Chapter 55 Section 5 Zhang Yi, Su and Qin all sacrificed the ancient tricks

Three days later, Zhang Yi's cavalry arrived at Yishui Ferry and camped on the south bank, waiting for Xianyang's convoy going north. Since Qin Li became a prince, he has the least contact with Yan.One is far away, with Wei, Zhao, and Zhongshan in the middle, and there is almost no direct conflict of interest.On the other hand, Qin and Yan look down on each other and look down on each other.The State of Yan was a prince of the old royal family in the Western Zhou Dynasty, and they said that the State of Qin was a barbarian state that had not yet been transformed into a king;The distance is also far away, but Qin State and Qi State communicate with each other, and often have envoys to and from each other, but they are almost indifferent to Yan State.However, it was precisely this strange country of Yan that became the initiator of the joint and vertical resistance against Qin, and became the foundational state of Su and Qin!

In this way, it is impossible for Qin State to ignore Yan State.The country of Yan is weak, the country of Yan is far away, and there is often no movement in the country of Yan, but it is precisely such conditions that make the country of Yan the most likely country in the Warring States period.Zhang Yi's plan was to get rid of the root of this evil that hid behind the mountain for a while.With the current combat strength of Qin State, for a weak country like Yan State, sending troops to the north can completely defeat and dismember Yan State in a single battle, making Yan State exist in name only.However, with the mantis catching the cicada and the oriole behind, and the Warring States of the Central Plains watching, it is impossible for the Qin State to launch an expedition to deal with this weak and cold country like a shofar wind.The only way is to cage it to appease it, so that it will not stare at Qin Guo and go crazy.

Qin Huiwang was most troubled by Yan, and said: "Swallows are like mutton leg bones. They are eaten without meat, and it is a pity to discard them." "The stew may be delicious." Zhang Yi replied with a smile. "Soup? How to cook it?" "Slow fire with fine wood, slow work and polish." Qin Huiwang smacked for a moment, then suddenly laughed: "The prime minister said, marriage?" "Oldest and most reliable." "Okay!" King Qin Hui clapped the case: "Back then, Qin and Jin were married, and after 30 years of alliance, they married Yan Guo."

Later, King Hui of Qin entrusted Yinghua to find a suitable princess from the royal family for a distant marriage.It took Ying Hua a month to decide on a candidate.The strange thing is that she didn't report it to King Qin Hui first, but she told Zhang Yi first. "Which princess?" "Princess Liyang." "Have you reported it to the king?" "Not yet." Ying Hua blushed for no reason. "Oh, but why?" "I want to tell you first, don't you ask me about the princess?" Zhang Yi laughed for a while: "Oh, I have a good memory, but I forgot to go to the Weishui."

"I don't remember anything, I'm so careless!" Ying Hua smiled brightly and ran out. Once the candidate for the princess was confirmed, Zhang Yi discussed with Chu Liji how to do it.Chi Liji laughed and said: "This kind of door-to-door business, we have to wait for some trouble. This time, the Qin State will gain the upper hand in the vertical and horizontal battle. Otherwise, the door-to-door marriage will only be boring. Zhang Yi agreed deeply, and handed over the early mediation of the matter to Chu Liji, and hurried to Hanoi to join the war.Xi Liji was very scheming, and understood that the key to marriage was for the Yan State to propose marriage. Otherwise, if the powerful Qin State forced a princess to others, wouldn't it make the world laugh?After some thinking, Chi Liji urgently wrote a letter to the old chief of the Datu tribe in Longxi, asking him to mediate in secret.

This Da Tuo tribe is the ancestral home of Xi Liji, and although they are not very powerful, they have a long history with the Xiongnu in the Yinshan grassland.The tribes of the Xiongnu are the biggest threat to the northern part of Yan and Zhao, and they are also the old enemies of the two countries.The old chief Datu received the secret letter from Xili, and immediately took a precious flame to chase Fengduo and a hundred camel soldiers, and rushed to the Chilechuan grassland.When the old Hun Shanyu saw the flaming red camel, he couldn't stop laughing happily.All grassland tribes have always coveted the flame camels of the Datu tribe.This kind of camel not only gallops better than a horse, but also can gallop for several days and nights without eating or drinking. In the grassland, desert and Gobi, it is indeed more valuable than the war horse of a strong horse!

But during the secret discussion, the Xiongnu Lao Shanyu still made a condition: Qin State could not use troops against the Huns within ten years, and the Xiongnu occupied hundreds of miles of land in the north of Qin State’s Shangjun, and returned it to Qin State after three years.The old chief Datu thought for a while, and readily agreed to mediate for the Huns.At this time, the Allied Forces were defeated, and the six countries were in chaos.The Hun Lao Shanyu personally rushed to the Yuyanhe Grassland in the northwest of Jicheng, and invited the leader of the Donghu tribe, the old enemy of the Liaodong of the Yan Kingdom, to meet King Yanyi together.

The old Shanyu went straight to the point: "Brother Yan King, my great Xiongnu has already established an alliance with Qin State, but Yan State is like a crow, croaking behind Qin State. If Brother Yan King can be with Qin State's family, it is my Huns Friends with Donghu. Or else, the enemy of Donghu the Xiongnu, I will ride the flames and chase the wind, and live in Jicheng, ah ha ha ha ha!" King Yan Yi and Zi Zhi secretly negotiated for a day and a night, and finally agreed to the old Shan Yu.Ten days later, the special envoy of the King of Yan arrived in Xianyang, and presented King Qin Hui's letter of credence from King Yan Yi "asking for relatives and repairing, never being an enemy".King Qin Hui "hesitantly" for a while, then readily agreed, and said to the special envoy of Yan State: "After one month, Prime Minister Zhang Yi will escort the princess to Yan State to get married. , making Yan Guo's special envoy go back anxiously.

Zhang Yi waited at Yishui Ferry for two days before Xianyang's send-off convoy arrived.It happened that the former general Bai Shan led the escort of 3,000 iron cavalry to join Zhang Yi's honor guard of 2,000 iron cavalry.Zhang Yi exchanged pleasantries with Bai Shan for a while, and then brought Ying Hua to see Princess Liyang.Entering the princess's camp, I saw a woman practicing swords on the grass in front of the tent. She was wearing a red dress and a short jacket, her sword was shining brightly, and she was full of heroic spirit. Zhang Yi said with a smile: "It's good to enter Yan alone, with such a personal guard."

"That's not it, she is Princess Liyang." Ying Hua said with a smile: "Sister Ping, the prime minister is here." Jian Guang stopped suddenly, and the sword-practicing woman blushed and said "wait a moment", and the wind seemed to blow into the big tent.In a short while, I saw a woman coming out of the tent, with wide sleeves and long skirt, and beautiful hair like clouds, she was a beauty completely different from the woman practicing sword just now!Zhang Yi rubbed her eyes in surprise: "She? Is it the Liyang princess just now?" "Hey! Can it be fake?" Ying Hua said with a smile: "Sister Liyang is good at piano, sword, poetry and wine."

Zhang Yi smiled and said, "It is the blessing of Qin to have such a wonderful woman in the royal family. Zhang Yi sees the princess." Princess Liyang smiled and said: "The prime minister is very polite, please pay for it." After sitting down in the tent, Zhang Yi made a detailed account of what he knew about the situation of Yan Kingdom, King Yan Yi's temperament, court disputes, etc., and finally said: "The princess is married far away alone, and there is a long way to go. Yinghua has already built a palace in Jicheng. A Yanshan inn serves as the princess's secret guard, but the princess can relax." Princess Liyang smiled and said, "It doesn't matter, Yingping will be fine, and there will be no delay." Zhang Yi said with a thought, "Princess is familiar with Yan Kingdom? "Ying Hua laughed and said: "Sister Ping grew up to fifteen years old in the country of Yan. It is not an exaggeration to say that she is from the country of Yan." Princess Yang said: "Prime Minister is right, Ying Ping has nothing to worry about when the fallen leaves of the clan return to their roots." Zhang Yi was very happy: "It's God's will! The fortune of the people of Qin has arrived." After the demise of the Shang Dynasty, the Yingqin tribe dispersed in the west. The mainstream one has been fighting with the Rongdi in the west for a long time, and two tribes were exiled to Yan and Jin.Hundreds of years later, the branch that entered the state of Jin has completely merged with the Zhao clan of the state of Jin, so that there is a saying in the world that "Qin and Zhao have the same origin and the same surname"; the branch that entered the state of Yan has always stubbornly retained the Yingqin tribe. His surname and unique living customs are called "Beiying" by the Qin people.For some unknown reason, Beiying never returned to Qin.After the reform of the Qin State became stronger, in order to increase the population, Qin Xiaogong successively sent three veterans of the Yingqin tribe to Beiying to make secret contacts and instigate Beiying to return home.The patriarch of Beiying raised an old injustice case: when Qin Xiangong launched the palace coup, the old patriarch of Beiying was in Yongcheng, and was beheaded by Qin Xiangong as a "partner of the chaotic country"; Block heart trauma.Before Qin Xiaogong and Shang Jun could deal with it, they went one after another.Afterwards, the three Ying Qin veterans who secretly contacted each other were killed by the new king Ying Si because of their involvement in the Qianlong rebellion, and this matter was shelved again.It wasn't until Zhang Yi entered Qin Yingsi and became king that King Hui of Qin sent a secret envoy to contact them again to discuss how to deal with it. Beiying had more than 50,000 mouths before detouring Jiuyuan and returning to Qin from Beidi County.After returning to Qin, King Hui of Qin held a grand celebration. In the name of "strengthening the blood of the Ying family", he bestowed titles on more than 200 leaders of Beiying, big and small, with titles of various ranks; "Royal Family Guilty Letter", expressing condemnation and repentance for the wrongful killing of the ancestors.Since then, Beiying returned to the old Qin, and the number of elite knights in Qin suddenly increased by 20,000, and the power of the royal family also greatly increased. Yingping is the most beloved youngest daughter of the patriarch of Beiying, and was conferred the title of Princess Liyang by Qin Huiwang.She was originally her father's foreign affairs arm, not only familiar with Yan people's customs, but also had many contacts with official figures in Jicheng.For ordinary business affairs, this Ying Ping is dressed in men's clothes, with a heroic style that does not disappoint a man.After returning to Qin State, she resumed her daughter's attire and became a princess who had nothing to do.When Ying Hua tested the princesses of the royal family one by one, Ying Ping was unexpectedly excited, not only agreed immediately, but also took the initiative to see King Qin Hui and ask for a faraway marriage.King Qin Hui negotiated with the old patriarch of Beiying, who was already "Uncle Wang", and the old patriarch readily agreed. Therefore, this princess of Qin State, who was born in Yan State and grew up in Yan State, became the best candidate to marry King Yan Yi from afar. Looking at such a princess, Zhang Yi omitted many instructions that Zhang Yi had originally thought about, and only said one sentence: "There is chaos in the country of Yan, and the country of Qin will try to protect the princess back to the country." But Princess Liyang smiled heartily: "No If there is something to do, my surname is Ying, and I am the Princess of Qin, that's enough." Zhang Yi laughed loudly: "Princess sees things thoroughly, and with Qin's backing, it is safe to enter Yan." The next day, Zhang Yi sent an envoy on a fast horse to report to the King of Yan, and then he pulled out his camp and crossed the river, crossed the Yishui River, and headed for Jicheng mightily.Nearly a hundred miles away from Jicheng, the secret scout placed in Jicheng by the Black Ice Terrace came to report: Su Qin and Zizhi were married and formed an alliance, plotting to intercept and kill Zhang Yi in Jicheng, and regrouped!Please prime minister not to enter Yan.Ying Hua's expression changed immediately, and she urged Yi to return to Xianyang, and she would escort Princess Liyang into Yan as a "special envoy".Zhang Yi thought for a moment, and said decisively: "If that's the case, now is the perfect time to stabilize Yan Kingdom in one fell swoop. If you don't take big risks, how can you make things happen? Let's go!" At this time, the country of Yan was full of fog. After the defeat of the coalition forces, Zizhi led the remnants of the Yan State to cross the river from Mengjin overnight, and only after entering the river did they set up camp to rest.As soon as the men and horses were counted, 30,000 of the 60,000 pacers who went south were killed and more than 10,000 were seriously injured. Almost all of the remaining 10,000 horses were wounded and embarrassed.Especially among the 30,000 elite cavalry, less than 10,000 survived.Zizhi himself was hit by a sword and an arrow. The sword cut his left arm and the arrow hit his right shoulder.Although it was not a vital part, nor was it a poisonous arrow, but Shi Zizhi hung his left arm and exposed his right shoulder, coupled with the bruises and blood on his face, he looked like a bloody man who had narrowly escaped death! But Zizhi didn't care to take care of his wounds carefully. The first thing he did was to spend a lot of money to secretly hire three brilliant doctors who are good at healing from Daliang. Together with the three doctors in the army, they worked day and night Bandage the soldiers.In the end, the remaining more than 10,000 horses were finally saved from contracting serious diseases.After all the soldiers were healed, Zizhi asked the doctor to apply medicine to his wounds, but at this time the wounds had already festered, and the high fever persisted.The three doctors carefully guarded the child for three days and three nights, exhausted all methods, and managed to get Zizhi out of danger, but he was still comatose and weak.The officers and men of Yan State were very moved, more than ten thousand people sat around the big tent, neither eating nor drinking, nor sleeping, just to watch Yaqing wake up.Twelve hours later, Zizhi finally woke up, and when he heard Sima of the Chinese army talk about the situation outside the tent, he got up vigorously and staggered out of the tent. More than ten thousand soldiers suddenly stood up and shouted: "The general is safe! Long live Yaqing!" The general of the cavalry stepped forward and said loudly: "All the soldiers of the army, please leave the camp and return to Yan immediately, and treat Yaqing as soon as possible!" Zizhi shook his hand: "I can't go, I have to wait for Lord Wu Xin to go back to Yan Kingdom together." "General Jing Yan's two thousand cavalry did not participate in the battle, and they were unharmed. Lord Wu Xin will be fine!" "No, I can't." Zizhi panted heavily: "Go as soon as you want, I have to wait, wait for Wu Xinjun..." The soldiers were silent, and suddenly, everyone shouted in unison: "Follow Yaqing! Be loyal to Yaqing! Wait for Wu Xinjun!" Zizhi clasped his fists to the soldiers, wanted to say something, but suddenly passed out again. This remnant soldier had been stationed outside the river for ten days, and when a cavalry general arrived with Su Qin's troops, the rations were gone.Su Qin immediately ordered Jing Yan to share the accompanying military food, and immediately sent Jing Yan to Handan with her own handbook, and asked Pingyuan Lord for a hundred shi of military food. On the night of camping, Zizhi, who was bedridden, talked with Su Qinmi for two hours.Zizhi calmly explained the plight of the two: he returned in defeat and lost most of his teachers. In vain, the only foundation is the title of Lord Wu Xinjun of Yan State. If he cannot gain a foothold in Yan State, he will become duckweed on the water, and the great cause of He Zong will disappear forever. "In such a situation, dare to ask Wu Xinjun how to solve the problem?" Of course, Su Qin knew what the son said.The coalition army was defeated, and the most painful thing was Su Qin.Anyone can put the blame on him, but he can't shirk the blame on anyone!Although he is not the commander-in-chief, nor is he a general of a certain country, sitting in the general account is only to coordinate the friction between the six armies.But when the 480,000 troops are bleeding like rivers, who can say a fair word for him, the prime minister of the six countries and the leader of the general account?The generals will definitely not, they can only free themselves by blaming Su Qin.The four princes already have powerful officials and powerful enemies in the country, and their current situation is almost the same as their own. If it is difficult to protect themselves, how can they stand up for Su Qin?Even if there is, how can the monarchs and powerful officials of the six countries believe that they are not in collusion with Su and Qin?At the moment when the camps of the six countries swept away one after another, Su Qin was almost completely desperate.All of a sudden, he saw the rotten foundation of the Six Kingdoms, saw the incurable chronic diseases of the Six Kingdoms, and felt that it would be a dream come true to unite them to do something earth-shattering!The four princes returned home in a hurry, and the iron cavalry guards given to him by various countries also quietly left, leaving only the two hundred iron armored knights of Yan Kingdom led by Jing Yan. Su Qin's military tent has been stationed on the battlefield full of corpses for five days.Eagles and vultures pecking corpses are constantly rising and falling in the vast mountains. In the setting sun and twilight, flocks of crows are covering the sky and making noise. Even the clear moon in autumn night has the stench of rotting corpses.Su Qin wandered around the bleak battlefield endlessly, he even longed for the Qin army to rush over suddenly and kill himself.However, the black banner was only fluttering above the city of Hangu Pass, and never rushed out roaringly.He didn't even understand why Sima Cuo's army didn't clean up the battlefield?Why not confiscate these useful weapons?In three days, Su Qin's beard and hair, which had gradually turned black, suddenly turned white again, as white as frost and snow!Jing Yan was so frightened that she almost cried.At that time, Su Qin felt that he had no face to go to any country. He told Jing Yan to leave him alone and just bring the knights back to Yan.But Jing Yan just refused to listen, and just insisted on one sentence: "Brother dies, and I die too! Brother is not afraid of death, Jing Yan is afraid of a bird!" He just followed him around the bleak battlefield day and night. Come on, Jing Yan is really helpless. Now, Zizhi's tenacity has activated Su Qin's numb soul.Su Qin inspected Zizhi's barracks, and saw that the wounded soldiers on the verge of extinction had regained their vitality thanks to Zizhi's efforts, and couldn't help but be moved!As a general in charge of the army, Zizhi is indeed outstanding.His battlefield plan was not adopted, but at the critical moment, he still stood up and resisted desperately. After the defeat, he tried his best to heal the wounded soldiers, preferring to heal himself at the end.All of these reminded Su Qin of his tenacious struggle in the countryside of Luoyang—his head hanging from the beam and piercing to the bone, full of loneliness and anger, and never thought of the word "failure"!Su Qin, Su Qin, where is your spirit? "In Yaqing's opinion, how should I respond?" Su Qin smiled for the first time in many days. "Stabilize the Yan Kingdom, stand firm on the foundation, and make a comeback!" "How to stand firm?" "You and I join hands, as stable as Mount Tai." Su Qin was silent.In his opinion, in the era of the Warring States Great Controversy, celebrities are invincible with their meritorious deeds.Like all high-minded celebrities, he despises crony disputes in the power field. He has never thought about forming an alliance with powerful ministers in that country, let alone forming an alliance with that general to consolidate himself with military strength. position of power.Before that, if someone made such a motion to him, he would laugh and sneer, but today, he didn't speak for a long time. "Mr. Wu Xin," Zizhi's pale, bleeding face was like a cold rock: "You have the achievements of coordinating affairs, the body of the prime minister of the six kingdoms, the respect of the people in the court of Yan, and you are a figure in the world. However, these are all false , Just like the clouds in the sky. Once you fail, all these hopes will disappear. In an instant, there will be no place to stand under your feet." Zizhi panted heavily, and smiled bleakly: "I, Zizhi, the six generations of the family, As the powerful Yaqing, I have led the army against Hu for a long time. There are Liaodong cavalry outside and more than ten thousand dead soldiers under my command. I can be regarded as a minister with strength and foundation. However, I also have political enemies and opponents. This time I was defeated and returned to Yan. If they join forces and pull King Yan again, I will definitely be spanked by them, and even the whole family will be killed. Mr. Wu Xin, what Zizhi said is that you and I are in a difficult situation, but is it true?" "In this case, how to join forces?" Su Qin paced slowly in the tent. "You have the ability to defuse the courtiers' attack and defense, and prevent King Yan from forming an alliance with the old clan; I have the strength to protect Jicheng from palace changes, your title and power, and no one will secretly attack you." "Yaqing, you are a meritorious minister in the joint war, why are you afraid of attacking and defending?" "If you want to commit a crime, why don't you have excuses?" Zizhi smiled miserably: "Mr. Wu Xin still doesn't understand the country of Yan." "That's all." Su Qin sighed: "Then let's go forward together." Although Zizhi was lying on the couch, his eyes sparkled immediately: "Okay! Let's make it clear immediately and let Jicheng know!" "Make it clear? How to make it clear?" Su Qin was very confused. Can this kind of thing be said to people with great fanfare? Zizhi said with a smile: "You have a younger brother, and I have a younger sister. The marriage between the two families makes it clear." "Is it useful?" Su Qin couldn't help but smile bitterly. He has always despised this kind of officialdom cliché, let alone believe that such an old-fashioned and worldly method can deter political opponents and change a person's fate that is about to be drowned? "Wu Xinjun," Zizhi actually stood up from the army couch, "If the public and Zhang Yi have faith first, marriage is useless. However, how many people in the world's officialdom do things with faith? There have always been so many mediocre power ministers, they just believe This kind of marriage of blood relatives, I believe this is the only thing that can't be broken. Once you and I make it clear, no one will instigate trouble between you and me, and even King Yan will be scruples. Wu Xinjun, believe me, I have I have seen through the birds and beasts of Yan Kingdom!" "But, don't I feel short of breath when I speak?" Zizhi laughed for a while: "Mr. Wu Xin, there is a saying in ancient times: You can't avoid enemies by exercising externally, and you can't avoid relatives by exercising internally. If you dare to say it, your reputation will only increase!" Su Qin smiled helplessly: "Okay, I will listen to you once." That night, at the urging of his son, Su Qin wrote a letter to his third younger brother Su Dai, and Jing Yan sent fast horse knights to Luoyang Suzhuang overnight.Zizhi also sent his confidant Sima to rush back to Jicheng to make arrangements.After Su Qin rested, Zizhi summoned the soldiers to discuss secretly for two hours.When everything was in order, the next day they left camp and returned to Yan. There have been rumors and suspicions in Jicheng, and the court and the people are in chaos. The old clans of Yan State originally believed that Yan State should not set foot in the Central Plains, and could only stick to Yanshan and Liaodong and expand to Hudi, just like Qin Mugong did in the past to seek hegemony westward.This is called the "Northern Plan" among the aristocratic family. The aristocratic family has always opposed Yan Wengong's use of Su and Qin to launch a joint vertical.However, most of Yan's troops are under the control of the government and tribes, and the old clans have nothing to do.The success of the Su-Qin alliance, the prestige of the Yan Kingdom suddenly increased, and the old clans saw the wind, and hurriedly followed the clamor, supporting King Yanyi to send troops to fight against Qin, intending to get a share of the great achievements in destroying Qin.When everyone was in high spirits, bad news came suddenly: the coalition army was defeated, Zizhi was killed in battle, and the 60,000 soldiers and horses of Yan State were wiped out! The news spread, and the situation in Jicheng was in chaos.The old families immediately made a sharp turn and gathered together to scold Su Qin for wronging the country and defeating the army!He wrote to the King of Yanyi, requesting to "expel Su Qin, behead his son, and use Anguo people"!The Zizhi faction, which originally advocated the alliance, also split into several groups to find their own way out, and one after another joined the old family, fearing that Zizhi would hurt them, they would also become innocent souls under the sword.King Yan Yi originally wanted to revitalize the country of Yan through alliances, so he sent the 60,000 main force that was confronting Donghu into the coalition army. Now that the 60,000 elite troops are all wiped out, it is a blow to him!The anti-Hu army was originally the foundation of the royal family. With this army, the private soldiers of the old clans would be worthless, but without this army, the private soldiers of the old clans around Jicheng would suddenly become sharp swords. How to keep Yan Yi Wang from getting a thorn in his back?After much deliberation, King Yan Yi had no choice but to condescend to mediate, scold Su Qin and Zizhi with the ministers of the family, and discuss how to properly deal with the criminals?How to reorganize the "Northern Plan"? In the midst of the chaos, another news came: Zizhi was not dead, but he was seriously injured and incurable; there were more than 10,000 wounded soldiers, all of whom were dying; Su Qin was ashamed to return to Yan, and had committed suicide on the battlefield!The old clans even played the crowns to celebrate and get together to drink.The old people didn't care about Su Qin's life or death.The good news is that without Su Qin's son, even if he comes back alive and brings troops back, he will be nothing but fish and meat on the execution ground.King Yan Yi became even more despondent. Su Qin and Zizhi, one has his own opinion, the other has strength, one is his soul, and the other is his courage; now that one is dead and the other is about to die, where is he, the king? Looking for such two great talents?King Yan Yi was completely desperate, he drove out of the palace himself, and wanted to make a price with the old family. When the car drove through the palace gate, another news came: Su Qin was safe and sound, and had joined forces with Zizhi to rest; Zizhi had recovered from his wounds and still had more than 10,000 elite soldiers!When King Yan Yi heard this, he immediately turned his head and returned to the palace, and ordered three thousand forbidden troops to guard the gate of the palace strictly, determined to wait until the truth came out.As soon as the news spread, the ministers began to make subtle changes again.The old clansmen were full of suspicions, and it was hard to tell the truth from the fake, but after the meeting, they still insisted on making noise, begging King Yan to question Su Qinzizhi immediately, forming a "decided" trend!However, King Yanyi had an emergency of heat and cold, so he couldn't manage the council, and the old people were as anxious as ants on a hot pot.The followers of Zi, who were busy looking for a way to seek refuge, smelled something else, and stopped running quickly, and some simply stopped going out. Within ten days, another news spread throughout Jicheng: Wu Xinjun and Yaqing were in trouble on the battlefield, and they were married and blood relatives, vowing to live and die together, and to be loyal to the King of Yan!Within two or three days, the situation in Jicheng changed drastically, and the clamor of the old clans suddenly turned into gossip, and the cohorts of the slumbering sons began to shout "Yaqing is wronged!" Consider Wu Xinjun's unrivaled talent, but the palace is still silent, and King Yanyi is still hot and cold and unable to act. On this day, the fast horse flew the news: Wu Xinjun and Yaqing's class teacher returned to China!King Yanyi issued a one-sentence edict: "This king welcomes you with illness", and did not require all ministers to follow.But on the day of Jiaoying, all the officials in Jicheng were mobilized, and even the people from Baigong Kingdom came out in empty alleys. People wanted to see what happened to this defeated army? The people of the monarchy and ministers waited eagerly until sunset, when they suddenly saw smoke and dust rising in front of them, drums and horns beeping, flags were flying, horseshoes were like thunder, and two big flags were flying first!The sharp-eyed people shouted: "Ah! Look! Prime Minister of the Six Kingdoms, Wu Xinjun Su!" "There is another side! Yan Guoya Qingzi!" Some people in the country were shocked: "Look! Iron armored knight! There are enough Twenty thousand!" "There are infantry phalanxes! Three, at least five or six thousand!" The people of the country were excited that Yan State still had such an elite army after the defeat, and they all shouted: "Wu Xinjun! Long live!" "Long live Yaqing!" "Long live King Yan!" The courtiers were dumbfounded, and so was King Yan Yi.In a trance, I can't figure out if yesterday was a dream and today is a dream?King Yanyi restrained himself severely, barely speaking, and just followed the guidance of the Minister of Protocol to complete the ceremony.The strange thing is that Su Qin and Zizhi and the courtiers who greeted them hardly spoke.It wasn't until the palace banquet that the monarchs and ministers gradually regained their senses, began to carefully weigh the opposite person, and only then began to cautiously test. "Mr. Wu Xin, the Hanoi war narrowly escaped death, and the king and all the officials waited for you to suppress the panic. Come on, do it." Su Qin drank the next prince, bowed his hands solemnly and said: "Report to the King of Yan: Su Qin, as the prime minister of the six countries, has prepared detailed records of the Hanoi War and sent them to the six countries. Su Qin has the noble of Wu Xinjun in the country of Yan, so he will send Yan Bring one volume back with me personally, please ask King Yan to check it out." With a wave of her hand, Jing Yan respectfully brought a wooden box to King Yan's desk. King Yan Yi looked at the wooden box: "There are so many rumors, it's hard to tell whether it's true or false. This king and all the ministers and workers are at odds." "Today's big banquet, let me explain it in public." Su Qin started from the military strength and generals of various countries, talked about the general account plan, talked about the change of tactics, talked about the course of the war, and talked about the attack on Aocang, especially in detail. Zizhi's role as a pillar in planning tactics and rescuing the crisis on the battlefield, he said at the end: "The defeat of the coalition forces has three root causes; first, Su Qin was not good at military affairs, and failed to integrate the six armies; Inappropriate; third, the strength of the six armies is uneven, and the military system is not unified; fourth, the Wei State is slack, and Aocang was attacked." There was a moment of silence in the hall.Su Qin attributed the blame for the defeat to himself first, which left the monarch and ministers of Yan State speechless for a while.Everyone knows that Su Qin is not a military commander in the first place. Although he is in charge of the general account, it is only to coordinate the friction between the six armies. The prime ministers of the six countries and the leader of the general ledger of the coalition forces.But Su Qin took it all on himself, and the old clans who wanted to make things difficult had to think about it, and they didn't dare to make troubles rashly. "What about the casualties of the Sixth Army?" King Yan Yi began to test the most vital points. "Specifically speaking, the casualties of the six armies were different: the Chu army was defeated at the first touch, and suffered the heaviest damage. The 150,000 army was almost wiped out, but Yu Zilan led more than 10,000 remnants and fled back; the Yan army was the strongest, but suffered the least damage. There are still more than 30,000 elites from the 60,000 pacers who returned intact. Because of this, although the combined army failed this time, the Yan State’s military power was greatly strengthened, and the name of "weak Yan" was wiped out. The Yan Army can do such a thing, It all depends on Yaqingzi's courage and strategy." The hall was buzzing immediately, the government and people of the Yan State had already heard the term "weak Yan", and over time they also believed that the Yan State was weak, that it was not as good as the Central Plains Warring States.Today, Su Qin actually said that "Yan's army is the most powerful", "the army's power has been greatly boosted", and "the name of the weak Yan has been washed away"!Isn't it amazing? "Really, is that so?" King Yan Yi was so shocked that he couldn't believe his ears. "Su Qin has letters from Lord Xinling, Lord Mengchang, Lord Pingyuan, and Lord Chunshen. Please read them, King Yan." King Yan Yi clapped the table and said, "Read the imperial book! Read it aloud!" Yu Shu took four scrolls of bamboo slips from Jing Yan, unfolded one and read aloud: "Wei Wuji pays homage to Lord Wu Xin: The battle in Hanoi, if you followed Zi's plan, could be won by surprise. Yan's army has this man as a general, the blessing of Yan. Also..." Opened another volume: "Huang Xie paid homage to the prime minister: the Chu army was defeated. If the general of Zi had not led the Yan army to fight bloody battles, none of the six armies would have survived! People say that Yan is weak, but now I see that Yan is strong. , I am ashamed of Chu people..." Open another volume: "Wu Xinjun Taijian: This time, only the Yan army fought alone and stood up to the crisis, which made Tian Wen deeply moved..." Unfolded the last volume, but hesitated Looking at Su Qin eagerly, Su Qin said with a smile: "Read it, the King of Yan has a clear decision." The imperial book read aloud: "Zhao Sheng paused: in the battle of the coalition forces, Zhao people should look at the Yan army with admiration. Everyone in the world says Yan Weak and weak, who would have known that the Yan army was so powerful? Zhao Sheng will never be able to sleep peacefully when Zhao Yan is here..." After reading the four volumes, the ministers in the palace were all staring at Zizhi whose arm sling was still oozing with blood, as if they were staring at an incredible monster!The courtiers had heard of Zizhi's fierce and decisive decision to kill, and it was precisely because of this that the old people regarded him as a hidden danger.But Zizhi is a frontier general after all, and he has been promoted to Yaqing for less than a year, and many important officials still know little about him, and are even far less familiar with him than he is with the palace; from today's perspective, this person can show awe in front of hundreds of thousands of troops , It's actually a big deal!What the old people think is: Can we still get rid of him?What the new minister thinks is: how to justify himself in front of this person? "Your ministers, what did Lord Wu Xin say?" King Yan Yi was completely awake, but he didn't seem excited. An old minister stood up tremblingly: "As a grand master, I thought that even if what Lord Wu Xin said was true, it would not be able to cover up the consequences of the defeat of the army. If you bear the responsibility for some crimes, my king should also give appropriate punishment. Otherwise, it may be difficult to appease the government and the opposition." "The Grand Master thinks, how should I be punished?" "How to punish, I would like to invite my king and all the ministers to discuss it publicly. The old ministers are just making a motion, but there is no final opinion." "I think that at least the nobles and salaries should be reduced, and the government and the people should be informed." Whenever there is a temptation, the old family will immediately agree. "It's bad! The old man thinks that if you win the title, you will be dismissed." "This old man thinks that Su Qin lost his teacher and humiliated the country. He should be punished as hard labor and exiled to Liaodong!" Someone was impassioned. "Su Qin is not from Yan. If he committed a serious crime against the country, he should be beheaded! Otherwise, it will be difficult to appease the anger of the people of the country, and he will be ashamed of the souls of the soldiers!" In an instant, the situation in the hall changed suddenly, and King Yan Yi was stunned.He was already fully awake and excited, so he didn't reward Su Qin Zizhi immediately, he just thought that the overall situation was settled and wanted the courtiers to support him.Unexpectedly, the old clans would take the lead in attacking the palace, one by one more aggressive than the other, and King Yanyi was at a loss again.After all, the troops of the royal family are far away in the border areas, but the fiefdom soldiers of the old clans are all gathered around Jicheng. King Yanyi and Zizhi haven't had time to communicate. Who knows what Zizhi thinks of Su Qin?How do you know that he doesn't hate Su Qin?Once stalemate, the most dangerous is the royal family.In this situation, how dare King Yanyi speak rashly? "Ahahahahaha! Crack!" Suddenly, there was a burst of laughter in the hall, and Zi Zhi with one arm hanging from the table jumped up, pacing leisurely in the hall: "What a kingdom of Yan! Call yourself the royal family and the Warring States, don't No, but they will slander heroes, self-destruct the Great Wall, seize titles and dismiss from office, behead all families, and make noise and frame famous people all over the world!" His teasing smile suddenly turned murderous, and he pointed at all the old people in the room and sternly cursed : "A nest of silverfish! A tree of black old crows! A group of winebags and rice bags! Wu Xinjun drove thousands of miles, rushing to join forces, where did you go? Wu Xinjun came to the battle in person, worked hard, where did you go? The army retreated, Wu Xinjun stood alone On the battlefield, white hair will be resurrected in three days. Where are you going? Today, Wu Xinjun took the safety and security of the Yan Kingdom into consideration. Be brave! Zizhi is telling you today: Who dares to maliciously slander Wu Xinjun, Zizhi will not agree! I, thirty-six thousand armored warriors, will not agree! Don’t you have soldiers? Come on, tomorrow we will set up the battlefield , see whose family is bleeding like a river?!" Zizhi's face was ashen, and with a wave of one arm, a burst of thunderous footsteps rumbled into the hall, and two armored phalanxes stood tall in the hall immediately!Zizhi sneered and pointed with one arm: "They are survivors of hundreds of battles. I don't know how many times they crawled out of the dead with Zizhi. If you have something to say, tell them!" There was a deathly silence in the hall. This round of laughing and cursing was truly thunderous, unbelievable!All the emptiness and Zhou Xuan have been torn clean, leaving only a naked contest of strength.Even though Su Qin was well-informed, he never thought that Zizhi would use such means in front of King Yan in the palace to frighten the court so much!Rao the officials of the Yan State heard that the son was fierce, but they never imagined that this person would be so rebellious and mighty!Not to mention that Zizhi is a well-known general in the Yan Kingdom, the most frightening thing is that tens of thousands of desperate soldiers who have fought with him for many years and escaped in blood are poked outside the palace, and the fierce battle is in sight!All the armored soldiers from the fiefdom of the old family gathered together, and they couldn't act as a charge of these veteran soldiers. Who wouldn't be terrified at this scene?Who dares to breathe loudly? “好！”燕易王却笑着站了起来：“本王自有公断：武信君功勋卓著，对燕国忠贞不二，加封地一百里，任燕国开府丞相！子之浴血奋战，扬我国威军威，爵封成义君，职任上卿上将军！班师将士，兵士赐爵一级，千夫长以上者晋爵两级！方才攻扞武信君者，各削爵两级，减封地三十里！上卿啊，命甲士们下去吧。” “臣，谨遵王命！”子之一挥手，两个方阵便隆隆出了大殿。 一场灭顶之灾就这样过去了。燕易王与苏秦、子之重新结成了稳固的君臣同盟，苏秦做了开府丞相，子之做了上将军外加一个监理政务的上卿，燕易王的地位也空前巩固。燕国老世族在这场短兵相接的较量中完全失败了，完全蛰伏了。燕易王与苏秦、子之连续会商三日，决意君臣同心，整饬吏治，训练新军，使燕国真正崛起。 就在这时候，张仪的和亲车队到了。 燕易王叙说了与秦国联姻的来龙去脉。苏秦是赞同的，认为时势所迫也只能如此，况且也能够给燕国争取一段时间，只有等燕国喘息过来，才能再图合纵大计。子之也赞同联姻，但却主张借此除掉张仪，说话是一如既往的直截了当：“张仪，六国祸乱之外源，武信君之死敌，不杀此人，六国永无宁日，合纵大计终成泡影！” 对子之这种动辄赤裸裸诉诸杀戮的做法，苏秦本来就觉得有些不对味道，如今子之竟要杀掉张仪，不禁令他震惊了。苏秦沉着脸道：“上将军所言，大是不妥，邦国相争，依靠暗杀而取胜者，未尝闻也。燕国若开杀戮使节之先河，将自毁于天下！” 燕易王呵呵笑道：“上将军啊，张仪就那么好杀？此事还是罢了。” “好。”子之爽快拍案：“臣心思粗疏，未想到张仪是秦国使节一层，武信君既然反对，子之就此作罢。”却是来得快去得也快。 但是，苏秦仍然不放心，他知道子之一旦认定某事，必要做成方肯罢休，杀张仪绝非他临机闪念，也许在河内战场大败时他就恨上了张仪。苏秦反复思忖，派三弟苏代以商议婚期为名，到上将军府留心查看。苏代去住了一宿，回来说没有发现异常动静。苏秦还是半信半疑，只有吩咐荆燕私下多多留心，便忙自己的事去了。 三月初三，张仪的送亲军马在蓟城南门外十里扎下了大营。 按照礼仪，燕易王在约定日期将秦国公主迎进王宫成亲，张仪才能进入蓟城入住驿馆，开始邦交活动。在此之前，只能在蓟城外等候迎亲。张仪虽然不急，但也不想夜长梦多。大营扎定，立即修好国书，派行人嬴华进入蓟城与燕易王约定日期。嬴华午时出发，日暮时分便辚辚归来。燕易王派出了司正随同嬴华前来，抚慰送亲军马，带来了一百只养、十头牛、三十头猪并六十坛燕山老酒。司正带来的国书确定：三日后燕王迎亲，举国大酺！ 当夜，张仪便下令军士杀牛宰羊，特许每个甲士饮酒一大碗！军中欢呼不断，立即便是炊烟袅袅热气腾腾，料峭的春日寒风顿时便减了威力。在满营欢声中，张仪与嬴华、白山并栎阳公主议定了若干送亲事务，不知不觉间已到了三更时分。 “禀报丞相：帐外有一商人求见。”军务司马匆匆进来禀报。 “商人？让他进来吧。” 白山霍然起身：“且慢。我先去看看。”便大步出帐。片刻之后，白山带进来一个年轻的后生，虽是布衣风尘，却是沉稳英秀。张仪眼睛一亮：“你？你是苏代？” 后生深深一躬：“张兄果然过目不忘，小弟正是苏代，张兄别来无恙？” 张仪哈哈大笑，过来便拉住苏代：“哎呀呀，我师说苏氏当有三杰，果然应验！苏厉呢？” “苏庄兄嫂们尚须照应，四弟一时不能离开。” “好好好，来，坐了慢慢说。” “多谢张兄。”苏代一拱手：“小弟时间无多，张兄看了此信我便要走了。”说罢从腰间摸出一方羊皮纸递过：“二哥一番苦心，望张兄体察。” 张仪连忙打开羊皮纸，两行熟悉的大字分外清晰—— 蓟城有不测风险，张兄当作速离开，毋得强自犯难，切切张仪笑道：“好，苏代啊，我想见苏兄一面，可行么？” “二哥说，各谋其国，各忠其事，未分胜负，不宜相见。” 张仪默然片刻：“也好，代我向苏兄致意，也转告苏兄：三日后张仪便入蓟城，非不领苏兄之情义，时也势也。” “如此苏代告辞了，张兄保重。” “且慢。”张仪从腰间大带上抽出一把皮鞘短剑：“这是我为苏兄物色的一把利器，合于苏兄剑路，目下燕国正在动荡之中，望苏兄多加防范。” “张兄……”苏代接过短剑深深一躬，便匆匆去了。 大帐中一时无话。白山送苏代回来，见几个人都低头沉思的样子，忍不住道：“丞相，连夜回咸阳吧，末将派三千铁骑护送，燕国不敢伤及公主，他们只要害丞相。” “白山，坐下吧。”张仪笑道：“谁说我要走了？你我好赖也一起打过仗了，张仪贪生怕死么？”白山着急道：“丞相，不是你贪生怕死，是秦国不能没有你。”张仪摇摇头道：“每一个秦人都是秦国的子民，我张仪也是。白山啊，你要知道，邦交也是战场，也需要勇气胆识，贪生怕死者，打不了胜仗，也办不好邦交。” “丞相教诲，白山明白！”白山深深一躬：“我这五千骑士宁可粉身碎骨，也保得丞相公主平安！” “我看没事儿。”栎阳公主笑道：“燕国就是这个子之，防住他，就一切了结。” 嬴华走过来道：“白山将军，你军中可有铁鹰剑士？” “有，正好十个。” “好！全数给我。你只管打仗，丞相公主不用你分心。” “是，末将明白。” 张仪笑道：“如此妥当，还有何好怕啊？好了，三日后进蓟城便是。”