Your Majesty, This Kid is a Bit Evil

"At this moment," Li Si's lips curled into a cold arc, "we shall secretly order a High General to lead a surprise force from Nanyang. It will bypass the Zhao army's defenses and, with the speed of lightning, strike directly into the heart of Han State! Han State is weak, and our Net has already infiltrated it. It can be taken in a single day! By the time Zhao State reacts, Han State will already be in our Great Qin's grasp!"

What a Li Si!

What a wicked scheme!

Upon hearing this, Wang Jian and Wei Liao couldn't help but gasp.

This plan would not only easily destroy Han State but also deplete Zhao State's national strength, leaving them exhausted and paving the way for future attacks on Zhao. It was killing two birds with one stone, incredibly insidious!

Ying Zheng's eyes also burst with approving light.

What he needed was a cunning strategist like Li Si, who could provide the most vicious and effective plans for his hegemonic ambitions!

"Excellent! We shall proceed with the Court Minister's plan!"

Ying Zheng made the final decision!

"Wang Jian, heed my command!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

"You shall lead the main force of two hundred thousand and encamp at Jingxing. Put on a show for me, as if you are about to fight Li Mu to the death! The grander the display, the better!"

"Your subordinate obeys!"

"Li Si!"

"Your subject is here!"

"You will be responsible for sending envoys to Yan to persuade the King of Yan. Furthermore, order the Net to provide full cooperation and create chaos within Han State!"

"Your subject obeys your decree!"

Ying Zheng's gaze swept across the hall, as if searching for the most suitable candidate to execute the thunderous strike.

The orders had been given, but the most crucial link, the general to execute this thunderous strike, had yet to be determined.

The hall fell into a brief silence.

"Your Majesty," Feng Quji, the Censor-in-chief standing beside Li Si, stepped forward and reported, "The surprise attack on Han State is of great importance. The commander must be experienced, steady, and prudent. I recommend Neishi Teng. He has long guarded Nanyang and is familiar with the terrain. If he leads the troops, it will be foolproof."

Neishi Teng was indeed a reliable choice.

However, Ying Zheng slowly shook his head.

Reliable also meant mediocre. He didn't want reliability; he wanted something earth-shattering! A lightning war so swift that all six states wouldn't have time to react!

He needed a younger, hungrier, more aggressive starving wolf.

His gaze fell upon the sand table, specifically on the area representing the Northern Frontier.

A name once again surfaced in his mind.

That young man who, less than a month after enlisting, dared to establish his authority with his fists in the New Recruit Camp, dared to defeat three thousand with a hundred, and dared to slay an enemy chieftain amidst a myriad of soldiers.

That interesting young man named Wei Zhe.

But... he was too young, and his qualifications were too shallow. Appointing him directly as the main commander would likely not win the support of the troops, and the resistance in the court would be too great.

Ying Zheng's eyes flickered, and a more suitable candidate appeared in his mind.

"Announce my decree," Ying Zheng's voice broke the silence, "Order the Prefect of Shang Commandery, Meng Tian, to immediately head south to Nanyang and assemble his troops. For this campaign against Han, Meng Tian shall be the commander, leading fifty thousand troops, to set forth on a chosen day!"

Meng Tian!

Upon hearing this name, Wang Jian and Wei Liao's eyes showed understanding.

Meng Tian was the grandson of the famous general Meng Ao and the son of Meng Wu. A tiger cub from a military family, he had already displayed extraordinary military talent at a young age. His combat style was fierce, and he was skilled at using cavalry for surprise attacks. He was indeed the most suitable candidate to carry out this swift assault mission.

Feng Quji opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but ultimately swallowed his words. The Meng family's loyalty and military achievements were impeccable.

Just as everyone thought the matter was settled, Ying Zheng made an unexpected move.

He took the bamboo slip detailing the battle report of the Hundred Beast Slope victory from Zhao Gao and casually handed it to Wang Jian beside him.

"High General, you should take a look at this as well."

Wang Jian was somewhat surprised but respectfully accepted it.

He unfolded the bamboo slip and scanned it quickly. With his status and experience, ordinary battle reports could no longer move him.

But soon, his expression changed on his usually impassive face.

From calm, to slight surprise, then to solemnity.

When he read, "With a force of one hundred, they set an ambush at Hundred Beast Slope and annihilated three thousand elite cavalry of the Xiongnu Royal Guard," his eyes, sharp as a falcon's, narrowed intensely.

When he read, "Slew their main general, 'Eagle of the Steppe' Vulture," the fingers holding the bamboo slip involuntarily tightened.

He looked up at Ying Zheng, his voice carrying a trace of undisguised astonishment.

"Your Majesty, this battle report... is it true?"

"Written by Meng Wu himself, rushed here by eight hundred li. Do you think it could be false?" Ying Zheng retorted.

Wang Jian fell silent.

It wasn't that he didn't believe it; it was that he couldn't believe it.

To break three thousand with a hundred, and annihilate them all!

He had spent his life on the battlefield, fighting countless difficult battles, and knew exactly what this meant. This was no longer a matter of tactics and courage; it must have involved an extreme grasp of the opportune moment, a precise calculation of human minds, and... a trace of almost supernatural luck.

"This child... is extraordinary." Wang Jian slowly uttered three words, the highest praise he could offer.

"More than extraordinary." Ying Zheng's tone carried a hint of amusement. "What interests me is not how many Xiongnu he killed, but what he has done since joining the camp."

"He defeated six veteran soldiers alone, beat the drillmaster on the training grounds, and used the most brutal fists to turn a group of unruly soldiers into sheep. Then, he used money and food to win over hearts, and established authority through military law and collective punishment. A combination of grace and might, flexibility and firmness..."

Ying Zheng walked to the sand table, his finger lightly tapping the cold bronze surface.

"Look at this, doesn't the world resemble a giant military camp? The old nobles of the six states are like those unruly veteran soldiers. I want to unify the world, and I need a sharp enough knife to cut away the rotten flesh that disobeys."

His gaze fixed intently on Wang Jian.

"This young man named Wei Zhe is a good knife. He possesses something that Neishi Teng lacks, and even Meng Tian doesn't fully have."

"That is 'the ability to change the situation'."

"He is like a stone thrown onto a chessboard, acting unconventionally, not following old rules, yet always causing the greatest ripples. I believe he has the potential to become a 'Ten Thousand Commander'."

Ten Thousand Commander!

These three words, spoken by Ying Zheng, carried immense weight!

Wang Jian was deeply shaken. He looked down at the name on the bamboo slip again, Wei Zhe.

"What is this child's background?" As the commander of the three armies, Wang Jian naturally paid close attention to promising generals.

Zhao Gao, who was standing by, immediately bowed and replied, "Reporting to the High General, before enlisting, this person's household registration was under Shangcai."

"Shangcai?"

Wang Jian's brow twitched slightly, and he subconsciously glanced at Li Si beside him.

"Isn't that... the Court Minister's fief?"

As soon as this was said, the atmosphere in the hall instantly became somewhat delicate.

Li Si's face, which always wore a smile of confident wisdom, stiffened for a moment. His deep eyes narrowed slightly, and a sharp glint flashed past.

But he quickly regained his composure, smiled, and cupped his hands towards Wang Jian.

"High General has a good memory. Shangcai is indeed my fief. However, I have been in Xianyang for a long time and truly have no impression of a mere blacksmith within my territory."

His tone was flawless, as if it were merely a coincidence.

Ying Zheng observed all of this but did not expose it.

He liked these uncontrollable variables.

"Issue my second secret decree!" Ying Zheng's voice rang out again, with an irresistible authority.

"Order Wei Zhe, acting Chieftain of the Northern Frontier's Tiger and Wolf Army, to lead his three thousand troops and set off immediately to rendezvous with Meng Tian's contingent. For this campaign against Han, the Tiger and Wolf Army will serve as the vanguard, not subject to Meng Tian's command, and may make decisions on the spot!"

"I want this sharp knife of his to be the first to pierce the heart of Han!"

This order shocked everyone present!

A newly formed company of a thousand men, with a commander who had been enlisted for less than two months, was granted such significant autonomy! This was unprecedented favor, and an unprecedented test, within the Great Qin army!

Wang Jian opened his mouth, wanting to advise against it, but seeing the unquestionable look in Ying Zheng's eyes, he ultimately chose silence.

The King is gambling.

Gambling that this young man named Wei Zhe would bring him a tremendous surprise.

"Your subordinates obey the decree!"

As the three important ministers accepted the order, the Great Qin's precise and terrifying war machine, after years of silence, finally let out a deafening roar, accompanied by Ying Zheng's will.

Half a month later.

Northern Frontier, Tiger and Wolf Army camp.

The meeting in the Xianyang Palace that decided the fate of the world felt as distant as another realm to the soldiers on the frontier.

But the scent of war had already arrived quietly, through another means.

Over the past half month, the training intensity of the Tiger and Wolf Army had not diminished; instead, it had entered a state of near madness. Only the content of the drills had changed drastically.