Chapter 134 Among the widowed children, there may be people who can help
Seeing Jiang Qu walking further and further until his figure completely disappeared into the night, Zhao Kuo directly ordered: "Send the order to the whole army to go north to attack Yangcheng tomorrow."
"Ah? Didn't the king just say to wait for three days?" Jin Yao said in surprise. He had just agreed to wait for three days, but why did he change his mind in the blink of an eye?
"I said I would give him three days, but I didn't say I would not attack during these three days." Zhao Kuo glanced at Jin Kuo and said matter-of-factly.
Jin Yao was stunned, how could this be done?
Thinking about it carefully, there seems to be nothing wrong with it!
"This is called a soldier who never tires of deceit." Zhao Kuo patted Jin Kuo on the shoulder, turned around and walked towards the camp.
Jin Mao is still too upright and doesn't know how to adapt at all. From now on, he should just govern one side. Leading troops to fight is not suitable for him.
This is no longer the Spring and Autumn Period. If you continue to abide by the rules and fight, you will only be killed.
Compared with before, now is the best time to attack Yan State.
Because only at this time will Yan's vigilance be reduced to a minimum, and Zhao Jun can occupy Yan's land at the minimum cost.
Just like the original Battle of Changping, Qin pretended to negotiate peace with Zhao to paralyze other countries. At the same time, it actively prepared for war and dispatched troops to the front line. In the end, it caught Zhao by surprise and other countries would not help.
You say Qin is immoral?
Qin laughed at your naivety.
There is no morality between countries. Those who talk about morality are fools.
In this world, only the morality of the strong is moral, and the morality of the weak is nothing at all.
Now that the Zhao army has conquered more territory, it can put itself in a more favorable position and create better conditions for the subsequent peace talks between Yan and Zhao.
On the other hand, if you stupidly wait for the general to come back and talk again, you will end up wasting three days in vain, and Yan Guo may regret it.
Today is no longer the era when the glory of ritual and music shone all over the world!
"Your Majesty is wise." Le Cheng said with admiration.
"By the way, is there any news from the rear?" Zhao Kuo asked.
"Your Majesty, after deliberation with the ministers in the court, it was decided that Xunzi would personally lead people to secretly investigate corruption and reward matters. In addition, Gongzi Mu (Zhao Mu) has recently recruited many businessmen to work for him, but due to the war, the development of the chamber of commerce has been affected.
Restrictions. Nothing else big happened." Liu Ping leaned over and said.
"Yeah." Zhao Kuo nodded. Although Xunzi is a Confucian on the surface, he is actually a Legalist deep down. If he is responsible for this matter, none of those corrupt officials can escape.
"Is there any news from other battlefields?"
"Not yet." Liu Ping shook his head.
Several other battlefields are too far away from here, making it very difficult to send messages. Generally speaking, unless something big happens, such as a big victory or defeat, messages are rarely sent.
This is also the reason why various countries set up counties on the border, and the county guards are generally responsible for military and political affairs, and have the power to make temporary decisions. If everything was reported to the king and waited for orders to be sent back before taking action, the enemy would have captured the city long ago.
"By the way, Your Majesty, General Li asked me to ask you for instructions on how to deal with those prisoners. Our army does not have much food and grass." At this time, the Thousand-Man General said suddenly.
Only then did Zhao Kuo remember that the food and grass for him and Lian Po's army were provided by Handan, but Dai County was cut off by the Yan State and could not transport food and grass, so it had to be self-sufficient.
It was already very difficult for Daijun to support Li Mu's regiment and Zhao Feiqi, and now there were 100,000 more prisoners.
"It seems that we must negotiate peace with Yan as soon as possible. If Yan does not agree, we can only choose to attack by force!" Zhao Kuo made up his mind.
Zhao State has no food and cannot produce food before the autumn harvest, so the only way is to find a solution from the enemy.
The five kingdoms of Qin, Qi, Han, Wei and Yan.
Needless to say, the weakest persimmon now is definitely the Yan State. It is weak in itself and has lost 250,000 troops. It is vulnerable to the Zhao army.
"By the way, how much food did I ask Yan to compensate for?" Zhao Kuo asked.
"One million stones." Liu Ping said.
"Remind me when the time comes. After General Qu comes back, it will be changed to 1.5 million shi." Zhao Kuo said.
"Your Majesty, Yan State may not be able to produce so much food." Lejian said with a bitter smile.
Zhao Kuo really regarded Yan State as a granary, thinking that he could get as much grain as he needed. Although Yan State had a large territory, except for the Jiuhe (Haihe) Plain near Jicheng, other places were not developed very much. The grain output was very low, and
The population is sparse.
It can be said that the vast territory of the Yan State is entirely supported by the Jiuhe Plain. Even so, the food output is not as large as that of South Korea, which is only the size of a palm.
This is one of the reasons why Yan is called the weakest country among the Seven Kingdoms.
When Zhao Kuo heard this, he frowned. I still expect Yan State to provide relief. You tell me that Yan State has no food?
"Which country has grain?" Zhao Kuo asked.
"Originally, Qin State must have the most food and grass, but after the great war, Qin State may not have much food left. Now it should be Qi State, which is the richest place in the world. It has the advantage of fish and salt and produces a lot of grain.
, and has not experienced war for more than ten years, the granary must be full now." Le Jian said.
"Your name is Huang Qi, right?" Zhao Kuo looked at the Thousand-Man General.
This name is very distinctive. It is a Chinese medicine name. Zhao Kuo remembered it as soon as he heard it.
"Your Majesty, my subordinate is Huang Qi." When Huang Qi heard Zhao Kuo call out his name, his face turned red with excitement and he said excitedly.
"Now you rush back overnight to inform Yan Ju that tomorrow you will lead your troops south, attack from both sides with our army, capture the Great Wall of Yan, and then surround Wuyang City to force the Yan State to negotiate peace as soon as possible." Zhao Kuo said.
Zhao State is in urgent need of food and grass. Since Yan State does not have enough, we can only end the war as soon as possible and then go to Qi State to get it!
Zhao Kuo now only hopes that Qi will not let him down!
"Nuo." Huang Qi was full of energy. He cupped his fists and saluted, immediately got on his horse and rushed towards Shanggu Pass.
…
The next day, the Zhao army marched all the way to more than ten cities in Yangcheng, Quni, and Sanqiu. The Yan defenders were unprepared and before they could react, the cities had already changed hands.
An Ning was even more brave, charged forward, and killed several Yan Kingdom guards. She was honored as a female general by the soldiers of Zhao.
In the evening, the Zhao army arrived at Yishui. Zhao Fei's cavalry came out of Shanggu Pass and attacked the Zhao army from both sides. They quickly defeated the Yan army, crossed Yishui, and captured the Great Wall of Yan.
Immediately afterwards, soldiers surrounded the capital of Yanxia.
…
"Zhao Kuo is treacherous and not a son of man!" Jiang Qu ran all the way and finally arrived at Jicheng. As soon as he entered the city, he heard the news that Zhao Kuo had sent troops to capture Yangcheng, and he cursed angrily.
However, no matter how angry and angry he was, he could not change the result. At this time, it was even more impossible to go back and reprimand Zhao Kuo. He could only suppress his anger and see King Yan as soon as possible.
"What? The king is ill?" As soon as he arrived at the palace, Jiang Qu learned that King Yan was seriously ill. It was like a bolt from the blue, shaking his body and almost falling to the ground.
"The king sent your husband out of the city that day, but he fell ill as soon as he turned around." The person who came to greet Jiang Qu was the same person who had gone to the mansion to invite him and fetched him the Luanfeng Qingxi robe.
"What can we do!"
On one side, the king was seriously ill, and on the other side, the Zhao army was pressing forward step by step. Even the general was panicked and didn't know what to do.
"Can I see the king?" After a moment, he calmed down and asked.
"The king has ordered that if you are a gentleman, you can enter. But now that the king has been unconscious, please go back and wait for the doctor. If the king wakes up, the servant will notify the doctor as soon as possible." The eunuch said.
"Thank you very much. If the king wakes up, you must call me. It is related to the survival of our country, Yan."
The eunuch had already said this, so he had no choice but to bow down and say sincerely.
"Don't worry, doctor," the eunuch said.
He staggered back home. After drinking, he stayed up all night and felt uncomfortable. He wanted to rest for a while, but he lay on the couch and tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep.
The next day, the eunuch rushed over and told him to summon the king. He hurried to the palace with dark circles under his eyes. Under the leadership of the eunuch, he soon saw King Yan lying on the hospital bed.
"Is it Doctor Jiang Qu?" As if he heard the voice, King Yan slowly turned his head and murmured.
Compared with a few days ago, King Yan had lost a lot of weight. His eye sockets were sunken, his complexion was sallow, and his skin was loose. He seemed to be terminally ill.
"Your Majesty, you were fine a few days ago, why did you suddenly become like this?" He knelt on King Yan's bedside and cried bitterly.
Not only do I feel sad for the King of Yan, but I also feel sad for the country of Yan, and even more sad for myself.
"I have been ill for a long time, but I have never told you." King Yan's voice was very weak, "I wonder how the doctor's mission is going? Is Zhao willing to withdraw his troops?"
"I am guilty and failed to convince Mr. Zhao." Jiang Qu said with shame.
"Is Zhao not willing to retreat?" King Yan asked.
"Zhao Jun is willing to withdraw his troops, but the conditions he proposed are too harsh." Jiang Qu said.
"Tell me and listen." King Yan asked.
Jiang Qu explained Zhao Kuo's conditions, and then said cautiously: "Moreover, I heard among the Zhao army that Qin Qin's 100,000-strong army has surrendered to Zhao."
"What did you say? Cough cough." King Yan heard the words, and blood surged to the ground. A large mouthful of blood spurted onto the quilt. His whole body was paralyzed, his face was like gold paper, and his breath was like a gossamer.
"Your Majesty." Jiang Qu rushed forward anxiously and looked at King Yan worriedly.
The doctor who had been waiting beside him quickly pulled him away, took out the silver needle from the medical box, and quickly inserted it into King Yan's body. King Yan's face gradually softened.
"My king is fine." King Yan exhaled slowly, and his face returned to three-thirds of the color. He turned to look at the eunuch beside him, his face was as gloomy as water, and he gritted his teeth and asked, "Is this the case?"
"Your Majesty, news has indeed come from the front line. Shanggu Pass has been captured by the Zhao army. Our army's retreat has been cut off and there is no food in the army. General Qing Qin ordered the entire army to surrender." The eunuch who greeted the general immediately knelt on the ground.
"Why didn't you report it before?" King Yan asked in a deep voice.
"Your Majesty, I am worried about your health, so..."
"Drag him out and kill him with a stick." King Yan waved his hand.
Several eunuchs nearby rushed up immediately and dragged him outside.
"It's all you guys who framed me on purpose. Your Majesty, this slave is here for you... Your Majesty..."
The sound is getting farther and farther...
At this time, a guard walked in quickly. Seeing the situation in King Yan's palace, he was stunned for a while.
"What's the matter?" King Yan asked coldly.
"Your Majesty, news has come from Xiadu that the Zhao army has crossed the Great Wall and surrounded Xiadu." The guard said quickly.
"The State of Zhao has bullied people too much!" King Yan's eyes were about to burst, and his chest was heaving. He was like a furious lion. "I sent an order to recruit all the strong men over the age of fifteen in the country, and ordered Qin Kai to be the general to command the State of Yan."
All soldiers. Since the State of Zhao does not want to make things easier for our State of Yan, let us all die together. I want to see what Zhao State can do to resist the five kingdoms of Qin, Chu, Han, Wei, and Qi after destroying our State of Yan!"
Jiang Qu sighed deeply. If King Yan had had this courage a few days ago, there would still be hope of blocking Zhao. Now that Yan has lost all its strength, the Zhao army has crossed Yishui and the Great Wall, and even Qin Kai is unable to return.
sky.
It is true that you are not tough when you should be tough, and you are not soft when you should be soft.
"Your Majesty, our country's current chance of winning is less than 10%," Jiang Qu advised.
"Do you mean to agree to Zhao Guo's conditions?" King Yan suddenly stared at Jiang Qu with murderous eyes, and the temperature in the palace suddenly reached freezing point.
"Your Majesty, the forced march from the capital to Jicheng is less than two days away. Our army has no time to recruit strong men." Jiang Qu said.
"I'll think about it again." King Yan waved his hand and said.
"I take my leave." He bowed to him, turned around and left.
"How long do you have?" King Yan asked after he left.
"Your Majesty, it's only three months to half a year." The doctor hesitated for a moment, but decided to tell the truth.
"Thank you for your hard work, sir, go and summon the prince." King Yan sighed deeply and said to the eunuch next to him.
"No." The eunuch immediately withdrew.
After a while, the prince came to the palace. After seeing King Yan, he rushed up, hugged King Yan and cried: "Father, you finally woke up. You suddenly passed out and the child almost died of fright."
"Father, everything is okay. How are you studying with the teacher recently?" King Yan stretched out his hand to touch Prince Yu's face and asked softly, his face full of doting.
Prince Yu was a few years older than Zhao Kuo, but he looked much older. His skin had a sickly white color. It was already mid-spring and he was still wearing winter cotton clothes. He was obviously in poor health like his father.
"Father, practicing martial arts is too hard, and even children can't get into school. Why don't you stop learning?" Prince Yu grabbed King Yan's arm and shouted.
"If you don't learn from me, how will you govern the country in the future?" King Yan asked.
"Isn't there still a father?" Prince Yu said.
"How can my father stay with you forever?" King Yan's eyes dimmed and he sighed.
"Father will definitely get well." Prince Yu said.
"Okay, you can go back." King Yan waved his hand and said.
"Father, please let the child accompany you again." Prince Yu said.
"Be obedient, my father has important matters to deal with." King Yan said.
"Then let's leave first." Prince Yu said reluctantly.
"Go and invite the Crown Prince and Tutor here." King Yan said.
"No." The eunuch leaned over and said, turned and left.
Soon, the eunuch came in with a man.
After the Prince and Tutor learned that King Yan had called the Prince over, he kept waiting outside.
"Your Majesty, Yan Zhen, pays homage to your Majesty." Prince Taifu Yan Zhen leaned over and paid homage.
"Prince and Master, please get up." Prince Yan sat on the sickbed and helped him. "Prince and Master, what do you think of the Crown Prince?"
Yan Zhen was stunned for a moment, silent for a while, and then said: "The Lord of Shoucheng."
King Yan smiled coquettishly, he knew that Yan Zhen was speaking kindly, and to be precise, he was a foolish king.
"Among the descendants of this widow, is there anyone who can help me?" King Yan asked.
Yan Zhen suddenly looked embarrassed. King Yan has so many sons and grandsons. Even if you exclude those under five years old, there are only seven or eight. Do you want to say that they are all idiots?
The one who died must be himself!
After a long silence, Yan Zhen bowed his hands and said, "Wang Sun is smart and eager to learn, and he is not ashamed to ask questions."
"From now on, Xi'er will be entrusted to you, sir, and I hope you can teach me well." King Yan forced himself to stand up and bowed to Yan Zhen.
"The king's words are serious." Yan Zhen wanted to help King Yan, but King Yan insisted, so Yan Zhen had to agree, "I will try my best to teach the king and grandson."