"The foundation of noble families? Too bad this time you face a completely different situation."
Through Tian Yan, Daniel Davis had a clear understanding of the situation in Shouchun and the attitudes of its aristocratic families. In this era, where ministers could serve Chu one day and Wei the next, switching allegiances was nothing unusual. After all, as the saying goes, "A wise bird chooses the right tree to nest in."
With Qin's dominance growing, many noble families across the state openly sided with Ying Zheng. For them, Qin's unification of the world presented an excellent opportunity—a chance to be enfeoffed with lands and titles.
Most people, except for a staunch minority, firmly believed that Qin would adopt a feudal system similar to the Zhou Dynasty. Once unification was achieved, they expected a grand allocation of territories.
"This is Lian Yi, then."
Since he was in Chu, Daniel naturally couldn't miss the chance to meet the famous Lian Yi. Her beauty rivaled that of Snow Maiden and Nongyu, but her grace and bearing surpassed them both—understandable, as she was the daughter of Lord Changping.
"If you're interested, I can arrange for her to be sent to Xianyang," Tian Yan, disguised and accompanying Daniel, offered after noticing his appreciative gaze.
In this era, gifting or rewarding women was a common practice, especially for someone like Lian Yi. As the daughter of a prominent figure, her family shattered, and her circumstances tragic, her fate was uncertain.
One only needed to look at the fates of the princesses and families of ministers from the four conquered states to understand. Most were gifted to meritorious officials as rewards.
In this regard, Princess Honglian, who disguised herself as Chi Lian and followed Wei Zhuang, had a relatively fortunate ending, especially when compared to her sisters.
"That won't be necessary. As Lord Changping's daughter, she has little control over her fate in this era. Once everything is over, if she wishes to leave, let her go." Although Tian Yan's suggestion tempted Daniel momentarily, he ultimately declined. Women of this era, no matter how talented—be it Yin-Yang Clan's Dongjun Feiyan, Tian Yan, or others—rarely controlled their own destinies.
Lian Yi's noble status was unquestionable, but Tian Yan's background was not much inferior. Tian Yan's mother was one of Luo Network's top assassins, but her father was none other than the esteemed Lord Xinling, Wei Wuji, the leader of the Four Lords of the Warring States and Qin's greatest adversary.
Years ago, the combined efforts of the Guigu masters thwarted Qin's plans to infiltrate Wei with the elite Wei Wu soldiers.
Tian Yan was not only Lord Xinling's daughter but also a junior disciple of Yan Lu.
As Qin's army occupied nearly half of Chu's territory, resistance from Chu dwindled. Apart from a few loyalists, most people surrendered at the first sight of Qin's forces. Under Wang Jian's leadership, Qin's army soon reached Shouchun, Chu's capital.
Realizing the tide had turned, Lord Changping stood alone on the city wall, staring down at Wang Jian's tens of thousands of troops.
In the late stages of the war, Chu's resistance was lackluster. On one hand, the hopelessness of the situation dissuaded many from fighting. On the other, Lord Changping had ordered the preservation of surviving forces for the future Azure Dragon Plan.
"Mi Qi! The king has always treated you well, yet you harbored sinister intentions and plotted to assassinate him. What do you have to say for yourself now?" Wang Jian called out loudly from a distance. Despite the distance between them, his voice, amplified by his internal energy, carried clearly.
"Ha! Sinister intentions? What a joke. This is simply a case of the victor writing the history books. Does Ying Zheng truly believe he's won?" Lord Changping suddenly burst into manic laughter.
His laughter echoed across Shouchun, revealing his formidable strength—comparable to Wang Jian's, at the very least.
With his capabilities and preparations, Lord Changping certainly had opportunities to escape. However, his pride would not allow it. Until recently, he had believed himself superior to Ying Zheng. In his mind, if he had occupied Ying Zheng's position, he would have easily outmaneuvered Lü Buwei and Lao Ai. All he lacked was the chance to prove himself.
Unfortunately, while the opportunity came, the result was a devastating defeat. For someone as proud as Lord Changping, living as a fugitive was unthinkable. He would rather die gloriously than live as a hunted man.
Moreover, Qin would never stop pursuing him if he survived. The hunt would be relentless, akin to Luo Network's unyielding pursuit of Nameless and Yan Lu years earlier. Nameless might have endured such a life, but Yan Lu, the last bloodline of the Zhou Dynasty, could not. Nameless sacrificed himself to spare Yan Lu that fate, and to give Tian Yan's mother and Yan Lu time to escape.
Similarly, Lord Changping's choice to seek death was not only driven by pride but also by his desire to ensure the success of the Azure Dragon Plan. As long as he lived, Ying Zheng would never cease his pursuit, risking exposure of the plan. Only in death could the plan be buried.
"Ying Zheng, the real contest begins now. Though Chu is reduced to three households, it will still bring down Qin," Lord Changping murmured, walking toward the edge of the city wall.
He intended to jump and end his life, choosing death over capture and humiliation.
Ying Zheng's fury toward Lord Changping surpassed even his hatred for Lü Buwei and Lao Ai. If captured alive, Lord Changping would undoubtedly face severe retribution.
"Chu bringing down Qin? A fine sentiment, but sadly, it won't come to pass," a familiar voice suddenly interrupted, freezing Lord Changping mid-step. He turned toward the source, his expression darkening.
"It's you."
"That's right, it's me. Long time no see, Lord Changping." The figure, of course, was Daniel Davis. He couldn't let Lord Changping die so easily. If he was going to die, he needed to die without peace of mind.
"Don't be so hasty. Don't you want to know why your grand plan will never succeed?" Daniel asked with a smile, seeing Lord Changping draw his sword in preparation to attack. The sight of the potent energy emanating from the blade made Daniel shake his head lightly.
True to the saying, "Chaotic times produce heroes," figures like Ying Zheng, Han Fei, Lord Changping, and Yan Dan were not only political and intellectual giants but also exceptional martial artists. In their perilous era, survival demanded such skills.
In contrast, the likes of Fusu and Hu Hai, though trained in martial arts, were far weaker. Fusu, in particular, had been dulled by his Confucian studies.
Among Confucians, outsiders often categorized them into literary and martial factions. Fusu belonged to the former. However, this distinction was largely misleading. Figures like Xunzi possessed profound internal energy, rivaling even the likes of Northern Darkness, Guiguzi, and Donghuang Taiyi.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Lord Changping said coldly. Ignoring Daniel's words, he lunged forward, his sword surging with immense energy.
"Azure Dragon Plan."
Daniel flicked his finger, sending a sharp blast of energy toward the sword's tip. A crisp sound rang out, forcing Lord Changping to stagger back several steps, his expression darkening.
"Who are you?" The mention of the Azure Dragon Plan caused Lord Changping's face to pale. Only a select few, whom he trusted implicitly, knew of the plan. How did this Qin National Adviser know about it?
"Do you know why His Majesty suddenly lost trust in you? It's because I told him of your treachery. Your original plan was to exploit your position during Qin's attack on Chu, ambushing Qin's forces to inflict massive losses. With Qin weakened, Chu could strike decisively. Even if the plan failed, the worst-case scenario would see Chu and Qin dividing the world. A brilliant strategy, truly."
Daniel clapped lightly, acknowledging the cleverness of Lord Changping's strategy, which bore some resemblance to Zhuge Liang's Three Kingdoms plan.
"Your chosen general for attacking Qin must have been Li Xin, right? A valiant warrior but lacking strategic insight. Easy for you to manipulate. Replacing him with the likes of Meng Tian or Wang Jian would make your plan much harder to execute."
Lord Changping's carefully laid plan, laid bare, left him dumbfounded. His finger trembled as he pointed at Daniel. "Who are you?"
"No need to rush. Let's talk about the Azure Dragon Plan. You intended to use the Mo Sect's Mechanized Azure Dragon to assassinate His Majesty. Am I right? Too bad that won't happen. I've already located the Mechanized Azure Dragon and will soon claim it. Your grand weapon will serve as Qin's guardian beast. Isn't that poetic?"
"Die!"
Enraged, Lord Changping attacked again, but Daniel easily disarmed him with a flick, sending the proud noble tumbling to the ground.
"Sky Inquirer... you are unworthy of this sword," Daniel said, holding the legendary weapon. In a blur, its matching scabbard appeared in his other hand.
"Y-you..." Lord Changping gasped, clutching his face. Blood spilled from his mouth, his internal injuries worsening.
"Don't rush to die. His Majesty is waiting for you in Xianyang." Daniel smirked, swiftly sealing Lord Chang
ping's acupoints. His orders from Ying Zheng were clear: capture Lord Changping alive.
That night, as Qin troops occupied Shouchun, unrest broke out across the city. Armed insurgents, including members of the Iron-Blood Alliance, launched a surprise attack on the camp holding Lord Changping.
Farmers, Mo Sect members, and other factions joined the fray. But Wang Jian had anticipated the assault, and his forces swiftly encircled the insurgents. With the help of Yin-Yang Clan experts, the battle turned in Qin's favor.
"Dao Sect's Xiaoyaozi dares to interfere? Foolish," Daniel muttered, spotting disciples of the Dao Sect among the attackers. Though Xiaoyaozi himself was absent, Daniel resolved to deal with him if they crossed paths again.
"The Iron-Blood Alliance is formidable. Perhaps they disbanded after Lord Changping's death in the original timeline," Daniel mused, revising his earlier assumptions about the group's fate. Through Tian Yan, he gained deeper insight into their operations.
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