The fifty-fourth year of King Nan of Zhou passed by very quickly. Zhu Xiang felt that half of the year had already passed after Zheng'er's birthday.
Ying Xiaozheng had the same feeling.
He still remembered the excitement of his birthday, when the villagers sang and danced spontaneously, as if he were their king.
No, when he was king, the common people did not spontaneously celebrate his birthday or rejoice in his birth. They would not offer their meager food or hope to see his smiling face without asking for anything in return.
After Ying Xiaozheng entered the dream room, he clearly understood that these people were kind to him because he had a beloved uncle.
Even though Lin Weng recommended him many times, my uncle was not able to become an official in Zhao State. However, these common people, thanks to his kindness, spread his good name beyond Handan and to every corner of Zhao State.
Many refugees flocked to Handan to open up land around it. They believed that as long as they were within sight of their uncles, they could grow enough food to feed themselves.
Ying Xiaozheng sat cross-legged in his dream room, leaning against his grown-up self's shadow, thinking about the changes that had taken place over the past year.
Zhu Xiang was also thinking about the changes that had taken place over the past year.
His living area actually did not change much and was still only around Handan City.
In the past, when he walked to the ridge of the field, he would see the knights fighting in groups, the women in simple clothes smiling and pointing at the knights with their bare arms, and the young and strong farmers holding the iron plow while working and humming vulgar songs...
The elderly would sit on the doorstep to bask in the sun, and the children would run around barefoot in front of the door. Although the lives of the common people were hard, when the weather was good and the seedlings in the fields were green, even if someone fell to the ground, they would smile. If it was harvest time, the smiles would be even more enthusiastic and full of vitality.
Zhu Xiang chose farming in his previous life because he liked to see farmers’ smiles during the harvest. He liked things full of vitality, whether it was the seedlings in the fields or the farmers’ eyes that moved when they saw the golden fields.
It was harvest time again this year, but Zhu Xiang did not see the farmers' joy.
As the color of the millet in the fields turned golden, painful expressions filled with longing and worry slowly crept onto the faces of the old, the weak, women and children who were busy in the fields. It was as if someone had cast a withering curse on them, and their bodies and spirits seemed to be harvested along with the grain in the fields, as well as by something invisible.
Most of the grain was taken away by Zhao officials, and the farmers only had a small amount of food left, which might not even be enough to survive the winter.
At this time, the potatoes that Zhu Xiang asked them to plant came in handy.
The officials originally wanted to take away their potatoes, but Zhao State had not yet started to eat "grassroots" food, so the officials fed the potatoes growing above the ground to livestock to see if they were edible.
The whole potato plant is slightly poisonous. It is foolish to talk about toxicity without considering the dosage. The poison can only make people feel sick, but it won't kill them. But it tastes bad and will cause diarrhea in livestock, so this plant for famine relief was not favored by officials.
In fact, Zhu Xiang had already preached that potatoes were eaten as "grass roots". However, officials habitually chose to eat leaves, flowers, and fruits that grew in the sun, and looked down on the dirty grass roots buried in the soil. When they were convinced that potatoes were slightly poisonous, they did not include potatoes in the scope of grain collection. Finally, a cautious smile appeared on the faces of the civilians.
Lin Xiangru saw all of this. He even discovered that the rhetoric that misled the Zhao officials was probably guided by Zhu Xiang. Perhaps some unusual-looking people around Zhu Xiang also joined in.
For example, Xianghe, the overly talented carpenter, and Xu Ming, who is a farmer but has many books hidden at home.
Neither of these two was drafted, so they must have their own connections.
But Lin Xiangru chose to pretend not to see it.
Because of the foolish greed of the King of Zhao, the people of Zhao had lost most of the food they had worked so hard to grow for a year. Lin Xiangru was worried that when the battle was over, most of the young children of the Zhao soldiers who stayed at home would starve to death, and the next generation of the Zhao people would be reduced by half.
With the help of Zhu Xiang, the common people hid some "grass roots" to fill their stomachs, and the next generation of Zhao's common people had more possibilities to grow up.
When the weather was good, Lin Xiangru would also follow Zhu Xiang to wander around the fields with his crutches.
He also saw the misery on the faces of the civilians, but he also saw gratitude and hope in the eyes of the civilians as they looked at Zhu Xiang.
He also heard an old man whisper to his grandson beside him, "When you pass by Zhuxiang Road, go touch the corner of Zhuxiang Gong's clothes. Zhuxiang Gong will bless you to grow up and live to see the day when your father returns."
The news that Zhu Xiang promoted potatoes and deceived the grain collection officials of Zhao State spread, but it was not fully spread.
The civilians nearby only knew that Duke Zhu Xiang had saved them from starvation. As for how he did it, the mob of civilians kept their mouths shut and didn't reveal a single detail.
It's simply a miracle.
Of course, some people also think that civilians have no wisdom and they themselves may not know how to be saved.
Zhu Xiang's reputation spread far and wide again, and civilians who fled from Shangdang also gathered in the wilderness around Handan City, hoping to get Zhu Xiang's guidance.
The season for planting crops is no longer important. As long as Zhu Xiang says it is time to plant, they will sow their treasured seeds into the soil, tighten their belts to farm, and wait for the harvest.
There is a legend circulating among countless refugees that as long as you see Duke Zhu Xiang, you will survive.
Zhu Xiang also heard the rumor. He finally couldn't hold it anymore, so he went to the mountains to look for plants that could save the famine. He sat alone on a tree stump in the mountains, buried his face in his arms, and cried bitterly.
He had no way to keep all these people alive. Even potatoes, which were used to relieve famine, could not save every refugee who had lost his land.
In fact, people were dying of starvation every day after their food was confiscated, but no one blamed him for it. Those who were still alive still believed in those unrealistic rumors and regarded him as a god who could save countless lives.
Zhu Xiang thought he was going up the mountain alone. The rangers who had taken the initiative to protect him had all been drafted into the army.
But not only were the Mo family and the Nong family following him a hundred meters behind, even Xun Kuang and Cai Ze were a little worried about him and went up the mountain to follow him secretly.
Ying Xiaozheng clamored to find his uncle, and Lin Xiangru took Ying Xiaozheng's hand and went up the mountain under the protection of his entourage.
They were hiding in different directions, and might have discovered the existence of others, or might not have.
They all listened quietly to Zhu Xiang's crying, and listened to Zhu Xiang muttering to himself in pain about his uselessness. Then, when Zhu Xiang calmed down and went down the mountain, they followed him down the mountain without making a sound, pretending that they knew nothing.
Ying Xiaozheng came to the dream room again and recalled what he had seen.
He hugged his knees, his face looking a little listless.
"My uncle is too soft-hearted. This is not good."
"Even if I become the emperor, it is impossible for me to ensure that everyone in the world does not go hungry. How can my uncle do that?"
"Uncle, can't you live a little more selfishly and think more about happy things like power and wealth?"
"Besides, Zhao will be destroyed by me sooner or later. My uncle has such deep feelings for the common people of Zhao. Will he be hostile to me then?"
Ying Xiaozheng talked to himself, sounding a little aggrieved.
It was enough that my uncle was good to me and my aunt, but why did I care about people who were not related to me? Why did I cry for them
Will my uncle be so heartbroken and fall ill if he is like this
Ying Xiaozheng poked his own shadow and said, "Aren't you as virtuous as the Three Sovereigns and the Five Emperors? Can you help me think of a way to protect my uncle?"
The phantom can't speak at all, it's just a database.
Ying Xiaozheng angrily poked his own shadow again, cursed "You're so useless", then logged off and went to sleep.
What kind of emperor's wisdom is this? It would be better for me to give my uncle a hug later.
After leaving the dream room, the very "intelligent and wise" Ying Xiaozheng really gave Zhu Xiang a loving hug. Zhu Xiang, who had adjusted her mood after crying, was really happy. She smiled and played with Ying Xiaozheng for a long time.
The reality is helpless. Zhu Xiang knows that he is not a god or saint and cannot save everyone, so he still does what he can as before.
He first helped his neighbors, then the farmers with land and labor around Handan, and then the ordinary Zhao civilians. As for the refugees, he pretended not to see their existence.
People have limited energy, and people's feelings are also close and distant. Ideals are one thing, but Zhu Xiang is a person who can see the reality clearly. He will not let his ideals affect what he should and can do.
Zhu Xiang's emotions and efforts were just tiny ripples among the seven countries, and even in Zhao. They had nothing to do with the overall situation and would not affect state affairs.
The only change was that Lian Po tried to grow potatoes in Changping to replace part of the military rations.
The news of what Lian Po had done reached the Qin army.
After Shang Yang's reform, Qin State turned the whole country into a farming and fighting machine. In Qin State, civilians could only choose to farm or fight. If they did other things without permission, such as doing business, they would be punished.
The Qin State attached so much importance to farming and warfare that when the Qin general Wang He heard that the Zhao general was planting unheard-of grain crops in the camp, he immediately became alert.
Even though Wang He was still attacking Shangdang, still far from Changping, he sent scouts to gather information.
The scouts paid half of their efforts and successfully dug up a few potatoes.
Wang He and a group of generals gathered around the potato, scratching their heads.
“How do you eat this?”
"It is said that they eat roots."
"I think this looks a bit like taro!" said a general from Bashu, "Is it planted near the water?"
The scout said, "Plant it on dry land."
The general from Bashu said: "Taro can be grown in dry land? This is a good thing. Although it can't replace food, it can fill the stomach during famine!"
Wang He frowned: "The Zhao people planted potatoes in the camp. I'm afraid that these potatoes can not only fill the stomach, but also bear fruit without intensive cultivation."
A deputy general said, "The Zhao people are easier to supply than us. Lian Po is good at defending the city, and with potatoes, there is no shortage of food and grass. I'm afraid they will become a big problem."
Wang He knew this, and he sent scouts to steal potatoes because he was so keenly aware of this.
Qin had been attacking Shangdang of Han for more than two years, and the cost was huge. The sudden intervention of the Zhao army was a good move. If the Zhao army relied on sufficient food and fodder and strong walls to fight and retreat, and to hold back the Qin army, given the current supply situation of the Qin army, it would probably be defeated without being defeated, and would have no choice but to retreat.
Lian Po was leisurely planting potatoes in the military camp. This was obviously not a sign of a decisive battle with Qin, but a protracted war with Qin to compete for supplies. Wang He felt overwhelmed just thinking about it.
"Write a letter back to Xianyang and ask His Majesty for his decision." Wang He finally chose to give up thinking.
He only knows how to fight a war, and the complicated things behind the war should be left to other people in the court.
It would be best to send his chief general, General Bai Qi, the Marquis of Wu'an, to continue to be his chief general. He didn't think about anything, he just did what the Marquis of Wu'an said.
After Wang He's letter was sent back to Xianyang at full speed, the King of Qin immediately summoned Fan Ju and Bai Qi to discuss the matter.
After hearing about the potato, Fan Ju pondered for a while and said, "This potato sounds familiar. It seems to be related to Prince Zichu's good friend in Zhao State."
Although Zichu asked Fan Ju for help, for Fan Ju, the King of Qin was his mentor and benefactor. He prioritized how to be loyal to the King of Qin, so he immediately "sold" Zichu.
The King of Qin called Zichu to ask him about the potatoes.
Zichu felt a little angry.
He specifically told Fan Ju how important Zhu Xiang was to him, hoping that Fan Ju could find a way to protect Zhu Xiang. However, Fan Ju told his grandfather about Zhu Xiang without informing him at all.
Zichu did not think that Fan Ju should hide the truth from his grandfather, but that he should wait for a day and talk to him first, which would not affect the overall situation.
Obviously, Fan Ju was spoiled by his grandfather and looked down on everyone, and he didn't take himself seriously at all.
Zichu was angry, but he knew that his position in his grandfather's heart was far inferior to Fan Ju's. His long life as a hostage made him a very good actor, and no matter how angry he was, outsiders could not see his true feelings.
Zichu said respectfully, "Your Majesty, Zhu Xiang is good at farming and can increase the yield of civilians' fields by two to three times. In order to relieve famine, he went into the mountains many times to look for edible plants. It is very likely that potatoes were grown by him."
The King of Qin was puzzled: "How come I have never heard of such a capable person?"
Zichu told the truth: "Zhu Xiang was saved by Lin Xiangru when he was young, and he was grateful. As long as Lin Xiangru was still in Zhao, he would not leave Zhao. He could not be used by Qin, and I couldn't bear to see him being harmed, so I deliberately concealed his existence. The King of Zhao was incompetent, and Lin Xiangru recommended Zhu Xiang many times, but the King of Zhao looked down on him because he was just a commoner. Lin Xiangru is already old and sick, and I think he will be able to leave Zhao in a few years."
Zichu hesitated for a moment and added, "My grandson's eldest son is currently in Zhu Xiang's home and has been adopted by Zhu Xiang. However, Zhu Xiang does not know my grandson's identity."
He told the King of Qin how he had met Zhu Xiang under an assumed name, how he had discovered that among the concubines sent by Lu Buwei was Zhu Xiang's elder sister, and how he had thus arranged to marry Zhu Xiang.
If the King of Qin didn't ask, Zichu would never have told him about these tricks.
But when the King of Qin asked about Zhu Xiang, Zichu confessed all his little tricks in one breath.
He knew that his grandfather was extremely cunning and had a strong desire for control.
Grandfather would not despise his status as a hostage, because he himself had been a hostage. Grandfather would be very happy with the little tricks he had done under Lü Buwei's nose, and think that he was a promising talent. And if he told his grandfather all his little plans, his grandfather would trust and like him more.
Living under someone else's roof made Zichu accustomed to trying to please others without making a sound.
The King of Qin looked at Zichu deeply, his eyes as bright as an eagle's seemed to see Zichu's heart clearly.
After a while, the King of Qin laughed and said, "You are able to bend and stretch. You have done a good job."
Zichu, whose back was already soaked with cold sweat, managed to maintain a calm expression and leaned over to thank the King of Qin for his praise.
"Since Zhu Xiang is related to you, he will belong to Qin sooner or later. After we defeat Zhao this time, let Zhao send Qin's hostage back. As the hostage's caretaker, Zhu Xiang should also return to Qin with your son." The King of Qin asked, "What is your eldest son's name?"
Zichu said, "My eldest son's name is Zheng."
The King of Qin nodded, put Zhu Xiang's matter aside for the time being, and continued to ask Bai Qi and Fan Ju how to deal with Lian Po. Zichu knelt down and listened obediently.
Since the King of Qin knew that the man who was good at farming would come to Qin, he didn't care.
Without potatoes, given the fact that Qin's logistics were weak and Zhao's supply lines were shorter, the longer Lian Po defended the city, the higher the chance of Qin's defeat.
In other words, as long as Lian Po was replaced and Zhao State took the initiative to send troops to fight Qin State in the field, it would be useless even if Zhao State had mountains of food and grass.
Before the armies of Zhao and Qin officially met, the King of Qin, Fan Ju and Bai Qi had already discussed how to get the King of Zhao to replace Lian Po and how to lure the Zhao generals to take the initiative to attack.
They repeatedly considered who could lead the troops in Zhao State.
Bai Qi pondered for a long time and said, "After the King of Zhao took power, he abandoned Zhao She and Lian Po and appointed Tian Dan. This shows that the King of Zhao does not trust the old ministers and generals. If we want to choose someone to replace Lian Po, it would be most appropriate to choose a general who has not served under King Huiwen of Zhao."
What Bai Qi was talking about was the first major state affair that King Zhao decided on his own shortly after he took power.
King Huiwen of Zhao left a very strong team for the current King of Zhao, including civil and military officials such as Lian Po, Zhao She, Lin Xiangru, etc., all of whom were talented people that made the King of Qin jealous.
But in order to prove himself as a powerful ruler, the King of Zhao today is rather indifferent to the team left by King Huiwen of Zhao and the old ministers trusted by Queen Wei of Zhao. He would rather promote his own team - it doesn't matter if they have worked under other monarchs, as long as they have not worked under his father, they are considered his team.
In those days, Le Yi almost destroyed Qi, but was stopped by Qi general Tian Dan. After Le Yi was excluded by King Hui of Yan, he fled to Zhao and lived out his life there. Tian Dan set up the "Fire Bull Formation" and defeated the Yan army, recovering the lost territory of Qi.
The current King of Zhao offered a total of 57 cities, including three large cities, in exchange for Tian Dan's attack on Yan for Zhao, and later appointed Tian Dan as prime minister.
Zhao She strongly opposed this. He persuaded that Tian Dan was from Qi, and if he attacked Yan to strengthen Zhao, Zhao would become a threat to Qi, so Tian Dan would never work hard for Zhao. Moreover, Zhao had outstanding generals loyal to Zhao, such as him and Lian Po, who were more than enough to lead the troops to attack Yan. Abandoning Zhao's own generals and using Qi's generals would be tantamount to "destroying the army and killing the generals", which would destroy Zhao's morale.
But King Zhao and his regent, Lord Pingyuan, ignored Zhao She's opposition.
As expected, Tian Dan became passive and lazy after entering Zhao State. Before his death, he only conquered three small cities for Zhao State.
The foolish action of the King of Zhao well reflects the weakness of his human nature - his wise father who did not believe in his talent was a deep psychological shadow for him, so he trusted people who did not serve as officials under his father more. He believed that promoting such talents would show his ability.
"Zhao She has been a threat to our Qin State many times, but the King of Zhao gradually became indifferent to him after he took power. But the King of Zhao is not unaware of Zhao She's ability, but he is unwilling to use the old minister of King Huiwen of Zhao. I am afraid that he will wake up after he suffers." Fan Ju stroked his beard and sneered, "Wu'an Jun's words make sense. I think that the King of Zhao wants to use someone who has never served in the government, and also wants to find someone who is not afraid of Qin. Isn't Zhao She's son Zhao Kuo a good fit?"
Bai Qi's eyes flashed with mockery: "That famous horse suit? It is indeed very suitable."
The King of Qin hesitated: "Ma Fuzi is young and energetic. If he leads the army, he is indeed the most suitable. But Ma Fuzi is still inexperienced. Why would the King of Zhao let someone who has never been on the battlefield take on such an important task?"
Fan Ju clasped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, leave this matter to me. Lian Po wants to hold his ground and not come out. He will definitely fight and retreat. After Lian Po loses a few battles, I promise to let the King of Zhao replace Lian Po with Ma Fuzi!"
The King of Qin trusted Fan Ju very much and said gently, "I trust you, sir. Go ahead and do it. If you need anything, you don't need to ask me. You can take it directly."
Fan Ju accepted the order.
Bai Qi said, "I will pretend to be sick. After the King of Zhao replaces Lian Po with horse clothes, I will immediately set off for Shangdang overnight."
The King of Qin said, "I will strictly order the army to keep the secret. Anyone who disobeys the order will be executed. General, rest assured."
Fan Ju felt a little wary when he saw how much the King of Qin valued Bai Qi.
However, Bai Qi behaved very respectfully, and Fan Ju felt a little more comfortable and temporarily let down his guard.
Zichu watched everything silently from the side, thinking about something in his mind.
After Fan Ju and Bai Qi left, the King of Qin summoned Zichu to his side and asked, "Did you understand anything?"
Zichu knew that his grandfather finally began to value him, and he was very excited: "War is not only about the battlefield. Before the war begins, the chances of winning may have been decided by 30% or 40%. "
The King of Qin nodded slightly and continued to ask: "Anything else?"
Zichu thought about it, concealed his guess that Fan Ju and Bai Qi might not get along, and said, "I can't see anything else."
The King of Qin was not disappointed and said, "Although I ordered you to take Lü Buwei as your teacher, Lü Buwei's vision is far inferior to yours. You should ask your teacher for advice."
Zichu was very excited: "Thank you, my Lord!"
The King of Qin protected Fan Ju very closely, and he allowed Zichu to seek advice from Fan Ju, which meant that he acknowledged Zichu as his successor.
The King of Qin asked Zichu about his daily studies and showed concern for his life before letting Zichu leave.
After Zichu left, Fan Ju, who had already taken his leave, walked out from behind a curtain.
Without outsiders around, Fan Ju felt much more comfortable in front of the King of Qin: "Your Majesty, why do you suddenly take a fancy to Prince Zichu?"
The King of Qin smiled naturally. He patted his side affectionately and asked Fan Ju to sit with him: "Seeing how worried he is, I am reminded of my time as a hostage in Yan State."
After Fan Ju sat down, the King of Qin personally poured honey water for Fan Ju, and then continued with a smile: "His future is uncertain, but he still wants to make friends with great talents, and..."
The King of Qin could not continue speaking and laughed so hard that he could not straighten his back.
Fan Ju helped the King of Qin to back off and laughed, "And secretly become a relative of a close friend? Isn't this Zichu a little too unscrupulous? I'm afraid Zhu Xiang will be angry with him if he finds out about this."
The King of Qin wiped away the tears from his laughter and said, "I really want to see how Zichu will respond when Zhu Xiang gets angry after learning about this."
Seeing his king acting like an old naughty boy, Fan Ju couldn't help laughing: "I will keep a close eye on Prince Zichu. If anything interesting happens, I will report to you immediately."
The two men, who were both king and minister as well as close friends, laughed very badly for a long time before they started talking about business.
"I was originally worried that Zichu would be held hostage by Lu Buwei, but it seems that Zichu is more capable than I thought. An Guojun is mediocre, but with Zichu around, I can finally feel more at ease." The King of Qin sighed as he thought of his outstanding crown prince.
The outstanding prince did not live longer than him. Whenever the King of Qin thought of this, he felt very regretful.
The King of Qin was even more worried when he saw that the former crown prince of Zhao State did not survive King Huiwen of Zhao, and the incompetent Crown Prince Dan succeeded to the throne. What if An Guojun became the second King of Zhao
Fortunately, although An Guojun did not satisfy him, he was much better at handling things than the King of Zhao. Seeing that Zichu looked like him when he was young, the King of Qin felt more relieved.
"I am old, and so are you. We can't keep watching over the descendants. Zichu and Zhu Xiang are both young. Maybe they will become the next you and me." The King of Qin said frankly, "Sir, you must teach Zichu well. When Zhu Xiang comes to Qin, you must also teach him well. Let Zichu and Zhu Xiang become the next you and me."
Fan Ju's eyes were a little hot, and he choked up and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, don't worry."
Fan Ju thought that all the difficulties he encountered in the first half of his life must have been hardships paved the way for his meeting with the Lord.
The emperor and his minister looked at each other lovingly. The palace servant raised his head to take a look, then quickly lowered his head and quietly rubbed the goose bumps on his arms.
Here they come, the king and the prime minister are starting to express their true feelings to each other again!
In Shangdang County, Wang He breathed a sigh of relief after receiving the order from the King of Qin. He moved his camp and attacked Shangdang seriously, preparing to give Lian Po a severe blow after the victory.
He only needed to show a fierce attitude to suppress the Zhao army, so that people in Zhao would think that Lian Po was a coward and avoided fighting. The rest would depend on Ying Hou and Wu'an Jun.
In Handan, the autumn harvest has ended, but this time the winter wheat could not be planted in time.
The rotation of millet and wheat requires a lot of labor and sufficient fertilizer to increase the fertility of the land. Now Handan has a sparse population and does not have enough manpower to grow winter wheat.
Zhu Xiang used the same trick again, hoping that the nobles would send their retainers and private soldiers to help. However, the winter was very cold, and fertilizing and tilling the land were much more dirty and tiring than harvesting. Even Xunzi's help failed to persuade the nobles.
The retainers of the nobles were almost all scholars, who were also low-ranking nobles, and had a completely different status from the common people. Asking the scholars to help with the harvest had already humiliated them once, and asking them to plough the land, fertilize and water the land would probably make some scholars so angry that they would commit suicide.
Nowadays scholars are quite arrogant.
Zhu Xiang had no choice but to increase the potato planting area.
Even if potatoes are not planted carefully, you can still harvest some by just burying them in the soil after they sprout, which is better than not planting anything.
However, when Zhu Xiang was promoting potato planting, he was sued by Zhao officials because potatoes were poisonous and Zhu Xiang's promotion of potatoes was using poison to occupy good farmland, which was harmful to Zhao.
The officials of Zhao believed that forage grass should be planted in the fields. This would not only support the front line, but also fertilize the land, so that millet and sorghum would have a good harvest next year.
Zhao State had no shortage of officials who were familiar with farming, and the official's complaint was unanimously approved by officials who were familiar with farming.
They all thought that Zhu Xiang had a reputation for farming, but in reality he was just a man seeking fame and reputation. He deceived the farmers and earned a good reputation just to get a higher position.
Now Zhu Xiang finally showed his true colors. He actually used poison to occupy the good farmland, affecting the next harvest of Zhao State and wasting the fertility of Zhao State's good farmland. People who only know how to gain fame for themselves and endanger the interests of Zhao State should be executed!
Everyone in the court was criticizing Zhu Xiang, and King Zhao thought it made sense.
Considering Lin Xiangru and Lian Po who were fighting on the front line, and because the King of Zhao already knew that Zhu Xiang was the uncle of the Qin hostage, if Zhu Xiang was killed, the King of Zhao would not be able to think of anyone to adopt the Qin hostage for a while, so Zhu Xiang was let go and only asked Zhu Xiang to pay money to atone his sins, without punishing him.
Lin Xiangru was so angry that he almost vomited blood, and wanted to go to the palace to argue with King Zhao.
Zhu Xiang persuaded Lin Xiangru to stay.
"They are right. If they don't care about the lives of these civilians, they should grow grass that can feed the horses instead of potatoes that consume fertilizer and cannot feed the horses." Zhu Xiang said in a deep voice, "Besides, my reputation has aroused the jealousy and vigilance of the nobles in the court. If Lord Lin goes to King Zhao to defend himself, I am afraid they will hate me even more."
Zhu Xiang smiled in relief and said, "I have done everything I can, and the people have already quietly planted enough potatoes to fill their stomachs. Let's leave it at that. If the commotion continues, I'm afraid they will ban people from planting potatoes and order them to pull out all the poisonous potatoes."
Lin Xiangru was silent for a long time, tears streaming down his face: "Zhu Xiang, when Zheng'er leaves Zhao, you should leave with him. Zheng'er is a member of the Qin royal family, and he can protect you better than I can."
Lin Xiangru gave up.
A State like Zhao is not worthy of having Zhu Xiang at all!
"Qin may not be that good either." Zhu Xiang was very negative. "Qin also has nobles, and they may not care about the lives of common people. They may also be more willing for common people to grow grass on good farmland instead of growing food for famine relief."
"Alas." Lin Xiangru patted Zhu Xiang's shoulder, swallowed what he wanted to say, and changed the subject, "I'll pay."
Although Zhu Xiang wanted to refuse, he finally accepted Lin Xiangru's kindness.
The King of Zhao asked him to pay a thousand gold coins to atone for his sins. Even if he sold Zheng'er's private money, he still couldn't raise that much money.
However, Zhu Xiang also collected 80 gold coins, which was all the money he could quickly collect. He sold everything he could except the house he lived in, Zheng'er's private money and gifts from friends.
Ying Xiaozheng hugged Zhu Xiang's arm and cried, "No need to leave money for Zheng'er!"
Ying Xiaozheng took out his father's jade ring again: "Sell this!"
Zhu Xiang rubbed Ying Xiaozheng's head and said, "No. Keep Zheng'er's money, and let Zheng'er support his uncle and aunt in the future, okay?"
Ying Xiaozheng cried heart-wrenchingly.
When he heard that his uncle was almost killed, he was so scared that he couldn't sleep for several days. Now that everything in the house has been sold, the house has become empty, and Ying Xiaozheng is very sad.
He had finally gotten his home, and many things in the house were covered with his scribbles. All gone!
The snow also keeps shedding tears.
The family finally had a stable life, how come it suddenly became precarious
Zhu Xiang coaxed Ying Xiaozheng, and then went to coax Xue. He was so anxious that he didn't even have time to feel depressed.
In fact, Zhu Xiang was relieved when this happened.
A heavy burden was on his shoulders, and it was difficult for him to do what he wanted to do. Now the King of Zhao dismissed him from his post and exempted him from his responsibilities. Although this was just an escape and not noble, Zhu Xiang did relieve himself of the mental burden.
Although escaping is shameful, it is really comfortable. Zhu Xiang is not a noble saint.
Zhu Xiang needed a thousand gold coins to buy his life. When Lin Xiangru and Li Mu learned about this, they hurriedly sent people to send gold. Xunzi, Xianghe and Xu Ming also sent money. Even the poor Cai Ze didn't know where to find ten gold coins.
That's fine, the emotional debt between friends can be repaid slowly. What made Zhu Xiang, who had finally relieved some of his mental burden, feel even more stressed was that nearby farmers and small businessmen learned about this from nowhere and actually offered a small amount of money to help Zhu Xiang atone for his sins.
Zhu Xiang refused to accept the money, so these people secretly wrapped the coins and threw them in from outside the wall of Zhu Xiang's house at night.
When Zhu Xiang woke up, he found a lot of money at the foot of the wall.
He looked at the money thrown in at the foot of the wall, frowned and remained silent for a long time.
Ying Xiaozheng looked up at the wrinkles between his uncle's brows and felt that his uncle seemed to have aged a lot in just a few days.
"Zheng'er."
"Um?"
Zhu Xiang said: "Nothing."
Zhu Xiang originally wanted to tell Ying Xiaozheng to remember the kindness of these people and be nicer to them in the future.
But he couldn't say it.
The kindness these people showed was to me, not to Zheng'er. I should repay this kindness, not Zheng'er.
Zhu Xiang felt like he had fallen into a spider web. The more he struggled to get out, the more he was bound by the spider silk.
(End of this chapter)