knife

Chapter 132 Failure is common, success is accidental
Linghu Ye was barefoot, his trousers rolled up high. He raised his hand, and the long whip tip twirled in the air with a crisp crack. The strong ox pulling the plow mooed and dragged the iron plow forward, the black soil churning out like waves.

Behind him, Linghu Zhishu, with a small cloth bag slung over his waist, followed closely, scattering seeds from the bag onto the plowed field. Several soldiers followed behind, carrying bamboo baskets. Every time Linghu Zhishu scattered a few seeds, they would grab a handful of fertilizer from the baskets and cover the seeds with it. At the very back were other soldiers, holding hoes, who would break the soil into small pieces and cover the seeds and fertilizer together.

Springtime is the most important season of the year.

If you dare to delay the land for a moment, the land will delay you for a year.

Not only were ordinary people from all over the country busy in the fields at this time, but the vast majority of the army was also busy sowing seeds.

Encouraging farming was something every local official had to do at this time.

Linghu Ye's movements were very skillful. He manipulated the plow, tilling the ground neither too deep nor too shallow, making it as straight as a line. When he reached the end of the field, he gently pulled the reins, urging the strong ox to turn around. He manipulated the plow with one hand, turning it around lightly. If one did not know his identity and only saw his operation, one would think he was a skilled old farmer.

Zhenwu City is a military city, not large. During wartime, it is a purely military fortress, unlike some large cities within the pass, which have large areas of farmland within their walls.

The vast tracts of fertile land outside Zhenwu City are all public property; to put it bluntly, they are now Linghu Ye's property. Close to the city, both the roads and irrigation systems are extremely well-developed and maintained by experienced agricultural officials.

The land owned by generals and officers was located further away, and depending on their rank, their land would be further and further away from Zhenwu City.

Linghu Yeshita didn't just put on a show; he genuinely worked for a full half-day.

Looking around, all you could see were people and livestock busy with spring plowing.

The biggest advantage of the area outside the Great Wall is that there is no shortage of livestock.

Sitting on the edge of the field, holding a bowl of hot water, watching the busy crowd of people like ants, Linghuye felt content.

These all belong to him.

These lands and these people are his foundation.

With a radius of thousands of miles and a population of millions, why can't we compete for it?

“Uncle, the imperial envoy has arrived. It is Wei Zhengdao’s son, Wei Yi!” Linghu Zhishu, who was also holding a bowl of water, squatted down next to Linghu Ye and said, “However, he did not come to our Zhenwu City, but went straight to Baoping City.”

"Since it's an imperial edict to deliver to Xiao Changche, we naturally have to go to Baoping City!" Linghu Ye said calmly, "Have you found out the contents of the imperial edict?"

Linghu Zhishu shook his head: "No, Wei Yi and his party only revealed their banners when they reached Yangguan. We only then learned that the court had known about the changes outside the pass for a long time and had reacted quickly. The people who came were all imperial guards, and the leader was someone of Wei Yi's status. The defenses were very tight."

"Whether it's Wei Zhengdao or Kou Zhong, neither of them are pushovers. This opportunity is truly a once-in-a-lifetime chance for them, so naturally they must make good use of it," Linghu Ye sneered.

"Logically, they should be publicizing this matter extensively, so why is the court keeping it a secret?" Linghu Zhishu asked, somewhat puzzled.

Linghu Ye chuckled: "In the past, they were wary of me, so they didn't dare to make any big moves inside the pass. But this time, seeing that I'm being held back, they naturally want to stretch their arms around inside the pass. Keeping this a secret is obviously a way of fishing. Let's see who's unlucky enough to be caught this time."

Linghu Zhishu's expression changed slightly: "So, they're planning to start a massacre inside the pass?"

“Of course! It’s to make an example of someone!” Linghu Ye said. “I believe news will come soon. I’m just curious which general they will appoint to do this.”

"Neither the Wei family nor the Kou family lacks military commanders, right?"

"They would never do something like killing so many people and wiping out entire families!" Linghu Ye laughed. "That would be a matter of creating a blood feud. Whether it's Wei Zhengdao or Kou Zhong, wouldn't they be thinking about the future? Those who start such things, will they have no descendants?"

Linghu Zhishu said with some regret, "Speaking of which, the Wei and Kou families are both powerful and influential families, but this time they want to stand on the opposite side of everyone. How can they expect to have a good ending in the future?"

"What goes up must come down!" Linghu Ye said calmly. "These two families have been prosperous for hundreds of years. What goes up must come down. They must understand this principle. However, in the Qin Dynasty, they are the beneficiaries, so they will naturally do everything they can to protect it. The longer they hold on, the more time they have to make arrangements for their future comeback. Of course, if they can keep the Qin Dynasty going, that would be the best outcome for them."

“Uncle, now that the imperial envoy has arrived, even if he ignores us, we can’t be impolite, can we? Why don’t I go and greet him and accompany him to Baoping City?” Linghu Zhishu said with a smile. “Besides, Li Dachui’s identity is not simple. I think we can give Wei Yi a hint. Once Wei Yi knows Li Dachui’s identity, I don’t believe he will still be laughing.”

Linghuye glanced at his nephew: "Li Dachui's identity was forged by Zhou Zhi."

"Who knows if it's true or not?" "Then what's in it for us? If the court doesn't believe us, we'll become a joke. If the court does believe us, what do you think they'll do next? Of course, they'll order us to launch an attack." Linghu Ye said, "Then, will we do it?"

"Of course we won't do it!"

“Yes, if we’re not going to do it, why should we make a blood feud with Xiao Changche and Li Dachui!” Linghu Ye said, “Especially if this matter gets out, what will people outside the pass think and how will they choose? Can you control that?”

Linghu Zhishu frowned.

“You don’t know much about what happened back then, but I was a witness. The massive purge by the army outside the Great Wall still makes me shudder,” Linghu Ye said. “A third of the officers were captured and killed by the Black Ice Guard. Several thousand elite troops rebelled under the leadership of their officers. Some fled to the Northern Yuan, while others went to the Black Domain and became mountain bandits. Some even became powerful figures. Although most of them are old and dead now, their next generation has grown up. If they knew that Li Anze and He Qingqiu had descendants, well, they might just go and join Li Dachui. That wouldn’t be good for us.”

“I was thinking too little!” Linghu Zhishu said.

“If it weren’t for that purge, I wouldn’t have been able to climb up to the rank of lieutenant general in just a few years, thus laying the foundation for what I am today.” Linghu Zhishu said, “The strength of the border troops outside the pass back then is incomparable to that of today.”

"Was it even stronger back then than it is today?" Linghu Zhishu was somewhat shocked.

“They are far superior!” Linghu Zhishu sighed. “Even with a third of their officers purged and thousands more defecting, when the Northern Yuan attacked, this large army with wavering morale still managed to defeat the Northern Yuan army. In the end, they could only retreat in frustration.”

Recalling the past, Linghu Ye felt a pang of emotion.

"That time, the army outside the pass was severely weakened. Over the years, I have tried my best to restore the glory of the army outside the pass, but unfortunately I have always fallen short."

“But the area inside the pass is not only much worse than it was back then, it’s rotten to the core!” Linghu Zhishu said. “Now we are tied down outside the pass, and we will inevitably lose the initiative in the struggle inside the pass.”

“It doesn’t matter who enters the game first,” Linghu Zhishu said. “The key is who will have the last laugh. Even a broken ship has three thousand nails, and the Qin Dynasty won’t fall so easily. We might as well have a good run-through with Xiao Changche and Li Dachui outside the pass, and also see what kind of meal Wei Zhengdao and his men can make with these rotten ingredients.”

"Nephew understands!"

“Go and greet Wei Yi, and go to Baoping City with him!” Linghu Ye said. “Don’t say anything, don’t do anything, just greet him with a smile and keep him company with a smile. When you’re with Xiao Changche, you can only say congratulations.”

"I don't have your magnanimity, Uncle!" Linghu Zhishu said somewhat indignantly.

"Otherwise what?" Linghuye said, "Since we can't deal with the opponent for the time being, we can only offer a smile. This is a lesson for me and for you as well."

"Over the years, if it weren't for my uncle's desire to befriend Zhou Zhi and win over Xiao Changche, how could they be where they are today?"

"This is the price." Linghu Ye had no regrets at all. "If I had succeeded, wouldn't I have been able to run rampant outside the pass, or even lead troops into the pass right now? It's just that I failed. When you want to do great things, failure is common, and success is accidental. There's nothing to regret or hate. Although I failed, I still have capital. I can start over. Even if I can't do it anymore, as long as I keep going, maybe by your generation, I'll be able to do it again."

"uncle!"

"Pick some gifts for Xiao Changche as congratulatory presents. Also, when Wei Yi returns, invite him to visit Zhenwu City!" Linghu Ye stood up. "A family like the Wei family will naturally invest in multiple ventures. It shouldn't be difficult for them to put some money in my account. Establishing connections with them might come in handy in the future!"

"Understood, nephew, I'll go right away!" Linghu Zhishu said loudly as he watched his uncle, who was barefoot, step into the field.

He rode swiftly into the City of Aquarius.

"The imperial envoy has already left Yangguan Pass."

A letter of intelligence from Yangguan was placed on Li Dachui's desk.

Who is in charge, how many people have come, and how many spies are among them—all the details are clear at a glance.

The level of detail in this intelligence clearly shows that Li Dachui likely has many spies within Yangguan, and some of these spies are certainly in high positions.

Because this intelligence report even clearly listed what dishes Wei Yi ate every day in Yangguan.

Yangguan Pass is the first step into the pass, so Li Dachui naturally started preparing for it very early on.

(End of this chapter)