As the recruitment of talents in the Chu State was carried out in an orderly manner, just when everyone was waiting for the day of the assessment, the Zhao State in the far north, the King of Zhao had already led his troops to withdraw from the Zhongshan State, and then returned to Handan.

Zhao Gongzhong.

As soon as King Zhao returned to the palace, he summoned the important ministers who stayed in Handan, looked at them and couldn't help but sigh and said: "It's a pity that this time we sent troops too late, and the Chu side won too quickly, and there was no war with Qi and Wei, so that Qi and Wei calmly retreated and returned home."

This time, although our two armies all defeated Zhongshan Kingdom, in the face of the threat issued by Qi and Wei, we still had to compromise and could only agree to King Zhongshan's request for peace. ”

As he spoke, the regret on King Zhao's face was palpable.

Xiangguo Zhao Wen immediately persuaded: "King, although we released Zhongshan Kingdom this time, not only did we occupy a large piece of land, but also ceded six cities to our Zhao Kingdom. After this battle, the strength of Zhongshan Kingdom was greatly damaged, and we Zhao Kingdom will rest for a period of time, and then we can fight together again.

At that time, with the strength of Zhongshan Country, how could it be our opponent! ”

When Zhao Cheng heard this, he pursed his lips, but did not speak.

This time, Zhao attacked Zhongshan in a big way, and as a general, he had no chance to lead the troops into battle.

At this moment, he still has some dissatisfaction and resentment in his heart.

At this time, Fei Yi spoke: "Great King, it still took three years for the powerful Wei State to attack the Zhongshan Kingdom. Therefore, the minister thought that there was no need to worry about the attack on Zhongshan. After all, most of Zhongshan is already within the territory of our Zhao State, and Qi and Wei are too far away to interfere. ”

Saying that, Fei Yi smiled and arched his hand: "Moreover, I heard that there are great differences between Qi and Chu on the issue of the Song State, and the Song State has made peace with the Chu State, and the King of Song also gave the daughter of the crown prince to the King of Chu, which caused the King of Qi to be very dissatisfied.

The minister also heard that after the king of Chu killed a large number of nobles of the Chu state, he seemed to intend to use Qu Yuan's reform again, which had aroused the opposition of the nobles in the country.

If the state of Chu is weakened due to internal weakness, and the state of Qi sees the opportunity to attack Chu, then it will be an opportunity for my Zhao State to send troops to Zhongshan State again. ”

King Zhao nodded when he heard this, and now the two countries of Qi and Wei in the south should not be underestimated. Not only did they form an alliance, but they also advanced and retreated in unison, and Zhao was very reluctant to face one of them, let alone two countries uniting.

It's a pity...

King Zhao couldn't help but shake his head, if it weren't for the last time when the Chu State was destroyed in a war, his strength suddenly swelled, which made him panic, so he united all countries to send troops to attack Chu. Otherwise, if Zhao did not send troops to attack Chu, but waited for the countries to attack Chu, they would send troops to attack Zhongshan, so that in two years, maybe Zhongshan would have been destroyed.

Even if it is not destroyed, it is only a remnant. How could it be, as it is now, that there is still more than three-quarters of the land, where it is secretly licking its wounds and waiting for an opportunity to take revenge!

Thinking about it, King Zhao was dissatisfied with Qi Wei and his two lives, and then looked at Zhao Wen and said: "Xiangguo, I heard that Yin Zhaochang, the left of the Chu State, has been in Handan for nearly two months, and hopes to form an alliance with my Zhao State!" ”

Zhao Wenying said: "King, that's exactly the case. It's just that the state of Chu still wants to marry my Zhao state, and because it involves the crown prince, the ministers will leave Zhao Chang behind to wait for the return of the king. ”

"Prince!" King Zhao muttered softly for a while, and then suddenly remembered Queen Wang, who had been dead for many years.

Prince Zhang lost his mother at an early age, and then was sent to Daidi by himself because of the change of law, and he did not return to Handan for nearly four years.

Thinking about it, King Zhao felt pity in his heart, so he nodded and said, "The prince is not too young, and he is about to perform the crown ceremony, so it's time to find a lady for the prince." ”

As he spoke, King Zhao looked at the ministers and asked, "The invitation of the Chu State to marry, I don't know what the Qing thinks." ”

Zhao Wen immediately responded: "King, Chu and Zhao have always been good friends, and the minister thinks that it is feasible to marry with Chu. ”

Fei Yi followed: "What Xiangguo said is very true, besides, it is the three kingdoms of Qi, Wei and Qin that are in conflict with our Zhao State, not the Chu State, and we should be friendly with the Chu State, an ally in the south." ”

Then, Fei Yi arched his hand and said: "Great King, as long as we marry the Chu State, we can make the Song State rest assured that it will boldly fall to the Chu State and use the strength of the Chu and Song countries to fight against the Qi and Wei Alliance." Whether it is the two countries of Qi and Wei to attack Song or Chu, or Chu to attack Wei or Qi, it is an opportunity for our Zhao State and an opportunity for us to clean up Zhongshan again. ”

King Zhao bowed slightly when he heard this, and then looked at Zhao Cheng, who was standing aside and did not express his opinion.

Zhao Cheng saw that King Zhao came over, and without waiting for King Zhao to speak, he took the initiative to bow and said, "King, the minister seconded the proposal." ”

"Good." King Zhao replied, and then hesitated: "However, the king of Chu intends to take his son Huaiyin Jun as a hostage to Zhao, and the son of the widow, Prince Zhang, must not be sent to the state of Chu as a hostage, and the second son, Gongzi He, is not yet five years old, and the third son, Gongzisheng, is even younger, so it is not suitable to be hostage." I don't know who Zhu Qing thought could go to Chu as a hostage. ”

When Zhao Cheng heard this, his face sank slightly, as early as when Chu Guozhao often came, when the news of marriage and exchange of hostages was released, he was faintly uneasy.

The son of King Zhao, the eldest son is the crown prince, and he will definitely not be sent to the state of Chu, and the other sons are young and not suitable to be hostages. An important minister in the office, Zhao Wen is Xiangguo, and he will definitely not let Xiangguo go as a hostage, and Zhao Guo can't afford to lose this person.

The rest is only his high-ranking and powerful uncle Zhao Wang, the general Zhao Cheng.

More importantly, after King Zhao implemented Hufu, his relationship with King Zhao has not been good, although King Zhao gave him the position of the general at the head of the generals, but this does not mean that King Zhao relies on him. After the Hufu change was generally stabilized, Zhao Cheng felt that King Zhao was suppressing him everywhere.

First of all, Zhao Wen was the prime minister, which not only made him lose his ambition to become the prime minister, but also lost his position as the head of the clan. Then, this time in the attack on Zhongshan, King Zhao and Prince Zhang were all on it, but he was not a general, and he did not have a share in the merits of destroying the country.

Zhao Cheng speculated in his heart that if it was possible, King Zhao would definitely kick him to the state of Chu this time.

Sure enough, after Zhao Cheng saw King Zhao speak, he looked at him again, and even Zhao Wen looked at him, and his heart sank.

Then, he took the initiative to bow his hand to King Zhao and said: "King, as a member of the Zhao clan, the minister should share worries for the country." It's just that the minister went to visit the envoy of Chu, hoping to go to the state of Chu. However, the Chu envoy politely refused the minister, and also told the minister that the Chu State had already had a candidate. ”

"Huh?" King Zhao was stunned for a moment, then looked at Zhao Cheng and asked, "General, I don't know who the Chu State wants?" ”

Zhao Cheng smiled and replied: "King, the State of Chu hopes that Wu Bao will go to the State of Chu as a hostage. ”

Wu Bao is not an outsider, but King Zhao's own brother-in-law and the younger brother of Queen Wu Mengyao.

"Wu Bao?" King Zhao looked at Zhao Cheng and frowned slightly.

King Zhao hesitated at this time, not because he couldn't send his brother-in-law to the state of Chu, but because he was wondering, could it be that the affair between himself and the queen had reached the ears of the king of Chu?

Otherwise, how could the State of Chu choose Wu Bao as a hostage!

At this moment, Zhao Cheng looked at King Zhao and frowned, and breathed a sigh of relief in his heart: It seems that the money was not spent in vain! Staying in Handan is not without benefits······