"Following the etiquette and law is not to be blindly conservative, but to be flexible. If our country, Zhao, had not sent troops, I would not agree to attack the country of Yan when King Yan died. But at this time, our country, Zhao, had already reached the foot of Jicheng. Not only Instead of withdrawing our troops, we should use the power of thunder to occupy the Yan Kingdom and block the news of the death of King Yan." Yu Xin said.
Even if he doesn't use his talent, he knows which choice is most beneficial to Zhao Guo.
Not to mention that the other five countries are in chaos now and have no time to take care of the Yan State. Even if they have time, the Zhao State must withstand the pressure and destroy the Yan State, and then turn around to deal with other countries.
Zhao Kuo had no concept of etiquette and mourning. The reason why he asked the officials for their opinions was that he needed to act in accordance with the concepts of the era and not go against the times.
If everyone agrees that etiquette should not be followed by mourning, then no matter how reluctant he is, he can only order Li Mu to withdraw his troops.
But fortunately, only a few people agreed with etiquette rather than mourning. The vast majority believed that the victory should be pursued and the Yan Kingdom should not be given time to recuperate.
In this case, Zhao Kuo can happily give the order.
In Jicheng, the newly appointed King Xi of Yan, who had not yet ascended the throne, kept his filial piety for three hours, returned to the study and began to process the memorial, asking whether Zhao had withdrawn his troops.
It's not that he is unfilial, nor that he doesn't respect etiquette.
It is true that Yan State is in a special period and can only adapt.
At this time, Zhao Jun was like the sword of death hanging over Yan Guo's head, and it could be cut down at any time. He could not spend all his time on keeping filial piety.
When other kings were kings, they would only seize the power of the world and lie drunk on the knees of beauties. King Yan did not know why it was his turn to be so unlucky.
Tianxiaquan didn't see it, and the decree couldn't even get out of Jicheng. That was true when Beauty Knee was the prince, but now that he is the king, he doesn't even have time to go to the harem.
He would rather be a prince quietly as before, at least he could survive after the country was overthrown and would not have to worry about his life.
But it is difficult for a king who subjugates his country to have a good ending.
"Your Majesty, the Zhao army has no signs of retreating yet." The minister leaned over and said.
According to etiquette, one should not be called a king before he ascends the throne.
But now, only these two words can appease the Minister of Civil and Military Affairs. ap.
If they don't even have the king, they don't know what to do to stop Zhao Jun.
"Hey!" King Yan sighed deeply.
"Your Majesty, Zhao Jun... Zhao Jun is about to release the prisoners... The general asked if he would accept them." At this time, a guard rushed in from outside.
"Prisoner? What kind of prisoner?" Yan Wangxi didn't understand for a moment.
"It's the Yan army that was captured five years ago." the guard said.
"Why did the Zhao army release the prisoners at this time? Did they put forward any conditions?" King Yan asked strangely. Although it was time to release the prisoners, the two countries are still at war.
"There are no conditions, just let us open the city gate and let everyone enter." The guard shook his head.
"Could Zhao Jun want to rely on these prisoners to deceive the city gate and take the opportunity to attack Jicheng?" said a young minister next to him, it was Ju Wu who recommended him to King Yan before his death.
"Does the doctor mean to refuse the Zhao army to release the prisoners back to the country?" King Yan asked Xi.
"No, Your Majesty." Ju Wu said quickly, "These prisoners are our Yan people, and because our Yan country was defeated, they were detained in the Zhao country for five years, and they were originally dissatisfied with our Yan country. If at this time, Rejecting them to return to the country will not only push them completely to the Zhao Kingdom, but also make the people in the city have greater complaints against the king. After all, the captives outside the city are their relatives, and they have not seen their relatives for five years."
Whether a city can hold on for a long time depends on two conditions, one is that the city is high and the city is deep, and the other is the popular support in the city.
Two hundred years ago, the three families of Zhi, Han and Wei attacked the Zhao family. The Zhao family held on to Jinyang City for nearly two years. The city reached the point where bones were broken to cook food and sons were exchanged for food. The people of the country still chose to follow the Zhao family.
In the Battle of Handan in history, Zhao State persisted for two years despite losing most of its young men and lacking food and grass in the country. Finally, it was defeated by Wei State and Chu State.
With the help of Qin, he defeated Qin.
It depends on the city being high and the pond being deep, as well as the people’s support.
Without one of the two conditions, the Zhao family died two hundred years ago.
As the capital of the Yan Kingdom, Jicheng has naturally tall walls and sufficient food and grass, but the people in the city have already been unstable.
Everyone had been waiting for a long time to welcome their relatives back, but the Yan State conscripted troops to attack the Zhao State, resulting in the Zhao State failing to release their relatives.
In the end, Yan lost the battle and sent another 100,000 troops to Zhao.
The Yan people have already reached the edge of an outbreak. If the Yan State refuses their relatives to return home at this time, civil strife will inevitably break out in Jicheng.
By then, Zhao Jun will be able to capture Jicheng without any effort.
"It doesn't matter if you accept it, or if you don't accept it, what should I do?" King Yan was a little confused. He really didn't want to be this King of Yan.
Ju Wu sighed. From the moment Zhao Jun released the prisoners, no matter what Yan Guo chose, it was wrong.
"Let's go to the city head first and take a look." Ju Wu said.
"That's fine." Yan Wangxi had no idea what to do and could only listen to Ju Wu.
Soon, King Yan and other ministers boarded the city.
There were only about a thousand Zhao troops outside the city, and five thousand Yan people who were neatly dressed and full of energy, with smiles on their faces, waiting to go home.
Ju Wu frowned. It could be seen from the state of the Yan people that they were not mistreated in Zhao.
In this way, it would be difficult to make them hate Zhao and be united with Yan.
"Is this the current King of Yan on the city?" Li Mu asked when he saw a group of people surrounding a young man in his prime on the top of the city, so he walked to the front and asked.
"It's the widow." King Yan was afraid that Li Mu would shoot him to death with an arrow, so he hid behind the guards and replied.
"We, the State of Zhao, have kept our promise and released the Yan people who were captured five years ago. Please send people to receive them." Li Mu said loudly.
"Why are there only such a small number of people, and where are the rest of the Yan Kingdom?" Ju Wu stepped forward and asked.
"This is the first batch. Others are still on the way and will be released one after another. Don't worry, King Yan. We, the Zhao Kingdom, will definitely abide by the promises we made. We will not shamelessly break the covenant like the Yan Kingdom." Li Mu cursed unceremoniously, without any regard for King Yan's face.
Since ancient times, only strong countries have the right to be shameless, while weak countries do not.
If Yan violates this rule, he will be punished.
"Did Zhao's so-called keeping his promise mean that he took advantage of the death of the king of Yan to capture the territory of Yan?" Ju Wu asked.
"When did our country of Zhao promise not to attack your country of Yan after the death of King Yan? Besides, it was the country of Yan that took the initiative to tear up the alliance and attack our country of Zhao, and our country of Zhao can't fight back? Is this the case for everyone in the Yan country? Are you a fool?" Li Mu glanced at Ju Wu, took out a plum blossom arrow from his back, and shot it towards the top of the city.
There was a sharp sound of breaking through the air, and the arrow feathers drew an arc in the sky and sank into the female wall in front of Ju Wu.
Ju Wu and the surrounding ministers were so frightened that they retreated.
King Yan was glad that he had hid behind the guards long ago, otherwise no one could guarantee that the arrow was not aimed at him.
"If you dare to talk nonsense again, the next arrow will not be aimed at the female wall." Li Mu said coldly.
Ju Wu swallowed and looked at the still trembling arrow tail, his heart filled with fear. Just for a moment, he really felt the breath of death.
King Yan and his ministers looked at me and I looked at you, but no one dared to come forward and talk to them.
"Do you, Yan State, still want your people? If not, I will take them back with you." Li Mu said impatiently after waiting for a long time and no one spoke.
He didn't care whether Yan State accepted these five thousand prisoners. No matter what Yan State chose, he had a plan to deal with it.
From the beginning, Yan was destined to lose.
The five thousand Yan people raised their heads and looked eagerly at the city head, feeling increasingly dissatisfied with King Yan.
The State of Yan originally abandoned us in the State of Zhao. Now that we have finally come back and you still don’t let us go back, then
Don't blame us.
"Your Majesty, Zhao's army only has a thousand troops, so it does not pose a threat to us." Ju Wu leaned over and said.
"The Zhao army cavalry may be waiting in the distance. They are extremely fast. If they rush over when we open the city gate, we may not be able to close the city gate in time." A minister said.
"Put down the hanging basket and pick them up one by one. There are only 5,000 people in total. It won't take long. If Zhao Jun takes the opportunity to attack the city, abandon the Guizhou head below the city." Ju Wu said through gritted teeth.
No one raised any objections.
"Then let's do it." Yan Wangxi said.
"We will then arrange for people to register, ask them where they live, and ask their family members to claim them. If there is no family member to claim them, they will be locked up for the time being. This will prevent Zhao Jun from being mixed in and working as a female agent." Ju Wu continued.
He had never thought that some of these Yan people might have defected to Zhao, but he had no way to identify them.
The State of Yan had no choice but to accept these five thousand people, and after receiving them, it was impossible to lock them all up and not let them go home.
As for arranging personnel to guard the home, Yan State does not have that many manpower.
Li Mu quietly watched Yan Jun put down a row of hanging baskets on the city, with a smile on his lips.
You don't think that I plan to take the opportunity to attack the city, or to plant female cadres among the prisoners.
You have never imagined that all these five thousand people have taken refuge in our Zhao country. Even if you thought about it, there is nothing you can do. You cannot and do not dare to kill them all.
As long as these five thousand Yan people enter the city, it is certain that Zhao Jun will capture Jicheng.
"Go back to the camp." Seeing everyone entering the city, Li Mu waved and led Zhao Jun back to the camp.
"This battle was really unpleasant. We didn't do anything and the country was destroyed." Sima Shang sighed, but the smile on his face betrayed him.
This is the benefit of following a famous general in battle, defeating your opponent before you know it.
"The general fought a few battles with the Yan army, but we really didn't do anything and were all on our way." Qing She said angrily.
"Yes, our soldiers haven't seen any blood yet." Feng Wuze said.
"After we go back, let all the soldiers go to bed and recharge their batteries. Don't let your guard down at night." Li Mu turned around and said.
"No." Several people said seriously.
That night, the Yan people who had been released during the day took out weapons from under their beds. Those without weapons took kitchen knives and hoes and walked out of their homes. Everyone gathered in the street and rushed towards the military warehouse.
The Yan State had never thought that someone would dare to attack the military depot at this juncture, so they arranged hundreds of conscripted recruits here, old and young. When they saw so many people rushing towards them, they immediately fled in all directions.
The Yan soldiers occupied the military warehouse without any effort, equipped everyone with weapons, then burned the military warehouse with fire and rushed towards the city gate.
Li Mu promised them that as long as they could cooperate with Zhao Jun to open the city gate, everyone could be promoted to one level. If they made other contributions, they could continue to receive rewards.
On the contrary, if someone enters Jicheng and stays at home and does not come out, once the Zhao army attacks Jicheng, he will be beheaded. If someone dares to inform the Yan State, his whole family will be beheaded.
For this reason, Li Mu specially asked Jin Yao to select some prisoners whose family members were still alive, preferably with children.
In front is the temptation of a title, and in the back is the threat of beheading or even the whole family being beheaded.
These prisoners did not dare to disobey Li Mu's orders at all. After obtaining the weapons, they immediately headed towards the city gate to kill.
Soon, five thousand Yan troops arrived at the city gate.
At midnight, the defenders were already mentally exhausted and never thought that the enemy would appear from behind.
Ju Wu was worried during the day and reminded King Yan to increase the number of defenders, and King Yan did so.
However, there are only 2,000 organic soldiers in Jicheng. The army composed of thousands of noble retainers and slaves is considered strong, and the rest are old and weak. They are divided into guarding the palace and the four city gates, and they have to be divided into day and night. Even if the number of guards is increased, The army is just old and weak, so how much fighting power does it have?
After an afternoon's rest, Zhao Jun outside the city was full of energy, strong and strong, and ready to go.
Li Mu saw the flames in the city soaring into the sky. He swept his spear forward and led the Zhao army to kill Jicheng.
"Your Majesty, your Majesty is in trouble, the city gate has been captured, and the Zhao army has entered..."
In the palace, King Yan, who had been tired for a day, was sleeping soundly on the couch, when suddenly a cry of surprise woke him up.
"Zhao Jun... How could Zhao Jun come in?" King Yan hurriedly got up from the bed, grabbed a piece of robe and rushed outside.
"Your Majesty, don't go. Let's escape. The five thousand people who were let in during the day have been bribed by Zhao. They burned our military treasury and opened the city gate from the inside. Now Zhao Jun has rushed into the city. They are coming towards the palace. If you don't escape, it will be too late." The eunuch said anxiously.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Run away." The captain of the guard also ran over, straightened his helmet and said to King Yan.
"Where are the kings and grandsons?" King Yan asked anxiously.
Although he is the actual King of Yan, until now, he has not had time to ascend the throne, let alone establish a prince. It is worse than being the pillar of King Qin for three days in history.
"Your Majesty, Wang Sun is here." Ju Wu appeared from the darkness carrying three or four year old Wang Sun Dan on his back.
"Dad, they said Zhao Jun was invading, and they said they wanted to kill dad..." When Wang Sundan saw King Yan, he climbed off Ju Wu's back, ran to King Yan, hugged his thighs, and cried loudly.
The young Wang Sundan still didn't understand what killing meant, but he could feel the changes in everyone around him.
"Your Majesty, for the current plan, we can only temporarily abandon Jicheng and retreat to Liaodong for the future." Ju Wu said.
"Okay." King Yan nodded reluctantly.
