Gongsun Yan quickly walked into the palace gate, and the first thing that caught his eyes were the countless exotic flowers and plants, the pavilions and corridors stained with peach blossoms, and the majestic palaces and pavilions. Now, after arriving in Yingdu for more than a month, I finally got my wish and entered the palace to meet with the King of Chu.
However, looking at these regulated palaces in front of him that were completely different from those of Wei Ting, Gongsun Yan couldn't help but feel a little uneasy in his heart. Compared with the weak Yan State in northern Xinjiang and the Qi State that resisted alliances and had many deceptions. At this time, Chu's position became crucial.
For Chu, this heavyweight ally, he must win over the Three Jins. If not, the grand scheme of synergy will be in jeopardy.
Although the left disciple Qu Yuan has made it clear that he should support Jin and reject Qin.
But after all, the national seal of Chu State has not yet fallen on the alliance letter of Hezong.
In this era of supreme monarchy, only the attitude of the King of Chu can determine the final ownership of the Chu Kingdom.
...The side room of the Chu Palace.
Qu Yuan sat on the side of the cave, staring blankly at the Chu King Xiong Huai above him who was pacing back and forth.
"Does Chu really want to join the three Jins in conquering Qin?" Xiong Huai muttered in a low voice. He seemed to be thinking about his own words, but also seemed to be asking Qu Yuan.
"Did your Majesty forget what he said to his colleagues on the 10th?" Qu Yuan bowed.
Qu Yuan was extremely puzzled by his king's bipolar attitude. Obviously, the imperial court had personally agreed to the alliance a few days ago, but now the Wei envoy has been summoned to the palace to discuss the alliance. Does Xiong Huai mean to go back on his word?
"I have already discussed the agreement with your Majesty and the ministers responsible for diplomatic relations. Your Majesty must not hesitate any longer at this time." Qu Yuan stood up and bowed.
'It's not just hesitation, I want to regret it.' Xiong Huai suddenly felt that what his beloved concubine Zheng Xiu said to him last night, now that he thought about it, made some sense.
Xiong Huai suddenly turned to Qu Yuan and said, "My dear, I have a question for you. Is the state of Chu really at the point where it must go to war with Qin?"
Hearing Xiong Huai's words, Qu Yuan's expression became a little dull. After a long while, he replied: "I don't know what your Majesty means?"
"I thought that the Qin State had never attacked the Chu State since its alliance. Now if the Chu State joins forces to attack Qin, our generals will have no name." King Xiong Huai of Chu explained.
"The king has to wait until Qin starts to attack Chu before he can make a decision? Has the king forgotten his ancestor Shang Yu?" Qu Yuan said sadly and angrily.
The land of Shang Yu... "Now that the Chu territory is peaceful and all the people live in peace, if a war suddenly breaks out, I really can't bear it!" Xiong Huai said.
"Now that Prime Minister Wei is waiting outside the palace, how can the king repeat it now?" Qu Yuan said.
Xiong Huai paused and said, "Ai Qing, let the envoy of Wei go to the post house to rest first, and then I can think about it..."
Qu Yuan stood up suddenly and shouted loudly: "Your Majesty! How can the diplomatic relations between the two countries be child's play? If your Majesty really does this, he will undoubtedly put the integrity of our Chu country under the Nine Nethers! Who among other countries will dare to have intercourse with our Chu Kingdom in the future?" ?”
Xiong Huai's face changed slightly: "This... Aiqing is too impatient. Didn't I say that I would wait for a moment to think about it before inviting you to see me? I didn't say that I wouldn't see you."
Qu Yuan looked overjoyed and said, "Your Majesty, have you agreed? I will announce that the envoy of Wei will come to the palace to pay an audience." Then, regardless of Xiong Huai's next move, he walked towards the palace and shouted loudly as he walked: "Your Majesty, your Majesty has announced that Wei will come to the palace to pay an audience." Xiang went into the palace to have an audience. The envoy of Xuan Wei came to the palace to have an audience."
"Qu Yuan! You...hey!" Xiong Huai sighed, and had no choice but to stand up and follow Qu Yuan towards the main hall.
"Xuan, the envoy of the State of Wei, the Prime Minister of Wei, Sun Yan, has come to the palace to have an audience." The eunuch raised his head and said loudly to the outside of the palace.
Gongsun Yan outside Jiuhou Palace finally exhaled. Then he held Bai Ya and walked slowly towards the palace hall.
"Foreign minister Gongsun Yan, pays homage to the king."
"Prime Minister Wei has been working all the way for the alliance between Wei and Chu. Thank you for your hard work." Xiong Huai said and glanced sideways at Qu Yuan who was lowering his head.
"For sharing the world's worries, foreign ministers dare not speak of their hard work." Gongsun Yan said with a bow.
"Share the world's worries?" Xiong Huai sneered in his heart: "What Prime Minister Wei is talking about is that all countries will unite to attack Qin?"
"It's exactly what the king said." Gongsun Yan said.
Xiong Huai said in a playful tone: "Qin is the most powerful country in the world. Does Prime Minister Wei think Chu can fight?"
Originally, he was indeed biased towards the latter in the war between Qin and Jin.
But what Qu Yuan just did made him feel very unhappy. At this time, he wanted to hear what exactly Wei Xiang could say.
Gongsun Yan bowed respectfully and said: "Why can't we fight the Chu State? The Chu State has a radius of five thousand miles. It has millions of armors, thousands of chariots, ten thousand horses, and ten thousand grains. It can last for ten years. Whether it is to defend the territory to protect itself, or to send troops The conquest was more than enough. The Chu State had the power to swallow up mountains and rivers and dominate the world. On the other hand, the Qin State was powerful, but it was defeated by Qi in the east and Zhao in the north, with more than 100,000 soldiers lost. Although the Qin State is strong, it is not invincible. "
Gongsun Yan came up to praise Chu State, but what he said was completely true.
Xiong Huai nodded with satisfaction, and then asked leisurely: "Although Chu State can fight, why does Chu State fight?"
"The State of Chu fights for the State of Chu. If the king allows the State of Qin to be aggressive, given time, when the State of Qin becomes stronger than the State of Chu, the Qin army will divide into two groups, one coming out of Wuguan and the other out of central Guizhou. At that time, the Qin army will be north and south. If we attack together, the capital of Ying will be in danger and the state of Chu will be in danger. Do you think the state of Chu can fight?" Gongsun Yan said truthfully.
The Qin State had already begun planning for the Chu State as early as when Gongsun Yan was appointed as the great leader of the Qin State. However, with his departure from Qin and the political changes in Qi and Zhao, Qin's war plan against Chu could not help but come to a standstill and turned to attack the three Jins.
What the other party said made Xiong Huai secretly frightened. After a moment's thought, he could tell that what the other party said was true.
Now the place of Shangyu is the bridgehead for Qin to attack Chu. It is like a sharp sword, firmly inserted into the border of Chu. Whoever wins Shang Yu between Qin and Chu is equivalent to taking the initiative to attack.
When Xiong Huai took the throne, he launched the first war against Qin. What he wants is also to regain the land of Shang Yu. But the result was unsatisfactory. Not only was Shang Yu's land not recaptured, but tens of thousands of elite soldiers were lost. If he hadn't licked his face and sent the beautiful woman to the alliance, Wancheng would have been lost.
Over the past few years, Xiong Huai has always been worried about this matter. He is not a fool, he can naturally see the current state of the world. Nowadays, the only countries that can fight against Chu are Qin and Qi, and this five-nation alliance is aimed at these two countries. This is also the reason why he is more inclined to join forces and conquer Qin.
However, the defeat against Qin a few years ago made him always fearful of Qin. For this reason, he has been hesitating between Qin and the Three Jins.
Among the many Chu ministers in the palace, a few felt sorry for Gongsun Yan's opinions, but most of them dismissed it.
The reason for their disdain is not that they are opposed to the alliance. Most people still agree with Qin's war. They are only amused by the north-south attack in Gongsun Yan's words.
If Qin wanted to raise its troops to attack Qianzhong County, it would have to take advantage of Bashu. And Bashu can easily borrow the road from Qin.
Xiong Huai's eyes narrowed slightly and he said: "If you don't care about the country's superiority, it will inevitably be in danger. But I think what Prime Minister Qin said is still a bit alarmist."
Gongsun Yan curled his lips calmly and continued: "Prepare it before it happens, rule it before it's chaos, and take precautions before it happens. Prepare for a rainy day, and disasters will never stop. Qin and Chu are incompatible with each other. This past alliance I'm just deceiving myself and others. I would like to ask your Majesty, when did your Majesty see Qin abiding by its covenant? In the battle of Jinyang, the land was promised but refused, and the land was refused and seized. This was all done by Qin. The reason why Qin does not attack Chu today is Because Chu is strong today, the time has not yet come. If Qin is strong and Chu is weak, how will the state of Chu deal with itself? The foreign minister believes that the king does not need to pay attention to this false statement, but it should be cut off as soon as possible. Weak Qin and stabilize the world, Weaken Qin and strengthen Chu!"
Xiong Huai stood up and bowed to Gongsun Yan distantly and said: "Everything you said is good. However, how about I let you discuss it with the ministers and then give me your reply?"
"Your Majesty!" Qu Yuan immediately stood up and bowed to him.
Gongsun Yan shook his head: "Now that Qin is in danger, it is a golden opportunity in a thousand years. I never thought that the king would still be stingy with property, just like a child holding a horse, reluctant to part with it."
Xiong Huai's eyes trembled and he took a long breath: "If Chu follows this, when will the other countries go to war?"
Gongsun Yan immediately bowed his head and said: "If the king agrees to this alliance, the king will be the leader of the alliance. The day of the alliance will be the time to send troops!"
…
Zhang Yi lay on her back on the soft floor of her home, looking at the simple book in her hand absently. He has always been a little uneasy these days.
"Hey." Zhang Yi sighed softly, stood up and walked outside the house.
There are many flowers, plants and trees planted in the courtyard, the most common of which are roses. Now is the time for flowers to bloom.
After entering Qin in the past, he took all his wife and children to Xianyang. Nowadays, this large mansion seems a little empty, but he has been sending people to clean it regularly.
Maybe just to keep it in mind.
"Xiangbang, the envoy of Chu wants to see you." The waiter's words interrupted Zhang Yi's thoughts.
Zhang Yi came back to her senses and rubbed her eyebrows, then stood up and said: "Please!"
The envoy of Chu was an executive official sent by Xiong Huai.
"Meet Prime Minister Qin."
Zhang Yi replied with a smile: "Is it the King of Chu who has any orders?"
"My king has specially ordered me to come down here to inform Prime Minister Qin that the alliance between the two countries has been revised. Prime Minister Qin does not need to stay in the capital of Ying for a long time."
Zhang Yi's expression suddenly changed. He understood that this trip to Chu State would be in vain.
…
…
The news that the Chu State was under the control of the alliance greatly boosted the morale of the troops of the four countries. At the same time, it also frightened the young people like Qi State and Song State who wanted to take advantage of the situation.
But this time, the target of the Five Kingdoms Sword Edge, the Qin State, did not seem to be in such a good mood.
Xianyang, Qin Palace.
"Your Majesty, the Prime Minister and the Young Master are outside the palace asking for an audience." The eunuch outside the door reported.
"Let them come in." Ying Si replied.
In the past few days, the officials in Qin's court have been arguing endlessly about whether to fight or to make peace.
Those who want war have no way to retreat from the enemy, but those who want peace let Zhang Yi go to atone for his sins from other countries.
Affected by public opinion, King Qin Ying Si's initially strong and courageous heart was shaken for the first time. Five countries attack Qin, how can Qin resist it?
"Your Majesty, are you still hesitating whether to fight or make peace?" Yingji asked first when he entered the palace.
Ying Si did not answer him, but still lowered his head and looked at the brief book in his hand.
"Your Majesty should think about Qin at this time." Ying Ji said.
Ying Si put down the briefing paper in his hand and asked with a puzzled look, "What do you mean by this?"
"I look at the king's state today. He is full of decadence, which makes people feel depressed after looking at him."
"Are you decadent?" Ying Si said and stood up, thinking to himself: "Hey, decadent. In the past few days, my palace has been filled with briefings from the border areas. If you can name a person who can withdraw from the Five Kingdoms, With the strategy of attacking Qin, will I still be decadent?"
"Your Majesty, if you want to retreat from the other countries and attack Qin, the only way is to fight. Only by fighting our country, Qin, can we achieve victory. Since Your Majesty has chosen to fight against the other nations, and Qin has begun to recruit troops, Your Majesty cannot hesitate to retreat at this time! " Yingji said solemnly.
"War? Can we definitely win in a war?" Ying Si asked.
"Kings……"
Ying Si raised his hand to stop the other party's next words, turned to Zhang Yi and asked, "What is your advice, Prime Minister?"
When Zhang Yi defeated Chu, Ying Si did not choose to blame him. Because he had already anticipated Chu's position. If you can win, it's naturally best. If you can't win, there is no other way.
"War will break the jade, but peace will keep things intact. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, and I dare not speak nonsense." Zhang Yi said with a bow.
"explain!"
"Fight."
Ying Si suddenly turned around and stared at Zhang Yi: "Xiangbang is in charge of the battle?"
"I have no other thoughts, I must fight!" Zhang Yi said loudly.
"The five-nation coalition has thousands of chariots and hundreds of thousands of armor. How can Qin fight? What if it loses? The country may be destroyed. Are you asking me to gamble with Qin's country?" Ying Si said sharply. .
Zhang Yi said without fear: "The battle has not yet begun, and the victory or defeat is even more uncertain. Has the king ever thought about the fact that other countries that are raising their troops wantonly have the same concerns as our Qin state?"
"What worries do they have? The five countries are now mobilizing troops and their morale is high. How can they worry about defeat?" Ying Si sighed.
"Your Majesty, this is to increase the ambition of others and destroy your own prestige. Since the implementation of the new law of the Shang Dynasty, the Qin State has greatly increased its national power. It regained Hexi, captured Shangjun, defeated Wei and Han, and fought against Qi and Chu. Even though Jinyang was defeated, it was just for It was caused by the backstabbing of the three Jin Dynasties. But although Jinyang was defeated, the foundation of our Qin country is still there. The five countries joined forces to attack Qin this time, weren't they afraid that our Qin country would continue to gain strength, so they suddenly raised their troops?"
Ying Si shook his head: "Su Qin and Xishou have been running around for many years, how can we say they suddenly launched an army."
"Hey, after many years of running around, I just gathered people to accomplish something. This move just shows that other countries are afraid of our Qin State."
"Your Majesty, what the enemy fears is what I rely on. If we sue for peace this time, the Qin State will definitely be locked up in Guanzhong and west of the river. The hard work of the Qin State for generations and decades will be wasted. !" Zhang Yi bowed deeply.
Ying Si stepped forward and patted Zhang Yi heavily on the shoulder: "Okay, Xiangbang's words will wipe out the anger in everyone's hearts. The people of Qin should be treated as jade pieces, not as tiles!" Then he turned to his one-armed brother and said : "Yingji, you rush to the Lantian camp immediately and gather troops in Hangu!"
