A Step into the Past

Book 25 Chapter 06 - Thick Clouds Of War

Back at Wu Residence, Xiang Shaolong learnt that Qin Qing is here and found her with Ji Yanran in the hall, whispering secretively to each other. Both ladies wore a heavy expression on their faces and forcefully mustered a smile at the sight of him.

A bewildered Xiang Shaolong sat and questioned: “Why are the two of you in a state of anxiety?”

Ji Yanran explained: “Crown Prince has officially decreed Sister Qing to accompany him to Yongdu in order to assist him with the coronation procedures. Sister Qing is feeling distressed over this. She cannot afford to disobey the decree and yet, it is not ideal for her to go to Yongdu.”

Xiang Shaolong violently trembled: “No one knows me better than Yingzheng. He has hit me at my Achilles Heel.”

With a frantic expression, Qin Qing dismissed in a melancholic tone: “Just leave without me. I don’t think he has the guts to vent his frustration on me. After the dust has settled, I will look for you people at the borderlands!”

Recomposing himself, Xiang Shaolong shook his head decisively and declared: “No! If we are leaving, we will leave together. Otherwise, the heart wrenching pain of pining for each other will torture me to no ends.”

Listening to Xiang Shaolong’s emotional outburst, Qin Qing is so touched her lovely eyes begin to turn red.

Ji Yanran suggested: “Yanran can disguise myself as Sister Qing’s personal maid and can react to any unforeseen circumstances.”

Briefly dazed, Xiang Shaolong agreed: “That’s a good plan and the enemy would not anticipate it. If necessary, I can get Jing Jun to personally fetch both of you at Yongdu. In terms of ninja climbing skills, who can hold a candle to him?”

Qin Qing wondered: “I would like to learn about Hubby Xiang’s ninja climbing skills. Are you willing to teach me?”

Hearing her words, Xiang Shaolong and Ji Yanran stared at each other with a flabbergasted countenance. Qin Qing is such a civilized, prim and proper beauty. If she were to pick up the climbing skills of the Wu Family Special Forces, how would she eventually turn out?

That night, Xiao Yuetan leisurely strolled back.

Everyone quickly gathered in the secret room for a discussion.

Xiao Yuetan started: “If not for Master Tu keeping Traitor Lu under secret surveillance, as we walk down the path of reincarnation, we would remain as muddle-headed ghosts.”

Everyone flinched and swiftly pressed him for details.

Xiao Yuetan clarified: “Lu Buwei is now facing a shortage of reliable talents and had no choice but to assign heavy responsibilities to his pioneering family warriors which Master Tu headed. Hence, Master Tu is able to comprehend the finer details of Traitor Lu’s schemes.”

Ji Yanran exposed: “Of late, Lu Buwei has kept a low profile and appeared to be vulnerable and in a state of decline. So it is just an act.”

Jing Jun antagonistically cursed: “This time round, we must tear him to shreds.”

Xiao Yuetan chuckled: “We have neglected Lu Buwei’s last trick in the bag: His allies from the Six Eastern States. Among the Kings of the six States, each and every one of them views Yingzheng as a savage beast that will devour everything in its path. In order to topple Yingzheng, they are willing to pay any price. In their opinion, if Lao Ai can end up as the King of Qin, it would be even better.”

Xiang Shaolong’s face turned pale: “Would he have the audacity to open up the passes and simply allow the allied army to pass through?”

Xiao Yuetan chortled: “Even if he possesses the guts to do so, it would be futile. The soldiers of Qin love their country and would not carry out the order. In addition, the Three States, Chu and Yan are severely handicapped by Shaolong’s assault. Even if we open up the passes, their armies would not have the conviction to proceed with the invasion. Nevertheless, the six States has dispatched four teams of kamikaze desperados, each of them a highly skilled fighter who is able to fight off a hundred men. At an opportune moment, they will execute their well-planned assassination attempt. Their four targets are Yingzheng, Xiang Shaolong, Lord Changping and Li Si.”

Of course Yingzheng and Xiang Shaolong would be among the chosen targets.

Lord Changping and Li Si are the top military and civil officials of Yingzheng. If they are out of the picture, the hundreds of civil and military officials would be leaderless, giving Lu Buwei a chance to take charge.

Xiang Shaolong thought: The person they should really try to assassinate is Wang Jian. However, Lu Buwei is probably still in the dark about Wang Jian’s return.

Presently, the State of Qin is undergoing a critical period in its evolution. The minute Xiao Pan ascends the throne; the two camps of Lu Buwei and Lao Ai will perish without a burial place.

Tao Fang enquired in a deep voice: “Are these men in Xianyang?”

Xiao Yuetan answered: “To conceal their presence, they are holing up in the nearby mountain caves and forests while their food rations are provided by Master Tu. Ladies and Gentlemen, you should realize what a favourable arrangement this is.”

Ji Yanran inquired: “Is Manager Tu aware of their plans and details?”

Xiao Yuetan disclosed: “With regards to this, Imperial Infantry Commander Xu Shang is the one with all the information. As long as we can capture him alive, I would be able to force a confession out of him.”

Teng Yi professed: “If Xu Shang steps out of the City, we would be able to capture him alive for Mister’s interrogation. But if he stations himself within the Command Centre, we are powerless unless we chose to attack him head on.”

Xu Shang himself is a master swordsman and is a resident of Imperial Uncle Residence. Wherever he goes, he would be escorted by a sizable entourage of bodyguards. Within the Command Centre, it is a concentration of his men and influence. Killing him might be workable but capturing him alive is going to be an incredible feat.

From his bosom, Xiao Yuetan produced a roll of parchment. Spreading it across the table, he narrated: “This is a complete blueprint of Imperial Uncle Residence, including all the defensive traps and hidden rooms. If we employ certain strategies instead of brute force, it is quite possible for us to assassinate Lu Buwei and kidnap Xu Shang.”

Pausing, he added: “Master Tu has prepared a powerful anesthetic; if we put it in the drinking wells of Imperial Uncle Residence, its consumers can forget about waking up within three days.”

Jing Jun cheered: “That’s brilliant!”

Xiang Shaolong probed: “Since Senior Tu did participate in Lu Buwei’s confidential meetings, did he manage to learn about his complete scheme?”

Xiao Yuetan icily grinned: “Even if Master Tu did not participate in the meetings, Traitor Lu cannot pull the wool over his eyes. Traitor Lu’s plan is to unleash two simultaneous attacks. When Lao Ai is staging his rebellion at Yongdu, he would launch his own uprising at Xianyang and kill everyone who opposes him.”

Pausing, he continued: “It is imperative to successfully assassinate Yingzheng. With Yingzheng dead, Lu Buwei can use the excuse of attacking Lao Ai and obtain full military control of Qin.

Tao Fang frowned: “If Lao Ai failed in his rebellion, wouldn’t Traitor Lu’s beautiful dream end up in smoke? And he would be labeled as a stinking insurgent.”

Xiao Yuetan enlightened: “That’s why Traitor Lu has instructed Guan Zhongxie to proceed to Yongdu to meet up with the experts from the six States and oversee their assassination maneuvers. Based on his remarkable archery skills, he has a decent shot at success. At the end of the day, Yingzheng is not familiar with layout of Yongdu.”

Everybody is in a state of agitation. If they do not act first and get rid of this man, he would become a most fearful threat.

Xiang Shaolong sighed: “We did suspect this move from Lu Buwei; unfortunately, it turned out to be true. Is there any way to pinpoint Guan Zhongxie’s location?”

Xiao Yuetan shook his head: “This is the Old Thief’s last and most powerful weapon. Except for himself, nobody else knows about Guan Zhongxie’s movement. The success or failure of Traitor Lu is resting on the deciding death of Yingzheng, and he does have a fair chance of victory.”

Ji Yanran pointed out: “Wouldn’t Wu Guo be in an extremely dangerous position?”

Wu Guo’s face is completely drained of blood. However, no one will blame him for being frightened after taking into account Guan Zhongxie’s supreme archery skills.

Stroking his beard, Xiao Yuetan guffawed: “Dear all, this is called thinking too much. Actually, Guan Zhongxie is not absolutely untraceable. After all, his first target has to be Yingzheng. An alternative is assaulting the four targets simultaneously in order not to raise the alarm and lose the element of surprise.”

Wu Guo instantly heaved a sigh of relief.

Ji Yanran deduced: “In this sense, the assassination attempts should be concentrated in Yongdu. Only in this instance can they frame Lao Ai for the murders.”

She went on with a smile: “Those well versed in warfare will overcome their enemies by strategy instead of numbers. The biggest weakness of Lu Buwei and Lao Ai’s collaboration is their mutual distrust and mutual scheming. According to Yanran’s estimate, it is likely that Lu Buwei did not reveal to Lao Ai about his assassination plans and has planted spies among the followers of Crown Prince. If we manage to leak the assassination plans to Lao Ai, we may gain some unexpected benefits.”

Xiang Shaolong is not the least worried about Xiao Pan’s royal life; otherwise, history would not have records of this person known as Qin Shihuang. In the same context, he is not worried about Lord Changping and Li Si too.

At this point, Teng Yi commented: “The best way is to kill Guan Zhongxie beforehand and indirectly safeguard ourselves. If anything were to happen to me and Little Jun, Traitor Lu can simply seize control of the Imperial Cavalry.”

Guan Zhongxie is gifted warrior and an astute strategist. With him masterminding the assassins from the six States, who would dare to be complacent.

Xiao Yuetan suddenly proposed: “With Wu Guo disguised as Shaolong, Shaolong can concurrently impersonate Wu Guo. That would be a perfect scenario.”

Everyone was full of praise and cheers.

Tao Fang wondered: “Is there enough time?”

Xiao Yuetan happily laughed: “When I was making the first mask, I already thought of this and made both masks instead. That’s why I ended up taking so much time!”

Everyone took turns in commending Xiao Yuetan for his brilliance and is full of admiration for his wisdom and foresight.

Subsequently, they discussed the details of their deployments and decided that their utmost priority is to track down Guan Zhongxie. At the same time, they made special provisions in case of unforeseen circumstances.

That night, Xiang Shaolong had a very good rest and intentionally appeared during the morning court session, allowing Lu Buwei and the others to witness his sickly appearance and hear his hoarse voice.

The court session that morning was mainly centered on the affairs of the approaching coronation.

Lu Buwei actively persisted on staying behind and guarding Xianyang while Xiao Pan pretended to lose the debate and accepted his proposal with reluctance.

After the morning court session, the five men Xiao Pan, Xiang Shaolong, Lord Changping, Lord Changwen and Li Si adjourned to the Imperial Study for their private meeting.

Lord Changping and Li Si submitted their reports first and both their reports are concerning the Yongdu coronation process.

At the end of their submission, Xiao Pan narrated: “Officials (All of you) should know that this is the last opportunity for the two camps of Lu Buwei and Lao Ai to topple Guaren. In this aspect, what propositions would Officials recommend?”

Lord Changwen reported: “Your subordinate has made detailed preparations with regards to this matter. First of all, the ships sailing to Yongdu shall be similar looking and all of them will bear the royal flag, making it difficult for the enemy to pinpoint the actual ship that Guaren is sailing on. In addition, several mini battleships shall pave the way for us. Lastly, there will be elite soldiers lying in ambush in all the critical parts of the shore, guaranteeing a safe journey.”

Xiao Pan nodded his head and praised his work before reminding: “Nonetheless, the main danger would lie in Yongdu. For many years, Lao Ai has been making preparations just for this one day. We cannot afford to be complacent.”

Lord Changping added: “Guxi will first lead ten thousand elite soldiers into Yongdu and secure all the exits and entrances. Subordinate has confidence that Lao Ai would not dare to challenge him.”

Xiang Shaolong frowned: “When did Senior General An come back?”

Xiao Pan dryly coughed once and explained: “As Great General is at home and recuperating, Guaren dare not disturb and thus, did not tell Great General about his return.”

Li Si and the other two men lowered their head and kept their silence.

Xiang Shaolong furiously state: “Crown Prince is well-prepared and certainly do not require subordinate’s presence and advice. Why don’t subordinate remain in Xianyang and continue my recuperation?”

The heads of Li Si and the other two sank even lower.

Without any signs of fluster, Xiao Pan corrected: “Great General, you must not jump to conclusions. Guaren is now seeking your advice.”

Xiang Shaolong concluded: “If you do not make known to subordinate about your deployments and the available soldiers, be prepared to fail.”

Including Xiao Pan, the four men were taken aback.

Xiang Shaolong thought: This is called: I don’t usually speak, but when I do, you can expect some nerve-racking words. After receiving the precious intelligence reports from Tu Xian, he is much more confident in fighting this double war; the first war is against the gangs of Lu Buwei and Lao Ai; the second war is against the heartless fellow Xiao Pan.

With a serious demeanour, Xiao Pan questioned: “What does Great General mean?”

Of course Xiang Shaolong knew that Xiao Pan places a heavy emphasis on the meaning behind his words. Moreover, since he was young, Xiao Pan has always regarded himself as an infallible immortal. In addition, Xiang Shaolong has assisted Xiao Pan in resolving many of his difficulties and his standing in Xiao Pan’s heart is irreplaceable.

If it was somebody else, be it Wang Jian or Li Si, they would not have the same chilling effect on this future Qin Shihuang.

Instead of answering, Xiang Shaolong plainly interrogated: “How many men did Senior General An brought back from the Qin-Chu border?”

After some hesitation, Xiao Pan helplessly replied: “Fifty thousand.”

Scrutinizing the expression of the others, Xiang Shaolong is convinced that Xiao Pan did not lie to him about this matter. Without the slightest hint of surprise, he probed: “Where are the other forty thousand men stationed at? Who is in charge of them?”

Of course Xiang Shaolong is well aware that the huge army is not solely here to get rid of Lu Buwei; they would be used to attack Teng Yi, Jing Jun and the Wu Family Warriors as well but he intentionally forced Xiao Pan to confess so.

Xiao Pan appears to be afraid of facing Xiang Shaolong’s glare and pretended to flip through several documents on his table. With an air of nonchalance, he responded: “They are the reserve army which I prepared for cases of emergency. With Wei Liao at the helm, they can swiftly supplement the forces of Yongdu or Xianyang by taking the river route.”

Subsequently, he reminded with some impatience: “Great General has yet to answer Guaren’s question.”

Under the sky, only Xiang Shaolong would dare to speak with Xiao Pan in this manner.

Li Si and the others dare not interrupt.

Xiang Shaolong simply rationalized: “However brazen they can be, the gangs of Lu Buwei and Lao Ai would not throw eggs at stone by staging an open rebellion. Therefore, I am convinced that they will try to employ a secret assassination attempt. If they can successfully get rid of Crown Prince, chaos will descend and the traitors can reap benefits from the state of disorder. They will end up as the biggest winners.”

Lord Changping cannot help but interject: “We already thought of that and have implemented appropriate countermeasures.

Xiang Shaolong articulated in a deep voice: “Imagine a scenario whereby the head of the assassination team is Guan Zhongxie and the participants are top assassins from the other six States, each of them painstakingly chosen from thousands of candidates and has undergone vigorous training. On top of that, Crown Prince has to expose himself to the public during the coronation ceremony and there are also spies within the Palace Guards aiding the assassins. Is Your Lordship as surefooted as before?”

Including Xiao Pan, everyone’s countenance underwent a drastic change.

Years ago, on the way to Deshui for the Spring Sacrifice, Xiao Pan’s entourage was ambushed. Luckily, the decoy carriage was attacked but the memory of the incident is still fresh in their minds. With the deadly marksman Guan Zhongxie involved in the latest assault, who can guarantee that everything will be fine.

Lord Changping was thunderstruck: “According to the messengers, Guan Zhongxie is still in Han territory, locking horns with the people of Han.”

Xiang Shaolong dismissed: “That’s a sham. In this critical juncture, there is no reason for Lu Buwei to not summon his beloved son-in-law back. This is called: Feeding an army for days, unlocking their value in one battle.”

Xiang Shaolong’s words are highly persuasive and plausible; no one doubts his theory.

His royal eyes flickering, Xiao Pan glared at Xiang Shaolong and grilled: “Where did Great General get your information from?”

Xiang Shaolong has already anticipated this question from Xiao Pan and replied with a smile: “Lu Buwei has friends in the six States and so does subordinate.”

Xiao Pan stared blankly at him for a short spell and nodded: “What solutions do Great General advocate?”

Taking full advantage of his superior bargaining position, Xiang Shaolong demanded: “For a start, Crown Prince has to grant subordinate your Tiger Seal, giving subordinate the ability to deploy the military at will. Only then can subordinate find a remedy to this problem.”

This is Xiang Shaolong’s most astounding move and there is no basis for Xiao Pan to reject him. For the different ranks of commanders and generals, they are presented with a different Tiger Seal that reflects their rank and identity. In the same context, the Tiger Seal will limit the amount of soldiers they can bring into battle.

For those who are ranked Senior General and above, there is no limit on their army strength. Wherever they may be, they can recruit or deploy soldiers at will.

After every war and upon their return to Xianyang, the generals and commanders must surrender half of their Tiger Seal to the Court. The soldiers will be re-assigned back to their original barracks and the generals will be left with their personal soldiers. The personal soldiers of each general will vary based on their ranks. At the end of the day, the control of the military will reconsolidate in the hands of the King.

Being one of the two Great Generals of Qin, if Xiang Shaolong possess the complete Tiger Seal, he is as good as the Chief Commander. When that happens, except for Xiao Pan, no one can retract his authority.

As a result, with both halves of the Tiger Seal, Xiang Shaolong wields absolute authority over the soldiers of Qin. If Xiao Pan wishes to harm him, he cannot utilize Wei Liao who is a new and lowly ranked commander. The only possibility is for Xiao Pan to attack Xiang Shaolong in person.

This clearly demonstrates the importance of the Tiger Seal.

For three reasons, Xiang Shaolong is confident that Xiao Pan will acquiesce to his request.

Firstly, Xiao Pan is under the impression that Xiang Shaolong is always by his side. After arriving in Yongdu, Xiao Pan can easily demand the return of the Tiger Seal. It is not as if Xiang Shaolong is fighting a distant battle and can choose to disobey Xiao Pan’s decree.

Secondly, Xiang Shaolong had deliberately painted this scenario, forcing Xiao Pan to accede to his demands in order to placate and continue deceiving Xiang Shaolong.

Thirdly and best of all, Xiao Pan’s trust in Xiang Shaolong’s capabilities are deep-rooted. Furthermore, Xiao Pan fully believes that Xiang Shaolong would not bear to harm him.

As a result, Xiang Shaolong is not anxious about Xiao Pan’s decision. Additionally, Xiao Pan cannot make enquiries about his plans, as it is tantamount to distrust.

As anticipated, Xiao Pan was briefly dazed before nodding his royal head in agreement: “As per Great General’s request!”

Suppressing his overwhelming exhilaration, Xiang Shaolong plainly swore: “The day of Crown Prince’s coronation shall be the day subordinate presents the head of Guan Zhongxie. If I fail in my duty, Crown Prince can punish me according to the military laws.”

An extremely complicated look flashed past the eyes of Xiao Pan.

Xiang Shaolong sighed to himself and took this opportunity to retreat.

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