All the cotton had been processed, and the King of Qin issued an edict to reward Lin Zhi, who presented the seeds, and Zhu Xiang, who cultivated the cotton. He also rewarded the Mohist farmers. Many people from the Mohist and farming families were given titles, and the status of the two families in Qin was finally stabilized.
They wanted to give the position of leader to Zhu Xiang, but Zhu Xiang shook his head.
"I don't want to be bound by constraints." Zhu Xiang half-jokingly said, "Look, I am a disciple of Xunzi, and I am not even a Confucianist... Ouch!"
Xunzi hit Zhu Xiang hard on the head.
Ying Xiaozheng looked up at his uncle's head, wondering if his uncle's head would become harder than a shield if he continued to train like this.
After Zhu Xiang said so, the two families had no choice but to give up.
After the cotton harvest, Zhu Xiang had a short period of free time.
At this time, he loved to go hiking and pick some strange plants on the mountain.
When he reached the top of the mountain, Zhu Xiang would always sit on a rock facing east for a while, staring into the distance in a daze, not knowing what he was thinking.
When the weather was good, Ying Xiaozheng would also go hiking with Zhu Xiang to exercise.
The heavy little fat boy sat in Zhu Xiang's arms and asked curiously what his uncle was looking at.
Zhu Xiang smiled and said, "I didn't see anything."
Ying Xiaozheng asked, "What is your uncle thinking about? Is he worried about Mr. Lian and Uncle Li in Zhao?"
Now that Ying Xiaozheng has more teachers, he calls Li Mu uncle instead of teacher.
However, when they meet, the sweet-mouthed little fat boy will still throw himself into Uncle Li’s arms and say obediently, "Teacher, Zheng'er misses you."
Shamelessly flirting with talented people is a natural talent of all wise kings. Besides, he is still young and doesn't need shamelessness.
Zhu Xiang touched Ying Xiaozheng's head and said, "A little bit."
Ying Xiaozheng frowned and said, "Uncle, I have been thinking about it for a long time and I still can't figure out why you asked Uncle Cai to tell Uncle Lian and Uncle Li first. Is your uncle going to use a strategy of alienation?"
Ying Xiaozheng is a child who likes to think independently. After learning about this, he thought about it for a long time.
Was it just that my uncle didn't want to upset Mr. Lian and Uncle Li? But not only did my uncle agree, he also praised it highly. There must be something he couldn't figure out.
Ying Xiaozheng originally wanted to wait until he had a dream and ask his other self, who had become Qin Shi Huang, to help him think about it. But he changed his mind and thought, since he couldn't find the correct answer anyway, would it be any different from his uncle telling him directly? It would be better to ask his uncle.
Zhu Xiang smiled and said, "My target is not just them."
He told Ying Xiaozheng in detail about his conspiracy which could be described as an open conspiracy.
After Lian Po and Li Mu learned all this, along with their "self-rescue", people in Zhao State who were familiar with them must have also known about it.
Birds of a feather flock together, and those who were familiar with Lian Po and Li Mu were considered capable officials in Zhao State. This was not only a way for Lian Po and Li Mu to save themselves, but also a test for Zhao State and King Zhao.
"If Lian Gong and Li Mu went to Qin just to sow discord, then they would say that most of the mistakes were made by Qin." Zhu Xiang laughed, "If Lian Gong and Li Mu went to Qin when Qin had made everything clear, then their disappointment in Zhao would outweigh their hatred for Qin."
Although Qin and Zhao fought many times and suffered countless casualties on both sides, in this chaotic era, the deaths in "ordinary" wars would not become hatred between the two countries.
Ying Xiaozheng, with his back against Zhu Xiang, raised his little face and looked at his uncle's smiling face.
Mr. Lian and Uncle Li will be disappointed with the State of Zhao, and the Zhao scholars who admire them will also be disappointed with the State of Zhao. The framework left by King Huiwen of Zhao for the State of Zhao will collapse completely, causing the State of Zhao to quickly weaken from within, right
"Uncle is so awesome." Ying Xiaozheng said while hugging Zhu Xiang's arm.
Zhu Xiang kept smiling: "Yeah."
He raised his head again and continued to look towards the east.
Ying Xiaozheng also followed his uncle's gaze and looked towards the east.
He wanted to ask, if his uncle was just "a little worried" about Mr. Lian and Uncle Li, then was there any other reason why his uncle was looking towards the east
But he didn't know why he didn't want to ask.
He just wanted to nestle quietly in his uncle's arms and watch the clouds rolling in the sky and the rosy clouds filling the sky with his uncle.
"Zheng'er, it's time to go down the mountain."
"Uncle, carry me!"
"Oh, okay."
While he was still able to carry the fat boy, Zhu Xiang let Ying Xiaozheng sit on his neck and slowly walked down the mountain with the help of a wooden stick.
After returning home, Zichu mocked Zhu Xiang, saying that Zhu Xiang's strong body was the result of carrying Zheng'er's weight.
Zhu Xiang immediately carried Ying Xiaozheng to sit on Zichu's shoulders and said, "You are right, so now you can carry Zheng'er on your shoulders every day to exercise. In time, you will be as strong as me."
After saying that, he rolled up his sleeves and showed off his beautiful arm muscles.
Lin Zhi, who was gnawing on a boiled chicken, put down the chicken wings, wiped his hands on his clothes, and rolled up his sleeves to show off his beautiful arm muscles.
Zichu: “…”
Ying Xiaozheng held his father's head and laughed like a hen.
"Pingyuan Jun and Pingyang Jun are both under house arrest." Lian Yuan reported.
Lian Po wiped the dust off his armor and asked, "Has the Qin envoy entered Zhao? Who is it?"
Lian Yuan said: "Yes. The envoy is Lou Huan."
Lian Po paused and smiled bitterly: "Lou Huan can really survive."
Lou Huan was an important official during the reign of King Wuling of Zhao. He actually survived until the death of his benefactor, King Huiwen of Zhao.
Lian Po knew that after Lou Huan learned that King Wuling of Zhao had starved to death, he had cursed the person in charge that he would have the same miserable end as his master.
Originally, Lian Po thought that Lou Huan was talking about Gongzi Cheng and Li Dui. Now it seems that the people Lou Huan cursed also include his lord
"The Lou family has always believed that what Lou Huan did was also for the benefit of the Lou family, and that he was just colluding with them from the inside out. But Lou Huan probably simply hates the lord and his bloodline." Lian Po couldn't see this clearly at first, but now he didn't want to fight anymore. His passion cooled, and suddenly his mind became better about government affairs.
Lin Xiangru's face appeared in his mind. Seeing himself now, would Lin Xiangru finally feel relieved or sad for himself
Lin Xiangru has already been buried. Who knows what he would think
"Lord Father, are we going to enter Handan?" Lian Yuan asked.
Lian Po laughed: "After entering, will I be arrested for treason by the Zhao royal family who are waiting for me? Even if I am not afraid of death, what will happen if I go? I am afraid I can't even get close to Handan City."
Although Lian Po became Lord Xinping, not only was he stripped of his military power, but his retainers also dispersed just like they had done when he was stripped of his military power during the Battle of Changping.
Although he was now a lord, any discerning person could see that his career in politics was over, so naturally his followers left again.
Lian Po has always been aware of his own character. After his sons got married, they lived away from home for most of the year. He almost separated from his children, and even his family members didn't want to get along with him.
He was the only junior like Zhu Xiang who persisted in bringing medicine and nagging even though he was hit on the head and scolded by him.
But even if his family disliked Lian Po, if Lian Po rebelled, his family would be implicated.
Lian Po abandoned his military power and fled to a foreign country, and his family would be fine. The monarchs and nobles of various countries had a tacit understanding not to harm their families. But treason is not necessarily the case, even if you are accused of treason.
Lian Yuan also didn't want his master to go to Handan and risk the whole family being exterminated.
For the sake of Zhao State, the Lord Father even ruined his own reputation. Does he have to sell his life to the incompetent King Zhao in order to repay the kindness of the previous monarch
Since Duke Xiang of Zhu was in Qin and Prince Zheng was also in Qin, the Lord Father would definitely live well if he went to Qin even if there was no war.
He missed the time when he lived with Lord Father and Duke Lin in Duke Xiang of Zhu's house.
"Cai Ze said it was an open conspiracy, and it really was an open conspiracy." Lian Po sighed, "Now I only know that Lord Pingyuan and Lord Pingyang are under house arrest. I don't know whether it is an order from the King of Zhao or the Zhao royal family. I dare not act on my own and can only passively wait for the King of Zhao's order. But Lord Pingyuan and Lord Pingyang are both under house arrest, so the result is almost certain."
He put down his armor, stood up and stretched his body, and said with a disheartened look: "Pack your luggage and prepare to enter Qin."
"Yes!" Lian Yuan couldn't hide his excitement.
Looking at Lian Yuan's running and jumping figure, and the other servants who suddenly became cheerful, Lian Po's mouth twitched, and he almost couldn't hold back the disheartened look on his face.
Am I the only one who doesn't want to leave Zhao State? !
Li Mu was drinking when Lian Po ordered his servants to pack his luggage.
He drank jar after jar of wine. His family members were all outside the door and did not dare to come in to persuade him.
Li Mu's news about Handan was later than Lian Po's. Cai Ze made use of Qin's intelligence channels to promptly inform Li Mu that Pingyuan Jun and Pingyang Jun were under house arrest and that Handan City was joyfully welcoming the Qin envoys.
For the first time, Li Mu had the urge to pick up his sword and chop Cai Ze.
Although this ban was just empty talk for the generals, Li Mu always set an example by himself. Except for celebrating victory and boosting morale, he never drank in the barracks.
Now, as he poured jar after jar of wine into his stomach, he discovered sadly that he had such a good alcohol tolerance that even after drinking too much, he was still conscious.
"Zhu Xiang, Zhu Xiang, you were sold out by the State of Zhao. Do you want me and Lord Lian to go through your pain again
All the wine Li Mu drank turned into tears, and he couldn't stop.
"No, how can this be said to be your fault? You just told Lian Gong and I that if we continued to stay in Zhao State, we would either be sold out or killed by Zhao State. You are not harming us, you are just afraid that we will be harmed..."
Li Mu cried helplessly like a child.
On the battlefield with the Huns, no matter how many difficulties and dangers he encountered, or how many injuries he suffered, he never felt helpless.
He really hoped that Cai Ze was deceiving him. But when he first saw the news from Cai Ze, he knew that even if Cai Ze was hiding something, it must be something that would not cause him more trouble.
In another time and space, Li Mu was not only a general, but also a prime minister. He was not only good at fighting, but also quite successful in government affairs.
In this time and space, he was on good terms with Zhu Xiang and Cai Ze, and was taught by Lian Po, Lin Xiangru, and Xunzi, making him smarter and more perceptive than his own age in another time and space. So he guessed what Cai Ze was hiding.
It's just some trivial matters of Zhao royal family fighting for power.
That group of people probably thought that Duke Lian, who had made great contributions, and themselves blocked their way to divide the power of Zhao when Zhao was weak.
The weakening of Zhao would not only provide opportunities for other countries to divide Zhao, but also provide opportunities for the royal family and nobles within Zhao, just like when the three families divided Jin and the Tian family replaced Qi.
Li Mu could even imagine their faces and the words they spoke.
The royal family might think that as long as they can become the King of Zhao, it doesn’t matter if the land of Zhao is smaller; other nobles might think that the Zhao family became the King of Zhao because the three families divided Jin, so why can’t Zhao be divided by two, three, or four more families so that they can also be kings
It didn't matter what happened to Zhao State, and the common people were as lowly as ants. Whether it was himself who stopped the Xiongnu from wreaking havoc, or Duke Lian who robbed the Yan people to divert the famine in Zhao State, in their eyes, they were just stumbling blocks that prevented them from gaining more power and higher status.
If it weren't for Zhu Xiang's incident, he might have still been lucky enough to think that the State of Zhao would not be so stupid.
But he was a friend of Zhu Xiang, who had been abandoned by the State of Zhao and almost killed by the King of Zhao after making great contributions. Now that he had reached Zhu Xiang's same point, was he just going to sit there and wait for death
Li Mu drank the last drop of wine and did not ask the servant to bring him any more wine.
He sat on the ground, holding his head in his hands and sobbing.
Li Mu's father had died in battle in the northern border of Zhao State, and many of Li Mu's elders and relatives had died in the northern border of the Warring States Period.
His mother is still alive, but her body has become excessively aged due to the harsh environment in the northern border.
Leaning on a cane, Li's mother staggered behind her son who was crying with his head in his hands.
She put down her crutches, squatted down with difficulty, and held her strong son in her skinny arms.
"Mu'er, let's go to Qin." Li's mother said, "Our family has been fighting the Xiongnu for generations. It doesn't make any difference if we go to Qin to fight the Xiongnu."
Li Mu choked up and said, "But..."
Li's mother said, "No buts. Mother and the Li family have agreed that those who want to stay can stay, and this will also leave some roots for the Li family. Those who want to go to Qin can go with you, and mother will go with you."
Li Mu turned to look at his mother in disbelief.
Mother Li smiled and said, "Although I am old, I can still travel far. I have never left Yanmen County in my life, and I want to see more distant places. And I also want to see Zhu Xiang and Zheng Er, whom you mentioned. Mu Er, just accompany me to Qin, okay?"
Mother Li released her embrace, and Li Mu stumbled and crawled around, kowtowed to his mother, and choked with sobs: "Yes, mother."
Mother Li rubbed her son's hair, with fear, guilt, determination and relief in her eyes.
Before his death, his beloved had asked him to assist and educate Li Mu well, so that Li Mu could continue to perform his duties loyally for the State of Zhao on his behalf.
But she was selfish.
The general might die on the battlefield, but she couldn't bear to see her son die in a dirty conspiracy.
Although the Li family was a military family, they could not marry a woman with a good family background because of the hardship in Yanmen County. Although Li's mother was the daughter of a scholar, she farmed and wove herself, and her conditions were not much better than those of common people with land.
Perhaps it was because Li's mother was not very knowledgeable and had little knowledge. Zhu Xiang was the first great sage Li's mother knew who would die to save the common people. So Li's mother went against her husband's last wish and hoped that her son would accept Zhu Xiang's invitation to go to Qin.
Child, come to Qin, come to Qin. Even Duke Xiang of Qin is in Qin.
(End of this chapter)