knife

Chapter 44 I can't stand him, but I can't do anything about it.

When the topic turned to the current situation, both of them were filled with sadness.

Over the course of more than a hundred years, the Qin Dynasty declined steadily, while the Northern Yuan Dynasty grew stronger day by day, a fact that was clearly visible to the naked eye.

When the Qin Dynasty was founded, the Northern Yuan did not yet exist. At that time, the land was occupied by nomadic tribes.

More than a hundred years ago, the Xiongnu nobleman Manba emerged out of nowhere, defeating the Xianbei, Jie, Qiang, Di and other powerful tribes on this land, and began to constantly knock on the gates. At this time, the Great Qin Empire was at its peak and naturally could not tolerate the barbarians on the frontier doing whatever they wanted. General Li Muye led a large army out of the pass and fought a decisive battle with Manba outside the pass.

The decisive battle took place in what is now Zhenwu City.

In a fierce battle, Li Muye won a pyrrhic victory.

The Xiongnu leader, Manba, returned severely wounded.

But it was this battle that ultimately forced the Qin Dynasty to acknowledge the existence of its adversary.

After Mamba's death, his son Bayan ascended to the throne and established the Yuan Dynasty the following year.

At that time, the Qin Dynasty was no longer able to assemble a large army for a long expedition, so it ordered Li Muye to build Zhenwu City and establish the Governor's Office. Li Muye became the first commander outside the pass.

Despite his victory, Li Muye felt ashamed of the battle and was obsessed with destroying the Northern Yuan. At that time, the two sides were constantly in conflict.

With the Bayan's position unstable and other major clans in the country showing serious signs of separatism, the Bayan adjusted its strategy, becoming a vassal of the Qin emperor, paying tribute, and proposing marriage.

The Qin Dynasty had been fighting the enemy for more than ten years, and there was a strong sense of war-weariness within the country. Since the enemy had yielded, the Qin Dynasty immediately backed down. The pro-war Li Muye was transferred back to the country and left to his idle post. A year later, Li Muye died in depression.

Bayan reigned for forty years. He was studious and diligent in his duties. He almost transplanted the political system of the Great Qin to the Northern Yuan step by step, establishing a centralized empire with distinctive Northern Yuan characteristics, and suppressing other tribes in the country to the point of almost silence.

After Bayan's death, his son Yingzhu succeeded him. Yingzhu was no less intelligent than his father, and even more brave and skilled in martial arts.

It is truly rare for a dynasty to have three consecutive wise and sagacious emperors, which has led to the flourishing of the Northern Yuan. Although Yingzhuo is getting old, his second son, Tiele, who is the most likely successor, is a figure that even the important ministers on the Qin border are wary of. It is obvious that if Tiele succeeds to the throne, the Northern Yuan will welcome its fourth powerful monarch.

If it weren't for the sudden large-scale southward invasion of the western and northern nomadic tribes in the past two years, forcing Yingzhuo to turn his guns on those barbarians first, the extremely fragile peace between the Northern Yuan and the Great Qin would have long since ceased to exist.

Even so, under the leadership of Tiele, the Qin army outside the Great Wall has faced increasing pressure in recent years.

In contrast, the Qin emperors have become worse with each generation. Now, the country is in turmoil, and powerful clans are eyeing the throne, waiting for an opportunity to seize power. Linghu Ye has commanded 100,000 troops and dominated the area outside the Great Wall for many years. Why can't he even set his sights on the throne in Chang'an?

Against this backdrop, Xiao Changche's hope of launching a northern expedition to destroy the Yuan dynasty was gradually turning into a pipe dream.

"If only you could become the number one person outside the Great Wall!" Luo Hua, standing with his hands behind Xiao Changche's back, gently massaged the other's shoulders and said, "With a vast territory and millions of people, if you integrate them and unite against external forces, this power is no less than that of the Northern Yuan."

"If we're talking about battlefield confrontations and decisive battles, I don't care about anyone!" Xiao Changche sighed. "But in a war between two countries, the battlefield confrontation is only one aspect, and not even the decisive one. I'm no good at governance or finance. Even if I were to become the commander-in-chief outside the Great Wall, I'm afraid I wouldn't be as good as Linghu Ye now."

"Isn't it enough to just win every battle on the battlefield?" Luo Hua asked, puzzled.

"You're thinking too simply!" Xiao Changche laughed. "Back then, General Li fought against the Mamba and won the battle, but in the end, the enemy established a country. How many generals have we had over the years? We haven't suffered many defeats, so why is the Northern Yuan getting stronger and stronger? This isn't just a simple war; it's a battle between two countries! There are too many things to calculate and compete for."

Luo Hua was somewhat disappointed. "Great Qin has no hope right now. Linghu Ye has other ideas. What can we do besides figure it out ourselves? We can't just give up because of difficulties. Governing and managing finances doesn't necessarily require you to do them. You just need to be a good leader. We can recruit talent to do these things!"

“A good bird chooses a good tree to perch on. Who would want a martial artist like me if I were truly capable?” Xiao Changdao said, “The more chaotic the times, the more capable people will be willing to pay a high price. They all want to find the person they need to assist in order to leave a good name in history. No one would want a martial artist like me with a humble background.”

"We should always give it a try!" Luo Hua said defiantly. "By the way, that Zhang Ruo, wasn't he a high-ranking official in charge of finances in the imperial court? Such a person should be capable, right? Now that he's been exiled here, why don't you bring him here? If you show him a little kindness, you might be able to get him to work for you!"

Xiao Changche laughed loudly: "This Zhang Ruo, even Linghu Ye looks down on him, let alone me. This man is a loyal minister of Qin. Don't be fooled by the fact that the emperor threw him out as a scapegoat. He is still loyal to the end! In the words of scholars, this is called a loyal minister who does not serve two masters. It is a matter of integrity."

“Linghu Ye wants to rebel against Great Qin, Bei Yuan wants to seize Great Qin’s land, and you, you want to guard Great Qin’s borders and resist Bei Yuan. Of course, you are also a loyal subject of Great Qin. Shouldn’t two loyal subjects be birds of a feather and encourage each other?” Luo Hua said, tilting his head. Xiao Changche looked at Luo Hua for a long time before saying, “What you said doesn’t sound like encouragement at all; it sounds more like sarcasm!”

"Tell me, isn't that the truth?"

Xiao Changche nodded. "That makes some sense."

"Then why don't you go find Linghuye and ask him for Zhang Ruo?"

Xiao Changche shook his head: "I can't ask for it. If I ask for it, Linghu Ye might become suspicious. If I don't want it, he might just give it to me. He just wants to use me to kill Zhang Ruo!"

"I see!" Luo Hua laughed. "Then just wait and see! In the future, you should also remember to find ways to recruit talent. This kind of thing is like a snowball rolling downhill. Once you get started, it will only get bigger and bigger. As the number of people increases, perhaps some outstanding talents will emerge."

"It's not that easy! The area outside the pass has never been a center of culture; only one in ten thousand people are literate. People inside the pass regard the area as a harsh, cold land, a place of punishment, and nobody wants to come. Look at Linghu Ye; he relies on his family inside the pass. Anyone in the Linghu clan with even a little talent has gone outside. The two of us are all alone, with only our brothers under our command. We're good at wielding knives and killing people, but if you ask them to collect taxes, do accounting, or write an official document, they all wilted and couldn't utter a single word!"

"By the way, what about Tai'an City? That Li Dachui?" Luo Hua suddenly asked, "This person is no ordinary person. Didn't you say that the rise of Tai'an City would inevitably be led by him? Can't you recruit someone like that?"

"Would someone like that accept my offer?" Xiao Changche laughed. "Maybe they'd be thinking of recruiting me!"

"What do you mean?" Luo Hua asked in surprise, "A bandit!"

“A special kind of bandit!” Xiao Changdao said, “He has formidable martial prowess under his command, and the golden goose that lays golden eggs, Tai’an City. And that’s just on the surface. Don’t let my rank as a third-rank cavalry general fool you; when it comes to real strength, I’m afraid he’s far stronger than me.”

"If he's really capable, it's not a bad idea for us to join him!" Luo Hua said. "Whoever can destroy the Northern Yuan and kill the Yuan dogs, we'll follow them, don't you think?"

Xiao Changche looked awkward: "That's true, but this Li Dachui is really hateful. When I'm with him, I can't even say three sentences without wanting to tear his mouth apart and break his neck."

"Is this person really that annoying? What has he done to you?" Luo Hua asked in astonishment.

Xiao Changche shook his head: "He's just naturally foul-mouthed, you know? He actually said that if I ever fall into his hands, he'll dress me up in women's clothes and have me dance in Tai'an City, and he'll even sell tickets for 100 taels of silver each. He also said that I'm too pretty and won't scare anyone on the battlefield, so he'll have a devil mask custom-made for me. Don't you think this guy has a foul mouth?"

Luo Hua burst into laughter: "He does have a sharp tongue, but he's also quite interesting! I wish I had the chance to meet him and see what kind of person can make you so angry yet you can't do anything about it."

"Nothing special!" Xiao Changche sneered.

“Even if you can’t kill him, you can still beat him up!” Luo Hua said curiously, “If you have a sharp tongue, beat your mouth until it’s swollen and you can’t say anything.”

Xiao Changche said helplessly, "In a one-on-one fight, I probably can't beat him!"

"What?" Luo Hua was genuinely surprised this time: "You are a ninth-grade Xuan Yuan cultivator. Although you have just entered the realm, at your age, to have such cultivation is probably rare even in the world. Isn't Li Dachui only twenty-five or twenty-six?"

“He’s about my age!” Xiao Changche said, “I used to think that I was a once-in-a-century genius when it came to martial arts cultivation, and the techniques I practiced complemented my military skills perfectly. But after meeting this bastard, I realized that there are always people better than me, and there are always higher levels to reach! I get angry when I see him, and actually, I don’t want to see that there is someone else who can beat me in every way. It hurts my confidence.”

When it came to cultivating techniques, Luo Hua couldn't help but frown.

"Your Heaven-Slaying Technique is far too domineering. The murderous aura and killing intent entering your body, although it allows for rapid progress, also increases the damage to your body as the technique deepens. Li Muye died young, and although it was due to unresolved resentment, it was probably related to this Heaven-Slaying Technique. In the past hundred years, no one has been able to cultivate the Heaven-Slaying Technique to your level. To be honest, I am truly terrified. Back then, Li Muye was at the peak of the Profound Origin Realm, and you have now entered the Ninth Rank."

"There's always a way out!" Xiao Changche comforted him. "There's no such thing as having it all. Since I've gained the benefits of this technique, I must also bear its drawbacks. Besides, didn't the person who taught me how to subdue the heavens say that as long as I can find a master of innate martial arts who has achieved a perfect balance of strength and gentleness, and the harmony of yin and yang, he can heal my internal injuries?"

"Easier said than done!" Luo Hua said, "Masters of the Innate Realm are already a rare sight, and the cultivation methods they practice require a balance of strength and gentleness, yin and yang. Throughout history, have you ever heard of even one such person?"

"It's alright. I don't always keep precious pills on hand. Old Master Fu from Calabash Valley takes a liking to me and said that I can go to him if I have any problems."

"It's only treating the symptoms, not the root cause. He also said that when your skill reaches the pinnacle of the Profound Origin realm, he will also run out of tricks!"

(End of this chapter)