After being stunned for a while, Zhu Xiang asked someone to bring him a jar of wine.
The servants thought Zhu Xiang was admiring the moon, so they brought him clothes to prevent him from catching a cold, and also brought him food to go with his wine.
The eaves were very wide, so Zhu Xiang would not roll down even if he slept on them.
However, in order to prevent Zhu Xiang from getting hurt, servants were guarding under the house and spread straw where Zhu Xiang might fall.
Zhu Xiang picked up the chopsticks and ate a few bites of the food, then poured himself a few sips of wine.
By the time the food was finished, only half of the wine jar was empty.
Although the wine from the Ba County Magistrate's Mansion was not as good as the wine he brewed himself, it was very clear after filtering, tasted sweet, and not strong in alcohol.
Zhu Xiang lowered his head, the full moon was reflected in the wine glass. He shook the wine glass, and the full moon shattered into a cup of clear frost.
The moonlight shines brightly in front of my bed, I wonder if it is frost on the ground. I look up at the moon and think of my hometown.
"They said my arrival would bring changes, but in fact, no changes would occur."
Zhu Xiang was silent for a long time before speaking in a low voice.
"In his later years, Qin Shi Huang conquered the Xiongnu in the north and the Baiyue in the south, built the Great Wall, the Great Road, the palaces, and the mausoleum, and established unprecedented achievements and wonders."
"An unprecedented achievement or a unique wonder may consume all the resources of a dynasty and may be difficult for an emperor to achieve in his lifetime."
"Qin Shi Huang achieved it. Is this because Qin Shi Huang is so powerful?"
"Yes, he was very powerful. But he was not the one who died in the northern expedition against the Xiongnu and the southern expedition against the Baiyue. He was also not the one who died of exhaustion or starvation while building the Great Wall, the imperial roads, the palaces, and the mausoleums."
"One-fifth of the people in Qin were out of work, almost all the young and middle-aged were out of work, and only the old, weak, sick and disabled were left to prostrate themselves on the ground to serve this huge empire and the ambition of the greatest emperor in history."
Zhu Xiang raised his head and drank the whole cup of Han Shuang.
"When I was still a person of later generations, I also admired Qin Shi Huang and felt sorry for the fall of the Qin Dynasty."
Zhu Xiang threw the wine glass, and the golden wine glass rolled to the ground, making a crisp sound.
He held the chopsticks, hugged the wine jar, hit the jar with the chopsticks, and sang softly, a sound that only he could hear.
"There are dogs in the wild and birds in the forest. The dogs are so hungry that they make noises for food, and the birds can't be driven away and keep their tails scurrying..."
"At the corner of the road between the south and north of the village, the wife called out to the crying husband but he didn't respond, the father was about to die but the orphan was supporting him..."
"Birds peck at your eyes, dogs bite your whiskers, there is no skin on your body that is not intact!"
Zhu Xiang's head was shaking, he was getting drunk, and he hit the wine jar harder and harder.
"Those who pass by please don't sigh, those who hear please don't cry out! Haven't you seen the thorns in the deserted temple, the flesh of an unknown family's son is cut into pieces. Heaven, heaven, don't hear your cries, you should envy the people dying of hunger and cold on the roadside."
"Ha, Yingxian is starving and freezing to death on the road!"
Zhu Xiang exerted force with his hand, and with a "snap" sound, the chopsticks actually broke the wine jar, and the wine spilled out with a splash.
The sound of pottery shards falling was like the sound of chimes, causing the servant to look up.
Zhu Xiang stood up and danced left and right on the broad roof.
The servants could not help laughing and whispering, saying that Duke Xiang of Zhu's behavior was similar to that of Prime Minister Lin, in that they both enjoyed the moon and drank wine and then jumped for joy, making others who were watching also feel extremely happy.
Zhu Xiang jumped for a while and then lay on his back on the eaves.
The moon is high in the sky.
The clear light illuminated his face, the wine stains on his body, his right hand which was scratched by the pottery shards while holding the chopsticks, and his left hand which was tightly grasping his clothes.
The snow-white hair was scattered like the moonlight in the sky.
Zhu Xiang stared blankly at the moon again.
He murmured.
“This world is a horrible place.”
"It is better to die than to see pain."
Even though he had relatives and friends, Zhu Xiang would always have the thought of leaving forever from time to time.
The higher his position and the more powerful he is, the stronger this idea becomes.
When he was still a commoner, Zhu Xiang could comfort himself by saying "I can't do it". Although he couldn't do many things and couldn't save many people at that time, he was happier than he is now.
Now, he can do more, save more people, but also suffer more.
Not only did he lose the excuse to comfort himself, he also found that every time he did something, countless common people suffered because of him.
Because every time a feudal state accomplishes something, it consumes a lot of manpower, and these people are directly requisitioned, without caring about their life or death.
Therefore, when it comes to recuperation, governing a large country is like cooking a small fish. It is better to be still than to move. The more you move, the more suffering the people will suffer.
"Benefits will last for generations" is a good excuse, but he cannot use it because he is not a person of later generations, he is a person of this era.
People in later generations, unable to see the suffering of the people, can shake their heads and say, "They accomplished such a great thing, even if people died of starvation or exhaustion, it was the price they deserved. Those people must have died without regrets."
He had seen death with his own eyes and could not say such words.
"So I must not die."
Zhu Xiang said again.
"Some things must be done. The world must be unified, and the people's strength must be expended."
"Someone will die with his eyes wide open."
"It's not something that only I can do, but something that only I will do to reduce the number of people who fall."
“We need to unify as soon as possible.”
"We have to stop the King of Qin from pushing too many things forward at once."
"Don't fight two wars at once, don't launch major projects at once, and don't rush to build your magnificent palaces and mausoleums."
"One life is one thing to do."
Scenes from his time in Qin flashed through his mind.
The common people in the fields of Guandong, the common people in the floods of Shu County, the common people when the dams were built, the common people when the water was reclaimed... and the Qin soldiers he personally led to the battlefield.
"Xue, I miss you."
"Zheng'er, I miss you so much."
Zhu Xiang climbed up from the eaves slowly and awkwardly.
"Only after meeting you can I feel that this world has changed a lot."
“Only then will you have the courage to continue living.”
I am just an ordinary person with no great ambitions. Why have I been able to stumble along until now, and not turn back even after hitting countless walls
Zhu Xiang couldn't figure it out. But he was a little drunk and a little cold, so he had to get down from the roof immediately.
He had to change his clothes, drink ginger soup, take a hot bath, and sweat a lot to avoid catching a cold.
Then he will have a good sleep and take a day off tomorrow to restore his mind and body to their best condition.
He had to live, and live on, and live a long, long time.
On the second day, Zhu Xiang took a day off.
The servants all laughed at Zhu Xiang who was happily admiring the moon on the roof and forgot himself for a moment and almost passed out drunk.
This matter was also known to Zichu and others. They all smiled and shook their heads, saying that Zhu Xiang could enjoy the moon so happily alone.
Zichu wrote to Zhu Xiang, and Zhu Xiang said in the letter that he was happy because his troublesome friends were not around. If Zichu and others were around, he would be unhappy, which made Zichu so angry that he jumped up and down.
Later, the prefect of Ba County returned in time to deal with the matter of supervising the execution.
He had originally forgotten about this matter, but was urged to come back by the prince.
You actually gave this bloody matter to Zhu Xiang? Are you deliberately looking for trouble
The governor of Ba County was almost scared to death. Why would he want Duke Zhu Xiang to help supervise the execution? If this matter were to spread, wouldn't he be deliberately tarnishing Duke Zhu Xiang's reputation
Zhu Xiang did not see the two leaders of the rebellion off for the last time.
When he can escape, Zhu Xiang will escape. This way he can live longer.
He met with several powerful families who were willing to migrate, spread out a map and asked them what kind of place they wanted to choose, and helped them plan their life after migration.
Farming? Weaving? Or doing business? All are fine.
Although the Qin State had strict control over business in its hinterland, the land of Baiyue was difficult to cultivate. In order to collect enough taxes, the Qin State would certainly open up business in the land of Baiyue in the future.
Moreover, there are many treasures overseas. After Li Mu's navy has conquered the world in the future, it will definitely open up maritime trade routes to earn treasures for the King of Qin.
"It may be hard to start from scratch in the east, but in the future you will be more than a hundred times richer than now," Zhu Xiang said, "You will be glad for your choice."
The powerful people all agreed.
Zhu Xiang noticed that one of them had been seen before.
When Li Bing went to Ba County to seek help after the flood in Shu County, the powerful people of Ba County sent people to Chengdu. Among the caravan was a powerful female merchant named Qing.
Now she is still a widow, but she has been co-managing the family with her husband. This time, she single-handedly persuaded her family to give up their well-established business and head to the unknown East.
She was very worried. Zhu Xiang met them in person, and she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
No matter what, Duke Zhu Xiang would not harm anyone.
When they set out, they heard that the Qin general Wang Jian would slaughter all the families defending the city within ten days. They were immediately terrified and were completely glad for their choice.
Wang Jian acted as Qin generals usually did, very ruthlessly.
When the city was broken, blood flowed like a river, and all men, women, old and young were killed by the Qin soldiers.
The Bandunman were originally famous for their military prowess, and they thought that they were just outnumbered, and that in terms of ferocity, they were no less than the Qin army.
When Wang Jian put away his sword ten days later, the people of Ba were terrified by his name, and the leaders of the Ba people no longer dared to call themselves brave.
When Wang Jian recruited soldiers from the Ba people, before he put forward any conditions, some young leaders of the Ba people actually came forward in person to respond to the call.
The barbarians respected warriors and respected those with strong military power. Wang Jian showed them his strength, and they were willing to follow him.
When Wang Jian had a drink with the leader of the Ba people and inexplicably became the "leader" of the alliance of Ba people leaders, he felt very bad.
How can I, a noble of the Qin Kingdom, become the leader of the barbarians? !
"It's all already. You can easily command a strong army, what else are you dissatisfied with?" Zhu Xiang held Wang Jian's shoulder and said, "By the way, I have a new idea for the military formation."
Zichu and Li Bing were very confused: "You also know military knowledge?"
Zhu Xiang said: "You have forgotten that I defeated Zhao Kuo in a military battle in Handan!"
Zichu and Li Bing: “…” They began to doubt Zhu Xiang’s ability.
Wang Jian had seen Zhu Xiang's ability to train troops, and heard that the new type of boat soldiers was also proposed by Zhu Xiang. He trusted Zhu Xiang's ability to discuss military matters outside of actual combat, and listened carefully to his teachings.
“Although you are recruiting and training soldiers in Ba County, you will definitely be stationed in the plains at the junction of the Han River and the Jiang River to join the troops from Qianzhong and Nan County.”
Zhu Xiang pointed to the area of Tianmen City and Xiaogan City in later generations.
"After training the troops, we will leave the Dabie Mountains and attack Chu. There is a pass where the Dabie Mountains and Tongbai Mountains intersect, and the Chu army has stationed a large number of troops there. But when Li Mu crossed the river to harass Chu, Chu should have transferred some of its troops away."
"Wang Jian, you should seize this opportunity to attack the Chu pass. You are planning to use chariots to attack the enemy's army, right?"
Wang Jian nodded: "Charge with chariots, harass with cavalry, and infiltrate with infantry armed with crossbows."
Zhu Xiang said: "Have you ever tried to put armor on a warhorse and let it charge? You have seen the stirrups and horseshoes of Li Mu's cavalry. With these two tools, you can quickly train a cavalry, and the mobility and impact force will be stronger."
Wang Jian frowned and thought for a while, then hesitated and said, "It seems... feasible?"
Zhu Xiang said: "It is very difficult for chariots to fight in the mountains. Changing the chariots into armored cavalry may make it easier to break through the enemy's position."
Wang Jian bent his fingers and tapped his palms, his brows relaxed: "It works!"
Zhu Xiang said, "Ba County has a lot of iron and trees, so it is easier to smelt iron than copper. Can you use a knife?"
Wang Jian raised his eyebrows: "Do you look down on me?"
Zhu Xiang smiled and said, "How could that be. Not only is a knife easier to forge than a sword, but on the battlefield, especially on horseback, an iron knife is also easier to use than a bronze sword. With bows and arrows, sabers, and heavy armor, you will have an elite force that is invincible. And this heavy armored cavalry will be very suitable for you who likes to fight head-on and fight uprightly."
Wang Jian's eyes were already filled with excitement. He took Zhu Xiang's hand and said, "Tell me more!"
Zichu and Li Bing looked at each other.
Li Bing lowered his voice and asked, "Zhu Xiang really knows about military affairs?"
Zichu thought about it and remembered that Zhu Xiang had pointed out military training when he was drunk many years ago. He said, "Although he can't lead troops, he does know military knowledge."
I heard that Zhao Kuo's military skills were indeed the best in Zhao State, and even veteran generals could hardly surpass him.
Zhu Xiang is stronger than Zhao Kuo, which means he is truly the best in Zhao State.
Although he cannot lead troops, if he tells his views to those who can, wouldn't he be able to integrate knowledge and action and create the true "number one"
Zichu also couldn't help but get excited, and pulled Li Bing over to come up with some bad ideas together, interrupting Wang Jian and Zhu Xiang's thoughts, and was pushed out of the door by Zhu Xiang.
Zhu Xiang slammed the door shut, and it almost hit Zichu's nose.
During the Warring States Period, China's iron smelting technology had become relatively mature, and the cast iron softening technology was invented.
It was not until the 18th century that Europe had whiteheart malleable iron, and the United States was able to smelt blackheart malleable iron in the 19th century. From this, we can see that China's iron smelting industry was advanced enough to provide the army with large quantities of iron-cast weapons and heavy armor.
At this time, solid carburizing technology had already been used to cast steel on the surface of cast iron. Although Zhu Xiang did not know how to make steel, he knew what steel was. After he told the Mohists about the principles of steel, the Mohists led their craftsmen to conquer the steel forging technology.
Although there is no way to forge steel in large quantities now, the technology of forging steel knives by hammering and folding the surface is relatively mature. Although the output is low, if you accumulate it, it is not difficult to accumulate a team of steel knives for the elite troops.
The Qin State's weapons forging technology was well-developed, but the Qin army in the Central Plains had not yet used it. Because the Mohist family followed Zhu Xiang, Wang Jian and Li Mu were the first to benefit.
Wang Jian once again felt how comfortable it was to fight alongside Zhu Xiang.
"We can only gather a thousand heavy cavalry at most. You must train them well. They may be the most valuable troops in Qin." Zhu Xiang warned, "It took me so many years to gather a thousand sets of heavy armor. If I use one, I will have one less!"
Wang Jian asked nervously, "Not to Li Mu?" Although he was also a friend of Zhu Xiang, he also knew that Li Mu and Zhu Xiang had a deeper relationship. He was flattered that he had Li Mu but not him.
Zhu Xiang said: "Li Mu is good at mobile warfare, which is more suitable for light cavalry. When I return to Wujun, I will help him build a light cavalry that is most suitable for him."
After drinking that cup of moonlight, he will no longer look back.
It's time for him to step out completely and stand on the Warring States stage.
(End of this chapter)