Yan State, Jicheng.
King Yan did not follow Duke Heshang to cultivate immortality today. Instead, like King Qin Ji, he lay on the rocking chair and basked in the sun.
It was late spring and early summer. Even in the northernmost Yan Kingdom, the weather had warmed up. However, King Yan was still covered with a thick blanket. His pale face occasionally showed abnormal blood color, and his eyes were cloudy, and he uttered from time to time. He coughed a few times, and the twilight aura on his body was stronger than that of Qin Wangji, who was over seventy years old.
Jiang Qu looked at King Yan complicatedly. To be fair, King Yan was not a qualified monarch. During his reign, he ignored government affairs and only focused on cultivating immortality.
But to him, it was a huge favor.
Without the trust of King Yan, there would be no general.
Jiang Qu was extremely grateful to King Yan.
Seeing that King Yan was seriously ill, he couldn't help but feel grief in his heart.
"Your Majesty, the Qin State has sent an envoy." After a while, he leaned over and said.
"What are you doing here?" King Yan slowly turned sideways.
"Invite us to attack Zhao State together." Jiang Qu said.
"Attack the State of Zhao? What does the Prime Minister think?" King Yan did not wait for Qu to answer, then waved his hand and said, "We are short of people, so the Prime Minister can handle it on his own."
"Old minister... take leave." Jiang Qu sighed deeply, turned and left the palace.
When he returned to his mansion, he ordered him to summon the envoy of Qin.
"The envoy of Qin also knows that our Yan State is located in a remote place and is weak. It has been humiliated by Zhao State many times. If Zhao State does not send troops to Yan State, we, Yan State, are very grateful. How dare we take the initiative to attack Zhao State?" Jiang Qu said with a bitter smile. .
If given the chance, Jiang Qu would definitely not mind taking revenge and take back the land lost by Yan State from Zhao State.
But reason told him that even if Qin State restrained some of Zhao State's troops, Yan State would not be Zhao State's opponent.
The Yan State was originally located in the north. The land was not fertile, the agriculture was not developed, and the commerce was not good. It lost 250,000 young men a few years ago, so it was not qualified to fight with the Zhao State.
If it were not for the civil strife of the Hu people in the north and their inability to invade the borders of Yan State, even if Zhao State was completely empty, Yan State would not be able to spare the troops to go south.
"Does the Prime Minister think that if the State of Yan does not attack the State of Zhao, the State of Zhao will not attack the State of Yan? Instead of passively facing the enemy, it is better to take the initiative. In addition to me, our Qin State also sent envoys to Qi State and Chu State , no matter how strong Zhao is, it is still no match for our four countries." The Qin envoy said in a deep voice.
"Don't you think that the envoy is a fool? Don't say that Zhao State has not attacked Yan State yet. Even if it does attack, will defending according to the city be the same as taking the initiative to attack? Besides, the Zhao army is so elite that it is probably inferior to the Qin army in field battles. Let's make a plan, not to mention our Yan State. Besides... Qin Envoy dares to guarantee that Qi State and Chu State will definitely agree to send troops?" Jiang Qu sneered.
He had seen the strength of Zhao's army. When over 10,000 cavalry rushed towards him in overwhelming numbers, he could not think of any resistance in his heart.
Compared with Zhao Jun, Yan Jun was as weak as a child.
If the advantage of Zhao's cavalry is weakened with the help of city wall defense, Jiang Qu will still have some confidence. But if it were a head-to-head confrontation in the wild, Yan State would definitely not be Zhao State's opponent.
Qin just wanted to use Yan to contain Zhao.
Although he agreed to unite with Qin to fight against Zhao, he would never betray the interests of Yan to serve Qin.
"In this case, I have no choice but to go back and advise the king to withdraw his troops. But... our Qin State can withdraw to the pass, but I don't know where the Yan State can withdraw to..." The Qin envoy shook his head with pretense of regret and stood up to leave.
"Wait a minute." Jiang Qu said quickly.
The most touching words are the truth, and what Qin Envoy said is the truth.
Although Zhao State has not attacked Yan State now, Jiang Qu knows that Zhao State will attack Yan State sooner or later.
Just like Han Wei knew that Qin would definitely hit them if they had the chance.
Because there is no other choice.
To the south and southwest of Zhao State is the ally Wei State, and to the east is the alliance state of Qi. Only Yan State has no relationship with Zhao State. Instead, they have a lot of hatred and are the weakest.
If he were King Zhao, he would also choose to attack Yan.
"If the State of Qin can persuade the State of Qi and the State of Chu to send troops, I, the State of Yan, will make a bet." Jiang Qu said through gritted teeth.
It is impossible for Yan State to face Zhao State alone.
But if Qi and Chu join in, they may really be able to regain their lost territory and even counterattack Zhao.
…
Compared with the impoverished Yan State, Qi State is much better.
In addition to the fact that Qi has no natural dangers, its geographical environment is among the best in the world. The land is fertile, there are few floods, it is profitable for fishing and salt, and it has a strong cultural and academic atmosphere. As long as it regains its former strength, it will be a first-class power in the world.
In ancient times, if the imperial court wanted to restore its national power, or make the country and its people rich, there was a very simple way, which was to make less or even no effort.
If the court does not bother, there will be no need to recruit corvees, which will kill people. Without corvées, the people would be able to farm the land safely at home and would not have any complaints against the court.
If the court doesn't bother, the officials below will have no excuse to exploit the people.
As long as there is no major natural disaster, the food grown will definitely be enough to feed the family, and there will be some leftover after paying taxes, so they will naturally become rich.
This is what Taoists call governance by inaction.
There is a saying in the Tao Te Ching: "It's too high to know it. Secondly, to be familiar with it and praise it. Secondly, to be afraid of it. Thirdly, to humiliate it."
This means that the best way to govern a country is when the people below only know that there is such a leader. What's worse is that the people below him praise the leader. What's even worse is being afraid of this leader. The worst thing is that everyone scolds this guy.
What's interesting is that it's not a high level to be praised by friends.
The Empress Dowager Qi did not come from a famous family, it was just a coincidence that when Linzi was conquered by Le Yi, the prince King Qi Xiang hid in her house and worked as a servant. In the end, the two fell in love and made a private life.
When Tian Dan was reunited, the down-and-out King Xiang of Qi became the King of Qi. He did not forget his poor wife, and the Queen Mother of Qi became the queen.
As a woman, the Queen Mother of Qi naturally could not learn how to govern the country from an early age. She knew that her abilities were limited, and it would be impossible to govern Qi well without capable people to help her.
After being so tired that she fell ill once, the Queen Mother of Qi chose the path that was most suitable for herself and the country of Qi, which was to rule by inaction.
Facts have proven that, unless one has a cross-era development vision, governing by doing nothing is indeed the best way to restore national strength.
In just a few years, Qi State has completely emerged from the haze of defeat. The people live and work in peace and contentment. In the countryside, there are many dogs barking, cocks crowing, and children running.
Businessmen also gathered in Linzi, bringing a large amount of business tax to Qi.
After having money, the Empress Dowager of Qi followed the example of Zhao State and started building roads. This time she did not recruit corvees, but chose to spend money to recruit workers, and like Zhao State, they paid on a daily basis.
The people didn't hate working. What they hated was doing corvee work for free and having to bring their own food. If they had wages, everyone would still be happy.
These past few years have been the fastest growing years since the restoration of Qi State.
But there is a prerequisite for inaction, that is, the external environment must be stable.
If someone comes to hit you every three days, or if you want to hit others every three days, it is impossible to treat it by doing nothing.
The Queen Mother of Qi is very satisfied with the current situation of Qi State. She does not bother herself, and her son is weak in character and does not like to make trouble. When her grandson succeeds the throne in a few decades, she will at least be able to leave a solid family background to her grandson.
The most important thing is that my grandson is still young and can still be saved.
Now that Queen Mother Qi is no longer so tired, she has goals again, and with her grandson by her side, she looks better than before.
"Sister, has the Qin State sent an envoy?" On this day, the Queen Mother of Qi was teaching her grandson to read, and Hou Sheng walked in.
"Qin? They want to invite me, Qi, to send troops to Zhao?" The Queen Mother of Qi frowned slightly. She just sent the Zhao envoy away, and Qin sent another envoy. It's really interesting.
"Not bad." Hou Sheng nodded.
"No, let them go back." The Empress Dowager Qi said displeasedly, "From now on, as long as they are the envoys who come to invite me to send troops from Qi, they will not be seen, no matter which country they are."
Both Qin and Zhao are full of evil. Qi has suffered enough losses and has finally been stable for several years. It must not get involved.
As for whether it would offend the two countries, Queen Mother Qi was not worried.
Qin and Qi are thousands of miles apart in the east and west. It is impossible for Qin to send troops to attack Qi alone.
And the State of Zhao is a marriage alliance between the State of Qi. Although the relationship between the two countries is not good, it is barely passable. Every year, the State of Qi often sends gifts to King Zhao.
But what the Empress Dowager Qi didn't know was that all the gifts Qi State gave to Zhao Kuo fell into his brother's pocket, and even Zhao Kuo paid a lot of them.
As an uncle of the state, Hou Sheng never bullied men and dominated women. His biggest hobby in life was gold and silver.
"Okay, I'll go back and tell the envoy of Qin." Hou Sheng turned around and left neatly, without saying anything good for Qin, although he accepted the gift from Qin.
Qin and Zhao are enemies. Zhao also gave gifts last time when he came, and he gave more gifts than Qin. He didn't say anything good for Zhao, so naturally he couldn't say anything good for Qin this time.
He still has this bit of professional ethics.
"It is not convenient for me, a woman, to leave the palace. If you have nothing to do recently, please help me find out where there are famous people in Qi. I plan to find a teacher for the prince." The Queen Mother of Qi stopped Hou Sheng.
Her understanding was limited after all, and as the prince grew older, he also needed a teacher.
"How about I teach the prince?" Hou Sheng's eyes lit up. He was used to being the king's uncle, so it would be good to be the prince's teacher. From now on, he would be the king's teacher.
This is the highest honor for a scholar.
"I don't know what your level is yet? You still want to teach the prince? You should teach yourself well first," the Queen Mother Qi scolded angrily.
"I...I won't teach anymore. I will definitely find a good teacher for the prince." Hou Sheng shrank his head. Growing up, he was afraid of nothing but his sister.
"When you have nothing to do, don't eat or drink with those unscrupulous people. You are the uncle now, so don't disgrace the palace. Read more books, and I can rest assured that you can do something. What is the state of Qi like now? , you also know that my sister hopes that you can stand up and help a bunch of sisters." Queen Mother Qi sighed, with sadness in her words.
Her husband died young, her son was young, and her brother was still a playboy. She supported the entire Qi State by herself.
Who knows how she got here all these years!
"Brother Chen... remember." After a while, Hou Sheng nodded firmly.
Looking at Hou Sheng's back, Queen Mother Qi sighed again. This is not the first time Hou Sheng has made a guarantee. I hope it can be improved.
Then she smiled suddenly, what happened to her today? She actually believed that her brother would change his ways. It was ridiculous. She should put her hope in her grandson.
…
The envoy going to Chu State was happier than the previous two. At least he got to see the King of Chu.
Although no matter how much he talked about it, he even told King Chu that as long as Chu sent troops, Qin could return several cities.
Chu State did not agree to send troops.
After seeing off the envoy, Huang Xie came to the palace, where King Chu was holding his several-month-old son and giggling.
This is not the first time Huang Xie has seen this scene. Ever since he had his son, King Chu has been in a daze, holding his son and laughing all day without feeling tired.
"Your Majesty, now that the Qin State and the Three Jin Dynasties are at war, it is our Chu State's opportunity." Huang Xie said with cupped fists.
"Didn't you say that you won't get involved in the war between Qin and Zhao?" King Chu handed his son to the maid and motioned to Huang Xie to sit wherever he wanted.
Whether it was the State of Zhao inviting the State of Chu to attack the State of Qin, or the State of Qin inviting the State of Chu to attack the State of Zhao.
Chu State refused.
Qin and Zhao are the two most powerful countries in the world, while Chu is ranked third. No matter which country wins, it will not be a good thing for Chu.
What King Chu wants to see most is for both Qin and Zhao to suffer defeat!
"It is not to participate in the war between Qin and Zhao, but to destroy Lu. At this time, the countries are fighting in a melee and are unable to take care of our Chu country. Our Chu country should seize the opportunity to strengthen itself." Huang Xie said seriously.
At this time, there were not many places in the world for Chu State to expand. It could even be said that there were only a handful of places in the world. Except for those powerful princes, only Wei State and Lu State were left. Wei State did not border Chu State, so Chu State The state could only attack the state of Lu.
Moreover, in the previous war, the Chu State had captured most of the Lu State's territory, leaving only a few cities such as Qufu, which could be destroyed overnight.
When the time comes, it will not be too late to take advantage of the Qin-Zhao war according to the situation.
"The Prime Minister is right. Another war between Qin and Zhao is an opportunity for Chu to rise." The King of Chu glanced at his newly born son and was full of energy.
"Your Majesty, the State of Lu is just a small country. Why not send some young generals to practice. Compared with Qin and Zhao, our State of Chu has too few famous generals who can lead troops to fight." Huang Xie said.
"Then let that boy Xiang Yan be the commander. He fought well in the previous battle. Then select a few young people as deputy generals, and bring the newly recruited soldiers to the battlefield to practice and train them into elite soldiers. "The king of Chu followed the good deeds like a stream.
"Besides that, I have one more thing to do. The Yue Kingdom has been destroyed, and there are only three nobles left in Jiangdong. The others all died at the hands of the Yue Kingdom. The imperial court can move some nobles from the Huaisi area to Jiangdong to weaken their influence. , it will also make it easier to find out their fields and punish nobles who have seriously occupied their fields." Huang Xie said.
If the Chu State wants to truly rise, and if the King of Chu wants to have real power, he must weaken the nobility.
The King of Chu has been doing this, but he has not made big moves and dare not make big moves. Huang Xie plans to use the annexation of Yue to weaken some of the nobles.
"I'm afraid those nobles won't agree." King Chu shook his head.
"What if I would like to take the initiative to move the fiefdom to Jiangdong?" Huang Xie said slowly. He is the largest feudal lord in Chu State. If even he moves to his fiefdom, how can the other nobles have the face to oppose it.
"Xiangguo... you..." King Chu looked at Huang Xie with great emotion.
"For the sake of Chu State, my personal interests are nothing." Huang Xie was very free and easy.
