The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 202: Ying Ziji defeated Diyi... He prayed to the gods, but the only person who responded was himself thirty years ago

"How dare you mention Qi? Qi is the Qi of the Qi people, not the Qi of you, Tian Dan alone!" Ying Chengjiao threw the tablet of God at Tian Dan's feet.

He walked quickly to Tian Dan with his head raised.

Although the posture was looking up, it made Tian Dan, a long-famous general of Qi State, stunned.

The veteran looked at the boy's angry face and fiery eyes.

He avoided her gaze and didn't dare to meet her gaze.

"You are an incompetent general! You have killed thousands of soldiers! All the soldiers died in the past three months because of you!" Ying Chengjiao shouted angrily, pointing at Tian Dan's waist and abdomen.

His height only reaches this far.

Tian Dan felt so ashamed that he dared not to retort.

He kept apologizing and claiming to be guilty.

The old general did not think there was anything wrong with it, nor did he think that Prince Cheng Jiao of Qin was being pretentious in showing concern for the lives of the Qi soldiers.

Prince Cheng Jiao is such a person.

The young man’s identity as a gentleman is more credible than the old general’s identity as a famous general.

Chang'an Jun's reputation for virtue has now completely surpassed that of the previous model of virtue - Xinling Jun.

There is a hidden power that no one in the world does not recognize you.

"Prepare the car!" The youth was still full of anger and said indignantly: "Lu Zhonglianzi and I are going to Diyi!"

The old general's tears have not yet dried, and the traces of tears are still there.

Hearing this, he was silent at first, then shook his head:
"No.

"Qi must win this battle, no matter what the cost."

"Give me a reason." Ying Chengjiao gnashed his teeth and waved his arms angrily. "On both sides, nearly 10,000 people were killed in three months! Is your reputation, Tian Dan, more important than 10,000 lives? Huh?!"

"If you think so, then so be it." The old general, who had just looked ashamed, refused to give in.

This battle is not worth it.

Even if Qi State lost a Di Yi, what would it matter? Qi State did not need a Di Yi!
But the meaning behind this battle is worth it.

Through this battle, Qi State wanted to tell the world clearly that Qi State is not to be trifled with!

"How noble!" The young man sneered, "General, for the sake of Qi, you are willing to bear such a bad name and accept such humiliation from me without getting angry."

The old general remained silent, pretending not to know what Yingzi was talking about.

Ying Chengjiao simply made it clear:
“Punch away with one punch, lest hundreds of punches come your way.

“I understand this principle.

"But has the general ever thought about what if this punch can't be fired?"

The boy pointed at himself:

“I have a black tiger, which has never killed anyone, but people get scared when they see it.

“This is because in people’s minds, tigers are powerful beasts.

“But they don’t know that the black tiger I raised is still young, it just grows faster.

"A black tiger that has never experienced fighting in the jungle can be killed by Gai Nie with his sword.

“If Black Tiger were to fight someone with high martial arts skills, his lack of strength would be immediately exposed.

“The same is true in Qi now.

“Qi is not good at fighting now, but the general insists on proving that Qi can fight.

"If we don't fight, other countries will still think that Qi is the powerful country.

"If we fight, Qi will be exposed."

Tian Dan whispered "Cai".

I highly admire the young boy for his insight into politics and military affairs at such a young age and for seeing through the true intention of this war.

The veteran admitted that what the teenager said made sense.

However, what Qi State, with the Jixia Academy, had the most was reason.

Fighting has its advantages and disadvantages.

There are both advantages and disadvantages to not fighting.

When it comes down to it, there is still a choice to be made!
There is no shortage of people who can give advice in this world, but there is a shortage of people who can make the right advice.

Throughout the dynasties, those who stood at the highest point have never had top strategists.

The veteran said in a deep voice:
“Now that the war has begun, there is no point in saying more.

"If you have a heart, if you are a gentleman, if you uphold justice, then please tell me how to win this battle!"

The old general looked at Lu Zhonglian, his eyes more passionate than when he looked at Ying Zi:
"Please teach me, Lu Zhonglianzi!"

Lu Zhonglian, whose resume says he led the Battle of Handan, is more trustworthy to the veteran than Ying Chengjiao, whose resume is completely blank.

Lu Zhonglian looked at the old general's anxious eyes and his haggard face.

I turned my head away, unable to bear to look.

He knew how to win, but he couldn't say it.

"Cheng Jiao knows..." Lu Zhonglian was depressed.

The veteran's eyes lit up and he immediately looked at Ying Chengjiao.

His eyes were like high beams, shining so brightly that Ying Chengjiao tilted his head unconsciously.

This tilt is like quitting the game.

There was a faint smell of blood in my nose, and in front of me were the trembling legs of the old general... The world returned to reality.

The young man took a deep breath and suppressed the reluctance in his heart.

He turned around, faced Tian Dan, and said coldly:
"Are you afraid of death?"

"No worries." The veteran did not hesitate and made up his mind: "As long as we can win!"

Ying Chengjiao narrowed his eyes:
"The reason why you have been unable to capture Diyi is because you are afraid of death!

"When the general was in Jimo, he worked non-stop every day. When he sat down, he made baskets. When he stood up, he took a shovel and built fortifications.

"At that time you encouraged the soldiers and said: 'We have nowhere to go! The ancestral temple of Qi is about to be destroyed by the Yan people! If the ancestral temple is destroyed, where can we find a home?'

“At that time you stood with the soldiers.

"Since you are determined to die, your soldiers will naturally not be afraid of death. This is why you can defeat the Yan army.

“But what about now?

"The general has ten thousand households in Anping to the east, and hundreds of shops in Linzi to the west.

"You have countless gold and silver treasures in your home, and you yourself indulge in the pleasures of a wealthy life.

“You only want to win, but you don’t have the will to fight to the death.

"You lean on a cane every day, only knowing how to show off your general's power and command the soldiers to fight to the death.

"If you act like this, how can your soldiers have the will to fight to the death?

"The Qi soldiers are already weak in combat power and lack the will to fight. How can you win this battle?"

Ying Chengjiao looked at Tian Dan's trembling leg and knew that the old general's leg injury had not yet healed.

He hardened his heart and said:

"Throw away that annoying cane of yours!

“It propped up your legs and crushed the morale of the Qi soldiers!

"Go attack Diyi just like you did when you defeated the Yan army with the Fire Bull Formation, leading the troops yourself.

"This is your only chance of winning."

Tian Dan suddenly realized something and bowed down:
"If Diyi can be conquered, it will all be due to you, sir!"

The veteran immediately went to the main tent and made strategic deployment in front of Ying Chengjiao and Lu Zhonglian.

When the generals heard this, they were shocked and tried to persuade the old general not to take the risk.

The old general refused to listen and forced the other generals to carry out his orders as the commander-in-chief.

After a full meal, they attacked Diyi at Chou time.

The generals took orders and left in tears.

After saying hello to Ying Chengjiao and Lu Zhonglian, Tian Dan also walked out of the tent.

He did not use crutches and appeared in front of the soldiers, enduring the pain.

He showed concern and care to his soldiers, just like he did when he was in Jimo.

Together with the soldiers, they talked about which girl in Linzi screamed the most and twisted her waist so that she could absorb water and soil...

There were only Lu Zhonglian and Ying Chengjiao in the big tent.

Ying Chengjiao waved his arm and swept the eight small tablets on the table to the ground, sneering:

"This is about the fate of Qi. What's the point of worshipping a few pieces of wood?"

"You don't believe in ghosts and gods." Lu Zhonglian lowered his head and looked at the tablets of the eight gods rolling on the ground.

The Eight Gods, who had been the righteous gods of the State of Qi since the time of Taigong Wang, were wallowing in the filth of the mortal world.

"Yes, I don't believe it." The young man said affirmatively, and suddenly changed the subject: "But I hope there are ghosts and gods..."

The grandfather's face passed before the boy's eyes again.

For more than a year, the boy never dreamed of his grandfather again, and never had such a real dream again.

"Confucianism only says to respect ghosts and gods but keep a distance from them, but it doesn't say not to believe in them." Lu Zhonglian picked up eight small wooden signs.

He dusted it off, put it back on the table, and said to Ying Chengjiao:

“Your learning is diverse.

"I have studied all the theories of Confucianism, Laozi, Huangdi, Mohism, Guanzi, etc.

"This is very unusual."

"Isn't it the same with you?" Ying Chengjiao sneered, "Zigao and Zishun are well versed in other disciplines besides Confucianism. Your good friend Zishun is also best at Mohism besides Confucianism."

"We study other theories in order to learn from them and not to be stuck in the old ways. We still firmly believe in our main theories." Lu Zhonglian turned his head and looked down at the young man: "But you are different. So far, I have not figured out which theory you are studying."

"Is there any point in exploring this?" Ying Chengjiao looked up.

Lu Zhonglian neatly arranged eight tablets:
"Of course.

"I want to know what kind of doctrine has such unorthodox ideas as not believing in ghosts and gods."

He bowed to the Eight Gods:

“People should have a fearful heart.

"Even if you are the king, why is it so?

“Once a person loses his sense of reverence, no one knows what he will do.

"Young Master, you are so disrespectful to ghosts and gods, so you must be the same to heaven and earth.

“You are in a high position, but you have no sense of awe.

"I really don't know what will be able to restrain you in the future..."

Ying Chengjiao didn't say anything, he was slightly shocked.

What Lu Zhonglian's words reveal is not just doctrine, not just ghosts and gods, but power!

Power needs to be restricted and supervised.

This view was only officially born in modern society and is a basic principle of the national constitution.

Restrict power and transform it from being owned by a few to being owned by the majority, at least in form.

Supervise power, make power subject to the supervision of the broad masses of the people, prevent its abuse, and at least make progress year by year.

In the young man's cognition, this view would never appear in the Warring States Period when slavery was legal.

The nature of society has not changed yet, so how could it jump two thousand years in one go, considering the modern issues of restricting and supervising power?
But Lu Zhonglian said it so vividly.

Although it was not directly mentioned in words, this is the meaning.

Ying Chengjiao looked at Lu Zhonglian who was worshipping the Eight Gods. His face was serious, but he did not look as devout as a believer.

Although Lu Zhonglian was worshipping the Eight Gods, he did not seem to believe in them.

"...So, this is what the ghosts and gods meant. Thank you for your advice." The young man said sincerely.

Ghosts and gods are both tools for superiors to rule inferiors and the only means for inferiors to restrain superiors.

When a superior kills someone, he will not feel pity for the misery of the inferior, but will stop because it may anger the ghosts and gods.

The young man had some enlightenment.

Some things that seem very backward in later generations were indispensable at that time.

In ancient times when information was not well developed, the worship and belief in ghosts and gods could not be easily shaken.

"It's good that you understand, young master." Lu Zhonglian said calmly, as if he had done nothing.

The boy smiled bitterly inwardly.

Because Lu Zhonglian knelt down to him when they first met, he looked down on Lu Zhonglian, one of the other disciples.

Unexpectedly, just a small action of pulling the tablet allowed Lu Zhonglian to see his plan to break superstition in the future, and he spoke out to enlighten him.

“Just ignore the bugs that won’t affect the running of the program…” the boy muttered to himself.

Outside the big tent, laughter could be heard from time to time.

Even through the tent, one could feel that the atmosphere in the military camp was getting better and better.

Lu Zhonglian sighed, feeling very sad:

"Tian Dan...is actually not good at fighting." I have known him for fifty years, and he is okay as an ordinary general.

"He is not capable enough to be the commander, nor is he knowledgeable enough..."

Ying Chengjiao didn't say a word and just listened quietly.

He knew that Lu Zhonglian didn't want him to answer, he just wanted to talk.

The world-famous general Tian Dan cannot fight.

This was not the first time the boy had heard this point of view.

The last person who expressed this view to the young man was another famous general in the world - Yue Yi.

Lu Zhonglian closed his eyes:
"Is it the times that make heroes, or heroes that make the times?

“There was a debate on this in the academy.

“At that time, a student asked me which one I thought was correct, and I said both were correct.

“Because the Tian Dan I know belongs to both the former and the latter.

"Without Yue Yi's attack on Qi, Tian Dan would not be in his current position and would not be a hero.

"Without a hero like Tian Dan, the State of Qi would have been destroyed and could never have recovered.

"Tian Dan defeated the Yan army with the Fire Bull Formation, and with the city of Jimo, he recovered 72 cities in a row.

“This achievement attracted worldwide attention and made him famous overnight.

"At that time, his reputation was unparalleled, and many people recommended him to be the King of Qi.

"He refused and insisted on inviting back the crown prince of Qi, Fa Zhang, who was also King Xiang of Qi.

"He stopped being a king and became a general. He became a famous general in the world for his battle to restore Qi.

"At that time, Tian Dan's position in Qi was like Bai Qi in your Qin.

"Ah……"

Lu Zhonglian laughed.

It was clearly a gentle smile, and there was no bitterness on her face, but Ying Chengjiao could see full of sadness:
"Before I met you, I always thought that this was the evil nature of human beings and could not be changed.

“I once argued with Xunzi about this: Can the evil nature of human beings be changed through education?

"Xunzi cannot convince me, and I cannot convince Xunzi either.

"Tian Dan's fate was exactly as I expected.

"He was suspected by King Xiang of Qi, and was gradually neglected and his power was reduced.

"He is a noble man who has made great contributions to the restoration of Qi and does not covet the supreme power of the throne.

"In the end, it was sold to the State of Zhao by King Xiang of Qi for fifty-seven cities, just like a piece of merchandise.

“It is said that Qi was good at doing business and amassing wealth, and this started with Guanzi.

"Heh... Guanzi's time was so long ago... How can it have any influence on the present?

"Besides, the King of Qi at that time was of the Jiang clan, not of the Gui clan.

"How can the style of Qi governed by your Tian family be attributed to Taigong Wang's Lu family?

“Isn’t that too shameless?
"The current state of Qi is good at business, and in my opinion, it all started with King Xiang of Qi.

“His sale of Tian Dan was the biggest business in Qi.

"If the superiors follow suit, shouldn't everyone in Qi start a business?

"Tian Dan once asked the emperor in the palace, why Qi State did not send out generals?

“Others answered from various factors such as military, customs, politics, etc., and talked about them all.

"None of them said the answer that was in my mind, but I didn't say my answer.

“Now I want to tell you the answer.

"The biggest reason why Qi State did not produce any generals was because of Tian Dan's fate.

"As a general, you have the ability to save the country and turn the tide. To achieve this is the pinnacle.

"What will be the end? Being sold as merchandise!
"Who would be willing to do this..."

Under the city of Diyi.

Qi general Tian Dan stared at the Qi soldiers on the city wall with burning eyes.

It's quiet at night.

The veteran could only vaguely see a figure.

At this distance, he can see the people on the city wall, and the people on the city wall can see him.

Whatever you can see with your eyes can be reached by arrows or stones.

If the Yan army on the city wall discovered the Qi army's night attack, they would throw stones and shoot arrows to stop them.

Theoretically, it is completely possible to hit and shoot directly at Tian Danyi.

In ancient times, when marching and fighting, the commander-in-chief usually commanded the central army, and almost no commander-in-chief would be in the vanguard army.

Tian Dan is in the vanguard at this moment.

The night was cold and windy, and the old general's face turned cold.

The injured knee felt excruciating pain again and again, as if a blunt knife was sharpening it.

The old general's white hair was hidden in his helmet as he tremblingly picked up the two drumsticks.

The war drum was placed at his side.

He touched the drum surface, then suddenly raised his neck and hit his head hard on the drum surface!
"Boom~!"

Like thunder from the sky, breaking the silence of the night!

During the battle to restore Qi, there was a battle in which Tian Dan lost his drum hammer, so he used the helmet on his head to beat the war drum!

The sound of head-banging drums shocked the Qi army, boosting their morale and making them invincible.

Tonight, do it again!
"Bah! Which bastard made up this ballad! How can your crown be as big as a winnowing basket!" The old general laughed and cursed, his eyes widened, his face tense, and his tongue thundered: "Kill!"

The killing sound has not yet faded, but the drumstick has already fallen!

"Boom~!"

"Boom~!"

“Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom…~!”

The drum beats gradually became faster and faster, and gradually became one.

Don’t stop!

Deafening!
In night battles, the flags cannot be seen and the army cannot be commanded by flag signals.

The only thing that can shake the morale of the army is the sound of war drums!

The drumbeats are coming from the front! Proof that the war drums are at the forefront!

All the soldiers of Qi State were furious!
The one who beats the war drum must be the general!
"Kill ah ah ah ah ah!!"

"Siege! Siege!"

"Get out of Qi!"

"The general is here! How dare you not die!"

The Qi soldiers were as fierce as wolves and tigers, and they attacked the city of Di without regard for their lives.

The sound of drums shook their hearts!

General Tian Dan is with them!
The old general kept beating the drum, and the more he beat, the stronger his blows became.

The two arms seemed to have infinite magical power, inexhaustible and inexhaustible.

The injured leg no longer felt any pain and it supported his body like a pillar!

The veteran has never felt so strong and powerful in the past thirty years.

It was like he had regained his youth and returned to his prime during the Battle of Jimo!
Tian Dan prayed to the gods, but the only one who responded was himself thirty years ago!
The old general was full of youthful enthusiasm, looking up to the sky and laughing loudly:

"Kill! Kill with me! Kill!!!"

The chariot carrying the veteran, surrounded by Qi soldiers, passed through the gap in the city wall that was broken by the Qi soldiers at the risk of their lives!
The chariots entered Diyi.

The war drums shook the city.

Diyi was defeated.

The veteran fell.

Ying Chengjiao finally entered the small city of Diyi.

Blood and fire are all around him.

It is rare to see an intact corpse, and broken limbs are the norm.

Gai Nie stood by the young man to guard against hidden arrows.

The battle was extremely brutal, and the Qi army could be said to have entered Diyi with blood and flesh piled up.

The soles of the boy's shoes were soaked with blood, staining his feet red.

He stepped on blood, passed through fire, and entered the hall that the Qi army had temporarily set up in Diyi.

Go see Tian Dan.

When the young man saw Tian Dan, he had not yet woken up.

Three doctors are treating Tian Dan with silver needles, herbs...

The young man looked at it silently for a while and walked out.

He didn't know whether Tian Dan could wake up, nor did he know whether Tian Dan could withstand the blow of the facts after waking up.

The Qi army did not know about it until they attacked Diyi.

The Yan State's main general, Ju Xin, is not here at all. He has been in Liaocheng.

There were only 20,000 Yan troops in Diyi, and the main force of the Yan army was also in Liaocheng.

The one who blocked the famous general Tian Dan for three months was just a little-known general of Yan State - Qing Jian.

How obscure is the general Qing Jian?

Ying Chengjiao had never seen it in a book in his previous life.

I have spent so much time in Ji, the capital of Yan State, but I have never heard of this name.

Ying Chengjiao proposed to see Yan State's main general Qing Jian, wanting to find out whether this was a brave general who had been missed in history.

A deputy general of Qi State told him that Qing Jian was dead.

There is no need to look at it now, the dead general is not a brave general.

Ying Chengjiao remembered what Lu Zhonglian had said to him in the big tent outside the city - Tian Dan was not good at fighting.

"Okay, you are right...but I still think it is better for Tian Dan to die..." the young man said to himself.

Two hours ago.

Inside the Qi State's tent.

After a moment of silence, Lu Zhonglian continued:

“No one in Qi is willing to be a general.

"After Tian Dan entered Zhao, no one could fill his position for 10 to 20 years, which is why the Queen Mother invited Tian Dan back.

“But it seems that few people have ever thought about whether Tian Dan can fight.

"Besides the Battle of Restoring Qi, what other battles did he fight?
"He led the Zhao army to attack the Yan State, but only captured three small cities of the Yan State.

“Oh, you’ve been to Yan State, you know, actually it can’t even be considered a city.

"What kind of city is it without walls?
“There are no small cities in Yancheng, only big cities.

"When Tian Dan led the Zhao army to attack Yan, it was before the Battle of Changping. At that time, the Zhao army's combat effectiveness was the best in the world, and Qin did not dare to provoke it easily.

“He has the strongest elite troops and the most famous generals.

"We fought against the Yan State which had lost Yue Yi, but only took three towns.

"This record made the King of Zhao furious, and he thought that Tian Dan was deliberately not contributing, so he marginalized Tian Dan.

"In fact, this is Tian Dan's true fighting ability. He can only do this much. He is not good at fighting.

"In the battle to restore Qi, he was able to win because his opponent was Qi Jie.

“If Le Yi doesn’t leave, he can’t win.

"Tian Dan once said that he had been defeated in a debate with Zhao She and was no match for Zhao She.

"Sir, do you think Tian Dan is good at fighting?"

Ying Chengjiao responded for the first time and lowered his head.

He understood that Lu Zhonglian had said so much just to tell him.

Tian Dan was not good at fighting, but he did not have to die.

But, even if Tian Dan is not good at fighting, his political influence is still there... The young man said softly:

“Good or bad, it doesn’t matter… What matters is whether he is alive or dead.

"For us, it's better for Tian Dan to be dead..."

Take the lead.

This was the way to victory that Ying Chengjiao pointed out to Tian Dan.

Yes, the road to death.

(End of this chapter)