Sima Xin was detained at Simamen. In addition to eating normally, he took the initiative to ask an official guarding him about this and that, and he learned some things about the court. On this day, I suddenly heard that the imperial court had killed Prime Minister Li Si and was planning to worship Zhao Gao as the Prime Minister. Sima Xin was furious, thinking that the generals were fighting hard outside, and the imperial court had become so violent. If he didn't escape quickly and report to Zhang Han, he might not be able to save his life.
On this day, he saw a guard on duty always staring at a piece of beautiful jade he was wearing, so he took off the jade and gave it to the guard, saying: "Brother, please go and report to Mr. Zhao that I am important." If you want to see him about something, I will give this jade to you." The guard took the jade and was very happy and took Sima Xin out of the duty room. Sima Xin was originally a military commander. As soon as he went out, he knocked out the guard and took the jade pendant. Looking back, he saw a horse tied to the pillars, with the saddle and bridle complete. He hurriedly walked over and untied the horse, then mounted the horse and galloped out of Sima Gate. The sergeant guarding the door hurriedly stopped him, but Sima Xin killed him with a sword. Then he rushed out of the door and ran straight to the east.
Zhao Gao was overjoyed when he saw that Li Si was dead, so he hurried to report the situation to the Second Emperor. The second emperor appointed Zhao Gao as prime minister. Because Zhao Gao had been subjected to palace punishment, he was like an eunuch. Eunuchs were also called internal officials or middle officials, so he called Zhao Gao the middle prime minister. After Zhao Gaorong was promoted to prime minister, he was overjoyed and rushed home to celebrate. When he was happy, someone came to report that Sima Xin had killed the guard and escaped. When Zhao Gao heard the report, he couldn't help but feel nervous. He thought what if Zhang Han knew about Li Si's murder and he turned against him. Besides, Sima Xin must have heard a lot of things in the past few days. These things would definitely be nothing if Zhang Han knew about it. It's a good thing, so he immediately sent people to hunt down Sima Xin. However, the people sent failed to catch up because of Sima Xin's diversion.
Zhang Han was worried in the city of Handan. When he was patrolling during the day, he saw devastation everywhere and felt very depressed. That night, he was alone in the Huwei tent, absently looking at a military map under the dim light. At this time, Zhang Han already looked very haggard. He looked much older than when he had just been appointed as a general. His body seemed overwhelmed. The gray temples and wrinkles on his face proved how he worked day and night for state affairs. Hardworking. His military tent looked neat and simple. There was no red carpet on the floor, and there were no gorgeous decorations such as screens or curtains around it. There was only a woodcut print of a tiger hanging in the middle of the tent. This is clearly the kind of pattern that people liked during the Warring States Period. His sword, golden bow and quiver were hung on the sword stand next to him, and his golden sword was also placed on the weapon stand next to him. There was a dark purple rectangular table directly in front of him, and on the table was a quiver engraved with animal patterns. The entire military tent seemed somewhat solemn and mysterious.
Suddenly someone came in and reported that General Sima was back. When Zhang Han heard that Sima Xin was back, he stood up in surprise to greet him. After a while, Sima Xin was supported by two guards and walked into the tent. Seeing his condition, Zhang Han ordered someone to bring him a bowl of water. Zhang Han personally brought water for Sima Xin to drink. Sima Xin drank half the bowl, then held Zhang Han's hand and looked like he was about to cry without tears. Zhang Han asked what happened. Sima Xin choked and said: "General, something big happened in the court!" Zhang Han asked what happened. Sima Xin said sadly and angrily: "Zhao Gao deceived the superiors and deceived the subordinates. The Qin State is already finished!" At this time, other generals also rushed after hearing the news, and they all wanted to hear what news Sima Xin brought from the court. Zhang Han asked what happened in the court. Sima Xin said: "A year ago, Prime Minister Feng, Prime Minister Li, and General Feng Jie were all imprisoned for admonishing the emperor. Prime Minister Feng and General Feng committed suicide in prison because they were unwilling to be humiliated. However, Prime Minister Li He was framed by Zhao Gao and accused of collaborating with the enemy and treason. In order to clear up his grievances, he was tortured in prison. Just a few days ago, he was sentenced to five felony sentences by the court. He destroyed three tribes and one family died miserably! I went Xianyang, I didn’t see the emperor at all, and was detained in Simamen for several days. Later, I heard that the imperial court had killed Prime Minister Li and made Zhao Gao the prime minister. I earned the trust of the guards, escaped from Simamen, and won the battle all the way. When the generals left Xianyang, they did not dare to take the Hangu Pass road. They crossed the river from Pubanjin to escape Zhao Gao's pursuit!" At this time, the generals were already crowded in the tent. Everyone heard that Sima Xin sent There was no coming back at all, they were all filled with indignation and anger. Sima Xin said again: "General Zhang, the Qin State is no longer the former Qin State. The power has long been controlled by Zhao Gao. The emperor is just a puppet. No one else knows where he is?" Zhang Han was shocked when he heard this and fell down. On the seat.
At this time, the generals all condemned Zhao Gao. Captain Dong Yi said: "Now that Zhao Gao has monopolized power, and the emperor only trusts him, what hope do we have? Since ancient times, powerful ministers are doing things at home, but how can generals make achievements outside? We are like this Are you afraid that there will be no results in the future if you sacrifice your life?" Suddenly a person said angrily: "Zhao Gao has done such nonsense, and the emperor cannot distinguish right from wrong. It is really not worth it to work for such a court. It is better to go to Xianyang and kill the foolish emperor and the traitor. !" As soon as these words came out, all the generals were very shocked. It turned out that it was Zhang Han's younger brother Zhang Ping who said this. Zhang Han angrily scolded him: "What nonsense are you talking about? Come quickly, take this nonsense thing away and chop it up!" The generals were shocked and knelt down to plead for Zhang Ping. Zhang Han sternly scolded Zhang Ping and said: "Keep your head here for now. If you continue to talk nonsense, I will kill you!" Zhang Ping lowered his head and retreated. Zhang Han also asked everyone to go back and rest first.
After the generals went out, Zhang Han sat alone in the tiger tent, sighing and thinking: Qin has risen in the west in just twenty years since Duke Xiao appointed Lord Shang to carry out reforms. After the death of Duke Xiao, King Hui and King Wu continued to use troops abroad, thus annexing Hanzhong to the south, attacking Bashu in the west, opening up territory and expanding their territory, and they grew stronger day by day. The monarchs of the six countries were afraid of Qin's offensive, so they formed an alliance in an attempt to contain Qin, but they were no match for Qin. After the late emperor succeeded to the throne, he inherited the majesty of the six generations of previous kings. He pointed his sword at Guanzhong with a momentum like the avalanche of Kunlun, and the river surged down. He annexed the six countries in one fell swoop and unified China. After the late emperor came to the world, he hoped that the ruling order of Qin and the destiny of the country would be passed down from generation to generation, but unfortunately he encountered an accident while traveling. Hu Hai, who succeeded to the throne, was just mediocre in intelligence, but he was also a greedy guy with evil intentions. In order to eliminate dissidents, he went on a mass killing spree and built massive construction projects. He recruited millions of workers across the country to build palaces for him day and night. He also forced the people to move around, causing them to leave their homes and complain. After Chen Sheng rebelled, he sent Zhou Wen to attack the theater. I was ordered to go out to fight at the critical moment. After dozens of battles, I finally drove the rebels out. However, I never expected that after Zhang Chu's death, the remnants of the Chu land would resurface. The Xiang family's uncle and nephew actually supported a shepherd boy, King Chu Huai, to order the Chu people to continue to rebel against Qin. This was originally a way to fool the people, but the stupid and stubborn people in the Chu region believed them and really followed the shepherd boy as King Huai of Chu. In this way, the Chu region formed a powerful anti-Qin force. In addition, Xiang Liang was the son of Xiang Yan, which had great appeal. But in the battle of Dingtao, Xiang Liang died tragically and the Chu army was defeated. This is really satisfying. From then on, I also thought that the power of Pseudo-Chu was nothing more than this, but I never expected that Xiang Liang's nephew Xiang Yu was a madman. Rather than being a madman, he was the nemesis of Qin. Although he is only in his twenties now, he is unstoppable in fighting. Even Wang Li, the grandson of Wang Jian, is no match for him. The 100,000 Great Wall Army was completely annihilated, and he himself died in the battle. In the battle of Julu, my army of hundreds of thousands was defeated by Xiang Yu. This was really a strange phenomenon that was unheard of in the history of Qin. In today's world, Xiang Yu is born out of nowhere. Why is a young boy so good at fighting? And none of us are his opponents! It's really a shame to think that at my age, I was defeated by a cold boy one after another! It is also a shame for Qin! How can I have the dignity to return to Xianyang in the future? It seems that the prophecy of "Although Chu has three households, if Qin is destroyed, Chu will surely die" is indeed coming true. What is Qin's hope now? What's the future? What is hateful is that so many things happening in the capital are unpredictable and unimaginable. What's more, is there any other despicable and dirty things hidden in the majestic Xianyang Palace? I didn’t know that the Qin State had already created so many unjust, false and wrongful cases? The imperial capital of Great Qin, the majestic Xianyang, has turned into a hell on earth where people talk about it with disgrace! Not to mention how the second generation did not distinguish between right and wrong and confused black and white, what is even more infuriating is that the traitor Zhao Gao turned the clouds over and covered the sky with one hand. He has long been confident in his methods of killing loyal ministers, not only to the court, but also to the people below. Who among the people in the country today does not feel that their future is bleak? With such a dark rule, how can people not look forward to chaos in the world? Judging from the nervousness of General Sima's escape from Xianyang, we can see how rampant Zhao Gao's domineering and inhumane attitude has become! Zhao Gao is just a traitor, a blood-devouring devil, a murderous executioner, a villain in the market, and a pervert who controls the upper hand. Now my family is also in Xianyang. If I do anything wrong and Zhao Gao catches me, even if I risk my life and fight to the death with the Chu army, something will happen to me in the end. What’s more, Xiang Yu is another A god of war, an unparalleled warrior in the Six Kingdoms. I have played against him many times, but I have never been a match for him. Think about the battle of Julu. Qin's three to four hundred thousand soldiers were vulnerable to his powerful offensive and were completely defeated. Now the Qin army has no fighting spirit and will have no fighting spirit. Everyone is pessimistic and disappointed and does not want to fight anymore. I am even more miserable in my heart. Think about it, the current Qin army has long lost the majestic and domineering power it once had when it swallowed up mountains and rivers, and the majestic power it had when it wiped out the six kingdoms. Alas, things are unpredictable and life is unpredictable? Is it really the time for Qin to set its sights and run out of energy? Now even if Jiang Ziya is alive and Sun Wuzi is resurrected, I am afraid that he will not be able to restore the situation of Qin! When Zhang Han thought of this, he burst into tears and sighed. After a while, he stood up and walked out of the tent, then looked up and stared at the deep and confusing night sky, as if he saw the future of Qin State. Zhang Han could not calm down for a long time.
Early the next morning, the desolate and tragic sounds of fighting still sounded in the military camp. Zhang Han woke up from the nightmare. Although he was physically and mentally exhausted, his sleepiness had long since disappeared without a trace. Suddenly he heard someone making a noise outside the tent, and the guards came in and reported: "General, there is an envoy from the State of Zhao." When Zhang Han heard that it was an envoy from the State of Zhao, he was very surprised. He was silent for a while, and then asked the guards to Ambassador Zhao brought him in.
After a while, a tall and thin man walked into Zhang Han's tent. After saluting, he said: "I am General Chen Yu's messenger. Now General Chen has written you a letter, please see it." Then he took out the letter from his arms. The guard took the letter from his hand and presented it with both hands. Zhang Hanjian wrote above:
Your Excellency General Zhang: I heard that Bai Qi was a famous general of the Qin State. He conquered Yanying in the south, attacked Zhao State in the north, and defeated the Zhao army. He once achieved a glorious victory in the Battle of Changping, and conquered many cities and occupied land for the Qin State. There were too many to mention, but in the end they were sentenced to death by King Qin. Meng Tian was also a famous general of the Qin State. He attacked the Xiongnu in the north and expanded the territory for thousands of miles. In the end, he also died in Yangzhou County. Even the current General Yang Xiong was no exception and was brutally killed. What is the reason? Isn't it because their contribution is too great for the king to reward them?
Now the general has been leading troops for three years, and has lost more than 100,000 troops. However, the number of people in the Six Kingdoms uprising continues unabated. I have also known for a long time that Zhao Gao of Qin State deceived the emperor too much. He concealed all the documents from various places and did not report them. The situation is urgent now, and I am afraid that I will be punished, so I try every means to cover up his crimes, and thereby harm the general at every turn. I also heard that he will send another general to replace you. This is extremely unfair to the general! Think about the general's contribution and merit to Qin, who can compare with it? In the past, the ministers of the State of Qin all recommended the general to take charge of his own affairs, but now the people who recommended you have been killed by the second generation. Will the disaster of the general be far behind? Moreover, the general has been leading troops outside for a long time, but he doesn't know anything about the internal affairs of the court. Don't you know that Zhao Gao has long regarded you as a thorn in his side?
Since ancient times, treacherous ministers have stirred up trouble inside, but how can loyal ministers make meritorious deeds outside? Everyone knows that if a general has merit, he will die, and if he has no merit, he will die. But why did the dignified husband die at the hands of an eunuch? Now you have no foothold in the court, and you are a defeated general outside. You are isolated and helpless, and you are in a dilemma. How long can the general continue to support you? I am privately worried for you, so I wrote this letter specifically to persuade you to declare your righteousness, abandon darkness and turn to the light, and join forces with the Allies to jointly attack the brutal Qin State. If this is the case, firstly, the general can divide the land of Qin, secondly, he can avoid death, and thirdly, he can save the lives of his whole family. General, please think carefully? Which scenario would be better? Chen Yudun bowed his head.
Zhang Han's hands kept shaking as he read the letter. After reading it the first time, he read it a second time, and pondered over the meaning over and over again. His heart was shocked. At this time, other generals also arrived after hearing the news. They looked at Zhang Han's slightly trembling body and asked, "General, what does the letter say?" Zhang Han couldn't help but look up to the sky and sighed several times before passing the letter on. Let everyone take a look. After the generals read the letter, they fell silent collectively. Suddenly someone said loudly: "The second generation is foolish and ignorant. Zhao Gao deceives his superiors and subordinates. All the generals and ministers are indeed dead. What hope do we have? Chen Yu is right. Even if we win the battle, Zhao Gao will Can Gao let us go?"
The person who said this was Chang Shi Sima Xin. After listening to his words, Zhang Han felt full of contradictions in his heart. Yes, although they did not want to betray the country at all, the current situation of Qin and the defeat on the battlefield had forced them to have no way out. According to Qin law: Qin's general's defeat is an unforgivable crime. Zhang Han thought of all the instances of Zhao Gao harming Qin again, and felt completely desperate. Not only Zhang Han thought this way, but other generals also thought so, and everyone started talking about it. In short, they all believed that the imperial court was indeed hopeless, and such a foolish king could no longer rely on him. If he continued to follow a foolish king, no one would have any hope.
Suddenly someone came in and reported that Xiang Yu had led the allied forces to attack Handan City. After hearing this, Zhang Han became more and more nervous and said hurriedly: "The people here have moved away and the city has been destroyed. What can we do to resist now?" Just when Zhang Han was hesitant, he suddenly heard that the Chu army The shouts of killing were getting closer and closer, the charging horns also sounded one after another, and the war drums sounded as thrillingly as thunder. Zhang Han knew at this time that the Qin army was demoralized and could no longer block the Chu army, so he had no choice but to order a full retreat. The two hundred thousand Qin troops fled amidst the shouts of the allies and retreated hastily.
Zhang Han led the Qin army to the Zhangshui River. Seeing the big river in front of him and the pursuing troops behind him, he looked up to the sky and shouted: "I don't want my 200,000 soldiers to die here!" Suddenly someone shouted: "General, don't be discouraged. , we have a last-ditch fight, the outcome is still uncertain!" Zhang Han's spirit was shaken, and he thought: Yes, isn't there "put yourself to death and survive" in the art of war? Now that the Qin army has reached a desperate situation, they can only fight hard and fight to the death. Maybe they can save the situation? Zhang Han thought of this and decisively ordered: "Soldiers! We have no retreat. If we fight to the death, there is still a chance of survival!" As soon as he finished speaking, he heard roars from all around. All the soldiers in the army said in unison: "Fight with the Chu people! Fight with Xiang Yu! Fight with each other..." The voice was as loud as a tsunami. But after waiting for a long time, Chu Jun's voice became smaller and smaller, and after a while no sound was heard. Later, the military spies came back and reported that after the Chu army occupied Handan City, only Yingbu and General Pu pursued them for a distance, while the others were stationed in Handan City and did not move out. When Zhang Han heard that Xiang Yu didn't come, he let out a long breath and said: "It turns out that I scared myself all the way and lost a lot of luggage!" Zhang Han felt regretful and asked everyone to set up camp and go down to the camp. , and sent sergeants along the river to search for ships and prepare to cross the river.
After the Qin army's camp was set up, Zhang Han called everyone to discuss the matter. Zhang Ping said: "Brother, in the battle of Julu, the entire Great Wall Army was wiped out, and the morale of our army is not high. Now instead, the rebels are winning one after another, and their morale is high. We will not be able to defeat the enemy in a short time. I think the defeat is certain." , is it not something we can save? If the Chu army attacks again now, we will have no way out. It is better to find a way to make peace with the Chu army and stop fighting!" After hearing what his brother said, Zhang Han said angrily: "We My family members are all in Guanzhong, and there may be Zhao Gao's spies in the army. But you say such things, aren't you inviting disaster on your own? Let me kill you, you idiot, first!" Then he ordered Zhang Ping to be pushed out and beheaded. . When the generals heard this, they were shocked and quickly begged the general for mercy. Zhang Ping was spared the death penalty, but was severely beaten twenty times. Zhang Han therefore ordered the army: no one should say the word "peace", otherwise they would be beheaded.
Xiang Yu came to Handan City and saw that the Qin army had fled without a trace, so he wanted to chase Zhang Han himself. But Fan Zeng advised: "There is Zhangshui blocking the front. If our army pursues it with all its strength, the Qin army will fight to the death with its back to the water. This is a taboo in the art of war! Now we can only postpone the advance. As time goes by, the Qin army will slack off. If you are lazy, you will find a way to cross the river. Wait until the Qin army is halfway across and attack again, and you will win a great victory!" Xiang Yu followed Fan Zeng's advice and stopped advancing troops for the time being, and Zhang Han also escaped a disaster.
Zhao Gao was a conspirator. He had already placed ears and eyes in Zhang Han's military camp. The ears and eyes found out some things that happened at this time and then reported to Zhao Gao. When Zhao Gao learned that Zhang Han's soldiers hated him deeply, he became uneasy. He was afraid that Zhang Han's soldiers would be disadvantageous to him after they returned to the court after winning the battle, so he simply tried to find a way to get rid of them. He immediately came to see the Second Emperor and said: "Zhang Han is ready to surrender to the Chu invaders." After hearing this, the Second Emperor was naturally shocked and asked what evidence there was. Zhao Gao asked his eyes and ears to come in and tell the story of Chen Yu's correspondence and everyone's dissatisfaction with the court in a convincing manner. After hearing this, the Second Emperor was furious and issued an edict to immediately arrest Zhang Han's whole family and take them to the city to be executed by Cao Cao. The Second Emperor never expected that it was this wrong atrocity of his that would really provoke Zhang Han and ruin the Qin Dynasty.
