If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1274 A Vicious Plot to Overthrow the Qin Dynasty

Qinglian Sun said in a muffled voice, "No one except you and the Grand Commandant has ever seen the detailed contents of the 'Bai Jiang Pu'."

Even outsiders would find it difficult to calculate all of them.

But at least one person can be confirmed to be on the list of generals.

He was Chen Huan, the county magistrate of Chengfu County!

He was just a county constable, yet he almost wiped out Chen Sheng's army.

It should be noted that Chen Sheng's forces had been secretly developing in Dazexiang for ten years, receiving support from many powerful deities and had a large and powerful army. At least that's what everyone thought before.

When they arrived at Chengfu, they were overwhelmed and beaten by Chen Huan.

If it weren't for the great immortal personally stepping in to encourage him, and more than ten immortals joining forces to kill Chen Huan, Chen Sheng would most likely not have been able to overcome the obstacle of Chengfu, let alone travel thousands of miles to enter Chen County and take it over.

It is conceivable that in the upcoming battles, we will encounter even more known or unknown generals from the 'Hundred Generals List'.

There are definitely many among them who are stronger and more difficult to deal with than Chen Huan.

Chen Huan and Chengfu County exchanged their resources for Chen Sheng's 15,000 elite troops and several immortal masters.

If this drags on, Chen Sheng won't be able to hold out, and the other potential leaders can't afford such losses either.

Therefore, the Imperial Guard must die!
As long as he lives, it will be difficult for the military officers and generals who have benefited greatly from his kindness to betray the Qin Dynasty and join the various hidden dragons.

Now Chen Sheng has dispatched several armies, some heading east and some north, and they have already run into the blockade formed by the Qin army.

At this point, Qinglian Sun hesitated again, because what he was about to say was the biggest and most important plan of the "Anti-Qin Alliance" to destroy Qin.

"Do you want to take the Ancestral Dragon Qi Pill?" Grand Tutor Yu asked.

"The Ancestral Dragon Qi Pill?" Qinglian Sun was stunned for a moment before realizing what he meant and shook his head repeatedly, saying, "Grand Tutor, please don't be anxious. I'm carefully choosing my words."

Yes, my mind is clear now, and I don't need to take the Ancestral Dragon Qi Pill.

To destroy Qin, it was simply impossible to do so by charging in recklessly.

The might of the Qin army was too great; the heroes of the martial world were merely heroes of the martial world.

On the battlefield, it would be difficult to gain the upper hand against a seasoned general of the Qin Dynasty.

Fate is fate, not supernatural power, and cannot be directly used to deal with enemies on the battlefield.

Therefore, to destroy Qin, it is necessary to first disintegrate Qin from within.

The high-ranking officials and ministers in the imperial court were one point of entry; however, those in the prefectures and counties who were not given important positions by the court, such as the prefectural commandants, county commandants, and even the head constables and prison officers, were even easier points of entry.

The Imperial Guard has never given up on selecting generals from among the common people.

They were too numerous for the army to absorb entirely, so they were secretly trained in the counties and prefectures.

Even without the "Compendium of One Hundred Generals," we can judge for ourselves which Qin generals are worth recruiting. In fact, we don't care about the true talents of Qin generals.

As long as we can win them over and make them surrender, Qin will continue to bleed, while we will continue to grow stronger.

"Destroying the Qin Dynasty is only a matter of time."

Grand Tutor Yu frowned, looked up at the "Three Dukes Star" in the Taiwei Enclosure, quickly calculated with his hands for a moment, and asked: "Besides assassinating the Grand Commandant, do you also plan to kill Li Si and Feng Quji?"

Qinglian Sun looked up and glanced at her quickly, his eyes showing both surprise and annoyance.

"Yes, yes. Only by killing Guowei Liao will the soldiers of Qin surrender; without Li Si and Feng Quji, the prefects and magistrates of Qin will lose most of their respect and reliance on the court, and will be easily turned against them."

Even if the soldiers of Qin had never seen the State Commandant's Office, they would certainly know that the military strategies, martial arts, and military formations they had learned all came from the State Commandant's Office. They were the State Commandant's "people".

Especially the military officers who had already risen through the ranks, they were all too aware of how much help they had received from the State Commandant's Office during their rise to power.

Even if they were all ungrateful people who had no gratitude towards the Imperial Guard, they must have had a deep sense of awe.

It's a very simple principle: if they can be mass-produced by the State Military Commandery, then the State Military Commandery can easily train another batch of people to replace them.

Li Si held a similar position among civil officials.

The simplest example: if Li Linfu hadn't died, would An Lushan have dared to rebel?
Regardless of Li Si's character, his abilities alone were undoubtedly among the best of his time.

He was capable of managing the officials of various counties and prefectures.

If the traitor really killed him and Feng Quji, Grand Tutor Yu couldn't find replacements for them for a while.

"General Sima!" Grand Tutor Yu called out.

"The general is here!"

Sima Tie led a group of Iron Eagle Warriors over quickly, glaring at Qinglian Sun with hatred in his eyes.

They also learned of the death of the Grand Commandant and hated Qinglian Sun, who assassinated the Grand Commandant, to the core.

"Destroy this fellow's Qi Sea and seal the Mud Worker's Pill. Send him to the Grand Commandant's Mansion and have him skinned alive in front of the Grand Commandant's mourning hall," said Grand Tutor Yu.

Qinglian Sun's expression changed drastically, and he howled hoarsely, "Grand Tutor, Grand Tutor Yu, you ask me questions and I answer them. I have completely confessed without hiding anything. Why not treat me leniently?"

Grand Tutor Yu said, “How could I not be lenient? I only had you skinned alive, without any torture or torment, and I didn’t send your soul to the Yellow Springs to never be reincarnated.”

Sima Tie stretched out his iron-like hands and pressed Qinglian Sun to the ground, about to shatter his Qi Sea with a single palm strike.

Qinglian Sun struggled desperately, like a fat pig pinned to a door, crying out, "General Sima, don't do this to me! I want to protest my innocence! Grand Tutor Yu, at least let me cry out a few times!"

Sima Tie glanced at Grand Tutor Yu, and seeing that Grand Tutor Yu did not object, he pressed down on Qinglian Sun, not immediately resorting to violence.

Qinglian Sun hurriedly said, "Grand Master, please have pity on me. It has not been easy for me to cultivate to this point. Please give me a way out."

Although I assassinated the Grand Commandant, I had no personal grudge against him.

Killing him was simply following the will of Heaven. Cough cough, what I mean is, I was just an assassin, not the mastermind!

After you caught me, I behaved well and said whatever came to mind.

"They've even revealed the anti-Qin alliance's grand strategy; can't they at least make amends?"

Grand Tutor Yu said, "You must be over four hundred years old this year, right?"

Qinglian Sun sighed, “I entered the Dao at eighty and have cultivated for a full three hundred and ninety-five years. Now I’m almost five hundred years old!”

Grand Tutor Yu said calmly, "But you didn't even become an immortal. You've cultivated for four hundred years but haven't become an immortal. You've lived this life in vain. It's no pity for you to die now."

Rather than shamelessly begging to prolong one's life, it is better to die a heroic death.

"The sooner this life ends, the sooner I can be reincarnated, and the sooner I can become an immortal."

Qinglian Sun hurriedly said, "In this life, I have been greedy for women and accumulated a lot of karma and karmic entanglements."

The reason for supporting the Dragon Court is to earn merit and cleanse one's sins.

If I can successfully survive the 'Three Calamities' at the age of five hundred, perhaps I can enter the path of immortality by virtue of the fortune I gained from supporting the Dragon Court.

Sima Tiedu couldn't stand it any longer and shouted, "You scoundrel, you killed the Grand Commandant and have already fallen into the clutches of the law, yet you still dare to dream of supporting the imperial court? Do you really think we're made of clay?" Qinglian Sun said urgently, "Grand Tutor, don't misunderstand, General, don't be anxious! I still want to support the imperial court, but not to support a traitor. I am willing to join the Qin Imperial Observatory and support the Ying clan's imperial court!"

I have offended the Grand Commandant this time, but I can make amends for it.

For example, I could kill Wu Guang, and use his head to erase all my past sins, how about that?

Sima Tie felt even more contempt for him, but he was also hesitant.

He turned his head to look at Grand Tutor Yu.

Grand Tutor Yu sighed, "If you consider yourself a disciple of the Chan Sect, then show some backbone as a disciple of the Chan Sect and don't embarrass your ancestor."

Qinglian Sun blushed with embarrassment, but still couldn't help begging for mercy: "Even my Five Elements Sect's founder, Tu Xingsun, has made mistakes in judging fate, gone astray, and been captured."

Please grant me a chance, Grand Tutor. The path to immortality is arduous, and the opportunity to become an immortal is rare indeed!
Furthermore, please, Grand Tutor, take a longer-term view.

Today I surrendered, confessed, and begged, yet you still tore me to pieces, and my centuries of arduous cultivation vanished in an instant.

In the future, which of the immortal masters on the side of the anti-Qin side would dare to surrender to the Great Qin?

Grand Tutor, you must understand that the reason the anti-Qin alliance killed the Grand Commandant and the two prime ministers was to prepare for the upcoming "thousand gold pieces to buy horse bones" scheme.

They would focus on persuading one or more Qin Dynasty officials to surrender.

Even a minor county magistrate, once he surrendered, would be immediately bestowed with ten thousand taels of gold and a high-ranking official title, and then paraded around in a magnificent carriage to show off in the surrounding counties.

This made it clear to all Qin Dynasty officials that they did not need to resist to the death.

Surrendering to the rebels still allows one to retain wealth and status, and may even lead to a noble title that did not exist in the Qin Dynasty.

why not?

"The rebels are so magnanimous, yet the Grand Tutor wants to kill me. How can the Great Qin not lose its Mandate of Heaven?"

Grand Tutor Yu looked disgusted. "Who do you think you are? Whether I kill you or not has nothing to do with the fate of the Great Qin Dynasty."

Qinglian Sun immediately said, "I am indeed a worthless person, but people as noble and virtuous as the Grand Tutor are ultimately a minority; people like me who are worthless are the vast majority."

Now that I have a chance to reform, the other immortal masters will surely have different intentions and won't go too far when fighting against the Qin army in the future.

Grand Tutor Yu sneered, "You've already killed the Grand Commandant, and you've driven yourself to your death!"
"I'm going to kill you now, to uphold the law, to serve as a warning to others, and to let them know that some things can be discussed, but some things, once done, mean certain death!"

Qinglian Sun hurriedly said, "As I said before, I am not the mastermind!"

"Can you capture the mastermind? If you can execute the mastermind, you, the accomplice, can be treated leniently," said Grand Tutor Yu.

Qinglian Sun said awkwardly, "I don't need to tell you who the mastermind is. The Grand Tutor is insightful and can certainly deduce it. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't have the ability!"

"Then what nonsense are you spouting?" Grand Tutor Yu shouted. "What kind of status does the Grand Commandant have? You killed someone and still want to atone for your crime with meritorious service. Who among the Grand Commandant's relatives and the entire court can accept this?"

"My immediate and decisive act of skinning you alive was already the greatest favor I could do for you; don't be ungrateful!"

Qinglian Sun gritted his teeth and finally struggled to say, "Grand Tutor, I finally cooperated with your investigation and revealed many secrets of the anti-Qin alliance. I deserve some credit, right?"
Even if I cannot be spared the death penalty, I request a public trial and to follow the normal procedures.

Just like the last public trial for breaking an oath, I request that the Grand Tutor choose an auspicious day and time to publicly try me in Xianyang Palace.

Grand Tutor Yu hesitated.

As soon as Qinglian Sun bent over, she knew what kind of poop he was going to take.

It's nothing more than stalling for time, waiting for their companions to rescue them.

They even deliberately escalated the situation, forcing the "mastermind" to rescue him before the public trial.

Otherwise, if he were to repeat his previous words in public on the day of the trial, it would surely cause an uproar.

Frankly speaking, if the public trial were to be completed and cause a public uproar, it would be even more detrimental to the quasi-Great Luo behind the anti-Qin alliance.

However, the victim in the case of Qinglian Sun was Guowei Liao. The old man was not really dead, but rather undergoing a corpse dissection.

If things escalate, will he fail at the last minute?

“Alright, I’ll give you a chance to undergo a public trial by the Magistrate of Xianyang,” said Grand Tutor Yu.

A fleeting look of joy crossed Qinglian Sun's face. "Thank you for your kindness, Grand Tutor! As long as I am tried in accordance with Qin law, I will accept my fate even if I die."

Xiao Yu threw out a "Binding Immortal Rope," binding him like a dumpling, and said, "Xiao Linzi, hold his hand, we'll go find the Magistrate of Xianyang right away and have him publicly try the 'Assassination of the Grand Commandant' case."

Qinglian Sun's expression froze, and he hurriedly shouted, "Grand Tutor, it's already late. Where should we hold the public trial?"

Everyone's at home sleeping!
"We'll have to wait at least two days, until the Grand Commandant is laid to rest, and until the whole city knows about this."

"Shut up!" Xiao Linzi pulled off his shoes and socks, folded them together, and stuffed them into his mouth.

The story of Guowei Liao's death is a long one, but it actually happened less than half an hour ago.

When Grand Tutor Yu arrived at the Peacock Garden with Xiao Linzi and the black-faced Taoist boy Wang E, the magistrate of Xianyang, Ying Ziying, had just arrested all the people involved in the case.

Hundreds of guests who attended the poetry gathering were all arrested.

Even Qinglan, the young lady from the Zhexian Tower, was now disheveled and her clothes were in disarray, being pinned to the ground by two strong women.

The young talents participating in the poetry competition, regardless of gender, did not receive any special treatment.

Every single one of them was surrounded by fierce, armored guards, their hands and feet bound by iron chains, and their necks gripped by iron claws the size of palm fans.

Even though many of these outstanding individuals were immortal martial artists, and some had even cultivated secret techniques and were capable of resisting, they dared not struggle. Some tried to struggle and shout, but were severely suppressed by the power of the military formation.

The Grand Commandant held a special position; he was not only an important official of the imperial court but also the highest-ranking officer of all soldiers in Xianyang City.

At this moment, the soldiers' eyes were bloodshot, and their killing intent was palpable. A full eight thousand armored guards surrounded the Peacock Garden, their true energy forming a unified military formation that enveloped the entire garden.

Anyone who dares to make a move will be immediately suppressed.

"Grand Tutor has arrived!" Little Linzi, with a fawning air, shouted loudly from the sky as soon as he flew to the entrance.

"It's Grand Tutor Yu!"

"Now that the Grand Commandant has been assassinated, the Grand Tutor has indeed been alerted."

A great commotion broke out both inside and outside the garden, but the noise quickly subsided as Grand Tutor Yu came into view.

"Greetings, Grand Tutor Yu!" The soldiers outside maintained their military formation, pointing their weapons at the ground to avoid facing Grand Tutor Yu, and bowed in unison.

"All soldiers, you may rise!" Grand Tutor Yu nodded and went straight into the inner garden.

Ying Ziying and other officials quickly arrived at the garden gate and bowed in greeting.

"Grand Tutor~~" After exchanging greetings, everyone caught sight of Qinglian Sun being dragged over by Xiao Linzi.

"It's Sun Lian, the Hibiscus Prince!"

"You bastard, Sun Lian, you've finally been caught! My lord, the murderer who killed the Grand Commandant has been apprehended. We are innocent, please release us!"

(End of this chapter)