Since the beginning of spring, not only the coalition forces on the main battlefield are fighting, but Lejian and Zichu are also constantly fighting in Longxi.
However, the battle between the two was not too fierce. With Zi Chu around, it would be difficult for Le Jian to continue to capture the city. Zi Chu, with his new soldiers, was not very effective in fighting and could not regain the lost ground from Le Jian.
The two sides continued to waste their lives like this, until the news came that Zhao Jun had invaded Xianyang, Guanzhong, and Zi Chu could no longer sit still!
He defended Longxi just to prevent the Zhao army from attacking Guanzhong. Now the 10,000 Zhao troops in front of him have not entered Guanzhong, but hundreds of thousands of coalition forces behind him have surrounded Xianyang.
Then what's the point of him guarding Longxi?
So Zichu led the army to withdraw from Longxi overnight.
While Lejian was taking over the city, he sent a message to Zhao Kuo to inquire about the next task.
"Le Jian only has an army of 10,000 in his hands. Excluding the soldiers who defend each city, the number that can be used is estimated to be only about 5,000 to 6,000. Even if it joins the main battlefield, it will not be of much use." Le Yi said.
At this time, the strength of the coalition forces was as high as more than 400,000. There was no difference between a few thousand more troops and a few thousand fewer troops.
Moreover, there are so many famous generals and advisers in the coalition forces that it would be difficult for Le Jian to get a chance even if he came here. Le Yi would prefer his son to make meritorious deeds elsewhere.
"I hope what you said makes sense." Zhao Kuo nodded and said to Liu Ping, "Bring me a map of Qin."
Soon, Liu Ping handed Zhao Kuo an extremely simple map. It was so simple that it only marked some of the main mountains, rivers and cities of Qin. Some of the distances were wrongly drawn.
Considering that making a map in this era is not an easy task, Zhao Kuo chose to endure it.
"When the world is unified, no matter what, we must draw a brand new map." Zhao Kuo made up his mind. Looking at these maps made his blood pressure rise.
"To the east of Longxi is Longshan, and to the west is the newly established Zhangye County of the Qin State. Although Zhangye County controls the Hexi Corridor and has great strategic and economic significance, as long as Longxi is captured, Zhangye County will be separated from the Qin State, and it will be separated from the Qin State at any time. We can capture it. In comparison, Longshan is more important." Zhao Kuo said.
With Longshan as its support, Zhao State can gain the strategic advantage of advancing, attacking, retreating and defending in Longxi. It can also take advantage of the situation to capture Zhangye County to the west of Longxi and part of Beidi County.
If the Qin State wanted to recapture Longxi, it would have to climb the long mountain road, which was extremely difficult.
Zhao State can also threaten Qin State from both east and west directions.
"Send the order and order Lejian to attack Longshan with all his strength. If the troops are insufficient, we can continue to recruit troops from Hetao." Zhao Kuo ordered. He didn't know if Qin had deployed a large army in Longshan.
If there is no army deployed, Lejian can just receive it directly without any difficulty.
But if Qin deployed a large army in Longshan, Lejian's thousands of troops would not be enough.
Liu Ping quickly wrote the letter, had it checked and printed by Zhao Kuo, and then handed it over to the messenger. .
Compared with the five countries that are currently at war, Chu State has undoubtedly lived a very comfortable life during this period.
While destroying the State of Lu, they also took advantage of the opportunity to annex some land in the south of the State of Qi at almost no cost. After that, they have been recuperating and watching Qin State challenge Zhao, Wei, Han and Qi.
The development of Jiangdong has also achieved some results. The soil in this place is still very fertile and there is no shortage of water. If it weren't for some unsolvable poisonous insects and diseases that make Chu people unwilling to stay here, it would be enough to become the granary of the world.
King Chu's prestige increased day by day, and he was like a wise king. No one dared to despise him anymore.
Since ancient times, the expansion of territory has been the greatest achievement of a monarch.
While centralizing power, the King of Chu also moved some declining nobles from the wealthy areas of the Yangtze River and Huaihe River to the south of the Yangtze River. Although there were inevitably some discordant voices, there was not much of a ripple.
King Chu had a very good eye, and he only targeted nobles with little foundation. However, he still chose to turn a blind eye to big nobles like Qu, Jing, and Zhao.
Now the biggest dream of King Chu is to take back the old capital that was lost from his father and wash away the decades of humiliation of Chu.
Now, the opportunity
coming!
Qin was defeated by the four kingdoms of Zhao, Wei, Han, and Qi. Even Qin Wang Ji and Bai Qi, who had oppressed Chu for decades, died in the battle.
Nanjun was empty and without any troops to defend it. As long as the Chu army marched westward, they could take back their homeland without any effort.
"Your Majesty, we can no longer hesitate. When Han and Wei countries react, it will be too late for Chu to send troops." Xiang Yan said loudly in the main hall.
As a representative of the younger generation of Chu State, Xiang Yan is undoubtedly enterprising and sharp-edged.
In the past, the Chu State's national power declined and it was okay to retreat step by step. Now that the Chu State is rich and its people are strong, if it continues to retreat, how can it be worthy of such a huge foundation built by its ancestors?
"The three Jins defeated Qin in Xicheng. If Chu takes the opportunity to capture Nanjun, it will not only cause Qin's dissatisfaction, but also offend the three Jins." Doctor Qu Shu said.
"Now Qin State can't even cope with the Three Jins, so what if we are dissatisfied? As for the Three Jins, as long as our Chu State is strong enough, even if the Three Jins are dissatisfied, they can only hold it in their stomachs like Qin State. On the contrary, if our Chu State is weak, , even if they have not offended the Three Jins, the Three Jins will send troops to attack our country of Chu. One is to take back the homeland, strengthen itself, and become the enemy of the Three Jins. The other is to give such a huge land to the Three Jins, and then make an alliance with the more powerful Three Jins. Enemy. What choice does the doctor think we should make?" Xiang Yan asked in a deep voice.
"Our homeland of Chu State must be taken back no matter what. There is no reason to let the three Jins occupy it." Huang Xieye said firmly.
There was no chance before, but now the opportunity is right in front of us. Chu State only needs to pay a very small price to recover all the lost land.
If we give up this opportunity, our descendants will scold this generation of Chu kings and court officials.
"What should we do with the Three Jins? Now the Three Jins, led by the State of Zhao, have defeated Yan in the north, defeated Qi in the east, and surrounded Xianyang, the capital of Qin, in the west. Their troops are unstoppable. If they send their troops south, how can we, the Chu State, resist it?" Zhaozi asked road.
"The soldiers will stop them, and the water will cover them. The three Jins have been fighting for several years, and I don't believe they still have the strength to attack our country of Chu. Even if they really dare to send troops, what should I, the country of Chu, fear?" Jingyang said.
Some Chu nobles also stood up and agreed to take back the land they lost back then.
In recent years, the Chu State has expanded its territory and become stronger, giving them confidence. If the Chu State can really recover its lost territory, all the supporting nobles will benefit a lot.
"Okay, send the order, recruit 150,000 troops, attack Nanjun in a month and recover the lost territory." Finally, King Chu made his final decision.
"No." Huang Xie and others were refreshed and excitedly went down to prepare.
However, half a month later, Lu Buwei came to Chu State.
"The foreign minister has met the King of Chu." In the main hall of the Chu King's Palace, Lu Buwei bowed and bowed, much more respectfully than when he was on an envoy to the Chu Kingdom a few years ago. .
"Envoy of Qin, please wake up. I wonder why the envoy of Qin came to my country of Chu?" King Chu said calmly. He had already decided to add insult to injury and take the opportunity to attack Qin. Naturally, he would not give Lu Buwei a good look.
"For the King of Chu, the foreign minister came this time to tell the King of Chu some bad news." Lu Buwei said.
"Bad news?" King Chu turned his eyes and looked at Lu Buwei.
Seeing that King Chu's attention was drawn to him, Lu Buwei breathed a sigh of relief and continued: "King Chu should know that the coalition led by Zhao State defeated our Qin army in Xicheng, and even our Qin State's ancestors died. It’s in the hands of Zhao Jun.”
"This is good news for me, how can I say it is bad news." King Chu said with a smile.
"What the king said is too short-sighted. There are only six countries left in the world today. Among them, the Kingdom of Zhao dominates the north and is a veritable overlord of the world. King Zhao is both civil and military. Under his governance, Zhao will undergo amazing changes every day. His subordinates There are also capable ministers like Wei Wuji, Lin Xiangru, and Zhao Sheng, as well as famous generals like Le Yi, Lin Xiangru, and Li Mu. May I ask your Majesty, which one is stronger or weaker between Chu and Zhao?" Lu Buwei asked.
"Although Zhao is strong, Chu is not afraid of him. Besides, there is no conflict between Chu and Zhao in the south and north," King Chu said.
Lu Buwei felt happy. As long as the King of Chu had the idea of fighting for supremacy, he would have mostly succeeded.
After entering the Chu State, he saw the Chu State in the cities along the way.
Conscription, at this juncture, it was impossible for the Chu State to use troops against the Three Jin Dynasties. It could only be to regain lost territory.
King Wan of Chu not only wanted to compete with Zhao for supremacy, but also wanted to regain his lost territory. His mission has been successful.
"In the past, Zhao's enemy was Qin. After this battle, Qin no longer has the power to compete with Zhao for hegemony. The only country in the world that has the power to compete with Zhao is Chu. I dare to ask the King of Chu. Han, Wei, and Qi all Choosing to rely on Zhao, does Chu have allies?" Lu Buwei continued to ask.
"..." King Chu was stunned for a moment. Only then did he realize that the Chu State was actually alone. If he had to talk about allies, it would be the Zhao State!
In the past, everyone's enemy was Qin, and it was normal for Zhao and Chu to form an alliance. Now that Qin has declined and no longer poses a threat, the alliance between Zhao and Chu is no longer necessary.
Not only is there no need to exist, but they will become enemies.
Although the world is big, there is no room for two overlords.
But Zhao State has Han Wei Qi as its minions, what about Chu State?
"We, the Qin State, are willing to accept the King of Chu as our ally, and return the Chu State's homeland, Nanjun, Qianzhong County, Shangyu, Shangyong and other places to the Chu State as a sign of friendship." Lu Buwei took advantage of the situation and said.
The Qin State could no longer defend these areas, and would be captured either by the Three Jins or by the Chu State.
Instead of doing this, it is better to return them all to Chu State, get help from Chu State, and at the same time provoke conflicts between Chu State and the Three Jins to buy time for Qin State.
But Lu Buwei didn't know that Qin didn't have much time after this battle.
"What are the conditions of Qin?" King Chu Wan and Huang Xie looked at each other, and Huang Xie asked.
Although the Chu State has decided to send troops to Nanjun, it would be better if they could take back their homeland without losing any blood.
"As long as the Chu State sends troops to support our Qin State, after the three Jins retreat, we, the Qin State, will give up all the land with both hands." Lu Buwei said.
"Haha, does the Qin envoy think that our Chu country doesn't know that the northern part of Nanjun and Shangyu have fallen into the hands of the three Jin Dynasties?" Huang Xie said.
"But Chu State will not give up these places, right?" Lu Buwei looked at Huang Xie and said calmly.
It doesn't matter whose hands these lands are now, the key is whether Chu State wants them or not.
"Yes, Chu will not give up these lands." Huang Xie did not refute, but nodded, "It is easy for Qin to send troops to Chu, but Chu has conditions."
King Chu didn't say anything. He trusted Huang Xie very much. Since Huang Xie decided, he would not object.
"Jun Chun Shen, please speak." Lu Buwei leaned over and said.
"Article 1: The Qin State will first hand over Nanjun, Qianzhong County, and Shangyong to our Chu State. When the delivery is completed, our Chu State will send troops." Huang Xie said.
"Impossible, Qin will hand over half of the city at most first. If all is handed over to Chu, and Chu refuses to send troops after taking over the city, what will Qin do?" Lu Buwei said quickly.
"First of all, our Chu State is not Qin State, and we are not so shameless. Secondly, you Qin State can refuse." Huang Xie said lightly.
Recovering lost territory without bloodshed is the best option, but he doesn't mind seeing blood.
If Qin didn't hand over the city first, there was no way he could trust Qin anyway. After all, Qin had done this kind of thing not once or twice.
"We, the State of Qin, have agreed." After a while, Lu Buwei gritted his teeth and said.
Back then, the State of Qin deceived the State of Chu in the land of Shang Yu, and then deceived King Huai of Chu into imprisoning him. It was indeed unethical, but in fact, the State of Qin was not the first to do this. South Korea did this when it annexed the State of Zheng. Yes, it was successful.
There are a lot of other bad things done by other countries, and Chu's ass is not clean either. Do you really think that such a large territory is a gift?
But Lu Buwei had no choice. Now Qin wanted to seek help from Chu.
People under the eaves have to bow their heads.
You have to endure the humiliation you have to endure.
"The second condition is that Qin will surrender to Chu." Huang Xie said.
"Okay." Lu Buwei said in a deep voice. It was just a matter of face and there was no loss to Qin.
Now that the capital of the country is surrounded, no one cares about face.
"The third condition is that the King of Qin issues an edict to acknowledge the fact that the Qin State deceived the Chu State and admit its mistake to the Chu State," Huang Xie said.
"This is impossible!" Lu Buwei's face changed drastically, he slapped his palm on the desk and said angrily.
Regardless of what Qin did right or wrong back then, now that Qin Wang Ji is dead and Qin Wang Zhu has ascended the throne, no matter what, his son cannot stand up and accuse me, saying that I have done something wrong.
This is not only a slap in the face of Qin Wangzhu, but also a slap in the face of the entire Qin State, and even more a slap in the face of the dead Qin Wangji.
This is absolutely impossible for Qin to accept.
"In that case, please come back, Ambassador Qin." Huang Xie waved his hand.
"The King of Chu and Lord Chun Shen should know that the fate of Qin is the tomorrow of Chu." Lu Buwei glanced at Chu Wang Wan and Huang Xie, said a word, turned around and walked out of the palace.
King Chu finally looked at Huang Xie.
In his opinion, if Qin could return its lost territory and become a vassal to Chu, it would be ready to send troops.
"Your Majesty, the Qin State no longer has the strength to occupy Nanjun and other places. Now, in exchange for our Chu State sending troops, it seems to be a lot of effort, but in fact it is not much. On the other hand, if our Chu State supports the Qin State, it will definitely offend the three Jin Dynasties. This is You have to take a lot of risks," Huang Xie said. Read the book
"But it is impossible for Qin to agree to the conditions you proposed." King Chu said.
It is possible for the King of Qin to admit his mistake, but it is absolutely impossible for the King of Qin to accuse his father of being wrong. He will be ridiculed by everyone in the world.
"I'll let him go for a few days, and then I'll change the conditions. Your Majesty, just remember that no matter how the Qin envoy asks to see you these days, he won't see you." Huang Xie said with a smile.
