The tomb master of Wei Xiang Wei Qi was none other than Wei Zhe's father, Wei Zheng. This man had just sent Wei Zhe to Huayang. He had met Zhang Noi once and knew that he was the core disciple of Lord Xinling. Naturally, he did not dare to neglect and welcomed the four of them into the house. As he walked, he greeted him affectionately: "Mr. Zhang is fortunate to have returned home!"
Zhang Noi said: "Bo has some business, please stop and leave."
Wei Qi greeted him outside the lobby. The four of them greeted each other at the foot of the steps, and Wei Qi returned the salute on the steps, and then ordered Wei Zhengdao: "Master, please take a break in Mr. Wei's wing for a while! I have something to ask Mr. Third, and I will be back soon."
The two knew that today's matter involved confidentiality, and Wei Zheng immediately invited the elders of the Young Master's Mansion to the Nuan Pavilion next to them to entertain them.
Under Wei Qi's bow, Zhang, Lin and Fan climbed the steps to the hall and sat down in the guest seats. Wei Qi pulled his seat closer to the three of them and sat down. Without any unnecessary polite words, he asked directly: "My lord, you are aware of the peace proposal!"
All three of them cupped their hands and said, "I know."
Wei Qi said: "The success of the peace negotiation really depends on Huayang. I would like to tell you the truth, how long can Huayang last?"
The three of them were all surprised when they asked each other like this. After a moment of silence, Zhang Noi replied: "There are hundreds of thousands of people in Huayang, and they spend thousands of gold every day, as Prime Minister Wei knows. Fortunately, your Majesty has used his private money to provide a little more food and fodder, but the treasury is empty and the relief can no longer be continued." When Wei Prime Minister negotiates for peace, he must try his best to support it. If the people of Qin use all their strength, something unexpected will happen."
Wei Qi said: "I am well aware of the difficulties in Huayang. Daliang and Qin have reached a peace situation. It is difficult to make peace now, and the one who wants it will be long-lasting in the young master. What is it? The Qin people are threatening Huayang, and they will definitely ask for ten The city is behind us."
These words were completely unexpected by the three of them. In their minds, their persistence in Huayang posed a great threat to the Qin people and was a powerful bargaining chip in negotiations. They could obtain more favorable peace negotiation conditions for Wei envoys. However, according to Wei Qi's wishes, Huayang became The Qin army threatens Wei's bargaining chip! Zhang He asked anxiously: "What do you mean? Is Huayang Ning harming Wei Xiang?"
Wei Qi waved his hands and said: "That's not what it means. The Qin people entered Wei with the intention of attacking the city and grabbing the territory. Those who abandoned the border towns without attacking and went straight to Qifeng wanted to disturb our king to negotiate peace. The king wanted to use one or two cities. , and even three or five cities for peace. The Qin people entered the hinterland of Wei and could not capture it if they attacked, and the defense was difficult to consolidate, and the situation was precarious. It would be beneficial to capture the city without fighting. However, Qin Nan said: "Huayang is in my hand, and those who keep faith in Yang , the king's younger brother. How can we only set up one or two cities? We must win ten cities and then we can! The Wei envoy thought it was impossible. Qin then sent troops to attack Huayang, and captured more than 300 levels, all the way to the bottom of Huayang City. The declaration said, if not, City, I am willing to pay the price of the son's head. Wei Nai promised five cities, and the Qin army retreated slightly. However, they still asked for ten cities in order to make peace. Now sir, tell me the truth, how much can the son hold!"
Zhang Zhe and the other three people felt helpless and sad. They were tricked by the Qin people. The other party easily beheaded three hundred heads as a bargaining chip for peace talks, and earned five cities. If Wei Qi's words were true, he got nothing but chicken feathers. But they are not convinced and they are fighting. How can their resistance become a bargaining chip in the hands of the enemy?
Zhang He said: "More than ten days ago, the Qin people attacked us with a small number. Although they gained little, it was not a crime of war. The officials used the civilian army to lure Qin forward in order to annihilate it; the Qin people were cunning and retreated looking at the city. , so I didn’t get what I wanted. You can’t win without fighting!”
Mr. Lin said: "Although this battle has not achieved full success, many parties are looking for opportunities to take advantage of the opportunity to resist the powerful Qin. We are here to take advantage of the opportunity to unblock the seal!"
Mr. Fan said: "Qin made a mistake! Qin thought it was victory when it was invincible, and Wei thought it was defeat when it was invincible. It is a pity that the city lost ground."
When Wei Qi heard this, his expression turned evil and he said in a low voice: "Sir, since you have a plan to defeat the enemy, what can you do if you let Qin fight with the prince? If the prince can retreat and strengthen Qin, he will not only make great contributions to the country, but also become famous all over the world. Lead the world!"
The three of them were surprised when they noticed that Wei Qi's attitude had changed drastically. Zhang Noi quickly stopped and said: "Wei is so different. Huayang is just a small country with a small army and a humble city, so how can we resist the strong Qin. Wei's virtue of caring for each other will be repaid by the humble people." Your Majesty, I will never forget you!"
Wei Qi's expression softened slightly and he said: "Young Master, it is unusual for you to go out into battle. If you attack and win, no one will take credit for it. If you make a slight mistake, no one will take it as a fault. I hope all the masters will look into it!"
The three of them had no choice but to bow down in the tunnel and say: "Fortunately, Prime Minister Wei taught me a lesson!"
Wei Qi said: "If you attack Zunzu, you can win thousands of miles away. You must be honest both inside and outside. Sir, tell me the truth. How will the battle be?"
After the previous lesson, Zhang Noi carefully organized his words and said: "A few days ago, the Qin people invaded with a partial army. They were not successful, but only suffered a small number of casualties. Now I have organized the army and practiced martial arts to wait for the Qin Dynasty to be strong. Although I dare not It is said that victory can be achieved in one battle. However, it is close to winter, the weather is cold and the ground is freezing, and the soldiers have too much food and clothing. Although they have the general's plan, they dig holes in the ground as shelter from the cold. This is not always the case. The army and food depend on the king. The government treasury is now empty and it is difficult to continue. Although, if Prime Minister Wei has orders, the king will sacrifice his life and try his best to achieve results."
Wei Qidao: "Young Master, when you go out into battle, you will have no success. However, you can't live in danger with a body of thousands of gold. That's why you can win a hundred battles. Who can win without fighting? It's close to the cold winter, sir. You know how difficult it is for you, Master." I also know it well. It is difficult for the prince, but it is still difficult for the Qin Dynasty. When troops are sent thousands of miles away, they rely on others for food, clothing, shelter and shelter. The soldiers are violent in the wild, the soil and water are not suitable for them, and the soldiers are many diseases. The filth in the city of Qifeng is so high that it is difficult for soldiers to hear it. The market is used to buy food for the army. , the money and food are limited, but the army's food is unlimited, it is difficult to last, and there will be changes in the long run. But if it changes, we can retreat the Qin people... but it still takes time. If you can hold on for a month, you will be a commoner."
Zhang Ye said: "A hundred thousand people, eating half a bucket a day, still need five thousand dan of food. Today's food price is 60 dan, totaling 300,000 taels of money. Tens of millions of dollars are needed a month. Things for clothing and clothing are as much as 5,000 dan." Outside. The weather is cold and the ground is freezing, so firewood is indispensable. When the army is close, the grass and trees are all gone, and everything we need must be obtained dozens of miles away. The most urgent thing is that the soldiers have no cold clothes."
Wei Qi said: "What the army needs is a city. I hope you will tell me, if you can hold it for a month, you can get a city. I hope you can plan well. If you can't, you can tell me urgently and offer ten cities to make peace." .”
Zhang Ye said: "I heard that Dr. Jia said that South Korea would send reinforcements. Is it possible?"
Wei Qi said: "The troops of Han are marching straight out of the five cities! The food and clothing are still outside. Besides, if Han and Qin are at peace, how can they help Wei attack Qin? It cannot be a plan."
Zhang Noi thought about it and felt that it made sense. King Wei wanted to invite the Qin army away with one or two cities, up to five cities; and inviting the Korean army to come for reinforcements also required five cities, so what was the point of inviting Korean reinforcements? But if there is no Korean aid and it is impossible for Daliang to send troops, then we can only fight the Qin army in a corner of Huayang. Is this possible?
Zhang Ye suddenly remembered something and asked with some confusion: "Huayang is attacking the enemy, is it okay?"
Wei Qi didn't seem to expect Zhang Zou to ask this question. In his impression, it would be good if Huayang could be defended, so he asked: "Can Huayang still attack Qin?"
Zhang Xian said: "It is urgent to defeat the enemy and use multiple methods to defeat it. Once it is exhausted, the three armies will follow and defeat it. This is the way to defeat the strong with the weak. Those who cannot do it in Huayang are afraid of being angry with Qin and misdirecting them." Prime Minister Wei also negotiates for peace."
Wei Qi thought for a while and said: "If Qin comes out, I won't come out; if Qin doesn't come out, then I will come out. If Qin doesn't fight, I won't fight. If Qin fights, I will also kill him. Is that right?"
Zhang He said: "We should report this to the emperor, and we should plot against the noble officials of Jin."
Wei Qi said: "Although the war has not been won and the peace agreement has not been concluded, the Qin people will not be able to retreat for a long time. How to deal with the hundreds of thousands of people should be discussed carefully with the officials."
Zhang Ye asked: "What do you mean?"
Wei Qi said: "Did Lieutenant Daliang not say anything? General Mang also said so! There are hundreds of thousands of people who are hungry and want to survive by plundering. Now the attack on the city is useless, and the plundering of the field is fruitless. The violent troops have been for months. The people are all tired. If you don’t have a way to deal with the consequences, you will be a thief and a very violent person!"
Zhang Ye said: "The civilian army lives in the wild and is very well-organized. There is no evidence of arrogance, treachery or cunning. Lord Xinling practiced it and thought it would be a strong force."
Wei Qidao said: "Food is the foundation of the people. If you get food, you will work hard and be driven, no matter what. Once you don't have food, thieves will arise. The so-called villain is a metaphor for profit. Nowadays, hundreds of thousands of people can get it. Food is available for attack and defense. If you lose it, raise your sword and face it. I only hope that you will see it."
Zhang He said: "The lesson taught by Prime Minister Wei is very true. One month's food requires tens of millions of money, which is beyond the power of the king. I hope Prime Minister Wei can raise it well."
Wei Qi laughed and said: "We, the king and the young master's retainers, depend on the king and the young master for their livelihood, so what else can they get? The young master and the king are brothers. Doesn't everything the king has only benefit the young master? Tens of millions of dollars are only two dollars. A thousand pieces of gold is enough for the young master to clean up his warehouse. But if he says he has nothing, then he wants to be harsh on his ministers! If Qin can retreat, but Wei can keep the city intact, how can Wang Ning treat the young master so lightly?"
Having said this, Zhang Nou knew in his heart that Wei Qi did not want to pay for it from the palace, and all the war expenses had to be borne by Lord Xinling himself.
At this moment, there was a knock on the door. Then Wei Zheng announced in front of the steps: "The prince's mansion has come to report. The king has sent Lord Longyang to the mansion to visit you. I hope you will come back soon!"
Wei Qi and others hurried out and saw the retainers of Mr. Wei's residence standing in front of the steps, with Wei Zheng and the elders of Mr. Wei's residence standing beside them. Wei Qi said: "I would like to hear the details!"
After paying homage, the retainer reported: "King Shi sent Lord Longyang to pass the palace. He heard that a gentleman had returned from Huayang. The king missed the young master and wanted to inquire about him. The ministers and others reported that it was what the prime minister had announced, and Lord Longyang stayed here. Waiting at the mansion. I don’t dare to bother Lord Longyang to wait for a long time, so I order you to please come back as soon as possible.”
Wei Qi said: "The king also knows that the gentlemen have returned to the country. Since the king has sent envoys to interrogate him, although I want to know more about the prince, I dare not stay. I hope the prince will be good at making plans to bring prosperity to all people."
Zhang Zhe and others immediately resigned and hurried back to Wei Gongzi's house. When asking for details on the way, the retainer said: "It seems that there is no other person, but I want to hear from you. Just answer carefully."
With a feeling of uneasiness, everyone took a shortcut back to the house through the back door, walked around to the front, and signed up in front of the steps: "Wei Shu Zhang Noi, Lin Jia, and Fan Fan are hereby ordered to pay homage to Lord Long Yang."
Lord Long Yang still sat humbly in the guest seat in the hall, but the retainers in the Young Master's Mansion did not dare to sit down at all. They all held hands and stood respectfully at their heads. Seeing the news at the bottom of the steps, Lord Longyang stood up, walked out of the hall, and returned the greeting on the steps: "The king heard that the gentleman from the young master's house has returned to the country. I have been ordered by the king to consult you if you have any questions!"
The three people at the bottom of the steps all responded in unison: "Here!"
