Chapter 33 Left Zero, Right Fire, Thunder God Helps Me! 33

Wherever Qin went, the soldiers around him would unconsciously straighten their backs, and even those who were already standing upright would try to stand even taller and more proud.

Upon seeing this, Ying Zichu assumed that his words had had an effect. He nodded in satisfaction, then looked at his two beloved ministers and repeatedly urged them to be careful.

He would be very sad if he lost either of them!

Lu Buwei saw through Ying Zichu's thoughts and made various promises that he would definitely bring people back safely. Even if he couldn't come back, Taishu Jiu would definitely be able to!

Ying Zichu reluctantly let go, allowing Lü Buwei to shout, "All troops, march on!"

Ying Zichu escorted Ying Zheng for several miles before watching the army depart into the distance.

Qin was also in the group. Once the group was out of sight of those behind, Zhu Qing'ai finally let loose.

However, it wasn't that much more unrestrained; at most, he just spoke openly with Taishu Jiu.

****

After the march, the two sides were only one opportunity away from close combat, and it all depended on which side would take the initiative first.

Lü Buwei was not in a hurry at all. Since he took power, the Qin army had strictly enforced the rule of not killing prisoners of war. Now, when it came to military merits, a prisoner of war was worth more than a unit of merit.

Upon arriving at the designated encampment, he immediately ordered the troops to start cooking on the spot, ensuring that his Qin soldiers were well-fed before proceeding with anything else.

He not only ordered people to cook on the spot, but he also ordered them to cook double the amount of food, eating half and throwing the other half away, displaying his extreme arrogance.

Taishu Jiu bluntly replied, "Wasting food is bad. These are all grown by farmers with great effort. How can you eat half and throw the other half away?"

He had his own guesses that this might be some kind of scheme, but he couldn't help but speak up. Now, almost all of Qin's grain was produced using the superior varieties he cultivated, and he felt a little heartbroken.

Zhu Qing'ai had just returned from a stroll around the Zhou army on the other side when she overheard what Taishu Jiu was saying. She didn't explain anything for Lü Buwei, since he would explain himself anyway. She only told Taishu Jiu, "The weather has been good these past few days, and the Zhou army is in a good position. I'll send you their coordinates in the private chat channel later. The wind direction is expected to be just right by tomorrow evening."

[Host, Taishu Jiu: Received!]

[Host, Taishu Jiu: But judging from the Prime Minister's current arrangements, a fight might not break out tomorrow.]

[System 99 (Zhu Qing'ai): You can ask him if you can experiment first, so you can start the war. After the fireworks, they can officially clash.]

[Host Taishu Jiu: Hmm, it shouldn't be a problem.]

****

Lü Buwei was not surprised by what Taishu Jiu said; it was within his expectations. He explained, "This is not just for the scouts on the other side, but also for the soldiers in the enemy army. Don't worry, Grand Master, we can pick up what's thrown away, wash it in water, and it's still edible."

Taishu Jiu hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping himself. He really wanted to say that it was unhygienic to eat food that had fallen on the ground, but considering the reality, the Qin army was already receiving the best treatment among the feudal states when it went on campaign.

At least now, some of the food supplies are distributed in advance, and some are carried by the logistics team, so the conscripted soldiers don't have to bring their own food.

Most of the other vassal states had to bring their own rations to fight, and they were able to continue fighting entirely because of their faith, as well as the fact that the common people they conscripted were too simple and honest...

He sighed and said, "I'll think of a way to make the rations easier to carry in the future."

The logistics teams behind were almost more numerous than the combat units in front, which was still a waste of manpower and resources. Although Qin was making a fortune by exporting grain to various countries, he still felt that it would be best to streamline the logistics teams as much as possible.

Upon hearing this, Lü Buwei's expression turned serious, and he bowed in thanks, saying, "On behalf of all the soldiers, I thank you, Master Taishu."

Taishu Jiu quickly helped Lü Buwei up, saying, "Prime Minister, what are you doing? You're making me feel so ashamed."

"Generally, when marching, provisions are transported first, but this process is extremely wasteful. If you, sir, are willing to improve the way provisions are carried, it will be a great achievement!"

Taishu Jiu felt embarrassed. He had just mentioned it casually, and whether there would be any real change was still uncertain. He had so many things to do and might not be able to remember.

He could only vaguely reply, "If possible, I will do my best."

He quickly changed the subject and brought up tomorrow's plans, saying, "I just observed the celestial phenomena, and the wind direction tomorrow evening will be just right, suitable for setting off fireworks. I wonder what the Prime Minister's plans are?"

Lu Buwei looked up at the sky. The sun was still hanging in the sky. How could he be 'observing the stars at night'?

He comforted himself, thinking that perhaps Da Liangzao had observed the stars beforehand while traveling last night.

He still chose to trust Taishu Jiu, and that they could cancel the experiment if they found out the wind direction was bad at the last minute.

Lu Buwei's original plan was to stay here and rest for a few days, indulging in food and drink to break through the enemy's defenses, but now that Taishu Jiu has made a request, he has to reconsider.

He pondered for a moment and said, "How about this, tomorrow, I will send someone to the front lines to shout. If it does not shake the morale of the enemy, then you can experiment with the fireworks. If any deserters come to join us, we can wait until those who fled are imprisoned before conducting the experiment."

"Okay, then I'll go prepare."

Although he was said to be in charge of the preparations, most of the preparations were actually done by Zhu Qing'ai, including observing and monitoring the nearby terrain and the movements on the opposite side, as well as changes in weather and wind direction.

According to Zhu Qing'ai's calculations, tomorrow should be a cloudy day. Such weather will not affect the fireworks display and will make the daytime fireworks more conspicuous, making it one of the most suitable times in recent days.

Even if there are changes, the plan can be revised in time under her supervision.

After nightfall, everyone in the military camp except for the patrolmen had fallen asleep. Zhu Qing'ai was no longer human, so she didn't need to sleep. She sat on a nearby tree, idly gazing into the distance, taking it as a way of keeping watch.

She looked across the river all day but found no indication that Zhou Jun intended to launch a thrilling night raid. Come to think of it, it was already quite an achievement to have gathered so many troops to stop the Qin army.

The surrounding states were still observing, partly to see what the newly appointed King of Qin would do, and partly to avoid conflict with Qin over matters concerning Zhou.

Anyone with a brain among the six states could see that the Zhou state was not far from its demise. There was no need for them to wade into this mess for the sake of so-called morality. What is morality anyway? It's not something you can eat.

At dawn, Lü Buwei sent a loud-voiced soldier on horseback to the opposite front to shout, but the Zhou army, unaware of what was happening, dared not launch an attack.

Before the war, because Prince Zichu of Qin ordered the cut-off of grain exports to Zhou, they had already sent several letters to Qin seeking peace, but had received no response.

The so-called plot by the Duke of Zhou and the feudal lords to attack Qin was nothing more than an excuse devised by Prince Zichu of Qin. In those days, who would be out of their mind to dare to attack the Qin state?

They were already sanctioned regarding food supplies before the war even started. Under the ban, few merchants dared to risk secretly transporting grain from Qin to sell to them. Who could withstand that?

Most importantly, they were almost used to buying grain from Qin to use as seeds. Although the grain from Qin was grown at a much lower yield than the local Qin production, it was still about 10-20% higher than their own original grain production.

We won't die without it, but it will definitely cause domestic turmoil.

Even before war breaks out, the common people in the country will start to make trouble.

A fight is not what they want now, so naturally they won't attack the people Qin sent to make the announcement.

So the man on horseback who was shouting became even more audacious, speaking in a slightly broken dialect that the other side could understand: "Our magistrates said that those who surrender will not be killed, and will be provided with two meals a day. Those who work hard will even receive additional rations..."

"...Those who come to join us are not allowed to bring weapons. Anyone found carrying weapons will be killed on sight!"

"...First come, first served!"

****

Zhu Qing'ai had a wide listening range; even when she and Taishu Jiu Lü Buwei were standing on a small hill on the side of the battlefield, they could clearly hear what the people in front of them were shouting.

She casually remarked, "It looks like he's doing some kind of supermarket promotion..."

"A very novel method: persuading someone to surrender..."

First come, first served

Taishu Jiu's eyes flickered slightly, but he didn't say that the part about first-come, first-served was his idea.

"I'll go check what's going on across the way. You stay here and wait with Lü Buwei."

Taishu Jiu nodded almost imperceptibly. He glanced at the sky and sensed the wind direction. Just as predicted yesterday, they could take action this evening.

He then asked Lü Buwei, "Has the Prime Minister informed everyone about my planned experiment?"

"I already told them in advance, but I told them to ask God for help, and I didn't mention the experiment."

Taishu Jiu nodded, indicating that he understood. He wasn't surprised that Lü Buwei said that. It would be too troublesome to explain to his subordinates. It would be better to just tell them that they were asking for Heaven's help, which would also emphasize that this war was in accordance with the will of Heaven. But whether it was really true... that was a matter of opinion.

As noon approached, the man who had been shouting was almost hoarse. There was some commotion in Zhou Jun's camp, but no one dared to come and surrender at this time.

One reason is that deserters would be beheaded by their superiors, and another is that it would be too obvious to run away during the day, so it would be much easier to escape at night.

However, since many people nowadays suffer from night blindness, it's hard to say whether they could actually reach the Qin army at night without being killed as night raiders.

Zhu Qingai toured the Zhou army camp but didn't see any particularly famous generals. At this time, the Zhou state was barely clinging to life and was on its last legs. It would be destroyed with just a push from the Qin state. It was only natural that the army's morale was low.

This army, so fragile it could break at the slightest touch, posed no challenge whatsoever. No wonder Ying Zichu trusted Lü Buwei to lead the troops, and Meng Ao and Wang He were given leave without a single proper military officer being sent.

Lu Buwei waved his hand, ordering someone to replace the one who was shouting. After another afternoon passed and no one appeared on the other side who seemed to be trying to escape, he ordered someone to call the original person back.

Once the space between the two sides became an open area again, with no one standing there, several more people appeared on a small mound on Zhou Jun's side that no one had noticed. They brought with them the things they would use later, as well as two teams of guards and several good horses.

If there is a need to flee, the Prime Minister and the Grand Chancellor should be the first to escape, and the rest of the people will serve as guards.

Taishu Jiu took the fireworks tubes and set them up. Then, remembering what Lü Buwei had said earlier, he frowned and pondered, but after thinking for a long time, he still couldn't think of anything to shout.

For a moment, Taishu Jiu couldn't remember which famous general's line to copy, and he stood there awkwardly, making Lü Buwei wonder if something was wrong.

Zhu Qing'ai asked before Lü Buwei could, "What's wrong?"

Taishu Jiu replied in the private chat channel:

[Host, Taishu Jiu: Prime Minister Lü just asked me to think of some opening lines, but I can't think of anything to say while using this kind of weapon that isn't a weapon.]

Seeing Tai Shujiu's dilemma, Zhu Qing'ai couldn't help but chuckle and blurted out, "How about we shout 'Left zero, right fire, thunder god help me' to liven things up?"

Taishu Jiu's eyes lit up. Brilliant! How come he didn't think of that?

After a moment's preparation, Taishu Jiu raised his arm with a serious expression and shouted before anyone could react: "Left Zero, Right Fire, Thunder God, assist me!"

Not only did he shout it, but he also mastered it without being taught: "Three-phase four-wire, the Goddess of Electricity appears!"

After shouting, he directly lit the fuse of the firework with the tinderbox in his hand. A streak of lightning shot out from the tube and flew to Zhou Jun's camp with a whoosh, exploding rapidly in front of everyone.

Sparks flew everywhere, almost covering the entire Zhou army camp.

Lu Buwei was not shocked because he knew in advance that Taishu Jiu was going to say his lines. He just tried to recall where the two lines came from, what kind of incantation they were, and why he had never heard of them before.

Zhu Qing'ai knew, but unfortunately, none of the people present could hear or understand her explanation.

She looked at the shocked expressions on the faces of the guards around her; they were so adoring that they were practically ready to kneel down and kowtow to Taishu Jiu on the spot.

Well, it's not a negative impact anyway, so let Taishu Jiu go his own way.

And upon closer examination, she felt this sentence was actually quite appropriate? (crossed out)

Fireworks burst into Zhou's camp one after another, giving them no chance to realize that the thing was harmless, and the people in the camp were already in chaos.

"Heavenly lightning strikes! It's divine punishment!"

"Run!"

All sorts of shouts arose; due to the fighting and the lack of food, the pent-up emotions of many days finally erupted.

The fireworks didn't cause much damage to the camp, but because they were running around and shouting, some tents were knocked down, and some were even set ablaze by the torches lit near dusk.

They never imagined that the falling fire was completely harmless; instead, it was their own torches that ignited the camp. They assumed it was divine punishment that caused the fire in their camp.

The opposite side was in complete chaos, and no one paid attention to the people on the small mound a few hundred meters away. Taishu Jiu shouted a line after each time he lit the firecracker, which made Lü Buwei want to say that he didn't need to shout so many times, but seeing that the Grand Chancellor was in high spirits and the guards around him were shouting along, he didn't feel comfortable saying anything.

They had only a hundred men around them, yet they shouted with the force of a thousand, and in the end, he even remembered the incantation... no, he remembered the phrase that Taishu Daliangzao had made up.

****

Lu Buwei squinted, trying hard to see what was happening on the other side amidst the chaos. He figured there was no need for a night raid today; they could just wait to receive the prisoners.

He pulled over a guard who was shouting slogans with great enthusiasm, forcibly interrupted his chanting, and ordered, "When you go back to the camp later, take my warrant and call several teams to take turns shouting the surrender letter."

"Order the entire army to remain vigilant. Even if someone comes to surrender later, we must not let our guard down."

Taishu Jiu used up all the fireworks in one go and finally stopped. He turned around and saw Lü Buwei's old face, which was covered with wrinkles, with a bright smile. Lü Buwei raised his hand and grasped Taishu Jiu's hands: "Da Liangzao must be tired. Go back to camp, drink some water and rest. Leave the rest to Buwei."

Taishu Jiu: ?

Taishu Jiu felt that Lü Buwei's attitude had suddenly become strange. He had been polite before, but not this enthusiastic. He tentatively withdrew his hands and said, "Then I'll have to trouble Prime Minister Lü?"

"It's not hard work at all, it's not hard work at all. This is the fastest battle we've won in recent years, all thanks to the help of the Grand General!"

After a moment of silence, Taishu Jiu suddenly said, "...Actually, there is no Thunder God or Lightning Goddess. You have to believe in science."

Lü Buwei readily agreed: "Okay, okay, I understand. I will believe in science."

Taishu Jiu: ?

Why did he feel that this description of believing in science was not quite right?

"The man dressed like a general has fled with his personal guards. I reckon it won't be long before they take over the surrendered Zhou troops."

"With this defeat, Zhou Jun's territory is now flat and open, and it should be annexed soon."

You are not far from returning in victory.

Taishu Jiu first told Lü Buwei what Zhu Qing'ai had seen, pretending it was his own judgment, and then gave some small suggestions. Only then did he and the others clean up the remaining garbage at the scene and head back to their own camp.

****

As Lü Buwei had predicted, many Zhou soldiers surrendered, and few resisted. Even those who did not surrender fled towards the Zhou state, and no one attempted to fight against the 'Heavenly Fire'.

After receiving a large number of deserters, he first ordered his men to search and inspect them. Those carrying weapons were dragged out and beheaded. Those who surrendered were dispersed according to the order, and the surrounding Qin people would watch them do odd jobs.

No one beat or scolded the surrendered soldiers at will. In the eyes of the Qin people, these people were walking military merits. If you could persuade someone to sincerely submit and become a Qin person, you would be credited with military merit.

Although the difficulties in communicating between dialects meant that these people were not given much reassurance, the provision of two meals a day meant that not many people caused trouble on the spot.

You should know that this includes two meals a day, and you'll even get a full meal!

They received treatment they didn't even receive during the Zhou dynasty, but they got it as prisoners of war in Qin. So why would anyone want to risk their life for the Zhou royal family? Wouldn't it be better to be a prisoner of war in Qin?

They even discovered that the wounded soldiers who came to surrender were treated by the Qin army's accompanying medical personnel.

They couldn't understand and were greatly shocked. You see, in the past, when they were injured, they usually just toughed it out. If they survived, it was good luck; if they didn't, it was their fate and they couldn't blame anyone else.

A small question arose in their minds: Are the Qin soldiers treated so well?

After they had a full meal, military doctors treated their injuries, and wounded soldiers were never abandoned...

Actually, this was a small misunderstanding. The person who was mistaken for a military doctor was Taishu Jiu. He simply saw wounded soldiers among the prisoners and planned to train the military doctors in the army according to modern hygiene standards, so that they wouldn't treat the Qin people haphazardly in future battles.

Zhou Jun's prisoners of war, who had unknowingly become guinea pigs, still looked at Tai Shu Jiu with grateful eyes.

Zhu Qing'ai: A non-existent pang of conscience. (crossed out)

Taishu Jiu himself was bewildered; he didn't seem to have done anything wrong... Never mind, he instructed the accompanying medic: "You need to wash your hands first..."

Taishu Jiu frowned and said, "Wash it several more times, don't just do it half-heartedly!"

"It would be great if we had alcohol for disinfection, but we'll have to make do for now..."

"After heating the dagger, cut off the inflamed area near the wound."

The army doctor didn't understand what inflammation meant, but he did understand that the Grand Commandant instructed him to use a red-hot dagger to cut off a layer of flesh from the surface of the wound.

During his actions, the wounded soldier was in great pain but endured it without crying out; this is the human desire to survive.

Tai Shu Jiu then took out a piece of paper from his sleeve (actually a blueprint of Zhu Qing Ai stored in the system space). It depicted a plant that was effective at stopping bleeding, and there were also some plants growing haphazardly around it.

He handed the items to a sergeant and gave the order. Then, as the medic began to remove the inflamed areas from almost all the wounded soldiers, he became more and more skilled and excited as he cut. After finishing the last one, he looked around with shining eyes, wondering if anyone else needed 'surgery'.

The Qin soldiers around him all retreated, not daring to meet the army doctor's eyes. They were perfectly fine and had no interest in having their flesh cut out!

Just then, some locally sourced plants arrived. Taishu Jiu showed them to the army doctor and told him to remember them: "Crush this plant into a paste, apply it to the wound, and then bandage it with a clean cloth..."

Zhu Qing'ai gently reminded her, "Clean cloth... the clothes you and Lü Buwei are wearing should be the cleanest cloth around here..."

Taishu Jiu: ...

No matter what, he would never take off his clothes to cut cloth!

He privately messaged Zhu Qing'ai:

[Host, Taishu Jiu: Can I buy some bandages from the shop to tide me over for now?]

[System 99 (Zhu Qing'ai): The points are yours; you decide for yourself. Don't ask me.]

[Host, Taishu Jiu: Should I buy it then?]

[System 99 (Zhu Qing'ai): Either is fine.]

After listening to Zhu Qing'ai's 'advice', Tai Shujiu seemed to have a problem with making a choice. After hesitating for a long time, he pulled out a roll of bandages and gauze from his sleeve.

After handing the items to the medic, he began explaining how to use them. Amidst the grateful gazes of the many wounded soldiers, the medic bandaged their wounds one by one.

In the hearts of these Zhou people, this richly dressed man must have brought out something extremely precious to save them. Some of them burst into tears on the spot and knelt down to kowtow several times, worshipping Taishu Jiu according to the standards of a sacrificial ceremony.

After the treatment, this small group of Zhou people were extremely grateful to Taishu. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they were completely devoted to him and willing to go through fire and water for him.

With a slight thought, Lü Buwei arranged for the wounded soldiers who had received treatment to disperse and recuperate, only gathering together when their dressings were changed.

He deliberately arranged for them to be in locations where there were many prisoners, revealing his ulterior motives.

At least Zhu Qing'ai noticed it, but it's hard to say whether Tai Shujiu noticed it. He was still telling the army doctor to remember to wash his hands before doing anything, and even if there were no other options, to wet his palms with water and then wipe them with a clean cloth.

Maybe that would save a wounded soldier from dying from a medic's lack of hygiene.

After a busy day, Lü Buwei decided to convene a meeting, which was attended by all the military officers, including the highest commander, Chancellor Lü Buwei himself, and Grand Chancellor Taishu Jiu.

Lü Buwei decided to first send a group of people to escort the prisoners to the nearest city in the rear, and then have the officials in the city arrange for the prisoners to be escorted back to Xianyang.

Generally, after the victory celebration, these prisoners would be dispersed throughout the country, possibly sent to coal mines or closed smelting plants, etc. The work might be tough, but the food would be plentiful.

Qin has been doing this for several years now, and despite the lure of high salaries (food) and regular five-day work week, there has been no unrest.

Zhu Qing'ai once lamented that the common people of this era were really easy to please. As long as they were fed, they would not cause trouble, even if they were engaged in work that was more or less dangerous.

****

The war ended quickly, and unsurprisingly, Qin won in the end.

On the day Lü Buwei returned victorious with his army, Ying Zheng noticed that the Qin state was in a very good mood.

Of course, he was happy to receive such news.

After the complete demise of the Zhou dynasty, the father ordered the relocation of the Duke of Zhou to Yangrenju, ensuring the continuation of his ancestral sacrifices. He then granted the land of Yangren to the Zhou ruler to continue his sacrifices, and after that, the Zhou state ceased to exist.

'Qin' suppressed his smile and spoke gently: "Not only on Lü Buwei's side, but Meng Ao's side is also reporting frequent victories. 'Han' even came to me several times to complain."

She sighed, as if she felt sorry for 'Han', but her words were full of unease.

"I didn't hit her, which is already a great act of kindness. She still wants to push her luck."

Ying Zheng nodded in agreement: "Mother is right. It's already very kind of you not to beat her. If I were to take action, I would never give her a chance to breathe."

Putting aside all the facts, his mother was the kindest woman in the world.

The two people, one from each other and one from the same country, exchanged a knowing smile; their understanding was unspoken.

-----------------------

Author's Note: 1: "Left neutral, right live, Thunder God helps me, three phases four wires, Goddess of Electricity appears." This is actually a meme. The original line is from Zhang Jiao. In the revised version, "zero" refers to the neutral wire, "live" to the live wire, and "three phases four wires" refers to a three-phase four-wire system, an electrical engineering term. In low-voltage distribution networks, this is a common wiring configuration for transmission lines, where three lines represent phases A, B, and C, and the other is the neutral line N or PEN (if the neutral point on the power supply side of the circuit is grounded, the neutral line is also called the zero line). This old terminology should be gradually avoided and replaced with PEN.

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Some extra chapters, and I also updated the pinned post, fixed a bug in the Tang World text that had typos (?), added two bonus features, and optimized the text length (it feels like I'm writing a game announcement lol).

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Ying Zheng: The motherland is the kindest nation! (Confirmed)

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Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 11:53:16 and 23:41:28 on April 29, 2024!

Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmines: Noir (3);

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Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!