Ying Zheng: It's Time to Conquer the World!

Meanwhile, in Xianyang.

The capital of the Great Qin Empire, the heart of the world.

Unlike the desolation of the Northern Frontier, steeped in sand and iron, this was the pinnacle of power, the embodiment of order. Towering city walls stretched like mountain ranges, and wide, straight imperial roads teemed with carriages and horses. Palaces stretched in an unbroken line, with soaring eaves and bracket clusters, exuding an air of majesty and indifference that looked down upon all beings in the morning mist.

Xianyang Palace, Zhangtai Hall.

Inside the hall, a massive bronze sand table occupied the central position. Mountains, rivers, cities, and passes were condensed onto this small surface with a heart-stopping precision, depicting the entire map of the world.

A young man, clad in a dark dragon robe and wearing a twelve-string crown, stood with his hands behind his back before the sand table.

He was tall, his figure as upright as a sword, his face handsome and stern. His deep-set eyes seemed to contain the stars and the universe. He simply stood there, silent, yet the supreme pressure of ruling the world that emanated from him caused the very air in the grand hall to solidify.

He was the sole master of this land, the King of Qin, Ying Zheng.

His gaze slowly moved across the sand table. From the Qin lands in the west to the Qi and Lu regions in the east, from the Yan and Zhao in the north to the Chu and Yue in the south. His eyes were not merely looking at a map, but rather scrutinizing a game of chess that he was about to bring into his possession.

This game of chess, he had been playing for too long.

Since Shang Yang's Reforms, through six generations of rulers, the Great Qin, a sword honed for over a hundred years, had already revealed its sharp edge, waiting only to be unsheathed.

Now, the time had come.

"Your Majesty."

A shrill voice came from outside the hall.

Zhao Gao, the Director of the Chariot Office, tiptoed in silently. He kept his head bowed and his body hunched, holding a bamboo scroll high above his head.

"A urgent report from the High General of the Northern Frontier, Meng Wu."

Ying Zheng did not turn around, his gaze still fixed on the sand table, and merely uttered a single word indifferently.

"Read."

"Yes."

Zhao Gao unrolled the bamboo scroll, cleared his throat, and began to read in a tone devoid of any emotion: "Your subject Meng Wu reports: The Xiongnu Right Wise King's tribe has invaded our borders. In the battle at Eagle Beak Cliff, our army achieved a great victory. Among them, the Tiger and Wolf Army's Chieftain Wei Zhe, with a force of one hundred men, set an ambush at Hundred Beast Slope and annihilated the Xiongnu Royal Guard's three thousand elite cavalry, personally slaying their commander, the 'Eagle of the Steppe,' Vulture..."

At this point, even Zhao Gao's voice involuntarily carried a hint of surprise.

Ying Zheng's eyebrows finally rose slightly.

One hundred men defeating three thousand? And annihilating them?

This achievement was indeed astonishing.

Zhao Gao continued reading: "...Before this battle, Wei Zhe had just entered the New Recruit Camp. Due to provocation by the veteran soldiers, he single-handedly defeated six battle-hardened veterans in their tent. Later, at the training grounds, he publicly defeated the Chief Instructor Shi Meng, establishing his authority throughout the entire camp..."

Hearing this, the corners of Ying Zheng's mouth finally curved into an extremely faint, almost imperceptible arc.

"Interesting."

He finally spoke, his voice deep and magnetic.

What interested him was not the glorious feat of one hundred men defeating three thousand, but the earlier part: how a new recruit used the most direct and brutal fists to subdue a group of unruly veteran ruffians.

This world was like a huge military camp. The old nobles of the Six States were the undisciplined veteran ruffians. Trying to make them obey by reasoning alone was useless.

One had to use fists, fists harder than theirs, to make them fear, to make them submit, to make them kneel on the ground, never daring to resist again.

This young man named Wei Zhe understood this principle very well.

"This fellow is a talent," Ying Zheng commented indifferently, then asked, "How long has he been enlisted?"

Zhao Gao quickly replied: "Reporting to Your Majesty, according to the report, it has been less than a month from his enlistment to the battle at Hundred Beast Slope."

Less than a month.

From a young man in a blacksmith's shop to a renowned general in the Northern Frontier who slew an enemy chieftain.

A flicker of genuine admiration flashed in Ying Zheng's eyes.

He liked such people. Like a sharp sword just unsheathed, keen, direct, unaware of the twists and turns of court politics, only knowing how to achieve goals in the most effective way.

"Wei Zhe..." he murmured the name, remembering it.

"Issue an order," Ying Zheng turned around, his gaze sweeping over Zhao Gao, "Summon High General Wang Jian, Court Minister Li Si, and Wei Liao to the palace for a discussion."

"Yes."

Zhao Gao bowed and withdrew.

Soon, three high officials, dressed in different official robes but all possessing extraordinary bearing, entered the hall.

Leading them was High General Wang Jian. He was over fifty, his hair and beard white, but his figure was still as upright as a pine tree. His eyes, as they opened and closed, emitted sharp light, filled with the steadiness and keenness of a seasoned warrior.

Following closely behind was Court Minister Li Si. He wore a black legalist robe, his face thin, his eyes deep, exuding the strictness and confident wisdom characteristic of the Legalist school.

The last person was Wei Liao. He was a commoner strategist, lean in build and ordinary in appearance, but his position among the Three Dukes, standing shoulder to shoulder with Wang Jian and Li Si, indicated that his knowledge of military strategy was unfathomable.

"Your subjects greet Your Majesty!" the three bowed in unison.

"My three esteemed ministers, you are dismissed."

Ying Zheng's gaze swept across the faces of the three, then returned to the massive sand table.

"Are the provisions ready?" he asked, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable authority.

Li Si stepped forward, bowed, and replied, "Your Majesty, since last year, the grain from Bashu and Guanzhong has been fully transported to Nanyang, Sanchuan, and other areas. The grain supplies are piled up like mountains, enough for our Great Qin's 500,000-strong army to campaign for over three years!"

"Military provisions, how are they?"

"The national treasury is full, with countless gold and iron, ready for use at any time."

"Weapons, armor, bows, and chariots?"

Wei Liao stepped forward and said gravely, "Your Majesty, within the armory, we have newly forged a million glaives, five hundred thousand powerful crossbows, and three hundred thousand sets of various armor. A thousand chariots and a hundred thousand warhorses have all been prepared, awaiting Your Majesty's command!"

"Troops, how many?" Ying Zheng asked finally.

High General Wang Jian finally spoke, his voice like a drawn sword, filled with the clang of metal, "Your Majesty! Our Great Qin's armored soldiers now exceed a million! Among them, over six hundred thousand elite troops can be mobilized at any time for the conquest of the Six States! Our military might is at its peak, and morale is soaring!"

Listening to his ministers' replies, the ambition that had been suppressed in Ying Zheng's chest for many years felt like an erupting volcano, impossible to contain any longer!

"Since Duke Xiao, our Great Qin has endured the legacy of six generations, wielding great strategies to rule the realm."

His voice echoed through the great hall, filled with historical weight and the passion of an era about to be forged.

"Now, the Six States of Shandong are weak and exhausted. Han is the most feeble; Zhao, after Changping, lost its elite troops, and even with Li Mu, it cannot stand alone; Wei, situated in a strategically difficult location, is already struggling to care for itself; Chu, though vast and rich, is plagued by internal strife and disunity between ruler and minister; Yan, secluded in a corner, is the weakest; Qi, content on the shores of the Eastern Sea, has neglected its defenses and is already like a dried-up husk!"

"The momentum of the world has already fallen to our Great Qin!"

He suddenly raised his head, his deep eyes erupting with a terrifying divine light, as if intending to devour the entire world!

"My esteemed ministers!" he shouted loudly, "I believe the time has come to sweep away the six directions, to unify the world, and to achieve this feat in a single campaign!"

"Boom!"

This statement struck the hearts of Wang Jian, Li Si, and Wei Liao like a thunderclap!

They had waited for this moment for far too long!

The three men exchanged glances, seeing the fervor and excitement in each other's eyes. They stepped forward in unison, knelt on one knee, their voices shaking the heavens and earth.

"Your subjects are willing to die for Your Majesty! To assist Your Majesty in sweeping away the Six States and unifying the world!"

"Good!"

Ying Zheng laughed to the heavens, his laughter filled with the dominance of someone looking down upon the world!

He suddenly drew the Son of Heaven's Sword from his waist. The ancient bronze sword, passed down for hundreds of years, glinted with a chilling cold light under the hall's lamps.

"Clang--!"

The sword's tip pointed directly at the sand table, landing on the position representing the capital of Han, "Xinzheng"!

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step! The unification of the world begins with the weakest, Han!"

His voice was decisive!

"High General Wang Jian!"

"Your subordinate is here!" Wang Jian looked up sharply, his eyes filled with fighting spirit.

"I order you to gather all the troops from Guanzhong and conquer Han! Are you willing to go?"

"Your subordinate requests this mission!" Wang Jian said without hesitation, cupping his fist heavily, "I only need one hundred thousand elite soldiers, and I guarantee that within three months, I will present the head of the King of Han before Your Majesty!"

Just then, Li Si, who had been silent, suddenly spoke.

"Your Majesty, I believe directly attacking Han is not the best strategy."

Ying Zheng's gaze turned to him, "Oh? What high opinion does the Court Minister have?"

Li Si stood up, walked to the sand table, pointed to the state of Zhao north of Han, and said gravely, "Your Majesty, although Han is weak, it borders our Great Qin, Zhao, and Wei. If our army attacks Han, Zhao and Wei will surely not stand idly by. Especially Zhao, with Li Mu still alive, its border troops retain their fighting strength. If they send troops to rescue, our army will be trapped in a two-front war, prolonging the conflict, which is unfavorable to us."

"Then, according to your view, what should be done?"

A foxy glint flashed in Li Si's eyes.

"I have a plan, called 'Borrow the Path to Conquer Guo,' but in reality, it is 'Openly Repair the Plank Road, but Secretly Advance via Chencang.'"

He pointed to the state of Yan to the north, "We can first send an envoy to Yan, stating our willingness to help Yan attack Zhao, to avenge the past. Then, we can order High General Wang Jian to station troops in the Jingxing area, bordering our Great Qin and Zhao, to create the appearance of a large-scale attack on Zhao."

"Zhao and Yan are sworn enemies, and they view our Great Qin as a grave threat. With our army pressing down on their borders, the King of Zhao and Li Mu will focus all their attention on the northern front to guard against our forces. At that time, the entire southern front of Zhao will inevitably be empty."

If you find this book good, remember to add it to your bookshelf to avoid losing it next time.