The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 123: Strong and Cowardly, the Zhao Army Arrives at Ji, the King of Yan Invites

The blood spurted five feet high, and some of it splashed onto Ju Wu's pants and shoes.

Ju Wu remained calm, but felt a little sad.

As early as when he heard the guard's report, he had anticipated that something bad would happen, so he brought the guard into the palace to divert the trouble.

"This is Yan State! Does he think he is still Qin State?" King Xi of Yan roared, "I am the King of Yan! King of Yan! Do I have to go and ask someone in person if I want to see him in my own country? Ah!"

In the palace of Prince Yan, there was a sound of shattering.

The bodies of several eunuchs and palace maids were carried out of the palace and thrown into the mountains and forests not far from Jidu.

The body was exposed in the wilderness and fed to wild beasts.

The post house was the courtyard where the Zhao envoys lived.

Ying Chengjiao was soaked in the bathtub, feeling extremely tired.

The water in the bathtub was slightly turbid, and it contained a lot of medicinal herbs that helped Ying Chengjiao recover quickly.

The steam was rising, and the boy scooped up some water and splashed it on the teacher.

"Master Bai is sweating a lot too, come down and take a bath with me?"

The girl dodged the splash.

She was used to her apprentice's flirtatious talk, but she didn't blush or feel nervous. She just made a "Puh" sound and spoke out the doubts in her mind.

"No matter what, the King of Yan is still the king of a country.

"Since you want to meet him, why are you so tough?

"Won't this make it hard to talk when we meet?"

It's too cold.

Ying Chengjiao got his whole body into the tub, leaving only his small head outside, and explained:
"Because Wang Xi of Yan seems strong, but he is actually very cowardly.

"If I hadn't been more assertive when I was right, I would have overpowered him.

"When we meet, he won't talk properly."

Bai Wuxia looked suspicious.

She had learned and remembered the principle of analyzing people first and then using strategies.

but……

“Yan State is located in the northeast of the bitter sea, while our country is located in the extreme west, and the two countries are the farthest apart.

"This is your first time in Yan State. You have never been out of Qin State before, right? How do you judge the character of King Xi of Yan?"

Ying Chengjiao smiled mysteriously.

"analyze."

[It is written in the book.]
[Anyone who cuts off his own son's head and offers it to his enemy in order to seek reconciliation is either a ruthless person or a coward.]
The girl clicked her tongue and shook her head with an expression very similar to that of Ying Chengjiao.

"According to the Yan calendar, this is the fourth year since King Xi of Yan ascended the throne.

“In the past four years, the King of Yan has not done anything major except mobilizing 600,000 troops to attack Zhao.

“I can understand why you say King Yan is so strong.

"I want to know how you figured out that King Yan is a coward."

The young man coughed twice to clear his throat.

"Since you asked sincerely, I will teach you.

“Very few people can change their environment, but most people are controlled by their environment.

"It doesn't matter if we don't know the King of Yan. As long as we know Yan, we can infer its king from the country's history, environment, and customs."

The girl thought what the young apprentice said was outrageous, but having experienced many outrageous things along the way, she kept her mouth shut and chose to listen first.

Sit up straight and keep listening.

"The country of Yan, although located in a remote area, its ancestors were very noble.

"The Ji clan was the first group of princes enfeoffed by King Wu of Zhou.

"Because of the glory of their ancestors, the kings of Yan in successive generations were not very capable, but they were very arrogant.

“Not strength but bloodline is the biggest problem of Yan State.

"Qin State also had this problem, but it was solved after Shang Yang's reforms and Duke Xiao's order to recruit talented people.

"When was the problem solved in Yan? After the destruction of the country.

"King Kuai of Yan is a typical example of someone who pretends to be powerful even though he has no ability.

"During his reign, in order to seek fame, this idiot actually abdicated the throne to Xiangbang Zizhi."

"What?" Bai Wuxia couldn't help but suspect that his disciple had said something wrong: "Abdication?"

"Abdication." Ying Chengjiao nodded affirmatively.

The girl opened her mouth slightly, which was very cute.

Why do the words "abdication" appear in this era?

Shouldn't this be something from ancient times?
She had the illusion of traveling through time and space, as if she had returned to the time of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.

Moreover, even in ancient times, the words "abdication" were questionable.

The historical records of Qi and Lu recorded that the Five Emperors abdicated, while the historical records of Jin and Wei recorded that they attacked. (Note 1)
"Is this a true gentleman? For the sake of the country, he can even give up the throne..." The girl came back to her senses and looked at the boy, saying this deliberately.

The boy sneered.

“No, he’s an idiot.

"Su Dai is Su Qin's younger brother, good at lobbying, and a close friend of Prime Minister Zizhi.

"He told King Kuai of Yan that he wanted to stage a show of abdication to gain prestige, but Prime Minister Zizhi would not agree.

"King Kuai of Yan actually believed it.

"After this idiot proposed to abdicate, the Xiangbang Zizhi, who he regarded as loyal, immediately agreed."

The girl laughed dryly and muttered to herself.

[If it were me, I would agree too. How could there be such a stupid person...]
The young man sat in the water and continued:

"King Kuai of Yan lost his throne due to his own stupidity, and Zizhi succeeded him as king.

"Prince Zizhi of Yan has been in control of government for three years. The people are living in poverty, the country is in decline, and the people are extremely resentful.

"Prince Ping of Yan wanted to take back the government, but he had no military power.

“Prince Ping of Yan contacted Jiang Junshi and the two formed an alliance.

"King Xuan of Qi learned the news and immediately sent someone to tell Prince Ping that Qi strongly supports you.

"With the support of Qi, Prince Ping of Yan declared war on Prince Zhi of Yan to restore order. However, King Xuan of Qi only gave moral support, which was in fact equivalent to nothing.

"Prince Ping of Yan only has the military strength of General Shibei.

"On the battlefield, we encountered the Yan army led by Prince Zizhi of Yan, fought, were badly defeated, and surrendered.

"In order to save his life, Jiangjunshi led his soldiers to defect on the battlefield.

"Yan Prince Zhi took the opportunity to counterattack, not only annihilating the rebellious army, but also killing Yan Crown Prince Ping and General Shi Bei.

“This war is called the Zizhi Rebellion.

"Zizhi's rebellion affected the entire territory of Yan State, bringing unprecedented disaster to the people of Yan State. The internal strife in the palace turned into a national disaster. The entire Yan State was in a state of war, with wars everywhere.

"The war lasted for several months, and tens of thousands of Yan people died in the war.

"At this time, our country and South Korea are at war on the coast.

"King Xuan of Qi was originally planning to help Han attack our country, but was stopped by Qi's Prime Minister Tian Ji.

“Tian Ji suggested taking advantage of the civil unrest in Yan to launch a war against Yan.

“The reason is that civil unrest in Yan is a rare opportunity, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"After occupying Yan, Qi's territory expanded greatly, and it formed a confrontation with the princes in the Central Plains.

"Looking down on the Three Jins, clamping down on our country.

"Moreover, Qi's attack on Yan this time was in the name of suppressing a rebellion, so it was a just war.

"King Xuan of Qi agreed, and sent the famous general Kuang Zhang to attack Yan, arguing that the King of Yan was incompetent and the Prime Minister was unjust, and that he was standing up for the people of Yan.

“When the Qi army arrived, there were no Yan troops to stop them along the way.

"The soldiers and civilians of Yan, who had been suffering for a long time, did not fight, and the people did not go out. Instead, they privately welcomed the arrival of the Qi army.

"In less than fifty days, Kuang Zhang's army swept across the entire territory of Yan State and killed King Kuai of Former Yan and Prince Zhi of Yan.

"A war that is morally just is that simple. He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world. If you go to war in the future, remember to have a legitimate reason."

Facing the boy's teaching, the girl shook her head. "Grandfather said that most wars are unjust wars. How can there be so many just wars?"

"Then create an environment of justice and find reasons for justice." The boy replied quickly.

The girl smiled slightly and didn't care.

She knew very well that the boy's understanding of military affairs had always been so naive.

"You continue to say that it is the State of Yan."

Ying Chengjiao sighed inwardly, feeling a little regretful, but he quickly calmed down.

With his current qualifications and age.

It is normal for a girl who has been learning military tactics from Bai Qi to disagree with his military philosophy.

He also smiled slightly.

“Time will tell.

"The State of Yan was destroyed, and the just war of the Qi army came to an end.

"But soon, the Qi army went from being welcomed by the Yan people to being hated by the Yan people.

"Kuang Zhang was a very strong general, but he was not good at governing, and he did not control the behavior of the Qi army.

"Qi soldiers burned, killed, looted and committed all kinds of atrocities in Yan State, which quickly triggered a strong resistance from the Yan people."

Bai Wuxia heard this, but didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

That’s what leadership is all about.

On the battlefield, between life and death, everyone is under great pressure.

After the city is captured, if the soldiers are not allowed to vent their stress, this stress may lead to a mutiny.

Even my great father Bai Qi would let his soldiers run wild after conquering a city.

She automatically skipped this paragraph and listened to the rest of her little disciple's reasons.

"On the other hand, facing the fact that Qi quickly destroyed Yan, all the other countries were afraid that Qi would become too powerful, which would be disadvantageous to them.

"The nations are planning to form an alliance to attack Qi.

"Under this situation of internal and external pressure, King Xuan of Qi had no choice but to withdraw his troops.

"With the help of Zhao, Yan State sent Prince Zhi of Yan, who was in Han State, to Yan State and made him the king. This was King Zhao of Yan.

"King Zhao of Yan was a rare king who turned the world around single-handedly. He was one of the very few people I mentioned who could change the environment.

“He broke the prejudice of his origin from the State of Yan, treated the wise man Guo Wei as a teacher, and visited him personally.

"According to Guo Kui's suggestion, a golden platform was built in the southeast of Yishui River to attract talented people from all over the world.

"Through Guo Kui's demonstration effect, a group of talented people such as Yue Yi and Zou Yan were attracted to join the State of Yan.

"Later, Le Yi led the army and the five kingdoms attacked Qi. You are more familiar with this kind of war than I am.

“If King Zhao of Yan could live two more years, Yan might have become the hegemon of the world.

“It’s a pity that he died too early.

"After his death, the successor King Hui of Yan became suspicious of Le Yi, causing this famous general to defect to the State of Zhao.

"What do you call this? This is called cowardice.

“He lacks the magnanimity of King Zhao of Yan and is afraid of his own generals.

"You are also familiar with Tian Dan's fire bull formation to restore the country.

“What I want to tell you is that King Hui of Yan, who had driven Le Yi away, actually had the nerve to write a letter to Le Yi to blame him.

"He said that Le Yi should not forget the kindness of King Zhao of Yan and fled back to Zhao, blaming the defeat on Le Yi.

"This is the strength of King Hui of Yan."

The girl was indignant and raised her fist:

"This is called being strong, this is called shameless!"

The girl dreams of becoming a famous general and is deeply moved by the experience of the famous general Yue Yi.

The boy shrugged.

Feeling that the water was a little cold, he asked the girl to add some hot water into the bathtub.

After the girl had licked him, he breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile:
“The successor of a wise ruler is not necessarily a foolish ruler, but the successors of a foolish ruler are mostly foolish rulers.

“This is because when a monarch appoints a crown prince, he usually follows his own standards.

“It is not easy to be a virtuous person, and it is even harder to keep one’s original heart.

"King Hui of Yan is not like King Zhao of Yan.

"King Hui of Yan's successor, King Wucheng of Yan, was just like his father, strong yet timid.

"The later King Xiao of Yan and the current King Xi of Yan are the same.

“I’ll tell you two things and you’ll understand.

“In the Battle of Changping and the Battle of Handan, the main force of Zhao State was fighting against our country.

“Yan State took advantage of Zhao State’s weakness and launched two surprise attacks, seizing two cities.

"Why has Zhao State recovered so slowly over the years? The biggest reason is that Yan State has been harassing us.

“As the Prince of Qin, I have to thank the King of Yan.

"If the King of Yan had not been exhausting Zhao, now that Zhao's national strength has recovered, we would be the ones having a headache.

“But from the perspective of the State of Yan, these generations of Kings of Yan are simply extremely stupid.

"Tired Zhao.

"If Zhao is defeated, Yan will face our Qin directly. Can he stop it?

"Zhao State is the Great Wall of Yan State, but the King of Yan thinks the Great Wall is too strong.

"When it was time to destroy Qi to strengthen the country, they didn't. When it was time to attack Zhao and destroy the Great Wall, they kept attacking Zhao.

“Queen Zhao of Yan, the heads of the Yan kings of these generations seem to have frozen and become stupid. They always choose the worst option every time.

"Could it be that there is such a thing as luck, and King Zhao of Yan alone possessed all of Yan's luck?

"The geographical environment of Yan State is already poor, and the king is even worse.

"The stupidity of the King of Yan is different from that of the King of Zhao.

"Although King Dan of Zhao did some stupid things, his general choices were correct. The victory of Changping meant the prosperity of Zhao, and the Battle of Handan was also bloody and heroic.

“The King of Zhao was indeed incompetent, but he had always been strengthening Zhao and always wanted Zhao to become a better country.

“King Yan, it’s hard for you to understand what he is doing. Everything he does is to weaken Yan.

“For example, if 600,000 soldiers attack Zhao, what does it matter even if they win?
"If Qi destroys Yan, and Kuang Zhang can control the Qi army, Qi's national strength will be enough to absorb Yan's territory.

"But Yan State has become weaker and weaker over the years. How can it have the strength to swallow up Zhao State's territory? Especially since the people of Zhao are the most brave.

“Even if he manages to occupy Zhao territory by chance, he will have to face our country directly next.

"Duke Biao, Duke Meng, and Duke Wang were overjoyed, as this was all military merit.

“Just wait and see.

"Affected by the environment, the strong yet cowardly King Xi of Yan was the king who brought about the fall of Yan.

"He must be too embarrassed to come to me now.

“But the more he couldn’t let go, the more he lost, the more I wanted.

"I've said it before, I'm waiting for the soldiers, he's waiting to die."

Bai Wuxia was stunned after hearing this.

The prosperous State of Yan is gone just like that?
Haven't even met Prince Xi of Yan yet, but you're already concluding that he's the king who will bring about the fall of his country?
She pulled the boy out of the bathtub and wiped the water droplets off his body with the animal skin provided by Yan State.

"Okay, okay, I'll wait and see.

“Before Yan is destroyed, practice martial arts twice as hard.

"This is the price you pay for your exaggeration."

Ying Chengjiao's spirit was gone, and he said helplessly:
"You don't have martial ethics either."

On the sixth day, no one from the palace came to the posthouse, and King Xi of Yan was not summoned again.

On the seventh day, the Zhao army arrived at the city of Ji.

King Xi of Yan first climbed up the city tower and then entered the posthouse.

[Note 1: This is not fabricated. If you are interested, you can search the Wei Dynasty history book "Bamboo Annals", which says that Emperor Shun exiled Emperor Yao to Pingyang.]

(End of this chapter)