Ever since the marriage between Liu Nan and the Song family's daughter was settled, Song Xie had completely cast aside his last shred of hesitation and vacillation, fully siding with Liu Yuan and wholeheartedly plotting for him. After the pre-war mobilization concluded, Song Xie took on the responsibility for all the rear-echelon coordination and planning, so busy every day he was at his wit's end, wishing he could just sleep in the commandery Governor's manor—of course, the others weren't any more relaxed than he was. Everyone performed their duties, leaving early and returning late, all in a state of bustling activity.

The Qin army was heading straight for Yangdi. At their current speed, they were expected to reach the walls of Yangdi City within two or three days. Yangdi was not short on provisions for the short term, but the number of Qin soldiers was not just the twelve thousand Song Xie had mentioned that day, but at least twenty or thirty thousand. It was said that many among them were convicts and slaves from Mount Li, conscripted by Zhang Han when he left Xianyang. They weren't the regular troops of the Qin army, but regardless, the numbers were not inflated. In other words, judging from the current situation, Liu Yuan's side was still at a slight disadvantage.

But Song Xie's headaches were far from over.

Although Head Scribe Xi and his group had been arrested, the rumors that Yangdi could not be defended never ceased. The former awe-inspiring prestige of the Qin army still lingered in the hearts of many. From the market streets to the taverns, large and small, many people were filled with such pessimistic sentiments.

After Liu Yuan took control of Yangdi, he followed Song Xie's advice and issued many benevolent policies, such as lowering commercial taxes, abolishing cruel punishments, and so on. Therefore, deep down, everyone still hoped that Liu Yuan could defend Yangdi and win this battle. No one would want to throw away their good days.

But for many, the world was still the Qin Dynasty's world. To oppose the entire Great Qin Empire with the forces of a single commandery—alright, although the main force of the Qin army had gone toward Xingyang, it was undeniable that Yingchuan Commandery faced the same danger. Many merchants and commoners, afraid of being implicated by Liu Yuan's resolute resistance, became spontaneous spreaders of the rumors.

Everyone described the terror of the Qin army, and with the fanning of flames by some with ulterior motives, many felt that Liu Yuan was destined to lose the battle. Some even said that the reason the current governor wouldn't open the city gates was to make everyone die with him. Others said that since Zhang Han was a star descended from the heavens, he must possess supernatural powers that mortals lacked, and opposing him would surely lead to a bad end. Now that he had sent Dong Yi to attack Yangdi, perhaps Dong Yi himself possessed some divine art. When the army arrived at the city, a casual wave of his hand could summon heavenly waters to flood Yangdi City—so it would be better to open the gates and surrender as soon as possible!

These varied and bizarre rumors gave Song Xie quite a headache. One must know that the infectious power of rumors is astonishing. If left unchecked, not only the commoners but even the soldiers would be affected.

He had already arrested a batch of people spreading rumors in the market, but this, in turn, made Liu Yuan and his men seem as if they had a guilty conscience. Moreover, rumors could not be stopped. Song Xie had also considered using rumors to fight rumors, adding a few auspicious signs to Liu Yuan's name to counter the "star descended from the heavens" tale about Zhang Han, but the effect was not significant.

This was because Zhang Han was a thousand li away, and distance lent enchantment. People relied on hearsay, painting an increasingly vivid picture of this man's terror. In contrast, Liu Yuan could be seen daily within Yangdi City. Sometimes, Liu Yuan would ride out of the city to train his troops, often riding his horse from one city gate to the other. To show his approachable style, he would occasionally dismount to greet people. What's more, he was a native of Yingchuan Commandery, and his life story had long been picked apart by everyone until there was nothing new to say. Thus, such auspicious signs were clearly unbelievable.

Of course, these rumors were not the most urgent problem to be dealt with; at best, they were just little flies disturbing the peace. But Song Xie also understood very well that the hearts of an entire city of people, if used properly, could also play a huge role.

To use their own methods to pay them back in kind—this phrase was easy to understand. It was nothing more than using the same method to retaliate, which meant creating rumors.

After listening to Liu Zhen's words, Song Xie shook his head, "I have already used this tactic, with little effect."

Liu Zhen smiled and stopped keeping him in suspense. "In the Battle of Changping of yesteryear, Bai Qi buried alive more than four hundred thousand Zhao soldiers, leaving the state of Zhao with only the old, the young, women, and children, with no able-bodied men. From then on, Zhao State's population plummeted and its vitality was greatly wounded. Such an act against the harmony of heaven shook the world, and the brutal reputation of the Qin army became known to all because of it."

Song Xie had already vaguely guessed what she wanted to say and smiled, "You mean, spread rumors that Dong Yi will also massacre the city after he attacks?"

"No, we can say," Liu Zhen said, pausing on each word, "that Zhang Han comes from a long line of military learning. His father once studied the art of war under Bai Qi and was deeply appreciated by him, becoming his true successor. Dong Yi is utterly loyal to Zhang Han, and before leading his troops to Yangdi, he received a secret order from Zhang Han. As for the content of the secret order, no one knows."

After hearing this, Song Xie was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Excellent!"

Rather than baldly stating that Dong Yi would massacre the city, it was far better to link Zhang Han to Bai Qi. This would make it seem much more credible.

Whether they were peddlers and foot soldiers or officials from noble clans, no one lacked a powerful imagination. As long as a few specious phrases were added to the rumor, someone would naturally connect Zhang Han with a reputation for bloodlust.

Liu Zhen blinked. "Does the teacher think it will work?"

She didn't think herself smarter than Song Xie, but no matter how intelligent a person was, there were always times they would overlook something. One more person always meant a bit more help. This time was just a flash of inspiration, and she hadn't expected Song Xie's reaction to be so enthusiastic.

Song Xie laughed. "It will work, it will work! How could it not! With a little manipulation, there might even be a pleasant surprise. I'll record this as a merit for you. When the Governor returns, I'll definitely have him reward you handsomely!"

Her age and gender being what they were, all Liu Zhen could do was offer an idea like this. If the idea could be adopted by Liu Yuan and Song Xie and prove effective, that would be for the best. If not, there was nothing she could do. Liu Zhen knew nothing of military affairs and didn't know if Yingchuan Commandery could be defended. Nor did she remember such a battle in history. In the period of the struggle for supremacy at the end of the Qin Dynasty that she was familiar with, Liu Yuan was certainly not a figure whose name was recorded in the annals of history. Therefore, Liu Zhen had no idea at all whether history had already deviated and changed, or if it was still proceeding along its original track.

What she could be certain of was that since she had come here, and the Liu family had been involuntarily swept into the torrent of history, she could only strive to adapt to this era and do her part for her family, rather than be someone who only knew how to enjoy privileges without fulfilling responsibilities. Liu Yuan had given them the best life they could imagine, so of course, Liu Zhen also had to find a way to repay him. That was what it meant to be a family.

After speaking with Song Xie that day, Liu Zhen did not deliberately inquire about the progress of the matter. However, a few days later, when Ah Jin once again reported the various news from outside, Liu Zhen discovered that the content had begun to change.

"Young Mistress, the rumors outside are getting so fantastical! Everyone is saying that two 'Stars of Destruction' have appeared for the Great Qin, one to ruin it and one to raise it, perfectly confirming the Great Qin's fate!" Ah Jin said in an exaggerated, storytelling tone. From her expression, it was not difficult to see that the so-called rumor she spoke of was likely already deeply believed by many.

"What do you mean, one to ruin and one to raise?" It was Gui Xiang who asked in Liu Zhen's stead, equally curious.

In private, Liu Zhen didn't mind her maids being more casual. After all, her mind was far beyond her peers', and she really had no common ground with Liu Wan and Liu Zhuang. Madam Zhang was not someone she could have a heart-to-heart talk with either. If she didn't have a few people she could chat with occasionally, she would probably suffocate from boredom.

Ah Jin said, "They say the one who raised Qin was Bai Qi. He achieved glorious military accomplishments for the Great Qin and also made great contributions to the First Emperor's unification of the six states. Unfortunately, his killing intent was too strong. In the Battle of Huayang alone, he beheaded as many as one hundred thirty thousand soldiers from the three states of Han, Zhao, and Wei, and drowned more than two hundred thousand Zhao soldiers. Then, during the Battle of Changping, he buried alive nearly four hundred thousand more Zhao soldiers. That's why he did not die a good death in his later years."

Liu Zhen was not well-versed in the military history of the Warring States period. She only knew of the Battle of Changping because it was so famous that almost no Chinese person hadn't heard of it. Killing prisoners was inauspicious; this was an unspoken rule in every dynasty. Yet Bai Qi treated this rule as nothing. Regardless of the reason, four hundred thousand lives was an indelible stain of blood.

But after hearing Ah Jin's words, Liu Zhen realized that Bai Qi's hands were stained with more than just those four hundred thousand lives. Although people were bound to die in war, and there were no righteous wars in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods—neither side in a conflict was a white lotus—killing on a scale of hundreds of thousands was still enough to leave one speechless.

Gui Xiang also showed a fearful expression, touching her chest and saying, "Fortunately, Bai Qi died long ago. Otherwise, if he were leading the Qin soldiers into battle, I'm afraid we would all..."

Ah Jin stuck out her tongue. "Isn't that the truth? Otherwise, Bai Qi wouldn't have earned the name 'Human Butcher.' I used to hear my father and the others say that just hearing the name of Lord Wu'an was enough to make many people tremble in fear!"

Gui Xiang asked again, "Ah Jin, you said before one to raise and one to ruin. The one who raised was Lord Wu'an, so who is the one to ruin? It couldn't be Zhang Han, could it?"

Ah Jin nodded. "The talk in the market now is that the one who raised Qin was a Star of Destruction, and the one who will ruin Qin is also a Star of Destruction. The former refers to Lord Wu'an, and the latter is precisely Zhang Han."

Gui Xiang said, "What's the story behind that?"

Ah Jin said, "I heard that Zhang Han's father studied under Lord Wu'an, so all of Zhang Han's military strategies were learned from him. Although Zhang Han won the Battle of Mianchi and forced Zhou Wen to his death, the Qin Dynasty's national power is not what it used to be. Rebellions against Qin are rising everywhere, and the Qin Dynasty's Mandate of Heaven is exhausted. He is leading a large army, being wantonly aggressive, and draining the Qin court's finances. So of course, the one to ruin Qin is him!"

Liu Zhen hadn't expected that she had only offered an idea, and Song Xie had already spun it into a complete worldview, even concocting a proverb like "Twin Stars of Destruction, one to ruin and one to raise." She couldn't help but twitch her lips, thoroughly impressed by his ability to spin such a tall tale.

After Song Xie's embellishments, it truly sounded plausible. If she weren't one of the "original culprits," Liu Zhen herself might have almost believed it was true.

And Gui Xiang and Ah Jin, who were not privy to the inside story, reacted exactly like the people outside.

A moment later, Gui Xiang covered her mouth, her eyes wide. "If Zhang Han is also the reincarnation of a killer star, doesn't that mean if Yangdi is taken by them this time, they will also massacre the city?"

Ah Jin nodded, her face full of worry. "That's what everyone outside is saying. They're all terrified!"

Liu Zhen: "Bai Qi's bloodlust was only directed at the participating soldiers. The old, weak, women, children, and common folk were not among them. What do they have to fear?"

Ah Jin: "Young Mistress, you may not know, but everyone outside says that this Zhang Han is even more cruel and bloodthirsty than Lord Wu'an. And because the current Qin ruler has decreed that all who surrender to the righteous armies are traitors, once a city falls, all who resist will be killed. Those who don't resist will all be enslaved and sent to Mount Li to build tombs and palaces!"

Liu Zhen: "..." Well now, Old Master Song is truly thorough. Even Huhai was dragged into this to take the blame.

And it had to be said, Zhang Han's army this time did indeed include many convicts and slaves who were originally building the imperial tombs and palaces at Mount Li. Since they were conscripted to fight, there was naturally a shortage of labor at Mount Li. This rumor was thirty percent truth and seventy percent fiction, but most importantly, it was well-founded and logical, giving people something to latch onto, which made it seem exceptionally credible.

"Tyrannical Qin! Witless ruler!" Upon hearing this, even Gui Xiang couldn't help but clench her fists and say resentfully, "If we're really going to be sent to Mount Li, it's better to risk our lives and fight the Qin army to the death!"

Ah Jin shared the same sentiment. "Exactly!"

Gui Xiang and Ah Jin were originally slaves, but even as slaves, serving a gentle-tempered Young Mistress in the Governor's manor, being well-fed and warmly clothed, with leisure time to play—such a life was naturally a hundred, a thousand times better than being sent to Mount Li as a forced laborer.

Since even Gui Xiang and the others thought this way, there was no need to mention the commoners who were not slaves.

Who would want to be treated like livestock if they could be human?

No matter how hard life was now, it was still their own. If they were really to be exiled to Mount Li, it would be simply unimaginable.

The Qin ruler is unjust, this is simply bullying people too much!

Then let's rebel!

Let's turn his world upside down!

Fight the Qin army to the death!

The atmosphere in the city quietly changed. The initial emotion of fear had gradually transformed into resentment. If before it was merely fear of the Qin army's arrival, making everyone try by any means to find a way to survive, now the threat of death made everyone realize that to live, the only way out was for Yangdi to hold. Whether they were willing or not, they were now in the same boat as Liu Yuan. If the boat capsized, everyone would die.

Rather than cowering and retreating, it was better to fight to the death.

That night, just as Liu Zhen was sleeping drowsily, she was shaken awake by Gui Xiang.

"Young Mistress! Young Mistress!"

"It's a bit noisy outside..." Liu Zhen rubbed her eyes, still half-asleep.

"They're here! The Qin army is here! They've started to attack the city!" Gui Xiang said repeatedly, her tone clipped and nervous.

Liu Zhen's sleepiness vanished in an instant. She sat up, listening to the war drums outside, dense as raindrops. She dressed and combed her hair with the utmost speed, then ran toward Madam Zhang's main room.

Liu Yuan hadn't come to rest in the rear courtyard for several days, so only Madam Zhang was living in the main room. At this moment, she was also already awake.

"Ah Zhen!" Madam Zhang beckoned to her. "Come here, quickly!"

"Mother, has the Qin army arrived? How is the battle at the front?" Liu Zhen asked.

Madam Zhang shook her head, wringing her hands with a panicked expression. She whispered to Liu Zhen, "Your father told us to pack a few things. If the situation turns bad, we are to immediately disguise ourselves as peasant women and find a chance to slip out of the city! What should we do? Does your father think that this time..." She paused, not saying the words "he will be defeated."

Liu Zhen was a little surprised, not expecting Liu Yuan to have made such an arrangement. But on second thought, compared to Liu Bang, who threw his wife and children from his chariot to escape, her own father was practically a saint.

"Mother, do not worry. Father is just preparing for a rainy day, just in case." Seeing Madam Zhang so nervous, Liu Zhen, on the contrary, gradually calmed down.

"Yangdi is united from top to bottom, and we have the advantages of geography and popular support. The odds of victory in this battle are high. We only need to wait quietly for the good news."

Perhaps her comfort had an effect. Madam Zhang nodded and also gradually became less nervous.

At a time like this, as women and children, what they had to do was wait here for news, not run to the front lines and cause trouble. Liu Zhen had also thought that if she were Liu Nan now, she might have been able to help her father kill a few Qin soldiers on the city wall. But alas, she had been born a girl, so she ought to do what she was supposed to do.

If her arrival meant that a subtle change had already occurred in the trajectory of the stars, then perhaps she could pray for the change to grow larger and larger, until it finally altered history itself.