Good heavens!

After going around in circles, all this time, is it still just to start a fight?

Ying Zheng was also fired up by what he said and immediately nodded in agreement to his wicked husband's suggestion. Then the two of them enthusiastically discussed who they should choose as their opponent.

Seeing this, Li Si smiled wryly, but still insisted on his opinion, saying seriously, "Your Majesty, General, the seven states are currently evenly matched in strength, and none of them want to see the others become too powerful. If we act rashly, I fear we will see a repeat of the situation where Prince Wei formed an alliance to attack Qin!"

The passionate affair between Ying Zheng and his wicked husband was instantly extinguished by this bucket of cold water. It had only been a few years since Wei Wuji's alliance against Qin, and this incident had severely damaged the Qin state and brought shame upon the entire nation.

Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng's heart still trembled slightly!

"Alas..." The wicked man sighed. He knew that what Li Si said was true, and it was too early to destroy the country.

At present, the Qin state does not have the strength to overwhelm the six states, nor does it have the magic formula to quickly improve its national strength in the short term. Since it cannot deal with the alliance with overwhelming strength, it can only use its brain.

After pondering for a moment, the wicked man decided to invoke the strategy devised by Li Si and Wei Liao: "Win over Yan and Qi, stabilize Wei and Chu, and eliminate Han and Zhao; befriend distant states while attacking nearby ones, and defeat them one by one!"

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere quieted down.

Ying Zheng's heart burned with passion, and he thought to himself: You wicked husband, you really are my darling!

Li Si looked distressed, feeling as if he were living in the shadow of his wicked husband. Despite being a military general, his mind worked faster than his own!

You have to understand, he only had this rough idea in his mind and hadn't fully summarized it yet, but it was perfectly interpreted by the wicked husband's words. What makes him so wicked?

Little did he know that this plan originated from him, only to be copied by his wicked husband, a man from a later era.

Li Si composed himself and nodded in praise, "This plan is the way of the king. Divide and conquer, defeat them one by one. It is truly ingenious!"

The wicked man abruptly changed the subject, continuing, "Since destroying the country is not an option for the time being, we still need to show some strength. With His Majesty about to assume personal rule, we must add a special touch to increase his prestige and the people's trust after he takes office."

Li Si sighed heavily. In the end, the wicked man had not given up his intention to wage war, but what he said was indeed true. Therefore, he supported him, saying, "General wicked man is right. After all, the king has not yet come of age and is easily manipulated by others, causing panic among the people."

Ying Zheng was tempted, but also somewhat hesitant: "Then who should we attack?"

"Attack Wei!"

The wicked man's eyes suddenly turned fierce, and he said coldly, "Since the six states want a just cause, then let's beat up Wei and wipe away our shame."

"Attack Wei?" Ying Zheng frowned slightly, seemingly weighing the pros and cons. As the saying goes, once bitten by a snake, twice shy, Wei Wuji's alliance against Qin still cast a shadow over his mind.

"Indeed, Your Majesty," the wicked man explained confidently. "Wei is located in the Central Plains, bordering Qin. We don't need to borrow passage for our troops. Let's take over a dozen of their cities first, plant our flags, and wash away our shame!"

"If Lord Xinling, Wei Wuji, can form alliances and plot against each other, why can't our Great Qin use a counter-espionage strategy?"

He clearly remembered that Lord Xinling, Wei Wuji, was indeed a man of great talent, but after stealing the tally to rescue Zhao, he was greatly feared by the King of Wei. When Qin attacked Wei, he was appointed as the Grand General, but he was tricked by a Qin spies and died in frustration.

Li Si nodded in agreement: "General Efu is quite right. Wei's national strength has declined in recent years, and it is riddled with internal contradictions. This is the perfect opportunity to attack. This move will not only demonstrate Your Majesty's wisdom and martial prowess, but also bring real benefits to Qin."

Ying Zheng pondered for a moment, then finally made up his mind: "Alright, we'll go with your plan and attack Wei. You will be the commander-in-chief!"

A hint of caution flashed in the wicked man's eyes. "Your Majesty, military matters are not child's play. Every decision concerns the life and death of millions of comrades. I am not yet up to the task. Why not let General Meng Ao take command?"

As if recalling something, a smile appeared on his lips. "General Meng Ao would probably be very happy to avenge the time he was chased back then, haha!"

A hint of appreciation flashed in Ying Zheng's eyes, and he valued Meng Ao even more in his heart. Anyone else would not care about the lives of the soldiers and would have rushed to stop this matter. "In that case, Meng Ao will be the commander-in-chief, and you will be his assistant!"

The wicked man accepted the order with folded hands, showing no sign of resentment. This clearly indicates that it was not just a polite refusal, but that he genuinely believed he was incapable.

He was self-aware; although he came from a later era, he was just a special forces soldier who loved the Qin Dynasty and knew a little about the course of history.

He was neither a historian with extensive knowledge of ancient and modern times, nor a military management talent with in-depth understanding of commanding troops and fighting; he could only rely on the knowledge gained from the difference in eras and some clever tricks.

He may have the strength of a hegemon, but his soldiers lacked it. To attempt to command hundreds of thousands of troops in a chaotic battle during the era of cold weapons was to utterly gamble with their lives.

Putting aside everything else, just planning the march and allocating provisions would exhaust him, let alone strategizing on the ever-changing battlefield.

This era is not like modern times, where high-tech means such as radio can be used to deploy combat plans. It relies on military orders that can anticipate the enemy's intentions and formulate countermeasures in advance.

"Li Si admires the righteousness of the wicked general!"

Li Si also admired the wicked man. Faced with such a temptation of power, he actually gave it up because he cared about the lives of his soldiers. How many people could do that?

The wicked man quickly waved his hand, saying he was just stating the facts. If he also had a cheat code that could strengthen the soldiers' physique, why would he be wasting his breath talking like this?

After a moment's hesitation, Li Si spoke in a deep voice, pleading, "I do not possess the bravery and strength of General Wei, but I wish to stop the plot to sow discord between the King of Wei. I humbly request Your Majesty's permission!"

"I approve!" Ying Zheng nodded in agreement, also wanting to see just how capable Li Si really was.

......

The city of Xianyang was particularly deserted at night. In the dead of winter, there was little entertainment, so people could only go to bed early, and it was rare to see any lights on in the houses.

The wicked man left Xianyang Palace and rode in a carriage straight to Meng Ao's residence.

A short while later, they arrived at Meng Ao's residence.

When the guards at the gate saw that it was the wicked man who had arrived, they immediately opened the gate and let him in. One of them led the wicked man to the front hall, while the other quickly went to the back courtyard to inform Meng Ao.

Inside the study, Meng Ao was engaged in a fierce battle with Meng Wu, while Meng Kuo and the twelve-year-old Meng Yi watched from the sidelines, occasionally whispering and offering their opinions.

"Report—!"

"Reporting to the General, the wicked General requests an audience and is waiting in the hall."

Upon hearing this, the attention of the people inside the room was instantly drawn. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was watching, Meng Ao quickly moved his chariot and cannon to different positions and stole his son's pawn that had crossed the river.

"Smack!"

"General!"

Meng Ao shouted, startling Meng Wu, but giving him no chance to react, "Coming in the dark, this kid must have something important to say. Come with me to see him."

After saying that, he got up and left, leaving Meng Wu and his two sons with an unfathomable back view.

Meng Wu's gaze fell on the chessboard, his pupils suddenly contracted, and he murmured softly, "What a clever substitution! That's too much!"