"Please let us pass. Do not obstruct our army from carrying out military orders!"
"Are your so-called military orders to confiscate the lands and wealth of nobles?"
"That's right, it is the King's command!!"
"Then you shall not pass today!"
"We absolutely will not allow such an unreasonable act to happen before our eyes!!"
Saying this, the leading Grand Scholars proudly raised their heads.
In their eyes, Qin was a barbaric land, and Great Qin had even developed from raising horses.
By later generations' standards, the ancestors of Qin were the 'Imperial Horse Keeper' for the Son of Heaven of Zhou.
With such a minor official position and such barren lands, how could these Grand Scholars possibly look favorably upon them?
Therefore, when they looked at Wang Wu's army, they all held their heads high, their eyes filled with disdain.
In his opinion, with his esteemed status as a Grand Scholar, even the Qin army would not dare to touch him.
However, after they spoke these words, Wang Wu's expression turned cold.
But he did not immediately resort to killing.
"We are under the command of General Lin, acting on the King's orders to confiscate the wealth of the highest nobles!"
"We implore you not to block our path, otherwise, do not blame our swords for being merciless!!"
*Clang!*
After Wang Wu spoke, the soldiers behind him drew their swords together with him.
A powerful killing intent surged forth.
They had fought on battlefields too many times, and too many enemies had fallen by their hands.
Thus, even ordinary soldiers possessed an incredibly potent aura of killing intent.
As this killing intent was unleashed, the expressions of these Grand Scholars froze.
They were afraid in their hearts, and they wished to retreat.
But at this moment, countless people were watching them. If they retreated directly, they would lose all face.
Therefore, they gritted their teeth and, with their heads held high, said to Wang Wu and the others:
"What if you are under General Lin's command? Does that mean General Lin's subordinates can disrespect the elderly?"
"Does that mean General Lin's subordinates are illiterate and do not recognize us Grand Scholars?"
"I tell you clearly, you will not pass this road today, unless we die here!!"
These Grand Scholars projected an imposing aura and were confident that ordinary soldiers would not dare to kill them.
Those ordinary soldiers lacked such courage.
And Wang Wu was not Lin Tian, so he naturally would not dare to kill Grand Scholars.
They could not bear the罪名 (crime/infamy) of killing Grand Scholars.
However, they had encountered Wang Wu today, and they were slandering Lin Tian's subordinates, thereby damaging both their own and Lin Tian's reputation.
Upon hearing these words, Wang Wu erupted in fury.
"How dare you, you dare to accuse our Great General! Today, we shall kill all of you old curmudgeons!!"
"All soldiers, heed my command! All who block our path shall be killed!!"
"Kill!!"
As the order to kill was given, Wang Wu and the soldiers did not hesitate. They raised their long swords and struck at the Grand Scholars.
Instantly, the heads of many Grand Scholars flew off.
Following this, Wang Wu led his troops forward, and all the scholars among the old nobles who dared to obstruct them had their heads severed.
This act shocked countless people.
"Heavens! He actually killed Grand Scholars, he actually beheaded Grand Scholars!!"
"An act of rebellion, the world is losing its courtesy. Even Grand Scholars are being massacred, this is the sorrow of us scholars!"
"Executioners, they are a group of executioners! Qin's Lin Tian is an executioner, and Qin is a nation where etiquette and music have collapsed. It cannot be called a nation at all!!"
Many people began to accuse them at this moment, but Wang Wu paid no heed.
As long as these people obstructed his army from confiscating the lands and wealth of the old nobles, he would show them no mercy.
In a flash, they had killed over a dozen Grand Scholars and countless renowned scholars.
Within dozens of breaths, all those scholars were killed.
This road was stained with blood, striking fear into the hearts of countless people.
Many scholars who were watching from the sidelines were stunned. They had never imagined that Wang Wu would possess such courage.
They already had a premonition that if this matter spread, it would surely shock the entire world.
However, Wang Wu paid no attention to their reactions.
After killing these Grand Scholars and scholars, they immediately proceeded to the homes of the old nobles.
At this time, those old nobles were still at home waiting for news.
However, they were not panicking. They believed that the Grand Scholars they had invited could stop the Qin army.
Many of them were still leisurely drinking tea, with only a few feeling uneasy.
"Enough, there's no need to rush. The Grand Scholars we've invited will surely be able to resist the Qin army!"
"But I heard that the army responsible this time is Lin Tian's army!"
"Lin Tian? Then will he be personally leading the troops this time?"
"That won't happen, it is said he is still in Xianyang City!"
"Since he is not personally leading the troops, there is no need to worry. Would his subordinate soldiers dare to kill our Grand Scholars? Rest assured, our wealth will ultimately remain in our own hands!"
If Lin Tian were personally leading the troops, they might have felt some apprehension.
After all, Lin Tian had consecutively conquered three kingdoms and killed King Xi of Yan.
Such a person acted without scruples. If he were to act in earnest, their Grand Scholars might truly not be able to stop him.
But now that Lin Tian was not present, and only his subordinates appeared, the situation was different.
His subordinates would not possess the same boldness as Lin Tian.
The title of Grand Scholar alone could deter countless people.
After all, no one was willing to offend a world-renowned Grand Scholar.
Not to mention that this time, not just one Grand Scholar had gone, but many.
Under such circumstances, the army would definitely be stopped.
Therefore, Qin King Ying Zheng's policy, though seemingly bold, had angered the powerful figures of the world.
When the power of the world's powerful figures was concentrated, even someone as mighty as Ying Zheng would be unable to resist.
After all, not only weapons of war could kill, but also the 'spring and autumn brush' of scholars.
As an emperor, how could Ying Zheng not fear the brush of scholars?
Thinking of this, these 'historians' became even more complacent.
"Don't worry, dynasties may flow like water, but noble families are as enduring as bronze!"
"Our families have stood for a thousand years. Dynasties have changed several times, yet our families remain. This alone is enough to show how powerful the influence of noble families is!"
"Even if Great Qin unifies the world, they cannot do anything to us!"
"Such a vast force as the noble families of the world, they cannot touch us!"
"I guarantee that the Qin army will not even be able to enter our doorsteps. Their actions this time will undoubtedly become a laughingstock in the mouths of people worldwide!!"
As they uttered these words, these members of noble families could not help but laugh.
Clearly, they held Lin Tian and Ying Zheng's policies in utter disdain.
The Qin army posed no threat to them whatsoever.
...