The state of Qin was eager to ask for help from the three Jin Dynasties. The enemies who had just fought to the death turned into allies.
Although it is unreasonable, this is the main theme of this era. The hatred of the country and the family cannot compete with the importance of interests.
The princes of other countries cannot tolerate one of them being alone.
There was no difference between the previous Qin State and the current Chu State.
Wei and Han once again realized the danger of Chu and sent troops to Chu again.
Song and Yue were not willing to be left alone, and began to secretly stab Qi and Chu in the back.
It's just that this time Song Guoxue was smart and did not directly capture Qi's land. Instead, he targeted Teng, a small affiliated country of Qi.
The Yue State wanted to acquire the homeland of Ju State on the north bank of the Huaihe River.
Countries are once again fighting against each other, and Zhao's opportunity quietly comes!
As soon as he thought of this, Zhao Yong immediately told Chen Zhong: "The order is immediately passed on to Lord Wu An (Su Qin), Lord Anping (Zhao Cheng), Lord Yang Wen (Zhao Bao), Lord Wu Yang (Pang Nuan), Lord Dingyang ( Feiyi) went into the palace to discuss matters."
"Here."
As soon as Chen Zhong walked out of the palace door, a flash of light suddenly flashed across the sky.
'Crack! '
The huge thunder made Zhao Yong, who lowered his head and thought carefully, tremble suddenly.
Before he could react, the heavy sound of rain had already come.
Zhao Yong stared blankly at the door. For some reason, he suddenly felt a sense of fear and uneasiness in his heart.
"Kings!"
Chen Zhong, who had just left the palace, had stumbled back. His sleeves were wet with traces of rain, and his expression was full of panic.
Zhao Yong's heart suddenly skipped a beat when he saw him like this.
He understood that something big must have happened, otherwise how could the eunuch Ling, who had always been mature and steady, act like this.
And what big thing can happen in Handan...
Zhao Yong immediately stood up and asked: "Why are you so panicked? Come quickly."
Chen Zhong knelt on the ground and replied with a cry in his voice: "As soon as I left the palace, I met the Prime Minister... News from the officials of the Prime Minister's Mansion: The waiter discovered the Prime Minister when he was changing his clothes in the morning. Bang...has died!"
this! Zhao Yong immediately collapsed on the couch.
After a moment, he still looked in disbelief and couldn't help asking again: "What are you talking about?"
"Xiangbang died in his dream!" Chen Zhong said sadly.
! Are the elders of the three dynasties of the Zhao Kingdom, the prime ministers of the two dynasties, and the ancestors of the Zhao family dead?
How could it be so sudden? When he went to court two days ago, the old man looked very energetic and had no characteristics at all.
All the people in the palace were kneeling on the ground, not daring to make any sound.
There was only the howling wind and the rushing rain outside the palace. It seems that they are singing a silent funeral song for the stars that have just fallen in Zhao Kingdom.
After a long time, Zhao Yong finally recovered. He let out a long breath and finally accepted this reality.
Perhaps dying in a dream is the best destination for the elderly.
"Let me change my court clothes. Immediately summon all the ministers to the palace and accompany me to see off the Prime Minister on his last journey."
"Here!" Chen Zhong immediately bowed his head and responded.
"I'm sending you another summons. From now on, all the people of Handan must pay filial piety to their prime minister for three days."
Zhao Bao's sudden death really caught Zhao Yong off guard. Maybe even the old man himself didn't expect it.
Otherwise, why wouldn't you leave some last words for yourself?
Zhao Yong didn't even have time to ask Zhao Bao's opinion like Qi Huangong asked Guan Zhong's father three times.
Once Zhao Bao died, Zhao Guo faced a vacancy in the phase.
The position of the Prime Minister of the State of Zhao is not insignificant. It is not only the highest official who assists the princes and kings in governing the country, but also manages all affairs of the government and rewards and punishes officials according to their merits and demerits.
Although the appointment of his position was made by the monarch alone, it must be said that his power was far greater than that of the prime ministers and prime ministers of later generations.
Since Zhao Yong succeeded to the throne, there have been several wars in the south and north, and Zhao Bao has been running the state affairs normally. Now that Zhao Bao is dead, he will be under great pressure.
Zhao Yong is not shirking his responsibilities, but the complicated state affairs will undoubtedly distract him. The original plan to destroy the country needs to be carried out by oneself. If the mind is completely immersed in the complicated national affairs, it will be difficult to implement the military and political plan.
The new prime minister needs to be finalized as soon as possible... but it is not easy to decide on the candidate hastily.
Perhaps... it's time to introduce the new national political system to the world in advance.
As soon as he stepped out of the hall, the strong wind swept the water droplets towards the people. The pouring rain showed no signs of slowing down at all, jade beads continued to fall from the sky, and the air was shrouded and hazy by the aroused water mist.
When he reached the palace platform, Zhao Yong couldn't help but glance behind him. He still remembered that today was the day when Yao Lan entered the palace.
It's just that he doesn't have much to do now, so he can only let the beauty stay alone in the empty boudoir for now, and make up for it next time.
…
…
The border between Wei and Zhao, along the Zhangshui River.
The wheels of the car ran over the uneven puddles washed away by the rain, shaking them. The passengers in the car were constantly shaken by the bumps.
"The First Clan"
Through the layer of light blue gauze, Mi Bazi could faintly see the splashing raindrops outside the car.
She stared out the window blankly, not knowing what she was thinking.
Ying Ji was sleeping quietly in the arms of the lady Qiuyue. He closed his eyes tightly and frowned slightly from time to time. It seemed like he was having a nightmare.
Along the way, the four or five-year-old kid didn't cry. He seemed to have an innate maturity.
"Princess, Shen Shi can almost arrive in Handan." Qiuyue whispered, as if she was afraid of waking up the young master who had just fallen asleep.
Mi Bazi was still looking out the window and nodded slightly to indicate that he heard it.
Qiuyue has become accustomed to it. Because the princess has always been like this along the way, without saying a word.
But we are about to arrive in Handan. As a Chu girl who married into the Qin Kingdom in her early years, she still had something to say: "When I left the palace, the king had already appointed the young master Dang as the crown prince. Princess, it may not be easy for us to return to Xianyang in the future. During the following days in Handan, I hope that the princess will not have any bad thoughts just for the sake of the young master."
Mi Bazi turned around and looked at Qiu Yue with confusion on his face, and said with a hint of sadness in his tone: "I am very aware of the current situation, and I don't want to go back to Xianyang. I don't want to see that ruthless king anymore either. But After all, Ji'er is the son of the Qin State. I really don't want him to spend his whole life in a foreign country... My Ji'er should have become a capable king..."
"Princess!" Qiuyue immediately interrupted Mi Bazi's words: "You also need to be careful that the walls have ears."
Then he whispered: "If the princess thinks like this, I will feel relieved. The Qin State still has General Wei Ran, and I feel that as long as the young master can grow up safely, we will always have a chance."
Mi Bazi just nodded slightly, and then looked outside the car.
The carriage slowly drove past the tall and narrow Zhangshui City Wall, crossed the river, and continued to rush toward Handan, the capital of Zhao, not far away.
Towards evening, the rain gradually subsided.
The carriage slowly stopped on the wide post road.
"Princess, the envoy from the State of Zhao is here to greet you!" The guard's voice came from outside the car.
Mi Bazi breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he should face reality. She took Ying Ji's little hand and sat up from the couch.
On both sides of the spacious post road, there were currently two rows of well-equipped Zhao new troops guarding them. They held banners symbolizing Zhao in their hands and stood majestically in the wind and rain, without wavering at all.
Qiuyue lifted the car curtain and helped Princess Qin slowly walk out of the carriage. The princess was now wearing palace uniform and looked very gorgeous. Her long black and delicate hair was pulled up to a single temple. She was wearing a beaded jade rocker and decorated with real gold hairpin ears. . She wears a dark Sichuan silk robe with a cross-collar collar. The dark blue top has a special look for a woman, and the bulging is very obvious. The bottom part is green and white, and her flexible waist is tied with a silk ribbon.
The palace attendants outside the car saw the princess exiting the carriage and hurriedly held umbrellas to welcome her.
The envoy from Zhao State who came to greet him couldn't help but turn his eyes.
Ying Ji seemed a little nervous. He tightly pulled the corner of Mi Bazi's clothes with his little hands and called softly: "Mom..."
The princess's plain white shoes lightly touched the wooden bench, and then stepped into the muddy material, causing a splash of water.
The princess frowned slightly, seeming displeased. But the expression on his face was fleeting and returned to normal.
Zhao made Zheng Mao swallow, quickly calmed down, and forced himself to look away.
After all, Zheng Mao was a man who had experienced ups and downs, but the deputy envoys behind him may not have such determination.
Seeing Princess Qin approaching slowly, the others forced themselves to bow their heads and salute.
Zheng Mao took a step forward, bowed to Princess Qin, and then bowed to the young master Ji: "Foreign minister Zheng Mao, please welcome Princess Qin, and please welcome the young master."
Mi Bazi lowered his eyes slightly and glanced at them disdainfully. Naturally, she had a panoramic view of the eyes of these men just now. Although the coveting made her very uncomfortable, it was definitely not wise to accuse other officials when they were alone in a foreign country at this time.
She suppressed the discomfort in her heart and said in a cold tone: "Thank you for your hard work, I came from afar to welcome you."
"The State of Zhao feels extremely honored when the princess and the prince are here. King Zhao originally wanted to hold a banquet in the palace to welcome the princess and the prince, but unfortunately it happened to be the time for the memorial ceremony in the country, so he also asked the princess and the prince to condescend for two days." Zheng Mao looked down and said slowly.
When he first entered the Zhao Kingdom yesterday, Mi Bazi learned through the grapevine that Zhao Bao, the Yang Wenjun of the Zhao Kingdom, had died. She didn't expect that King Zhao would personally greet her soul. Unexpectedly, King Zhao, who was invincible on the battlefield, was also an affectionate king. He is completely unlike the "foolish king" of Qin who sold his son to give his wife after losing the war.
Thinking of this, Mi Bazi's original sense of shame dissipated a lot, and she shook her head gently: "It doesn't matter, I'll just listen to the envoy Zhao's arrangements."
…
Xianyang, Qin Palace.
The King of Qin, Ying Si, had long gray hair, and his figure looked like a madman, waving the long sword wantonly in the dimly lit palace.
In the past few days, he had been living in regret. He regretted that he should not have gone to war with Qi, regretted that he should not have gone to war with Zhao, and even more regretted that he should not have gone to war with the Three Jins!
He even began to doubt himself, doubting whether the strategy he formulated at that time to go out to the east was right, whether it was right to retain Shang Jun's method and execute Qianlong Du Zhi, and whether it was right to break the alliance with the three Jins!
Now the Hangu Pass guarding Qin's western front is gone, and the land in Hexi conquered by two generations of Qin is gone. Even his most valued brother, Ying Ji, fell ill within a few days after returning from the defeat at Hangu Pass. Died of worry and anger.
Now even his most beloved concubine has left him and gone to the Kingdom of Zhao thousands of miles away. He really couldn't bear to kill that beautiful woman!
For a moment, Ying Si suddenly felt that she had become a real loner.
Unwillingness, strong unwillingness filled my heart. The great Qin State must not fall into his own hands.
The people in the eunuch's palace shivered and huddled in the corner, fearing that the lunatic would cause disaster if he didn't pay attention. But they didn't dare to leave, because the madman would kill anyone if he saw anyone moving.
Suddenly, there was a rush of footsteps outside the palace. To the palace people, this sound was like the sound of nature.
The footsteps stopped suddenly, and Wei Zhang stood outside the hall, looking at the scene inside and smelling the fishy smell, and he couldn't help but frown.
Then he shouted: "Your Majesty!"
"Wuguan is reporting urgently. The Chu State has captured Yu City. Most of Shang and Yu have been captured by the Chu army! Your Majesty, Wuguan is also in an emergency. Please send troops quickly," Wei Zhang said.
Choke!
The sword fell to the ground. Ying Si sat slumped on the ground and looked at Wei Zhang blankly.
Ying Si was stunned for a quarter of an hour, then suddenly stood up and said: "Pass! Pass Zhang Yi!"
"Here!"
...Zhang Yi has never left the prime minister's house since he returned from Hangu. He knew that Qin's defeat was all caused by himself, and his sins were too serious to describe his faults. He also knew that he had nowhere to go, so he simply stayed at home and waited for the criminal edict issued by King Qin.
Unexpectedly, he still had the opportunity to enter the palace to meet the king. Zhang Yi said goodbye to his wife and children at home anxiously, and followed the carriage of the palace guards.
In Xianyang Palace, Ying Si had already tidied up his appearance. At this time, he was sitting on the king's couch with a tired look on his face.
"Zhang Yi, the guilty minister, pays homage to the king!" Zhang Yi bowed and bowed: "The guilty minister knows that he has failed the king's trust, and has even brought trouble to General Yingji and the soldiers who died in the battle. Zhang Yi has no face to face the king again!"
"Get up. When you started the war against the Three Jin Dynasties, you also discussed it with me. The fault lies with me...it's my poor king brother!" Ying Si suddenly cried out sadly.
Zhang Yi hurriedly said: "It's all the fault of the minister. It was the minister who underestimated the Three Jins and the State of Zhao, which led to today's catastrophic disaster and dragged the Qin State into a desperate situation. The blame for this all lies with the minister." I have survived so far, but I only died to obtain the king’s orders and to appease the public’s anger!”
Zhang Yi knew that now he could only plead guilty and try his best to blame himself, and maybe he could still have a chance to survive. From the fact that Ying Si did not immediately depose him, it is not difficult to see that King Qin may not have the intention to kill him.
"Get up! Get up!" Ying Si suddenly shouted: "If you really want to die, I will satisfy you when I resolve this crisis for you!"
