The nobles from the four countries on the viewing platform all stood up and watched the scene of the two kings saluting below.
When Zhao Yong raised his head and looked around, everyone turned to him.
It's just that the distance is too far, and he really can't see other people's expressions clearly.
Concubine Chu Zheng Xiu was dressed in fine clothes and looked eagerly at the audience. She couldn't help but feel a little curious about the young man from Zhao Kingdom.
When the five kings met on the Yangtze River for an alliance, King Xiong Huai of Chu came alone with Zheng Xiu, which shows his love for him.
"Who is this young man?" Zheng Xiu asked knowingly.
The waiter beside him whispered back: "The princess doesn't know something. This son is Zhao Wangyong, and he is followed by Su Qin, the king of Wu'an who used to unite the six kingdoms."
Zheng Xiu's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. She knew the famous Lord Wu An. She had met him once by chance in the past, but she heard that Lord Wu An of Zhao State later ran away to Yan State. Unexpectedly, he returned to Zhao State now.
As for King Zhao, when he took the throne, he forcibly rejected the five kingdoms, and then united with the three Jin Dynasties to defeat the Qin Kingdom. She, a woman who had lived in the palace for a long time, had heard of his name. But what she didn't expect was that the other party was so young.
Zhao Yong and Xiong Huai met at the ceremony, and the two of them walked towards the viewing platform above one after the other.
"King Zhao is on stage!" the waiter shouted loudly.
Zheng Xiu had been looking at Zhao Yong. When she got closer, she realized that this young man wearing a crown from the Zhao Kingdom was actually very handsome. If he looked closely, his face, which was still a little childish, was a bit flatter. He has two sword-shaped eyebrows, which add a bit of heroism to him. He has lowered eyebrows and a steady pace. He is half a head taller than the King of Chu, who has a heavy waist and a heavy back. However, his skin is not like that of an aristocrat. He is dark and dark. .
Zhao Yong felt this and couldn't help but look up. He saw many eunuchs and maids in front of him, surrounding a beauty with luxurious makeup and delicate face. At this time, the other party was also staring at him blankly.
The two looked at each other quietly, Zheng Xiu immediately turned away from Xiuyan, and her heart couldn't help but beat.
Zhao Yong was a little stunned. This woman should be in her twenties or thirties. Judging from her makeup, she should be a concubine of the King of Chu. But it is rare to see such good skin care at such an age. Zhao Yong is used to seeing teenage girls. When he suddenly saw a beautiful woman of this age, he immediately felt something special. The charm of Ichiban. The skin and bones of a beautiful woman of this age are different from those of a girl. Just look at the concubine's breasts and large robes, and her figure is even more plump.
Moreover, beautiful women of this age are better at dressing up and know how to please men. Her luxurious palace clothes were cut to fit perfectly, revealing all the curves of her figure, but it didn't feel slutty, but rather graceful. But judging from her waist and body shape, she probably hasn't given birth to a child yet.
Zhen Zhen Zhen, Zhao Yong looked at it carefully, and the more he looked at it, the more he felt that it was the best... Although there were many girls on the viewing platform, in terms of appearance, they were all overshadowed by this beautiful woman.
Xiong Huai suddenly paused when he saw Zhao Yong at this time, and continued to lead Zhao Yong upward: "The meeting platform is just ahead, King Zhao please!"
Xiong Huai didn't seem to notice anything, because there were too many people looking towards Zhao Yong at this time.
"Please!" Zhao Yong said while paying attention to Zheng Xiu. Zheng Xiu turned his head at this time, smiled slightly and nodded to Zhao Yong.
Zhao Yong secretly thought it was a pity and crossed over to where Zheng Xiu was.
The two kings, surrounded by their ministers, continued to walk upwards for more than ten steps.
At this time, Wei Ying, Han Cang and Ji Shuo who were sitting on the king's couch also stood up.
The five kings greeted each other.
We haven't seen him for more than a year, but Wei Ying's body still looks very strong, at least on the surface. On the other hand, Yan Wang Ji Shuo, who was only in his early forties, had a look of weakness on his face.
After the five kings exchanged greetings, Zhao Yong knelt down beside his father-in-law, Han Cang, and closed his eyes to rest. Just wait for the auspicious time to go to the alliance platform to take the oath.
Later, many ministers came forward to see the ceremony.
Su Qin, standing behind Zhao Yong, is considered a 'celebrity' of this era, and there are many admirers of him in various countries.
At this time, a scholar in the crowd who was about the same age as Zhao Yong stepped forward and bowed to Zhao Yong: "Foreign minister Qu Yuan, pay your respects to King Zhao."
Zhao Yong suddenly opened his eyes, Qu Yuan?
Even if he has no historical knowledge, he still knows about the Dragon Boat Festival, and the Dragon Boat Festival was originally held to commemorate Qu Yuan who threw himself into the Miluo River.
Zhao Yong had never known that he was a contemporary of Qu Yuan, but now that he saw this famous "legendary" figure vividly appearing in front of his eyes, he suddenly became confused.
Qu Yuan bowed his head and maintained a prostration posture. He also wanted to meet the legendary King Zhao. He highly praised Zhao's reforms, and he admired the initiator of the new laws even more. Seeing the age of King Zhao, Qu Yuan was even more moved. If the King of Chu, Xiong Huai, could have such courage, why would the Chu State not be able to dominate the world?
After bowing and bowing, Qu Yuan saw that Zhao Yong didn't speak to him, so he stepped back.
"I have heard of Qu Yuan's name for a long time. When I saw him today, he was really quite charming." Zhao Yong suddenly said.
...from time to time.
The waiter who was keeping an eye on the sundial said loudly: "Respectfully invite, King Chu, King Wei, King Han, King Zhao, and King Yan come to the stage to swear an oath!"
'Woo! Woo...' The sound of the trumpet started.
Under the attention of thousands of people, the five kings slowly walked towards the alliance platform symbolizing the princes.
The king of Chu was in front, and the four kings followed him.
On the alliance platform, the priest knelt down with his head bowed, holding a cup of cow's blood in his hands. Xiong Huai took the cow's ear from the tray and held it with one hand. On the other hand, his middle index finger dipped the blood in the cup and smeared it on his lips.
The other four kings followed suit one after another, forming an alliance based on blood!
Xiong Huai then swore an alliance in front of a large tripod covered with five-color silk strips, which symbolized the five elements of heaven and earth.
"I swear to heaven that the Qin State is unruly, suffering the country and exhausting the people, killing wars and killing people, causing cholera in China. Today, the five countries are all brothers. To practice benevolence and righteousness, to respect the way of heaven, to prosper together and defeat Qin. Those who share the same heart and the enemy will share the same fate. Those who follow it and surrender to the enemy will be punished together!"
"Qin is a lowly husband who herds horses. Destroy Qin!"
"Destroy Qin! Destroy Qin..."
…
…
The alliance was completed and the five kings were divided.
Zhao Yong returned to Handan along the route he came from.
The oath of alliance was fulfilled, and the armies of the five countries immediately began to gather, aiming to attack Hangu Pass.
This is the result of joint deliberations among all countries and is also an established plan.
Attacking Qin from Hangu Pass was both inevitable and helpless.
Looking at today's Qin State, the reason why it is able to dominate among the princes is that, in addition to its strong strength, the Guanzhong and Weihe Plain areas it occupies are easy to defend and difficult to attack.
Judging from the terrain alone, if the Guandong kingdoms really launched an attack on Qin, apart from the Weihan Passage, they would only attack from three directions: Shangjun, Shannan and Hanzhong.
In the direction of Shangjun, from the junction of Zhao and Wei, cross the Yellow River through the ferry, and then cross the Beiluoshui River, you can go straight into the hinterland of Qin.
In the direction of southern Shanxi, in the Fenhe Plain in southern Shanxi, you can cross the river downstream along the Fen River and Shushui River to reach Weibei and go south. In the low-lying area where the Wei River flows into the Yellow River, you can follow the Wei River around Weihan and penetrate into the hinterland of Qin.
In the direction of Hanzhong, that is, through Chu State and from Wuguan to the hinterland of Guanzhong. (Later Liu Bang also used the Wuguan Road to enter Guanzhong to destroy Qin.)
Of course, it is not that the monarchs and ministers of the Five Kingdoms were ignorant of these truths, Zhao Yong knew them anyway.
But under the current circumstances, the three routes of Shangjun's ferry, the lower reaches of the Weihe River in the northeast, and Wuguan Road in the southeast and northern Shaanxi are not easy to travel...
First, cross the Yellow River from Shangjun: the Yellow River flows very fast in the junction area of Shaanxi and Shanxi. If you want to cross the river, you can only cross the river from Beiqu, where the flow is gentle. It is obviously impossible to march an army in this way. Moreover, the Qin State also attached great importance to the defense of the Shangjun area. Yingji and later Bai Qi served as the governor of Shangjun and presided over the military construction of Shangjun. Even if the five countries worked together to plan a roundabout attack, they had to think more.
As for the lower reaches of the Wei River: Since the terrain in Guanzhong is high in the northwest and low in the southeast, the terrain becomes more open toward the east, and the saline-alkali areas in Guanzhong are also concentrated here. Severe salinization has caused the terrain to be uneven, sandy, and swampy. There are many reeds, which is very unfavorable for large-scale marching supplies and operations.
When Qin Xiangong established his capital in Yueyang, the Qin State had not yet captured all the land west of the river. At that time, the Qin army deployed defenses along the saline-alkali lands scattered throughout Weibei, and used a weak force to resist Wei's continued westward invasion. For the Kwantung countries, this road is both difficult to walk and difficult to attack. It is a paradise for the defenders. If the five countries attack the Guanzhong area from the north of the Wei River, Qin will be able to wait for work in the northwest.
"One Sword Dominates"
In addition, from the direction of Wuguan: Wuguan is surrounded by the dangerous rocks of Shaoxi Mountain in the north, and the cliffs of Wuguan River Valley in the east, west and south. The mouth of the gorge is much narrower than the Weihan Channel. From then on, the armies of the Five Kingdoms entered Qin, and it was even more difficult for them to reach the sky.
Under such circumstances, for Eastern countries, the Weihan Passage in western Henan is undoubtedly a better choice than taking a roundabout route.
...On the way back to Handan, Zhao Yong kept thinking about the war with Qin. In fact, for Zhao State, there is another route that can penetrate directly into the hinterland of Qin State, a road that belongs to Zhao State alone.
This is also the plan that Zhao Yong has been planning. He had this bold idea the moment he launched a war against Lou Fan and Lin Hu last year.
: Crossing the Yellow River from the Jiuyuan and Yunzhong areas in the north, and then going south through the Northern Shaanxi Plateau, you can bypass all the difficult passes and go straight to Xianyang, the capital of Qin! It can definitely play the role of a surprise weapon, making Qin's defense defenseless.
However, it is a pity that the Yunzhong and Jiuyuan generations still occupy Loufan and Linhu at this time, and Zhao's new army cavalry has not been tempered and is not strong enough to attack thousands of miles to win. If not, he really planned to let the soldiers of the four countries threaten Hangu from the front, and he personally led the Zhao cavalry to outflank him from behind.
However, although he could not take any dangerous measures, Zhao Yong did not think that the Five Kingdoms could be defeated even if they faced each other head-on.
How could Qin be defeated with a military force several times higher than that of Qin? If we win and take the Shangjun of Qin State, there will naturally be no need to implement the attack plan.
After returning to Handan and discussing with his ministers, Zhao Guosui decided to raise troops after the autumn harvest.
The autumn harvest is coming, and compared to foreign wars, one's own food is more important.
In addition, the date of Zhao Yong's "request period" has been set.
According to the hexagram: The ancestors said that the auspicious day to welcome the bride should be the nearest one.
However, Zhao Yong can't take care of these things. He has his own palace to make arrangements, and he only needs to wait for the bridal chamber.
The so-called love is simply a fantasy for his status. From his position, everything he considers is the interests of the country, and no other interests are as important as the interests of Zhao State.
Now that the country has been granted, it will be difficult to grant the favor.
Whoever takes it seriously will lose. Zhao Yong now only hopes that South Korea can marry a few beautiful concubines.
As soon as the king's wedding day was announced, all counties and counties in Zhao State were immersed in busyness and joy.
…
Xinzheng, South Korea is just like Handan, with celebrations everywhere. When the King of Han wants to marry his daughter, the people of Han naturally rush to congratulate her.
Han Kang seems to be very happy these days. Not only did he reward the common people with a lot of private money, but he also doubled the share of ice given in previous years. In recent days, there has been a lot of singing and dancing in the Han palace.
In the Hanting harem, Ji Yao closed her eyes and lay on her back on the soft silk mat that belonged to her, listening to the melodious singing and the sound of strings coming from outside.
I didn’t expect to go to Zhao State so soon.
She was not dissatisfied with her husband, King Zhao. His identity and appearance were both impeccable.
Ji Yao just suddenly felt a little reluctant to leave this place that she had never missed before.
Ji Yao was not a person who was sad about spring and autumn, but when she thought about leaving her doting father and mother, she felt a little sentimental.
"Hey" Ji Yao sighed softly.
I don't know how long it took, but Ji Yao didn't fall asleep. In a confused state, she thought of Zhao Yong again. I don’t know if the “lady status” that he played with his father last winter was actually confirmed.
To this day, she can still clearly recall what he said on Dejieshan. 'Obviously he is still a child, but he speaks so seriously. snort. 'But he looks really good-looking, but a little dark. I heard that he personally led the army to drive away the hateful Qin people.
But he doesn't look like a stern person. It's still unclear who will bully whom. Thinking of this, Ji Yao couldn't help but feel happy again.
"Young Master, Young Master, the King has summoned you to the front hall." Xiao He's urgent voice suddenly came from outside the door.
Ji Yao responded, climbed up from the collapse, put on her shoes and went out.
Seeing Ji Yao going out, Xiao He leaned next to her and whispered: "Master, will you take your slaves to the Kingdom of Zhao?"
Ji Yao chuckled, turned around and pinched her rosy little face.
The two girls walked through the corridor in front of them, passed through a pavilion, and came to the front hall where King Han was. Two maids were waiting outside the main hall. When they saw Ji Yao coming, they opened the door without informing the inside.
"Ji Yao pays homage to his father."
In addition to Han Kang who was sitting at the top of the hall, there were two teenage girls kneeling on the left side of the hall.
Both women have beautiful faces, but if you look closely at their faces, you can still find that they still have a little childishness. At this time, the two girls were sitting on the collapse in a daze, and it was not difficult to see that their expressions were full of tension.
The two girls quickly stood up and bowed to Ji Yao.
Han Kang had two daughters in total, the eldest daughter was Ji Yao, and the second daughter was only seven years old, so he could only choose two other eldest daughters to marry to Zhao.
These two girls are the concubines of Teng who were brought to Zhao State this time.
