Martial Arts Master: The Lin Family Sword God, who swept through the Five Mountains and Four Sects

"Your Majesty," he proclaimed loudly, "the Qi envoy today secretly carried a confidential letter, plotting to overthrow the laws and regulations of our Qin court. I beseech Your Majesty to order his severe punishment!"

"Your Majesty, I am an envoy, sent on a mission!" The fat man collapsed to his knees on the spot, his voice cracking, and he kowtowed repeatedly.

Ying Zheng remained seated, saying calmly, "The Grand Preceptor shall decide everything."

Lin Tian chuckled lightly, slowly walked to the Qi envoy, looked down at his pale face, and said in a voice as cold as a deep well: "Qi broke the alliance with Qin first, and now it wants to disrupt my court—this is intolerable! Since you've torn off the mask, don't blame me for being ruthless."

He abruptly raised his hand: "Where is Meng Tian?"

"Your subordinate is here!" Meng Tian stepped forward, his armor clattering.

"Strip him of his court robes, stuff him into a prison cart; break his knees, and make him crawl back to his country! Order my Qin army to escort him, parading him along the imperial highway and official roads—let the people of Qin see clearly how Qi has deceived, humiliated, and betrayed us!"

"Here you go!"

Meng Tian clasped his hands in acceptance of the order, then turned and waved. The guards outside the hall immediately dragged away the wailing Qi envoy, whose crotch was soaked, and staggered away.

Lin Tian dusted off the dust from his sleeves, glanced at the Blood-Clad Marquis Bai Yifei, and slowly stepped forward to look directly at him.

He raised his hand to smooth the few stray hairs on Bai Yifei's shoulder, his tone calm yet each word sharp as nails: "Lord Blood-Clad—Great Qin is about to launch a northern expedition against the Xiongnu. Since your country is an ally, I hope you will quickly prepare 100,000 shi of grain and fodder, and deliver it to Xianyang within a month. If it is delayed, our army will take a route through Han territory and drive straight to Yinshan."

"What?!"

Bai Yifei's pupils contracted sharply, his Adam's apple bobbed, and all color drained from his face. He stared at Lin Tian with a mixture of shock and anger, his fingertips digging deeply into his palms.

He spat out through gritted teeth, "Isn't the Grand Preceptor's move tantamount to going south when he wants to go north? Why should the Qin army set foot on my Han territory during their northern expedition?!"

"Precisely because I don't have to walk, I'm seeing if you're willing to give me a ride." Lin Tian's lips curled slightly, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "Taking a detour is just a warm-up. Hehe."

"...Bai Yifei will definitely report to the King of Han in person!" he growled through gritted teeth, his jaw clenched like iron.

"Okay." Lin Tian nodded, his expression calm but revealing undeniable satisfaction.

He then called upon the remaining envoys of the five states, ordering them to present the valuable gifts they had brought. No sooner had he finished speaking than he casually asked, "By the way, I heard you all came to Xianyang to discuss a joint attack on Qin?"

Apart from Bai Yifei, the other four turned ashen-faced instantly, shaking their heads more frantically than reeds in the wind, their mouths tightly shut like clams, wishing they had more legs and could turn into smoke and escape on the spot.

Still want to talk? They felt their legs go weak and their backs sweating – the Grand Preceptor of Qin was clearly a Yama in human skin!

Bai Yifei turned and left, his robes fluttering in the wind; the remaining four ran wildly, almost losing their court boots, and disappeared outside the palace gate in the blink of an eye.

Ying Zheng laughed loudly, his voice shaking the rafters, and turned to praise, "Sir, your majesty is such that the alliance of the six states crumbled at the slightest touch!"

"Qi is far away on the coast of the East Sea. It is too far away to reach Qi after humiliating its envoy. The other five states each have their own agendas. Who would let the Qi army pass through their territory? Who would want to invite trouble?" Lin Tian's voice was clear and loud. "Therefore, Qi can only swallow its anger. As for Bai, the alliance of the six states, which he has painstakingly built, has already broken its backbone before it even opened its mouth. If Han does not obediently transport grain, it will be breaking the alliance between Han, Wei, and Qin. At that time, Qin will have a just cause to punish them."

"Sir, your calculations are brilliant!" Ying Zheng exclaimed, clapping his hands in admiration.

Lin Tian's gaze swept over the kneeling civil officials below the steps, then over the smiling military officers standing in formation to the side, and he said in a loud voice: "Regarding this northern expedition against the Xiongnu, you may speak freely. I am about to explain in detail the strategies of Zhao general Li Mu—this is the main topic of today's court meeting."

Before the words were even finished, all the civil and military officials bowed their heads and shouted in unison, "Yes! We obey the Imperial Preceptor's command!"

When Lü Buwei was carried out of the palace gate, his mouth was still full of blood; he vomited three large mouthfuls and immediately fainted. He was carried back to his residence in less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea when the chief imperial physician of the Imperial Medical Bureau arrived with his case and knocked on the door.

Lin Tian ultimately didn't deliver the final blow. The outcome of today's battle was already decided. What truly mattered was severing the roots Lü Buwei had planted within the inner court.

The most important thing is that several former senior officials and high-ranking officials have all fallen from power.

Ying Zheng then placed his trusted confidants in key positions. With each change and reshuffling, new blood was injected, and the crucial positions were finally in his own hands. Previously, he had been sidelined by veteran ministers for many years, and the crux of the matter lay in this: eight or nine out of ten of the six ministries and nine ministers were protégés of the Lü clan.

Zhang Liang, Han Fei, and Wei Zhuang had long been secretly released by Lin Tian, ​​who then secretly laid a net around Xianyang day and night. He had complete control over everything—the whispers in the city, the rumors circulating, the secret reports from the post stations. The entire city of Xianyang, from which the winds blew to which the rain fell, was at his fingertips.

There is also a hidden mob that has been buried for a long time—Black and White Xuanjian.

This person is like a needle, piercing straight to the enemy's heart; born a Jianghu assassin, his ability to hide his form and conceal his presence is almost ghostly.

Moreover, Lü Buwei's eyes were fixed on Lin Tian from beginning to end—this ironically became Xuan Jian's most reliable cover. Lin Tian did not think the swift and decisive actions taken in court today were excessive. As long as the Lü faction remained unpurged, Ying Zheng could not truly control the court. How could he talk about annexing the feudal lords? How could he talk about unifying the world? It was all just a mirage.

Kill some, imprison others, and punish their entire families—this is the sharpest knife and the loudest drumbeat. The officials must see it with their own eyes, hear it with their own ears, and experience firsthand what true inviolability means.

Lin Tian must solidify his reputation as a "loyal minister" and firmly establish himself in the hearts of the people; he must also act decisively whenever possible, seizing any weakness to eliminate without mercy or leniency.

He had already calculated it: which of these former officials in the Qin court wasn't covered in mud and covered in dust?

Can officials truly be as clean as paper?

Ha... Whenever Lin Tian thought of this, he felt it was absurd and laughable.

twenty two

In the imperial court, Lin Tian had already firmly established himself as a figurehead, second only to the emperor and above all other officials.

Especially now, Lü Buwei was no longer in the hall.

Lin Tian presented the Zhao state's Li Mu's secret plot to kill him, along with his meticulous deductions, to the assembled officials, each word clear and each sentence substantial.

Wang Jian, a veteran general of the Qin army, immediately analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of Lin Tian's proposed strategy for a northern expedition against the Xiongnu.

He stepped forward, first bowing deeply to Ying Zheng, then solemnly saluting the Imperial Advisor Lin Tian, ​​his sleeves billowing in the wind, his back as strong as iron.

"Your Majesty, Grand Preceptor—" Wang Jian's voice was as firm as metal and stone. "This old minister has three concerns: The Xiongnu and Donghu both live by following the water and grass, their movements are elusive, and they hide in secret oases deep in the heart of the Gobi Desert; although our Qin cavalry is sharp, they excel in battle formations but are weak in long-distance raids; what is even more troublesome is that the Xiongnu children learn riding and archery from infancy, and are skilled in warfare by adulthood. Moreover, they are fierce as fire and bloodthirsty, unlike ordinary barbarians. Even though our Qin people are incomparably brave, it is hard to say that we will be victorious."

Before the words were even finished, a commotion broke out among the officers.

Suddenly, a man stepped out from the crowd, fully armored, tall and straight, with a face like the bright moon and eyebrows like sharp blades. His handsome appearance was wrapped in a chilling killing intent, and his arrogance exuded a disdainful air.

It was Li Xin—a young and renowned general who, along with Wang Jian and Meng Tian, ​​was known as one of the three valiant warriors of Qin.

He sneered, his gaze piercing Lin Tian: "Grand Preceptor, you are wise! The old general has spent his life on the battlefield, and it seems the hardships of war have dulled his courage! This humble general, Li Xin, is willing to lead ten thousand elite troops, break through the Yin Mountains, and strike straight at the Dragon Court! His head will be hung at the gate, and his military achievements will be engraved on the monument—in this battle, I only seek to avenge the shame and restore the glory of Great Qin!"

"Hmph!" Wang Jian's beard and hair stood on end as he coldly swept his gaze over. "You callous brat? You dare to treat the Xiongnu like mere bandits? From the Spring and Autumn Period until now, the states have turned pale at the mere mention of their name, yet in your mouth they've become titles you can seize at will? Arrogant words are easy to utter, but a sharp blade is hard to withstand!"

"If the old general is cowardly, then please lay down your arms and return to your fields! This humble general does not rely on his age or seniority, but speaks only with the spear in his hand!" Li Xin suddenly knelt on one knee, his armor clattering, and raised his fists high above his head. "King Ying Zheng above, Imperial Advisor Lin Tian before—Li Xin requests permission to lead the northern expedition! I vow to make the smoke of war in the northern deserts turn into the banners of my Great Qin!"