Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 336: The Qin-Han War
The envoy of Qin
In the spring of the following year, the new summer arrived as expected.

Following the old example, he presented the letter to King Xia, asked about his health and the well-being of his country, and then planned to return to the embassy leisurely, using a big dream to compensate for the hardships he had endured from the long journey.

However, the King of Xia stopped him and introduced Zhang Qian, the Han envoy, to him.

"Oh?"

After hearing this, the Qin envoy was no longer sleepy!
He straightened his back and looked at the young Han envoy with a bright gaze.

Zhang Qian looked at him with a decent smile.

The two sides then walked closer and closer, saluted and greeted each other.

The Qin envoy asked the Han envoy, "Is the Han dynasty still stable?"

"The Huns are still lingering along the Great Wall, so you came here to seek help from the Xia Kingdom!"

"Alas, if General Meng Tian heard about this, he would probably feel very sad!"

The Han envoy was not angry after hearing this. Instead, he smiled and said to the Qin envoy, "If Ying Qin misses the time he spent with the Xiongnu, then the Han will send troops to the border and drive the Xiongnu to the West Sea..."

"This way, you two old friends can not only meet again, but also exchange some ideas about horse breeding and herding!"

After staying in Xinxia for so long,
Zhang Qian also had some understanding of the Qin State in the West Sea.

The richness of the Central Kingdom,
It is extremely rare outside the domain.

The second-rate land of Sindhu had already been occupied by the Xia Kingdom.

So when the Qin people moved westward,
The only land that could be seized and occupied by him was Persia.

But the Persian land,
Although it is said to be vast, the only area that can be safely cultivated is the plains carved out between the two rivers.

It is also a place that is "easy to attack but difficult to defend". It is easy to capture but difficult to defend.

As for the rest of the place, the land is vast and the population is sparse, and the water and soil are insufficient.

Therefore, after Ying Qin occupied the two rivers and dominated the West Sea, it evaluated its own situation many times and finally decided to concentrate on farming in the area of the two rivers, and in the surrounding areas, it adapted to local conditions and engaged in more grazing.

In this way, it can be said that they have successfully returned to their roots and have picked up their old business from nearly a thousand years ago.

Zhang Qian's words to the Qin envoy were not meant to be good.

He implied that Ying Qin was once a domestic slave who raised horses for the Zhou emperor.
He also accused Ying Qin of practicing half farming and half herding, and living together with the surrounding barbarians, which showed that he had abandoned the traditions of the Xia people!

"If the King of Qin had ruled the country like this during the Spring and Autumn Period, he would have been praised by his ancestors!"

The Qin State during the Spring and Autumn Period
In the ecological niche within the Xia Dynasty, it is absolutely at the low end and has always been despised by other countries. It cannot sit at the same table with the "Southern Barbarians" like the Chu State!

therefore,

The Qin envoy clenched his fist quickly.

The ministers nearby were a little worried, so they asked King Xia, "Is it okay to let them quarrel like this?"

King Xia judged others by his own standards.

It is believed that there had been fierce disputes between the Han and Xia over "orthodoxy" in the past.

But in the end it didn't cause too much of a problem.

So he just waved his hand and said softly, "It's okay. Their quarreling won't kill anyone."

really?
The minister was worried. Looking at the Qin and Han envoys who were confronting him in the court with false smiles, he had a bad premonition.

……

"That guy is humiliating the Qin State!"

In the thick of night,

In the Qin envoy's embassy,
The messenger had not yet settled down to sleep.

He summoned several deputy envoys to his room and said this to them.

"I cannot tolerate his arrogance and damage to the reputation of my Great Qin!"

"So tonight, I intend to do something big to wash away the shame of our ancestors being forced to move out of the Central Plains and being ridiculed by him today!"

The deputy envoys responded immediately.

One of them stood up, clasped his hands together with tears in his eyes, and said to the ambassador, "Me too!"

then,

The Qin envoys quickly packed up their things.

They changed into light and capable clothes, carried swords and other weapons, and climbed over the high wall of the embassy under the cover of night, intending to attack and kill the Han envoy.

Hatred created by blood,
Only blood can wash it clean!

just,

When the Qin envoys opened the door of the Han envoy's room with ferocious smiles, intending to kill them one by one, they did not see their target.

The embassy where the Han envoy stayed was empty!
"It's so strange!"

"It's so late, why are there so many of them going out? What do they want to do?"

The Qin envoy who led the team murmured in confusion.

But it is what it is.
They couldn't stay for long, so they could only return to their embassy with regret and go to bed in their clothes.

Wait until the next day, when the cocks first crowed and the sky was getting light,

The King of Xia suddenly sent someone over in a hurry, demanding the Qin envoy to enter the palace in a tough tone. The palace guard who sent the message said:
"The King wants to ask you something!"

After hearing this, the Qin envoy couldn't help but think:
I'm afraid what happened last night has been exposed!
Right,

They came out in full force, violating the curfew and carrying weapons.

How could it not be noticed by the night patrol?

Therefore,

When he came before King Xia,

Envoy Qin said resolutely, "Yes, I did everything last night!"

"what?"

King Xia's eyes widened in confusion, "What did you do?"

The Qin envoy told him righteously, "They led everyone out of the embassy at night, armed with swords and spears, and attacked other places... I was the only one who ordered this!"

"If the king wants to punish me, please only kill me and spare my companions so that they can return to Qin and report to the king!"

"what?"

King Xia stood up in surprise, his expression becoming even more confused.

He asked the Qin envoy, "Why did you instruct the Han envoy to attack and kill me at night?"

"I summoned you today, thinking you knew nothing about this, and I came to tell you about this matter!"

Just last night,

Just before the Qin envoy led everyone to plan to do something big!

The soldiers on night patrol received a report that they were observing the stars at night, but accidentally saw a group of sneaky people walking towards the place where the Qin envoy was staying!
The soldiers rushed to investigate.

Finally, they successfully captured a group of Han envoys who attempted to attack the Qin envoys at night.

Therefore,
The reason why the Qin envoys climbed over the wall but failed to find a Han envoy was that

The reason was that the Han envoys at that time took action earlier than them and were arrested and imprisoned by King Xia earlier.

"Yes, really?"

Hearing King Xia say this, the Qin envoy was a little stunned.

His words became stumbling because of this.

Fortunately,

Not long after, the Qin envoy's face flushed and he clenched his fists:
"That Han envoy actually harbored such ill will towards us!"

"What a bunch of beasts!"

"Hateful! Contemptible!"

He strongly condemned the other party and asked King Xia to seek justice for himself!
But King Xia just looked at him calmly, and then said to the soldiers guarding beside him,
"Lock them up next to the Han envoy!"

……

There was a "clang" sound!
The door was closed tightly.

In this "cell" specially prepared for people of noble status.

Zhang Qian and his companions were drinking wine to drown their sorrows.

Last night, before he had even started his business, he was reported and detained. How could Zhang Qian not feel sad and depressed about such a thing?

But when he looked up after drinking half of the wine, he saw that the Qin envoy, who was about the same age as him, was also thrown in by the people sent by the King of Xia.

Between Qin and Han,

There was only a small and narrow corridor between them, where if both parties reached out their hands, they could pull each other.

Zhang Qian then heard the guest in charge of entertaining foreign envoys sigh, "Alas, why are you all thinking about hurting each other?"

"When great nations interact with each other, gentlemen should be magnanimous and magnanimous."

"However, you two actually chose to attack and kill each other at the same time, which is considered a tacit understanding... and stay here for a while, until you are familiar with each other and friendly, then come out!"

After all,

He just walked away in anger.

Only the Qin and Han envoys were left staring at each other across the river.

then,

A fierce battle broke out between Qin and Han!
They reached out their hands to each other, pulled each other up, and scolded:
"Evil thief!"

"How dare you do such a sinister act!"

“It’s really despicable!”

There was only an unknown ghost who accidentally passed by at night, accidentally saw Zhang Qian and his companions, and finally accidentally reported them to King Xia. He sat quietly on the roof of the "cell", holding a pot of fine wine, and raised his glass to invite tomorrow.

He drank it merrily:
"Ok!"

“Beautiful view!”

“What a great wine!”

(End of this chapter)