In May, Zhao Kuo led the four-nation coalition forces to arrive outside Xianyang City.
This was the first time that Qin had been attacked in the capital since it moved its capital to Xianyang, and the whole country was shocked.
"This is Xianyang built under the leadership of Shang Yang. It doesn't look very majestic." Zhao Kuo stood on the chariot and looked at Xianyang City not far away. Under the reflection of the setting sun, it exuded orange-red light, which was different from the distant city. Mount Wei merges into one, like the most beautiful picture scroll between heaven and earth. ap..
In fact, the scale of Xianyang City is not small. It is a big city in any country. However, if compared with the capital, it is indeed not a big city. Whether it is Handan of Zhao State, Daliang of Wei State, or Linzi of Qi State, it is even bigger. Xianyang is much more majestic.
"What the king doesn't know is that Xianyang was built during the period of Qin Xiaogong. At that time, the Qin State had just experienced Shang Yang's reform. Although the national power had improved, it was still unable to compare with the Eastern countries. Therefore, the scale of Xianyang City was very ordinary. Later, the Qin State continued to deepen the reform Through reforms, the strength was gradually enhanced, but all the money was put on external expansion and did not expand the city of Xianyang, making Xianyang somewhat inconspicuous in the capital." Xunzi said.
"The monarchs of the Qin Dynasty were indeed more keen on external expansion, but they did not pursue some face and material things." Zhao Kuo said.
Like King Xuan of Qi, who raised three hundred musicians to play the yu for him, this kind of thing would have been impossible in Qin. Zhao Kuo probably couldn't afford it when Qin was poor, but later became prosperous and found it more interesting to attack cities and plunder territory.
"Although a country is large, if it is eager to fight, it will perish, and if it forgets to fight, it will be in danger. Only when there is tension and relaxation is the right way." Xunzi said.
Zhao Kuo nodded. Xunzi's words were not only about Qin, but also about him.
"Do you have a map around Xianyang?" Zhao Kuo asked.
"Here, Your Majesty." Liu Ping found a worn map, opened it and placed it in front of Zhao Kuo.
Zhao Kuo frowned. The map simply marked the names of cities, rivers, and mountains around Xianyang. It didn't even have a range, let alone the terrain.
"Where did this map come from?" Zhao Kuo asked in a deep voice.
"It was... found in Lantian City." Liu Ping said.
"Throw it away. Go find nearby civilians to inquire about the surrounding terrain, then draw a new map and set up a sand table." Zhao Kuo said. This map didn't even indicate the terrain, so it was useless.
"No." Liu Ping said quickly.
"Instruct the whole army to set up camp and make every effort to build siege equipment." Zhao Kuo ordered.
"Let's make arrangements now," Le Yi said.
"How about the food and grass?" Zhao Kuo asked.
"Your Majesty, our Zhao Kingdom's grain and grass are already on the way. We have received letters from the King of Han and the King of Wei. They are working hard to recruit grain and grass. The Qi Kingdom is far away and there is no news yet," Li Si said.
South Korea and Wei had always wanted to withdraw their troops before, but since the news of the great victory came back to Daliang and Xinzheng, the two countries never spoke to each other again.
Qin's Nanjun, Shangyong, Shangyu and other places were far away from Zhao, and it was impossible for Zhao to occupy them. In the end, they belonged to both of them. South Korea also took advantage of the situation to take back Sanchuan. These are all real benefits.
Even if some compensation is given to Zhao Guo afterwards, it will be worthwhile.
No matter how strong a relationship is, there is no benefit!
The two countries are now mobilizing grain and grass to fully support Zhao Kuo's attack on Qin, and at the same time sending people to take over the city. The territory is expanding almost every day.
"Your Majesty, there is a saying in the art of war. A wise general will feed the enemy. If he feeds the enemy for one minute, he will be worth twenty for me; for one stone of stalk, he will be worth twenty stone. At this time, Qin's summer grain has just matured, and it is the harvest season. At the end of the day, the general I thought I could send a large army to seize Qin's summer grain to use as food for our army." Tian Dan said with cupped fists.
"Remember, don't massacre the people of Qin without reason." Zhao Kuo said in a deep voice.
"The general will finally understand." Tian Dan said.
"Your Majesty, the envoy from the State of Qin wants to see you!" At this time, a guard came over and reported with clasped fists.
"The State of Qin finally couldn't hold it any longer. I thought that the State of Qin would send an envoy to sue for peace a few days ago, but I didn't expect to wait until today." Zhao Kuo said with a smile, turned around and walked towards the tent.
What he didn't know was that the Qin State did
The request for peace had been determined before, but there was no consensus on the price. Until Zhao Jun came to the city, Qin really had no choice but to send envoys.
"The foreign minister has met the king in the middle period." The Qin envoy entered the camp in the middle period and bowed.
"Could it be that your Excellency is in the middle period of the year that the King of Qin called my mirror?" Zhao Kuo asked.
In the middle period of the Qin Dynasty, he was famous for his outspoken advice and uprightness, just like Wei Zheng beside Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, but he was far less famous than Wei Zheng.
"It's just the late king's praise," Zhong said.
"Give the envoy of Qin a seat," Zhao Kuo said.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." He bowed again in the middle period. After sitting down, he waved his sleeves and clasped his fists and said, "I feel sad for Your Majesty. Although he has thousands of miles of mountains and rivers and hundreds of thousands of troops, he was confused by the temporary prosperity. With both eyes, a disaster is approaching without even realizing it..."
Having said this, he paused for a moment and looked at Zhao Kuo out of the corner of his eye.
This is also the most common trick used by lobbyists. First, they exaggerate to attract the other party's attention, take the initiative to ask themselves, and then achieve their own goals during the conversation.
However, this time he miscalculated mid-term. He waited for a long time, and Zhao Kuo did not take the initiative to ask him...
"No more? How could the Qin envoy prepare such a short period of time as a lobbyist?" After a long while, Zhao Kuo looked at the middle stage and asked with confusion.
"..." In the middle period, a mouthful of old blood almost sprayed into Zhao Kuo's face. Did anyone answer the question like this? What do you mean by just preparing for such a short period?
If you answer it like this, what else can I say next?
"Your Majesty Mingjian, our two countries, Zhao and Qin, are still separated by Han and Wei. Even if Zhao conquers Qin's territory, it will not be able to occupy it for a long time. In the end, it will only make Han and Wei easier. Although Han and Wei are now called Zhao Leader, when he becomes stronger in the future, he will definitely turn against Zhao. What is the difference between Zhao's attack on Qin and the loss of his own strength to strengthen the enemy?" In the middle period, he took a deep breath, calmed down, and continued.
"What good solution does envoy Qin have?" Zhao Kuo asked with a smile.
"As long as King Zhao withdraws his troops, our Qin State is willing to surrender to Zhao State, always be at Zhao King's disposal, and give Shaoliang City to the king as Tang Muyi. With our Qin State threatening Han and Wei in the west, South Korea and Wei will definitely not dare to betray King." Zhong said. Read the book
"Is there more?" Zhao Kuo asked.
"Is there anything else?" Zhao Kuo didn't understand what he meant in the middle period.
"A Shaoliang city, or Tang Muyi, is sending out beggars. Someone, send the Qin envoy out." Zhao Kuo waved his hand and said coldly.
"Please." Ben stepped forward and stood tall in front of Zhong Zhong. A thunderous sound exploded in Zhong Zhong's ears, causing Zhong Zhong to take a few steps back in shock.
"Wait a minute, the foreign minister still has something to say." Zhong said quickly. If he went back like this, his future career would be over.
"It's best to say something useful." Zhao Kuo said in a deep voice.
"We, the State of Qin, are willing to cede Sanchuan, Nanjun, Qianzhong County, Shangyu, Shangyong and other places to the State of Zhao, and profess vassalage to the State of Zhao. We will give Shaoliang to the king as Tang Muyi, and send the prince to the State of Zhao as a hostage." He said quickly, fearing that Zhao Kuo would drive him out.
Zichu, who was still fighting in Longxi and Lejian at this time, did not know that Qin was discussing selling him, and that it would be to Zhao, whom he had finally left.
"Sanchuan, Nanjun, Qianzhongjun, Shangyu, Shangyong, hehehe, do you, the Qin State, really think that I, Zhao Kuo, am a fool? Someone, please send the Qin envoy away." Zhao Kuo said impatiently.
Ben grabbed Zhong Zhong without hesitation. No matter how Zhong Zhong struggled, he couldn't break free from Ben's arm. He was forcefully dragged outside the camp and thrown to the ground.
"The State of Qin wants to take this opportunity to provoke a conflict between the three kingdoms of Han, Wei, Chu, and our State of Zhao." Li Si said in a deep voice.
Although Sanchuan, Nanjun, Qianzhong County, Shangyu, and Shangyong are vast in area, larger than the entire Qi State, most of them are mountainous, the degree of development is not high, and they are not bordering Zhao State.
Qianzhong County is thousands of miles away from Zhao State. Even if Zhao State occupies it in name, it cannot manage it.
Sanchuan is the hometown of Korea, and Nanjun and Qianzhong County are the hometowns of Chu.
As long as Zhao State occupies it, there will definitely be conflict with the two countries.
These territories may seem large, but in fact they are of no use to Zhao State.
"I really don't know what Qin is thinking. Even though we know that Zhao is unlikely to agree, we still insist on humiliating ourselves." Gongsun Long said disdainfully.
"The State of Qin has no choice. There are only two places where the State of Qin borders our State of Zhao, one is Shangjun and the other is Longxi. Cession of Shangjun means that Guanzhong is always facing the threat of our State of Zhao, and our State of Zhao's cavalry is always at risk It is possible to go south from Shangjun to Guanzhong."
"Ceding Longxi means that Qin will lose the Hexi Corridor and half of the horse breeding land. Both of these are losses that Qin cannot bear. On the contrary, it is almost impossible to hold Nanjun and Qianzhong, so it is better to throw them away. As for ceding a few cities If you want Zhao to retreat, Qin also knows that it is impossible." Xunzi said.
The Qin State has a large territory, but most of it is strategically important and cannot suffer any losses. The places that can be given up are not bordered by the Zhao State at all. This makes it difficult for Qin and Zhao to negotiate an agreement on their interests.
"What did Xunzi think the Qin State would choose?" Zhao Kuo asked.
"There are only three ways. One is to continue to sue for peace and cede more land until Zhao is satisfied. The second is to fight to the end with Zhao to see if Zhao's food and grass cannot support it first, or Xianyang was conquered first. The third step was to ask for help from Chu..." Xunzi said.
Not to mention Qi, South Korea and Wei have gained a lot of benefits from following Zhao. At the same time, they are afraid of Zhao's strength and have enmity with Qin. No matter how Qin tries to win over them, it is impossible for South Korea and Wei to rebel at this time.
The only one who can help Qin is Chu.
The most important thing is that Nanjun, Qianzhong, Shangyong, Shangyu and other places that Zhao State despises are the past that all Chu people cannot forget and are their lifelong obsession.
Nanjun, Qianzhong, and Shangyong are the hometowns of the Chu State. The ancestral tombs of the Chu nobles, including the temples of Chu kings, are all in Nanjun. Most of them were burned or destroyed, or were looted.
So much so that they can't even lift their heads when offering sacrifices to their ancestors. They often dream of their ancestors pointing at their spines and scolding them, but they can't refute them.
For decades, they all dreamed of taking back their old capital and homeland.
Although Shang Yu was not the homeland of the Chu State, it triggered several wars in the Chu State, and even King Huai of Chu was killed in the Qin State.
Since then, the state of Chu has been in decline.
If these places can be taken back, the Chu State will wash away all its shame, and will be able to straighten its back and report to its ancestors when offering sacrifices in the ancestral temple in the future.
"Xunzi means... Chu will support Qin?" Zhao Kuo frowned.
"I believe that whether it is from the perspective of regaining the homeland or containing our Zhao country, the possibility of Qin and Chu uniting is very high." Xunzi nodded solemnly.
After the First World War in Shangdang, although Zhao State rose, the threat felt by various countries was not particularly strong.
In contrast, Qin's residual power still exists and poses a greater threat to other countries.
So Chu and Zhao united to fight against Qin.
But after this battle, the state of Qin completely declined, and the state of Zhao became the undisputed and strongest overlord in the world. If the state of Chu was not stupid, it would definitely join forces with the state of Qin to fight against the state of Zhao.
"It seems that we must capture Xianyang as soon as possible to end this war." Zhao Kuo said in a deep voice.
This war has been dragging on for a long time. If we count from the time when Qin attacked Wei, it lasted for a full year and a half. Neither Qin nor the Three Jins were in trouble.
On the contrary, there was no major war in Chu State. Even if it attacked Qi State, it did not make much effort and had been recuperating.
If the State of Zhao is dragged into the quagmire of war by the State of Chu, it is very likely that the victory will turn from a great victory to a tragic victory, and it will become a wedding dress for the State of Chu.
"The city of Xianyang is high and deep, and the people in the city are quite supportive of the Qin State. I'm afraid it's not that easy to fight." Le Yi glanced at Wei Wuji and Bao Yuan and said.
If you want to capture such a big city, you can almost only use your lives to fill it, but no matter which country's soldiers' lives are used, no one is willing to use them, and if the losses are too high, the soldiers will collapse.
"Where's the water attack?" Tian Dan said.
"Xianyang was built to the north of the Wei River and south of Mount Wei. The terrain is higher.
, even if it rains heavily, it is difficult to flood the city. "Wei Wuji shook his head.
Capitals in various countries were built next to rivers for the convenience of drawing water. Therefore, they faced the risk of being attacked by enemies with water, but Xianyang was a little different.
The terrain of Xianyang is high in the north and low in the south, with a large river passing through it. Unless the Wei River overflows, it will be difficult to flood Xianyang.
"What if we divert water from the Jingshui River?" Tian Shan tapped his finger on the armrest of the seat and said calmly.
When everyone heard this, their eyes suddenly lit up.
The Wei River cannot flood Xianyang, but there is not only the Wei River but also the Jing River near Xianyang.
The Jingshui River runs northwest to southeast, passes through the northeast of Xianyang, and finally merges into the Wei River. If a river is diverted from the Jingshui River and flows from north to south, it will just be able to flood Xianyang.
The disadvantage is that Jingshui is a bit far away from Xianyang, and a lot of manpower will be needed, but compared with capturing Xianyang, this difficulty is nothing.
"Without further delay, Mr. Du Ping, please immediately lead people to survey the terrain and take charge of digging the canal." Zhao Kuo said, and there was no room for mercy at this time. Read the book
The people of Qin who have not surrendered are all enemies, and kindness to the enemy is cruelty to oneself.
"General Mo will bring people over right now." Tian Dan said, cupping his fists.
"We are also working hard to build cul-de-sacs and catapults. We are taking a multi-pronged approach." Zhao Kuo said.
