The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 245: The God of War Awakens, Killing Zhao Wangdan and Conspiring with Lian Po

Prince Zhao's expression froze and his breath paused for a moment.

This is what he fears.

No matter how high Lian Po's prestige was, he was still a minister and could not threaten his position as king.

But his elder brother, Chunping Hou Zhao Yi, was different.

Zhao Yan was very clear that he was a substitute for his brother.

If his brother returned to Zhao at this moment, Zhao Yan had no doubt that the title of crown prince would return to his brother tomorrow.

Few people in the court, including civil and military officials, royal family members and relatives, would have any objection.

Zhao Yi, Marquis of Chunping, was the former crown prince of the State of Zhao.

The first member of the royal family to be granted the title of nobility for his merits.

Sadness, panic, worry... and hatred flashed across Prince Yan's eyes.

Lian Po...Father...you look down on me so much that you must bring my brother back... He thought to himself, his fists clenched so hard that they made a creaking sound.

Guo Kai saw it and came up with a plan.

With his head buried in Zhao Taizi Yan's arms, his arms wrapped around Zhao Taizi Yan's waist, he closed his eyes and said nothing, with an intoxicated look on his face.

If you want to speed, you can't reach it.

It is enough to plant a seed today.

With the help of Qin Prime Minister Lu Buwei, Guo Kai will definitely be able to get rid of being a plaything and become the real ruler of Zhao State!
Guo Kai leaned on the left side of Prince Yan of Zhao.

A soft body came up and stuck to the right side of Prince Yan of Zhao—a beauty from a brothel.

Guo Kai heard a strange noise and opened his eyes.

Just then I saw a pair of deep blue eyes like the sea looking at me, which was very charming.

The face is three-dimensional, with a high nose bridge and slightly sunken eye sockets.

When she smiles, she exudes an exotic charm that is very different from the Central Plains.

The girl favored by the prince was a brothel beauty with Hu ancestry.

Guo Kai lowered his eyes slightly and noticed that the woman's abdomen was slightly bulging.

Could it be that she is pregnant... Guo Kai thought and looked away.

Soon, a soft female voice was heard:
“I was a prostitute.

"If the prince becomes queen, will he really take a prostitute as his queen?

"Will you really let the son of a prostitute be the crown prince?"

What wishful thinking... Guo Kai sneered, his heart full of contempt, and heard the voice of Prince Yan of Zhao again:

“A promise is worth a thousand gold.

"Once you are king, you must live up to the beauty!"

What a fool! The prince is just a sweet talker. How can a whore become the queen? Haha... Guo Kai complained in his heart.

In a moment, his face changed.

If what Prince Yan of Zhao promised to the prostitute was false, then could what he promised to Guo Kai be true?
Aren't Guo Kai and the prostitute essentially the same?
Father, like son.

From the perspective of an outsider, Guo Kai broke through the fog of confusion of the authorities and his mind became clearer than ever before.

What Lu Buwei said did make sense...Guo Kai's teeth were clenching.

Less than ten days.

Battle reports came back from the front line, showing that veteran General Lian Po had won a great victory.

Zhao Wangdan was smiling and very excited.

At the end of his life, he finally made the right choice.

Veteran general Lian Po did not disappoint him.

He gave Lian Po the greatest trust, and Lian Po gave him rich military results in return.

Defeat Yan, resist Qin, and stop Wei.

The power of the Great Zhao is growing day by day!

He, King Dan of Zhao, caused the State of Zhao to decline from its prime.

If he could turn the tide, he could make Zhao the dominant country in the world during his lifetime.

All the foolish things I did before were just due to my youthful recklessness and are not really considered as things.

The names left after death are all names of virtue.

Prince Yan of Zhao had a gloomy face and was in a very bad mood.

The better Lian Po performed, the more worried he was that Lian Po would bring up the issue of bringing his brother back after returning home.

He did not just believe Guo Kai's one-sided words, but also used his own channels to find out Lian Po's attitude towards him, the current crown prince, and Chunping Hou, the former crown prince.

Guo Kai is right.

Lian Po praised Chunping Hou in public more than once and expressed his intention to ask Qin to return Chunping Hou.

As for him, the current crown prince, the veteran has basically never made any public comments.

These two manifestations are obvious enough.

The most terrifying thing is that it is not just Lian Po who is like this, but the vast majority of people in the court are like this.

Except for his mother's family, most of the officials in the court praised their brother, Marquis Chunping, but had a lukewarm response towards him, Zhao Yan.

He was the crown prince for five years.

But in most people's minds, he is still a substitute for his brother Chunping Hou.

The more Zhao Yan thought about it, the angrier he became, and the more scared he became.

Power is the most addictive poison.

Once you have tasted its wonderful flavor, few people can escape from it.

Prince Yan of Zhao was worried and could not sleep at night.

Several times when I fell asleep, I dreamed that my brother Zhao Yi was standing in front of me, holding out his hand and saying:

"Zhao Yan, I'm back.

"You can return my prince to me."

After a few days of this, he became seriously ill and could not get out of bed.

King Dan of Zhao went to visit him personally with the imperial physician.

The imperial physician made a diagnosis after diagnosis.

The reason why the prince's illness is incurable is that he is burdened with worries and depressed.

Once the knot in your heart is untied, it will heal itself without any treatment.

King Dan of Zhao asked about the prince's concerns.

Prince Yan didn't dare to say anything, he stammered and his words were confused.

King Dan of Zhao was furious and scolded Prince Yan of Zhao.

He is dying, how can the prince of Zhao be so weak? Do you, Zhao Yan, still want to be king? Your brother Zhao Yi would not be like this!

Prince Yan of Zhao felt chilled, depressed and heartbroken.

Why didn't his father see his efforts and only praised his elder brother? He really tried hard to be a good prince of Zhao!
night.

Guo Kai sacrificed himself and later offered advice.

After Zhao Taizi Yan charged, he made up his mind at the most shrewd time and nodded heavily:

"After the matter is accomplished, I will make you my prime minister! And make you a lord!"

The next night.

Guo Kai asked to see the king.

King Dan of Zhao knew that when Guo Kai did not serve him, he would run to the prince.

When he heard that Guo Kai was coming to see him, he thought of getting to know his son through Guo Kai and agreed.

Half an hour later, Guo Kai delivered an order on behalf of King Dan of Zhao - to summon Prince Yan.

On that day, King Dan of Zhao died and passed the throne to Crown Prince Yan.

When Prince Dan of Zhao died, there was no one around him except the crown prince.

Two days later, King Dan of Zhao was posthumously named Xiaocheng, and became King Xiaocheng of Zhao.

Crown Prince Yan succeeded to the throne and became King Yan of Zhao.

Before his death, King Dan of Zhao only called the crown prince to come forward, but did not call any ministers.

Therefore, although King Yan of Zhao succeeded to the throne as he wished, he did not handle the transfer of power properly.

King Yan of Zhao didn't know who he could trust or who he could use - he did not give his father, King Xiaocheng of Zhao, the opportunity to appoint a regent.

When King Yan of Zhao, who had just ascended the throne, looked at the civil and military officials in the hall, he felt that except for his mother's family and Guo Kai, all of them were people with bad intentions.

Compared with his mother's family, Guo Kai was more trusted by King Yan of Zhao.

Only King Yan of Zhao, who was the first to break into the palace and discover the death of the previous king, knew that it was Guo Kai who killed his father.

The two of them have a common secret that must never be told, yet they maintain a close relationship with a negative distance, which naturally makes them closer.

Then, the newly-appointed King Yan of Zhao sat in the court and shouted:
"Guo Kai!"

"I am here!" Guo Kai stood up amid the contemptuous eyes of the civil and military officials in the room, his back straighter than ever before. "I will confer the title of Lord Jianxin on you," Zhao Wangyan said solemnly.

Trust-builders can be interpreted as building confidence or building trust.

King Yan of Zhao hoped that by conferring the title of lord on Guo Kai, he could build up Guo Kai's confidence as a king and establish trust between the two.

Guo Kai was so excited that he cried with joy, and bowed and said:
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

He finally went from being a plaything that could be exchanged and killed at will, and slept with by anyone at will, to the top prince of the Zhao aristocracy.

From now on, his destiny is in his own hands!

Only Guo Kai was happy, but all the Zhao ministers were unhappy.

Marquis is the highest title in a country.

How could Guo Kai, a toy played with by others, rise to the throne overnight?

Lian Po defeated 600,000 troops with only 130,000 men and was granted the title of lord. They were convinced and would not have been willing if King Dan of Zhao had not granted Lian Po the title of lord.

Because Zhao Wangdan broke the rules of the game.

If such a great contribution is not granted the title of a noble, then what kind of contribution is worthy of being granted the title of a noble?
Today, Guo Kai was crowned as a lord, and King Yan of Zhao also broke the rules of the game.

Wu Xiangjun Le Cheng was the first to stand up, clasped his fists and shouted:
"May I ask, Your Majesty, what merits has this boy achieved to deserve to be my equal?"

Zhao Yan was very angry.

When he was Prince Yan of Zhao, these people were complaining.

Now he is King Yan of Zhao, and these people are still complaining.

Zhao Yan slammed the armrest of the throne and shouted in what he thought was a very intimidating tone:

"I am the king!
"Whoever I want to be king, I will make him king!"

The ministers were silent, their eyes turned cold, and they all looked at King Yan of Zhao.

The rules of the game that even King Dan of Zhao did not dare to break were completely destroyed by King Yan of Zhao.

King Yan of Zhao was very satisfied with the silent scene. This was the power of a king!

He laughed heartily and threw his sleeves violently:

"Retreat!"

After the court meeting, Lord Jianxin Guo Kai asked to see King Yan of Zhao.

Please ask the eunuch to pass the message and wait outside the palace obediently, using the most formal etiquette.

In the past, he met Zhao Yan as a favorite concubine.

And today, it’s the Minister.

Guo Kai stood outside the hall, feeling the breeze on his face. He felt extremely comfortable. He had never felt that the feeling of waiting was so wonderful.

Soon, the eunuch led him inside.

King Yan of Zhao was wearing royal robes and laughing loudly.

As usual, he embraced Guo Kai and reached out to tear off Guo Kai's clothes:

"Why is the beauty so distant?"

Guo Kai's face changed, and his hand raised halfway in resistance fell on his clothes.

He forced a smile and said:

"Your Majesty, open it yourself."

"Hahaha, good!" Zhao Wangyan smiled and stepped back, picked up the wine on the table and took a sip, no longer showing any sign of sickness: "Today is a happy day, my beauty, please dance a brass dance for me."

The clothes fell off, and along with them fell Guo Kai's face.

King Zhao Yan's blunt orders made him feel even more humiliated.

He is Jianxin Jun! Not some beauty!
"My king." Guo Kai suppressed his anger and squeezed his legs together: "Kai thinks that at this moment, Le Cheng should be exchanged for Lian Po."

"My beauty, are you reminding me of my position as prime minister?" Zhao Wangyan sighed and put his arm around Guo Kai's shoulders. "My beauty, I have already angered the public by appointing you as the king. You should be more obedient and understand my difficulties."

Holding Guo Kai by the waist, Zhao Yan said with a smile:
"Isn't it better to sleep in the same bed with me than to be the prime minister a hundred times? Hahahahaha!"

It was stormy.

When the wind stopped and the rain ceased, King Yan of Zhao lay lazily on the bed, half asleep, feeling that this was the happiest moment in his life.

Suddenly, a sound woke him up from his sweet dream:
"Your Majesty, do you think you can rest easy?

"The previous king valued Lord Xinping the most.

"When Lord Xinping returns, will he not become suspicious of the death of the previous king?
"Your Majesty may not care about the position of Prime Minister that you have promised to open.

"But the king doesn't care about the throne, does he?"

King Yan of Zhao opened his eyes, turned his head, and saw that the face of the beauty beside him was calm.

This made Zhao Wangyan feel very strange, so strange that it seemed as if he had never known Guo Kai before.

After staring blankly for a few moments, Zhao Wangyan calmed down and said:

"Go on."

Guo Kai sat up, putting on his torn clothes, and said:

"The most accomplished martial artist in the court today, besides Lord Xinping, is Lord Wuxiang.

"When the State of Wei came to attack, the former king used the excuse that Lord Wuxiang was not doing well in the battle and sent Lord Xinping back to his country in exchange for him.

"Kai thought that although Wu Xiangjun didn't say anything, he must be dissatisfied in his heart.

"If the king could exchange Lord Wuxiang for Lord Xinping right now.

“One can show favor to Lord Wuxiang.

"Second, you can use Wuxiang Jun to suppress Xinping Jun.

“Your Majesty may be a king, but if you want to deal with Lord Xinping on your own, even if you can do it, you will be criticized.

“But if Wu Xiangjun supports him, most of the criticism will be borne by Wu Xiangjun.

“After Xinping Jun’s death, Wuxiang Jun is the number one general in our country.

“All it takes is a royal decree from the king.

“It can not only stabilize the throne, but also eliminate Lord Xinping who is attached to Marquis Chunping, and also win over Lord Wuxiang.

“Kill three birds with one stone.

"Your Majesty, do you think this is possible?"

Zhao Wangyan looked at Guo Kai's beautiful back and the spring light leaking through the holes in his clothes, and suddenly smiled:
“It’s not killing three birds with one stone, it’s killing four birds with one stone.

"I will also have a wise and virtuous prime minister."

He stood up, hugged Guo Kai, and said gently:

"Lord Wuxiang offended you, but you pleaded for him for the sake of the overall situation. It's really hard for you."

"My King~" Guo Kai looked coquettish and called out with deep affection.

A few days later, the royal order was issued from Handan and reached Lian Po.

He ordered Lian Po to hand over everything to Wuxiang Jun Lecheng and return to Handan immediately.

The veteran general Lian Po was furious.

A few days before receiving the royal order, although he was full of resentment and grievance, he was still prepared to hand over to Wuxiang Jun Le Cheng.

The king treated him very badly this time, but his previous move of allowing one of his bloodlines to enter Qin was very generous, and the old general appreciated it.

However, soon.

Lian Po heard the news that King Dan of Zhao had passed away, Crown Prince Yan of Zhao had succeeded to the throne and had conferred the title of Lord Jianxin on Guo Kai.

The veteran who had made all preparations for the handover overturned the big case and roared to the ground:

"To favor a concubine and enfeoff her as a lord! How foolish!

"Treasonous officials are in power! These scoundrels are ruining the country!"

Lord Xinping and Lian Po, the prime minister of Zhao, disobeyed the king's orders and led an army of tens of thousands to attack Lord Wuxiang Lecheng.

Wuxiang Jun Le Cheng, who only led a few hundred followers, was defeated at the first blow.

He personally led his troops to chase Le Cheng and fought for a while, and saw Le Cheng's back as he fled in a panic.

The old general Lian Po's anger subsided a lot after this.

The personal soldiers around him drew their bows and arrows, intending to shoot him.

The veteran cursed:

"Put away your bird bow! Why don't you show off your power in front of Hangu Pass? Shoot the Qin dog in the pass to death with one arrow?"

He didn't want to take Le Cheng's life, nor did he want to harm the lives of his soldiers.

The soldier who was scolded didn't understand what was going on and put the bow back on his back with a wry smile.

The old general chased Le Cheng for more than ten miles, then he reined in his horse and ordered the army to stop pursuing.

He looked towards Handan with a complicated expression.

Having received favors from three generations of Zhao kings, King Wuling of Zhao, King Huiwen of Zhao, and King Xiaocheng of Zhao, could he still lead the Zhao army to overthrow the State of Zhao?

He was wondering, what would these Zhao troops do?

He turned his horse back to the camp and handed over all military affairs to his deputy general, and the old general left Zhao in tears.

(End of this chapter)