The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 139: The intentions of the princes and the hearts of the nations

The court fell into a brief silence again, with everyone having different thoughts.

Pingyang Jun Zhao Bao thought for a moment and laughed:
"I don't know where Prime Minister Qin got the news. In my opinion, since the person is innocent, how can he pay with his life?

"Although food is just a thing, it can save lives. There is nothing wrong with changing people's affairs. There is nothing wrong with it, hahahaha!"

Lu Buwei's expression became increasingly cold, as if he was displeased by Zhao Bao's rebuttal.

There was a burning sensation in his heart, as if a tiny bolt of lightning was striking from his tailbone all the way to the top of his head, and his whole body was numb and tingling.

He felt even happier at this moment than when he was appointed Prime Minister by the King of Qin.

As a lowly merchant, he used merchant skills to discuss state affairs and the life and death of a country in the Zhao court.

Not only did no one say that he was humble, but they all responded to him using the humble methods of a businessman.

At this moment, Lu Buwei had a more intuitive understanding of the power in his hands and valued his position even more.

He lowered his eyebrows slightly to hide his fiery eyes.

The Prime Minister of Qin State was able to allow him to sit in the court of Zhao State and talk about the tricks of business, and no one dared to look down on him.

But to realize the great cause in his mind, it seems that it is not enough... He should seize more and greater power.

"This time, Chang'an Jun was able to escape from the predicament thanks to Zhao's mediation. On behalf of Qin, I accept Zhao's favor." Lü Buwei's tone softened again: "Since Zhao insists on this, then Qin will take a step back and do this according to what Pingyuan Jun said. Zhao wants 100,000 shi of grain, and Qin will not ask for more. It is enough to be equal to Zhao."

As he spoke, Lu Buwei walked with steady steps to the front of the court officials and sat on the only empty chair.

His chest rose and fell, and it seemed that he was still angry, but he was forced to respond because of Zhao's favor.

Lu Buwei, who had been aggressive since he came in, actually agreed and took a step back on behalf of Qin to show goodwill to Zhao.

The king and his ministers of Zhao were a little surprised. This was very inconsistent with the image of Qin in the past.

The Qin State, a country with a lot of tigers and wolves, used to be unsympathetic and unreasonable.

Zhao Wangdan laughed:
"Prime Minister Qin's words really surprised me.

"Thinking back to the past, King Zhaoxiang of Qin violated the contract and imprisoned King Huai of Chu, causing King Huai of Chu to die in Qin.

"Qin Prime Minister Zhang Yi was not trustworthy. He promised to give Chu 600 li of land, but changed it to 6 li.

"Less than two years after King Zhaoxiang of Qin passed away, the country of tigers and wolves has suddenly become a country of benevolence and righteousness. Can the Prime Minister of Qin tell me why this is the case?"

Among the court officials, General Li Mu stood up.

After he suffered a series of defeats in battles against the Huns on the border of Zhao State and was secretly transferred back to Handan, he usually spent his days either reading military books or studying the military affairs of various countries, especially the neighboring Qin State.

This was because Li Chong, Marquis of Longxi in Qin, was his ancestor and invited him to Qin.

Although his father said it was just a polite remark, Li Mu still kept some thoughts in mind.

Secondly, in Li Mu's view, Yan State has never been a strong enemy of Zhao State, and the one who can destroy Zhao State must be Qin State.

He always regarded the State of Qin as an imaginary enemy.

This fallen general, who had once been in full control of the military and political affairs of the northern border of Zhao State, would have been called a frontier official in later generations. He spoke in a shocking manner:
"Your Majesty, the reason is very simple, the Qin State is simply unbeatable.

"How many armored men does Qin have now? Can they spare 400,000?

"If we bring out 400,000 soldiers, won't Guanzhong be in chaos?"

Before Li Mu finished speaking, King Zhao Dan flew into a rage:
"How dare you! How can you be so rude to a friendly country! Get out!"

"Wait!" Lü Buwei shouted softly, sitting comfortably in his chair, and turned his head to Li Mu, saying, "How can our Qin State not have 400,000 troops? It is clear that it cannot even have 40,000. Judging from your clothes, you look like a military commander. General, are you willing to lead the army to destroy Qin and achieve unprecedented achievements?"

Li Mu sneered, his lips moved slightly, and he was about to respond.

Zhao Wangdan's eyebrows were raised, and he clapped his hands on the armrests of the chair, making a "pa pa" sound:

"Someone, bring Li Mu to me!"

Li Mu chuckled twice, bowed deeply to King Dan of Zhao, and walked out of the court.

After walking out of the temple and seeing the sunshine, he looked at the clear blue sky, full of longing.

General.

Fight on the battlefield, capture cities, and expand territory.

He died at home in depression, what a tragedy.

"Father, will this really work?" He raised his broken arm, smiled bitterly, and murmured in a low voice: "Pingyuan Jun is dead, who can still believe that a disabled person can lead the army to fight?"

Before entering the court, his father Li Ji warned him:

"The king is dissatisfied with Lian Po, and now is your chance.

"Among all the generals in the court, except Lian Po, you are the only one who can be called a great general.

"You must show up before the king and let him remember you!

"Lü Buwei is here today, find an opportunity to offend him using your expertise in military affairs.

“Your Majesty may scold you, but he will feel good about it in his heart.

"Don't be too noble, unless you, a thousand-mile horse, want to die in the stable."

In the front hall of Xin Palace, Lu Buwei watched Li Mu being taken away and memorized the name in his heart.

Then he said with a cold face and suppressed anger:
"During the Battle of Changping, Zhao State ceded six large cities in exchange for Qin State's withdrawal. Is this what the King of Zhao agreed to?

"The King of Zhao did not cede the six cities as agreed, so King Zhaoxiang attacked Zhao again and fought all the way to Handan.

"Although the Battle of Handan was lost by our Qin State, wasn't it the King of Zhao who was responsible? Handan exchanged children for food and cooked with bones. Does the King of Zhao dare to say that he had nothing to do with it?"

When King Dan of Zhao said that the King of Qin was not trustworthy, Lu Buwei said that King Dan of Zhao was also not trustworthy and that he should first destroy his sense of moral superiority.

King Dan of Zhao looked a little unnatural and didn't know what to say for a moment. What Lu Buwei said was indeed true.

Chief Justice Zhou Yu, who was quick-witted, stood up and was about to open his mouth to refute.

Then Lü Buwei continued without pause:
“I brought up this matter today without intending to blame King Zhao.

"I just want to say that more than ten years ago, Qin was not the only country that was unfaithful. How many of the other vassal states kept their word?
"But now, my king is willing to be the first king to keep his word, and Qin is willing to be the first country to follow morality.

“Like father, like father, like father.

"Chang'an Jun was able to become a famous young gentleman at the age of seven, and he adhered to morality. This was the result of my king's personal education.

"The reason why Qin became a benevolent and righteous country is because Qin had a benevolent and righteous king."

The old foxes from the State of Zhao who originally had different thoughts in the hall could no longer hold back and their expressions began to change.

Qin State, benevolence and righteousness.

Can these two words appear at the same time?

How can the barbarians in the west understand civilization?

How can a country of tigers and wolves understand morality?

The Zhao court officials looked at each other.

They would glance at Qin Prime Minister Lu Buwei who was sitting in the front row, with a sarcastic smile on their faces.

Zhao Wangdan was also laughing, laughing loudly, looking extremely happy.

"Hahaha, good! Great!" He clapped his hands. "So that's how it is. Prime Minister Qin's words have opened my eyes. The King of Qin once lived in Handan for a long time, and I have seen him often. He is indeed a kind and righteous man, just as you said."

Lu Buwei bowed slightly and expressed his gratitude.

He wanted to restore the image of Qin in the world with his own efforts.

Let the princes and countries know that Qin is no longer the treacherous Qin! Tyranny can only bring killing, and the kingly way can bring submission!

King Dan of Zhao smiled and nodded at Qin Prime Minister Lu Buwei in response.

Then he looked at the fake prime minister of Yan State, Jiang Qu, who had not spoken for a long time, and his smile faded:

"Prime Minister Yan should set out now and go back to Yan to prepare 200,000 shi of grain.

"My Zhao State has saved the life of Prime Minister Yan. I hope that Prime Minister Yan can remember this kindness like Prime Minister Qin did."

The fake prime minister of Yan State kept him silent.

Just now, Lu Buwei said in front of him that he wanted him to die, but he did not dare to interrupt Lu Buwei.

This is the tragedy of a small country.

Even he, a high-ranking and prestigious prime minister of the State of Yan, had no control over his life and death. His life was used as a bargaining chip and was at the mercy of the Qin and Zhao states.

Jiang Qu knew very well what Qin wanted.

The king has already executed the Prince of Changguo, and promoting him to a higher position cannot immediately eliminate the bad influence. As a result, the loyal ministers of Yan State are silent, and the court is full of flattering words.

But this is a good direction.

The longer he lets Qu sit on the prime minister's throne, the more people will speak up.

But if the King of Yan put all the blame on him and killed him, then everything would be irreversible.

The consequence of offering advice to the King of Yan was to be held accountable and sentenced to death.

Who else in Yan State dares to speak out?
If it is the first time to do this kind of thing, you still have some sense of judgment, but you can say that you have no choice.

But this is not the first time, it is the second time.

The letter to Lejian was the first one.

Qin State was thinking that by using his death, the Yan ministers would be silenced and the Yan King's dignity would be destroyed, and Yan State would become even weaker.

What about Zhao State?
The State of Zhao wanted to restore its population and quickly regain its strength.

His killing of Qu was beneficial to the State of Zhao, but the benefit was not great because the State of Yan still had its fighting power.

The State of Zhao is now unable to wage a war as it has no food and no people.

What Zhao State needed most was recuperation, and food was the most important item for recuperation.

But if Zhao is short of food, does that mean Yan is not short of food as well?
How could the people of Yan survive if they gave away 200,000 shi of grain? Yan State immediately became weak.

When the time comes and Yan is weakened and Zhao is strong, will the Zhao army eat Yan's food to destroy Yan?

Will the other nations that are eyeing the State of Yan take this opportunity to divide it up?

It is certain that he will do so, as can be seen from the attitudes of other countries towards Yan this time.

The State of Qin was far away from the State of Yan and there was no border between them.

As long as Qin did not swallow up Yan, all the other countries would be happy to see Yan weaken.

To be precise, except for their own country, all other countries hope that they are as weak as possible.

Prince Chengjiao was known for his virtue.

But is this reputation so useful that it can make the King of Chu and the King of Wei declare war on him?
Are all the princes gentlemen suddenly?
Are all nations suddenly talking about morality?
I won't believe it.

It was just a coincidence and a push. The Yan people imprisoned in Zhao knew the false situation clearly.

A weak Yan would be beneficial to other countries, especially Zhao and Wei.

The State of Qin does not border the State of Yan.

As the State of Yan declined, its two neighbors, Zhao and Wei, were most likely to swallow it up.

Now that there is a legitimate reason to weaken Yan, why not declare war on Yan? It will be beneficial.

Can weaken the swallow.

It can also show the country's attitude towards wise men to scholars all over the world and recruit talented people.

As for the disadvantages, does it mean helping the Qin State rescue Prince Chengjiao?
Haha, just a seven-year-old kid, what’s the big deal?
People spend a fortune on horse bones not just for the bones, but for the thousand-mile horse that will be attracted later.

The horse bones of Master Chengjiao are nothing special. Who cares?

The princes were eager to gain a reputation for their virtue, and even the weak Yan State was so active, let alone actually dividing up the Yan State.

Moreover, today Qin wants 100,000 shi, and Zhao wants 100,000 shi.

What if Chu and Wei, which also declared war on Yan, demanded another 100,000 shi in the future?

In the front hall of Xin Palace, King Dan of Zhao could not help but frown as he had not received a response from General Qu.

[If it weren't for the State of Zhao, how could you survive?]
[Why don't you hurry up and go back to collect and deliver food to me out of gratitude, and pretend to be dead?]
Zhao Wangdan glanced at his uncle.

Pingyang Lord Zhao Bao got the signal, smiled and left his chair, walked to Jiang Qu, and called out with a smile:
"Prime Minister Yan? Prime Minister Yan?"

Yan Guo's fake prime minister Jiang Qu looked calm, raised his head and nodded:

"Pingyang Jun."

"What are you thinking about, Prime Minister Yan? Is it difficult to deal with these 200,000 dan of grain?" Zhao Bao leaned closer and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear: "Prime Minister Yan, I have no choice. If you don't have so much grain, Qin will want your life! Isn't Prime Minister Yan's life worth 200,000 dan of grain?"

Pingyang Jun Zhao Bao felt relieved when he recalled the life-saving grace.

In his opinion, the matter has been settled. Jiang Qu must be unhappy, but he will eventually compromise for the sake of his own life.

Keep silent and ask yourself:
[Is my life worth two hundred thousand shi of grain?]
In an instant, he had the answer.

[not worth.]
[It's not worth even one hundred thousand.]
[Not even fifty thousand is worth it.]
The acting prime minister of Yan State straightened his back, ignored Zhao Bao, turned his head and looked at Lu Buwei who was sitting in the chair with a calm expression, and shouted:
"Prime Minister Qin! I have a question! I hope you can answer it!"

Lu Buwei looked over with a very unhappy expression.

"I have nothing to say to you, the thief who harmed Lord Chang'an!"

King Dan of Zhao, Lord Pingyang Zhao Bao, Court Justice Zhou Yu, Prime Minister Lian Po... most of the civil and military officials of Zhao State in the court had some unusual thoughts in their hearts.

Lu Buwei is about to kill you, but you still call him Prime Minister of Qin and are so nice to him?

Not only was Jiang Qu not angry, he even laughed.

He continued to flatter the cold shoulder, speaking clearly and forcefully, with a hint of respect:
"He dared to ask Prime Minister Qin whether the matter would be settled if he died.

"Qin will not attack Yan again and ask Yan for 100,000 shi of grain, right?

"Prime Minister Qin said before that Qin is a benevolent and righteous country. Is that still true? Will you not take advantage of Yan?"

Many of the ministers in the hall looked surprised, and King Dan of Zhao suddenly sat up and wanted to speak.

But Lü Buwei was always interrupted by a certain young man, and since he had experience in interrupting others, he answered quickly:

“I, Lü Buwei, am a businessman, pursuing profit, but the Qin State is not.

"What do you think of my Qin? Do you think my Qin attacked Yan just to gain profit?
"You are wrong! You underestimate the Qin State!

"My king attacked Yan just to save his son! And I am standing here on behalf of Qin for the sake of fairness!
"If you die, the King of Yan will restore the reputation of Lejian and Chang'an Jun, and the matter with Qin will be settled!
"This is a promise made by me, Lu Buwei, the Prime Minister of Qin!"

Jiang Qu laughed heartily, feeling extremely pleased:
"Hahaha! I believe in Prime Minister Qin! I believe in the Qin State!

"Human affairs should be replaced by human beings! How can my life be worth two hundred thousand stones?
"Is there any human life in the world that is so precious? He will be killed!"

After saying that, he ran headfirst into the pillars in the hall...

(End of this chapter)