Chapter 38: Wei Yang, The Moment of Glory

Could it be…

Gan Long looked toward Ying Quliang, who sat steadily upon the throne. A shrill alarm bell rang in his heart, and in an instant, he understood everything.

"It seems we are the ones being targeted this time…"

"My Lord, please reconsider!"

Gan Long took a deep breath, stepped forward, and said, "A sage governs the world by following the ancient ways. The statutes established by our late rulers are the bedrock of our nation’s stability."

"To heed the words of a slanderer would surely shake the very foundations of the state. The consequences would be unimaginable!"

His voice carried an unquestionable authority. As soon as he finished speaking, a murmur of agreement rippled through the hall; even those from the emerging factions nodded in approval of his words.

After all, there is no error in following the ancients, and no fault in adhering to tradition.

Seeing this, Ying Quliang’s hand clenched into a fist. His chest heaved violently, and just as he was about to speak—

"Following the ancient ways?"

Wei Yang let out a cold laugh and fixed his gaze on Gan Long. "As a Senior Minister, you speak incessantly of 'following the ancient ways,' exalting the rules of our ancestors to the heavens."

"If these ancient ways were truly omnipotent, the ancestral laws would be beyond reproach."

"Then why has our State of Qin fallen into such poverty and weakness, reduced to being slaughtered by others?"

"Which of the rulers of the six states in the east has ever looked at our Lord of Qin with even a shred of respect? Whose banners fly over the fertile lands of Hexi today? They belong to Wei!"

"Since the time of Duke Xian, who has occupied the natural fortress of Hangu Pass?"

"Still Wei!"

He gestured sharply toward the east. "Though I advocate for peace with the east, the State of Wei continues to slaughter the people of our borderlands."

"If the laws of our ancestors were truly capable of strengthening the state, why have they failed to protect the lands of the Qin people, or preserve the dignity of the Qin people?"

Each of Wei Yang’s words was like a sharp blade, piercing the deepest pain of every Qin official present.

The mask of composure on Gan Long’s face cracked with a flicker of anger and embarrassment, his beard trembling slightly.

*Good heavens, his sophistry is no weaker than Zhao Zheng’s.*

*No wonder he acts as if this has nothing to do with him…*

Gan Long felt the pressure mounting. Even when Zhao Zheng lashed out at him, he still left a shred of decency. But this man, Wei Yang, would leave him absolutely none!

"Wei Yang, you are courting death!"

With a violent roar, Du Zhi’s eyes turned bloodshot, and the veins on his forehead pulsed.

"Clang!" The sword at his waist was half-drawn from its scabbard!

"What kind of thing are you? A cast-off from the State of Wei who stumbled into the Lord’s favor by sheer luck."

"Not only do you fail to show gratitude, but you dare to spread heretical words here and smear the laws of our ancestors? You fear nothing but that our State of Qin might remain peaceful!"

"I’ll chop you into pieces, you dog!"

A flash of cold light appeared, but the blade stopped just a foot away from Wei Yang.

Du Zhi did not dare to actually strike; he only dared to intimidate. If he were to kill someone in the royal court, he would certainly be executed alongside him.

Wei Yang stared directly at the blade without even blinking.

"Heretical words? Smearing the laws of our ancestors? Causing chaos in Qin?"

Wei Yang sneered, looking straight at Du Zhi. "Minister Du, what a heavy charge! Is it that you noble clans know nothing but how to pin labels on others?"

He took a sudden step forward, forcing Du Zhi to recoil instinctively.

"Gentlemen, look at the State of Wei!"

Wei Yang ignored Du Zhi and turned to face the court.

"First came the reforms of Li Kui—utilizing the land to its potential, implementing the 'equitable grain' law, and clarifying rewards and punishments. This allowed barren land to grow crops, ensuring the people had food, and allowed them to trade military merit for wealth, giving the soldiers hope and the drive to fight."

"Look at the State of Chu. Wu Qi may be dead, but the rules he established remain."

"By cutting away the parasites who only consume without contributing and training a new, invincible army, they have established themselves as masters of the Jianghan region, casting their tiger-like gaze over the Central Plains."

*What… what a sharp-tongued brat!*

Ying Qian sighed inwardly. He was truly the man Zhao Zheng had chosen; with a few words, he had rendered the entire court speechless.

When Zhao Zheng lashed out, he was like a rogue with no method. But when Wei Yang lashed out, he was logical, grounded, and convincing.

The faces of the Qin officials were filled with a mixture of fear, anger, and hesitation.

"Hmph, those are all unorthodox tricks that cannot stand on the stage!"

After a long silence, a member of the conservative faction finally jumped out to confront Wei Yang.

Wei Yang swept a glance at him and said disdainfully:

"Unorthodox tricks?"

"All the states are scrambling to use these so-called unorthodox tricks to grow strong, yet only our Great Qin clings to what you call the 'ancient ways' that must never change."

"And yet, what is the result? The east views us as barbarians! Vast tracts of fertile land in Hexi have become the backyard of our enemy."

"The six eastern states watch us like tigers. If we continue to cling to these rotting laws, hmph…"

Wei Yang paused, took a deep breath, and continued, "We are simply waiting for our own demise, and the fall of our nation is right before our eyes."

"Wei Yang! You are nothing but a slave cast out by Wei, daring to spread heresy and disrupt the unity between our Lord and his ministers!"

Du Zhi screamed at the top of his lungs, turning once more to Ying Quliang. "My Lord, this man is spreading heresy and sowing discord! I beg you to execute him at once!"

"Execute him!"

The officials of the noble clans shouted in unison. They were not fools; they knew exactly what this meant.

Who did not know of the reforms in the State of Wei?

They had completely purged the influence of the old noble clans. Naturally, they did not wish to suffer the same fate, and they reacted to Shang Yang’s proposed reforms with fierce resistance.

"Enough."

Ying Quliang’s roar silenced the noble officials.

He swept his gaze over them. "I have dreamt many times in the night of my late father’s dying moments, his sword pointed toward Hexi. Have any of you ever dreamt of that?"

Ying Qian stepped forward at this moment. "The dying wish of our late Lord is something I, as a subject, shall never forget. I am willing to support the reforms to strengthen our state."

"I am willing to support the reforms to strengthen our state!"

Led by Jing Jian, the core loyalists of Ying Quliang followed suit.

"My Lord!" Gan Long trembled, determined to make one last stand. "These reforms go against heaven; I fear they will bring great disaster—"

"Enough. My mind is made up. From this day forward, Wei Yang’s reforms are the iron law. Whoever dares to stand in the way… dies!"

Ying Quliang sternly cut Gan Long off and solemnly announced his decision.

"Long live the Lord!"

The ministers led by Jing Jian shouted in unison.

"Wei Yang!"

"I am here!" Wei Yang stepped forward and bowed deeply.

"I appoint you as the Senior Minister of the Left, with overall authority over the government of Qin. The matter of reform is entrusted entirely to your hands."

Ying Quliang issued his command immediately.

As Ying Quliang’s words fell, the eyes of the officials turned toward Zhao Zheng.

Who was the Senior Minister of the Left? It was Zhao Zheng!

Was Ying Quliang stripping Zhao Zheng of his power?

Even Jing Jian and Gongsun Jia felt that something was amiss. Gan Long narrowed his eyes, as if calculating something.

"However, for the great contributions Master Guigu has made to Qin, I hereby confer upon him the title of Senior Minister of the Right."

Ying Quliang added.

The so-called Senior Minister of the Right, while technically ranking above the Senior Ministers of the Left and Right, held no actual power; it was largely an honorary title.

He then looked at Ying Qian. "My brother, you have fought for the State of Qin for many years. It is time for you to rest, is it not?"

The crowd took a sharp breath. Was Ying Quliang reclaiming military power to consolidate his authority entirely?

The noble officials watched with anticipation, expecting that with Ying Qian’s temperament, he would surely quarrel with Ying Quliang on the spot.

However, to their utter shock, Ying Qian took out his military tally and bowed as he stepped forward.

"My Lord is right. I have long felt that my strength was failing me."

With that, Ying Qian handed the military tally to Ying Quliang.

The noble officials felt as if they had been struck by lightning, their faces turning as dark as the bottom of a pot.

The military power in Ying Qian’s hands was their only source of leverage.

And just like that… it had been handed over so easily?