Meng Ao glanced at the sword, pushed it with his large hand, and said in a deep voice, "Boy, since I've given it to you, why would I take it back?"

He genuinely admired the wicked husband's talent and even wanted to nurture him carefully, believing he could become a key minister of the king in the future.

"I'm old, I don't know how many more years these old bones can hold on!" Meng Ao sighed, his tone tinged with worry. "Lü Buwei wields immense power in the court, if I were to die..."

"Who can restrain Lü Buwei now?"

"Wouldn't this make me feel ashamed of the late king's dying wish?"

At this point, Meng Ao's tiger-like eyes reddened slightly. By the time Ying Zheng ascended the throne, he had become a veteran minister of four dynasties, and he had an unparalleled affection for the Qin Dynasty and the royal family.

Lü Buwei was almost supernaturally intelligent, and the new emperor was still young. If no one helped him, the Qin Dynasty might be in danger of being overthrown in the future. This was what worried him the most.

The wicked man remained silent. Lü Buwei's abilities were beyond question, but his existence was a real threat to Ying Zheng. If it weren't for him keeping Ying Zheng in check, why would it have taken so long for Ying Zheng to assume personal rule?

"You wicked husband!" Meng Ao suddenly roared, startling the wicked husband from his reverie. His tiger-like eyes stared intently at the wicked husband as he asked, word by word, "If you gain power and authority, are you willing to wholeheartedly assist the king?"

Upon hearing this, the wicked man raised his head, looked directly at Meng Ao, and solemnly said, "To be able to assist Your Majesty is my lifelong wish."

Who could resist that enchanting ancestor?

Besides, it was the First Emperor, wasn't it?

What kind of person does what kind of thing? Relying on his connections with modern people, he could indeed make the Qin Dynasty better and stronger in certain aspects.

but!

If you were to ask him to shoulder the burden of all the people in the world, he wouldn't have the ability, nor could he bear such overwhelming consequences.

Instead, it would be better to assist the First Emperor in building an invincible Qin Dynasty. Not only would it be less tiring, but you could also enjoy a life of wealth and luxury!

"Good!" Meng Ao raised his hand and patted the wicked husband on the shoulder, laughing loudly, "When we return to Xianyang this time, I will take you to the palace to meet the King!"

"I will do everything in my power to help you climb to a high position as soon as possible!"

The wicked man remained silent, but solemnly bowed to Meng Ao. Looking at Meng Ao, whose hair and beard were all white and who had fought for Qin all his life, he felt a strange and inexplicable sorrow in his heart.

Perhaps this is the helplessness of a hero in his twilight years!

......

"Halt! We're almost at Jinyang. Leave the horses here for now." In a small valley, the Zhao army's scout captain's face was grave. Jinyang was only three miles ahead; if they continued riding, they would surely be discovered by the Qin army.

The situation in Jinyang City is currently unclear, and the scouts are extremely nervous. If the Qin army has already breached the city, that would be fine, but the fear is that the city hasn't been breached yet, and the army is stationed outside the city. Once discovered, they will almost certainly face certain death.

"Be alert, everyone, and remember not to make a sound." The scout captain carefully led the way, and the group slowly made their way towards Jinyang.

At this moment, under Meng Ao's military orders, the walls of Jinyang City were teeming with people, and troops were stationed outside all four city gates. The black Qin banners fluttered in the wind, exuding an endless aura of killing intent.

In the woods on the distant hills outside the city, a dozen Zhao scouts took in the scene. They were all sweating profusely. Judging from the Qin army's posture, there must be a large number of troops hidden inside the city.

The scout captain wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, turned around and quietly led his men away. Still shaken, he returned to the horse-tethering spot and then spurred his horse to gallop towards the main force of the Zhao army.

Perhaps they were terrified and in a hurry to return to the army to report, so they did not notice that a small Qin army squad of a dozen men was following them at a distance.

They arrived slowly but left quickly, and in just a quarter of an hour, the frantically running scouts returned to the main force.

"Report—!"

"Reporting to the commander, Jinyang has been captured by the Qin army!!" The scout captain rushed to Hu Zhe, knelt down, and gasped, "Jinyang is under martial law, and there are large numbers of Qin troops stationed on the city walls and outside the four city gates!"

Hu Zhe's expression changed drastically. Although he was prepared for the fall of Jinyang, he was still somewhat unwilling and immediately asked, "How many people are there?"

The scout captain swallowed hard and said in a deep voice, "The number of troops stationed on the city walls and outside the city alone is probably no less than 100,000..."

Upon hearing this, Hu Zhe's face instantly turned ashen, his eyes darting around, his brows furrowed tightly, and he pondered what to do next.

Jinyang was the former capital of the Zhao state, and its significance was completely different from other cities. Qin's occupation of Jinyang was tantamount to a slap in the face to the Zhao state. He did not want to give up any possibility of taking it back.

“More than 100,000 Qin soldiers…” Hu Zhe muttered to himself, his fingers unconsciously tightening around the reins, his knuckles turning white from the force. “This Meng Ao is indeed old but still strong; his attacks are as powerful as thunder.”

He knew Meng Ao's military style very well. This old guy was extremely conservative in his military deployment. He would never lead 50,000 men if he could lead 100,000 men. He wished he could withdraw all of Qin's troops every time he marched, focusing on stability.

He can now deploy over 100,000 Qin troops outside the city, so there must be an even larger number of Qin troops inside the city!

The surrounding generals exchanged bewildered glances, the atmosphere becoming extremely tense. Some began to whisper among themselves, worried about the upcoming battle; others suggested an immediate retreat to avoid a direct confrontation with the Qin army.

Hu Zhe took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the chaotic thoughts in his mind, and said in a deep voice: "Gentlemen, the number of Qin troops is unknown. If their numbers are similar to our Zhao army, that's fine. But if they far exceed our numbers, and given that they occupy Jinyang City, this battle is not advisable!"

Many soldiers around him breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. The Qin army's reputation as a fierce and powerful force was well-deserved, and they did not want to declare war on the Qin army under these circumstances.

"Send the order to withdraw the troops!" Hu Zhe's voice was tinged with resentment. His gaze was fixed on the direction of Jinyang City, and he muttered fiercely to himself, "Meng Ao... next time, I will definitely take back Jinyang!"

In less than half an incense stick's time, nearly 200,000 Zhao soldiers withdrew in an orderly manner, a scene clearly witnessed by Qin scouts hidden in the mountains and forests.

"Let's go back and report!"

......

At this moment, a tense atmosphere filled Jinyang City. The soldiers were solemn and prepared for a bloody battle with the Zhao army.

"Open the city gates immediately!" The Qin scouts shouted from afar as they returned.

Squeak...

The city gates slowly opened, and the scouts, without stopping, rode their warhorses straight into the city and headed straight for the county government office.

Inside the main hall of the county government office.

Meng Ao was instructing the wicked man on how to be an official and introducing the situation in the Qin court. The latter listened with great interest, as this was all valuable information. Without guidance, he would have surely run into a lot of trouble on his own.

"Report—!"

"Reporting to the commander, the Zhao army has retreated!"

The sudden sound interrupted the two of them. A smile flashed across Meng Ao's face. Hu Zhe knew him well, and he had also figured out Hu Zhe's plans perfectly.