Chapter 64: The Northern Expedition's Alliance
Zhao Ge was the capital of four kings of the Shang Dynasty: Wu Yi, Wen Ding, Di Yi and Di Xin. After the Zhou Dynasty overthrew the Shang Dynasty, Kang Shu was enfeoffed in Zhao Ge to establish the State of Wei. During the time of Marquis Wen of Wei, the state of Wei occupied Zhao Ge, which now belongs to Wei.
Chao Ge is south of the river, north of Zhao Guo's old capital Zhongmu. Along the river and up, you can reach Handan, Daliang, Xinzheng, all within about 300 miles, just convenient for the three countries to form an alliance.
Two days later, the King of Han led a grand delegation to Changge. According to the ministers' intention, the state of Han cannot be without a ruler for a day. If the king goes to the meeting, the crown prince should act as regent to prepare for unexpected disasters. However, the king said that the king of Zhao will bring his son Dan and the king of Wei will bring his son Zheng to attend the meeting. If the king does not bring the crown prince to attend, it would make Zhao and Wei think that Han is insincere. So, Crown Prince Ran was reluctantly included in the delegation.
The Crown Prince did not want to attend the alliance meeting, not because he was worried about accidents, but because there were too many things to do, and only by doing them himself could he feel at ease. This time, attending the alliance meeting would take up at least half a month's time. The Crown Prince really did not want to waste his time on such matters.
Besides, King Zhao and King Wei are not yet forty years old, and their princes have not even had their coming-of-age ceremony. A young man in his twenties is sandwiched between them, which is really awkward. However, the king's order cannot be disobeyed, so Crown Prince Ran can only put down what he was doing and bid farewell to Prime Minister Zhang Ping, who has a sad and resentful face, and set off on the road.
A large team went north, passing through Huayang and crossing the river, entering the territory of Wei. Along the way, King Han of Korea shared his many years of experience in governing the country, explaining the distribution of power in Korea, which benefited Prince Ran greatly. In the past, he was fond of playing and didn't understand things, not loving to study these things. Looking at his father who was holding back his fatigue, Prince Ran finally did not say words that would worry him.
He knew that in history, the King of Korea had passed away this year, and as for the specific time, no one knew. He would soon have to take on the burden of Korea himself. Compared to history, his own father was much better off. At least now he has recovered a large piece of land, even if he were to pass away suddenly, he would be able to account for it in front of his ancestors in the afterlife. The only thing the Crown Prince could do was to take advantage of his father's good health, show filial piety to him, learn how to govern the country well, and leave fewer regrets.
Six days later, with the arrival of the last envoy from Zhao, the rulers of Zhao, Wei and Han gathered together again. The momentum of this alliance far exceeded that of the previous Five Nations Alliance. Compared to the real swords and guns this time, the expedition against Qin by Chu, Han, Zhao, Wei and Yan 44 years ago was more like a child's play. The small Chao Ge became the focus of attention from all over the world because of the Three Jin Alliance.
It's rare for the three national kings to gather in one hall, and since the alliance is a sacred and complicated matter, it can't be done overnight. Taifu divined that two days later would be an auspicious time, so the blood oath was set for two days later at noon. These two days were just right for the three national kings to communicate their feelings. That night, King Wei hosted a banquet to welcome King Zhao and King Han from afar, and the host and guests had a great time. Crown Prince Ran saw the kings and heirs of Zhao and Wei for the first time.
The Crown Prince knew that if history didn't deviate, his main opponents in the future would be Crown Prince Dan and King Wei. The current King of Zhao was a straight and robust young man, but he indulged in wine and women, and the reason why Zhao did not fall into chaos was due to the efforts of able ministers like Pingyuan Jun, Lin Xiangru, and Lian Po. Seven years later, Crown Prince Dan would ascend to the throne, and the court of Zhao would gradually become mired in darkness. The Battle of Changping would also exhaust the national fortune of Zhao. King Wei had a long life, but poor Crown Prince Zheng still had to wait thirty-one years in his position as crown prince before he could ascend to the throne.
The next morning, the Wei State had no activities arranged. The Crown Prince Yan asked for a leave and slipped out to stroll around Chao Ge. The King of Han seemed to know that his crown prince was not bound by trivial matters and did not stop him, but secretly added several guards to protect Crown Prince Yan.
Perhaps King Hwan and Crown Prince Geum both knew that when Crown Prince Geum was enthroned as the King of Korea, he would lose a great deal of personal freedom. This kind of close-up observation of public sentiment would become increasingly rare.
Due to the alliance of the three kingdoms, the defense of Chao Ge City was very strict, and the security was almost as good as not closing the door at night and not picking up lost items on the road. This is because the King of Wei ordered that anyone with a foreign accent, anyone who is not a local resident, is not allowed to enter the city, and if there is any violation, they will be killed without pardon!
The crown prince was strolling around with a somewhat listless air, but his mind was preoccupied with the situation in the world. Currently, Qin has a population of 50 million and an army of over 7 million; Chu has retaken Yingdu, with a population of 35 million and an army of 3 million; Zhao has a population of 35 million and an army of 7 million; Wei has a population of 40 million and an army of 3 million; Qi has recently restored its state, with a population of 30 million and an army of 4 million; Yan's land is vast but sparsely populated, with a population of 20 million and an army of 4 million; Han has just recovered its old capital, with a population of 25 million and an army of 3 million. Other small countries like Lu have a population of 200,000, Wei has a population of 100,000, and the two Zhou states have a combined population of 500,000.
The state of Wei, although not strong in battle, has a population second only to Qin. The crown prince knew that if Wei had a wise ruler, it might be possible for them to dominate the Central Plains. Zhao and Yan are exhausted from constant warfare, with one out of every five people serving in the military. Furthermore, Zhao and Yan do not produce much grain, making prolonged wars unsustainable. Chu's population appears sufficient on the surface, but after the Battle of Yingyang, 400,000 elite troops were lost in a single battle, leaving few able-bodied men remaining in the country, with 300,000 being the largest number that can be mustered. The situation in Qi is similar to that of Chu, and it will likely take ten years of rest and recuperation for them to recover their vitality.
The Crown Prince knew that the next few years would be crucial. Qin, Chu and Qi needed to rest and recover, while Han, Zhao and Wei needed to digest their war gains. Only Yan was not worth stirring up trouble with. In these few years, he had to reform and strengthen himself. The state of Han was like a patient who had been suffering from a chronic illness for many years, and only strong medicine could revive it. But how to reform? This was something the Crown Prince needed to think deeply about. There were too many reforms in his mind - Shang Yang's reform, Wu Qi's reform, Li Ke's reform, Wang Anshi's reform, Zhang Juzheng's reform... and that reform and opening up! Ah, he had misspoken, and gone off on a tangent!
The crown prince carefully weighed the pros and cons, trying to choose the best and discard the worst. Historical experience told him that no reform would go smoothly, especially when he was not in power and did not have a trusted aide on the imperial court. To try to change things under those circumstances would be suicidal! In the end, it all came down to a lack of talented people. The capable Fan Jiyi had disappeared without a trace, and reform required trusted officials to carry out, but he had no civil or military leaders to rely on - what could he use to implement his plans?
At the time when Crown Prince Yeon was worried about how to reform and strengthen Korea, he did not realize that he was getting closer and closer to the East Gate of the city. At the same time, several horse-drawn carriages also approached Cheong Song, stopping at the gate.
In the carriage, a young man was coaxing the child in his arms and felt the carriage stop. He anxiously asked, "Hua Bo, why have we stopped? Wu Er is still running a high fever! We should hurry into the city to find a doctor to take a look." There was no clamor from inside the city outside, and the young man clearly knew that the carriage had not yet entered the city.
"Your Highness! The city guard says that now is the time for the alliance between Han, Zhao and Wei. The King of Wei has issued an order to prohibit entry and exit from the city of Xiangguo." A man who looked like a steward came to report, panting heavily.
"Has the money been spent? Can't it be used as a loan?" The young man frowned slightly.
"We've tried, but they won't accept it no matter what. In my humble opinion, why don't we go to the countryside and take a look?" Huabo said cautiously.
"I'm afraid Wu Er won't be able to hold on until then. You watch Wu Er, I'll go and negotiate, see if we can come to some sort of agreement!" After saying this, the young man handed the child in his arms over to Hua Bo.
Hua Bo gazed at the young man's back, wiped away tears and sighed to the infant in his arms: "What kind of world is this! Hard to return home! Hard to avenge!"
He was originally the county magistrate of Ju City in Qi State, and because his ancestors had held this position for generations, he also had some influence in Ju City. But who would have thought that the newly arrived governor, greedy for beauty, actually shamelessly set his sights on his young wife, and framed him for embezzling money and grain?
The young master of the house was bullied just after his father's death, and Huabo was furious. After much effort, the young master was released from prison, but lost his official position. At the same time, having lost his official position, the county magistrate became even more ruthless in his harassment. The young master had no choice but to move away with his family, but the county magistrate still wouldn't give up, sending people to rob the young mistress, and after a chaotic battle, she was killed by the overwhelming numbers of her attackers. The young master could only flee in panic with his infant son. Now, the only remaining child of the young mistress has suddenly come down with a high fever from traveling continuously, and if something were to happen to him, Huabo knows he wouldn't be able to live on either.
The crown prince then discovered that he had arrived at the East City Gate. He looked at a young man not far away, who was anxiously praying for the Wei army to allow him to enter the city. Looking back at the young man, an old man was hastily coaxing a baby. The crown prince guessed that the child was probably ill and the young man wanted to enter the city to seek medical attention. At this moment, the crown prince suddenly thought of King Huan of Zhou's deep love for his son, and how parents' love for their children is always so profound and cannot be repaid. Moved by this, the crown prince revealed his identity and ordered the Wei army officer in charge of guarding the city gate: "Let them come in! If there's any problem, I'll take responsibility." The Wei army officer recognized the crown prince and allowed them to pass through.
