Zhao Guo won a precious breathing space after Li Mu continuously repelled the Qin army's attacks.
No matter how confused King Zhao was, he still knew the situation of Zhao State. Zhao State's national strength was now empty. Although Zhao's army had won the victory, it had injured one thousand enemies and suffered eight hundred losses to itself. The consumed troops could not be replenished in a short time. Therefore, Zhao State was eager to seek foreign aid at this time and wanted to join forces to resist Qin.
Li Mu said: "Now South Korea has surrendered to the Qin State. The Wei State has been hit hard by Qin one after another and cannot protect itself. The Yan State has been at war with the Zhao State for many years and will definitely not help the Zhao State. The Chu State is in the midst of civil strife and has no time to take care of him. Only Qi The country has not experienced war for many years and is capable of rescuing Zhao. Please send an envoy to Qi, hoping that the Qi army can form an alliance with me."
So Zhao State sent envoys to Qi State for help.
Qin's spies quickly noticed Zhao's intentions and immediately sent Yao Jia to Qi to lobby to destroy the Qi-Zhao alliance. Yao Jia took a thousand gold with him and traveled at night and under the stars to Qi State.
However, he hurried slowly. Due to the long journey, Yao Jia arrived in Linzi later than the Zhao envoy.
The envoy from the State of Zhao arrived in Linzi first, and the King of Qi treated him with courtesy. The envoy from Zhao said: "Does your Majesty know the story of Jin Xian's false attack on Guo? Once Guo dies, it will be difficult to save Yu. As the saying goes, Qi and Zhao are dependent on each other. Once Qin conquers Zhao, Qi will be the next target. The state of Qi will inevitably be difficult to protect, so please send reinforcements to rescue Zhao."
King Jian of Qi was originally a short-sighted man. He had no independent opinions when it came to things, and he always listened to the advice of his favorite minister Hou Sheng in everything. Hou Sheng was not around at this time. Although Qi Wangjian felt that what the Zhao envoy said was reasonable, he did not dare to make a decision. He just said: "What the envoy said is reasonable. I will make a decision after my king and ministers discuss it!"
Zhao had no choice but to withdraw from the court first.
Returning to the hotel, Zhao was very depressed. At this time, a Zhao businessman asked to see him. The Zhao envoy was a little curious, so he invited him in and asked, "What do you want from me, sir?"
The businessman replied: "My name is Zhao Shangwu. He is originally from Handan. He is now doing sea salt business between Qi and Zhao. I heard that your Excellency has come to Linzi, so I came here to pay you a visit! I hope I can do my best for my motherland."
"I see. Sir, you often travel around the State of Qi. Do you know which minister the King of Qi trusts the most in the State of Qi?"
"Now everyone in the Qi Kingdom knows that the King of Qi loves Hou Sheng the most, and they live and eat together. The King of Qi has to discuss everything with Hou Sheng before making a decision. Hou Sheng is greedy and cunning. I heard that he wants to see him. Everyone has to pay a sum of money for the meeting first, otherwise there won’t even be a chance to meet!”
Zhao was startled and immediately understood why King Qi did not give him an answer in the court today. He said: "Sir, is there any way for me to meet Hou Sheng? How much is the meeting fee?"
"I have a younger brother who works as an errand in Housheng Mansion. As long as there is a meeting fee, I believe it is okay to meet him. It's just that the meeting fee costs a hundred gold. Have you ever paid enough for me?"
Ambassador Zhao was shocked again. He didn't expect this person to be so greedy! He let out a long sigh and said: "Our Zhao country is poor and weak, how can we have so much money? This time I came here, I only brought a hundred gold in total, and there is not much left after excluding normal expenses..."
Zhao Shangwu was also surprised. He didn't expect that the dignified envoy of Zhao State would be so poor, so he said: "Sir, don't worry. I have been doing business all year round and have some savings at home. I should be able to collect a hundred gold!"
Ambassador Zhao said: "Hey... Mr. Thank you!"
After Zhao Shangwu returned home, he sold all his property and just collected a hundred gold. The boy at home was very puzzled and said: "Why did the master ruin his family property for an unrelated person?"
Zhao Shangwu replied: "The envoy from Zhao is not an irrelevant person. If Zhao is defeated, wouldn't we who are living abroad be even more despised? If the skin is gone, how can the hair be attached?"
Zhao Shangwu gave all the money he raised to Ambassador Zhao, paving the way for him to win later.
The Zhao envoy was very moved and said: "People often say that Yan and Zhao have many generous and tragic people. Today I can see you, sir. I believe it! In the future, I will report it to the Ming Dynasty and reward you generously!"
Zhao Shangwu said: "I am not here for the reward. I hope you will succeed!"
So the envoy from Zhao came to see him and won.
When he came to Housheng Mansion, he saw that everything was magnificent, full of rare and rare treasures, and graceful women were everywhere. Ambassador Zhao couldn't help but be shocked and angry, "Now that Qin's ambition to unify the world has been revealed, Qi's monarchs and ministers How can he be completely aloof from the matter? With such a monarch and his ministers, it is strange that the country will not be destroyed!"
Hou Sheng met the Zhao envoy and saw that the Zhao envoy was plainly dressed. He felt contempt in his heart and said, "Why do you, your envoy, see the true face of the envoy?"
The Zhao envoy said: "Now the war between Qin and Zhao is imminent. Without Qi's assistance, Zhao will surely perish. If Zhao dies, Qi will not be able to survive alone."
Hou Sheng laughed and said: "Sir, are you being alarmist! Zhao State has been destroyed, and there are also Chu State, Wei State, and Yan State. How can we say that Qi State will be destroyed next?"
The Zhao envoy was very angry when he saw that Hou Sheng was so stubborn, but at this time he had to suppress his anger and said: "How can the prime minister say this? If every time Qin attacks a country, other princes will die without saving it, and there will be no princes in the world. He is the opponent of Qin! Every vassal state cannot escape the fate of destruction!"
When Hou Sheng saw that the envoy Zhao was blaming him, he felt very unhappy. He also saw that the envoy Zhao was so plainly dressed. He must be a rich man and could not give himself any extra money. He said, "I will consider your words. Now that I have something else to do, I won’t accompany you anymore. Come and see the guests off!”
Ambassador Zhao wanted to say something else, but the person seeing him off was already urging him to leave. In desperation, Ambassador Zhao had no choice but to leave.
Let us say that when Yao Jia came to Linzi, he went straight to the Prime Minister's Mansion. He first sent an envoy to deliver 500 gold to Hou Sheng's Mansion, and then he went to see Hou Sheng and said: "If Qi State helps Zhao State now, it will be really bad." Unwise choice!”
Hou Sheng knew that Yao Jia was a lobbyist for the Qin State, so he deliberately said: "How can you say this? Qi and Zhao are so close to each other, how can you say that it is unwise to save Zhao?"
Yao Jia said: "Qi Zhao is different from Yu and Guo. Qi and Zhao are big countries competing for supremacy. If Zhao is strong, it will threaten Qi. If Qi is strong, Zhao will be afraid. Saving Zhao at this time is tantamount to moving away. To hit oneself in the foot with a stone is to set oneself on fire! Has the Prime Minister forgotten about the five kingdoms' conquest of Qi?"
What Yao Jia was talking about was that Qi State attacked and destroyed Song State several decades ago, which aroused the dissatisfaction of the princes. Yan, Han, Zhao, Wei, and Chu all attacked Qi, and Qi State was almost destroyed.
Hou Sheng had already accepted Yao Jia's property, but now he felt that what he said was reasonable, so he said: "Fortunately, sir, you came to remind us that we were almost deceived by Zhao Guo!"
The next day Hou Sheng went to see the King of Qi and relayed Yao Jia's message to the King of Qi. The King of Qi also recalled the past events of the Five Kingdoms attacking Qi, so he rejected the Zhao envoy's request and drove the Zhao envoy out of Qi.
Zhao Guo's plan to unite Qi failed like this!
In the seventeenth year of the Qin Dynasty, the Qin State had completely pacified South Korea. However, both Zhao and Qin suffered severe droughts in this year. Due to the great role of the Zheng Guo Canal, the Qin State did not have a complete grain harvest, while the Zhao State's land was basically destroyed. It is a barren mountainous area with almost no production! So King Qin decided to take the opportunity to attack Zhao again!
But at this moment, news suddenly came that the Queen Mother Huayang was seriously ill, and the King of Qin had no choice but to order a postponement of the attack on Zhao.
Among the three queen mothers who assisted Ying Zheng in the early days of his accession to the throne, Empress Dowager Xia initially did not approve of Ying Zheng's accession to the throne, so Ying Zheng was not close to her; Empress Dowager Zhao was originally his biological mother, but since she had Lao Ai moved to Yongcheng to live, and the mother and son rarely saw each other a few times a year; only the Queen Mother of Huayang always supported him silently behind his back, whether it was Cheng Jiao's rebellion or Lao Ai's coup, Huayang The Queen Mother was firmly on his side.
Therefore, Ying Zheng was the closest to the Queen Mother Huayang. For this reason, Ying Zheng did not hesitate to make Mi Hong the queen. If nothing else happens, Fu Su would definitely be the prince in the future.
When the Queen Mother Huayang was seriously ill, Ying Zheng always stayed by her bedside.
Mi Hong felt sorry for him and said: "Your Majesty, please go back and rest first. I will take care of grandma!"
Ying Zheng said with a sad face: "When I was in the most difficult times, it was my grandmother who protected me from wind and rain. Now that she is seriously ill, shouldn't I show my filial piety?"
So Mi Hong refused to leave the window, and Mi Hong had no choice but to stay with Ying Zheng. The two cuddled up like this, often falling asleep without even realizing it.
Although Ying Zheng invited the best doctors for the Empress Dowager Huayang, the condition of the Empress Dowager Huayang continued to deteriorate.
When the Empress Dowager Huayang was awake, she held Ying Zheng's hand and said in a weak voice: "Zheng'er, my grandmother never had a child in her life, but you and your father gave me the opportunity to be a mother and a grandmother. I will die." Rest in peace!"
Ying Zheng said sadly: "Grandma, don't talk nonsense. You will be fine. I have hired the best doctor for you!"
"I know my own body. I often think of how you looked when you first came to Xianyang. Although you were plainly dressed, you always had a weird and elf energy! Haha... At that time, I thought, I must let this The child became the king of Qin. You have lived up to your grandmother’s wish!"
Hearing this, Ying Zheng could no longer hold back and shed tears. Recalling the ups and downs of the past ten years, and the flash of swords and swords, without the support of the Queen Mother Huayang, perhaps he would not be able to make it today.
Ying Zheng cried: "My grandson will definitely live up to his grandmother, and I will definitely become a wise king."
Queen Mother Huayang said: "I know you are diligent and studious and good at taking opinions, but you are still young and it is inevitable that you will act out of emotion when doing things. You should think twice before you act in the future!"
Every word of Queen Mother Huayang pierced Ying Zheng's heart. Ying Zheng cried: "Grandma, don't worry!"
Queen Mother Huayang said again: "Hong'er is my only granddaughter. She has no relatives in Qin. She has been weak since she was a child. You must promise me to treat her well when I am gone!"
"My grandson will definitely treat her well. As long as I eat dry food, I will never let her drink watery food!"
"Then I'm relieved. While I can still speak, I have a few words to say to Hong'er. Please help me call her in!"
"My grandson obeys!"
"Wipe your tears before you go out. You are already the king of a country. You are still crying like a three-year-old child. You will be laughed at."
It had been a long time since anyone had spoken to Ying Zheng in this tone, and he felt very cordial. Ying Zheng couldn't help being amused by the Queen Mother Huayang, so he wiped away his tears, walked outside and said to Mi Hong, "Grandma asked you to come in. She has something to say to you."
Mi Hong entered the house and knelt down in front of Queen Mother Huayang's window. Looking at her grandmother's weak body, she thought that she would never have anyone to talk to her in the palace of Qin again. She felt sad because of it and had not yet spoken. , and was already crying.
Queen Mother Huayang held Mi Hong's hand, smiled slightly, and said: "You are still so weak, like a child! You are now a mother! You must learn to be strong!"
Mi Hong stopped crying and said, "Grandma, please get well soon. How can I live without you in the future?"
"Silly girl, without me, you still have Zheng'er and Fusu!"
Mi Hong recalled that over the past year or so, various countries had donated many beauties to Qin, and more and more palaces were built in Xianyang. However, King Qin spent less and less time with her, and she felt so lonely that she immediately started crying again. .
Queen Mother Huayang asked again: "I have been in Qin for more than forty years, and all the kings of Qin have treated me favorably. Do you know the reason?"
Mi Hong was shocked and knew that her grandmother was going to question her, so she replied: "My aunt has been born with beauty and intelligence since she was a child, so naturally everyone likes her!"
Empress Dowager Huayang shook her head and said: "There are three thousand beauties in Queen Qin's harem, but looks alone cannot win long-term favor. The reason why I have always been treated favorably is because I know how to judge the situation and know what to do and what not to do. It’s because Chu State exists!”
What Empress Dowager Huayang said was something Mi Hong had never thought of. She couldn't react for a moment, so she asked, "What does it mean to assess the situation?"
"Assessing the situation is to see clearly what the King of Qin is thinking and not to go against his wishes. Sometimes you have to act decisively. For example, if you have some concubines that you have favored for a long time, you have to design and eliminate them! Otherwise, your status will be threatened."
"Then what benefit does the existence of Chu State bring to you?"
"The State of Chu is a big country. No matter what decision the State of Qin makes, it must first consider the influence of the State of Chu. For the princess of the State of Chu to be the queen of the State of Qin is a way for the King of Qin to show his goodwill to the State of Chu! Therefore, you must work hard Protect Chu State."
Mi Hong already understood what Queen Mother Huayang meant. But a question suddenly came to her mind, and she said: "Then if the king is determined to destroy the Chu State, how can I preserve the Chu State without violating the king's wishes?"
Queen Mother Huayang was stunned and said: "I haven't thought about this yet, let me think about it..."
After a while, Queen Mother Huayang still didn't move. Mi Hong shook her, but she still didn't respond. When she touched her breath, Queen Mother Huayang had no breath at all. Mi Hong cried loudly: "Grandma, wake up..."
The Queen Mother Huayang passed away.
People outside heard Mi Hong's cry and rushed into the house quickly. Ying Zheng looked at all this and suddenly couldn't hold back his tears...
The King of Qin held a grand state funeral for the Queen Mother Huayang, and buried her together with Duke Xiaowen of Qin.
Queen Mother Huayang was childless throughout her life, but she was able to enjoy the treatment of a queen mother for twenty years, and finally died a good death. It cannot but be said that she was a woman who was good at judging the situation! If the concubines in the harem could be like the Queen Mother Huayang, they would probably have no regrets!
