Qin and Chu have been cutting for three years, but in fact, it has only been two years and two months, and there is an interval of about half a year or so during the period; And at first, there were not many troops, and then more and more. Qin and Zhao, at the beginning, pressed with all his strength, attacking from the south, middle and north, if it was the same for Chu at the beginning, then Chu must have lost Huaishang and migrated to Jiangdong.

Mingtang of Handan Xiangbang Mansion, looking at Pingyang south of the Handan Great Wall on the map, Jingcheng in the middle of Taihang Mountain, and Yunzhong and Yanmen counties connecting the outside of the Saiwai, Zhao Liang, Marquis of Chunping, had to envy the good luck of the Chu State.

Qin's refueling tactics against Chu awakened the courage of the Chu people, making the Chu army stronger and stronger, and then producing the war boat tactics; The Qin State will attack the Zhao State without respite, which will weaken the national strength of the entire country little by little and cut off the foundation of the country.

While Zhao Liang envied the good luck of the Chu State, he also deeply felt sorry for Zhao Yan's diplomacy with Qin. It is precisely because of the loss of power of the Zhao people in the court of Qin and the gain of power in the court of Zhao that there will be such a huge difference between Zhao and Chu, but this is the result of hundreds of years of marriage between Chu and Qi and the management of several generations of Chu people since the Empress Dowager Xuan. Zhao Qin has no such background and opportunity because of the same surname.

Despite this, Zhao Yan's surrender-style diplomacy towards Qin also gave Zhao a respite for nearly ten years; It was also Zhao Yan who made up his mind to take advantage of the gap between Qin's attack on Chu and Wuflawless to save Yan with all his might, in addition to completely solving Zhao's worries, but also winning a safe rear where Zhao could retreat.

"In the opinion of the above Qing, if the Qin State attacks Zhao without stopping, my Zhao State ......" Zhao Liang, who had looked at the map, turned his eyes back and looked at Sikong Ma sitting under the hall. His expression was a little dazed, and he continued after a while: "...... Should I cut half of Zhao and Qin?! ”

"Yes." If it weren't for the fact that he knew the roots, Zhao Liang would really think that he was a lobbyist of the Qin people. "Zhao State bribed Qin with half of the country, and the soldiers of Qin State will be happy if they do not take over and get half of Zhao State's territory. And Qin was worried that Zhao would fight to the death, and he was afraid that the three kingdoms of Zhao, Qi and Wei would send troops to rescue him, and he would gladly accept it.

Qin received the land and retreated, and Zhao survived as a half-country. Qin has this half of the country is too strong, and all countries are afraid of themselves; If the state of Zhao is destroyed by Qin, the princes will be afraid. Fear and rescue, and attack Qin can be successful. The minister asked the king to cut off half of Zhao and Qin, and if Qin was trustworthy and retreated, the country would survive; If Qin does not keep his word and then kills Zhao, the countries are afraid that Qin will destroy Zhao, and the country will also exist.

Otherwise, if it is like the Battle of Pingyang, the Zhao army will be beheaded; Or if the Qin people break through Handan, the countries will not be able to save it, and the country will perish. ”

"The Battle of Pingyang, don't mention it." Zhao Liang rubbed his eyebrows painfully. There are 500,000 troops in the country, and the most elite is the 200,000 Zhao troops stationed in Handan. But no one expected that the general would be defeated, and the Zhao army would be beheaded 60,000. Fortunately, the Qin army could not catch up, and most of the remaining tens of thousands of Zhao troops retreated to the Great Wall, and a few broke through into Pingyang.

Zhao Liang was saddened by the loss of the Zhao army, and did not expect that it was precisely because the Qin army's cavalry pursued Zhao Qian to Pingyuanjin that the Zhao army was not beheaded by 100,000 as in history. The death of more than 2,000 black-clothed soldiers in exchange for the survival of 40,000 Zhao troops should be a good deal.

"The policy of the secretary is indeed the policy of preserving the country." Zhao Liang said of Sikong Ma's strategy, "However, if the country is split to bribe Qin, although there is Yan land, it is also narrow and the fields are few, and the Zhao people cannot settle it." ”

"Xiangbang's words are wrong." Sikong Ma shook his head. "I look at Zhao Guo, there are many women and few men, second only to Qin. Qi Chu can be a Fu person occupies 31 of the country, and Zhao Guo can only be a 51 of the country. Why? The harm of Changping is also.

With half of the Zhao State and bribing Qin, and the remaining half of the country, with the current number of Zhao Fu's nationality, Xiangbang only needs to move the Fu family to the north of Jingcheng and Hutuoshui (Hutuo River), instead of moving the whole country, what does it mean that it cannot be resettled?

Qin attacked Zhao, but he was afraid of Zhao Fuqiang. Zhao cut half of the country, Qin Shouzhi is no longer worried about Zhao, and he should cut down Qi if he does not cut Chu. I heard that the alliance of the Three Kingdoms failed, all because the King of Qi broke his promise and broke his promise, and the King of Chu was angry and did not want to marry the State of Qi. That being the case, why not make Qin attack Qi? ”

Logically speaking, Sikong Ma's strategy seems cruel, but it is indeed a good policy for the country, but reason is reason, and emotion is emotion. Handan is the capital of Zhao State, and those families without men are all martyrs of Zhao State, and Zhao Liang can't do it if they abandon them.

What's more, Zhao Guo's 5-60 Fu men are less than a million, and one million is calculated as a common rule, with one-third of the soldiers and two-thirds of the transporters. The reason why there is an army of 500,000 now is the result of the loss of women. Cutting half of Zhao and bribing Qin, only moving the Fu household, this is leaving these Zhao women to be humiliated under the crotch of the Qin people every day, and he can't do it.

"Shangqing's strategy......" Zhao Liang got up and shook his head vigorously at Sikong Ma: "Forgive me." ”

"Is Xiangbang unwilling to do it or unable to do it?" Sikong Ma understood Zhao Liang's mind. He understands Zhao Liang's personality better: he is the crown prince of King Zhao Xiaocheng and the righteous king of Zhao State. But in today's world, non-deceit is not enough to seek a country, and non-humility is not enough to make profits. Did King Qi do something wrong? No! King Qi Huimeng really did something wrong.

"I don't want to!" Zhao Liang confessed frankly, confirming Sikong Ma's conjecture. "I don't want to cut Handan and bribe Qin, and I don't want to leave behind those Zhao women who lost their husbands and children for Zhao State. I heard that the king of Chu once said to his courtiers: 'Don't live all your life, don't die.'" 'The Zhao people are not inferior to the Chu people, and they are willing to die for the whole life, and they do not want to live as Qin slaves. ”

"Alas!" Sikong Ma stared at Zhao Liang for a while, and finally bowed to Zhao Liang and said, "Xiangbang is the real king." ”

Zhao Liang did not agree to his arrogance, but he did not refuse. Sima Kong bowed and said again: "Dare to ask Xiangbang, which is the bigger Zhao or Qin?" Who is the people and the Qin? Who is rich, who is rich, Jin, Qian, Su and Qin? Who governs the country and Qin? Xiang and Qin Xiaoxian? Will you fight with Qin Xiaowu? The law and Qin Xiaoming? ”

Although Sima Kong did not ask Zhao Liang for an answer, the fact was that Qin was stronger than Zhao in terms of land, Dingkou, wealth, politics, talent, generals, and laws.

"In this case, how can Xiangbang win?" Sima Kong asked the last question, and Zhao Liang was speechless.

"Life is the first, loss is second, death is second. If you can lose the country of survival, why not? Sikong Ma said again. He hopes that Zhao will survive, Zhao will not die, he is Shangqing, if Zhao Guo dies, he is nothing. Even, as Lü Buwei's sworn friend, Qin will have to execute him, Ku Chengchang and others after he rules the world. As Lü Buwei's cronies, they know too much.

"Shangqing's words are good, but I can do it." Zhao Liang smiled bitterly, he was afraid that he would really be persuaded by Sima Kong, so he said to the family head Ge De: "Please send Shangqing back to the house." ”

"Yes." Ge De threw himself at Sima Kong: "Please go back to the house." ”

"If Xiangbang doesn't follow my policy today, he will regret it one day." Sikong Ma knew that Zhao Liang was about to be convinced, but he didn't expect him to let people drive him away.

"Shangqing's strategy is very good, but it can't be used for Zhao. I will repent of it. Looking at Sikong Ma who came out of the hall, Zhao Liang said to himself, I don't know whether he was answering Sikong Ma or admonishing himself.

It's just that after he finished talking to himself, he felt a feeling of weakness all over his body. The Qin people came to attack the whole country, and the number of Qin troops was nearly one million in intelligence, while the Zhao army was only 500,000, and among the 500,000, there were only 200,000 Handan troops, and the 150,000 Dai Jun troops were worthy of a war, and the remaining 150,000 were weak divisions.

It's just that the number is not dominant, what is really chilling is that the 100,000 Handan army and 100,000 weak divisions rescued Pingyang and were defeated by the 100,000 Qin army. When the soldiers who came back from the rout talked about the Qin army, the most word they used was 'spear'; when they asked the general rate, they learned that the Qin soldiers used many spears, and the tall Qin army that broke through the Zhao army's army formation used a two-zhang long chief spear to break the formation.

The number of troops was far less than that of the Qin army, and the strongest elite was unable to withstand a blow from the Qin army, so that the Zhao army could only defend city by city and could not rescue. At the same time, the grain situation that supported the war was not optimistic.

The last time Zhao fought a series of wars and ran out of Jisu was in the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth years of King Zhao Xiaocheng (251-249 BC, 12-14 years of King Chukaolie). At that time, Yan sent Li Belly and Qing Qin to lead 600,000 people to attack Zhao, and Lian Po and Le Cheng were defeated, and then besieged Yandu for three years. After this battle, Qin took advantage of the weakness of Zhao and conquered 37 cities such as Yuci, Xincheng and Wolf Meng in the nineteenth year of Zhao Xiaocheng, and Zhao sent troops to save him.

Three years to accumulate one year of millet, from the eighteenth year of Zhao Xiaocheng to the present fifteen years, but five years of millet accumulation. In the past fifteen years, King Zhao Xiaocheng sent troops for half a year in the nineteenth year, and attacked Yan for nearly a year in the previous year, plus Lian Po attacked Wei Zhifanyang (20 years), Li Mu broke Beidi (21 years), Li Mu attacked Wusui Fangcheng (2 years of Mourning Xiang Wang), Pang Nuanhe attacked Qin (4 years), Qin attacked Zhao Long, Gu, Qingdu (5 years), Qin Chengcheng attacked Zhao (6 years), and the frequent wars made Jisu only two years left.

Fortunately, there is also a corn in Yan Kingdom, but unfortunately the amount of corn in Yan Country is small, and it is only one year in four years. With the addition of the Su of the Yan Kingdom, the entire Zhao State has only three years and five months.

After less than four years of accumulation, and because of Qin's large-scale attack on Zhao, the common people in the south of Zhao could not cultivate crops and could only hide in the city. The corn was given to those who were involved in the war, and the rest were fed entirely on the crops. Now hundreds of thousands, millions of people are hiding in the cities, and no matter how little they eat, the corn they consume is also terrifying. If this continues, within two years, within two years, Zhao Guo will die completely.

"Prepare the car!" The more Zhao Liang thought about it, the more cold he felt, and he instructed the left and right to prepare the car and go to meet someone.

"Where is the Lord?" As soon as Ge De, who sent Sikong Ma out of the house, came back, he saw Zhao Liang's car driving out of the side door of Maomen, and immediately stepped forward to ask.

"I want to see Mr. Quaycrown." Zhao Liang instructed, "If someone in the dormitory asks me, they will say that I have left the city." ”

"Yui." He Guanzi got a book printing vessel from Chu State and set up a school on the outskirts of Handan. Ge De could guess why Zhao Liang was in such a hurry to see Que Guanzi, and right now, only Chu Guo could save Zhao Guo.