A step into the past - 寻秦记 - by Huang Yi

[SkyWalker]

Thanks Justin. But why did you stop there? There was so much action and u left us hanging at the best possible part!!!! We want more (j/k)!!!

[Justin13]

Ha Ha. The chapter happened to end there... It was not an intentional cliff hanger and don't anyone tempt me into following Jean's footsteps!

[wandering]

wow..i saw justin posted..and i thought he posted the follow up
lol

i'm so addicted....

thanx a lot justin

[sunn]

wow..i saw justin posted..and i thought he posted the follow up
lol

Exactly ... that is what I had in mind too !!!

THx Justin!!

[dhany]

Exactly ... that is what I had in mind too !!!

THx Justin!!

It means one whole chapter or more for this duel, isn't?

[Justin13]

Oh my... I am stressed by all your high expectations. Luckily, I think I managed to perform once again. Here is another chapter and the answer that everyone has been looking for...

Chapter 08 – The mighty Jing Jun

On the grandstand, Lu Buwei and Tian Dan have unnatural expressions on their faces as they did not expect Xiang Shaolong to enjoy such high standing among the people of Qin. In addition, Lu Buwei can clearly feel the racism of the Qin people against him and his family warriors. He felt a tinge of regret for trying to eliminate Xiang Shaolong. If they had been on good terms, the people of Qin may eventually accept him and he need not use Lao Ai to manipulate the Empress. He suppressed this thought from his mind. After all, Xiang Shaolong has only two more days to live and it is a fact that cannot be changed.

Xiao Pan saw that Xiang Shaolong enjoys a favourable reputation among the military forces and the younger generation of Qin and was delighted for him. At the same time, it indirectly lowers Lu Buwei’s standing. However, he was concerned about his leg injury and that he will disappoint the crowd by being unable to battle. While everyone is shouting his name incessantly, a figure somersaulted from within the ranks of the female warriors. This person cart wheeled continuously over ten rounds quickly and his face is a blur. No one can identify him but everyone was flabbergasted at his agility.

After a final mid air somersault, the person landed in front of the grandstand, kneeled down and pleaded: “Assistant Cavalry Commander Jing Jun asks to fight on behalf of my Commander. Will the Crown Prince please give your approval?”

Xiao Pan was overjoyed: “I approve Assistant Commander Jing’s request.”

Everyone saw that he was highly-skilled and volunteered himself first. Moreover, he is Xiang Shaolong’s assistant commander and rewarded him with thunderous applause. Everyone anticipates a good fight between him and Zhou Zihen.

Jing Jun did not stand up yet. He loudly declared: “If I happened to win, all the glory of the victory belongs to Miss Dan’er.”

Xiao Pan was stunned and exchanged a glance with an equally shocked Lu Gong. He laughed: “Fine! I approve.”

The people of Qin are open-minded. Witnessing the public love declaration of Jing Jun, everyone’s spirits rose greatly and cheered even louder. Their cheering sounds resonated throughout the plains.

The female warriors are laughing uncontrollably. Ying Ying and the other ladies forcefully pushed an embarrassed but thrilled Lu Dan’er to the front of the crowd so that she will not miss any part of the action.

Zhou Zihen still maintained his cool expression. He slowly glanced up at Lu Buwei who nodded slightly, indicating that he wants him to deal a heavy blow to Jing Jun and tarnish his reputation. He smiled to acknowledge this silent command. His eyes were shining like electricity as he shifted his gaze to Jing Jun who is putting on his armour and receiving his wooden sword.

Unexpectedly, Jing Jun made a monkey face, stared straight back at him and joked: “So Brother Zhou needs to seek Premier Lu’s consent for every little thing.”

Zhou Zihen was taken aback as he did not anticipate Jing Jun to see through their communication method. He plainly replied: “Assistant Commander Jing must be joking!”

Lord Changwen is personally helping Jing Jun to put on his armour. Overhearing their conversation, he lightly patted Jing Jun and advised: “Be careful!” He led his men to the side of the duelling ground and left the two men standing there facing each other.

The crowd became silent as everyone watched with abated breaths, wondering how Jing Jun can counter Zhou Zihen’s unorthodox fighting methods.

There may be ten thousand pairs of eyes staring at him and it will be a crucial fight but Jing Jun maintained his aloof expression and stared lazily at his opponent. His sword is still resting on his shoulder and he seems to disregard Zhou Zihen.

While everyone is anxious for him, the most anxious person is not Xiang Shaolong, Teng Yi or any of the ladies. It is Lu Dan’er. She may be annoyed at him but now, her reputation is tied to the outcome of this battle. If Jing Jun loses, she will lose face too. Her palms became sweaty and she almost cannot continue watching the fight.

Out of the blue, both men began to move.

Originally, it was Zhou Zihen who moved first. But like it has been prearranged, the moment he made his move, Jing Jun’s sword has left his shoulder and is now halfway through the air.

Zhou Zihen withdrew his sword and kicked out at the same time. Jing Jun somersaulted to the back and avoided his blow effortlessly.

Zhou Zihen was taken aback at this peculiar move. He is an experienced fighter and he knew that Jing Jun’s strength lies in his agility. He dared not be complacent and instantly changed his battle tactics. He quickly rolled forward to where Jing Jun is about to land. When Jing Jun is landing, he will deal a heavy blow and break his legs.

The ever-changing fighting techniques have captivated everyone.

On the slope, Teng Yi smiled to Xiang Shaolong: “If Zhou Zihen is a few years younger, Jing Jun will be in trouble.”

Xiang Shaolong nodded his head slightly and focused hard on their fight without replying.

Jing Jun flipped twice in the air and actually has his hand embracing his legs against his chest. At the same time, his sword swished down at Zhou Zihen below him with lightning speed.

Zhou Zihen used his waist to prop himself up and flipped to the side. Using his backhand, he struck out with his short sword at chest area to hit Jing Jun’s long sword.

Every one of their attacks was beyond comprehension and everyone was watching intently without any sounds.

Jing Jun knew that he is trying to deal a heavy blow to his long sword and use this opening to further attack him. He let out a shrill cry and his leg kicked out towards Zhou Zihen’s face forcefully.

Zhou Zihen is blown away by his agility and could not be bothered to attack his long sword anymore. He shifted his sword to attack his leg. At the same time, he took a step backwards to avoid the incoming kick.

Amazingly, Jing Jun has enough momentum to retract his kick and Zhou Zihen’s sword hit empty air.

Everyone roared out in loud cheers and praises.

As Jing Jun landed, he rolled into a ball. Keeping the momentum, he rolled towards Zhou Zihen.

Zhou Zihen did not panic and roared. He adopted the horse stance and his sword exploded into a flurry of stances. Under the illumination of the torches, he maintains his steely expression and is truly an expert swordsman.

After all, he needs true talent to outshine the other eight thousand family warriors of Lu Buwei.

As impossible as it seems, Jing Jun leapt up from the ground and struck down at Zhou Zihen with his full body weight.

Ta! The wooden swords clashed.

Even with his solid horse stance, Zhou Zihen cannot withstand Jing Jun’s heavy blow and staggered backwards.

Everyone forgot their inhibitions and shake their fists in the air, cheering loudly for him. The loudest cheers come from Lu Dan’er and the female warriors followed by the soldiers from the Cavalry Army. Lu Buwei and his men’s cheering were drowned by their voices.

Jing Jun fought ferociously. The moment he landed, he flipped forward with his long sword trailing and he followed up with another blow at Zhou Zihen.

Zhou Zihen is forced to defend himself and kept retreating. He cannot keep up with Jing Jun’s flexible attacks that sometimes come from the air and sometimes when he was rolling on the ground. He has finally met his nemesis.

Under Jing Jun all out combo attacks, Zhou Zihen was panting as he tried to defend himself without the slightest chance to counter attack. Like a flower that has withered, he cannot salvage the situation.

Ta! Ta! Ta! Jing Jun made use of the advantage of his sword length to deliver three continuous blows to Zhou Zihen’s short sword, causing him pain and numbness in his hands.

Everyone is siding Jing Jun in their cheers, causing Zhou Zihen to be mad and disappointed.

After another ten successive clashes, Zhou Zihen finally lost his grip on his sword and his sword flew out of his hands after receiving another heavy blow. As he groaned to himself, Jing Jun sidestepped to his back and delivered a back kick to his back.

Jing Jun’s kick carried so much strength that Zhou Zihen can never block given his disadvantageous situation. Before he realised what happened, he has fallen flat on his face.

Lu Dan’er joyfully ran from the sidelines to Jing Jun’s arms and they paid their respects to the boisterous crowd. No one is bothered with the defeated warrior leaving the duelling ground.

After a short discussion, Xu Xian happily asked: “Is Assistant Commander Jing ready for another challenger?”

Jing Jun respectfully answered: “I only fight on behalf of my Commander. I wish to end here while I am still the winner and have no desire to be kicked out by someone else!”

Everyone burst out laughing but no one blamed him for not accepting new challengers. Xu Xian smiled: “Assistant Commander Jing has done well. Have a good rest!”

Jing Jun paid his respects to the grandstand occupants and went back to the female warriors group with Lu Dan’er.

On the slope, Xiang Shaolong and Teng Yi exchanged a smile. With Jing Jun’s success, he will win the heart of Lu Dan’er sooner or later.

Teng Yi state in a deep voice: “It seems like Guan Zhongxie will not fight tonight. As long as he did not defeat you or Jing Jun, he is still not the best swordsman in the eyes of the people of Qin.”

Xiang Shaolong nodded in agreement. He was interrupted by Wu Shu who came up behind them with a flustered look on his face. He anxiously reported: “The people of Qi have packed their luggage and are ready to go home.”

Xiang Shaolong and Teng Yi were stunned. They looked at the grandstand and noticed that Lu Buwei and Tian Dan have indeed disappeared.

All of a sudden, they realised that they have been tricked by Mo Ao and Tian Dan.

Tian Dan’s decision to leave Xianyang City tonight is exploiting Xiang Shaolong’s greatest weakness.

Lu Buwei must have anticipated that he will chase after Tian Dan. This will ensure that the Wu Family Elite warriors leave Xianyang City together with him and when he dies of poisoning on the trip, Lu Buwei will not be implicated. After his death, he can even accuse him of neglecting his duties and take over the Wu Family assets. Lu Buwei the heartless man will stand to benefit with this course of events.

Ji Yanran and the other ladies will have to submit to him. What a devious plot!

Without Xiang Shaolong here to counter him, he will have lesser obstacles in pursuing his ambitions. When Guan Zhongxie is reinstated, he can promote him to be the Imperial Cavalry Commander as well. Everyone in Xianyang City will have to dance to his tune by then.

But how can he simply watch Tian Dan escape? Ever since Tian Dan tried to assassinate him, he has been keeping a low profile. He must be secretly planning this escape route. Thus, he must have been conspiring with Lu Buwei all along.

During his assassination, Lu Buwei swore that he did not have time to inform Tian Dan. It is all bu115hit. In fact, he was the one who told Tian Dan to assassinate him.

This is called ‘inflicting injury on oneself to trick the enemy’. When everyone thinks that it is Lu Buwei’s enemy trying to kill him to get Lu Buwei into trouble, it was actually Lu Buwei who masterminded his assassination.

He has been too careless and was tricked by Lu Buwei. He even suspected Wang Wan or Cai Ze to be in cahoots with Tian Dan, which resulted in his oversight.

Teng Yi solemnly suggested: “Let me go after him! You must stay here to deal with Lu Buwei.”

Xiang Shaolong shook his head: “Lu Buwei may not be able to send his own men to escort Tian Dan but Tian Dan has an army of four thousand men which matches the strength of our own army. After taking Lord Gaoling’s rebellion into consideration, I can only give you two thousand warriors. This makes both situations unfavourable for us. Don’t forget that Lu Buwei has eight thousand family warriors. Who knows what tricks are up their sleeves?”

Teng Yi kept quiet.

Xiang Shaolong whispered: “But there is still hope in this matter. I must persuade Prince Dan first. As long as he can try to delay Tian Dan’s journey, we can catch up to him. After all, An Gu has promised to make the Chu and Qi army retreat by ten miles away from the border.”

There are no more challengers going up the duelling grounds so amidst all the fanfare, Xu Xian announced the end of tonight’s performances.

In the main tent of Yan, Prince Dan listened to Xiang Shaolong’s explanation and hesitated: “It is inappropriate for us to act alone on this matter. In anything goes wrong, Qi and Chu will come after us. With the three allied states not providing any assistance, our state of Yan will be in peril!”

Xiang Shaolong plainly state: “Tian Dan’s existence is the real danger to the state of Yan. I am not asking your men to fight Tian Dan openly but to create opportunities to disrupt his travelling once he leaves the Qin borders. As long as you can delay him for a few days, we will catch up to him.”

Pausing, he strengthened his tone: “I will send my men to liaise with your general Xu Yi Luan. At the time, the people of Wei and the Pass Commander General An Gu will also lend us a helping hand.”

Listening in on the side, military advisor You Zhi advised: “This can be done. As long as we lay traps and conduct night raids, Tian Dan cannot tell whether his attackers are from Commander Xiang’s forces or not. Even if Tian Dan manages to escape with his life, he will not be able to pin the blame on us.”

Great General Xu Yi Ze came in from outside and bellowed: “No one is stalking Commander Xiang.”

Prince Dan was relieved and decided: “Fine! We will do our best to delay the meeting between Tian Dan and the two armies of Qi and Chu. If we do not see Commander Xiang by the time they meet up, we shall have to let that traitor live for a few more years.”

Xiang Shaolong profusely gave his thanks. He secretly thought that everyone has their own secret weapons. Even with Mo Ao’s brilliance, he can never expect Xu Yi Luan’s wandering army to come into the picture. After two days, his brilliant mind with cease to exist.

After he left Prince Dan’s tent, he glanced around him and saw that there are still burning torches everywhere. The young men and women of Qin are gathered in groups, singing, dancing and drinking to their heart’s content. It was a joyous time and no one wanted to go back to sleep.

On his way back to his tent, he was distracted by happy cheering of some young ladies. He looked in the direction of the sounds and saw a large purple flag about a hundred yards away from him and was reminded about Ying Ying’s appointment.

Will Ying Ying be waiting for him in the tent with the purple flower? There are still two hours until daybreak and she must be having a good time with Lu Dan’er and her female warriors.

After learning about Tian Dan’s departure, he was disillusioned and wanted to discuss with Teng Yi who they should send to liaise with Xu Yi Luan to attack Tian Dan.

Somehow, he felt like paying a quick visit to Ying Ying’s tent!

Thinking about this, he made use of the shadows of the tents and slipped towards Ying Ying’s tent. He hoped to speak to her privately. Otherwise, if he gets intertwined by the female warriors, he will be stuck there for hours.

As most of the people are gathered around the assembly grounds, the tents were not well-illuminated. Without much difficulty, Xiang Shaolong managed to find his way around the tents without anyone detecting his presence

On an open area, he saw ten odd campfires. Enjoying themselves around the campfire were Lu Dan’er and over a hundred female warriors. They were accompanied by over two hundred young men and they are having a good time singing, clapping, dancing and flirting. Ying Ying was surprisingly absent.

Xiang Shaolong sighed, thinking that he may want to skip the appointment. As he stepped backwards, he saw a light coming from a tent behind him and there were some sounds coming from it.

Xiang Shaolong took a closer look and discovered that there was a large purple flower sewn on the tent door which looked exactly like the one on the flag.

Pleased, Xiang Shaolong walked over and was about to call her name. He changed his mind and since he wanted to win her heart, he will sneak into her tent and give her a surprise. She is an open-minded girl who is used to surprising others so she should not mind. He can then make love to her and win her affections without waiting till daybreak.

Aroused, he stepped into the tent.

A large figure which was prone on the floor leapt up swiftly and viciously howled: “Who is it?”

As Xiang Shaolong faced this person, both of them were equally shocked. Under the illumination of the lamp, it was a naked Guan Zhongxie.

Guan Zhongxie saw that it was him and a murderous look flashed across his eyes. He moved to one side and began to put on his clothes.

Xiang Shaolong looked down and saw horrified Ying Ying sitting up under the cover of a blanket. Her face was deathly while and she stared at him with a lost expression. Beyond the blanket, her jade white legs can be seen.

In his wildest dreams, Xiang Shaolong did not expect that they will be making out in the tent. He bitterly laughed: “My apologies!” and left the tent.

After he took several steps, Guan Zhongxie chased up to him and apologised: “Official Xiang. I am sorry. She said she is meeting you at daybreak and did not expect you to come so early.”

Xiang Shaolong is certain that he purposely seduced Ying Ying to sow discord between them and hated Ying Ying for being unable to resist him. He accepted his defeat and forced a smile: “It is my fault for spoiling Official Guan’s happy moment and even gave you a fright.”

Guan Zhongxie was astounded: “Hasn’t Official Xiang seen Premier Lu? Earlier, he sent someone to look for you.”

Xiang Shaolong casually responded: “I am walking everywhere aimlessly and I am afraid his men have not been able to locate me yet.”

Walking besides him, Guan Zhongxie whispered: “The ladies of Qin are very open minded even before marriage. I hope Official Xiang does not take it to heart!”

Xiang Shaolong thought that with these words, Guan Zhongxie is ridiculing Xiang Shaolong should he ever have the courage to wed Ying Ying. He pretended to be unaffected and laughed: “Official Guan must be joking.” Pleased, Guan Zhongxie recommended: “Let’s visit Premier Lu together!”

Xiang Shaolong is at a loss.

All along, he has been at the losing end because unlike his enemies, he did not resort to unscrupulous methods to achieve his goals.

He is a man of principles and values relationships. If he carries on like this, even with Mo Ao dead, he may still die in the hands of Guan Zhongxie.

It is time to change strategies.

[dhany]

Don't be burdened with all of our comments. Think of it as encouragement. Translate at your own pace. As long as you translate this novel, it's more than enough. hehe


Cheers.

[kohchun]

Personally, I don't think he'll be adding anyone else (other than Qin Qing) to his harem. At the current rate, it'll take hiim 5 days to get through his wives... and that's assuming he can keep this up for the next 30 or so years.

[sunn]

Xiang Shaolong thought that with these words, Guan Zhongxie is ridiculing Xiang Shaolong should he ever have the courage to wed Ying Ying. He pretended to be unaffected and laughed: “Official Guan must be joking.” Pleased, Guan Zhongxie recommended: “Let’s visit Premier Lu together!”

Somehow ... I don't like it when Xiang Shaolong and Lu Buwei had a meeting of some sort. Must be all the political talks between them that confuses me

[yongbifan]

aah well it happened, sigh spoiled the mood


anyways awesome work as always justin

[SkyWalker]

Thanks for the update Justin.

Jing Jun is awesome! I'm looking forward to a XSL & Guan Zhongxie duel. Let the fight begins!

[dhany]

Thanks for the update Justin.

Jing Jun is awesome! I'm looking forward to a XSL & Guan Zhongxie duel. Let the fight begins!

Guan Zhongxie winning in first round. He's one step ahead getting Ying Ying.
The next round will be fierce.

[gqonmars2]

Fabulous work Justin, thank you.

It is time to change strategies.

Yeah, I agree, LBW is wining all the battles except for the Jing Jun one. I hope its time for XSL to set back LBW.

I also think now that Qing Qin is the only possibility left for XSL, unless some other female characters gets introduced.

[bchin22]

I don't understand why he doesnt poison the tip of a needle and accidentally graze Guan Zhongxie by accident? That would cure a lot of things!

[ROI]

awww I feel bad for Ying Ying. It looks like she is being set up for a tragic end.

[Justin13]

Fabulous work Justin, thank you.



Yeah, I agree, LBW is wining all the battles except for the Jing Jun one. I hope its time for XSL to set back LBW.

I also think now that Qing Qin is the only possibility left for XSL, unless some other female characters gets introduced.

You are forgetting somebody... Anyway, more good news!


Chapter 09 – Blessing in disguise

When Xiang Shaolong and Guan Zhongxie arrived at Lu Buwei’s tent, he was seated outside the tent and enjoying the singing of two stunning courtesans. With him are Mo Ao, Lu Chan and ten over escorts. Zhou Zihen and Lu Niang Rong are not around.

Lu Buwei pretended to be happy to see him and instructed Xiang Shaolong to sit beside him. For the first time, he introduced Mo Ao and Lu Chan to him.

As Xiang Shaolong exchanged some meaningless conversation with Mo Ao and Lu Chan, Lu Buwei dismissed the courtesans and leaned towards him, revealing: “Tian Dan is leaving tonight. What does Shaolong plan to do? If you want to go after him, I will fully support you. He actually tried to harm me by trying to assassinate you. I will not protect him anymore.”

Everyone stared at Xiang Shaolong, waiting for his reaction. Xiang Shaolong felt like he is an animal being surrounded by tigers and wolves.

They must be laughing inside that he is still ignorant about being poisoned by them.

Thoughts raced through his mind at the speed of light. If he decides to give up his decision to pursue Tian Dan, Mo Ao may be suspicious and deduced that he has a secret plan. But it would be ridiculous for him to chase after Tian Dan now. He was in a dilemma.

Recalling his determination to ‘achieve his goals at all costs’, he acted awkward and divulged: “Actually, I wanted to kill Tian Dan because he killed a female friend that I got to know in Handan City. It turned out to be a misunderstanding as I received a letter from her yesterday. I am not really out to kill him but just wanted to scare him. This fellow has always been trying to kill me and it is lucky that he has failed in all his attempts.”

It is a complete lie to prevent Lu Buwei from forcing him to pursue Tian Dan and also give him an excuse not to pursue him himself. Fortunately, Tian Dan has left and there is no one to validate his words.

Lu Buwei, Mo Ao, Guan Zhongxie and Lu Chan all have a strange expression on their faces after hearing his words. After they exchanged glances, Guan Zhongxie began: “Why did Official Xiang think that the lady has been killed?”

From his words, Xiang Shaolong deduced that Tian Dan did not tell them the full details. He was secretly delighted and told them about the weak-looking eyes in the painting compared to Shan Rou’s usual energetic eyes. He bitterly laughed: “I may have been too rash and concluded too early that she was killed without further thinking. When I received her letter yesterday, I realised that it was a complete misunderstanding. She did try to assassinate Tian Dan but managed to escape with her life. Naturally, I will not tell these things to Tian Dan!”

Lu Buwei shook his head and sighed: “We already know it is a misunderstanding. In actual fact, Tian Dan was puzzled that you concluded that she was dead based on the painting. He saw that you were furious and did not clarify things with you.”

Mo Ao cut in: “The painting is drawn by one of Tian Dan’s artist from his memory. It is not unusual to draw the eyes incorrectly due to the short interaction.” Now, it is Xiang Shaolong who trembled strongly and he exclaimed: “What?!”

As everyone is staring at him with astonishment, he tried to cover up and asked: “Since Premier Lu knows about this, why didn’t you tell me earlier?” He tried to suppress his emotions so that his joy will not show up on his face.

Heavens!

So Shan Rou is really not dead. It is really a misunderstanding.

Lu Buwei leisurely replied: “I thought Tian Dan is spouting nonsense and is trying to use me to scare you so I did not bring it up. Now, we have proven that he has been lying all along.”

Xiang Shaolong acknowledged that it made sense. But under those circumstances, there is no need for Tian Dan to lie to Lu Buwei. Moreover, it is not Tian Dan’s style to showcase his weaknesses. Thus, there is a high probability that Shan Rou is indeed alive.

Lu Buwei saw that he cannot persuade Xiang Shaolong to pursue Tian Dan and disappointment is written all over his face. He stood up and asked: “Shaolong! Will you visit Niang Rong in her tent? You may be able to persuade her to change her mind.”

Xiang Shaolong is not in the mood to see Lu Niang Rong at all. He stood up together with Mo Ao and the rest and replied: “There is an early morning hunt tomorrow. Let Third Mistress have a good rest! I will see her again when she is feeling better tomorrow.”

It may be due to his failure to cajole him that Lu Buwei is in a terrible mood. He did not hold him back and allowed him to leave.

Xiang Shaolong returned to the Cavalry Camp near the Royal tents and saw Teng Yi, Jing Jun and Liu Chao in the middle of a secret discussion.

He pulled Teng Yi to one side first and told him about Shan Rou’s likelihood of being alive.

Teng Yi was mad with joy. He then frowned: “Then are we still going after Tian Dan?”

Xiang Shaolong resolutely decided: “We must kill him to avenge the injustice done to the Shan Family. Moreover, Tian Dan has tried to kill me several times and is in cahoots with Lu Buwei. It is time to eliminate this threat once and for all! This present opportunity is once in a lifetime chance to kill him. If we missed it, it will be gone for good. No matter what, we must never allow him to return to Qi alive.”

He added with a smile: “Moreover, I made a vow that day to change my name to Long Shao Xiang if I did not kill him. It is such an ugly sounding name!”

Teng Yi broke out into a smile and waved Jing Jun and Liu Chao to join them. He instructed Liu Chao: “Go ahead and explain your findings.”

Liu Chao reported: “We have discovered Lord Gaoling’s men building rafts secretly at the river upstream and are collecting large quantities of firewood and dried grass. I am sure that they are preparing to burn the bridges.”

Jing Jun added: “If they build shelves on the rafts and spray the entire raft with oil, it is tantamount to a live volcano speeding down the river towards us. Its destructive impact will be tremendous. Shall we attack them first to prevent this from happening?”

Xiang Shaolong explained: “This time round, we need to put up a show to allow the Crown Prince to show off his godly ability in leading an army to war. We must project a favourable image of him in the hearts and minds of the people of Qin. This is called Branding. Only through this can we prolong our fight with Lu Buwei until the day he is coroneted.”

Teng Yi smiled: “You use really funny terms such as Godly Ability and Branding. But it does make sense to me.”

Jing Jun excitedly said: “I understand. We need to find out about the enemies’ schemes and plan a full counterattack strategy. The Crown Prince will issue military orders while pretending that this is a new encounter. Thus, he can convince everyone of his talent.”

Liu Chao mused: “So we must not only win but win beautifully.”

Knowing the Shan Rou is still alive, Xiang Shaolong is in great spirits. “That’s right!” he laughed.

He continued to praise: “We must win beautifully just like how Jing Jun beat Zhou Zihen beautifully.”

Jing Jun gave his thanks and shone with pride.

Teng Yi joked: “Have you gotten Lu Dan’er’s red flower?”

Jing Jun was agonized: “She is a tough one. She allowed me to hug and caress her but still refrain from letting me pass this final barrier.”

Liu Chao is experienced with women and gleefully joked: “I think Master Jing is lacking in experience and may have made a few wrong moves.”

Jing Jun laughingly scolded: “D@mn you. Do you think this is my first girl? My moves are always the best. Unfortunately, there is no way we can prove this by duelling. Hng! You are mistaken.”

The other three men broke out into laughter.

Xiang Shaolong laughed as he agreed that no man will ever say that he is bad at chasing girls.

After knowing that Shan Rou is alive, Teng Yi is in an excellent mood. He remembered something and reminded: “Yanran and the girls are in the royal tents accompanying Widow Qin. Tingfang wants you to fetch them before returning back to your tent.”

Jing Jun smiled: “Third Brother had better spend more time with sisters-in-law. Leave these tasks to us!”

Xiang Shaolong smiled as he chided him. Summoning the Eighteen Guardians, he rode towards the royal tents.

After entering the wooden gates, he ran into Xu Xian who is escorted by several men carrying torches. Together, they rode to one of the slopes to speak in secret.

Below them, tents were pitched everywhere on the plains. Despite the loud gushing sounds of River Jing, laughter and cheering can still be heard as there are still many people who have not retired to bed.

Xu Xian whispered: “For the past two days, Lord Gaoling has been trying to persuade me and Lu Gong to work join forces with him against Lu Buwei. He swore that he has no intention to usurp the throne but only wanted to force this outsider out of the Qin court.”

Xiang Shaolong sighed: “Lord Gaoling can never return from this path that he is taking. Lu Buwei has spies around him and he is still ignorant about it. Based on this point, he will only suffer in the hands of Lu Buwei.”

Xu Xian reminded: “I am puzzled that Du Bi chose to leave Xianyang City during such a crucial juncture. I guessed he knew about Lord Gaoling’s rebellion and purposely left so that he can watch us from the sidelines. This man is extremely scheming and is much more talented than Lord Gaoling.”

He added: “Is Shaolong really confident? Don’t forget that Lu Buwei will create some internal chaos.”

Xiang Shaolong confidently explained: “The Crown Prince will lead the fight personally and Lu Buwei will have no chance to interfere.”

Xu Xian frowned: “The Crown Prince is still young and lack battle experience. I am concerned...”

Xiang Shaolong smiled: “Crown Prince only needs to know how to delegate his work to the correct persons.”

Xu Xian saw through him and laughed: “Let’s make it a practice round for him! When that happens, Lu Gong and I will stand on his left and right, showing everyone that he has our full support. Shaolong must plan everything well.”

Xiang Shaolong nodded his head joyfully.

Xu Xian praised: “Your fifth brother is highly-skilled and clever, undermining Lu Buwei’s reputation. He is a rare talent whom Lu Gong and I admire very much. Right! Have you decided to give up your plan to kill Tian Dan?”

Xiang Shaolong cannot reveal his relationship with Prince Dan. He replied: “I have asked the people of Wei to help me to delay his travelling speed. If they can hold him back a few days, I am sure I can catch up to him. When I am gone, Jing Jun will be in charge of the Cavalry Army. Please help me take care of him.”

Xu Xian was stunned: “Why would the people of Wei help you?”

Xiang Shaolong answered: “Except for Chu, the other states have some form of enmity with Tian Dan. Moreover, I was the one who freed the Crown Prince of Wei. Lord Longyang will surely lend me a helping hand in return.”

Xu Xian was satisfied with his answer and patted his shoulder to show his appreciation. They then parted.

At the defending gates, the door attendant informed him that Xiao Pan is looking for him. He went to look for Xiao Pan first.

Xiao Pan is in a secret discussion with Li Si and has a happy expression on his face. The moment he saw Xiang Shaolong enter his tent, he waved him over and together, they analyzed a map on the table. It was a map of the entire campsite. Lord Gaoling’s tents were marked in red.

Xiang Shaolong understood his excitement and is happy for him. It is a rare chance for him to command the Qin army and show his prowess.

Xiao Pan began: “Earlier, I have summoned Subject Jing (Jun) and he has told me the location of the rebel soldiers. I am now discussing a counter strategy with Subject Li. Subject Li, why don’t you explain first!”

Li Si is about to speak out when Xiang Shaolong kicked him lightly under the table. Li Si understood his meaning and reported: “I only contributed a small part and the majority of the plan was crafted by Crown Prince. Why don’t Crown Prince explain it instead?”

Xiao Pan was thrilled and smiled: “For Lord Gaoling to succeed, he must use unconventional methods and take us by surprise. With so much information about their plans, we must annihilate them or my study of military books would be in waste!”

He pointed to River Jing and detailed: “If I am Lord Gaoling, I will first make use of the natural surroundings to my advantage. For example, I can create dams and store water from the nearby rivers that connect with River Jing. When it is time to attack, I will open the dams and let the huge amounts of water flow downstream. The torrents will tear the bridges apart and with a timely attack, I can achieve victory.”

Xiang Shaolong was shocked. When Liu Chao mentioned he saw rafts being built, they can be used for building dams too. A water attack is even more powerful than a fire attack and there is no way they can prevent flooding. He could not help but turn to look at Li Si.

Li Si clarified: “I have nothing to do with this. This is really Crown Prince’s idea.”

Xiao Pan proudly continued: “Subject Li guessed that they will use a fire attack but I felt that a water attack is more powerful. If they add a few logs on the water, all kinds of bridges will be destroyed. Then, they only need to shoot some fire arrows and our whole camp will be burnt to the ground.”

Xiang Shaolong was amazed at Xiao Pan’s intelligence. This is truly the first time he is fighting a war based on his own abilities.

Xiao Pan proceeded to explain the different scenarios where Lord Gaoling can send in his attackers and how Lu Buwei can try to kill his opponents using different strategies. His explanations made sense and both Xiang Shaolong and Li Si were completely blown away by his intricate thinking and rational explanations.

Finally, Xiao Pan bitterly smiled: “My biggest flaw is that I have too many scenarios with their own strengths and weaknesses. I have no idea which is the best plan. Will my two subjects please advise me?”

Xiang Shaolong could not hold back and laughed: “The most powerful attack is the attack that always changes to suit the changing battle conditions. Crown Prince can rest at ease. When we know their attacking time, we will attack first and annihilate all of them before Lu Buwei even know what is going on. Leave this to the Changping brothers and myself. Then, Crown Prince only needs to issue the orders and we will put up a good show for everyone.”

Xiao Pan slapped the table and sighed: “Only Grand Tutor and Subject Li understands me. We shall do as you say!”

Li Si respectfully added: “Official Xiang and I will bring you the latest battle reports so that you can make the necessary changes.”

Pleased, Xiao Pan nodded his head. Changing the subject, he asked: “Grand Tutor’s Fifth Brother Jing Jun is a rare talent. He is skilful, loyal and honest. I admire men like him. Can Grand Tutor Xiang give any suggestions on how I may reward him?”

Xiang Shaolong shook his head: “His official post is already quite high and still lacks real experience. We must let him hone his skills further before we promote him again.”

Xiao Pan smiled: “Is he really interested in Lu Dan’er? If Lu Gong does not object, I will see to their marriage. After all, it is better for her this way than to land in the hands of Guan Zhongxie the traitor.”

Xiang Shaolong recollected the ugly expression on Guan Zhongxie’s face as he leapt up from a naked Ying Ying. He felt like there were needles pricking his heart. He nodded: “I have to bother Crown Prince.”

Xiao Pan gladly assured: “It is my pleasure. For the time being, I am not interested in marriage as there are too many important things to do.”

When he left Xiao Pan’s tent, he ran into Lord Changwen and was detained by him and dragged to a corner. He cheered: “My sister is no longer hostile towards you. You must grasp the opportunity and win her heart. If you marry her, you will be relieving us of a big burden.”

Xiang Shaolong was very uncomfortable. Luckily, he was not deeply intertwined with Ying Ying yet or it will be a heavy blow to him. He remembered the one night stands in the 21st century and realised that what Ying Ying is not that atrocious after all. Both males and females have the right to sleep around. The question is that in this case, it is Guan Zhongxie purposely out to seduce Ying Ying from him.

To Lord Changwen, he bitterly smiled: “I have lost. Can we stop talking about this?” Lord Changwen was astounded. “Guan Zhongxie?” he stammered.

Xiang Shaolong nodded his head slightly and patted his shoulder apologetically before he took his leave.

Qin Qing’s tent is located behind the main royal tent and is beside Zhu Ji’s tent. Here, there are ten odd tents which all belonged to the females of the royal family. Wooden walls are erected between these tents and the other tents and security is very tight.

Xiang Shaolong may have the authority to go wherever his wishes but he still respects their rules and announced his arrival to a palace guard. Soon, one of Qin Qing’s personal maids came to report that Ji Yanran and the ladies have left and Qin Qing has retired for the night.

Xiang Shaolong understood that Qin Qing does not want to see him given the present circumstances. He shrugged his shoulders and left.

[hoangd]

Thanks Justin! I check for updates a few times a day now in case we have 2 chapters a day like today

[gqonmars2]

Thank you Justin for another great update.

If I have a choice, I would choose less cliffhanger stoppages. I don't know how much sleep I can risk losing. And it will bring bad health to all your followers.

You are forgetting somebody...

Is this "Shan Rou" who you were referring to? If so, I think it would be crazy, twins and sisters... WOW, XSL is the man!

What other novel or author can think and write such.

[bchin22]

thanks for yet ANOTHER quick and amazing translation Justin!

[SkyWalker]

Thanks for another quick update Justin.

Yeah, Shan Rou is still alive!!! Hope she shows up soon.