Chapter Nine: The Swordsman
PS: Thanks to some book friends for their enthusiastic support, and another explanation is that the three public system of Chancellor, Grand Commandant and Imperial Censor was established only in the later period of Qin Shi Huang, while in the early period of Qin Shi Huang, it was still the system of Chancellor, National Commandant and Court Commandant with three powers standing together. The rank of Gentleman was not mistaken, but thanks again to some enthusiastic book friends!
In the following days, Fu Su rarely went out except for occasional visits to Wang Jian's old general mansion, because he was now practicing Mozi swordsmanship.
Fusu's previously learned 'King's Sword' was full of majestic energy and awe-inspiring royal power, but it was more suitable for self-cultivation and personal combat. Mozi's swordsmanship was extraordinary, sharp and mysterious, extremely beneficial for battlefield combat and dominating the world. Therefore, Fusu, who did not want to be just a comfortable king, was working hard to master Mozi's swordsmanship in order to one day lead millions of soldiers on the battlefield!
With the solid foundation laid by 'Wang Zhe Jian', combined with Fu Su's own intelligence and wisdom, in about a month's time, Fu Su had mastered the thirty-six routes of Mozi Sword to perfection. At this time, on top of his original majestic appearance, he quietly added an air of dominance that swept everything aside. However, this dominant aura was different from the murderous and tyrannical aura of Qin Wang Ying Zheng. Due to the Mozi swordsmanship's aura being suppressed by the Mohist philosophy of peace, humility, and cessation of war, it was more of a rational and intelligent dominance.
Originally, those who walked the King's Way found it difficult to enter the Hegemon's Way again, but similarly, those who walked the Hegemon's Way also found it extremely difficult to re-enter the King's Way. However, with the help of Mohist mental techniques, Fusu was able to learn the King's Way while simultaneously incorporating the Hegemon's Way! As a result, on Fusu's body, the two auras of the King and the Hegemon, which were normally extremely difficult to combine, miraculously merged together. When he was pleased, he exuded an aura of majesty; when he was angry, he exuded an aura of dominance. Every move he made was filled with an awe-inspiring aura of kingliness and hegemony. Fusu also unknowingly advanced his martial arts skills to a new realm that ordinary people could hardly reach; while his heart became even more calm, decisive, and resolute under the fusion of the King's and Hegemon's Ways. A balance, a strange balance - the Doctrine of the Mean, which had been highly esteemed in China for thousands of years: 'The hard is easily broken, the soft is easily bent' - found its most perfect interpretation on Fusu's body! This also predetermined that Fusu's future achievements would reach heights that later emperors could hardly attain.
Perhaps this is the will of heaven, and the heavens have taken pity on the suffering people of China, wanting to give birth to a sage ruler who can establish the foundation for the prosperity of China for all eternity! But as for Fusu himself, he doesn't feel like there's anything special about him, which just goes to show that "one cannot see the true face of Mount Lu, only because one is standing in the midst of this mountain".
In the late autumn, Korea surrendered under the pressure of General Han Tong's army. At the same time as General Han Tong sent King An to Xianyang, he was also ordered to establish Korea as Yingchuan Prefecture, and began to station troops and store grain, making preparations for attacking Chu and Zhao.
At the same time, Queen Gongsun Yu, who was pregnant for ten months, finally gave birth to a dragon species on an autumn morning: the original Second Emperor Hu Hai! Upon hearing this news, Fusu let out a faint sigh: "'The tree wants to be still but the wind does not stop', must I, Fusu, really take the old road of brotherly strife again? I pity the people of the world, but who pities me?" The sorrowful Fusu could not help but feel a sense of desolation!
After leaving the wine building for nearly a month, Fusou, who had already made great progress in his martial arts and mental state, estimated that the swordsmen he needed should have arrived at Xianyang. So, Fusou ordered Fu to send a letter of inquiry to Wei Hu under the pretext of ordering food and drinks. Wei Hu quickly sent back a message with only eight words: "Already passed Tongguan, will arrive in five days." Fusou was overjoyed in his heart, and he threw away his worries, waiting patiently!
About seven days later, Fu Su must have arrived with several people, so he only brought Che Qiong and Fu to rush to the "Feng Ya Song" wine house!
After arriving at the wine building, Wei Hu was waiting eagerly for Fu Su. When he saw Fu Su coming, he quickly let him in and made him enter the back hall, leaving Liu Fu waiting outside!
When Wei Hu saw that there was no one around, he wanted to bow down. Fu Su smiled and stopped him, saying: "No need, we Mo Men value equality and universal love. From now on, when you see me, there's no need to bow!" Seeing Fu Su being so approachable, Wei Hu couldn't help but feel moved. It was worth noting that during the Warring States period, when social status and position were highly valued, Fu Su's behavior was extremely rare.
Seeing Wei Hu's emotional expression, Fu Su smiled and said: "How is it? The people I want have arrived?" Wei Hu respectfully replied: "They have already arrived, a total of nine people, five men and four women, including an elder with a dark brain!" "Oh, then please invite them quickly!"
Before Wei Hu could respond, a loud laughter came from behind the screen, "No need to invite us, we've come uninvited!" As the speaker emerged from behind the screen, ten people appeared in a line. The first person was about fifty years old, tall and slender, wearing a cyan robe, with piercing eyes that seemed to gleam with an inner light, set on a lean and angular face, giving off an air of stability and severity, like a wise elder, undoubtedly the Elder himself.
Behind the elder stood five young men, each with a different appearance and physique, some tall and thin, others short and fat. However, they all shared one thing in common: they were all carrying long swords, their faces stern and cold, exuding an aura of powerful energy that seemed both fierce and calm, steady and violent at the same time, clearly marking them as seasoned veterans of many battles.
The last four women were all wearing long skirts: one fiery red, one cyan green, one lake blue, and one snowy white. Each had a slender waist that could be grasped in one hand, and their skin was as fair as snow, with a fragrance that wafted over to him. Although they wore veils of silk gauze over their faces, so he couldn't see their true features, it was impossible to conceal their lithe figures and captivating curves.
Just as Fu Su was still in a daze, he saw a line of ten people who had already bowed down and said: "Subordinates see 'Ju Zi'!" Fu Su was slightly startled, and quickly stepped forward to help the elder up first, then said to the crowd: "You don't have to be formal, I just told Wei Hu that from now on, when people in Mo Men see me, they don't have to be formal, as long as there is courtesy in their hearts!"
The elder said sternly, "No, the young master is not only a 'Ju Zi' of our Mo Men, but also the eldest son of the King of Qin. Regardless of his identity, we must treat him with courtesy!" Fu Su heard this and smiled wryly, saying, "Alright, you can do as you wish, but from now on, don't call me 'Ju Zi' anymore. Firstly, it makes me sound too old, and secondly, it's easy to reveal my identity. Just call me 'young master' from now on!"
"I'll introduce myself! I'm Mo Feng, one of the three great elders of 'Mo Brain', Mo Feng, Mo Chen, and Mo Yu, responsible for overseeing the daily operations of Mo Gate; The five 'Juzi' guardians behind me are: Wu Xin, Wu Xu, Wu Ya, Wu Shang, and Wu Yu, all of whom are top swordsmen trained by my Mo Gate; Those four female disciples are Huo Feng, Qing Luan, Lan Shuang, and Su Xue, also the best among my Mo Gate's female disciples. I wonder if you're satisfied, young master?"
Fu Su hastily said: "Thank you, elder and everyone! Fu Su is very satisfied!" Mo Feng looked at Fu Su again, smiled and said: "Can the young master show me 'Juzi Ling' again?" Fu Su knew that Mo Men still had some doubts about himself, so he nodded and took out 'Juzi Ling' from his sleeve to show everyone!
Mo Feng looked carefully and nodded: "Not bad, it is indeed the 'Juzi Order' left by Master Mozi! This order was made from the rare 'Black Jade' that is hard to find in the world for thousands of years. It was personally crafted by Master Mozi, with carving skills surpassing those of heaven and earth. Indeed, no one can imitate it. I wonder if I could ask you, sir, to describe in detail how Mr. Fang Zhong passed on this order?"
Fu Su knew that Mo Feng was here to test him. Although the Mo School had a tradition of not recognizing people, if the "Ju Zi Ling" really fell into the hands of someone with ulterior motives, the old men who actually held power in the Mo School might still refuse to acknowledge it. This kind of thing couldn't be without precedent; otherwise, the Mo School wouldn't have been able to peacefully pass down for hundreds of years until today! So, Fu Su also respectfully recounted his experience of obtaining the order from start to finish, and finally said: "After I sent Mr. Fang Zhong out of Xianyang, he said that from then on, he would no longer be involved in Mo School affairs, but instead wandered around the world and hid in the mountains!"
Everyone was quietly listening to this astonishing news, until Fu Su finished speaking. The crowd was still deep in thought. Suddenly, Mo Feng asked Fu Su: "Young Master, do you really intend to abolish harsh laws and reduce taxes after ascending to the throne?" Fu Su pointed to the sky and swore an oath: "If I go back on my word, heaven and earth will be outraged, and my descendants will be cut off!"
The ancients valued their promises, and seeing Fusu make such a poisonous oath, Mo Feng nodded his head and said with a sigh: "Since Mr. Fang Zhong believes in the young master and entrusts him with the 'Juzi Order', I shouldn't have asked this question. However, due to the young master's identity being too sensitive, I had no choice but to resort to this inferior strategy! You should know that as long as the young master holds the 'Juzi Order' in his hand, the lives of thousands of brothers and sisters under Mo Men are all in his hands!" For some reason, Mo Feng was attracted by the majestic and upright aura emanating from Fusu's body, and he found himself believing every word that Fusu said! Perhaps this is a necessary personality trait for an outstanding emperor. Of course, it may also be related to the unique aura of the king and the hegemon that Fusu possesses.
Fu Su nodded and said, "Don't blame the elder, even if it were me, Fu Su, I would have done the same. I am sincere and genuine in my intentions to serve the people, please believe me!" Mo Feng gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, whether our Mo family will rise or fall depends on whether you can keep your promise. All of you come and pay respects to the young master, from now on you will follow him closely and protect his safety with your lives!" Fu Su was overjoyed when he heard this, knowing that the Mo family had finally acknowledged his identity. However, he also understood that these nine swordsmen were both a powerful force in his quest for dominance and potential assassins who could take his life at any moment. The outcome depended on how he would handle the Mo family's affairs in the future! It seemed that the Mo family still didn't fully trust this new "young master", but it was also good to have these swordsmen by his side, as it would allow everyone to feel more secure.
Nine Mo family swordsmen behind him bowed again and said, "We have seen the young master!" Fu Su knew that the previous bow was a courtesy, and now it was sincere. So he hurriedly said, "Get up, from now on you will follow me in the palace, be careful when doing things, don't be reckless. Otherwise, if something big happens, I may not be able to save you!" "Yes sir!" The nine of them nodded in unison!
Fu Su turned his head to Mo Feng and said: "The elder has come from afar to the Qin state, it's not easy. Why don't you also enter the palace with Fu Su and let him fulfill his duties as host?" Mo Feng shook his head and said: "I'm old, and I have past grievances with the Qin state, so I won't go disturb the young master! Tomorrow I'll set off back to Linzi, hoping that in my lifetime I can see the day when the young master's promise is fulfilled!"
Fu Su heard this and frowned, suddenly kneeling down and saying: "Please rest assured, elder. Fu Su's promise is as good as gold, once he makes a bold statement, he will not rest until it is fulfilled!" Mo Feng was deeply moved, hastily helping Fu Su up and grasping his hand with tears in his eyes, saying: "The fate of the Mo clan and the safety of all living things are now entrusted to you, young master!"
Fu Su nodded and resolutely said to the nine Mohist swordsmen, "Follow me, I can't stay here for long!" "Yes!" The nine men bowed their fists to Mo Feng and Wei Hu, then followed Fu Su out of the hall.
Fu Zheng, who had been waiting outside the door for a long time and was about to fall asleep, suddenly saw Fu Su come out and hurriedly went up to greet him. But he suddenly saw nine people with unusual movements behind Fu Su, and his eyes widened in surprise: "Young master, these are..." Fu Su smiled and said: "They are my newly recruited swordsmen guards, let me introduce you!" Fu Su then introduced the group, but of course, did not reveal their true identities to Fu.
On the way back, a magnificent and dignified horse-drawn carriage followed by five men and four women in such an unusual combination attracted countless eyes of the people of Xianyang, thinking that it was another royal family member sneaking out. Of course, when entering the palace, due to the strict laws of Qin, Fu Su still had to register the nine people for future reference, so they could come and go freely at any time.
After returning to Lingyan Pavilion, Fu Su ordered Fu Xiang to inform the Langzhong Command and the Zongzheng Mansion about the addition of nine guards. The two places naturally would not refuse Fu Su's request for such a small matter, so they smoothly registered them in the book and issued a pass card! From then on, there were nine top swordsmen by Fu Su's side, becoming one of the great helps for Fu Su to contend for the world!
