knife

Chapter 684 Progress
Linghu Zhishu gently knocked on the study door, then peeked out, looked at Li Guohua inside, and smiled, "Uncle Li, I'm back!"

Li Guohua smiled and said, "Come in now that you're back. How was it? You've seen the elite soldiers of the Guanzhong Li clan and the armored men of the Cui clan. In a few days, you'll also see the Yang clan's White Feather Army. How did you feel?"

Linghu Zhishu walked in, pulled up a chair and sat opposite Li Guohua, shaking his head with a smile, "If these powerful families of Qin could think and work together, the Chu Kingdom would have been destroyed long ago."

"What good would it do them if the State of Chu were destroyed and a unified imperial power were established?" Li Guohua said. "At the beginning of the Qin Dynasty, everyone was suppressed so much that they didn't dare to breathe loudly. Was that meaningful?"

“That’s true, but why did everyone think so clearly this time?” Linghu Zhishu said, “I looked at the list of those who sent troops, and it includes more than half of the major and minor clans of our Great Qin. Although some are just making a token effort, it’s still a rare moment of great unity!”

“Li Dachui is the son of Li Jimin and He Qingqiu. In terms of legitimacy, he is more qualified to become the Emperor of Qin than the one currently in Chang’an!” Li Guohua said. “Moreover, this person has actually mastered the legendary Qi of Heaven and Earth, and inherited Qingfeng’s mantle. The powerful families of Great Chu do not want to recall the painful memories of being coerced by Qingfeng again.”

“I am indeed inferior to Li Dachui!” Linghu Zhishu said, “Leaving aside martial arts matters, the things he did in Chu are things I wouldn’t even dare to dream of. He not only dared to dream, but also accomplished them! I can only say I admire him.”

"You don't need to underestimate yourself. There are reasons why he was able to accomplish these things. For example, he mastered the Qi of Heaven and Earth, so to many people in the Demonic Sect, he was the natural leader. Empress Dowager Jiang Qian of Southern Chu probably fell for his tricks for this reason! Of course, there are many other hidden reasons that we can't deduce, but they are definitely related to this. Otherwise, with Jiang Qian's abilities, she wouldn't have been so easily manipulated by Li Dachui."

“With Xiang Ying dead, Na Wei and Xiang Zhuang are fighting again. Add to that Jiang Qian stirring up trouble in the eight towns of Jiangnan, and Chu won't be doing well anytime soon. Uncle Li, our upcoming battle with Li Dachui is crucial!” Linghu Zhishu said. “Whoever wins will win the world!”

"That's why your uncle orchestrated this whole thing, forcing these powerful families to put in their utmost effort to deal with Li Dachui!" Li Guohua laughed.

"Uncle Li, you also come from the Guanlong Li clan. Can you control this force of three thousand soldiers?" Linghu Zhishu said with some envy, "It's a real pity to send them to fight Li Dachui, and they're very likely to lose to him!"

"The patriarch is more wary of me than he is of a river!" Li Guohua laughed. "If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have gone to the border to seek refuge with your uncle twenty years ago! So do you think he would entrust these three thousand elite soldiers to me with full command?"

Linghu Zhishu raised an eyebrow: "In family inheritance, the capable should rise and the mediocre should fall. Only in this way can the family prosper forever and the family's interests be fully guaranteed. The Guanlong Li family has a hero like Uncle Li but insists on promoting their own son. Heh, their magnanimity is nothing more than this. Uncle Li, once we win, the Guanlong Li family will naturally be yours!"

"I have absolutely no interest in this position right now!" Li Guohua laughed. "What I want more is the position of prime minister of the world!"

Linghu Zhishu burst into laughter.

“Zhishu, your uncle is in a difficult position right now, so don’t worry, understand?” Li Guohua’s voice suddenly lowered.

“I’m not in a hurry, but that person sees me as a thorn in his side.” Linghu Zhishu said angrily, “It’s not even a sure thing yet, and he’s already started to make a move on me. If I don’t fight back and let him taste my power, wouldn’t my followers think I’m weak and easy to bully? Uncle, I can’t back down!”

“What’s wrong with taking a step back?” Linghu Zhishu raised an eyebrow, but then smiled and changed the subject: “Uncle Li, the Cui family’s five thousand armored men are almost fully assembled, and the one thousand armored men from Tiger Roar Plain have also come down!”

"Still not giving up? Still trying to control Tiger Roar Plain?"

“Uncle Li, controlling Tiger Roar Plain is equivalent to controlling the Cui family of Boling and the Lu family of Fanyang. It’s just a pity that my plans have all come to naught these past few years, all because of these thousand armored men on Tiger Roar Plain! I can’t openly send my own elite troops up there, so I can only secretly send those shady guys disguised as bandits and horse thieves. But every time they are defeated by these armored men. Now that they’ve come down, isn’t this the opportunity?”

"Tiger Roar Plain is indeed very important, and I support you in taking it. However, you absolutely cannot send any teams that have any public connection with us. Furthermore, there cannot be any major moves there before the fighting begins here."

“I understand. If I make a move while the battle for Yangguan is in full swing, the Cui family might send the armored men back to guard the area. They would definitely accuse me of breaking the alliance, and I would be in big trouble if they pinned a huge label on me. But if I make a move too late, the armored men might go back. Moreover, if the aristocratic families suffer losses at Yangguan this time, Tiger Roar Plain will be even more important to them, and they will be even less likely to give it up.”

"Timing is very important!" Li Guohua said.

"Uncle Li, don't worry, I will send capable people. Although we failed a few times before, we didn't come away empty-handed. At least we have a clear understanding of the geography and other conditions on Tiger Roar Plain!" Linghu Zhishu said with a smile. "This time, Uncle Li, you will be in charge of the battle personally. I am quite free, so I can do something."

"Does that sound like you're unwilling?" Li Guohua said.

"No, no, no!" Linghu Zhishu waved his hands repeatedly: "I used to think that the heavens were number one, my uncle was number two, and I was number three, but after being taught a lesson by Li Dachui time and time again, I realized what it means to have people more capable than you and heavens beyond heavens. With Uncle Li in charge of the overall situation, I feel more at ease."

“You’ve made a lot of progress these past few years! You’re much more mature than before. It’s good that you’re knowledgeable, mature, and steady, but at your age, you absolutely mustn’t lose the youthful spirit of daring to forge ahead!” Li Guohua said, “That’s very important too. Just like Li Dachui, when he did these things, he certainly wasn’t sure he’d succeed, but he dared to do them. Whether he succeeded or not wasn’t the most important thing. If he succeeded, that would be the best, but even if he didn’t, it was still a kind of experience.”

"Understood!" Linghu Zhishu said, "That guy is now my role model. I take him as my role model! I reckon he'll definitely come back this time. I don't think I can beat him, so Uncle has to take charge of the situation!"

“If you want to take Tiger Roar Plain, you might as well make contact with the Lu family of Fanyang!” Li Guohua said, “The first batch of grain from the Lu family is almost here these past two days. Lu Xin also attaches great importance to this Battle of Yangguan and has come in person. Although the Lu family has declared that they will only provide grain and not troops, Lu Xin himself is a Xiantian (a type of cultivator). His presence is a boost to our top-tier combat power. You might as well go and pay him a visit.”

"He might not be happy to see us go to Tiger Roar Plain!"

"They only have a few strongholds left, and they will soon be completely driven out by the Cui family. Perhaps in the Lu family's eyes, this is a matter of being generous to others, and they are happy to do you a favor, aren't they?"

(End of this chapter)