Chapter Eleven Scheming

  The Battle of Huayang has ended for a week, but all Xinzheng people still haven't calmed down from that excitement. The grand ceremony of presenting the head five days ago made this capital city completely boiling.

  The Korean civilians saw a long line of prisoners, and the soldiers with tattered uniforms but high spirits. The damaged uniforms silently told how fierce the battle was.

  The once arrogant and invincible enemy is now kneeling at the feet of the Korean army. When Mangmao and Jia Yan knelt down to hand over the seal, when King Hán of Korea and Crown Prince Ran jointly raised the commander's sword of the enemy, the entire ceremony reached its climax. At that moment, everyone firmly believed that this was an invincible Korea.

  Then came the ceremony of reporting to the Temple of the Supreme Ancestor and rewarding the three armies, which kept them busy for two whole days before they could finally take a break. The Crown Prince was summoned into the palace immediately after the celebration ceremony ended, where he held an emergency meeting to discuss post-war affairs.

  Although Korea won a great victory this time, Taiziran clearly knew the crisis after the great victory.

  The loss of Zhao's 20,000-strong army did not hurt its national strength in the slightest. Although Wei was severely damaged, it would recover within a year. The overall national strength of Han still ranked at the bottom among the six nations (let's ignore Yan for now), and the great victory had a high degree of randomness and irreproducibility.

  Like Premier Zhang Ping and Minister Chen Shuang, everyone knows that a whirlpool has been brewing in South Korea since its great victory. If not careful, South Korea may step into an even more dangerous situation.

  As Crown Prince Yan said, the Three Jin Alliance is currently the best means of self-preservation. The Battle of Huayang achieved the goal of elevating Korea's status, and what needs to be done next is to go separately to Handan and Daliang to discuss alliance matters. Especially for Zhao Guo, it is the key to the success or failure of the alliance.

  It was a matter of great importance, and the final decision was to send an envoy led by Zhang Ping, the Prime Minister, to Handan, and another envoy led by Chen Chen, the guest minister, to Da Liang. All the Zhao and Wei soldiers who died in this battle were properly buried, and all the prisoners were well taken care of.

  In the original history, Qin State pursued its victory and approached Daliang, the capital of Wei State. Wei State had to cede Nanyang to seek peace. Then Yan and Zhao States sent troops to rescue, but Qin State feared that if it pressed too hard, the six states in eastern China would form an alliance against Qin, so it accepted Wei State's request for peace.

  Now that Wei's main force has been greatly damaged and its vitality has been severely injured, according to Qin's wolf-like ambition, it is hard to prevent them from taking advantage of the situation.

  The success of the alliance between the three Jin states is still uncertain, so Crown Prince Yan again suggested that Korea start preparing its military to guard against invasions by Qin and Zhao.

  Never rely on luck, this is the motto of the prince.

  At the time of the Huayang Great War, King Han was worried that the war situation would not be beneficial, so he pretended to ask for help from the Qin State. However, as in history, the King of Qin did not provide any assistance.

  Nowadays, the news of Huayang's battle may have spread to Xianyang Palace. It is only unknown what the King of Qin will plan to do? The Crown Prince thought curiously.

  The Xianyang Palace nine hundred miles away.

  King Zhao Xiang sat steadily at the highest point of the great hall, with a thoughtful expression. As if he was looking through the doors and windows at the flying goose feather-like snow outside. Below the platform, Wei Rang, Bai Qi and other senior officials were all solemn and silent.

  Long residence in a superior position has also given King Zhao an air of majesty. Even now, when the military and political power of Qin is largely held by the "Four Nobles" led by Wei Ran, no one can deny the authority of King Zhao.

  After King Zhao took personal control of government, a war over power broke out between King Zhao and Wei Ran.

  During this time, Wei Rang was dismissed and reinstated three times. Until now, Wei Rang's position has been stable. However, everyone knows that the war between two people with extremely strong desires for power will never end unless one of them completely falls.

  For Qin Guo, the good news is that he can't live without either of them. So, everything is fine.

  "The Prime Minister", King Zhao of Qin looked at the ministers below with a playful tone, seemingly very satisfied with their attitude.

  "Have you heard about the details of the Battle of Huayang?"

  "Report to the great king, according to the secret information from the new Zheng side. The Korean army has sent 40,000 troops in this battle, led by Bao Yan, the crown prince. They marched only one or two dozen miles a day and attacked at night under the cover of fog, disguised as our Great Qin army. As a result, they greatly defeated the combined forces of Zhao and Wei, annihilating the entire Zhao army, capturing Wei's prime minister Mang Mao, and taking more than 800,000 prisoners from the Zhao army, including General Jia Yan." Wei Rang replied respectfully.

  The Qin state, as the most powerful among the Seven Warring States, had always had the ambition to unify the world. From the time of Duke Mu of Qin, it began to build an intelligence network that spanned the entire country. By the time of King Zhao, it can be said without exaggeration that from the capitals to the border fortresses, from the courts of the six states to the marketplaces, there was no place where Qin spies were not present. They formed a vast web, and whenever there was any movement anywhere in the world, Qin was always the first to know. This was also one of the reasons why the six states' attempts at alliance failed repeatedly.

  What's even more frightening is the Black Ice Table organization directly controlled by the Qin Emperor, rumor has it that this organization is omnipresent and is actually the Qin Emperor's true eyes and ears.

  If the King of Qin is willing, he will know what his subordinates have eaten for dinner and what the kings of the six states have done in a day. It monitors all under heaven, and anyone who is unfavorable to the King of Qin or unfavorable to the unification of the world by the State of Qin is its target for destruction.

  No one knows how many people are inside because everyone is a single-line contact. Many people here lurk silently in the corners of the six countries.

  Perhaps they would never receive a specific task for their entire lives, but once they did, it was definitely a thunderbolt - at the right moment, eliminate those who betrayed or hindered the great cause of unifying Qin.

  On the fourth day after the Battle of Huayang, the King of Qin had already obtained all the details of the entire campaign. This was the terrifying aspect of Hei Bingtai. Now, gathering his ministers to discuss matters was merely a way to pool their collective wisdom and see if the State of Qin could reap sufficient benefits from it.

  After scanning the ministers' faces, Qin Wang asked sternly, "How do you all view the Battle of Huayang?"

  The ministers below whispered to each other, exchanging views. At this time, Wei Rang, as the Prime Minister, took the initiative to express his own opinion, "In my humble opinion, since Shang Yang's reform, our great Qin state has greatly increased its national strength and rarely suffered defeats in foreign wars. The six states have long been afraid of our great Qin. With only 40,000 weak soldiers from the state of Han, pretending to be our Qin army, even the armies of Zhao and Wei were terrified. But with an army of 150,000 disappearing overnight, it can be seen that the two armies of Zhao and Wei are only slightly stronger than the weak Han. Your Majesty may dispatch troops to Daliang, attack cities and territories, and break the morale of the various states."

  Thinking of Wei State being defeated by Qin State for two years, the scene of its army collapsing and retreating in disarray, the civil and military officials on the court couldn't help but burst into a meaningful laughter.

  "The Chancellor's words are indeed correct. I congratulate the great king, and offer felicitations to the great king! Korea is renowned for its military prowess, but a night raid would be a test of close combat, which is not Korea's strong suit. However, with 40,000 troops, Korea attacked the Zhao and Wei camps, truly putting them in a desperate situation before emerging victorious. From this, it can be seen that Zhao and Wei are also outwardly strong but inwardly weak." Huayang Jun Xin Rong added.

  As soon as Huayang Jun's voice fell, another voice rang out in the great hall. When everyone looked, it was King Zhao's younger brother, Crown Prince Yin - Gongsun Shi. "Your subject also thinks so, the six nations of Shandong are now like startled birds. Otherwise, with the weakness of the State of Han, if they did not pretend to be our Great Qin army, even if they launched a surprise attack, their chances of winning would not be more than 20%."

  After the death of Qin Wu Wang, Gongzi Shi was about to ascend to the throne as the heir, but Zhao Wu Ling Wang intervened and he lost the throne. To appease Gongzi Shi, the actual ruler of Qin State, Xuan Taihou (note: posthumous title, cannot be called now), allowed Gongzi Shi to enjoy the treatment of a crown prince, and once the King of Qin passed away, Gongzi Shi would succeed him.

  "It is extremely urgent. My younger brother requests that Your Majesty deploy troops and demonstrate the great military might of Qin in the six states of Eastern Mountains." Another younger brother of King Zhao, Gongzi Hui, also suggested.

  Everyone in the Qin state knows that Wei Rang, Huayang Jun, Gongzi Xuan and Gongzi Shi are the "Four Nobles" of the Qin state. Behind them is Queen Dowager Xuan, who is either their brother or mother. They control the politics of the Qin state, rivaling King Zhao.

  As soon as the voice fell, the previously quiet hall suddenly became a hub of discussion. Some people praised King Zhao's merits and virtues, while others flattered and fawned over him. There were also those who passionately exclaimed that Qin should take advantage of the situation to conquer all six nations and unify the world. For decades, Qin's undefeated record in foreign wars had filled every Qin citizen with confidence, not taking the other six nations seriously.

  King Zhao listened to all his ministers' opinions and remembered them in his heart, but did not respond.

  Now the "four nobles" have become unstoppable, and from top to bottom in Qin state, people only know Xuan Taihou and Wei Ran, but do not know there is a King of Qin. They even regard the King of Qin as a transitional figure. After all, Xuan Taihou once said that after the death of the King of Qin, Gongzi Shi would inherit the throne.

  Seeing the hall filled with a united front, King Zhao's heart was filled with indignation and his determination to eliminate the "Four Nobles" was strengthened.

  But King Zhao, who was well-versed in the tactics of emperors, also knew that this was not the best time. Although he had grown stronger, he still could not seize back the crucial military power. At present, the military power of Qin was controlled by Wei Ran and Bai Qi, especially since they were close to Prince Shi, which made it difficult for him to intervene. Over the years, as Prince Shi grew older and King Zhao himself had done nothing wrong, Empress Dowager increasingly inclined to pass the throne to her upright and robust eldest son, Zhu. However, this was only an inclination, and Empress Dowager had not yet made up her mind, so he still needed to wait patiently.

  "Wu Anjun, you tell me your opinion." After the great hall quieted down, King Zhao ignored the attitude of his ministers and looked at the silent "Killing God" Bai Qi.

  His achievement of beheading 240,000 in the Battle of Ichiqiu established his reputation as a god of killing. According to the original historical development, thirteen years later, in the Battle of Changping, Bai Qi would bury alive 450,000 Zhao prisoners of war, making him the first among the four great generals of the Warring States period, known as "Human Butcher".

  Bai Qi raised his head, a faint, almost imperceptible look of distress flashing across his face.

  As a general of the Qin state, I eat the king's salary and do my duty to the king. It is an unshakeable principle to be loyal to King Zhao. However, everyone in the Qin state knows that the next king will be Gongzi Shi, and I was promoted by Wei Ran, the Marquis of Pingyang, who is close to Gongzi Shi. No matter what, I cannot escape the mark of being a member of Gongzi Shi's faction.

  Even if Taohou is afraid of internal chaos in Qin, warning herself and Wei Rang to stay away from Gongzi City, she also tries her best to remain neutral. However, Bai Qi still knows that no matter how high his position is, he can never become the confidant of the King of Qin. This is also the reason why Bai Qi has been cautious all along, not expressing any opinions other than military affairs.

  His merits are so great that he can be enfeoffed as a marquis, but this will also make the King of Qin more suspicious. The principle of "the death of the cunning rabbit and the boiling of the walking dog" is well known to Bai Qi. Fortunately, the great cause of unifying China has not been completed yet, and he should be careful not to end up in a miserable situation.

  Putting aside the fleeting thoughts in his mind, Zhang Yi's voice rang out loud and clear in the court: "As all the ministers have said, the prestige of Qin has already spread throughout the world. The weak Korea was lucky to win against Zhao and Wei's allied army, but it was just a fluke. However, the violent and cunning tactics of the enemy were beyond my expectations. This time, Wei suffered a great loss, and Qin lost another strong enemy, which is indeed a cause for celebration. I think that with the personality of the King of Zhao, he will inevitably attack Korea to avenge his shame. The three Jin states are already in a precarious situation, and Your Majesty can either watch from the sidelines or support Korea against Zhao and Wei, all depending on your decision. Even if Zhao and Wei are intimidated by our country's power and do not dare to attack Korea, I have another plan to benefit Your Majesty. We can unite with Korea and Wei to attack Chu, which will continue to weaken Chu while forcing Wei to surrender to our great Qin, creating discord between Zhao and Wei; secondly, it will exhaust and weaken both Korea and Wei."

  Upon hearing this, King Zhao slightly furrowed his brow, thinking to himself that Bai Qi was indeed unwilling to let a country perish. His expression unchanged, he spoke out: "General, you have attacked Chu three times, using weakness to overcome strength, flooding the capital of Ying and burning Yiling, I will not forget it. But Chu's territory is vast and its roads are inconvenient, once we become embroiled in a bitter battle, my heart will be uneasy!"

  At this point, Sima Cu, as King Zhao's confidant, spoke up.

  The conquest of Shu proved his superb strategic vision, and it was the conquest of Shu that gave Qin a stable food source, while also gaining an advantage for the subsequent conquest of Chu. This year, Sima Cuo, who is over 70 years old, has a body that is no longer as good as before, but he was still summoned by King Zhao to the grand hall ahead of time.

  "Your Majesty, Jin has always been a thorn in the side of Qin. The division of Jin by Zhao, Han and Wei is an opportunity given to us by heaven. For generations, our ancestors have taken the occupation of the Central Plains as their goal. Although Chu is rich and prosperous, it has many swamps which are not conducive to the display of Qin's cavalry prowess. I think that attacking Chu has not yet reached its best moment."

  "Looking at Han and Wei, they are located in the plains, with no danger to defend. I think it's possible to plot against them slowly, but it's absolutely not allowed to be too hasty. At this time when Wei is suffering a great defeat, our Great Qin can wait for an opportunity to move. If Zhao and Wei continue to attack Han, as Wu Anjun said, supporting Han to resist Zhao and Wei is the best strategy, watching the three tigers fight each other is the middle strategy, and uniting with Zhao and Wei to destroy Han is the worst strategy. If Zhao stops its attack and rests, it's better to support Han to attack Wei. In this way, Han and Wei will become more hostile, and Han will have no choice but to rely on our country. As for Zhao, it should be considered a great enemy of Qin. However, the decisive battle has not yet arrived, so we need to be careful and maneuver."

  King Zhao thought for a moment and had made up his mind.

  The advantages of attacking Chu are obvious, but the disadvantages are equally clear. More importantly, if you want to destroy Chu, it is impossible with less than 500,000 elite troops, and even then, it will take three to five years, and there is no guarantee of success. He had tested Bai Qi several times, but Bai Qi always evaded his questions. In this situation, King Zhao would never entrust the army to Bai Qi for a long time. The roads in Chu are not convenient, what if Bai Qi colludes with Wei Ran, wouldn't he be in danger?

  Sima Xiao's opinion was his own inclination. Korea had been weak for a long time, the state of Wei had recently lost its crack troops, and Zhao was now the arch-enemy of Qin. As long as the three Jin states did not unite, Qin could ally with either Wei or Korea and isolate Zhao.

  But Korea is a stumbling block for the Qin state's eastward strategy, located in the throat of the Qin state. According to Sima Cuo's suggestion, even if the land occupied by the alliance with Korea would be isolated from the Qin state's mainland, which is not conducive to defense. However, now that Qin and Korea are on good terms, taking advantage of the situation to suppress Wei and forcing Wei to break off relations with Zhao is also a good strategy.

  Seeing the ministers below discussing and occasionally voicing their agreement with Wu Anjun and Sima Cuo, the King of Qin had no choice but to put aside his own thoughts and prepare to send Bai Qi to lead the troops on a campaign.

  Just as he was about to announce the order, King Qin caught sight of Sima Cuo and Bai Qi. Recalling that Sima Cuo's grandson, Sima Jing, was a general under Bai Qi, King Zhao had second thoughts.

  "It's time to give others a chance to make achievements." King Zhao thought for a moment, then his expression changed and he said: "I have made up my mind. I appoint Hu Yang, the Right Shu General, as the commander, Wang Xing as the deputy general, and dispatch an army of 100,000 soldiers. They will depart within five days and rush to Yique to await my orders."

  Having finished speaking, the King of Qin left the grand hall without waiting for the reactions of his ministers.