The heavy snow quickly covered the corpses on the ground with a layer of plain cloth, hiding their unwilling faces.
Zhu Xiang wanted to attend their funeral, but was urged by Zhao's ministers to go home and pack his luggage so that he could leave Zhao at dawn the next day.
Bai Qi set up camp outside the city of Handan. King Zhao and most of the Zhao nobles could not stand such stimulation and wished that Zhu Xiang would leave with Bai Qi tonight. Solving internal and external troubles at the same time would be a win-win situation.
Cai Ze just smiled and said that Qin invited Zhu Xianggong to Qin to be enfeoffed as a lord, so naturally they had to follow all the etiquette. Traveling in the middle of the night was not only dangerous, but how could they let everyone see that Qin valued Zhu Xianggong? Another scholar and common people glared at them, so they gave up.
The city gates were closed, but people in Handan City held torches, ignoring the city's ban and the Qin army outside Handan City that blended into the night, forming a long dragon of fire to send Zhu Xiang back to his home on the outskirts of the city.
When Bai Qi saw this scene, he was deeply moved.
Sima Jin said: "General, if Zhao uses Zhu Xiang, I am afraid Zhao will become a great threat to Qin."
Bai Qi thought to himself that if Zhao could make good use of Zhu Xiang, it would be hard to say which country would unify the world.
He said, "No. The strength of a country lies in its king. Even if Zhao has Zhu Xiang and Qin has Jun Shang, they can overcome everything."
Sima Jin was still muttering: "I think..."
Bai Qi looked at Sima Jin with a calm gaze.
Sima Jin felt a chill on his neck. Although Wu'an Jun did not draw his sword, he felt as if the commander had put the sword on his neck.
"I think... the general is right!" Sima Jin immediately changed his words.
Bai Qi retracted his gaze and said, "Give the King of Zhao some face and retreat ten miles. Tomorrow morning, follow me to take Duke Zhu Xiang to Qin."
Sima Jin smiled happily: "Yes! General, do you think Duke Zhu Xiang will treat me to a good meal? Duke Zhu Xiang's cooking skills..."
Sima Jin began to swallow his saliva when he thought of the meals Zhu Xiang had cooked in Changping.
Bai Qi: “…” The Qin army was approaching and forcing Zhu Xiang to leave his homeland. If he didn’t stab you with the sword, it would be a good temper of him to say that. Do you still want him to cook for you
He didn't know how to evaluate Sima Jin's train of thought. Sima Jin was obviously very normal during the war, why did he seem to be under a witchcraft in private
Bai Qi turned around and didn't want to pay any attention to Sima Jin.
Sima Jin was already accustomed to the commander's look of disdain. As soon as Bai Qi left, he would immediately follow him and continue to chatter non-stop.
Bai Qi's expression became more and more indifferent, and a chilly air blew around him, as if snowflakes outside the tent were drifting in.
After returning home, Zhu Xiang first summoned the servants in his house. Those who were willing to leave with him left together, and those who were unwilling to leave were given severance pay and sent to serve as servants in the homes of Lin Xiangru, Lian Po or Li Mu.
Zhu Xiang did not tell Shi En that they should be declassified as slaves and become civilians. Although being a servant to a noble was not free, being an ordinary commoner had a higher mortality rate, not to mention freedom. In this chaotic world, it is better to be a slave of a rich family than a farmer, so Zhu Xiang found a new master for them.
With Zhu Xiang's current reputation, the slaves who followed him could be respected. All the slaves were willing to leave with Zhu Xiang. Even though some of them had newborn children and could not travel far, they hoped to quietly enter Qin and follow Zhu Xiang.
Zhu Xiang agreed, but reminded them that they must be cautious after entering Qin and must not do anything to bully others, otherwise he would be soft-hearted and would have to hand them over to the Qin government for trial.
The servants were so frightened that they immediately knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly, swearing to heaven, earth, and their ancestors that they would never dare to do so.
There were a few people who took advantage of Zhu Xiang's absence and secretly sought money in Zhu Xiang's name. They were so frightened that their bodies collapsed, their lips trembled for a long time, and they could not utter a complete sentence.
Zhu Xiang observed the expressions of the people and made up his mind. It seemed that not all servants could go to Qin with him.
"Zhu Xiang, leave the rest to me, you take a rest first." After closing the door, Cai Ze became the best-tempered person again, "The weather is cold, and you will suffer a lot if you go to Qin. If you don't take care of yourself, how can you be worthy of the people who saved you?"
Zhu Xiang's heart shrank: "Okay."
He asked someone to prepare water in the bathhouse and took a hot bath alone. Then he soaked in the hot water for a while before getting up, drying his hair and going to bed.
When he closed his eyes, the faces of those who died with their eyes open emerged in Zhu Xiang's mind. The words "you have to live", "you have to be worthy of the people who saved you", "you can't let their deaths be in vain" repeated in his ears, giving him a splitting headache.
Zhu Xiang pulled up the quilt, covering his head in the dark and suffocating environment.
He knew that the person who said this was doing him a favor, and there was no such thing as mental health in this era, so he did not argue, but endured it silently, and could only slowly adjust himself.
He took deep breaths under the covers, trying to fall asleep.
At this moment, a warm "thing" crawled into his quilt.
Zhu Xiang pulled down the quilt and saw Xue tiptoeing out of the door.
He reached down and Ying Xiaozheng emerged from under his hand.
"Aunt said that you definitely can't sleep, so let me accompany you." Ying Xiaozheng hugged Zhu Xiang's neck and said, "Aunt has trouble sleeping, and I can't sleep if I accompany her. It must be very uncomfortable on the road tomorrow. So Zheng'er came to accompany uncle!"
Zhu Xiang hugged the warm and soft little fat boy and finally smiled sincerely: "Well, thank you Zheng'er."
Ying Xiaozheng leaned on Zhu Xiang's chest and closed his eyes: "You're welcome. Uncle, go to sleep."
Zhu Xiang also closed his eyes: "Okay."
After closing his eyes, those scenes and words continued to overlap in his ears. But Zheng'er's slow breathing came later and covered those sounds, and Zhu Xiang finally fell asleep.
After a night, Zhu Xiang felt short of breath when he got up.
He opened his eyes and saw his nephew, the first emperor, sleeping soundly on his chest like a fat little orange, his chest soaked with saliva.
Zhu Xiang pinched Ying Xiaozheng's chubby face, and then shouted: "Zheng'er, get up!"
Ying Xiaozheng opened his eyes immediately: "Zheng'er didn't wet the bed!"
Zhu Xiang smiled and said, "It's about getting up, not wetting the bed."
Ying Xiaozheng immediately covered his face with his hands and gnashed his baby teeth in anger.
Damn uncle! It’s all because of him that he always screams after I wet the bed!
"Okay, get up and move." Zhu Xiang's smile was the same as always, as if he had recovered from yesterday's tragic scene.
He carried Ying Xiaozheng to wash and change clothes, and then directed the servants to pack the luggage.
After yesterday's observation, he chose those who had a clear conscience to leave, and the rest stayed on the grounds that they had just arrived in Qin and needed to keep a low profile as much as possible and could not bring too many servants with them, and would be taken care of by the Lin family in the future.
Whether they will come to Qin in the future depends on what Lord Lin thinks.
After taking care of everything, Zhu Xiang opened the door, and the outside was already crowded with people who came to see him off.
Those who were crying yesterday all put on a smile today. They tried to smile, and took the few dried meat, grains, and cloths they had at home to see Zhu Xiang off. Those whose families were not well off also gathered together a piece of dried meat and gave it to Zhu Xiang eagerly as travel expenses.
When Zhu Xiang accepted their meat, he returned the favor with his own bacon; when he accepted their fine grain, he returned the favor with his own fine grain; when he accepted their cloth, he returned the favor with his own cloth.
"Courtesy is reciprocity. I accepted your gift, so I must return the favor, as a gentleman."
After Zhu Xiang used this argument, the people around him had no choice but to agree.
The grain, dried meat, cloth, etc. at home were soon given away. Zhu Xiang then took out gold, silver, coins and household items, calculated their value, and continued to exchange gifts with everyone.
Because there were so many people giving gifts, Zhu Xiang soon spent all his wealth.
He bowed repeatedly to those who wanted to give him gifts and asked them to take them back.
Zhu Xiang used the virtue of a "gentleman" as an excuse, saying that if one accepted a gift but did not return it, it would be considered as a dishonest act. Everyone loved and respected Zhu Xiang and did not want to tarnish his character, so they had to give up.
They looked at the person in front of them who had received a return gift from Zhu Xiang and was beating his chest and stamping his feet, wondering why they had to get up a little later.
They should have stayed up all night guarding Zhu Xianggong's gate!
When Zhu Xiang was giving gifts to everyone, the Qin army had arrived, and Bai Qi and Sima Jin were watching silently from the side.
Sima Jin admired Zhu Xiang even more and wanted to go up to him and say a few words, but was frozen in place by Bai Qi's cold eyes.
"Duke Zhu Xiang, please."
When Zhu Xiang came in front of the Qin army, Bai Qi personally came over holding the reins of the carriage and bowed to invite Zhu Xiang to get on the carriage.
Zhu Xiang reflexively wanted to step forward and help Bai Qi up, but after he took half a step, he retracted his foot, silently accepted Bai Qi's salute, and got on the carriage with the help of Sima Jin.
Bai Qi invited Xue and Ying Xiaozheng to get on the carriage. Xue also got on the carriage silently, but Ying Xiaozheng turned back in front of the carriage and looked at the Zhao people who were more than ten meters away from the Qin army.
“Master Zheng…” Suddenly, a child came out from the crowd and ran towards Ying Xiaozheng.
Qin Bing wanted to fend off the child.
"Don't hurt him!" Ying Xiaozheng let go of Xue's hand and ran towards the child.
The child handed Ying Xiaozheng a basket filled with small toys made of dry grass, wood, stones, etc.
"My grandfather and the other grandfathers and grandmothers in the village made this. I'm embarrassed to give it to them as a gift." The child blushed, "But, but I still want to give it to you. Can you accept it?"
Ying Xiaozheng felt around in his arms, hesitating for a long time between his father's jade ring and the wooden bracelet with small animals carved by a servant at home. In the end, he couldn't bear to part with the bracelets, so he took off his hat and handed it to the child.
"My uncle said that courtesy should be reciprocated." Ying Xiaozheng said sternly to the people who were seeing him off, "I am Prince Zheng of Qin! When I grow up, I will come back to destroy the tyrannical Zhao and make sure you all have enough food and warm clothes! Wait for me to come back!"
Before he could finish his words, a gust of cold wind blew across his bald head, making him shiver.
Zhu Xiang jumped off the carriage, picked up Ying Xiaozheng and ran away.
As he climbed onto the carriage, Zhu Xiang hurriedly said, "Mr. Wu'an, hurry up and leave!"
Although the words spoken by the nephew of the First Emperor are very cool, he is still in the suburbs of Handan!
"Zheng'er, these words cannot be said in Zhao State, do you understand?" Zhu Xiang warned while covering Ying Xiaozheng's forehead with his hand which was blown by the cool breeze.
The snow fell on her chest: "My dear, you taught me all this."
Ying Xiaozheng held the straw basket and thought to himself, this is not what my uncle taught me.
Ying Xiaozheng's words "I will be back" shocked the people of Zhao who were seeing him off. Bai Qi jumped on the carriage and acted as the coachman, driving Zhu Xiang away.
The Qin army quickly formed a line, protected the carriage in the middle of the army, and trotted towards the distance.
The Zhao army was stunned for a moment, and then they caught up with the Qin army in a large crowd.
Bai Qi looked back at the Zhao people, who should have been afraid of the Qin army, and felt very complicated.
I heard that Zhu Xiang said to King Zhao yesterday that those who oppress their people will surely lose their country.
Today, Zhu Xiang's nephew, Prince Zheng of Qin, said again that he would destroy Zhao and save the people.
These uncle and nephew are really...
Bai Qi glanced at the carriage again. He hoped that after Zhu Xiang and Gongzi Zheng entered Qin, they would not speak so recklessly in Zhao.
The carriage had been travelling for half a day. Some of the Zhao people who were seeing them off fell behind, some continued to follow, and new people joined along the way.
The farewell procession was so huge that there was still no end in sight.
Some Qin soldiers couldn't help but look back at the Zhao people.
When Zhu Xiang was giving gifts to these people, they were all smiling.
Now, their faces were filled with pain and sorrow, and there was no one without tears in their eyes and faces. However, they gritted their teeth, and no one shouted Zhu Xiang's name loudly, and no one tried to keep Zhu Xiang.
Zhu Xiang asked Sima Jin, who was riding a horse beside the carriage window, "General Sima, are they still following?"
Sima Jin said: "They are still following."
Zhu Xiang got off the carriage and asked the people who were seeing him off to go back.
The person who was seeing him off nodded and stopped.
After a mile, Zhu Xiang looked at Sima Jin who kept looking back and asked again: "General Sima, are they still following us?"
Sima Jin sighed: "They followed us again."
Zhu Xiang left the carriage again and asked everyone not to see him off.
Everyone agreed again and stopped.
But soon, Zhu Xiang heard Sima Jin's sigh and knew that the people who were seeing him off had followed again.
After several attempts, they finally reached the border of Handan and saw the Zhao army stationed there.
The Zhao army let them pass under the order of their general, and looked at the Qin army who had no idea how to get around them with terrified expressions.
What frightened them even more was that Bai Qi ordered the Qin army to camp near them to rest and set up stoves to cook lunch.
The hungry Zhao people stopped about ten meters away from the Qin army and continued to look at the carriage that Zhu Xiang was riding in.
Xue in the carriage had cried so much that her eyes were red and swollen. Ying Xiaozheng was holding the basket, and although he didn't cry, he looked depressed and his eyes were red.
Zhu Xiang left the carriage again. He asked someone to fetch the dried meat and food given by the people who saw him off, and made a fire on the spot to cook.
"After this farewell meal, please go back."
Zhu Xiang knelt down in front of the people who came to see him off, with his forehead pressed against the ground.
Because of Zhu Xiang's crazy words yesterday, many nobles and scholars in Handan, although they admired Zhu Xiang, did not dare to see him off. Therefore, most of the people who came were ignorant common people and Zhao people from the suburbs.
They are the only ones who kneel down to the scholars. When have the superior scholars ever kneeled down to them
The people of Zhao who came to see him off knelt down one after another and finally cried loudly in front of Zhu Xiang.
The common people were uneducated and could not understand the meaning of the songs they sang. They could only use their cries as music to see Zhu Xiang off.
The generals and soldiers in the Zhao army camp were also shocked when they saw this scene. They asked one after another who the Qin army was protecting and who was seeing them off, and why a Qin noble who was so high and mighty would kneel down and kowtow to someone who looked like a commoner from Zhao
"I secretly heard that the man seemed to be the one who saved Duke Zhu Xiang of the Zhao army in Changping."
"Why is Duke Zhu Xiang in the Qin army?!"
Even if the soldiers had never seen Zhu Xiang, they had heard of his reputation.
Didn't Duke Zhu Xiang make great contributions to the State of Zhao? Why did he leave with the Qin army? Was it because the Qin people forced him to leave
But why didn't the Qin army drive away the Zhao people who followed them? Why did the Zhao people, though crying, ask Zhu Xianggong to have a good journey, not to look back, and not to miss him
"Zhu Xiang!!!!"
Zhu Xiang, who was kneeling on the ground, raised his head and saw several horses galloping towards him.
On horseback, Lian Po had disheveled hair, looking like an old madman; Lin Xiangru, who was in poor health and had not ridden a horse for a long time, had a pale face and coughed while riding; Lin Zhi, the only one who looked in better condition, was holding the reins with one hand and waving the other hand at himself.
“Mr. Lin, Mr. Lian, Lin Li…” Zhu Xiang knelt on the ground, straightened up, and cried uncontrollably.
Bai Qi stopped the people who were blocking him, clasped his fists towards the man who dismounted, and said nothing.
The three of them bowed to Bai Qi and then ran towards Zhu Xiang.
Lin Xiangru knelt on one knee in front of Zhu Xiang and held Zhu Xiang in his arms, like a father whose child had suffered a great injustice.
Zhu Xiang also hugged Lin Xiangru, and the calmness he had pretended to have today was shattered.
He buried his face in Lin Xiangru's shoulder and wanted to say a lot of things, but he was crying so hard that he couldn't say anything.
Lian Po, with disheveled hair, knelt on the ground and pounded the ground with his fists: "Wang Wudao! Wang Wudao! Wang Wudao!!"
Among the Zhao generals who were looking over here, some knew Lian Po.
He was horrified and asked, "Mr. Lian?"
"And Lord Lin..." a general said in a trembling voice, "What on earth happened in Handan?!"
"Duke Zhu Xiang!!"
There were a few more shouts, and it turned out to be Pingyuan Jun Zhao Sheng and Pingyang Jun Zhao Bao riding over on horseback.
The two princes of Zhao knew that Zhu Xiang cursed the Zhao State to perish, but they still came to see him off.
The Zhao general collapsed and had to hold on to the flagpole at the camp gate to keep himself steady.
Lin Xiangru touched Zhu Xiang's hair and let Zhu Xiang go.
Zhu Xiang wiped away his tears and helped the two princes of Zhao up: "I know that Lord Pingyuan and Lord Pingyang have done their best. I don't blame you."
Zhao Sheng and Zhao Bao thought to themselves, do you blame the King of Zhao and the State of Zhao
But they didn't dare to ask and could only continue to cry and apologize.
"Zhu Xiang!" "Duke Zhu Xiang!"
There were several more shouts. Xinling Jun, who Li Mu and Zhu Xiang did not know, also came to see them off.
When Zhu Xiang saw Li Mu, he couldn't help but scold him, "Didn't I tell you not to come?"
Li Mu was just a young general. If he came to see me off, how could I survive in Zhao? ! Li Mu's roots were all in Yanmen County. It was impossible for him to convince his family to abandon everything and follow him to Qin!
"I have thought about this for a long time. Seeing you off is more important than my future." Li Mu said, "This is Prince Xinling of Wei."
Zhu Xiang stood up and bowed to Lord Xinling: "I have long admired you."
Wei Wuji immediately helped Zhu Xiang up and said, "How dare I accept the gift from Duke Zhu Xiang? I am here on the orders of the King of Wei to welcome Duke Zhu Xiang into Wei, but unfortunately..."
He wanted to say that if Zhu Xiang didn't like Qin, he was welcome to come to Wei at any time. But he glanced at Bai Qi, who had a dark face beside him, and didn't say this sentence, which seemed to be a divisive remark at the moment.
Although he should have said this as the prince of Wei, Wei Wuji always acted in accordance with his heart when facing the scholars he respected, and he did not want Zhu Xiang to suffer the king's misunderstanding again.
"How can a wise man travel far without music to accompany him?" Wei Wuji changed the subject and said, "The scholars of Zhao dare not see Duke Zhu Xiang off. I am a prince of Wei, so I will do it."
After saying this, Wei Wuji turned around and asked his servant to take out his zither, then knelt on the ground and began to play music.
Some of Wei Wuji's followers took out their zithers, some took out harps, drums, flutes, zhengs and other musical instruments, and some drew out the long swords at their waists, struck the swords and sang loudly from "The Book of Songs·Huifeng·Suguan".
"May I see the white cap? The thorny man is busy and his mind is exhausted.
May I see your white clothes? My heart is filled with sorrow, so I will go home with you.
"May I see your pure beauty? My heart is filled with sorrow, and I wish I could be one with you."
Oh, persecuted wise man, you are wearing plain clothes and a plain hat, and your body is thin. I am so sad in my heart that I wish I could take on all this for you.
The common people of Zhao who were seeing him off could not understand the ballad, but Lord Pingyuan and Lord Pingyang could understand it.
Zhao Sheng looked at his brother-in-law, his face filled with shame and anger. Finally, his expression froze in grief and anger, and he also drew his sword, struck it and sang along.
Zhao Bao closed his eyes, clenched his fists, and tears rolled down the corners of his eyes.
Lian Po sat on the ground, looking up and singing: "I walk in the wild, picking reeds. I don't think of my old friends, but seek your new friends. Success does not come from wealth, but from difference!"
Li Mu took out his sword and also clashed with it: "The pelican is on the beam, but its wings are not wetted. The son of that man does not wear the clothes that suit him."
Lian Po sang "Xiaoya I Walk in the Wilderness", in which he denounced King Zhao for using new people and abandoning the old ones, not because the old ones were powerful, but because King Zhao had no regard for the old relationship between the monarch and his subjects.
Li Mu's poem was "Hou Ren" from "Cao Feng". He satirized the people of Zhao for being blind and allowing mediocre people to hold high positions in government while virtuous people were not given important positions.
While people around were singing poems, Lin Xiangru, who was most proficient in the Book of Songs, just smoothed Zhu Xiang's hair, straightened his clothes, and gave him some unliterary words.
"Qin is colder than Handan. You should wear more clothes and stop running around in the fields in winter like you did in Handan."
"Xue may have difficulty getting along with Qin's wife. You should teach her and protect her, and don't let Xue suffer any injustice."
"I'm afraid Zheng'er will have to part with you when he goes to Xianyang. You should visit him more often. It would be best if you could convince the King of Qin to let you become Zheng'er's teacher."...
Ying Xiaozheng broke free from Xue's hands, hugged Lin Xiangru's legs and finally started crying: "Uncle Lin! Come to Qin with Zheng'er! Zheng'er will protect you! Uncle Lian will come with you! Uncle Lin, are you going to abandon Zheng'er? Uncle Li, teacher! You can't abandon your disciples! Can you all come with me? Okay?"
"Zheng'er, Mr. Lin is old and can't walk that far." Lin Xiangru picked up Ying Xiaozheng, "Your Mr. Lian and your teacher have been generals of Zhao for generations. The soldiers are like their family members. It is difficult for them to leave Zhao."
"I don't care, let's go together!" Ying Xiaozheng hugged Lin Xiangru's neck tightly, "Let's go together!"
The "memories" of his time in Zhao State that he saw in his dream were all loneliness, humiliation and anger.
But in the real world, he has been spoiled since he came to his uncle's house, especially by Mr. Lin, who holds him to play and study, just like his own grandfather.
So he didn't want to be separated from Lin Weng!
"Zheng'er, be good, Zheng'er, be good." Lin Xiangru's eyes were filled with tears, but he smiled. "Don't be willful. Didn't you say that you have grown up and want to protect your uncle and aunt? How can you be willful now?"
He looked at the sky and said, "Zhu Xiang, you should leave. If you don't leave now, it will snow again."
Zhu Xiang patted Ying Xiaozheng's head gently and took the crying Ying Xiaozheng off Lin Xiangru.
Zhu Xiang knelt down, kowtowed to Lin Xiangru and said, "Mr. Lin, I am going to Qin."
Lin Xiangru smiled and said, "Go ahead and take care of yourself."
Zhu Xiang stood up and kowtowed to Lian Po and Li Mu: "Lord Lian, Li Mu, I am going to Qin."
Lian Po sat on the ground and cursed: "Go! Leave this terrible place!"
Li Mu said: "Take care!"
Zhu Xiang looked at Lin Zhi, who had been silent since arriving, and said, "Lin Li..."
"Come on, do you still want to kowtow to me?" Lin Zhi said, "Take care."
Zhu Xiang stood up and bowed deeply to Lord Xinling, Lord Pingyuan and Lord Pingyang, and then bowed again to the common people of Zhao who were seeing him off.
"Everyone, I'm going to Qin, please go back!"
After saying this, he took the crying Ying Xiaozheng back to Xue who was sobbing with her head down, got back into the carriage, and never showed up again.
After that, the Qin army finished their rest and moved out, and Zhu Xiang never left the carriage again.
"Go back, don't make him worry." Lin Xiangru said to the Zhao people who still wanted to follow him, "Go back, what if he can't let you and me go and returns to Zhao?"
The people of Zhao burst into tears and finally stopped chasing.
Wei Wuji put away his zither and said to his brother-in-law Zhao Sheng, "If Duke Zhu Xiang had not left in such a hurry, they would not have had time to muster up their courage and pack their luggage. I'm afraid these people would have followed Duke Zhu Xiang all the way to Qin. King Zhao urged Duke Zhu Xiang to leave early the next morning. Did he also consider this matter?"
Zhao Sheng glanced at Wei Wuji and did not answer.
He thought so in his heart. The King of Zhao was not really stupid, otherwise he would have had several brothers and it would not be his turn to be the King of Zhao. It was just that he was immature and had not been tempered, so he could not become a great man.
Even if King Zhao did not consider this matter, there would be capable people around him who would consider it.
But would this be useful? Even if this was stopped temporarily, could it stop the people of Zhao from turning away from the king of Zhao and defecting to the State of Qin, whose territory was gradually approaching the heartland of Zhao
Bai Qi was able to lead his troops through Zhao's multiple defense lines. It was not until he arrived at the city of Handan that the Zhao people discovered that in order to prevent the loss of common people, the King of Zhao was still so cruel to Zhu Xiang at the last moment of his departure. Could this really prevent the Zhao State from being destroyed
"I won't go back to Handan with you. I will go back to Wei directly. Take care, brother-in-law." Wei Wuji walked to Zhao Sheng and lowered his voice, "Be careful of King Zhao."
Zhao Sheng remained silent.
"He must have told you to be careful of King Zhao." After this incident, Zhao Bao, who had always been cautious and kind to others, became much more irritable and spoke in a very sharp tone, "I don't know if the two of us brothers can live to see the end of our lives."
Zhao Sheng turned around and said: "I will return to my fiefdom, Dongwu City, and will never enter Handan again."
Zhao Bao lowered his voice and said, "Me too."
Allowing Zhao Dan to continue to be the King of Zhao would lead to the decline of Zhao; if they provoke a fight for the throne and cause civil strife in Zhao, it would accelerate the decline of Zhao.
What else can they do except return to their fiefdom, become deaf and blind, live a life of drunkenness and dreams, and not think about the future of Zhao State
In Handan City, Xun Kuang looked towards the place where Zhu Xiang left.
The Confucian disciple who took care of him sighed: "If Duke Zhu Xiang had not entered Qin, we would have followed him. If Confucian scholars did not enter Qin, why did they enter Qin?"
Xun Kuang rolled his eyes at him and said, "Fool, Confucian scholars are not allowed to enter Qin, and then after Qin unified the world, they will be excluded from the court by Qin?"
The disciple was dumbfounded by the scolding: "Huh?"
Another disciple asked: "Xunzi, since you want to go to Qin, why don't you leave with Duke Xiang?"
Xun Kuang turned and looked towards the direction of the palace: "I still have things to do."
He stepped forward.
"Zhu Xiang passed away too hastily, and was unable to mourn at the graves of those who died for him. I will write an obituary for them on his behalf."
"There are still many people in Handan who don't know why Zhu Xiang left Zhao and went to Qin, and not everyone in the world knows why Zhu Xiang left Zhao and went to Qin. I need to write an article to inform everyone of the injustice Zhu Xiang suffered."
"Zhu Xiang can't let go of Lin Xiangru's family, Lian Po and Li Mu. I'm afraid someone will harm them on the grounds that they have a grudge against the King of Zhao because of Zhu Xiang. I want to persuade the King of Zhao that if he wants to save his reputation, he can only change his ways and reuse Zhu Xiang's friends."…
Xun Kuang said: "There is a lot to do. After finishing it, we will go to Qin."
Not only did he not leave with Zhu Xiang, but Xianghe from the Mohist School and Xu Ming from the Nong School also did not leave.
They all guessed that once Zhu Xiang left, King Zhao would discredit Zhu Xiang and humiliate Zhu Xiang's elders and close friends. They had played no role in protecting Zhu Xiang, so they had to do this for him.
The disciples followed respectfully: "Yes, Xunzi."
Zhu Xiang continued to drive towards Qin State, and half a month later he saw the new border of Qin State.
During this half month, under the persuasion of Xunzi, the King of Zhao issued an edict of self-reflection, retained Lord Pingyuan and Lord Pingyang, appointed Lian Po and Lin Xiangru as prime ministers, rewarded Li Mu handsomely, pardoned Zhao's mother, did not take back the fiefdom given to Zhao She, and gave a large sum of money to allow Zhao's mother to return to horseback riding and live in old age, but forbade her to enter Handan again.
He also ordered the agricultural officials to reform the farm tools, adjust the farming season, and rotate the planting of potatoes according to the agricultural books that Zhu Xiang left at the Lin family... In just half a month, the atmosphere in Zhao State seemed to have been completely renewed, as if it had ushered in a new life.
Several other countries praised him one after another, and many articles described the story of King Zhao becoming a wise ruler after he woke up.
It's only been half a month.
Half a month later, when Zhu Xiang entered the State of Qin, Lin Xiangru resigned from his position as prime minister on the grounds of old age and illness. His fiefdom was inherited by his eldest son, and he returned to his ancestral land with his youngest son Lin Zhi.
Li Mu has returned to Yanmen County, and Lian Po, Zhao Sheng and Zhao Bao are there to see him off.
Lin Xiangru was very thin, so the three old men did not offer him a farewell drink, but just gathered together to eat some snacks.
Lian Po sighed, "After you leave, Lord Pingyuan and Lord Pingyang will also return to their fiefdoms, and I will be the only one left in Handan... Well, Yan State is ready to make a move, I will lead the army to fight, and I will not stay in Handan anymore."
Lin Xiangru coughed and said, "Take care."
Lian Po smiled bitterly: "It's you who should take care of yourself... Never mind, no more words, no more words, eat your food."
After Lian Po returned to Handan, "that's it" became the word he uttered most often.
Zhao Sheng and Zhao Bao ate their food in silence, only saying "take care" when they left.
Lin Xiangru got on the carriage, and Lin Zhi still served as the coachman himself, and they drove towards Hongcheng.
On the way, Lin Xiangru heard someone crying.
He stopped the carriage and asked the reason.
The woman cried, saying that the officials wanted to pull up the wheat that had already sprouted and plant potatoes, and also designated the vegetable fields in front of and behind her house as fertile land that had to pay taxes.
The woman cried, "They said this was taught by Duke Xiang. But Duke Xiang has always told us that potatoes should not occupy good farmland! The small vegetable plots in front of and behind the house were not taxed! How can you tax wasteland just because it can be used to grow potatoes? Duke Xiang told us to grow potatoes on scattered wasteland because it is tax-free!"
The woman cried and wailed, and in the end, the only three words left from her mouth were "Duke Zhu Xiang".
It seemed that if she read "Duke Zhu Xiang" a few more times, Zhu Xiang would appear and refute the absurdity of these officials.
She didn't know that when Zhu Xiang was still in Zhao State, he was unable to stop these absurd behaviors.
Lin Xiangru gave the woman some food and left without saying anything.
He told King Zhao everything, but it was of no use, so he remained silent.
The carriage continued to move forward, and encountered many cries on the road, but Lin Xiangru did not get off again.
"Lin Li, cough cough cough..."
"I know you are very talented, but you just don't want to display it. But if I die of illness, you will go to Qin. I failed to protect him, so you must protect him."
"Ah... yes."
Lin Zhi frowned and smiled bitterly.
"Ding."
Zhu Xiang, curled up in the carriage, was awakened by the system prompt sound in his sleep.
He took a look at the colorful pixel fireworks that popped up on the system and his breathing became rapid.
The first four-star "Life and Death" friend appears, and the system rewards the host with one thousand unlocked seeds of any (self-selected) choice.
Zhu Xiang looked at the pixel cartoon avatar with a very wanton smile—Lin Zhi. He was supposed to have no impact on the long river of history, but he actually appeared in the favorability list. Does this mean that something major has happened to Lin Zhi's future
Instead of going to draw the lottery, he stared at the pixelated cartoon avatar, feeling very nervous.
"Duke Zhu Xiang, please get off the carriage." Just as Zhu Xiang was panicking, the carriage stopped and Bai Qi knocked on the door and said, "The Lord is here to greet you."
Zhu Xiang was stunned, and quickly woke up Ying Xiaozheng, and got off the carriage with Xue and Ying Xiaozheng.
He asked quietly, "Didn't the King of Qin return to Xianyang? Why is he still in Shangdang County?"
Bai Qi whispered, "Your Majesty, do whatever you want."
Zhu Xiang: “…” He understood the faint resentment in Wu Anjun’s words.
The King of Qin did plan to return to Xianyang, but on the way, he learned that the King of Zhao really wanted to kill Zhu Xiang. The people of Zhao in Handan rushed to the prison to save Zhu Xiang, so he immediately sent people back to Xianyang to prepare things, and he stayed in Shangdang.
When Zhu Xiang appeared, the musicians behind the King of Qin played classical music. The King of Qin's personal guards first sang the love poem "Qin Feng·Jian Jia" loudly to express his desire for Zhu Xiang; then he sang "Wang Feng·Qiu You Hemp", shouting, "I am looking forward to my arrival. Please leave your deep love for me and the jade pendant for us to get engaged!"
The King of Qin was beaming with joy as he strode over to the music: "Zhu Xiang! I have finally waited for you!"
Everyone who was traveling with Zhu Xiang was very moved, and Bai Qi felt a bitter feeling in his heart.
As for Zhu Xiang, he was so embarrassed that he almost dug a hole through the earth with his toes.
The King of Qin thought that Zhu Xiang's daze was due to him being too moved.
"Zhu Xiang! I promised that as long as you come to Qin, I will make you a king!" The King of Qin held Zhu Xiang's hands, tears welling up in his eyes. Zhu Xiang got goose bumps all over his body. "From now on, you will be granted the land of Changping, and you will be my Lord of Changping!"
Zhu Xiang: “…”
Zhu Xiang: “???”
Zhu Xiang: “!!!”
Old King Qin, you are such a fool! I just arrived, and you want to exploit my value like this and make me directly hostile to the State of Zhao? !
"Although your fiefdom is in Changping, you cannot stay there. Changping is dangerous. You can just enjoy the food and salary there." The King of Qin added, "Follow me back to Xianyang and have a good rest."
Zhu Xiang blinked hard to make his eyes as moist as possible: "Thank you, King Qin... Thank you, Your Excellency."
When the King of Qin heard Zhu Xiang calling him Your Majesty, he smiled even more kindly: "Zhu Xiang, I am here, you will..."
His breathing stagnated: "Zhu Xiang, your hair..."
People's hair won't turn gray overnight because the hair that grows out won't lose color.
So Zhu Xiang's hair, half a finger-knuckle-length, turned white starting from the roots, as if the snow, which had not been seen for many years, had fallen on his head in this winter and would never melt.
(End of this chapter)