After accepting the position of Grand Marshal, the wicked man did not immediately head north to fight.
After all, although the crisis on the border of the Great Qin is urgent, it is not something that can be resolved overnight. At present, the army is small, the generals are few, and the morale of the troops is unstable. If they rush into battle, they will probably not be able to win.
That night, the wicked man had a secret talk with Ying Zheng in the marshal's mansion.
"Your Majesty, I have a plan," the wicked man said in a deep voice. "Those who served Your Majesty in the past, such as generals like Wang Jian and Meng Tian, must have descendants still alive. If we can find their descendants, they may be of use to the Great Qin."
Ying Zheng's eyes lit up: "This plan is excellent! These descendants of meritorious officials should have inherited the will of their ancestors. If they can be used by me, it will surely be twice as effective with half the effort."
The wicked man continued, "Your Majesty, I beg Your Majesty to grant me three months to search for the descendants of these old comrades. At the same time, I also wish to learn about the situation of Erniu, Chun Ning, and other former comrades."
Ying Zheng pondered for a moment: "Approved! However, since you are the Grand Marshal, you still need to prepare for the Northern Expedition in name only. In this way, I will order Wang Cen to gather the necessary military supplies, while you secretly seek out old acquaintances, so that neither task is neglected."
The wicked husband nodded: "That's very good."
The next day, the wicked man ostensibly began to plan the Northern Expedition, but in reality, he secretly sent his confidants to collect information on the descendants of former meritorious officials.
Soon, the first batch of names was delivered to the wicked husband.
He examined the documents carefully, his brow gradually relaxing: "The lineage of Wang Jian has reached its fourth generation. Currently, Wang Wu is the governor of Nanyang; Meng Hu, a descendant of Meng Tian, is now a junior general in the northern border; and Chun Hui, the grandson of my former comrade Chun Ning, seems to be living in seclusion among the common people..."
A few days later, the wicked husband disguised himself and, with only two trusted confidants, quietly left Xianyang to visit the descendants of his old friends in various places.
During his journey, he visited the descendants of many meritorious officials, some of whom were still serving as officials, while others had fallen into obscurity.
Many people were moved to tears upon hearing the news of King Wu's return, expressing their willingness to die for the Qin Dynasty.
The first stop for the wicked husband was Nanyang.
He announced his name in front of the prefectural governor's mansion and was quickly led into the inner hall.
Inside the hall, a man of about thirty-five years old rose to greet him: "This humble official, Wang Wu, pays his respects to Your Majesty, King Wu!"
The wicked man carefully examined the person in front of him. He saw that the man was tall and imposing, with an air of authority, much like the Wang family.
"No need for formalities." The wicked man gestured for him to sit down. "I heard you are a descendant of Wang Jian, so I came to see you."
Wang Wu respectfully said, "My ancestor Wang Jian and my father Wang Li both served under Lord Wu. The Wang family has been indebted to you for generations, and all descendants admire you. It is truly an honor to see your face today!"
The wicked man observed that the furnishings in Wang Wu's residence were simple, which was inconsistent with his position as prefect, and he had already begun to approve of it.
During the conversation, the wicked man tentatively asked, "Nanyang is a wealthy city; you must be very busy with government affairs, right?"
Wang Wu sighed, “That is indeed the case. In recent years, natural disasters have occurred frequently, and the people have suffered greatly. I have reduced taxes many times to alleviate the people’s suffering, but this has offended many powerful officials in the court.”
How did you deal with it?
Wang Wu said solemnly, "I would rather offend the powerful and wealthy than increase the burden on the people! If I lose my post because of this, I can simply go back to my hometown to farm, which is quite peaceful."
The wicked husband deliberately made things difficult for him: "If you lose your official position, wouldn't you be letting down the glory of your ancestors?"
Wang Wu replied frankly, "Lord Wu, my Wang family has been honest and upright for generations, and has never coveted power. My ancestors taught me that officials should serve the people, not themselves. I would rather lose my position to protect the people than protect my position at the expense of the people!"
The wicked husband nodded to himself and then asked, "I've heard that you are quite wealthy, so why is your residence so simple?"
Wang Wu frankly stated, "My family's teachings dictate that officials should be honest and incorruptible, and not take money from the people. Over the years, most of my salary has been used for disaster relief and helping the people, with only the remainder used to support my family."
The wicked man grew increasingly satisfied and immediately revealed his purpose: "Prefect Wang, I have come on behalf of His Majesty to seek out talented individuals. Great Qin is currently beset by internal and external troubles and desperately needs loyal ministers and capable generals like you. Would you be willing to serve in the court?"
Wang Wu exclaimed with delight, "Lord Wu, do you mean... His Majesty intends to appoint me to a position?"
The wicked man nodded: "Exactly. If you wish, set off for Xianyang immediately."
Wang Wu knelt down without hesitation: "This humble official is willing to die for Your Majesty! I will never forget the will of my ancestors!"
That evening, Wang Wu packed his bags and set off with his wicked husband back to Xianyang.
Along the way, the wicked man talked with Wang Wu about the past and present, becoming more and more convinced that this man was capable of great things.
The next stop was for the wicked man to go to the northern military camp to find Meng Hu, the descendant of Meng Tian.
In the military camp, the wicked man met this young general. Although Meng Hu was only in his early twenties, he was already a fierce general and had made many military achievements on the border.
Upon seeing his wicked husband, Meng Hu was so excited that he couldn't speak, and could only keep kowtowing.
The wicked man helped him up: "Get up, young man. You are so young, yet you are already a general. You must be brave and skilled in battle?"
Meng Hu said shyly, "I dare not accept such praise. I was merely acting in accordance with ancestral teachings and was fortunate enough to achieve some results."
The wicked man's eyes lit up: "Oh? Do you have any ancestral military strategies?"
Meng Hu took out a tattered booklet from his waist: "This is the 'Record of Border Defense' left by our ancestors, which records the experience of our ancestors in fighting against the Xiongnu for generations."
The wicked man took the book and nodded approvingly: "The military strategy is exquisite. It seems that the descendants of the Meng family have indeed inherited the wisdom of their ancestors."
Closing the booklet, the wicked man said solemnly, "Meng Hu, His Majesty intends to appoint you as a general to conquer the Xiongnu in the north. I wonder if you are willing?"
Meng Hu knelt down excitedly: "This humble general has received the emperor's favor for generations and has long wished to serve Your Majesty! But..."
"If you have any concerns, please speak freely."
Meng Hu pointed towards the military camp: "These soldiers have followed me for many years and are all loyal and brave men. If possible, I hope to take them with me."
The wicked man laughed loudly: "Just what I wanted! Quickly prepare the troops and follow me!"
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