Zhao Yong had also heard of King Han's reputation for being good at playing chess.
But at this time, King Han wanted King Zhao to play chess, obviously not just because of hobby.
As the saying goes, chess has its own way of cheating and cheating.
In this era, using chess as a metaphor has always been a means of dialogue between high-ranking people.
Regarding the art of Go, Zhao Yong can only say that he has a slight understanding of it.
And compared to Go, he still prefers backgammon...
But since King Han invited him, he couldn't refuse, so he agreed.
Han Kang then clapped his hands happily, and then several ladies in palace clothes who had been waiting for a long time walked in outside the hall. In their hands they held soft long mats, charcoal fire stoves and chess sets filled with black and white chess pieces.
Zhao Yong and Han Kang then sat facing each other around the tables in the middle of the lobby.
It wasn't until he got closer that Zhao Yong saw that the tabletops in the lobby were actually a natural chessboard with dozens of chess lines engraved on it.
It seems that King Han came here intentionally.
But when it comes to playing chess, how can a rookie like Zhao Yong beat Han Kang, an old fox?
In just half an hour, thirty-one of his black stones had been eaten, and almost all of the central area was occupied by white stones.
Zhao Yong couldn't help but curl up the corner of his mouth. This old man is not arrogant at all.
As the sunspot was lost again, King Han suddenly said leisurely: "Look at today, Han, Wei, Zhao, Chu, Qin, Yue, Qi, Song..."
The words seem to contain an analysis of the current situation of the princes and countries.
Zhao Yongzheng wanted to speak.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door outside the hall.
"Winter, winter, winter"
Han Kang turned to the guards and nodded.
As the palace door opened, another palace lady who looked like a lady walked in. She was holding a tray in her hand. It looked like she was replacing the hot water.
But when Han Kang saw the person coming, his brows suddenly raised.
Zhao Yong was still looking down at the chessboard at this time, not noticing the sudden change in the opponent's expression. His brain was thinking about the meaning of Han Kang's words.
The lady making tea has quietly come to the king's couch.
Zhao Yong turned his head and glanced subconsciously. Almost at the moment he was sizing up the person, he was stunned. The words of King Han were instantly thrown out of his mind.
Zhao Yong's mentality of loving beautiful women is probably something he can't change in two lifetimes, but with his current status, there are really not many women who can make him look moved at the first sight.
"God's Coming"
But the moment he saw this woman, that feeling reminded Zhao Yong of the first time he met Yao Lan.
But when it comes to who is more beautiful, Yao Lan or the ladies, Zhao Yong really couldn't make a decision for a while. Because they are not the same type at all. Anyway, he had never seen a more beautiful woman than Yao Lan in Zhao State before this.
Although Si Yue and Meng Rou are both rare beauties, they are still slightly inferior to Yao Lan.
Yao Lan always likes to wear dark robes, and her body often exudes a cold, as if repulsive temperament. In this regard, Zhao Yong feels that she is more similar to the original Luo Coral.
But the lady in front of her was wearing a bright and dignified palace maid's outfit, and she always had a faint smile in the corner of her eyes. Furthermore, almost all the women who have been close to Zhao Yong have double eyelids, such as Coral's exquisite red and phoenix eyes, but this lady in front of her has a rare single eyelid. Yao Lan's skin is very white, as white as snow outside, and this lady does not show any concessions, her skin seems to be more transparent, and her figure is graceful, even the loose palace clothes can't completely cover it.
He seems to be twenty-eight years old, but he has a sense of grace.
After coming back to his senses and looking again, Zhao Yong suddenly felt that there seemed to be something missing in the eyes of the young lady in front of him...
fear! It was because of fear that the lady showed no fear in her eyes towards the two kings Han and Zhao who had been in high positions for a long time.
Zhao Yong had to continue thinking...perhaps this lady was the valet of King Han.
Thinking of this, he had to sigh in his heart.
There was a lot of thought in my heart, and time actually passed in less than a moment.
Zhao Yong calmed down and turned to Han Kang and said, "I have heard for a long time that King Han is good at chess. When I saw him today, it turned out to be true."
As he spoke, he kept glancing at the lady kneeling to the side, lowering her head to make tea. Zhao Yong never noticed anything wrong in the eyes of the opposite King Han from beginning to end.
Han Kang waved his hand and pretended to smile casually: "South Korea is not as good as Zhao, and I am not as good as King Zhao. Now Zhao is vigorously engaged in military affairs, but South Korea's national power is weak. South Korea cannot mobilize military forces, and I can only play chess in the palace. Just to relieve my boredom."
What does this old fox have in mind?
Zhao Yongsishen took a moment and replied: "The king of Han is humble. The radius of Han's territory is nine hundred miles. There are tens of thousands of armored men and thousands of chariots. Han has powerful crossbows with a range of six hundred steps. Han has warriors, all with armor and swords." Of course, why is South Korea so weak?"
These remarks are indeed business blowback. But Han Kang disdained flattery from others. If King Zhao said it, he really liked to hear it.
Zhao Yong suddenly became interested and continued to talk to Han Kang: "A certain chess strategy suddenly spread in Handan a few days ago, and I am also fascinated by it. Now it happens that the King of Han is good at chess. Why don't you help me solve my doubts?"
"Oh? Please ask King Zhao to play chess." As a chess gourmet, Han Kang's curiosity was immediately aroused.
At this time, Zhao Yong noticed that the lady who was making tea also looked slightly sideways and seemed to be quite interested.
Zhao Yong then broke up the chessboard that had already fallen into defeat, and then set it up according to the specifications of backgammon. But every four steps, the black and white characters are deliberately allowed to cross each other.
The more Han Kang watched, the more surprised he became. When Zhao Yong set it up, there was no trace of Go rules on the chessboard.
Han Kang looked up at the opposite side and said with a smile: "The dispute between the black and white started in Tianyuan, and the fighting started in the middle. As the saying goes, 'golden horns, silver edges, grass belly', but in this situation, they did not seize the ground and focused on encirclement and suppression. If you think about it, the person who made the layout must be a magnanimous general." Then he frowned and said, "However, this white chess piece has no energy and is dead, so why didn't the person who made the layout mention it?"
Zhao Yong explained aloud: "The King of Han does not know. Although this chess piece is made of black and white pieces, the chess structure is different from ordinary ones. It requires five pieces to be connected to win. The two sides do not have to kill all the pieces. They only need to prevent the five pieces from connecting. Can."
"Oh? There is such a chess system in the world?" Han Kang said in surprise.
There was also a hint of curiosity in the little lady's eyes.
"Don't you think, King Han, that this chess system is similar to the current situation in the world?" Zhao Yong said leisurely.
Han Kang couldn't help but flash a light in his eyes: "Please ask King Zhao to clear up the confusion."
Zhao Yong no longer stopped at the lake and said truthfully: "Listen to what I just said, the worries of the king of Han are the same as this chess game; the current situation in the world is just like this chessboard. Looking at the world, Han seems to be located in Tianyuan, and the military strategists must fight for it. It is a must-fight place. If Qi wants to advance westward to the Central Plains, it must pass through South Korea. If Qin wants to go east, he must first attack South Korea. Although South Korea is not weak, it may be disadvantageous to fight with these two powerful countries... Of course, South Korea alone The power is undoubtedly an egg hitting a stone, but as I just said, if all the countries in the world connect the five pieces in this chess game, South Korea can fight."
"Hahahahahaha, King Zhao said that my heart is gone. I heard that in the battle in the northern border of your country, the Hu people were instigated by the Qin State. Looking at the battle in Jinyang again, the Qin State caused trouble again and bullied Han and Wei to attack. With Zhao. Today, Qin's national strength is in decline, why doesn't King Zhao stop honoring the treaty and send troops to Hangu?" Han Kang said truthfully.
Zhao Yong shook his head. Regarding the invitation from the King of Han, to be precise, it should be the invitation from the two countries, Han and Wei. All he could say was sorry.
Compared with the situation where Han and Wei were not disturbed by barbarians, Zhao's national conditions were different, and destroying Qin was by no means a one-day effort, at least not now.
Zhao Yong believed that the Three Jin Dynasties were still unable to destroy the Qin State at this time.
The reason why Qin was defeated in the Battle of Jinyang, to put it bluntly, was because Zhao Yong relied on the power of the prophet and the sneak attacks of Han and Wei. If it were a head-on confrontation, it would be difficult for the three Jins to win.
Zhao Yong suddenly changed the subject and asked: "Why does the King of Han think Qin is strong today?" He wanted to hear the views of this king of another country.
When Han Kang saw that Zhao Yong had no intention of continuing to attack Qin, he couldn't help but sigh: "Qin has the stronghold of Weihan. It can advance, attack, retreat or defend. If the Kanto countries want to attack Qin, the only places they can choose are Hangu Pass and Wuguan..."
Han Kang talked a lot about the other party, all talking about Qin's "innate advantages" and ignoring Qin's acquired changes.
Maybe it wasn't that he didn't know, but that he didn't mention it on purpose. Reform, no matter in that era or in that country, was a closely guarded topic. From the king of a country to the common people, they talked about it with vehemence.
Seeing this, Zhao Yong said bluntly: "I have different opinions from the King of Han. I think that Qin's geographical advantages are shared by all countries. The strength of Qin lies not in its geographical advantages, but in the people's hearts and its laws. The strength of Qin lies in its laws. Rely on new laws, and secondly, rely on farming and warfare. The new laws strengthen their household registration, and farming and warfare benefit their people. Looking at the Qin State today, the people of Qin do not distinguish high or low based on their birth, but judge their titles based on their military exploits. The soldiers of the Qin State dare to use their lives in battle. How can you not be strong?"
The reform Zhao Yong mentioned here is not actually a reform in the actual sense. It lies in the implementation and thoroughness of implementation.
If we really talk about it, the general content of Shang Jun's reform was actually "plagiarized" from the reform systems of the Kanto countries. For example, the system of prefectures and counties was first initiated by the Chu State in the late Spring and Autumn Period. It was managed as a territory directly under the jurisdiction of the monarch, and was gradually adopted by various countries during the Warring States Period. The State of Lu was the first to recognize land privatization. The household registration system was also the first slave liberated by Zhao Xiangzi, the first king of Zhao State. Needless to say, rewards for farming and war are needed. Confucians such as Confucius said hundreds of years ago that "enough soldiers, enough food and people's trust" is the foundation of a country.
Most of the contents of Shang Jun's reforms were actually generally implemented by the heroes of the Warring States Period.
If there is a difference, it is the thoroughness and thoroughness of the implementation of Qin's new laws. On the other hand, in the Kanto countries, various aristocratic concepts are deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, which doubles the resistance to the implementation of the new law.
However, the thorough implementation of the new law is only one point. Zhao Yong actually deeply agrees with the debate about the terrain of the king of Han. Without the advantage of the terrain, Qin would have been destroyed hundreds of times.
Han Kang suddenly stood up and bowed to him: "King Zhao is not as young as the old man, but he has great knowledge. I heard that during the battle in the northern border of your country, King Zhao actually shared the blood with the soldiers, and chose the opportunity to attack based on the moon phase. I admire him. !”
When the lady heard this, she suddenly raised her head and glanced at Zhao Yong. Unexpectedly, Zhao Yong also paid attention to her. Their eyes accidentally touched each other, and the other party immediately lowered his head to avoid looking at her.
"King Han is too complimentary." Zhao Yong also stood up quickly and bowed back.
Seeing that it's still early in the day outside, it's hard to come here. It would be too boring to just play chess in the house.
So Zhao Yong suggested: "King Han, how about going out for a walk?"
"Please!" Han Kang stood up and the two of them walked slowly towards the door.
After leaving the main hall, Zhao Yong couldn't help but look behind him again.
Unexpectedly, Han Kang also turned around and looked around. After the two people put away their gaze, they couldn't help but look at each other.
Zhao Yong smiled awkwardly at first, but neither of them said a word.
Then the two kings, accompanied by their guards, continued up the mountain road.
The two walked a long circle on the mountain road, chatting from time to time. As the terrain continues to climb, many river sections in the mountain streams have become natural ice bridges, and some waterfalls are covered with ice.
After walking for a few more minutes, Zhao Yong finally saw the waterfall the other party mentioned.
On a platform, water splashed out from the cliff, following a fixed trajectory, creating a small stream and spring in the mountain stream. Although the stream is not big, it is indeed not frozen. Zhao Yong can't help but marvel at the magic of nature.
Seeing that the time had reached noon, the two of them returned to the lobby where they had lunch. The King of Han did not mention the affairs of the various countries again, but instead chatted about "homely matters" for a while. But the lady just now disappeared. Zhao Yong couldn't help but feel empty in his heart. He only saw her once in the lobby and disappeared when she came back.
Zhao Yong was too embarrassed to ask.
After having lunch, the two of them did not stay in the mountains for long. The vast team returned to Qushuyi along the pier from where they came and along the Fen River.
Outside the city, the two said goodbye.
"I wish Korea and Zhao both countries good luck together." Han Kang said.
"I wish Yongjie from both Korea and Zhao the best," Zhao Yong replied.
…
…
The King of Han's carriage was sent all the way to the border between the two countries.
The Korean area was only more than fifty miles away from the Zhongdu (Pingyao) of Zhao State. Zhao Yong did not intend to spend the night in Korea. In the evening, he took a military team to the outside of Zhongdu.
Ten days later, King Zhao Xingyu finally returned to the capital, Handan. After more than twenty days of coming and going, I finally came back before the end of the year.
Returning to the Zhao palace, Zhao Yong immediately summoned several important ministers to discuss the confidential state affairs of the alliance between the two countries.
After an analysis by the ministers, it was concluded that the invitation of the King of Han may have two purposes: first, he hoped that the three Jin Dynasties would join forces to continue to attack Qin, and second, he wanted to test King Zhao's attitude towards the other countries.
Regarding the attack on Qin, the ministers of Zhao State unanimously believed that a truce should be carried out. It is not appropriate for Zhao State to expand the conflict with Qin State at this time. Now that the new law has been initially implemented and the grassroots is not solid, the best time for external expansion is only when the new army is completed. Moreover, the initial targets for expansion are also given priority to Hu Di and Zhongshan, rather than strengthening Qin. This is the national policy that Zhao has already formulated.
A strong Qin can be destroyed, but definitely not now.
A few days after Zhao Yong returned to Handan, Zhao Guo received a letter of credence from South Korea. However, what is mentioned in the credential this time is not an ordinary state event, but a marriage.
