By the time Sima Shang sent someone back to report, it was already the next morning.
Although the Yan army saw Qu Jing wearing a sword, they still did not want to believe that Qu Jing had committed suicide. They stayed with Zhao Jun until dawn the next day, but instead of waiting for Qu Jing, they saw 10,000 captured Yan troops.
The Yan army in the camp surrendered.
Soon, the news of Yan Jun's surrender reached Jicheng.
After learning about him, a mouthful of blood spurted out from his throat, his face was like gold paper, and he aged ten or twenty years in an instant.
Immediately afterwards, the impeachment memorials were sent to King Yan.
Over the years, he has only been favored by King Yan and controlled the government. One person is inferior to ten thousand people. The civil and military ministers have long been unhappy with him.
Now, because of one of Jiang Qu's decisions, one hundred thousand Yan troops were killed in Zhao. How could they not add insult to injury.
The eunuch seemed to have anticipated Jiang Qu's loss of power and did not dare to stop him at all. Instead, he tried his best to distance himself from Jiang Qu.
"Trash, they are just a bunch of trash, cough cough... An army of one hundred thousand people, cough cough... An army of one hundred thousand people, they didn't even resist, they just surrendered! Ahem..." After King Yan learned the news, he didn't even care about cultivating immortals. When he couldn't get on, he was so angry that he trembled all over and cursed loudly.
An army of 100,000 people, this is the result of Yan State's frugality!
It's fine now, it's all gone!
A row of eunuchs stood below, heads lowered, holding their breath, not daring to reveal any movement.
"Call General Qu here. Is this the opportunity he said? Is this what he said about the emptiness of the Zhao Kingdom? If this is considered emptiness, then what does it mean that it is not emptiness..." King Yan became more and more energetic as he scolded, changing from his previous decadence.
He did not address General Qu Xiangguo, but directly called him by his first name.
A clever eunuch hurriedly walked outside. He didn't want to listen to King Yan's curses here. If he suddenly went crazy and ordered everyone to be dragged out to hit the wooden board, there would be no place to cry.
"I am guilty." After Jiang Qu saw King Yan, he knelt down without explanation.
The King of Yan handed over the entire Yan State to him, and he was full of confidence and tried to revitalize the Yan State. Imitate the sage Guan Zhong and leave a good reputation for the harmony between monarch and minister.
However, the ideal is beautiful, but the reality is cruel.
He was not Guan Zhong and could not make Yan the overlord.
The State of Zhao was also more powerful than its opponents in the State of Qi. ap.
"Guilty? No, I am the one who is guilty. I should not believe you. I thought you were a minister of humiliation, but unexpectedly you turned out to be a traitor." King Yan walked up to Jiang Qu, kicked him over, and then He stepped hard twice before being pulled away by the eunuch.
"Before your Majesty punishes me, I would like to ask you to listen to me." He climbed up and said seriously.
"Go away, I don't want to hear what you have to say. Don't let me see you again in the future." King Yan pointed at the door and said angrily.
"Your Majesty, after the Zhao army defeats our army, it is very likely that the Zhao army will choose to go north to attack our country of Yan. At this time, the internal emptiness of our country of Yan is extremely empty, and the people are also complaining about the court. Jicheng cannot be defended for a long time. For the current plan, We can only retreat to Liaodong first to temporarily avoid Zhao's attack."
"At that time, the king can entrust Jixian to a reliable general. If it can be defended, it will not be too late for the king to return to Jixian. If Jixian is lost, the king will manage Liaodong and wait for changes in the world before sending troops to regain the lost territory."
"The stars of our Yan Kingdom are withering, and the court is full of people who only fight for power and flattery. Your Majesty, you can't trust them easily. The future of cultivating immortals seems to be bright, but for thousands of years, no one has succeeded. I hope your Majesty can do it in the future. Focus on state affairs, revitalize the Yan Kingdom, and don’t let down the legacy left by our ancestors.”
"The State of Zhao has numerous famous generals, and even Lord Chang and his son have defected to the State of Zhao. The Zhao army is elite, but our country of Yan has lost all its youth and strength, and only the old and weak are left in the city. The only person in our country of Yan who can possibly stop the Zhao army is Qin Kai General. As a former minister of King Zhao, Qin Kai was greatly favored by King Zhao. Although he was not reused, he still had no resentment towards our country, Yan."
"After I leave, I still hope that the king can personally invite Qin Kai. If the king is unwilling, then send an envoy. Qin Kai will not let the king down. Ju Wu, the middle official, is a resolute man. Although he is young and weak, he often has amazing words. , I can entrust you with great things, so the king can trust me..."
"The war is over, Zhao Guo should be able to
The army captured five years ago will be released. As for the army captured this time, it should not be released in a short time. The soldiers were defeated and captured. It was our country, Yan, that was sorry for them. I hope your Majesty will treat them as before and not make any distinction. If you have enough money and food, it would be best to reduce or reduce some taxes. Don’t let Zhao Guo’s plan succeed..."
"Our country, Yan, is the weakest and cannot face Zhao alone. After I leave, foreign kings should continue to maintain good relations with Qin and Qi and jointly fight against Zhao. Win over the three countries of Han, Wei, and Chu to keep them neutral. Domestic officials should choose virtuous candidates. Yes, your Majesty, you must keep your eyes open and don't let incompetent people like me control the government and deceive your Majesty. They also do frivolous corvee and low taxes. In the past few years, the people of Yan Kingdom have lived a very miserable life..."
"My lord, I'm sorry, your Majesty, I'm sorry for the country of Yan."
"I'm leaving."
Jiang Qu didn't care about King Yan's expulsion, he just knelt on the ground and spoke silently, as if he wanted to tell King Yan everything he said in his heart.
King Yan was impatient at first, but then his mood gradually stabilized.
Although he was devoted to cultivating immortals, he was not a fool, and he could tell that everything he said was true. Moreover, he deeply respected and trusted Jiang Qu, otherwise he would not have given all the power to Jiang Qu.
By the time King Yan came to his senses, Jiang Qu had already left the hall.
Looking at the empty hall, King Yan felt as if he had lost something...
The next day, news came from the Prime Minister's Mansion that he died of illness at home...
Although he was angry that he had to sacrifice Yan's 100,000-strong army, the love between the king and his ministers over the past five years still made the King of Yan personally come to mourn him.
As for what Jiang Qu said to King Yan before his death, they were basically forgotten by King Yan.
After returning to the palace, King Yan had no time to rest. Various documents and memorials were thrown at him from all directions.
In the past, these documents were handled by him alone, but now that he is gone, it all falls on King Yan.
After taking the throne for such a long time, this was the second time that King Yan dealt with paperwork.
The last time it was dealt with was on the second day after he ascended the throne, and King Yan never dealt with it again.
However, this time King Yan was much luckier than five years ago, because the memorials were replaced by paper instead of bamboo slips, and they only filled half of the desk. Unlike before, there was no room for them on the desk and they were piled all over the floor.
"Ahem."
Two quarters of an hour later, King Yan, who was suffering from backache and dizziness, almost fainted when he looked at the few documents in front of him.
"Forget it, let's deal with it tomorrow."
King Yan decided to go back to practice immortality first and relax himself.
After three years of not flying, only a few will soar into the sky.
Most people are intermittently complacent and continue to eat and wait for death.
"The king is in trouble, the king is in trouble, the Zhao army has crossed Laishui and is heading towards Jicheng." At this time, a guard rushed in from outside the palace.
Several officials wanted to stop him, but after hearing what the guards said, they quickly retreated.
"When did it happen?" King Yan was startled, and a chill hit his head, and all the fatigue on his body disappeared.
"Yesterday...yesterday..."
Bang!
After hearing this, a eunuch was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground.
"Your Majesty, the news is from yesterday... With the speed of the Zhao army, I am afraid that they are not far from Jicheng, and may even be outside the city." When the official saw King Yan looking at him, he quickly knelt down on the ground. , explained.
"But is that true?" King Yan looked at the guard.
"No...not bad." The guard nodded.
"Pass a message to all the civil and military ministers in the court to come quickly to discuss the matter. We also recruit men in the city who are over fourteen years old and under sixty years old to guard the city. No one can refuse except those with disabilities." King Yan ordered.
Most of the young and strong men of Yan State stayed in Zhao State. In the entire Jicheng City, the only fighting force was the two thousand guards guarding the palace. With this small force, they could not even stand on the city wall, let alone defend the city.
After giving the order, King Yan felt a little dizzy and uncomfortable. He quickly sat down and waited for the Minister of Civil and Military Affairs.
When the civil and military ministers of the Yan State learned that Zhao Jun had already reached the city, they did not dare to delay for a moment. Those on horseback and those on chariots rushed towards the palace in a panic.
As for rules, fuck off.
My life may be almost gone, but I still behave!
"Your Majesty, I suggest you seek peace." A minister stepped forward and said.
"Can Zhao Guo agree?" King Yan said worriedly.
As long as Zhao can withdraw his troops, he is willing to cede territory and pay compensation. What he fears most is that Zhao Guo will not agree to withdraw his troops.
"The reason why Zhao State attacked Yan State is that Yan State attacked Zhao State, but the general who originally issued the order has passed away. As long as Yan State admits its mistake to Zhao State, Zhao State has no reason to attack Yan State." Minister Tian Ying said confidently.
The dead general canal is like a basket, and everything can be put into it.
Anyway, just let him take the blame.
As long as Zhao has no reason to attack Yan, Zhao will have no choice but to retreat.
"Okay. Then Aiqing will be sent as an envoy to the State of Zhao." King Yan agreed, "As long as the conditions of the State of Zhao are not too outrageous, Aiqing can make her own decision."
"Don't worry, Your Majesty, Ping Chen's sharp tongue is enough to make Zhao country withdraw its troops." Tian Ying leaned over and said.
At this time, Zhao Jun had arrived twenty miles outside Jicheng. Li Mu sent someone to contact Yuan Hua to unify military orders and dispatch.
At the same time, waiting for the infantry, Qingshe and Feng Wuze were still behind.
"Although our army won the last battle, the country of Yan is empty. But don't be arrogant. Once you are arrogant, the enemy will seize the opportunity to defeat you. Regardless of whether the Yan army will make a sneak attack, the military camp must be well arranged. Don’t be careless in the slightest.”
Li Mu likes to do things personally when leading troops in wars. He has to do or check everything by himself before he feels at ease.
From the moment he started leading the army, Le Yi and Tian Dan told him that failure to do any detail could lead to the defeat of the entire army. As a general, responsible for the lives of everyone in the army, there must be no carelessness.
Li Mu has always adhered to this point for so many years.
"Pile a mountain of earth in the middle and put it up for defense. There is no need to lure the enemy. It will make the enemy feel sick and not want to fight. Leave the left and right sides free for our cavalry to attack. If the enemy comes to attack, they can attack them. The two wings of the army..."
"General, the envoy from Yan State wants to see you." At this time, deputy general Sima Shang came over.
"The reaction of Yan State was quite fast. They sent envoys as soon as our army arrived." Li Mu muttered and walked towards the main camp tent.
"This must be General Li Mu, he is really young and promising." When Tian Ying saw Li Mu, he hurriedly came up to him, leaned over and said.
"Are you..." Li Mu asked.
"I am Tian Ying, envoy of the State of Yan." Tian Ying said.
Logically speaking, he should go directly to Handan. Because it is not the general who has the final say whether to retreat, but King Zhao.
But he was worried that Yan Guo would not be able to insist on his return.
If he had waited until he returned to Yan State, Jicheng would have been defeated by the Zhao army. Even if Zhao was persuaded to withdraw, it would be too late.
Therefore, Tian Ying first came to Zhao Jun's camp, intending to persuade Li Mu not to attack Jicheng for the time being.
"The State of Yan has invaded our Zhao State's territory and invaded our Zhao State's rivers and mountains without any reason. How dare you send an envoy to see me?" Li Mu snorted coldly, not giving Tian Ying a good look at all.
"General Mingjian, your Majesty is devoted to cultivating immortality and has ignored the government affairs for many years. This time our Yan Kingdom attacked Zhao Kingdom, but the prime minister left him in charge of the court alone and acted his own way, which was definitely not what the king wanted. After the king learned about it, he immediately dismissed him as prime minister. , and ordered the withdrawal. But it's too late... The wise and mighty general has captured all our troops. Now General Qu has passed away. We, the State of Yan, would like to apologize to the State of Zhao, request the State of Zhao to withdraw its troops and reconcile," Tian Ying said. .
"What a good face. I wonder if Jiang Qu would be angry with you if he knew about it." Li Mu sneered, really thinking that he would only lead troops in war.
Tian Ying was a little angry, but she still suppressed the anger in her heart and said with a smile on her face: "The general is joking. If the Prime Minister had not died, he would definitely regret attacking Zhao and apologize to Zhao."
"Regret is for sure. If you apologize, just
No need. It is better to wait until King Yan arrives in Handan before apologizing. "Li Mumu said coldly.
"Zhao is a big country and Yan is a small country. A big country should maintain peace in the world. How can it bully a small country? This is a sign of unbenevolence." Tian Ying said loudly.
There is a situation where although I hit you, I apologized, so you can't hit me.
Li Mu looked at the innocent Tian Ying like an idiot. Not to mention that Yan State attacked Zhao State first, even if Yan State did not attack Zhao State, Zhao State would attack Yan State if it took action.
Did you fucking live hundreds of years ago? Do you think I need a real reason to beat you up?
There is no better excuse in the world than a bullshit excuse.
Just talk about attacking Wu Dao casually. If the Yan State is not satisfied, Zhao Guo can find a few victims to accuse the Yan State and stage a good show in which the king is unjust and the country loses its people.
In this world, after all, the strong are respected, not the righteous.
Small countries do not even have the strength to uphold justice.
Not to mention a country like Yan, which itself is hairy.
This was the time when Yan State was at its weakest. There were not many young men in the entire Yan State. How could Zhao State give up attacking Yan State.
"Envoy Yan, please come back." Li Mu didn't want to waste time talking to Tian Ying, so he made a gesture of invitation.
"I will go to Handan and I will definitely convince King Zhao. Please give me some time, general. Don't attack the city until King Zhao's order is issued." Tian Ying said.
"Envoy Yan should ask King Yan to think of a way to enhance Jicheng's defense capabilities." Li Mu stood up and walked outside.
Zhao Jun will indeed not attack the city for the time being, because the army has not yet arrived.
But how could Li Mu tell Tian Ying.
Let Yan Guo go in a hurry.
The more anxious the Yan State is, the better the Zhao army will attack.
Tian Ying saw this and quickly chased after him.
Before coming, he promised in front of King Yan that Zhao Jun would be able to retreat.
