Zhu Xiang suddenly discovered that the old King of Qin's eyes became complicated when he looked at Ying Xiaozheng.
There was a little relief, a little pride, and a little gnashing of teeth out of anger.
At night, Zhu Xiang poked the fat boy who was sleeping with him and said, "Zheng'er, did you say anything to irritate your great-grandfather?"
Ying Xiaozheng said proudly: "Grandfather Zeng asked me what to do if I met someone who was more meritorious than me, and I answered that no one's merit would be greater than mine."
After Zhu Xiang heard this, he looked even more proud than Ying Xiaozheng: "That's right. Zheng'er is indeed the best. Look at the difference in realm! No wonder he feels so complicated!"
The uncle and nephew hid in the bed and laughed quietly. They didn't take the big devil of the Warring States Period, the King of Qin, seriously at all. They were really bolder than the sky.
Ying Xiaozheng came to the dream room, propped up his chin with his hand, and looked at the "Qin Shi Huang" who was doing the same thing for a long time, then sighed: "My uncle is really... Is everything I do right? If it were any other child, I'm afraid I would have been spoiled by my uncle."
The self in the dream remained silent and did not answer.
Now that Ying Xiaozheng has come to the dream, he no longer spends all his time studying. He spends half of his time recalling and thinking about what he has gained in reality.
Once he enters the dream room, his thinking and mind will reach the level of an adult. The problems that are ignored by the physical limitations in reality can be cleared up here.
Rather than constantly accepting the thoughts of another self, Ying Xiaozheng gradually felt that this would be more helpful to himself.
Ying Xiaozheng's change of mind came from Zhu Xiang's teachings.
Zhu Xiang told him that he could gather ideas from all sides, but not to believe in one single idea.
Just like farming, the same kind of seeds will produce different seedlings, and the same seedling will produce different leaves. Even his own thoughts and knowledge in his dreams can only serve as nutrients to nurture him.
It is the soil, the sunshine, the rain and the fertilizer.
All this will then produce a distinctive plant that spreads its branches, leaves, flowers and fruits.
"My views are different from yours now." Ying Xiaozheng looked at the Qin Shi Huang in his dream and whispered, "I really want to talk to you and discuss our differences. Maybe it's really like what my uncle said, I lack a friend of the same age. Just like my uncle and Uncle Lin to my father. I really envy my father."
Ying Xiaozheng thought that it would be impossible for him to have such a friend in real life.
If the self in the dream could speak, perhaps he would have his own friends.
However, this is just an empty shell that carries knowledge and memories.
Ying Xiaozheng left the dream with regret, but he didn't know that as soon as he left the dream, he opened his eyes in the dream with a complicated expression.
Then the dream was shattered.
After Ying Xiaozheng provoked the old King of Qin, the old King of Qin felt awkward for a long time. It was not until the Chu army was defeated that he returned to his previous indifferent appearance.
The battle between Qin and Chu was very boring and there was not much to say.
Just as many dynasties in later generations abandoned their armies after unifying the world, the State of Chu abandoned its navy after conquering Wu and Yue and basically unifying the south.
Because it is no longer necessary to fight for hegemony in the Central Plains.
If not for this, Bai Qi's hastily assembled navy would not have caught the State of Chu off guard.
After the Chu relatives of Qin passed the news of the Qin King's incognito tour to Chu, Chunshen Jun strongly advocated attacking the Jiangdong area.
The great nobles of Chu State discussed the matter and agreed to Chunshen Jun's proposal.
Although they usually hold each other back, they finally unite when big things happen.
I heard that Prince Zhu was an incompetent and weak person, and was very generous to the Qin royal family and relatives. If the old King of Qin died and Prince Zhu succeeded to the throne, Chu would be able to be stable for many years, and maybe this generation of nobles would not have to go to war with Qin before they died. They could sit back and enjoy themselves without worries.
So, led by Chunshen Jun, nobles from all over the country assembled an army of 200,000, stationed them on the north bank of the Yangtze River, and intended to cross the river to attack Jiangdong.
Wang Jian commanded the navy to line up on the riverside and became the nominal commander-in-chief.
Li Mu sneaked back to the military camp and became the actual commander, while Wang Jian was his deputy.
Meng Wu was responsible for providing support to prevent the State of Chu from making a feint to the east and attacking in the west.
In order to hide his identity, Li Mu disguised himself as Wang Jian's personal soldier and personal guard, and lived and ate with Wang Jian.
Wang Jian was under tremendous pressure.
Li Mu observed Wang Jian for a few days and saw that Wang Jian was too nervous, so he tried to comfort him: "Wang Qing, you seem to have some problem with me?"
Wang Jian was so frightened that the brush in his hand dropped.
What do you mean by "have a problem with me"? General Li, don't talk nonsense.
"No!" Wang Jian denied immediately.
Li Mu asked, "Are you worried that I might be jealous of you because of what Zhu Xiang said?"
Wang Jian: "… How is it possible! How could General Li be jealous of me!"
Li Mu looked at Wang Jian's flustered look and thought to himself, no wonder Zhu Xiang and Lin Zhi both liked to tease him. How interesting.
However, Li Mu was a good man, so he only tested him once and stopped teasing Wang Jian.
"Since Zhu Xiang said you are a friend, then let's call each other by our first names." Li Mu put away his serious expression and returned to his usual easy-going demeanor. "Zhu Xiang's praise of you is good for both of us. I won't be dissatisfied."
Seeing that Wang Jian did not react, Li Mu further explained: "It is better for Qin to have more than one 'Wu'an Jun'. If you become another 'Wu'an Jun' of Qin, I will be safer. Similarly, after you become the 'Wu'an Jun' of Qin, you will be safer with me competing with you."
Li Mu thought of Bai Gong who was living in retirement, and a sarcastic smile appeared on his face: "Zhu Xiang once said, 'Peace is originally determined by the general, and the general is not allowed to see peace.'"
Wang Jian looked at Li Mu in horror. He had never thought that Li Mu would open his heart to a stranger like him and say such outrageous words.
Li Mu half-jokingly said: "If you understand this, then relax and make achievements. I will help you, Wu Chengjun."
Wang Jian gritted his teeth, stood up and walked to Li Mu, clasped his fists and said, "Why do you trust me so much? Aren't you afraid that I will leak this matter?"
Li Mu said: "You are Zhu Xiang's friend, so I trust you."
Wang Jian asked, “Is that all?”
Li Mu said: "That's all. If you were more familiar with Zhu Xiang, you would understand his ability to judge people."
Wang Jian looked strange: "From what General Li said, it seems that as long as Zhu Xiang makes a new friend, all of Zhu Xiang's friends will also make a new friend?"
Li Mu laughed: "You are right."
Wang Jian still didn't understand: "But Zhu Xiang has only known me for a short time. How can you trust me so much? How can Zhu Xiang trust me so much?"
Seeing Wang Jian finally reveal his true colors, Li Mu smiled and sighed, "Zhu Xiang is a good judge of people. Although he doesn't admit it, once he hears a person's name and sees his face, he can roughly guess the person's character and achievements. And this is your first time meeting Zhu Xiang, but Zhu Xiang may not have just met you. He has been paying attention to you for a long time. Don't you know that he recommended you?"
Li Mu revealed a piece of news that the old King of Qin had not said: "Zhu Xiang collected your remarks on military affairs with others, as well as your performance on the battlefield, and also discussed you with Bai Gong, Fan Gong and others. He did not trust you without basis."
If Zhu Xiang were here, he could explain it more clearly.
Although he trusted Wang Jian because Wang Jian was a historical celebrity, who knows whether all historical celebrities in the parallel world are talented? He would not trust one person just because of what was said in history books.
What’s more, history books only describe one side of a person. Maybe according to the history books, this person is exactly the opposite of what is recorded in later generations.
So Zhu Xiang kept muttering about stamp collecting, but he never took the initiative to contact anyone. Even when he met a historical figure, he would first get to know the other person before deciding how to get along with him.
For example, Li Bing became Zhu Xiang's friend only after he entered Shu, but Lu Buwei is not yet Zhu Xiang's friend.
Zhu Xiang regarded Wang Jian as a friend because after Wang Jian learned that it was him who recommended him, although he did not take much action on the surface, his favorability towards him immediately soared by two and a half hearts.
Wang Jian's behavior of being reserved on the surface but remembering the favor in his heart made Zhu Xiang think that this man was worth making friends with.
Zhu Xiang was originally just curious about Wang Jian, so he collected some of Wang Jian's life, determined that Wang Jian was indeed talented, and recommended him to the King of Qin. Their personal relationship only began from then on.
He would not tell his friends about his own criteria for judgment, but his friends all trusted his ability to judge people.
Li Mu added in his heart, moreover, they have enough confidence in themselves. Even if Zhu Xiang occasionally makes a mistake and his new friend betrays Zhu Xiang, they can immediately pull that person out and chop him into pieces, which will not affect Zhu Xiang.
"This is really..." Wang Jian straightened up and took a deep breath, "I now understand that Duke Zhu Xiang's friendship is really precious."
Li Mu said: "Indeed."
Wang Jian returned to his seat, smoothed his hair and calmed down.
"Li Mu, you have formed such a solid group around Duke Zhu Xiang. Have you ever thought that the King of Qin would be afraid of Duke Zhu Xiang?" Wang Jian said calmly, "The King will not allow such a group to exist."
Li Mu said: "I know. Even if the king knew that Zhu Xiang had no ambition, he might not tolerate this. But Zheng'er is Zhu Xiang's only blood descendant. As long as Zheng'er can continue to be so outstanding, there is nothing to be afraid of."
Wang Jian retorted: "Perhaps the current king will not be afraid of his great-grandson, but what about Crown Prince Zhu? What about Prince Zichu?"
Li Mu smiled and said, "Prince Zhu is honest, and Young Master Zichu... You have been in contact with Xia Tong for a long time, and you know that Xia Tong will never be afraid of Zhu Xiang. Xia Tong may not be our friend, but he must be Zhu Xiang's friend."
Wang Jian was silent for a long time, and then said, "I am loyal to the Qin State and the King of Qin. I may make a different choice from you."
Li Mu said: "As long as the King of Qin is determined to unify the world, your choice will not be different from Zhu Xiang's, and it will not be different from the choice of Zhu Xiang's friends like me. Zhu Xiang is needed to pacify this chaotic world."
Wang Jian was silent for a long time, then he sighed helplessly and said with a wry smile: "Indeed."
"You don't need to make a decision right away, just like I don't consider you a friend now." Li Mu said, "We still have a long time to spend together."
Wang Jian said, “Indeed.”
"But there is one thing I must remind you of," Li Mu said, "Don't treat Zheng'er as a child. If Zheng'er tells you to do something, you should treat Zheng'er as your master."
Wang Jian was dumbfounded: "How old is Zheng'er?!"
Li Mu laughed: "You will understand after you spend some time with Zheng'er. It won't hurt to listen to me."
Wang Jian held his forehead with his hand and said, "Okay, I'll listen." It seemed that if he wanted to become a true friend with Duke Xiang of Zhu, he had to make a lot of mental preparations.
This is a real challenge.
"The Chu army has formed a battle array on the other side of the river. How are you going to respond?" Li Mu started talking about business.
Wang Jian said: "There is nothing special to deal with. I will lead my troops to launch a surprise attack on the night of the new moon in a few days and burn their camp."
Wang Jian's tone was light, and Li Mu's answer was also light: "Okay, after the camp is on fire, I will lead the fleet to land."
The two of them made the decision without any special strategies.
In the view of Wang Jian and Li Mu, no special strategy was needed.
In the battle of crossing the river, they had taken advantage of the fleet and long-range weapons, and were already invincible. Next, they only needed to find the opponent's weak point and bite the opponent's throat like a hunting beast to win.
Of course, a lot of preparation is required.
For example, they needed to understand the layout of the enemy camp; know which nobles and generals each camp belonged to; find the weather suitable for night attacks; and ensure that their plans for night attacks were not known to the Chu people...
Wang Jian and Li Mu were already prepared for these things, and they were as easy as breathing.
In their eyes, the enemy's formation was full of mistakes and they could easily find several places to attack.
The Chu people had no generals who could threaten them - they both understood this immediately.
At the same time, they also realized that the great nobles seemed to be divided and did not support Chunshen Jun as much as they appeared to be.
When the King of Qin got bored, he pulled Zhu Xiang to discuss the affairs of the Chu army.
Zhu Xiang also saw this.
Even though he was a military novice, he could tell from the summary of the recent Chu army patrols that the other side's military orders were in chaos. There were even internal fights and fights in the other side's army, which was really speechless.
The Chu State was a vast territory with independent administrative units, so it would take a lot of manpower, material resources and time to wipe out the Chu State.
But when Qin and Chu deployed their battle arrays and concentrated on one place for the decisive battle, Qin took the initiative in defense and Chu became vulnerable.
The prestige of the King of Chu now means that the State of Chu has no power to take the initiative to attack.
"This is the importance of implementing centralization." Zhu Xiang sighed.
The Chu State must have many excellent generals, and I heard that Chunshen Jun was a good one. But it was surprising that he could see at a glance that the enemy's formation was in disarray.
"I heard that when Chu was still strong, their prime minister attacked a small country. The king of that small country sent people to lobby, saying that the prime minister had no more titles to offer and that he would not get much reward if he won the battle. So the prime minister withdrew his troops." Zhu Xiang said, "The chaos in the Chu army this time should also be due to this."
If the old King of Qin died and Crown Prince Zhu ascended the throne, the State of Chu would be safe and it would also be beneficial to the great nobles of Chu, so the great nobles of Chu sent troops; but this matter was led by Chunshen Jun, who was supported by the King of Chu. If the King of Qin was really killed, then Chunshen Jun and the King of Chu would benefit more. So although they sent troops, they behaved very passively and even fought for power in front of the battle.
This contradictory attitude made the 200,000-strong Chu army vulnerable.
"I really want to destroy the State of Chu in one fell swoop." Seeing the weakening of the State of Chu, the old King of Qin was ready to make a move again.
Zhu Xiang said: "How about giving it a try?"
The old Qin King asked: "Can it succeed?"
Zhu Xiang said: "No."
The old King of Qin took out a ruler from his sleeve and hit Zhu Xiang hard on the head.
Zhu Xiang touched his head and said in surprise: "Mr. Ji really brought a ruler?!"
The old King Qin said slowly: "I found that I couldn't bear to punish you, so I might as well do it myself."
Zhu Xiang: "…Xie Jiweng."
Ying Xiaozheng covered his mouth and laughed.
It's funny that my uncle still thanked me after being beaten.
The old King of Qin put away his ruler and said, "After the defeat of Chu, I'm afraid they will be very quiet for a short period of time. We can ignore them for the time being. Which country do you think I should attack next?"
Zhu Xiang said: "I can't tell."
The old King of Qin glanced at Zhu Xiang and said, "Are you afraid that your achievements will surpass yours?"
Zhu Xiang said, "Don't be afraid. Whose contribution can be greater than your Majesty's? It's just that I really don't understand these things. Why don't you ask me where I want to farm next."
The old Qin King asked, "Where do you want to farm?"
Zhu Xiang said: "Stay here and wait until the development of the south is complete before going back."
The old King Qin sighed: "You... Well, you can stay here for a few more years."
Zhu Xiang bowed and said, "Thank you, Mr. Ji."
The old King of Qin said, "Don't forget to teach Zheng'er well. If you delay Zheng'er's studies, you will not just be punished with a ruler. But your wife misses you very much. Come back to Xianyang with me first and come back here after some time."
Zhu Xiang immediately said, "Yes!" It was time for him to go back and visit his relatives.
Zichu was observing the old King of Qin's expression. He was very confused. The King of Qin seemed to have a better attitude towards Zhu Xiang and his fear of him had faded. Why did the King of Qin change so much in such a short period of time
He looked at Ying Xiaozheng, who was holding a biscuit and grinding his teeth.
Ying Xiaozheng looked up at Zichu, then protected the pancake in his hand.
Zichu: “…” I won’t steal your cake!
Before the new moon night, Wang Jian quietly divided Qin soldiers into groups and crossed the Yangtze River from other places in the early morning, hiding in the reed marshes and forests.
On the night of the new moon, Wang Jian personally led a fleet across the Yangtze River.
Li Mu displayed his flag, assembled the navy on the south bank of the Yangtze River, lit torches, and made an attacking gesture, attracting the attention of the Chu army.
While the Chu army was spying on the situation on the south bank, Wang Jian secretly landed and started setting fire.
The Chu army didn't even discover such a simple plan.
Because the place where Wang Jian set fire was Chunshen Jun's barracks, the other nobles turned a blind eye and watched Chunshen Jun's barracks being attacked.
This strategy was like walking on a tightrope; if he took a wrong step, Wang Jian might be surrounded by the Chu army.
But Wang Jian succeeded.
When the camp led by Chunshen Jun was on fire and chaos broke out, the Qin soldiers who were sent by Wang Jian to ambush appeared and set fire to other camps. The Chu army was ablaze.
Li Mu quickly led his fleet across the Yangtze River. The confrontation between Qin and Chu was broken and the two armies immediately engaged in battle.
Wang Jian did not join forces with Li Mu, but left secretly after setting the fire.
However, the Chu army thought that the Qin army that set the fire was still there, so they fought against Li Mu while sending their troops to search for Wang Jian everywhere.
At this time, the disadvantages of the Chu army fighting on their own became apparent. The Chu troops belonging to different feudal lords were unfamiliar with each other, and several melees occurred in which they thought the enemy was Qin soldiers.
The army at that time did not have a unified uniform, and most people brought their own clothes, so it was difficult to tell who was who just by looking at the clothes. Even if they flew the flag of the Chu army, the one who burned the barracks also flew the flag of the Chu army. In addition, the Qin military merit system was also spread to other places, and the Chu army also needed to cut off heads to receive rewards, which made it even more chaotic.
Wang Jian returned safely to the south bank of the Yangtze River.
The Chu army came to attack Jiangdong with great force, aiming at the King of Qin. This battle, which seemed to be a great one, ended in a hasty manner. As soon as Li Mu led the fleet to the north bank, the Chu army began to panic and quickly retreated.
The seven countries are all paying attention to this battle to see if there is any opportunity to take advantage of.
Unexpectedly, this battle started off well but ended badly, and was totally unspectacular. They became even more terrified of the power of Qin, Li Mu became famous again, and Wang Jian's information also appeared in the vision of several monarchs for the first time.
King Zhao fell ill again.
Li Mu was originally a general of Zhao State, and he was personally sent to Qin State by Li Mu.
Zhu Xiang had known for a long time that Qin would win, but after all, the other side had gathered an army of 200,000. Even if two-thirds of them were auxiliary civilians, he thought the fight would last a while longer.
Wang Jian crossed the river in a swagger and set fire to the enemy's camp. He even notified the Chu army before burning it. Zhu Xiang had never expected this.
"Isn't it too risky?" Zhu Xiang asked curiously at the celebration banquet, "Aren't you afraid that if you reveal the news, the Chu people will send people to ambush you?"
Wang Jian said: "There is a 30% chance that they will ambush me. But a 70% chance of ending the battle in one fell swoop is enough."
Zhu Xiang thought about Wang Jian's reputation for prudence in history, scratched his head and said, "How dare you be so reckless? I thought you would be more cautious."
Wang Jian was puzzled and asked, "I am very cautious, not reckless. Isn't a 70% chance of winning high?"
Zhu Xiang said: "You will only go into battle if you have at least a 90% chance of winning, right? And you should also have a backup plan if it fails?"
Wang Jian said: "The scouts I placed in the Chu army were able to deliver information in time when they decided to surround me, allowing me to escape unscathed. As for the backup plan, I am General Li's backup plan. How can there be another backup besides the backup? That's too complicated."
Zhu Xiang didn't understand.
Li Mu explained: "I can win even if I lead the fleet to attack directly. Whether Wang Jian can win or not only depends on the price I pay to win this battle."
Zhu Xiang: “…Oh.” Yes, now Wang Jian is not the main general, Li Mu is the main general, so Wang Jian doesn’t have to think so much.
The three continued to drink, while the old King of Qin and Zichu were already drunk and fell asleep. Ying Xiaozheng was sleeping soundly in the arms of his drunken father, and Zhu Xiang, Li Mu, and Wang Jian could not wake him up even though they spoke so loudly.
Originally, the old King of Qin and Zichu were going to celebrate the success of Li Mu and Wang Jian, but the old King of Qin and Zichu got drunk first. This situation was really weird.
"By the way, where is Meng Wu?" Zhu Xiang asked, "Why didn't he attend the celebration banquet?"
Li Mu said, "The Chu people want to regain some face and are crossing the river from other places to harass us. Meng Wu has no time."
Zhu Xiang didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Meng Wu was still fighting, but we started celebrating. We felt a little sorry for Meng Wu.
The war between Qin and Chu ended so easily, as if no war had ever taken place.
Li Mu continued to deploy defenses along the Yangtze River at a leisurely pace.
Now the south bank of the Yangtze River is under his control. He has arranged strongholds from west to east that can provide chain support. If the Chu people cross the river to the south from any point, they can mobilize the entire body and form a defense along the entire Yangtze River.
Once this line of defense was established, Li Mu's plan to divide the country by the river with Chu became a reality. Chu was no longer able to cross the river to the south.
Li Mu had no intention of crossing the north either. He decided to expand southward, especially toward the southern coast.
Later, to support the Central Plains War, Li Mu needed to build the Yangtze River Naval Division into a more powerful naval division capable of fighting at sea. He established a warship workshop on the seashore and began to build seagoing ships.
After Li Mu built the sea ships, he would expand southward along the coastline, expanding Qin's territory while training the navy.
Now everyone thinks that the south is a barren land, but Zhu Xiang said that the better the water and heat conditions, the faster the crops will grow. So he only needs to conquer the land in the south and let Zhu Xiang send people to cultivate it, and the grain will continue to be produced, and he can fight to support the war without the support of Qin.
Li Mu is a very cautious person and he will not do anything he cannot do.
After hearing Li Mu's plan, Wang Jian did not want to return to the north immediately.
He hoped to study with Li Mu for a while before going back, as there would not be such an interesting battlefield in the north.
However, although Li Mu had such a plan, it would take time to transform the sea vessels, harvest the crops this season to supply military rations, and migrate to attract more people to reclaim the wasteland.
Under the banner of Zhu Xiang, Li Mu arranged several strongholds on the north bank to attract civilians who could not survive in the State of Chu to reclaim wasteland in the south.
Zhu Xiang was speechless when he learned about this. He felt that Li Mu was just like the human smugglers in later generations.
One of the four famous generals of the Warring States Period became a smuggler. It must be because the climate and soil in Qin were not good, which led Li Mu astray.
The old King of Qin could not wait here for Li Mu to slowly station troops and store food, so he naturally had to return to Xianyang. Zhu Xiang and Ying Xiaozheng also went back with him, and Zichu was left behind.
The old King of Qin wanted Zichu to see more of the customs and culture of the South.
Zhu Xiang was very worried about Zichu's health. Before leaving, he nagged Zichu for a long time, telling Zichu to pay attention to the combination of work and rest and not to run around.
He repeatedly reminded Li Mu to keep a good eye on Zichu.
After boarding the boat, Zhu Xiang shouted towards the shore, asking Zichu to have a good rest.
Zichu looked very embarrassed.
Wang Jian secretly said to Li Mu: "Now I understand what you meant when you said that Prince Zichu will definitely be Zhu Xiang's eternal friend."
Li Mu smiled, then quickly hid the smile to avoid being discovered by Zichu and getting angry.
Zhu Xiang was still shouting, but the old King of Qin hit him back with a ruler: "Don't embarrass yourself!"
Zhu Xiang touched his head and said, "It's Xia Tong who is embarrassed, not me."
Ying Xiaozheng said: "Grandfather Zeng meant that you should not embarrass me again. I am still the son of Qin after all."
Zhu Xiang said: "Well, I didn't consider whether he was embarrassed or not."
Ying Xiaozheng said: "But uncle, you just said that my father is shameful."
Seeing the uncle and nephew singing the same tune, the old King Qin sighed helplessly and felt very happy.
Although he was afraid of Zhu Xiang, when he was with Zhu Xiang and Ying Xiaozheng, he was in a really good mood and wanted to laugh at any time.
After being shocked by Ying Xiaozheng's words, the old King of Qin was angry and humiliated for a few days, but when he calmed down, he began to reflect.
Did he underestimate himself? His reputation and achievements were definitely much higher than those of Bai Qi and Zhu Xiang. Did he not need to be afraid of Bai Qi and Zhu Xiang? In fact, the greater the influence of Bai Qi and Zhu Xiang, the greater his influence would be
The old King of Qin had been the King of Qin for such a long time, and he was not stubborn. He often reflected on himself and adjusted his strategy.
But as he got older, his mind was no longer as active as before, nor was he as able to let go of things as before. He became a little too concerned about reputation and a little paranoid.
The old King of Qin often looked at himself in the mirror and lamented his aging.
He began to have difficulty handling many things, for example, the time he spent on handling government affairs was much shorter than before.
He wanted to perform more feats, but his energy was no longer enough to support him working at such a high intensity, which frightened him greatly.
Everyone is afraid of death, and the old King Qin, who has a lot of wealth, is even more afraid of death. He watched himself gradually approach death, and the feeling of powerlessness often made him have crazy ideas.
But his reason can still restrain himself, so he is still a wise king.
When the old King of Qin was returning with Zhu Xiang and Ying Xiaozheng, he often stared at Ying Xiaozheng in a daze.
Ying Xiaozheng's intelligence and young age made the old King of Qin proud and jealous.
The growth of the seedlings shows the withering of the old trees. He already has a great-grandson, and his great-grandson is so outstanding. All this proves that he should leave and the Qin State should be handed over to others.
But the old King of Qin did not want to die. He had worked so hard to make the Qin State so powerful, and he wanted to be the one who unified the world.
Zhu Xiang saw the old King of Qin's worries, but he was helpless and could not say anything to comfort him.
Birth, aging, illness and death are the normal state of life, and no one can change it. So only the old King Qin himself can figure this out.
But could the old King of Qin figure it out himself? Zhu Xiang didn't know.
There is great terror between life and death, and who can calmly accept his own death? Not even Qin Shi Huang.
Zhu Xiang did not mention this matter to the old King of Qin. However, when the boat sailed upstream from the Yangtze River into the Han River, the old King of Qin took the initiative to find Zhu Xiang and ask about it.
The old King of Qin asked: "Zhu Xiang, are there really immortals in the world?"
Zhu Xiang said: "I have never seen it. But even if there is, the gods may not change the affairs of the mortal world. If the gods can interfere in the mortal world at will, then they are not gods, but another monarch."
The old King Qin asked again: "Will that person have a next life?"
Zhu Xiang smiled and said, "That's for sure!"
The old King Qin asked: "Why are you so sure?"
Zhu Xiang said: "I don't need a reason to believe in something. I just believe that people will have a next life."
The old King Qin sighed: "What will happen to my next life?"
Zhu Xiang said: "I don't know about that. But I believe that if a person does something that can promote positive development in the world in this life, then he will definitely accumulate blessings in his next life."
The old King Qin nodded.
A few days later, the old King of Qin asked Zhu Xiang again: "Have you really never seen a fairy?"
Zhu Xiang said: "I really have never seen it."
The old Qin King asked: "Have you ever seen a soul?"
Zhu Xiang said: "I have only seen my own soul."
The old King of Qin remained silent for a few days.
When the boat docked at the shore and the old king of Qin and Zhu Xiang were about to take the carriage back to Xianyang, the old king of Qin asked again: "Zhu Xiang, are you afraid of death?"
Zhu Xiang nodded: "I am afraid."
The old Qin King said: "But I see you are not afraid at all. When you are afraid of death, how do you adjust your heart?"
Zhu Xiang said: "I told myself that I will definitely have a next life. Maybe when I close my eyes and open them again, I will become another person, and there will be no pain in between."
Zhu Xiang said in his heart that he remembered his past life, so he was afraid of the next life, afraid that he would come to a completely unfamiliar place with his memories.
In his next life, he might not be as lucky as he is now, and might be born in a deeper hell. He held on to the good memories of the past, but was powerless to change the current situation of hell, just like when he was in Handan.
However, he was powerless to change it and could only accept it.
Zhu Xiang said: "I hope that in my next life I can lose my previous memories, so that no matter whether I encounter happiness or pain, I will not compare it with this life, nor will I miss my previous life."
Zhu Xiang put his hand on his chest: "Missing you is very painful."
As long as the past life exists, it will be difficult for him to fully integrate into this life. This is too painful.
The old King of Qin looked at Zhu Xiang quietly. After a while, he said, "That's right. If you have the memory of your past life, it may not be a good thing. You have to let go of what you should let go of."
The old King of Qin did not ask Zhu Xiang any more questions, and they returned to Qin safely.
But Zhu Xiang didn't think that the old King of Qin had let it go.
The old King of Qin might continue to struggle between reason and fear until the moment of his death.
These were not what Zhu Xiang cared about. What he cared about most were his relatives whom he had not seen for a long time.
"Snow!"
"aunt!"
Zhu Xiang rushed forward and wanted to hug Xue.
Unexpectedly, Xue passed him and spun around while holding Ying Xiaozheng.
Zhu Xiang: “…”
After Xue put Ying Xiaozheng down, she hugged Zhu Xiang and said, "Welcome home, my dear."
Zhu Xiang: "... Anyway, I'm already ranked behind Zheng'er."
Ying Xiaozheng laughed loudly. Others who came to greet Zhu Xiang couldn't help laughing as well.
Xue's face flushed. She was just too embarrassed to hug Zhu Xiang warmly in front of so many people.
"Okay, okay, if I'm not ranked first, then I don't care." Zhu Xiang said, "I'm back."
He bowed to the elders in turn and presented them with gifts.
The gift he gave to Xunzi was a book written by a Confucian disciple that he had seen in the former Southern Chu, now Southern Qin.
Xunzi flipped through a few pages and became furious, cursing these people for talking nonsense.
"Don't look at this!" Xunzi was furious, "Where did this cheap scholar come from!"
Zhu Xiang said, "They are the disciples of Tan Tai Mieming. I brought them back. Does Xunzi want to teach them in person?"
Xunzi sneered: "Okay."
Zhu Xiang was delighted. He just liked to see Xunzi scolding people.
But Xunzi didn't seem too angry. Perhaps Xunzi didn't dislike Tantai Mieming's disciples that much, but just cursed them out of reflex.
After Zhu Xiang provoked Xunzi's anger, he went to find Lian Po.
"Lord Lian, Li Mu is really impressive this time." Zhu Xiang said, "They all say that although Lord Lian is old, Li Mu is in his prime. The general from Zhao will probably occupy a place in Qin."
Lian Po's eyes widened: "Who is old?"
Zhu Xiang said, "I didn't say that, Lord Lian, don't glare at me. But Lord Lian is indeed old, and it is impossible for him to compare with Li Mu."
Lian Po knew that Zhu Xiang was deliberately provoking his anger, but he still chased Zhu Xiang and beat him angrily.
How come this guy is still so rude after a trip to the South? Is this how he treats his elders
Bai Qi sighed deeply and stopped the furious Lian Po.
"Lian Qing, Zhu Xiang just hopes that you can continue to lead the troops into battle. He has no bad intentions." Bai Qi said.
Bai Qi thought he could still lead the troops, but he no longer dared to do so.
Lian Po is different. Although he is also a veteran with many military achievements, Lian Po has never made any contributions to the Qin State. Therefore, since Lian Po can still lead the troops, he can lead the troops. The King of Qin will be very happy about Lian Po's comeback.
Bai Qi envied Lian Po very much and sincerely hoped that Lian Po could leave this retirement place.
(End of this chapter)