Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 59

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"Those in power in Han and Wei are truly short-sighted!"

With a slap, Xiang Bo slammed his hand on the table and gulped down mouthfuls of water.

Unable to drink alcohol, he had to substitute water. By then it was dark, and after finishing his military duties, he went to find Lu Wei again.

According to him, the states of Han and Wei had become Qin's lackeys, and even sent troops to follow Qin in attacking Zhao, another of the Three Jin states. They also sent envoys to accompany the Qin envoys to threaten Chu and prevent it from taking the opportunity to attack Qin in order to save Zhao.

The war between Qin and Zhao has begun again.

Although the State of Chu had no intention of attacking Qin, it is impossible to know what the King of Chu thought when threatened by these three states, but the Xiang family could not tolerate it at all.

Limited by their own strength, they suffered greatly under this humiliation.

"King Han is a coward, and the people of Wei, after Lord Ziling, are all cowards!" Xiang Bo cursed angrily.

Lu Wei only drank water with Yu Xiangbo, and remained silent about the military matters he mentioned.

Xiang Bo didn't care about this. He just wanted to confide in a foreign friend about the Xiang family's helplessness. Although Lu Wei was the chief administrator of the Agricultural School among the Hundred Schools of Thought, he didn't think Lu Wei had any good insights into military affairs.

He reached out and filled the wine jug with water for Xiang Bo, but Xiang Bo rather rudely snatched the jug, opened the lid, and poured the water directly onto himself: "Yesterday, that Qin envoy came to my Xiang army camp."

"He was a Qin man who was arrogant and disrespectful among my Xiang soldiers, yet the General insisted on personally hosting a banquet for him. If the General hadn't strictly forbidden it, I would have killed that Qin man with my sword and then committed suicide to become a ghost of Chu!"

Although he hadn't drunk any alcohol, Xiang Bo already seemed somewhat intoxicated.

"Who is the Qin envoy?" Lu Wei used his Frost Palm to freeze the extra water stains on the table and then swept the ice blocks out of the tent.

"Zhang Han".

Chapter 81 Duke Chu Nan

Zhang Han was another famous person.

Lu Wei remained calm and showed no surprise. He guessed that Zhang Han, as a Qin general, had not followed the Qin army to attack Zhao this time, but instead came to Chu as an envoy. This was probably because the King of Qin had taken a liking to him and was giving him special training.

The idea for the Shadow Guard organization has probably already taken shape.

As the moon rose high in the sky, Lu Wei and Xiang Bo talked late into the night. Since outsiders were not allowed to stay overnight in Xiang's army, Lu Wei calculated the time and took the initiative to ask to leave.

Back in Shouchun City, under the cover of night, Lu Wei bought a hundred-gold iron sword from the market and hung it on the steed he had ridden to Chu. He instructed his disciples to deliver the sword and the horse to Xiang Jun's camp as gifts the next morning, informing them that it was a gift for his birth as the young general of Xiang Jun.

The horse he rode came from the Western Regions and was of the highest quality, making it a perfect treasure for a military family.

There's still some time before the end of the month, and since the Xiang family's military camp is busy with tasks these days, the steward shouldn't bother them every day. He'll just send the gifts first, and when Uncle Xiang has some free time, he'll naturally send someone to find him.

In Shouchun, Lu Wei would study the Five Virtues of the Yin-Yang School in the morning, go out for some fresh air in the afternoon, and practice swordsmanship in the evening, as if he had returned to the leisurely days of Jicheng.

The Qin envoy, Zhang Han, was still in Shouchun City, but Lu Wei had no intention of even seeing him. Zhang Han was meticulous and extremely loyal to Qin; it was best not to bring him into his sights too soon.

Compared to Zhang Han, there was actually another person in Shouchun City who interested the Grand Steward even more...

The cultivation of the Five Virtues begins with identifying the attributes of one's internal energy.

When the Rejuvenation Skill is at its purple quality, it mainly focuses on restoring one aspect. According to the Five Virtues definition, the Rejuvenation Skill at that time is a simple Wood Virtue skill.

After it advances to orange quality, its all-around nature begins to emerge. It changes from 'Wood Virtue' to 'No Virtue', which in turn makes it more difficult to comprehend the Five Virtues.

If it is still the Wood element, then on the basis of the Wood element, the Fire element can be generated quickly, and then the Earth element can be generated, and so on, until all five elements are present.

The creation of 'immorality' from nothing is naturally much more difficult than creating fire from wood.

However, in terms of potential, the absence of virtue is far superior to the absence of virtue alone: ​​the difficulty of the absence of virtue lies in simultaneously forming five attributes from a single internal energy, allowing them to merge and expand.

Once he takes the first step, he will learn and operate on his own without any instruction, and Lu Wei's internal strength will advance by leaps and bounds.

The difficulty of generating five virtues from one is that the rotation of the five virtues is maintained by the internal energy of the original one virtue. With one virtue supporting four, if one is not careful, once it collapses, all five virtues will be destroyed.

The later the stage, the stronger the power of generating five virtues from no virtue, and the greater the risk of generating five virtues from a single virtue.

Of course, if Lu Wei wants to quickly integrate the Five Virtues into the Rejuvenation Technique, he can first convert the Qi of no virtue into a certain virtue, and then use that virtue to generate the Five Virtues.

Such actions are a last resort when surrounded by powerful enemies, requiring the expenditure of one's potential to enhance combat strength. However, the Grand Steward is still young and has ample time to create something from nothing.

Another morning of training, with little progress, but Lu Wei didn't care. The integration of the two techniques was very difficult. Even with his clear mind and deep understanding of the Rejuvenation Technique, it would probably take him at least a year or two to achieve anything significant.

At noon, he sat with the local disciples and ate a bowl of wheat and bean rice. In the afternoon, he went straight to the Yunmeng Market.

The variety show area of ​​Yunmeng Market is the entertainment center for ordinary people in Shouchun. It features performances from various countries, as well as places for games like wrestling and cockfighting.

Lu Wei's arrival here was not without purpose; ostensibly, he came to watch the shaman dance.

From afar, the crowd could be seen forming a square, and the folk song "Xia Li Ba Ren" (Lower Class People) resonated far and wide, attracting people from all directions to gather in several layers.

In the center of the square were about a dozen shamans from the western Chu and Ba people's settlement. Dressed in revealing clothes, showing off their slender waists and necks, they sang and danced, attracting countless eyes and winning cheers.

The court music and dance of the Chu Kingdom and the folk religious shamanistic dances are a major feature of Shouchun, and wealthy merchants visiting the area should not miss them.

The steward carefully sensed the atmosphere of the audience, walked halfway around the arena, and suddenly his eyes lit up. He immediately took out a few copper coins, spent them to clear a path, and arrived at the front of the crowd.

Here, a small old man with white eyebrows and beard stands out.

He leaned on his cane, stroked his beard, and watched intently as the priestess revealed her slender waist.

"Master Nan, what a coincidence that we meet here again today!"

Standing next to the old man, Lu Wei kept his eyes fixed on the shrine maidens' dance, and said with a smile.

The old man's name is unknown, and his age is also unknown. He is generally revered as: Lord Chu Nan.

Later, when the State of Chu was destroyed, this man boldly proclaimed the slogan "Even if Chu has only three households left, it will surely be Chu that destroys Qin." However, he then turned around and joined the Yin-Yang School, becoming a wandering member of the Yin-Yang School. He even openly became a retainer of Li Si, the Prime Minister of Qin, which greatly puzzled the world.

However, in secret, this Duke of Chu not only gave guidance to Long Ju and Zhongli Mo, but also made shrewd investments in Zhang Liang and Han Xin!

Such figures are naturally people the steward should befriend.

"You country bumpkin." Nan Gong squinted, looking up at the young man beside him. "Have I been troubling this old man for days?"

“But on the third day…” Lu Wei replied obediently.

Three days ago, the manager of Yunmeng Market spotted Chu Nan Gong passing by from afar. Given this rare opportunity, he naturally followed him immediately.

These past few days in Shouchun City have been uneventful for the Chief Steward, so if he could receive some guidance from Lord Chu Nan, he would surely make some progress.

After following him all the way to the variety show area, Lu Wei saw Chu Nan Gong walk into the audience of the witch dance and stop. He immediately went over to pay his respects. Although Nan Gong's tone was not cold when he faced him, it was not particularly enthusiastic either.

However, since the other party was willing to communicate with him, it meant they intended to offer guidance—Lu Wei's heart stirred...

The flashback ends, and the scene shifts to the present.

"So how many more days do you intend to trouble this old man?" Chu Nan Gong stroked his beard, glaring at the young man's undisguised smile. The young man, upon hearing this, composed himself and pondered for two seconds:

"With the shrine maiden pleasing to the eye and the patriarch delighting to the heart, I wouldn't get tired of it even after three years!"

"Cough cough!" Chu Nan Gong coughed twice exaggeratedly, tilted his head, and waved his hand at Lu Wei: "Enough, enough, this old man is old and weak, I can't outlast you young men."

He tapped the ground with his cane, then turned his gaze back to the plump, bony witches: "You've watched the witch dances with this old man for three days. Tell me, which of these witches do you like the most?"

"Her clothes were delicate, beautiful but not eccentric. Her long hair flowed gracefully, dazzlingly beautiful." Hearing Chu Nan Gong's question, Lu Wei slowly recited Qu Yuan's "Summoning the Soul," which he had just memorized the night before, his gaze sweeping over each young, graceful figure:

"The essence of shamanic dance lies in its grand scale; a single person's dance cannot fully express its unique characteristics... I love all these shamans!"

"You want it all?" Upon hearing the reply, Master Nan stroked his beard and smiled: "You're still just a young man."

"Fine," he turned around, "I'll take a walk in Yunmeng with the old man."

Lu Wei followed Chu Nan Gong out of the crowd: "Nan Gong isn't watching the shamanistic dance anymore~"

"I've sent you away, I'll watch it by myself." Chu Nan Gong didn't turn around: "If I keep showing it to you, hehe, if you really take them all, this old man won't be able to watch it anymore."

The two left the variety show area one after the other. Chu Nan Gong appeared old and moved slowly, even using a cane, but his walking speed was not slow at all, no different from that of an ordinary person.

"You, a farm boy, have recently started practicing Yin-Yang magic?"

Upon hearing this question, Lu Wei honestly replied, "Yes, I encountered the Moon Goddess on my way from Qi to Chu, and she gave me a copy of 'The Five Virtues'."

"The Five Virtues? That does suit your status." Chu Nan Gong's eyebrows drooped, and with his eyes half-closed, outsiders couldn't see his expression at all.

"Since the Moon Goddess Nüwa gave you this book, what is your opinion on the Five Virtues Theory?"

"Use if it's useful, dismiss if it's not." Without much thought, the steward answered readily.

Having traveled with Tian Guang, Lu Wei knew that these old foxes were all cunning and shrewd.

Chu Nan Gong was both older and wiser than Tian Guang, and he could pick out Zhang Liang and Han Xin from the vast sea of ​​people to guide him. In his presence, being honest or not answering was a smarter approach than lying.

“‘Use if it’s useful, dismiss if it’s useless’—that’s a fine saying.” Chu Nan Gong coughed twice, covering his mouth with his left fist. “Since you have such thoughts, this old man can’t teach you anything more.”

"There are only two things you need to remember."

"Please speak, Lord Nan!" Lu Wei straightened his expression, stepped forward, stood at attention and clasped his hands in front of Lord Chu Nan with utmost respect, completely unconcerned about the astonished looks of the passersby around him.

This is also part of your principle of 'use those who are useful, dismiss those who are useless'... Thinking of this, Master Nan chuckled, his eyebrows and long beard trembling slightly:

"Although the Yin-Yang School originated from Taoism, the principles of the world have long been transformed into the most basic principles by your Shennong ancestor of the Agricultural School, and widely proclaimed."

"The Five Virtues and the Twenty-Four Earthly Branches of the Farmer's Household have many things in common, and you should have realized this principle."

Lu Wei pondered for a moment, then bent down and replied, "Although the Yin-Yang School and the Agricultural School have different purposes in their study of the sun, moon, and stars, the objects of their study are the same: those stars."

"A promising young man!" Master Nan smiled, raising his hand and opening his palm to reveal the rough lines on the boy's hand.

"There are no two palm lines that are exactly the same, nor are there any palm lines that are completely different, even on the left and right hands of the same person."

"Both of them studied the movement of stars, but the Yin-Yang School figured out the Five Elements of Heaven and Earth, while the Agricultural School figured out the Twenty-Four Solar Terms. These are different."

"What they have in common is that, in addition to the Five Elements and the Twenty-Four Solar Terms, both families have given them the same kind of variation as a supplement!"

"These changes may have different names, but their nature is the same."

Having explained this, Nan Gong closed his mouth and slightly opened his eyes, clearly intending to test him.

“The Yin-Yang School…the Agricultural School…” Following Nan Gong’s train of thought, Lu Wei frowned, then quickly relaxed: “The changes are, Yin and Yang…and…day and night!”

"Excellent!" Master Nan went out with a beaming smile. Guiding intelligent people was always a pleasure. He then withdrew his hand.

"Without considering Yin and Yang, you won't understand why the Five Elements generate and restrain each other. Without considering day and night, you won't understand the true essence of the formation."

Nan Gong turned around and tilted his head: "This is the first point I want to tell you."

After saying that, he walked away.

"Master Nan hasn't told me the second point yet!"

Lu Wei didn't move his feet and shouted loudly.