approach is the most despairing.

If Lord Changping were eager to destroy Wang Jian, Wang Jian, in dire straits, might still be able to fight his way out. However, Lord Changping's slow advance and continuous recapture of lost territory would eventually cut off Wang Jian's army's retreat, trapping them in Chu territory. At that time, the 300,000 Qin soldiers would truly perish there.

Putting away the intelligence in his hand, Xu Qing had already made up his mind.