Han Fei finally cheered up.
There seemed to be a flame burning in his eyes, and he rolled up his sleeves and worked hard.
Zhu Xiang always felt that Han Fei now looked like the male protagonist of a hot-blooded comic book.
I hope Li Si can hold him back and stop him from being too passionate, otherwise what happens in Korea later will make him collapse.
The King of Han and the Korean royal family certainly won't want to make trouble again.
They were originally ordinary scholars. They were lucky enough to save the orphan of the Zhao family and formed an alliance with the Zhao family. The Wei and Zhao families also needed a weaker family to act as a buffer between them, so they became princes.
Now if they could smoothly return to the ranks of the hereditary nobility, they would be able to accept it.
But South Korea's royal family may not accept this.
The Xinzheng Rebellion was the first time that the nobles of the six states raised the banner of rebellion, which shows that they were very dissatisfied with the Qin State.
This dissatisfaction was not because Qin had done anything to the King of Han. Although the King of Han was under house arrest at that time, his situation was much better than those who starved to death or were exiled to the mountains.
Zhu Xiang speculated that the rebellion of the Han Dynasty's hereditary nobles was mainly due to the fact that Qin State did not have any upward channels for them, which led to their downgrading.
The reason why Qin lost the support of the common people in its later years was that they had no time to recuperate; the reason why Qin lost the support of the scholars was that after the war, the upward channels of the military merit system and the guest official system were blocked, and the original ministers of the six countries were almost all facing the situation of becoming common people.
Although Qin now has an additional avenue for advancement through recommendation from the Imperial Academy, if the Han nobles cannot compete with the nobles of other countries or ordinary scholars, even if they do not start a rebellion, as the only group of foreign relatives in Qin who are not the crown prince's faction, they will definitely cause some trouble.
Whenever the Korean nobles took action, the Korean royal family would take the blame, just like when the Xinzheng Rebellion occurred and King Han An was executed.
I hope Han Fei can hold on.
Zhu Xiang gave Li Si some advice in private and told him about the difficulties Han Fei would encounter in the future.
Li Si immediately assured that he would keep an eye on Han Fei.
Zhu Xiang was deeply moved by Li Si's friendship towards Han Fei and believed that Li Si would protect Han Fei.
He no longer has any prejudice against Li Si's behavior because of the historical filter. Li Si is now very kind to Han Fei. Their friendship is sincere and they have similar interests, just like Boya and Ziqi.
Zhu Xiang expressed his feelings to Li Si, saying that his friendship with Han Fei would surely become a historical legend.
When Li Si went back, he couldn't hold back and punched the tree twice.
When he heard Zhu Xiang say that Han Fei might be coerced by the Han faction in the Qin court, he felt a little excited.
Did Duke Zhu Xiang ask me to monitor... no, supervise Han Fei? Did Duke Zhu Xiang finally trust me
result…
Li Si squatted on the ground with his head in his hands.
Who said that Han Fei and his ancestors were close friends in life and death? And you asked me to protect Han Fei. Am I Han Fei's wet nurse
I really am...
"Uncle Master, what's wrong with you?" Zhang Liang, who had recovered earlier than Han Fei, passed by holding a basket of dried radishes.
Li Si stood up and said calmly, "Duke Zhu Xiang told me that although the Qin State can be assessed and recommended for official positions through the Imperial Academy, the Han nobles also have the opportunity to enter the court. However, most of the Han nobles are mediocre and may not be better than ordinary scholars and the nobles of the other six countries. Instead, they will definitely take the shortcut of Prince Chengjiao and morally blackmail Han Fei to help me, so that I can help Han Fei."
"Moral kidnapping? This is a very accurate description." Zhang Liang said, "Uncle Master, don't worry. I will help keep an eye on you, too."
Li Si nodded and said, "I know you are very smart, so I told you this. Han Fei is always indecisive on matters concerning the Kingdom of Han."
After he spoke sarcastically to Han Fei in front of Han Fei's disciples, he finally vented his anger and went to find Han Fei with a refreshed mind and body to tell him about Duke Xiang's concerns for him.
Zhang Liang looked at Li Si's back with a strange expression.
"What are you looking at?" A small adult cicada emerged from the bushes with leaves and dead branches on its head.
Zhang Liang was so startled that he almost dropped the basket in his arms. "Why is the young master hiding in the bushes?"
Xiao Chengjiao said with a stern look, "Why else would I hide except to avoid Big Brother catching me to do math problems?"
Zhang Liang was puzzled: "Why didn't the young master hide again?"
Xiao Chengjiao's expression became even more vicissitudes: "Dinner is almost ready."
Zhang Liang: “…” So as long as Prince Zheng waits at mealtime, he will be able to catch you
Xiao Chengjiao urged: "You haven't told me why you have been staring at Li Si's back. Have you discovered his secret? Tell me now! Damn Li Si, he actually helped my elder brother teach me math!"
Zhang Liang was speechless again. What does "actually helped" mean
Zhang Liang said, "I just didn't expect that my uncle's friendship for my teacher was so sincere. When he heard that my teacher might be used by Han Guoshiqing, he was so angry that he hurt his hand and threatened me."
Xiao Chengjiao was puzzled: "Threatening you?"
Zhang Liang said: "He scolded the Han Dynasty's hereditary nobles for being mediocre and not daring to take the path of being recommended by the Imperial Academy to become officials. Instead, he insisted on taking the path of currying favor with others and forcing his teachers to make profits for him."
Xiao Chengjiao understood: "Oh, speaking of Han Dynasty nobles, your Zhang family is the best. He is really pointing fingers at you. Li Si is usually cautious to the point of being flattering. Apart from scolding Han Fei, he rarely makes enemies with others. He seems to be really angry."
Little Chengjiao crossed his arms and once again showed his stern expression: "My uncle said that honest people who rarely get angry are the most terrible when they get angry. Li Si is such a person."
“I’m also terrible when I’m angry.”
Xiao Chengjiao nodded: "Yes, although Big Brother is often angry and not an honest man, he is also quite scary when he is angry."
Zhang Liang gave little Chengjiao a look of pity and took a few steps back.
Ying Xiaozheng grabbed Xiao Chengjiao by the back of his collar and sneered, "Yes, your elder brother is often angry and dishonest, but he is also very scary when he is angry."
Xiao Chengjiao shuddered, closed his eyes, and shouted at the top of his voice: "Uncle! Aunt! Help! My eldest brother is going to have a quarrel with his brothers and burn the bean pods to make them fight!"
Zhang Liang was curious: "What is the method of burning bean pods when cooking beans?"
Ying Xiaozheng said: "My uncle made up a poem about brothers killing each other when he was telling a story."
He dragged little Chengjiao away.
"Uncle and aunt, help! Help!"
Xiao Chengjiao shouted all the way with his eyes closed.
Zhang Liang was very curious about the whole poem, but because the prince beat his brother, he decided not to go and see it, for fear that Prince Chengjiao would resent him.
He shook his head and continued walking towards the kitchen carrying the basket of dried radishes.
Dried radish mixed with a little salt, pepper powder and chili powder is especially delicious when eaten with rice.
On the way, he met Zhu Xiang and Xue Ji respectively.
The couple heard Xiao Chengjiao's screams and put down what they were doing to look for him.
Xiao Chengjiao must receive this lesson, but they have to make sure Ying Xiaozheng doesn't get too angry and punish his brother too harshly.
Appropriate lessons are meant to help people learn well, not to hurt them.
At dinner time, when Zhang Liang brought out a plate of fried pumpkin seeds, little Cheng Jiao, with red and swollen eyes, was spreading his red palms and complaining to Xue Ji that his brother was too vicious.
When he saw the fried pumpkin seeds coming, little Chengjiao immediately stopped sobbing and started eating the pumpkin seeds.
Zhang Liang looked at Prince Zheng's expression and knew that he was definitely thinking that his brother had not been beaten enough.
He couldn't help but laugh.
He missed his younger brother at home a little.
The State of Han was destroyed by the State of Qin in less than a year. When the King of Han was on his way to Xianyang, the Qin's offensive against the State of Zhao was blocked.
General Meng Ao and his deputy general Wang He marched straight ahead and arrived at the city of Shanwu, the seat of Yanmen County.
King Wuling of Zhao established three northern border counties, namely Yunzhong, Yanmen and Daijun, which are arranged from west to left. Yunzhong is near the Daqing Mountains in Inner Mongolia, Yanmen is the area from Ningwu, Shanxi to the north to the ancient Inner Mongolia, and Daijun is from Yanggao, Shanxi to Weixian, Hebei.
But in fact, there are four three border counties in the north, and there is also a Jiuyuan County west of Yunzhong, which has jurisdiction near Baotou, Inner Mongolia.
After Qin Zhaoxiang Wang acquired Taiyuan, Qin State had a long border with Yanmen County.
The main strategic goal of Meng Ao's invasion of Zhao this time was to capture Yanmen County.
Yanmen County is a strategic place from Mobei to the Central Plains, also known as the "Key to the North Gate".
The occupation of Yanmen County cut off the connection between Yunzhong and Jiuyuan and Zhao. Yunzhong and Jiuyuan were unable to provide food for themselves, and without the food supply from Zhao, the garrisons in Yunzhong and Jiuyuan could only surrender without a fight due to hunger.
After Li Mu and Lord Xinling managed Yanmen County, the common people were better off than those in Zhao's cities in the Central Plains. They had a strong sense of belonging to Zhao.
After Xinling Jun left Zhao State, the commander of the Yanmen garrison was replaced by Sima Shang.
Although Sima Shang's ability to lead troops was average, he followed the methods of Li Mu and Xinling Jun in managing the army and the county, and made Yanmen County as strong as a fortress.
Zhao general Pang Nuan knew that the Zhao army had come thousands of miles from Yan State and that the Qin army was well-rested and tired, so he was afraid that he could not win. So he retreated to Shanwu and together with Sima Shang, he used Shanwu city as a stronghold to defend it and wear down Qin's military strength.
Meng Ao had bitten off a tough bone.
Wang He laughed and said, "I should have asked Lord Wucheng and Lord Changping to attack Yanmen County."
Meng Ao was speechless: "The King of Qin gave the order, and Wucheng Jun would come. But you let Changping Jun attack the city? Do you want to be exiled by the king?"
Wang He said, "It's not impossible to send him to exile in Southern Qin."
Meng Ao laughed and scolded, "You just want to continue to be Wu Anjun's deputy general. Do you dislike me?"
Wang He said: "I do want to serve as Wu Anjun's deputy general for the last time, but it is definitely not because I dislike General Meng. I have followed Wu Anjun to fight all my life, but I can't fight with Wu Anjun when I am old. It's a pity."
Meng Ao laughed at Wang He: "It's because you have poor health and rheumatism and can't stand the heat and humidity in Southern Qin."
Wang He sighed and said, "I will definitely die on the battlefield this time, so it doesn't matter if I can't stand the heat and humidity in Southern Qin."
The smile on Meng Ao's face faded, and he patted Wang He's shoulder and said, "Don't worry, although I am not as good as Wu'an Jun, I can still take down a mere Yanmen County."
Wang He said, "How about letting me take the credit for Shanwu's first ascent?"
Meng Ao was helpless: "Why are you so anxious?"
Wang He smiled and said, "I know my body well. I will definitely not live to the next year. I am relying on medicine to support myself now."
Meng Ao was silent for a while, then said, "It's up to you."
Wang He had a parasitic disease.
But in this era, we are completely in the dark about what parasites are and how to treat them.
Generals who fought in many battles often contracted parasitic diseases because they not only had to eat whatever they could get their hands on during the march, but were also often unable to make a fire.
There are many generals who died of illness in their prime, not to mention that Wang He was already old.
He suffered from frequent abdominal pains, which he managed only by taking a herbal remedy with a paralyzing property.
But this herb is poisonous. Taking it in large quantities will only make people die without much pain.
While the drug was taking effect, Wang He was still a very powerful veteran, and even middle-aged generals might not be able to defeat him.
As soon as the effect of the medicine wore off, Wang He curled up in bed and became an old man.
So Wang He volunteered to go to the battlefield, and before leaving he wrote a will and comforted his family.
The first group of people to climb the city gate during a siege.
In a siege, the first to ascend the city is the most rewarding, but also the most dangerous. Those who are the first to ascend the city are prepared to risk their lives.
Wang He did not seek wealth or honor, he just wanted to die heroically.
Not only did Meng Ao know it, but all the Qin army generals knew it.
Meng Ao originally thought that he could easily give Wang He the credit of being the first to reach the target, but he was unexpectedly stopped by Shan Wucheng.
He couldn't help but sigh that Wucheng Jun and Xinling Jun were indeed heroes of the time. The legacy they left for Yanmen County was truly a tough nut to crack.
But Meng Ao was not afraid in his heart.
If Wucheng Jun and Xinling Jun were still in Yanmen County, he would have no choice but to ask the King of Qin to use a strategy of sowing discord first.
Now, without Wucheng Jun and Xinling Jun, Yanmen County is just a stronger empty shell, but a little harder to chew.
Meng Ao had a strong army, abundant food and excellent weapons. Although he fought with the Zhao army in Yanmen County for a while, he still advanced step by step and approached Shanwu City.
The Qin army set up camp at the foot of Guancen Mountain south of Shanwu City, temporarily confronting the Zhao army, consuming the Zhao army's food and grass, and besieging the city and attacking its reinforcements.
Meng Ao made this decision because the King of Han suddenly drove to Lian Po to surrender. Lian Po asked his deputy general Sima Jin to lead troops to support Meng Ao.
King Zichu of Qin knew that Lian Po was unwilling to attack the State of Zhao, so he asked Lian Po to escort the King of Han back to Xianyang, and handed the army over to Sima Jin to lead and obey Meng Ao's deployment.
No matter how solid the shell of Yanmen County is, once the armies of Meng Ao and Sima Jin join forces, they will be able to surround Shanwu City and destroy it.
Since King Zhao ascended the throne, he has fought against the State of Yan many times. As there was a shortage of troops at home, many young and strong men were drawn from Yanmen County.
A good cook cannot cook without rice. The State of Zhao could not compete with the State of Qin in terms of consumption.
When people of insight looked at the confrontation between Zhao and Qin, they somehow thought of the Battle of Changping.
When Lian Po returned to Xianyang, he looked to the east and thought of the Battle of Changping.
In the Battle of Changping, he was defeated layer by layer but he kept retreating, forcing the Qin army to confront him and fight with him in a battle of attrition. It all depended on who would give up first.
The same is true in Yanmen County now.
However, in the Battle of Changping, the Qin army was alone and deep in the territory. The captured Yewang and Shangdang areas had not yet been digested. The transportation line was very long, and the army had been at war for several years.
Changping was located in Zhao State, with a large hinterland behind it, making it relatively easy to transport food and replenish troops.
If Lian Po insisted on delaying the Qin army, the Qin army would have no choice but to retreat.
That's why the Qin State used a strategy of sowing discord to let Zhao Kuo replace him, while secretly sending Bai Qi to come, and even the King of Qin came to Changping in person.
At that time, Qin's wars were like walking on the edge of a cliff, and they pushed themselves to the limit every time.
But things are different now.
Very different.
Lian Po withdrew his gaze.
The Zhao state ministers in Handan city also had a sense of déjà vu of the Battle of Changping.
Before the King of Zhao did anything, some ministers advised him not to send any young general to replace the veteran general Pang Nuan, just like the previous king had replaced Lian Po with Zhao Kuo.
When fighting against the Qin State, veteran generals are the most reliable.
Logically speaking, with the lessons learned from the Battle of Changping and the advance warning given to King Zhao, he would definitely not interfere with the replacement of generals in Shanwu City.
But they didn't understand King Zhao's character, and he was just not willing to listen to honest advice.
Guo Kai knew King Yan of Zhao very well.
When King Yan of Zhao was still a prince, he hated Zhu Xiang deeply when he saw that Zhu Xiang, a commoner, had brought disgrace to his king and father.
King Yan of Zhao believed that after Lian Po and Li Mu were sent to Qin by Zhao, they should commit suicide.
When Lord Xinling and Lord Chunshen committed suicide, King Yan of Zhao privately told his ministers that such ministers were good ministers, and people like Lian Po and Li Mu were treacherous villains.
He also called Lin Xiangru a treacherous villain.
The former king was so good to Lin Xiangru, and even though Lin Xiangru raised a man like Zhu Xiang who brought disaster to the State of Zhao, the former king did not reprimand Lin Xiangru.
However, Lin Xiangru sent his son Lin Zhi to Qin State as prime minister, which was really not worthy of being a minister.
King Yan of Zhao even wanted to arrest the Lin family members who were still in Zhao State, and even considered digging up Lin Xiangru's tomb.
Fortunately, none of the ministers of Zhao State listened to him.
Scholars from various countries frequently moved between the six kingdoms to serve as officials. If all of Zhao's clansmen were killed because one of them served as an official in a foreign country, all the scholars in Zhao would flee the country.
What's more, Lin Xiangru only made contributions to the State of Zhao and had no faults, so how could he do such a thing as digging graves
King Xiaocheng of Zhao was a tyrant who forced away wise ministers in the matter of Lin Xiangru, Zhu Xiang, Lian Po and Li Mu. King Xiaocheng of Zhao has reflected on this many times, and you, as his son, are still trying to discredit King Xiaocheng of Zhao
Even Guo Kai and others who followed Zhao Wangyan advised Zhao Wangyan to stop.
Lin Zhi was the Prime Minister of the State of Qin and a good friend of King Zichu of Qin.
In order to vent his anger on Yinghou Fan Ju, King Zhaoxiang of Qin sent troops and detained the princes of other countries.
Prince Chu of Qin is now in a position to sweep across the world, and is even more powerful than King Zhaoxiang of Qin in his time. If you dare to dig up Lin Xiangru's tomb, the Qin army will rush to Handan tomorrow.
King Yan of Zhao was afraid of the State of Qin, so he gave up the idea.
However, the Lin family was also heartbroken.
They all resigned from their official positions and stayed in their ancestral land to wait and see. If the situation turned out to be wrong, they were ready to move the tombs of the Lin ancestors.
Prince Chu of Qin also learned about this, but did not dare to tell Zhu Xiang.
He directly sent an envoy to visit King Yan of Zhao and told him that if anyone dared to insult Lin Xiangru's tomb today, he would send troops to burn down the ancestral tomb of King Zhao tomorrow.
Don't forget the fire at the Chu ancestral mausoleum. Qin kept its word.
King Yan of Zhao was so frightened that he fell seriously ill. He dared not hate the King of Qin, but hated the commoner Zhu Xiang and his friends even more.
After King Yan of Zhao ascended the throne, he won several battles against the State of Yan.
He was full of ambition and thought he was as brave and powerful as his great-grandfather, King Wuling of Zhao.
But in his later years, King Zhao Xiaocheng basically handed over government affairs to the ministers in the court. He knew he was incompetent and chose to trust the advice of capable ministers.
When Pingyuan Jun and Pingyang Jun were prime ministers, although Zhao State did not see any improvement, there were no disasters either, and the domestic situation was very stable.
King Yan of Zhao wanted to monopolize power, but the ministers of the State of Zhao opposed it and asked him to learn the policy of inaction adopted by King Xiaocheng of Zhao in his later years.
King Yan of Zhao felt that no matter what he did, there were always people against him, and he had long been dissatisfied.
His dissatisfaction erupted when he wanted to depose the queen.
When King Yan of Zhao was depressed, he often went to Handan City in disguise to visit prostitutes.
A beautiful prostitute captivated his heart. He revealed his identity and took the prostitute to the palace in front of his beloved, who looked at her as if she were a fairy.
King Yan of Zhao wanted to give this prostitute a position as a concubine.
This was the first time that the Zhao royal family went to the Zhao palace to sit in protest. Even when Zhu Xiang was forced to leave and Lian Po and Li Mu were sent away, they were not so excited.
King Zhao, you can take a prostitute into your harem for your entertainment, but you cannot give her a position!
King Yan of Zhao became stubborn and angry.
You are not allowed to do this or that, and you even control the women in my harem. Do you really think I am the king?!
King Yan of Zhao therefore deeply disliked the Queen of Zhao who advised him.
Finally, Guo Kai gave him an idea. He asked a wealthy businessman to adopt a prostitute as his daughter and give her to a ruined nobleman first. The ruined nobleman would then send the prostitute to the palace.
The nobles in the court always have some poor relatives who are good at eating, drinking, whoring and gambling, and only care about money and no shame. They don't care about the face of their clansmen.
The prostitute suddenly transformed herself into the daughter of a merchant and the adopted daughter of a scholar.
Only then could King Yan of Zhao make Chang his concubine.
By the time the court officials discovered Prince Zhao's outrageous move, it was already too late.
They could not openly oppose the lifting of the veil again, so they could only accept it and pretend that Zhao Wangyan's new favorite concubine was not a prostitute.
King Yan of Zhao finally had a chance to feel proud.
He actually didn't want to replace Pang Nuan this time, but Doctor Qing greeted him in advance and seemed to treat him like a child, so his stubborn temper came up again.
Guo Kai followed Zhao Wangyan's wishes and said, "General Pang is naturally loyal to the emperor, but Sima Shang was once Li Mu's deputy general, so that's not necessarily the case."
In response to King Yan of Zhao's dislike for Li Mu, he slandered Sima Shang and other generals of Yanmen County, accusing them of colluding with Qin.
The four northern counties, including Jiuyuan County, had a special status and it was difficult for the generals to obey the orders of the king while they were away from the court. Therefore, King Wuling of Zhao, King Huiwen of Zhao and King Xiaocheng of Zhao gave the northern commanders power equivalent to that of a feudal lord.
Li Mu’s family has served as generals in the four northern counties of Zhao State for generations. Now, most of the generals in the four northern counties have served under the Li family.
When Li Mu left, he specifically instructed his subordinates not to change his policies.
After Xinling Jun went to Yanmen County, he continued Li Mu's policies.
After Sima Shang succeeded him as general, he also rejected the intervention of the people sent by King Zhao, saying that Yanmen County had its own situation and was doing well now and did not need to be changed.
Originally, this was just a dispute of opinion in the court, and those who supported Sima Shang won, so the old system of Yanmen County remained unchanged.
But in Guo Kai's words, it turned out that Sima Shang still had his heart set on Li Mu and did not regard King Zhao as a king.
Guo Kai said: "I heard that Li Mu and Zhu Xiang wrote to Yanmen County many times to direct the actions of Yanmen County's generals. Although they are far away in Southern Qin, they seem to be the feudal lords of Yanmen County. The generals and officials of Yanmen County are more willing to listen to Li Mu and Zhu Xiang than the ministers you sent to supervise them."
"They boasted that Yanmen County was strong, but they were surrounded by Qin at Shanwu City. If they were not loyal to Qin, they were lying before, and Yanmen County's military and governance were not good; if they were not lying, they deliberately lost to Qin."
"No matter which point, they are guilty, Your Majesty."
"Now that the Qin army is approaching, how can we place our hopes on Sima Shang, who is more willing to obey the orders of Li Mu and Zhu Xiang?"
King Yan of Zhao felt that what Guo Kai said made perfect sense.
He immediately convened a court meeting and interpreted Guo Kai's words as meaning that there was intelligence proving that Sima Shang was colluding with the Qin State.
Sima Shang had always been the deputy general of Li Mu and Xinling Jun. He had little reputation and no outstanding military achievements, but he did admire Li Mu and Zhu Xiang very much.
King Yan of Zhao spoke so confidently that the ministers in the Zhao court became a little uncertain.
They decided to take it slow and have someone replace Sima Shang as general while they slowly investigate.
It's just a change of local garrison commander, and the main commander Pang Nuan has not been replaced, so there will definitely be nothing to worry about.
(End of this chapter)