Before the invention of the steam engine, communication was very difficult in ancient times. In times of chaos, each government was independent and government orders were not communicated, so the speed of information transmission was even slower.
If Zhu Xiang did not go to Xianyang to inquire, he would never know what happened outside Qin. Even if he did, the speed of information transmission among the people would take at least half a year.
The strategy of sowing discord is a form of intelligence warfare.
There were many famous strategies of sowing discord during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, but only the strategy of sowing discord in the Qin State in the late Warring States Period was used frequently and accurately. All of this was based on the strong national strength of the Qin State.
The Qin State built highways within the Qin State at all costs, established a post station system for relaying letters, and stationed intelligence personnel in other countries.
The amount of manpower and material resources consumed behind the alienation strategy is astronomical.
Short-term intelligence warfare can be supported by "belief" and personal strategy, but the normalized and standardized intelligence warfare "estrangement strategy" of the Qin State is obviously impossible to achieve for a powerful country like the Qin State.
After setting up the framework for the intelligence war, what is needed next is a capable person to take command, such as Fan Ju and Cai Ze, who will take over Fan Ju's responsibility.
Fan Ju did not hide any of this information that only the King of Qin and the Crown Prince knew. He held a cup of sugared milk tea and told Ying Xiaozheng the top-secret information as a story with a smile.
Ying Xiaozheng sat on Fan Ju's lap, eating crisp dates with puffy cheeks. After swallowing a mouthful of date meat, he nodded to show that he was listening carefully.
Bai Qi would add a few words from time to time. After all, intelligence was needed in war, and he often cooperated with Fan Ju. Xunzi would mutter "biased" from time to time, but he also pointed out sharply some shortcomings in the Qin State's intelligence transmission.
The three old men taught Ying Xiaozheng together.
Zhu Xiang sighed in his heart.
The journey was calculated in months, and the transmission of intelligence in Qin was also calculated in months. This was already the limit in the Warring States Period.
But it still takes too long for him to get news from friends and elders. He really misses the modern times, where a phone call or a text message is all it takes... Well, now the elders are using WeChat video chats, so they can see each other's appearance at any time.
Fan Ju, a famous "strategist who is good at using the strategy of sowing discord", in addition to making plans, his biggest workload came from collecting and collating intelligence. He was actually the intelligence chief of Qin.
After introducing the Qin State's conventional practices for collecting and using intelligence, Fan Ju talked about Lian Po and Li Mu.
But he did not start with Zhao State, but with Yan State and the Huns.
The most important part of this alienation plan was not in Handan, but in the border of Yan State, in the south of the Xiongnu, and in Cai Ze.
Cai Ze visited the State of Yan and did something that no one in the world had expected - he helped the new King of Yan consolidate his throne, and led the King of Yan's edict to the northern Great Wall to assist in the defense.
Cai Ze brought food and fodder from Qin to aid the Yan border army, and temporarily took over the position of commander-in-chief of the Yan army. Together with Zhao's general Li Mu, he launched an attack and drove back the Huns who were waiting for an opportunity to move south.
They annihilated hundreds of thousands of Huns and plundered a large number of cattle and sheep. This not only temporarily alleviated the life crisis of the Yan border guards who could no longer pay for food and military pay, but also severely damaged the vitality of the Huns.
It is said that the Xiongnu king took this opportunity to make a desperate attempt to completely destroy the Yan State's Great Wall defense line. If this operation fails, the Xiongnu may fall into civil strife. The Xiongnu will not be able to organize a war as large as this one for another ten years.
The new King of Yan held Cai Ze's hands and cried bitterly, asking Cai Ze to stay in Yan State as the Prime Minister of Yan, and also to make him a lord and grant him a fiefdom of a hundred miles.
Cai Ze said: "I am a minister of the King of Qin. I came to help Yan State only because of the order of the King of Qin. Please forgive me for refusing."
The people of Yan were deeply moved. The old ministers of Yan who thought that Yan would be destroyed were almost blinded by tears.
The people of the world were also shocked. What kind of noble man is this? The position of Yan Xiang and the fiefdom of a hundred miles could not allow him to enter the government, and he only cared about the King of Qin. Wasn't the King of Qin a tyrant and a notorious ruler
Later, some people said that Cai Ze was a friend of Zhu Xiang. The King of Qin used Handan to exchange Zhu Xiang for Qin. In addition to the ability and benevolence shown by Zhu Xiang in Changping, Cai Ze's lobbying of the King of Qin to save Zhu Xiang also played a certain role.
Later, there were rumors that in order to save his good friend Zhu Xiang, Cai Ze not only lobbied more than one king, but in the end it was the King of Qin who helped him, so he was completely loyal to the King of Qin.
Mr. Cai is so righteous!
"Really?" Li Mu's deputy general asked curiously.
Cai Ze said: "I did persuade many people to save Zhu Xiang, but I didn't go to Qin because of Zhu Xiang. I had already decided to go to Qin when I was in Handan. Only Qin would not look down on me because of my appearance."
There were several tiny scars on Li Mu's cheeks, making him look much older than he was a year ago. "Cai Ze once sought an official position in Handan, but was driven out of the city by the nobles of Zhao."
Cai Ze said, "Zhu Xiang took me in." When he recalled that time, Cai Ze still found it incredible. Even though he was expelled by Zhao State, he was still a scholar, while Zhu Xiang was a commoner. But Zhu Xiang had a charm that made people ignore his background, making him completely forget the difference in status and work as an accountant for a commoner.
When Cai Ze learned that Xia Tong had taken the initiative to work as an accountant in Zhu Xiang's house, he felt a sense of "lost". The dignified Prince Qin really lost his face in order to seek talents. Xia Tong was indeed very suitable to be the king.
Li Mu stared at the wine glass and said in a deep voice: "I didn't expect you to come to help me."
Cai Ze smiled and shook his head: "I am not helping you, it is indeed for Qin. Yan is declining, and other countries want to have a piece of the pie. Yan is not only separated from Qin by Zhao, but Qin is now fully committed to farming and accumulating national strength under the leadership of Zhu Xiang, so it cannot share this pie. Your Majesty naturally cannot let Yan perish."
He took a sip of wine and added, "Besides, the Xiongnu have already seized too much territory in the conflict among the seven nations."
The chaotic times gave the Xiongnu too many opportunities, and many of the Zhou Dynasty's territories were taken away by the Xiongnu. Qin, Zhao, and Yan all built the Great Wall and left a group of elite soldiers to guard the Great Wall for a long time.
But although they would not change the deployment of border troops most of the time, the Warring States Period had entered its final period, and when their royal status was no longer secure, they could no longer take care of the border troops.
When Lian Po was attacking the State of Yan, he communicated with Li Mu and asked Li Mu to pay attention to the movements of the Huns.
Li Mu had already made plans to bear the pressure from the Huns in Yan and Zhao alone, so Cai Ze's arrival really made him feel relieved.
Although he would win even if Cai Ze didn't come, it would be a tough battle and the casualties of the soldiers he led would be much heavier than it is now.
"I am here this time to welcome you to Qin." Cai Ze was not afraid of the many Zhao generals around him and said directly.
Li Mu shook his head: "I will not enter Qin. I will stay here and defend Zhao."
Cai Ze said calmly: "I know. But the King of Zhao will order you to enter Qin."
Li Mu's tone was also calm: "A plot to sow discord?"
Cai Ze said: "The strategy of sowing discord is to widen the gap. If there is no gap, how can there be a strategy of sowing discord? Why don't you go to the King of Qin and tell him that Zhu Xiang wants to rebel?"
Li Mu's lieutenants were not angry at Cai Ze's words. They asked curiously, "What will the King of Qin say? Will the King of Qin say that Duke Zhu Xiang has a noble character and is definitely not someone who would rebel?"
Cai Ze smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying, "No, the King of Qin would pat Zheng'er's head who was sitting on his knees and asked Zheng'er in confusion, "Do you want to be the King of Qin at such a young age?"
The Zhao generals were shocked.
Li Mu was also stunned for a moment, then he put down his wine glass and held the table and laughed: "Indeed, Zheng'er is Zhu Xiang's only descendant. When Zhu Xiang rebelled, he must have supported Zheng'er to become the King of Qin."
Cai Ze said: "You should already know that Prince Zichu is Zhu Xiang's good friend Xia Tong."
Li Mu sighed: "I know, Mr. Lin told me."
When mentioning Lin Gong, Li Mu clenched his fists.
Cai Ze said: "If Zhu Xiang was planning a rebellion, it was probably because Xia Tong was too exhausted from handling government affairs."
Li Mu shook his head and said, "Even so, Zhu Xiang can't possibly rebel. I can't imagine Zhu Xiang rebelling at all. Zheng'er could be a possibility. Is Zheng'er really doing well?"
Cai Ze said, "Why should you worry about him? The first time he saw the King of Qin, he pulled the King of Qin's beard. This child is too bold. Zhu Xiang is particularly good at taking care of the elderly. Not to mention Wu'an Jun and Ying Hou, the King of Qin and the Prince of Qin also often come to Zhu Xiang's house to recuperate. Now there are more elderly people who pamper Zheng'er than in Handan."
Li Mu sighed and said, "I see. Indeed, Zheng'er is very likable."
Cai Ze said: "Your Majesty has used the strategy of alienation, you just wait for the result. If the King of Zhao ignores your strategy, you should take good care of yourself in Zhao, and we will meet on the battlefield next time; if the King of Zhao falls for the strategy of alienation, we will go to Zhu Xiang's house to drink together. Zhu Xiang specifically requested that when you arrive in Qin, you will also go to the north to guard the Great Wall and fight the Huns. You don't have to worry about being hostile to Zhao."
"Thank you for your concern, Zhu Xiang." Li Mu said, "You told me the news in advance, I will not sit and wait for death."
Cai Ze said: "Of course, you can send people to bribe the favorites of King Zhao and ask them to speak well of you in front of King Zhao. If the money you need to ask for help is not enough, I can lend it to you."
Li Mu finally couldn't hold it in anymore and rolled his eyes at Cai Ze.
The other Zhao generals laughed loudly, but perhaps because the northern border was too cold, their laughter had a sense of desolation.
(End of this chapter)