"I will never agree." Queen Mother Qi was shaking with anger and her face turned purple.
How can this be something a monarch can say?
No wise monarch would say such a thing!
"Take your Majesty back and think about your faults in front of the wall." Empress Dowager Qi said angrily.
"Mother, I am the king of this country of Qi." Qi Wangjian said loudly.
Whenever he made a mistake when he was a child, the Queen Mother Qi would punish him by facing the wall and thinking about his mistakes. But now that he is an adult, he can take charge of his own affairs!
"Go back." Empress Dowager Qi pointed at the back hall and said.
Qi Wangjian still wanted to argue, but when he saw the extremely gloomy face of Queen Mother Qi, he let out a grunt and silently turned around and walked towards the back hall.
"Haha." Zhou Zi smiled bitterly, "Thank you, Queen Mother, for your love. I will finally make some contribution to Qi as a minister."
If the king regards his ministers as his hands and feet, then his ministers will regard him as his heart; if his ministers regard his ministers as dogs and horses, his ministers will regard him as a fellow countryman; if his ministers regard his ministers as earth and mustard, then his ministers will regard him as an enemy.
Such a monarch! A monarch who treats his ministers like dirt! What else can he miss?
"Sir, don't worry, as long as I am here, no one can drive you away." Empress Dowager Qi said quickly.
Tian Dan has gone to Zhao, and Xunzi has also left Jixia and returned to Zhao. Zhou Zi and Lu Zhonglian are already the only two talented people in Qi.
If Zhou Zi left again, Qi would really be left with only a bunch of drunkards and rice sacks.
"That's all, that's all. Don't let me stay, Queen Mother." Zhou Zi shook his head in disappointment, turned around and walked out of the palace.
If he needs the protection of the Queen Mother to gain a foothold in Qi, then Qi will not wait for him!
…
There is Jishan Mountain in the west of Linzi City, so the west gate is also called Jimen. The famous Jixia Academy is located outside Jimen.
After the Five Kingdoms conquered Qi, the once prosperous Jixia Academy also fell into decline with the decline of Qi, and no longer had the aura of the Eastern Holy Land.
Later, in order to protect Jixia Academy, the State of Qi moved the lecture place from outside the city to the city.
On a street not far from Jimen, a horse-drawn carriage drove "dah-dah-dah" until it stopped in front of a certain mansion. The driver jumped out of the car and knocked on the door.
The housekeeper who opened the door was surprised when he saw the charioteer, and quickly opened the door. A veiled woman got off the carriage and walked slowly into the mansion.
In the lobby, Lu Zhonglian asked all the servants in the palace to leave, and bowed helplessly: "If the Queen Mother has something to do, just let someone know. Why bother to come to the door in person?"
"If you just send someone here, I'm sure your husband will shirk it," Empress Dowager Qi said.
Lu Zhonglian smiled and said nothing.
"I would like to ask you, sir, to save the country of Qi." The Queen Mother of Qi leaned over and bowed.
"Don't worry, Queen Mother, Zhao Jun will retreat within twenty days." Lu Zhonglian said firmly.
Like Zhou Zi, he had long seen that although the Zhao State had a strong army and horses, it was actually incapable of succeeding and was in urgent need of recuperation.
"This is the latest information, and this is Zhao's condition." Queen Mother Qi handed two bamboo slips to Lu Zhonglian.
Lu Zhonglian took a look at the information and frowned slightly.
In the Five Kingdoms' campaign to conquer Zhao, four countries have already been defeated by Zhao!
Lu Zhonglian suddenly discovered that the original famous generals of Zhao State included Lian Po, Le Yi, Tian Dan, Le Cheng, Yan Zhou, plus the recent additions of Zhao Kuo, Li Mu, Pang Nuan, Meng Ao and others.
Unknowingly, the number of famous generals in Zhao State has exceeded that of Qin State!
The rise of Zhao State may be irresistible. Lu Zhonglian thought in his mind.
But...what does this have to do with me? Lu Zhonglian shook his head slightly and put the letter on the table.
"Does the Queen Mother want to resolve this crisis, or does she want to preserve the state of Qi and the country?" Lu Zhonglian asked.
"Sir, you mean that our state of Qi is in danger of overthrowing?" the Queen Mother of Qi said in shock.
She never thought about the demise of the Qi Congress.
"I once thought that within thirty years, the world would be unified by Qin. Now it seems that it is very likely that it will be unified by Zhao." Lu Zhonglian said.
"Please teach me, sir." Empress Dowager Qi said anxiously.
"Marriage." Lu Zhonglian said.
"Marriage?"
"I heard that the Queen Mother has a daughter, called Shu. She is twenty-eight years old and looks pretty and smart. However, King Zhao happens to not have a wife. If he marries his daughter to King Zhao, the Zhao army will retreat." Lu Zhonglian said.
"The State of Qi can also take this opportunity to form an alliance with the State of Zhao. If something unexpected happens to the State of Qi in the future, it can protect its wealth. In addition, I heard that Lord Anping is in the State of Zhao and is highly valued by the King of Zhao. The Queen Mother should also send someone to restore the relationship with Lord Anping."
It’s related.”
"What you said is true." The Queen Mother of Qi was silent for a moment and had to admit that what Lu Zhonglian said was very reasonable. "Don't we, the Qi State, have any other options?"
"If the Queen Mother is the king, there is still hope for Qi." Lu Zhonglian said.
In fact, the Empress Dowager Qi herself is not very capable, but she is good at understanding people and utilizing them well. As a monarch, this advantage is enough to become a wise monarch.
It is a pity that the Queen Mother of Qi is not the Lord of Qi after all, and the Lord of Qi is already an adult. Even if she listens to politics behind the curtain, it will be unfair.
The Queen Mother of Qi sighed, and she became much older in an instant. She understood what Lu Zhonglian meant: Qi is hopeless.
"I would like to invite you to send me as an envoy to Zhao Jun. Can you please agree?" said the Empress Dowager Qi.
"If the Queen Mother does not want me to be left by King Zhao in the Kingdom of Zhao, she should continue to send Zhou Zi as an envoy." Lu Zhonglian said.
Queen Mother Qi was stunned for a moment, then nodded repeatedly: "Sir, what you said is that I was negligent."
At the same time, I felt helpless. Although the methods Zhao Kuo used were not glorious, they were understandable.
Not only will it not make people disgusted, but it will also make those talented people feel that they are valued, and win the reputation of being eager to seek talents.
In contrast, King Qi’s practice of driving his ministers away...
…
As the capital of Qi State, Linzi is not an isolated city. There are many small towns built by various nobles around it, with different sizes.
Although these small towns are not as rich as Linzi, they are not that poor. After all, as a noble, you still need to have the basic skills of collecting people's wealth and money, otherwise you will be embarrassed to hang out in the aristocratic circles.
Under Zhao's iron heel, these fragile cities were quickly conquered and occupied. With a wave of the general's hand, everything that could be moved was packed and taken away.
What? You said we were robbing?
No, we are just helping you move. When you get to Zhao State, everything will be returned to you. Whatever is missing will be made up for you directly.
What? You said you were a slave?
Well, when you arrive in the State of Zhao, you will be free. Not only can you take your mother-in-law, but you can also divide the land.
What? You said that you are a noble and you can’t do anything but only cause harm to the people?
It's okay, whatever bad things you did in Qi is not our business. Anyway, you are no longer a noble when you arrive in Zhao, and you can't harm the people of Zhao.
What? You said your man is still serving as a soldier on the front line? It's okay. Tell us your name and your man's name. When the Zhao State arranges for your reunion, you will be Zhao people from now on.
Originally, leaving these prisoners in Zhao State was a destabilizing factor, but as long as the whole family stayed in Zhao State, it immediately became a stabilizing factor.
As long as you can have enough to eat in Zhao State, who will miss Qi State?