The sky is clear and blue, but above the earth, there is a scene of iron blood, complete bronze armor, majestic elites, as if stirring up the wind and clouds, with evil spirits rising to the sky.
Han Cheng and Zhao Yong looked at the muscular soldiers of Wei State and drooled with envy, "Marquis Wei, your soldiers are really the strongest army in the world!"
The real kings of the Six Nations Alliance were Han and Zhao. The other three countries all sent their sons. This was obviously a sign of disbelief in Wei Houqing's character.
Wei Houqing cursed angrily, "Qi and Qin have humiliated Gu in this way, and now the alliance is so evil. How can they work together to attack Chu?"
Wei Cheng thought this was very reasonable. This is how alliance operations are fought, and there would naturally be disagreements with each other, so he suggested: "My lord, Uncle Qin and Duke Qi are short-sighted. You are the wise leader and the leader of the alliance.
They should take the lead in showing sincerity to eliminate the discord within the alliance, so that Lian Heng's goal can be achieved. The most important thing now is to defeat Chu.
The minister proposed that the Wei State, Qin State and Qi State exchange young masters, so that the wariness of Qin State and Qi State would be eliminated. "
A proton is not a simple hostage, but a weapon used to interfere in other countries' internal affairs. Therefore, mutual protony is a high-level political commitment.
Wei Houqing's eyes lit up and he couldn't wait to pretend to sigh: "I love my son, how can I bear to put them in danger?
But as the sons of the royal family, they have enjoyed all the wealth and glory, how can they sit in the palace now?
This is incorrect. Just follow what you said, let the young master go as a pledge, and tell the whole army that I will exchange the proton for the stability of the alliance, so that the soldiers can fight with peace of mind. "
The morale of the Wei army was naturally high after hearing this. Wei proposed a confrontation to show their sincerity, and Qin and Qi naturally agreed. So Wei exchanged young masters as hostages with Qin and Qi respectively, and the Lianheng alliance seemed to be stable.
The cold and bloody wind from the north traveled all the way over the mountains and ridges, and finally arrived in the capital of Ying.
The Chu State finally got the news of the Six Kingdoms Alliance. The entire capital city of Ying seemed to be hit by frost. It condensed instantly. The high-flying birds let out a shrill howl. It sounded like a song at a funeral. It was very suitable. Chu people's current mood.
Ling Yin, Sima and other high-ranking nobles from Chu State came to the palace one after another.
The gorgeous palace could not conceal the gloomy atmosphere, the beautiful maids could not change the gloomy expressions on the faces of Chu's kings and ministers, and the Six Kingdoms Alliance reminded everyone of some bad memories.
The King of Chu's face was so dark that he almost died, and he asked in a deep voice: "The six countries are attacking Chu in succession. Do you think Chu can resist it?"
No one spoke, because the King of Chu was not asking them, it was not a problem.
If Qin and Wei come to attack, Chu State will naturally have to face the enemy, and the outcome is unknown. If Qin, Wei, and Wu come to attack, Chu State can also defend the city, but with the power of the six countries, it is a dream to resist.
The King of Chu paused for a moment, looked around at everyone and said: "If it hadn't been for offending Qin too much in the plains of Shu, Chu would have even captured Wu, freeing them from worries. How could there be the disaster of the six kingdoms attacking Chu now? ?”
Ling Yin Gongzi Yu heard this and said: "Your Majesty, the six kingdoms are attacking Chu because Chu is too powerful. They are afraid that Chu will attack them, so they attack first. This is not something Chu can decide. "
Nowadays, the person who serves as Sima in the Chu Kingdom is a member of the Xiang clan. With the death of Xiang Cheng, the Xiang clan no longer has the kind of talents who can coordinate the overall situation, but there are still many outstanding commanders.
Sima Xiangyin cupped his hands and said: "Your Majesty, if you want to keep the Han River and Nanyang, you must withdraw the garrison from the plains of Shu. The Qin army is not weak, but it was defeated by the Wei army. This must be done with caution.
The troops between Huaisi and Wu must also withdraw first, otherwise the allied forces of Qin, Wei, Qi and Wu will cut off the retreat, and our army may be completely annihilated.
The Six Kingdoms' attack on Chu was fierce, but without the Luo Kingdom to suppress the battle, I did not believe that they could really unite as one. If I could find a person with unparalleled eloquence, I might be able to break the alliance.
Your Majesty, as long as you give an order, Xiang's sons are willing to lead Chu's sons to die for you on the battlefield, but please forgive me for not being sure of victory. "
As he spoke, he knelt down on one knee. King Chu's eyes lit up when he heard this. He caught the flash of inspiration and quickly stepped down to help Xiang Yin up. He patted Xiang Yin's shoulder hard and laughed. Said: "Xiang Qing.
You are right. Qin and Wu participated in Chu's alliance. I can guess that it was because Chu forced them too much.
However, Han Zhao and Qi Guo participated in the alliance, which made everyone puzzled.
Will Han and Zhao really agree to Li Heng of Wei just because they both belong to the Three Jin Dynasties?
As you said, resisting the Six Nations Alliance is a big deal, but disintegrating the Six Nations Alliance is the key to the Chu State's survival.
Xiang Qing, please lead the Chu soldiers to fight against the armies of the six countries to delay. "
After speaking, he looked around at the Chu ministers in the main hall and said loudly: "My lords, is there anyone among our guests who has unparalleled eloquence? Can he take on the important task of being an envoy to me and the Chu State?"
Most of the politicians who came out of the Luo Academy went to the Three Jins, and some followed the Qi Fa family to the Qi State, but not many came to the Chu State.
The main reason is that the aristocratic system of the Chu State is too strict. The Shiqing Shilu system, which had long been abolished in the Wei State, is deeply rooted in the Chu State.
Xiong Yue, Lord of Yangwu, came out and said: "Your Majesty, there is a person among my guests named Xia Chenyan. He is known to be quick-witted and capable of taking on big responsibilities. He can serve as an envoy for you."
So the King of Chu quickly summoned Xia Chenyan. Xia Chenyan was a scholar who looked a little downcast, but looking at him made people feel trustful. He was a very charming person.
So the King of Chu asked: "You are a virtuous person recommended by Lord Yang Wu. I want to know how you can save the Chu Kingdom?"
Xia Chenyan knelt down in front of everyone and said with a smile: "The Chu State has an army of half a million, but the soldiers of the Six Kingdoms are more than a million?
Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the number of troops in the six countries. Among the six countries, Qi is the weakest. I will go to Qi and ask Qi to retreat. "
In fact, Chu State has enough time. Of course, the six countries of Lianheng cannot simply prepare for a war in a month or two. From preparing plans to negotiating with each other to attack, if someone deliberately delays and slows down, they will even have to prepare. Two to three years.
The Zhuxia War in the past was said to have lasted only five years, but in fact it was just the last conflict triggered by two hundred years. The mobilization, preparations, and strategic goals of both sides were already complete, and they only needed the fuse to trigger the war. That's why it happened so Fast and furious.
This six-nation war was essentially a war for hegemony between Wei and Chu, mixed with the Patriotic War of Wu, and the other countries were forced to get involved.
Xia Chenyan did not go directly to the Qi State, but first sent people to the Yan State to bribe Yanhou's favorite ministers. Then he learned about the Yan State Prime Minister's attempt to dissuade the Yanhou.
This made Xia Chenyan laugh out loud and said to Lord Yangwu: "My plan will succeed."
So Xia Chenyan took the gift from the King of Chu and set off directly for the State of Yan. The Marquis of Yan was very surprised by the appearance of the envoy from the State of Chu.
He has always been a transparent person among the countries. Among the big countries on the border, only the Yan State has not been able to deal with the barbarians on the border. This resulted in the Yan State having to struggle to resist the barbarians in the north during the war between the Xia and Xia. people.
"Messenger of Chu State, why did you come to Yan State?"
Xia Chenyan ordered someone to present the gift given to Marquis Yan by the King of Chu and said: "Marquis Yan, when the king paid tribute to the emperor, he thought of you.
The king said, "Among the Xia kingdoms today, Yan is the only big country with the surname Ji that was entrusted by King Su. If we cannot have good relations with Yan, we will not be able to stand majestically in the world." '
This is a treasure given to you by the king. There is also a copy given to the emperor of Luoyi. I hope you will like it. "
After the split from the Jin Kingdom, the Luo Kingdom retreated into seclusion. As the oldest country with the surname Ji, Marquis Yan had always been quite proud of himself. Xia Chenyan only said such words after understanding his temperament.
Hearing Xia Chenyan's compliments and seeing the treasures sent by King Chu, Marquis Yan was very proud and laughed loudly: "Your Majesty, the Marquis of Chu is so polite. Who in the world doesn't know how powerful Chu is? "
The two sides chatted for a while, and Xia Chenyan pretended to smile casually and said: "Marquis Yan, after the foreign ministers came to Jicheng, they saw merchants from Qi coming with a large amount of food in Jicheng. Some Yan people said that they National grain prices are very high.
Yan State has a territory of two thousand miles. Why don't you cut down giant trees in the northern forests in exchange for Qi State's grain?
Presumably this will lower the price of food. "
When Marquis Yan heard this, he smiled and said: "Your Majesty, the growth of the giant trees is too slow, how can we get a lot of food in exchange for it?
Gu's minister said that Yan State has two thousand miles of land. If the land can be planted with grain, there will no longer be a need to go to Qi State to exchange for grain. "
Xia Chenyan said in surprise: "Marquis Yan, who came up with this idea for you? Please kill him immediately!"
As soon as these words came out, Marquis Yan's face instantly became serious, and the air in the banquet even became a little colder. The favored minister who received Xia Chenyan's bribe immediately said, "Your Majesty, what do you mean by this? The monarch's Could the minister be lying?"
Xia Chenyan hurriedly said: "Marquis Yan, on the way to the Yan Kingdom, the foreign minister passed by Shangqiu and saw a Song man climbing on a fruit tree to look for him, so he asked: 'Song man, what are you doing on the tree?'
The Song people said, "I was very hungry and wanted to eat fish, so I came to the tree to look for fish." '
The Song people looked for fish in the trees, but of course they couldn't find it, so they went home hungry.
The land of Yan State is vast, but it is not suitable for planting. Your ministers advised you to plant food in Yan State. Isn't this just catching fish on trees?
The foreign minister doesn't know what your minister is thinking, but your tone is so trusting to him, but you get such a result. You are a kind monarch, and the foreign minister is really worried about you. "
The standard rhetoric of strategists is to always stand from the perspective of the person being persuaded, and then secretly change the concept and use the selfishness and ego of human nature to achieve their own goals.
The Marquis of Yan immediately asked how old his favorite ministers were, "Is the land of Yan State unsuitable for farming?"
After hearing this, he immediately said: "Yes, my lord, with the same area of land, the output of Yan State is less than one-third of that of Qiluo land, and most of the land in Yan State cannot be cultivated."
Marquis Yan's face had completely turned cold. He originally wanted to attack Qi, but was persuaded by the Prime Minister to stop.
But now he suddenly discovered that the Prime Minister had deceived him. He couldn't suppress the anger in his heart and roared: "The traitor! He must have accepted a bribe from Qi!
Otherwise, Gu would have already conquered Qi and be sitting in Linzi City. "
Xia Chenyan almost laughed out loud. There was no need to bring firepower to Qi State. The king of Yan State was really smart.
At this time, all he needed was to add another fire. Xia Chenyan heard this and said: "The relationship between Yan and Qi is like that between Chu and Wu.
At the beginning, the State of Wu conquered the capital of the State of Chu, but did not destroy the State of Chu. Today, the State of Wu is in danger of collapse.
The land of Qi State is fertile and the population is large. The longer it takes, the stronger its strength will be. When it is strong enough to destroy the State of Yan, it will definitely come north to seize the land of the State of Yan. What should the State of Yan do at that time? ?
Because of the bribery of the Qi people, your prime minister brought the Yan State into a dangerous situation. When the Qi State attacked the Chu State, took back the land of Huaisi, and developed it for another twenty years, it restored the hegemony of Duke Huan of Qi. …
well!
The foreign minister feels sad for you and the State of Yan. Isn't it unfair from God that such a kind and wise monarch like you fell to such an end? "
In a few words, it was confirmed that the Prime Minister accepted the bribe from Qi people. Regardless of whether he took it or not, Marquis Yan thought he had taken it anyway.
"hateful!"
Intrigued by Xia Chenyan's words "kind and wise", Marquis Yan believed that his decision was right, and Yan must start a war with Qi as soon as possible.
Marquis Yan thought of the Six Kingdoms' continuous attack on Chu, and thought that the Six Kingdoms directly ignored the Yan Kingdom, and he decided to let other countries see the strength of the Yan Kingdom's soldiers.
Having fought against the Hu people all the year round, Yan's soldiers were very elite, but the country's strength was weak because of its small population.
"Your Majesty, please report to the Marquis of Chu that the State of Yan is willing to form an alliance with the State of Chu to destroy the alliance of the six countries.
When Qi State raises its troops and goes south, Yan State will attack Qi State, and Qi State's army will be in chaos. This is what Gu can do. "
The chaos of the Qi army will disrupt the Huaisi camps of Qin and Wei at the same time, because Qin and Wei cannot watch the Qi army return to the empty Huaisi. Who knows that the Qi army will not take the opportunity to seize the city.
Xia Chenyan said with shock on his face: "Marquis Yan, you are not only kind, but also a natural commander. In a short period of time, you can come up with tactics to encircle Qi and save Chu. You are enough to serve as a general."
When Xia Chenyan left Yan State, he rushed to South Korea non-stop. Qi State and South Korea were the two weakest links in Lian Heng, and they were the weak points to break Lian Heng.
————
When the Marquis of Yan wanted to attack Qi, the Prime Minister of Yan admonished him: "It would be unwise to attack Qi. If Yan is two thousand miles away and the country is prosperous by growing grain, the country of Qi will surely decline."
The Marquis of Yan followed and stopped attacking Qi.
Xia Chenyan sent an envoy to Yan, and when he saw that all grains were sold to Yan at a very high price, he said: "Yan produces huge trees, and the wood is exchanged for grain, so the grain is abundant."
Marquis Yan said: "There is little wood, so it cannot be changed for a long time. We need to open up land and plant grain to prosper the country."
Xia Chenyan said: "The land of Yan is bitter and cold, and the country is prosperous by growing food. It is like relying on trees to seek fish."
The Marquis of Yan was furious and suspected that Xiang was being bribed by Qi. He killed Xiang Ji and wanted to attack Qi again. ——"Warring States Policy·Chu Ce"
(End of chapter)
