Chapter Three: On Momentum

  The prince looked at the surprised officials with a calm and composed expression. The shock that filled the room was exactly what he had intended, for if one did not make a sound, then so be it, but once one made a move, they would certainly shock everyone.

  Since the reform of Korea's self-proclaimed harmlessness, it has emphasized the law of governance. What is the law of governance? It is the law of supervising and inspecting officials. In fact, it is a method of rectifying officialdom to maintain its clarity.

  Although the original intention was good, it deviated from the right path during the process of reform. Relying on various secret means to investigate officials' power and tactics, it quickly spread as a malignant influence throughout the imperial court. The ruler and his ministers were suspicious of each other, engaging in intrigue and backstabbing; colleagues spied on one another. Cunning was revered as a model, plotting against others was considered a talent, and scheming was regarded as wisdom; self-protection was seen as prudence. Everyone felt endangered, who had the mind to serve the country?

  This also led to Korea losing the moral foundation on which it was founded, evolving from a country of loyalty and integrity to one of power struggles and calculations. From the king to the six ministers, everyone is preventing others' calculations while calculating against others.

  The ruler and his ministers did not think about how to strengthen the national power, but indulged in the art of intrigue, which also made Korea repeatedly defeated in the late Warring States period, and the national situation gradually declined.

  This led to a series of "strange strategies" afterwards: yielding Shangdang (referring to 262 BC, when Bai Qi led the army to capture the city of Xiwang, Han Dynasty, and the road between Shangdang and the Han Dynasty was cut off. The king of Yan Yang was sent to Qin to apologize and ask for peace by cutting off Shangdang), exhausting Qin through waterworks (referring to 247 BC, when the Han Dynasty sent a water conservancy expert, Zheng Guo, to persuade Qin to build the Zheng Guo Canal, in an attempt to exhaust Qin and prevent it from attacking Han. As a result, the eight hundred li of the Qin River was greatly improved, and Qin became even more prosperous), and retreating from Zhou to Qin, etc., which were unbelievable and ridiculous events. At the same time, Shang Yang's reforms in Qin were highly successful, making Qin rich and powerful, and embarking on a path of hegemony.

  Of course, many "strange schemes" were done after he ascended to the throne. Now that he knows the cause and effect of things, he would absolutely not allow such a thing to happen. The crown prince secretly vowed.

  The crown prince quickly collected his thoughts and said: "Your Majesty, esteemed ministers, please hear me out."

  "The Qin state is a land of tigers and wolves, originally a place outside the pale (referring to the fact that Qin rose to power by attacking the Western Rong, but was far from the Central Plains, with a backward civilization, so it was not recognized by the various vassal states of the Central Plains, which referred to it as the Western Rong), with a fierce and barbarous people. During the reign of King Ping of Zhou, due to Duke Xiang's meritorious service in escorting the Zhou royal house eastward to Luoyi, Qin finally obtained the title of vassal state."

  "When Qin Xiao Gong was in power, relying on the dangerous terrain of Mount Hua and Hangu Pass, he controlled the 800-mile-long Qin River valley. At that time, Shang Yang reformed the law, established internal laws and regulations, promoted agriculture and weaving, repaired defensive equipment; externally, he formed alliances with neighboring states to fight against other vassals. As a result, the people of Qin obtained the land west of the Yellow River."

  "After the death of Duke Xian, Qin Huiwen Wang, Wu Wang and the current King of Qin followed the previous expansion policy, attacking south to take over Hanzhong, west to capture Bashu, just like a powerful country like Chu, all were attacked by Qin, the capital was captured, the mausoleum of the former king was also burned, had to learn from Wei Guo to move the capital to avoid the edge of Qin. Asking for help from Qin is no different from driving out the tiger and swallowing the wolf, although it can solve the current worry, but it's like drinking poison to quench thirst, the harm is even greater."

  "Your Highness, if seeking help from Qin is not an option according to you, then why is negotiating peace with Zhao and Wei also not feasible?" Chancellor Zhang Ping was equally curious. He was delighted that someone could articulate such a sound argument. Korea has a worthy successor after all!

  The crown prince looked at the prime minister, smiled and said: "Everyone knows that Qin Guo's ambition is no different from negotiating with a tiger for its skin. Moreover, now the four nobles of Qin are in power, and the prestige of the king of Qin is not as before. Now the king of Qin is busy seizing power, I'm afraid he has no heart to care about our request for help (in fact, it was also the case that Chen Zhen, the guest minister of Han, personally explained the situation to Wei Ran, the prime minister of Qin, and only then did the king of Qin agree to send troops)."

  "Let's talk about Zhao and Wei. My Korea and Zhao, Wei are from the same Jin country, joining forces to resist Qin can benefit from not losing ground, but why did they repeatedly defeat? It is because their hearts are not united. Both Zhao and Wei regard us as small and weak, and wantonly think of using us to consume the living force of the Qin state; we also have the idea of using Zhao and Wei to protect ourselves."

  The crown prince spoke straightforwardly about the flaws, and continued to say to the stunned Korean king and his ministers: "If we make peace with Zhao and Wei at this time, our great Korea will have no weight in the alliance of the three Jin states. If we defeat the allied forces of Zhao and Wei and form an alliance with them, we will not fear Qin state."

  "Gentlemen, you will surely ask again, with our Korea's limited military strength, how can we defeat the allied forces? But what I want to say is that we have a chance to win!" The crown prince spoke in a tone that was not surprising, but deadly serious.

  The court suddenly boiled over and everyone began to discuss it. With weak Korea resisting strong Zhao and Wei, where did the Crown Prince get his confidence?

  The crown prince, disregarding the reactions of the ministers, raised his voice and said loudly: "At present, Zhao and Wei are jointly attacking our country. The main force of the allied army is the Wei army, and Zhao is just muddying the waters, not worth worrying about. Therefore, the great enemy of Han is Wei. Since Wei Wenhou employed Li Kui to reform, they have taken the west of Qin's western river area, destroyed Zhongshan in the north. Their general Wu Qi trained elite troops called 'Wu Zu', fought 72 battles, won 64, and the rest were undecided. They took Hangu Pass, and with 50,000 Wu Zu troops defeated Qin's army of 500,000. At that time, Wei was invincible in the world."

  However, the two battles of Guiling and Malin, Qi defeated the invincible Wei State and became the overlord of the Central Plains. In terms of strength, at that time, Qi was not as good as Wei. I'd like to ask you all, why could Qi defeat Wei and become the overlord of the Central Plains? The crown prince asked with great interest, looking at his ministers.

  "When the Way is gained, many will assist. When the Way is lost, few will assist. The state of Wei, acting tyrannically and without restraint, attacked in all directions. Pang Juan was arrogant and contemptuous, underestimating his enemy, and it was inevitable that he would be defeated by Sun Bin." Prime Minister Zhang Ping had an air of inevitability about him, as if everyone knew this already.

  "The Grand Minister's words are extremely correct." The Crown Prince was completely unbothered by the Grand Minister's attitude.

  "The outcome of a war, the strength comparison between both sides is certainly important. However, other factors also play a crucial role in determining the outcome, such as weather, terrain, morale, and the commander's ability to command. Sun Tzu also said: 'Warfare is the art of deception.'"

  "Now, the situation in Korea is similar to that before the Battle of Ma Ling. The Wei State has mobilized its troops to attack us, and its commander, Mang Ya, has some small intelligence but lacks great talent, his mentality can be described as arrogant and dismissive. One of the most important reasons why Qi State won against Wei State back then was that they took advantage of the arrogance of Wei State's commander, Pang Juan."

  "If I launch a surprise attack, Wei and Zhao will surely be greatly disturbed. This battle can be won. The danger to Huayang will be resolved on its own, and the feudal lords will surely look up to Han with respect. Can't our country of Han do what the state of Qi has done?" The crown prince spoke out loudly.

  "If there are no troops outside that must be rescued, then there is no city inside that must be defended. The city of Hua Yang is small and the generals are few, it is certain that they cannot hold out for long. Your honors, put yourselves in their shoes and think about it, if we close the city gates and refuse to come out and fight, then we will allow the enemy army to roam freely across our Great Han territory, how can you bear it?! The current plan should be to quickly dispatch reinforcement troops to hold on to the generals' hearts. This is your son's sincere words, I hope Your Majesty will accept them."

  The King of Han and his ministers seemed to have not yet recovered from the Crown Prince's previous remarks. Some ministers, such as Prime Minister Zhang Ping, furrowed their brows in thought; some were shocked beyond belief that the normally gentle Crown Prince would boast about being able to defeat the combined forces of Zhao and Wei; only a small group of "warmongers" hidden among the ministers were eager to take advantage of this opportunity to make a name for themselves.

  The crown prince remembered the reflections of the various officials and nobles, silently lamenting that the poisonous harm of Korea's governance had gone deep. All the high-ranking officials in the court took being wise and self-preserving as their way of dealing with the world, while the imperial clan and aristocrats monopolized power and excluded the capable. From the ruler to the common people, no one had the courage to resist strong enemies. Even the prime minister Zhang Ping was cautious and did not want to take risks.

  "What does everyone think of the Crown Prince's words?" King Huan of Han asked aloud, seeking opinions from his ministers. Although he was moved by the Crown Prince's lengthy speech and even exclaimed "My son has grown up!", he still sought the opinions of his officials.

  "Great King, I agree with the young master's view." Bao Ying spoke out.

  The previous speech made the hot-blooded Burai, as a warrior, boil with enthusiasm. Which soldier doesn't yearn to make achievements and establish merit? It's just that in these years, the number of victories he has won can be counted on one hand, and unknowingly, he has become somewhat afraid of battle. Thinking of this, Burai's face turned slightly red.

  Now that the country's highest military commander - "General" has spoken, a small group of "warmongers" are even more excited.

  "I concur." Minister of War, Han Wei, stepped forward. He thought to himself that by supporting the Crown Prince's proposal this time, regardless of whether they won or lost, once the Crown Prince ascended to the throne, his own position would definitely become more secure. Even if he couldn't become the Prime Minister, a slight adjustment in position would be acceptable, such as taking over the position of Minister of Justice.

  Guest Minister Chen Zhen was originally ill, but upon hearing that Huayang was in danger, he went to court despite his illness. Chen Zhen is mature and steady, already fifty-six years old this year. Originally, he also supported the strategy of Chancellor Zhang Ping seeking aid from Qin, after all, the state of Han had been weak for a long time. Sending troops to support Huayang was no different from throwing oneself into the jaws of a wolf.

  But now the wind direction in the palace is changing too fast, and the crown prince's words have greatly increased the momentum of the war faction. Generals Bao Ying and Sima Hanwei, two heavy ministers of the military, agree to send troops, and the monarch will inevitably lean towards sending aid. Once defeated, there will be a disaster for the country. It will be too late to regret it then.

  Thinking of this, Chen Zhen couldn't help but look at Prime Minister Zhang Ping, and Zhang Ping also looked at the mature and steady Chen Zhen with a hint of understanding. Zhang Ping nodded slightly to indicate that Chen Zhen should speak.

  "May I ask, sir, how many soldiers are available in Xinzheng now?" Chen Zhuang asked.

  "The troops are no more than 80,000." The crown prince responded in a deep voice.

  "He's still a man with some self-awareness." Chen Lie thought to himself, his expression softening slightly.

  "With an army of 80,000 to face the combined forces of Zhao and Wei with 150,000 soldiers, among whom there are also 10,000 elite cavalrymen from Zhao. The disparity in numbers is so great, can it be that Your Highness thinks that just because one enemy general is arrogant, we will surely win? In the Battle of Maling, the number of Qi and Wei troops was almost equal. War is a matter of great importance to the state. I don't know how you dare say that our army will definitely win, this old minister is dull-witted, please enlighten me."

  As soon as Chen Zhen spoke, King Han and the other ministers also looked at Prince Ran with curiosity. Although Prince Ran had just said that attacking by surprise would surely win, it was still too general and not enough to convince everyone. If he could persuade Chen Zhen, the possibility of King Han agreeing to send troops was still very great.

  Indeed, as you said, our army is only 80,000 strong, while the enemy's forces are twice that number. If we were to engage them head-on, our defeat would be certain. However, the enemy has marched a long distance and is far from their home territory, and they also have to guard against the defenders of Hua Yang. The troops they can actually deploy are only around 110,000-120,000, and although the armies of Zhao and Wei are allied, Meng Ao may be the commander-in-chief in name, but he cannot command the army of Zhao. Our side is fighting to defend our homeland and our families, so morale is high and supplies are convenient, making it seem like we're only facing one enemy for every two of ours. Moreover, I have a clever plan that can greatly weaken the combined forces of Zhao and Wei. It's just not convenient to reveal it now. The crown prince's enigmatic expression had intimidated many of the ministers.

  Zhang Ping was still worried in his heart, national affairs, only the altar and the enemy. This battle is not like usual, if the army is defeated and there is no relief army, Korea's society has the danger of being destroyed.

  "The great affairs of the state are only sacrifice and war, I dare not agree with Gongzi's proposal. Now, there are no more than 800,000 soldiers around Xinzheng who can go to battle. If we send troops to rescue Huayang, at least 300,000 soldiers must be left behind to defend Xinzheng. With an army of 500,000, fighting against Zhao and Wei in the wild, I fear there is a danger of destruction! Once the army is defeated, the defenders of Huayang will surely panic. The situation may become uncontrollable!"

  Listening to his own prime minister's words, the King of Han also hesitated for a moment. Although the crown prince had said that victory was certain, there was always a chance of unexpected events. Moreover, the weakness of the Han army was well-known to all nations. If they were defeated, the consequences would be extremely severe!

  Seeing King Han's hesitant expression, Prince Yan also knew that he had to strike while the iron was hot in order to persuade King Han to send troops.

  "Your Majesty, the Prime Minister's words are extremely correct. However, this time I need not many soldiers and horses, 40,000 will do. In this way, even if we lose, it will not have a serious impact on the defense of Xinzheng. But I am confident that I can defeat the combined forces of Zhao and Wei, and make our great Han's name resound." The Crown Prince said with great enthusiasm.

  It has come to this, and Zhang Ping can no longer speak out against anything. Otherwise, the grudge between himself and the future king of Korea would be settled.

  The King of Han, seeing that all the high officials had no opposing words, was overjoyed and announced that he would choose a day to send troops to rescue Huayang from danger. Under the reasonable and forceful argumentation of Crown Prince Ran, the King of Han declared that he would appoint Bao Ju as the commander-in-chief and Crown Prince Ran as the deputy general, leading an army of 40,000 to lift the siege of Huayang.