The most glorious moment in Wang Ben's life was the battle to destroy Wei in the 22nd year of Qin Shihuang's reign.
He was only in his forties at the time and was so heroic that he was called "General Xiao Wang". He swept an army of 200,000 across Wei, and surrounded the great beams with water.
Flood the city!
But with just one order, General Xiao Wang, who could kill hundreds of thousands of people in Daliang, issued a military order in order to protect the tomb of a Wei man:
"Anyone who dares to go fifty steps to Xinlingjun Ridge to cut firewood will be punished with death!"
Wang Ben did this to win the hearts and minds of Wei Shi, but many years later, when he was seriously ill, half asleep and half awake, he dreamed of going to Wei Wuji's tomb to worship...
In front of the prince's tomb, there was an old maid, who was probably Lord Xinling's former concubine. She offered a cup of wine every day and scanned the tomb. Wang Ben asked the old woman from Wei why, and the old woman only replied:
"Young master said that when you are drunk, you can't hear..."
"What can't you hear?" Wang Ben was a little curious.
The old woman from Wei pointed to the distant beams: "You can't hear the sound of Liang City collapsing!"
Although I was sad at that time, I didn’t feel deeply. Until today...
"Wang Ben now understands why Lord Xinling, after losing the trust of the King of Wei, spent long nights drinking with guests, drinking fine wine, getting too close to women, regardless of his health, and drinking freely for four years..."
Not only disappointed, but also desperate to see that Wei will eventually fall!
"Wei Wuji is deliberately damaging his body to let himself die early, so as not to see the death of Wei!"
Wang Ben understands Lord Xinling’s state of mind very well!
"I should also take the first step before the First Emperor."
"How come I live a few more years and watch helplessly as the walls of the building I helped build with my own hands collapse, the beams and columns are broken, and it turns into rubble?"
How glorious it once was.
How sad it is now!
After murmuring like this, Wang Ben opened his cloudy eyes. On both sides of him were guards wiping away tears. One of them knelt down in front of his bed and said, "It's all my fault, it's the subordinates who made the Taiwei angry."
That’s it.”
"Gantang, don't blame yourself."
Wang Ben sighed: "Fortunately, you dissuaded me in time, preventing me from making the trip, and avoiding personally pushing Great Qin into the abyss."
Regardless of whether it is right or wrong, Wang Ben can't do anything to clear the emperor's side even if he wants to.
After realizing that the strong medicine of military remonstrance might hasten the fall of the country, he suddenly became desperate and his condition worsened. He could barely get on the train a few days ago, but now he can't even get off the bed, let alone return to Xianyang, even ten miles away.
From the whispers of the doctors, Wang Ben knew that he would be alive in just a few days.
"I originally wanted to do my best for the First Emperor, put down the rebellion, recover the counties and counties, and revitalize the country. However, God's will is that I will die soon."
"That's fine. I should have died long ago. If I let go now, I can be like Wei Wuji and not have to see the scene of the bandits entering Xianyang and the elk roaming the court."
But in the end, he still couldn't let go, so Wang Ben began to tell his last words.
"When I die, the three armies will be without a leader. The black man will take the opportunity to go north. This thief is cunning and skilled, and none of the generals can defeat him. Rather than capture hundreds of thousands of troops at that time, it is better to abandon Nanyang and retreat to Guanzhong. Sima
Yang can act as the chief general, with Gantang as his assistant, in charge of the withdrawal of troops."
Temporarily abandoning the land outside the pass and shrinking the front line was the only way Wang Ben could think of to prevent the army from disintegrating and allow Qin Neng to continue.
"The traitors in the court must also be eliminated!"
Wang Ben gritted his teeth and said to Gantang and others: "Your Majesty is soft-hearted and will not punish Zhao Gao. You must try to get Wang Li to express his interests. At least you must force your Majesty to send Zhao Gao to guard the mausoleum of the First Emperor and wait for him."
After we get on the road, I will personally guard the doorman and kill him!"
"promise!"
At this time, Gantang came forward and whispered: "Do you have anything to say to General Xiao Wang?"
He was referring to Wang Li.
Wang Ben was silent for a long time and sighed: "Every generation has its destiny. My father swept through the six kingdoms, and I was lucky enough to see the First Emperor come to dominate the world, with his chariots and horses behind him, conquering the princes. However, I also saw Ji Shi suddenly arrive, and Tian
Bengdijun..."
"I just let it go. As the Marquis of Wucheng, Wang Li has to take over this mess..."
Marquis Tongwu understands that his son, with his ability, can turn the tide? I'm afraid it will be difficult, and the entire clan may have to be involved.
But precisely because he knew Wang Li, Wang Ben understood better that Wang Li would never bow to Hei Fu.
"Just do your best and send your two sons to the Western Regions to join Li Xin as soon as possible. Although Li Xin resists and refuses to return, he should protect them and leave some blood for the Wang family..."
At this time, General Sima Yang had arrived and worshiped in front of Wang Ben's bed. Wang Ben tremblingly handed the seal ribbon, tiger charm, and ax to him, and warned him in a weak voice:
"After my death, the news of my death must be sealed. No funeral announcements can be made. My body must be placed on the carriage and the three armies must not know about it. From Wancheng to Wuguan, one must pass through Danyang. The rebels have occupied the south of Danyang, so they must retreat slowly.
Don’t be hasty.”
"But if the news of the withdrawal cannot be concealed from those in the south, you can order the rear camp to advance first, and then retreat slowly battalion by battalion. If Heifu sends people to pursue you, you can form a formation by the Dan River, beat the drums loudly, and fight
Counterattack with my flag. Heifu has always been suspicious and will definitely think that I am cheating my death. He restrains the generals from pursuing me deeply. The army can successfully evacuate Nanyang and return to Wuguan to save some seeds of revival for the Qin Dynasty..."
After saying these words, Wang Ben was so tired that he rested for a while and continued:
"I'm not worried about the defense of Wuguan. There is no problem with Chenggao. Even if Sanchuan cannot be defended, there is still Hangu Pass. What I am most worried about are two places."
Sima Yang asked: "Where?"
Wang Ben said: "Hanzhong, Hedong!"
"Hanzhong is located at the Kun of Qin and is the root of Shu. It is a barrier in Guanzhong, both high and deep. With the current situation, Hanzhong may be difficult to defend. The defenders should burn the plank road and retreat. There is no plank road. Even if there is Hanzhong in the north, it will be difficult for Heifu to cross.
Nanshan, spy on Xianyang. However, trustworthy ministers and elite soldiers must also be sent to guard the rest of Baoxie and other roads, and they must not be allowed to sneak across."
"As for Hedong, control the Guanhe River and connect the mountains and rivers. This is what Marquis Wu of Wei called the 'mountains and rivers'. Puban is an important town and a shortcut to enter Guanzhong. Zhao Gao's brother Zhao became the captain of Hedong County. I am not worried and must change someone...
…”
Finally, Wang Ben also had a memorial to Hu Hai.
"There are four fortresses in Guanzhong, and Weihan is the fortress. It is known as the danger of one hundred and two. Even a mediocre leader and a mediocre minister can refuse to defend the pass. Your Majesty cannot compare with the First Emperor. He has done wrong things and killed the wrong people. But as long as you can
It is enough to correct the past mistakes, learn from Taijia, and be the master of partial peace."
"The Shang Dynasty sacrificed six hundred sacrifices to Zuo and perished in Qizhou, which was a hundred miles away; the Six Kingdoms sacrificed Zhao, Wei, Qi, Chu, Han, and Yan, which were eight thousand miles away, and were ordered to Qin which was thousands of miles away. This did not happen overnight.
, Guanzhong is located in the upper reaches of the world, and it occupies a favorable geographical location. Let us first protect the land of one state, do light corvee and pay little tax, and start a new era with the people, waiting for future generations to revitalize it."
The funeral arrangements have been arranged one by one, but in the final analysis, even though there are mountains and rivers in Guanzhong, the same sentence remains:
“Being virtuous is not dangerous!”
If Hu Hai still does not cultivate moral governance and acts recklessly, let alone the land of Guanzhong, even the people in the boat will become an enemy country!
"I've done so much, maybe it's of no use at all..."
The more he thought about it, the more desperate he became. Wang Ben fainted again. By the end of the night, Fang Su had become more energetic.
Wang Benling supported him from left to right, took the carriage, and climbed up the city wall of Wancheng. From a distance, he saw the lights of the camps flourishing and the smoke billowing from the stoves. Although the situation was not good, the officers and soldiers of the three armies were still relatively optimistic - because they knew that they were led by the warlord.
The invincible Marquis Tongwu!
This is the military life that Wang Ben is extremely familiar with, even more familiar than Pinyang's home.
Wang Ben thought again of his father who took him to the military camp for the first time.
At that time, General Wang looked at his father with reverence and asked General Wang a question:
"What is a general?"
Wang Jian handed him a sword: "Jiang is the sword in the king's hand."
"In these troubled times, no matter where the king points, I have to accept orders without hesitation. When the enemy is defeated, I will return. When the master comes out, I will have the glory of death but no shame of life!"
Wang Ben wanted to take the sword, but his father smiled again and took it back.
"Generals are also the fortress of the country. Each generation has its own career. When your father clears the way for the king and establishes the country, you will also have a place to use when the world is governed. That is to guard the territory and protect the people, to be a brave warrior, and to be the stronghold of the country!"
Thirty years have been like a dream. The little General Wang back then became the "Old General Wang" when he grew old.
Recalling the past, Wang Ben looked up to the sky and sighed:
"Father."
"After all, I am incompetent."
"I can't wipe out the rebels externally, and I can't clean up the imperial court internally. I feel ashamed of the late emperor's high hopes..."
"I can only be like my father, a sharp sword in the hands of the First Emperor, to destroy the six kingdoms."
“But it didn’t work well in the end.”
"The barrier protecting Hu Hai and Da Qin Sheji..."
Wang Ben was really unlucky. He had seen him build a tall building, he had entertained guests, he had seen his building collapse, and he had spent fifty years watching his rise and fall!
Thinking of this, Wang Ben couldn't help but burst into tears. He raised his heavy arms in the car and looked at the soldiers in the military camp in the distance and secretly wiped away the tears of the staff nearby.
And he bowed to the empire he had spent his whole life running around.
"Wang Ben, he is going to abandon you all..."
The gray head drooped, and the hand also dropped, but never raised it again...
In the first year of the second lunar month, on the tenth day of the third month of the lunar calendar, Wang Ben died in Wancheng!
The wall of the empire has collapsed!
…
At the same time, in Xiangyang, which is not far from Wancheng, Heifu did not see the fallen star, nor any sign. This evening was no different from the ordinary warm afternoon in Yangchun.
"Did I hear you correctly?"
After receiving the report from "Captain of the Guards" Ji Ying, Heifu stopped the chopsticks in his hand, stuffed the rice grains stuck on his beard into his mouth, and showed a strange smile.
