Chapter Thirty-Six: Conspiring Together

  Women, though few in number, have also taken to the stage of power in Qin State.

  The concept of male superiority and female inferiority in Qin was not as strong as that in the Central Plains. In the past, among the seven heroes of the Warring States period, Qin and Zhao had a common ancestor, and the two surnames of Ying and Zhao had a long history, tracing back to a deep connection with the western barbarians. This also made Qin and Zhao not very interested in Confucian culture from the east. The later action of Emperor Qin Shihuang burning books and burying scholars was actually a normal thing for the people of Qin at that time.

  In terms of the history of Qin, whether it was Queen Dowager or Empress Dowager Zhao, they were all open and bold in style, let alone Emperor Qin's mother, Zhao Ji.

  So, when Ying Yu appeared as the head of the Li family at the secret meeting, Fan Jia and Guan Yue were surprised at first, but soon calmed down. As for Chen Di, he had already seen the methods of the Great Qin Princess and was mentally prepared early on.

  She has a delicate and weak appearance, with a pointed chin and large eyes that give off a protective feeling, making her look nothing like a decisive and ruthless woman.

  "Gentlemen, I have invited you all here today for a matter. Since last August, the imperial court of Xianyang has sent Chen Zongzheng and Wang Yushi to Xingyang to investigate my husband, Li You, the governor of Sichuan Prefecture, on suspicion of treason. However, after several months of investigation, there is still no conclusion. Now that my husband has died in battle and our family has no one left to inherit, I request that you esteemed gentlemen of Xingyang preside over a fair trial."

  Ying Yuxi's voice was soft and carried a hint of sorrow, her plain white clothes without any makeup, combined with the noble status of a princess, made people feel even more pity for her.

  "Cough, the princess is right. According to what I have seen, Li Jun's communication with the enemy is just a rumor and should not be taken as true. When we return to Xianyang, I will report the facts to the Emperor."

  Chen Di's face turned red, and he coughed lightly before responding, which was also a condition he had previously agreed upon with Ying Yu Xi. Earlier, Ying Yu Xi's words were very calm, as if she were narrating an incident that had nothing to do with her, but it was impossible for her not to have any blame in her heart. At the very least, Chen Di, as one of the envoys, did not raise any objections to Wang Ming's overstepping of authority.

  "What Zongzheng said is exactly what we wanted to hear. Last time, when Huayang was besieged by the enemy, it was Li Junshou who led his troops in a bitter defense for several months before Generalissimo arrived. How can you say that Li Junshou colluded with the enemy? Now, outside the city of Huayang, there are tens of thousands of rebel soldiers attacking again, I wonder what strategy Zhao Junwei has to repel them." Fan Jia, the magistrate of Huayang, patted his robe and looked at the direction of the prefecture government with disdain, saying sarcastically.

  These days, Fan Jia, the magistrate of Xinyang, has had enough of Zhao Bi's bad temper. In military affairs, Zhao Bi barely understands anything, and in political affairs, he is a complete outsider. But this outsider still wants to point fingers and give opinions, not listening to others is not allowed, which makes Fan Jia feel stifled with anger.

  Guan Yue coldly observed the few of them, listening to Fan Jia's complaints, and sneered: "The county lieutenant just issued an order yesterday, all males in the city, regardless of age, must go to the city wall tomorrow to stand guard. In addition, more than a thousand strong women were recruited to transport materials such as wood, stones, and feces. If there is a shortage, they will be made up by dismantling houses."

  Gong Cao is in charge of civil affairs, and Zhao Bin wants to do these things, but he can't get around Guan Yue. Although Guan Yue was promoted by Yang Xiong, when dealing with this kind of official, Zhao Bin thought that as long as he gave Guan Yue enough benefits, he wouldn't have to worry about Guan Yue not working hard for him.

  "What, Zhao Bi came up with such a good idea, it's really unbelievable." Chen Di was so angry that he almost fainted, even if he didn't understand military affairs, he knew that Zhao Bi's idea was really terrible. If ordinary people could fight by pulling the city wall, then what would be the use of having an army? Moreover, with Zhao Bi doing this, it would inevitably make the situation in the city more chaotic, and not all the people in Xingyang City were loyal to Qin Guo.

  "Gentlemen, Zhao Bi and Wang Ming have control over nearly half of the troops in the city. If we want to protect ourselves, we must defeat Zhao Bi. Therefore, we must unite..."

  "Hmph, let Zhao Bin die alone, at most let that old Wang Ming accompany him in death. If he's pushed to the limit, I, Fan Jia, won't be a pushover either."

  Ying Yu nodded, Fan Jia had been in Xiangyang for many years and had a wide network of connections. Many of the soldiers guarding the city were originally some prison guards and regular guards under the county magistrate's command. Fan Jia agreed, and these soldiers could be won over to the anti-Zhao camp.

  "Princess, Chen Mou doesn't have any other abilities, but I can help mediate with Zhao Bin and Wang Ming to ensure they don't bother you for the next few days." Chen Di's expression was serious. As one of the two special envoys of the imperial court, his attitude had always been ambiguous. Now that he had decided to stand on the side of Ying Yu Xi, he decided to teach Wang Ming and Zhao Bin a lesson.

  "Guangong Cao, Hou Sima, I'll introduce someone to you. After meeting her, I think you'll have a clear attitude." Seeing Guan Yue and Hou Xi hesitating to express their opinions, Ying Yuxiu wasn't surprised either, and clapped his hands. Two people then entered from outside.

  In front, a young servant of sixteen or seventeen years old, dressed in livery, sturdy and compact, with thick eyebrows and big eyes; behind him was a young and handsome Qin military officer, wearing a flat hat and carrying a long sword at his waist.

  "It's you, Gu - !" Guan Yue's eyes widened in surprise, and he almost blurted it out. The head courtesan of the Peony Pavilion, Gu Yunniang, even if she had changed into men's clothing, was still unmistakable to Guan Yue.

  "I, Gu Yun, pay my respects to all of you envoys. This time, I have come under the orders of General Li Yuan, the Commander of the Three Rivers Garrison, to enter the city and discuss important matters with your excellencies." The Qin army officer, Lang Xiao, said with a smile, executing a military salute.

  "Ah, General Gu Yun, what a fortunate encounter! I've heard of Li Yuan, but he's just a Duwei, when did he get promoted to Xiaowei? And where is Yang Xiong, the Governor of Yangzhou?" Guan Yue asked in surprise. He wasn't the only one with this expression, as Fan Jia and Chen Di also looked surprised, while Hou Xi had a look of pleasant surprise on his face.

  The situation of the Battle of White Horse was transmitted to Xingyang City, and the news was inconsistent. Some said that the Qin army had been annihilated, while others said that Yang Xiong had been killed, and some even said that the Qin army had broken through and escaped. Most of these messages were spread by Liu Bang's men, with the aim of causing panic in Xingyang, so as to facilitate the subsequent plan to attack the city.

  Gu Yun smiled: "In the Battle of White Horse, General Li was seriously injured while defending Yang County, but he led his soldiers to defeat multiple rebel armies led by Huang Xin and Fu Kuan, killing dozens of enemy generals, causing the rebels to retreat in disarray. Our Great Qin army has now safely arrived in Luoyang. As for the defense of Yang County, it is also recovering in Luoyang, so please don't worry about it, Your Excellencies. Moreover, General Li Yuan was just appointed as the Colonel of Sanjiang County by the defender of Yang County, commanding the soldiers within the county."

  Gu Yun's words were somewhat exaggerated, Li Yuan's military achievements were actually not bad, and he also killed several enemy generals. However, saying that Liu Bang's army was so intimidated by her that they lost their courage at the mere mention of her name was a bit too much. Nevertheless, Guan Yue and others were shocked by the news she brought, and for the time being, no one paid attention to how much truth there was in her words.

  "Gentlemen, General Li is now outside the city. We might as well welcome General Li into the city to resist Zhao Bin and Wang Ming." Yíng Yùshuài saw that everyone had been shocked, with hesitant expressions, deliberating for a while before throwing out her long-planned strategy.

  Li Yuan, we finally meet.

  I wonder if you still remember that little affection from the past!