The so-called unification of the six states, where all the lands under heaven submit to Qin, was unfolding. Daniel Davis originally planned to take the pills refined by his shadow clone and leave, but since Ying Zheng had launched the war to unify China, Daniel decided to stay and witness it. After all, it was a momentous event in history.
For Daniel, Ying Zheng's decision to begin the unification war at this moment seemed premature and overly ambitious. Based on his own calculations, the six states could have been conquered gradually. Historically, Ying Zheng's short reign after unification led to a lack of popular consolidation, which caused the Qin Empire to collapse after only two generations.
However, Ying Zheng was not the same as him. Their ideas differed. Ying Zheng, as the First Emperor and a ruler of extraordinary ambition, believed that as long as he lived, the Qin Empire would not fall. With Daniel's assistance, while immortality was exaggerated, living for several centuries was entirely plausible.
Under such circumstances, even if rapid unification brought challenges, Ying Zheng didn't see them as insurmountable.
Over the years, with Daniel's help, Qin had been secretly building its strength, training troops, and amassing resources. Thanks to the modern agricultural methods Daniel introduced, Qin had stockpiled vast quantities of grain and even imported food through him.
Daniel used resources not only from worlds like Naruto and One Piece but also from other modernized worlds such as One Below All. Most of these supplies ultimately supported the Qin Empire, which he considered a priority. These included large amounts of sea king meat from the Calm Belt.
With the abundance of enormous sea creatures, a single hunt could provide enough provisions for Qin's soldiers for an entire year—especially since meat wasn't served every meal.
Given such preparations, Ying Zheng's urgent desire to unify China was understandable. For the rulers of the other six states, including Han Fei, unification might have seemed like an end goal. But for Ying Zheng, it was merely the beginning. His ambition extended far beyond China to encompass the entire globe.
Now that he had learned the world's geography, the First Emperor's aspirations had grown. Conquering the planet became his ultimate pursuit.
"So that's how it is. It seems my earlier concerns were somewhat shortsighted."
Ying Zheng's plan to quickly conquer the six states wasn't without advantages. Similarly, Daniel's initial idea of a gradual takeover, focusing on winning the people's loyalty, had its own drawbacks.
While Daniel's approach would strengthen governance in conquered territories, it required significant time, which could lead to a coalition of the remaining states against Qin. The rulers of the six states, while indulgent and self-serving, were not fools. They had ascended to power through ruthless competition and understood the concept of mutual survival. Additionally, the six states had capable ministers who were not all corrupt or incompetent.
If Qin struck swiftly, the six states might not even have time to react before its armies reached their capitals.
War, after all, is not solely fought on the battlefield. It often involves unseen maneuvers beneath the surface—subterfuge that can rival the power of armies.
Take Zhao, for instance. Due to the infiltration and bribery orchestrated by Qin's secret network, Luo Wang, the state's most capable general, Li Mu, was denied command of the army and even faced execution by his own king. This situation exemplifies the power of behind-the-scenes schemes.
Although Li Mu's leadership might not have overturned Qin's absolute military superiority, he could have inflicted significant losses. For Qin, minimizing casualties was paramount.
Similarly, Yan, Qi, and Chu refrained from sending reinforcements to Wei and Zhao, thanks to the manipulations of Qin's intelligence network, which bribed key ministers in those states to delay action.
In the Warring States era, for ministers, the fall of their state often meant merely a change in their ruler. Switching allegiances to another state was a common practice. As long as they possessed talent, they could secure a position in their new government. Even rulers known for their indulgence valued capable ministers.
This fluidity among officials in the Warring States era was somewhat analogous to the modern workplace, where employees could freely switch companies. For talented individuals, opportunities were plentiful, but for ordinary officials, mobility was limited.
Many of the era's great talents served in multiple states. For instance, Shang Yang began his career in Wei as an aide to the chancellor before transferring his services to Qin when the Wei king failed to recognize his potential.
Contrary to the misconception that Shang Yang was merely a Legalist, he was a versatile genius capable of both governance and military strategy. Indeed, most talents of the era excelled in both fields. Even Li Si, though primarily a statesman, was trained in martial arts—albeit not to a high degree—having studied under the Confucian master Xunzi.
However, such freedom of movement was limited to the elite. Ordinary officials, like employees in modern companies, rarely enjoyed such privileges.
"What a magnificent sight." Standing atop a high platform, Daniel marveled at the rows of soldiers below him, clad in black full-body armor and arrayed in perfect formation.
Even after witnessing wars in the Naruto and One Piece worlds, Daniel found the visual spectacle of Qin's army unmatched.
The Fourth Ninja War saw a coalition of five great ninja villages muster a mere 80,000 troops, supplemented by Madara's 100,000 White Zetsu, totaling 180,000 combatants. In contrast, General Wang Jian's army attacking Wei alone included 200,000 elite armored soldiers, with total forces reaching approximately 300,000 when support units were included.
Similarly, the Meng clan's campaign against Zhao involved 200,000 golden fire cavalry and various other units, also totaling around 300,000 troops.
Thanks to Daniel's introduction of modern techniques and the engineering expertise of the Gongshu family, Qin's logistics had become vastly more efficient. Innovations like hydrogen balloons and mechanical horses reduced the need for labor and transport time. While these mechanical horses lacked offensive capabilities, they excelled in hauling supplies, effectively functioning as rudimentary "wooden oxen and flowing horses."
With such advancements, Qin's military efficiency far surpassed that of the six states.
Daniel, however, refrained from directly participating in these campaigns. His methods, such as using portals to instantly transport troops into enemy cities, would make conquest effortless. Yet he preferred to let Qin develop its own war strategies, knowing he wouldn't stay in this world forever. Ying Zheng still needed to conquer the globe independently.
"What are your thoughts on this war, Grandmaster?" Wang Jian, standing beside Daniel, asked as he surveyed the troops.
"I'm just here to observe," Daniel replied casually. Secretly, his shadow clones were recording every detail of the campaign to preserve it as part of history.
While Daniel had knowledge of strategies like the Thirty-Six Stratagems and The Art of War, he considered himself an amateur.
"Grandmaster, you're being modest. Your Thirty-Six Stratagems have already made you a legend," Wang Jian said, smiling.
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American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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