Chapter 22: Borrowing Strength and Striking Back (Part 1)

  Meng Zhao, Ma Gai, Fan Tong, Hei Bo and Mo Er were worried about Qin Yi Ren. They shouted loudly in anger, but it was of no use. They were being watched closely by the Red Clothed Swordsmen.

  "Tigers and wolves, the Qin people, look at this!" Zhao Xiaocheng Wang was so excited that his eyes turned red like a rabbit's, and he raised the bamboo stick in his hand high and struck Qin Yiren's head heavily.

  The bamboo is not yet here, but the strong wind has arrived. If it were to be pulled out in reality, Qin Yi would definitely not be able to bear it and his skin would crack open.

  Pingyuan Jun, Lin Xiangru and the ministers of Zhao State all looked at each other with excitement. The hatred of 500,000 elite troops of Zhao State could finally be avenged on this prince of Qin, how could they not be excited?

  "Damn it!" Qin Yiren wanted to stop him, but couldn't. His mind was racing, and he was at a loss for what to do.

  In this situation, who can have a solution?

  "Pull! Pull for a moment and calculate for a moment!" Suddenly, Qin Yiren thought of the pulling technique, so he repeated his old trick and burst out laughing: "Haha!"

  Laughing extremely happily, leaning forward and backward, as if hearing a huge joke.

  "What are you laughing at, you tiger-wolf of Qin?" Zhao Xiaocheng King was taken aback for a moment, his wrist shifted slightly, and the bamboo fan in his hand swept past Qin Yiren's head.

  The bamboo whip struck the top of his head, and a wave of scorching pain came over him. Qin Yiren was shocked into a cold sweat. This was just a whip strike, if it had been a real blow to the head, wouldn't he have been finished?

  Moreover, behind Zhao Xiao Cheng Wang, there were Pingyuan Jun, Lin Xiangru and other officials, totaling three to two hundred people. One whip per person would be enough for Qin Yiren to bear. If it were ten whips per person, Qin Yiren dared not imagine the terrible consequences.

  "It's a play!" Qin Yiren was secretly delighted, but this joyful feeling only existed for an extremely short time and was replaced by worry, because he just wanted to drag out the time and didn't have a good plan: "Damn it, how can I not think of a way?"

  At this critical moment, as long as there is a way, it can be useful, even if it's delayed for a while, you can think of another way.

  "Tigers and wolves, the Qin people, originally you were playing tricks on me." Zhao Xiaocheng King stopped his hand, just wanting to hear Qin Yiren's words, best of all was to beg for mercy, that way he would be even more delighted. His face sank, his wrist shook, and the bamboo fan in his hand came down heavily on Qin Yiren's head, with a loud whooshing sound, very frightening.

  "It's all over!" Qin Yiren knew that even with his extraordinary abilities, he couldn't escape this fate, and was about to give up, closing his eyes. Suddenly, he saw a fierce glint in Lin Xiangru's eyes, staring at him, and a flash of insight crossed his mind. Qin Yiren thought of something and burst out laughing again: "Zhao Dan, oh Zhao Dan, you're so pitiful, actually being manipulated by your own subordinate."

  "Hmm!" Zhao Xiaocheng King was taken aback, his right hand stiffly suspended in mid-air, his eyes blazing with fury as he glared at Qin Yiren and bellowed: "You beastly Qin people, how dare you spout such nonsense! I won't let you off, you wretch!"

  A monarch is supposed to command his subjects, telling them to go east and they dare not go west, telling them to stand and they dare not sit. The dignified King of Zhao was actually being manipulated by his subordinates - could he tolerate it? He had to make a case out of it.

  "Tigers and wolves of Qin, stop your nonsense!" The officials loudly rebuked him.

  "Zhao Dan, do you know why Lin Xiangru wants you to kill me?" Qin Yiren seemed not to have heard and asked back.

  "You are a tiger or wolf from Qin, an enemy of Great Zhao, and anyone can kill you. What's wrong with that?" King Zhao Xiao Cheng thought for a moment before blurting out the answer.

  Because of the great defeat at Changping, the people of Zhao hated the Qin people to the bone, and his words were very reasonable. The ministers nodded heavily in agreement, greatly approving.

  "Wrong!" However, contrary to everyone's expectations, Qin Yi's rejection was loud and clear, the firm tone of his words leaving no room for doubt.

  "Hmm, tell me and let's see where you're wrong?" Zhao Xiao's curiosity was piqued.

  Not only was his curiosity piqued, but also that of all the officials, who stared intently at Qin Yiren.

  Only Lin Xiangru vaguely felt that something was wrong and loudly said, "Your Majesty, just kill this tiger-wolf of a Qin person, no need to talk too much."

  This is absolutely a big truth, rather than talking nonsense with Qin Yiren like this, it's better to kill him cleanly. However, when these words reached Qin Yiren, they changed flavor, and only heard Qin Yiren shouting loudly: "Lin Xiangru, you old man, you harbor evil intentions, playing tricks on Zhao Dan in the palm of your hand, how big is your nerve."

  “……”

  Lin Xiangru was a great man of the Warring States period, who could speak eloquently, but was so intimidated by Qin's messenger that he stood with his mouth open for half a day without making a sound.

  "What does this have to do with me?" Lin Xiangru finally reacted and asked in a depressed tone.

  "What does this have to do with you, Lord?" The assassination of the Qin envoy was a plan already set in motion by King Zhaoxiang of Zhao. How did it become a case of Lin Xiangru harboring evil intentions? The courtiers were all bewildered, their eyes wide with curiosity and wonder written on their faces.

  "Zhao Dan, I ask you, after the great defeat of Changping, Zhao's 500,000 elite troops were almost completely lost, Handan was empty and weak, with only a few thousand old and weak people left, not enough to fight or defend. The current plan for Zhao is no more than two strategies, one strategy is to fight to the death, to fight until both sides are destroyed." Qin Yiren's face turned solemn, and he asked loudly.

  "That's right! Even if we die, we can't let the tiger-like Qin people have their way!" King Zhao Xiang nodded heavily, his face solemn.

  "But can Zhao Guo defeat Qin Guo? The current Handan is in a precarious situation, if Bai Qi were to attack, it would fall with one blow." What the guest from Qin said was absolutely true, and it was exactly what the rulers of Zhao Guo were most worried about, their faces all changed color.

  "Dying in battle is not wise." Qin Yiren continued, "Another strategy is to negotiate a truce. If we can retreat the Qin army without fighting, isn't this what you all want most right now?"

  With the current strength of Zhao, it is not a match for Qin at all. Being able to negotiate peace would be the best outcome. The retreat of the Qin army without a fight was what King Xiaocheng of Zhao had always dreamed of, and he nodded silently in agreement.

  "If you kill me, you will cut off the last thread of possibility for peace talks with Qin." Although making peace with Qin is the best outcome for Zhao at present, the chances of success are extremely low. Even if the hope is slim, it does not mean that it does not exist. If Qin Yi Ren is killed by a single sword, this last thread of possibility will no longer exist.

  "This... " Zhao Xiaocheng's face changed, and he asked curiously: "What does this have to do with Xiang Xiang?"

  "Zhao Dan, Zhao Dan, you are so foolish, no wonder you were toyed with by Lin Xiangru. Qin Yiren shook his head with a sorrowful expression and sneered: "Don't you think that Zhao and Qin cannot negotiate peacefully, there is only one way to fight to the death? Who will you appoint as general at that time? Besides Lian Po, is there anyone else?"

  "Ah!" Zhao Xiao Cheng Wang's least wanted to hear was the two words "Lian Po", and his least wanted to see was Lian Po himself, with a guilty conscience. Suddenly hearing this, his face changed color several times.

  "Shut up!" With Lin Xiangru's understanding of Zhao Xiaocheng King, he knew that Qin Yiren's words had been taken to heart by the king.

  In fact, Lian Po was a pillar minister of Zhao State. If we want to fight against Qin, it is indispensable for Lian Po. Lin Xiangru took the opportunity to say: "Your Majesty, I beg to use Lian Po to make war and defense plans, to protect our country."

  "Please let General Lian Po take command." General Lian Po's prestige was very high, and he had the full confidence of all the ministers, who loudly echoed their approval.

  "Zhao Dan, listen. Qin Yiren pointed at Lin Xiangru and said: 'You haven't even used Lian Po yet, but Lin Xiangru has already taken advantage of the situation. He and Lian Po are sworn brothers, if Lian Po rises again, can he not rise too? They're one entity, wearing the same robe, sleeping with the same woman.'"

  "Who the hell slept with Lian Po's woman?" Xiangru was so depressed that he wanted to knock his head against a wall. We are supposed to be gentlemen, aren't we?

  Lin Xiangru was determined to put the Qin envoy to death, but the Qin envoy, instead of being resentful, admired him even more and did not take advantage of the situation to speak ill of him.

  King Zhao's face was as cold as frost, his eyes were like swords, staring at Lin Xiangru with a very unfavourable expression.