Chapter 77 Does the Butcher Bai Qi still have even a shred of loyalty to the Qin Dynasty?
The people in the office were dazzled. Wasn't someone putting Bai Qi, Xiang Yu, and Han Xin together?
How is she supposed to choose?
Can't we have both?
Before Django could react, everyone's attention shifted from the list to her.
"Magistrate Jiang, who are you planning to choose?" Yuchi Jingde couldn't help but ask. Bai Qi, Xiang Yu, and Han Xin were all so famous, he wanted to meet them, and if possible, even exchange a few blows.
Let's compare fists.
But if it were Xiang Yu who came, how many moves could he possibly exchange with him?
After all, "Yu's divine bravery is unparalleled throughout the ages."
He's pretty brave... right?
Jiang Ge stared intently at that name. The foremost of the four great generals of the Warring States period, responsible for beheading 240,000 at the Battle of Yique, flooding Yan City at the Battle of Yan and Ying, and massacring 400,000 Zhao soldiers at the Battle of Changping… This wasn't hiring employees; it was hiring a god of slaughter!
Suddenly, a passage from the *Records of the Grand Historian* flashed through Jiang Ge's mind: "The man of Lord Wu'an was small-headed with a sharp face, and his pupils were clearly defined, black and white..." Jiang Ge couldn't help but shudder. But then, another side of Bai Qi's deeds surfaced—he loved his soldiers like sons, personally visiting any wounded soldier; he was invincible, conquering over seventy cities for Qin...
"How about... Bai Qi?" Jiang Ge bit her nails, struggling with her decision. Compared to the difficult-to-control Han Xin and Xiang Yu, Bai Qi at least listened to her. Besides, since they wanted to conquer the world, with Lord Wu'an in charge, they had already won half the battle.
Bai Qi?
Everyone pondered.
Huo Qubing stood with his arms crossed, his dark eyelashes trembling slightly: "Interesting. I'd like to see just how powerful he really is." The young man feared no one, and he was the most qualified to say—"Until death do us part, I remain a youth!"
Even if he were to encounter Lord Wu'an, Bai Qi, he would still have to give him a run for his money.
Zhuge Liang paused slightly with his feather fan and sighed softly, "If Lord Wu'an were to come, the county government would probably have to revise the laws."
Recently, Prime Minister Zhuge has been doing this job: taking care of the children while meticulously revising the laws. The laws of Songyang County are too vague and unclear. Such vague laws not only fail to inspire awe in the people, but also mean that the only consequence for breaking the law is beheading, so the people simply give up.
Zhou Yu narrowed his phoenix eyes and suddenly sneered: "Is Kongming afraid?" The title of God of Slaughter is not for nothing. The lives of millions of people are in Bai Qi's hands. Just looking at this name, Zhou Yu can smell the blood in the air.
It seems to exist but isn't.
"No," Zhuge Liang shook his head. "I'm just worried... that Songyang County isn't big enough."
Everyone was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter. The tense atmosphere eased slightly, but all eyes remained fixed on Jiang Ge.
Whether or not Magistrate Jiang can put on a show of respect for Bai Qi is up to him.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Jiang Ge's finger trembled in mid-air for three seconds before she gritted her teeth and tapped the "Confirm Send" button below Bai Qi's name.
260 BC, Xianyang, Qin Palace Hall
A cold wind howled, and the bronze lamps in Xianyang Palace swayed in the wind, reflecting the oppressive atmosphere inside the hall.
King Zhaoxiang of Qin sat high on his throne, his face grim. He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his cold gaze sweeping over the assembled officials. Chancellor Fan Ju stood to the side, a faint smile playing on his lips, but his eyes were as sharp as a knife.
This was a hegemon. Under his rule, the Qin state truly transitioned from a powerful nation to the era of "annexing the six states." Bai Qi was the sharpest sword, but also the most dangerous achievement. When Bai Qi could decide to bury surrendered soldiers alive or abandon the siege, even a powerful ruler like King Zhaoxiang of Qin would not hesitate to destroy his sharpest weapon.
Bai Qi, standing in the center of the hall, was clad in armor, with a long sword at his waist, his expression cold and his eyes piercing.
"Your Majesty, Zhao has just suffered a defeat, and Handan is vulnerable. This is the perfect opportunity to destroy Zhao!" Bai Qi said in a deep voice, his fists clasped together, his voice strong and resonant, echoing throughout the hall.
However, King Zhaoxiang of Qin did not respond immediately, but instead slowly looked at Fan Ju.
Fan Ju smiled slightly, stepped forward, and said, "Lord Wu'an, although our army has won, we have been fighting for years and have consumed a lot of food and supplies. If we attack Handan again, I'm afraid our national strength will not be able to support it."
These words sounded righteous and seemed to be for the sake of Qin's national strength. However, the "Biography of Fan Ju" records that "the people of Zhao offered generous gifts to the Qin prime minister." This means that Fan Ju accepted bribes from the state of Zhao.
Besides receiving benefits, another reason was that Fan Ju disliked Bai Qi. The conflict between the military merit group and the civil official group became increasingly acute after the Qin system reforms, and they had a natural conflict of stances.
Bai Qi frowned and said coldly, "Prime Minister, you are mistaken! Zhao's elite troops were all wiped out at Changping. Now is the time to destroy Zhao! If we delay and wait for them to recover their strength, it will be much more difficult to conquer them!"
Once the Zhao army regroups, the military manpower and supplies it will require will be several times greater than they are now. Even a three-year-old could figure this out, so it just doesn't make sense.
Fan Ju calmly replied, "Lord Wu'an is known throughout the land for his bravery, but war is a matter of great importance to the state and must be approached with utmost care. Your Majesty, I believe we should postpone our attack on Zhao and allow the country to recuperate."
King Zhaoxiang of Qin pondered for a moment, and finally nodded slowly: "What the Prime Minister said makes sense. Let's call off the war for now."
The discord between the generals and the ministers was exactly what King Zhaoxiang of Qin wanted to see. Bai Qi had such great abilities, and Fan Ju had such great power; if the two of them colluded, they would threaten his rule.
We can only suppress Bai Qi a little longer.
A flash of anger crossed Bai Qi's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it, giving Fan Ju a cold look before turning and striding away.
After leaving the palace, Bai Qi rode straight to his own residence.
"Fan Ju...!" He slammed his fist on the table, sending wood chips flying.
"Lord Wu'an, please calm down!" the guard beside him quickly advised.
Bai Qi took a deep breath, his eyes flashing with cold light. "In the Battle of Changping, I massacred 400,000 Zhao soldiers, shaking the world. Zhao is no longer capable of fighting! If not now, when?!"
The battlefield is unpredictable. By the time the Qin army has had time to rest and recuperate, the general may be too old to lead troops into battle. How then can he possibly destroy Zhao?
He suddenly stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the night view of Xianyang City, his heart filled with resentment.
"Your Majesty listened to Fan Ju's slander and actually wanted to withdraw the troops... How laughable!"
Just then, a sudden gust of wind swept past the window, extinguishing the candle.
Bai Qi frowned, about to call for someone to relight the lamp, when suddenly, a snow-white piece of paper floated in from outside the window and gently landed on his desk.
"This is……?"
Bai Qi picked up the paper and saw several lines of text written on it:
Songyang County is sincerely recruiting outstanding talents from all dynasties.
[Position: Yamen Runner]
[Compensation: What I desire]
If interested, please leave your handprint.
Bai Qi's pupils contracted, his heart filled with surprise and uncertainty.
"What's on my mind...?"
He stared at the paper, his thoughts churning; he wanted to turn back time.
"If I could turn back time, would I have been able to disregard Fan Ju's obstruction and directly conquer Handan after the Battle of Changping?"
"If I could change the past, could I still avoid becoming enemies with Fan Ju?"
He remained silent for a long time, and finally, a resolute look flashed in his eyes.
"In that case, I'll see just who this Songyang County is!"
Without hesitation, he bit his finger and pressed his bloody mark onto the paper!
In an instant, the paper turned into a golden light and vanished into the air!
Meanwhile, inside the Prime Minister's residence.
Fan Ju was plotting with his confidants.
“Bai Qi’s achievements are so great that they threaten the king’s position; the king has already become wary of him,” Fan Ju sneered.
"What does the Prime Minister mean...?"
"Find an opportunity to make him lose all power!"
Meanwhile, on the other side, there was the Great Qin.
Ying Zheng was looking at his watch, waiting for Hei Fu to return. Something was wrong. He was an hour later than usual. Could something have happened in Songyang County?
"I'm late today," he said in a low voice, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table, making a dull sound. "Songyang County... has something happened?"
The attendant beside him bowed deeply, his forehead almost touching the ground: "Your Majesty, Lord Hei Fu is usually punctual, but today he is indeed acting strangely."
Ying Zheng raised his eyes, his gaze sharp as a blade: "Is it perhaps payday again?"
The servant bowed even lower: "Your Majesty, the salary will be paid in five days."
The candlelight flickered in the hall, illuminating Ying Zheng's cold, handsome profile. He remained silent for a moment, then suddenly let out a cold laugh: "Could it be that Hei Fu is playing some kind of trick?"
It's best not to. He brought Heifu's brother and mother to Xianyang not simply to show his benevolence, but to hope that Heifu wouldn't be so foolish.
The servants still call him "Your Majesty" now, but in a few days, Ying Zheng will no longer be the King of Qin, but—
The First Emperor.
Hei Fu appeared in the palace, his expression excited. His Majesty had always wanted another person from the Great Qin to go to Songyang County, and now they finally had one, even though decades had passed…
But at least it won't affect him.
"Your Majesty, I have something to report."
Ying Zheng stopped adjusting the dial and looked at Hei Fu. What could it be? Immortals can solve all the problems in this world and live forever.
What worries could someone who lives forever have?
Ying Zheng could not have imagined it.
However, he listened patiently. Heifu knelt on the ground, not even raising his head. Although they had spent quite a while together, he was still afraid to look the king in the eye.
Those eyes were as deep as the sea.
Hei Fu lowered his head and began to recount the recruitment of Magistrate Jiang, only managing to utter Xiang Yu's name.
Ying Zheng stretched out his hand, signaling Hei Fu to stop. Xiang Yu, he savored the name. Yu—what a light and airy name. Who could have imagined that Xiang Yu would bring about the end of the Qin Dynasty?
Xiang Yu was no match for him; he was merely a vengeful figure lying in wait.
But Ying Zheng would remove every potential thorn.
As the first emperor to establish the dynasty, he naturally had to strive for perfection, and the Qin Dynasty had to last for thousands of years.
Unexpectedly, Magistrate Jiang actually wants to recruit Xiang Yu?
This man was quite capable. After the war against Chu, as a descendant of Xiang Yan, the Xiang clan was under close surveillance. However, Xiang Yu's uncle, Xiang Liang, cleverly took advantage of the geographical advantages of the Wu region and quietly hid away.
From the moment Ying Zheng learned the names of Xiang Yu and Liu Bang, it was destined that no matter how closely the two hid, they would be escorted to Xianyang.
At this time, both Xiang Yu and Liu Bang were being transported to Xianyang.
Ying Zheng was looking forward to this meeting. He didn't intend to kill them—at least not now. Useful people should be put to good use. But the premise was that they had to be under his control, with no chance of ever rising again.
Ying Zheng asked curiously, "Will Magistrate Jiang recruit Xiang Yu?" If he did recruit Xiang Yu, why not recruit him? Perhaps he could recruit his other ministers, each of whom is far superior to Hei Fu.
"Your Majesty, Magistrate Jiang has chosen Xiang Yu, she has chosen..." Hei Fu pursed his lips, wondering how he should address Bai Qi. After a moment of contemplation, he finally spoke: "Lord Wu'an, Bai Qi."
Lord Wu'an?
Ying Zheng's gaze darkened.
If we consider Bai Qi during the Battle of Changping, he was undoubtedly a sharp blade of Qin; but if we consider Bai Qi after he was demoted to a commoner at Duyu Pavilion…
Does he still have even a shred of loyalty to the Qin Dynasty?
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Author's Note: Wu'an Jun Bai Qi [question mark] Thank you everyone for your suggestions, I've received them. It's my birthday today, so I'm a little late [cheering]. Sorry.
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