Qin State, Xianyang.

Half a month ago, it was the Zhao State that was in danger, and it became the Qin State in a blink of an eye.

After the death of King Zhao Huiwen, the King of Qin immediately sent an envoy to visit Xinzheng. The king of Han swore an oath to the envoy of the king of Qin, recognized the establishment of the king of Qin, and the two countries divided the state of Zhao together. Taiyuan, Yanmen, and Yunzhong belong to Qin, and Handan and Daijun belong to Han, and the two countries have become brotherly states, and the two countries will never go to war in their lifetimes.

But in the blink of an eye, South Korea turned its face and did not recognize people, and reached an offensive and defensive alliance with Zhao. Chang'an Jun entered Xinzheng as a hostage, and South Korea sent 100,000 troops to rescue Zhao Guo. The abrupt flip of the shape deeply stimulated Qin Guo's sensitive heart, and obviously, Qin Guo couldn't stand such a stimulus.

"Whether it's war or peace, let's discuss it!" King Qin said a little tiredly.

Prime Minister Wei Ran sighed silently in his heart, if it weren't for the fact that Qin's reputation was too bad, maybe South Korea would really agree to Qin's proposal! Now he has been teased by South Korea. Although he reminded King Qin to be careful of Korean deception, King Qin was stubborn and thought that Korea was sincere.

Wei Ran naturally couldn't mention these words anymore. The situation in the Qin State is difficult, and as the prime minister, what Wei Ran needs to do now is to help the King of Qin get out of this predicament.

"The minister thought that Han and Zhao had more than 200,000 soldiers, and although Wu Anjun had 150,000 troops under him, he was probably not the opponent of Han and Zhao. It is better to retreat to the land of the West River, relying on the river water to resist the enemy, Han and Zhao will not be able to attack, and they will inevitably be disheartened and retreat. On the other hand, the king could send envoys to persuade Wei, Qi, and Yan to bribe their cronies, and as long as one or two people feint, they would be able to get Han and Zhao to return to their divisions as soon as possible. Wei Ran made a cautious opinion.

This Jian yì prudence is prudence, but the premise is that the Qin state wants to give up the small half of Taiyuan that it has occupied. Furthermore. The Bai Qi army has been bitten by the Han and Zhao coalition forces, and if the Qin army does not pay some casualties, it will not want to calmly retreat to the West River. Earlier, the Yiqu rebellion, the Qin army was in a hurry to return to Xianyang, and was bitten by the Three Jin Coalition Army and lost more than 30,000 people.

"What if the widow is a soldier?" King Qin said with some uncertainty.

Bai Qi's current strength is now inferior to the Han and Zhao coalition forces. But the king of Qin didn't believe that Han and Zhao would be so harmonious, but if there was a trace of suspicion and disagreement, Qin might take advantage of it. If there is no suspicion, it is a big deal that they can create a situation -- additional troops and a posture of strategic decisive battle, and South Korea will be afraid of casualties, so I am afraid that it will be enough to stop it! King Qin didn't want much, he just wanted to have a foothold in Hedong. can go through the party and change the decline of the Qin State. If he retreated to the West River so lightly, King Qin was always a little unwilling in his heart.

Wei Ran shook his head slowly and resolutely, and said bitterly: "It is not impossible to increase the troops, but Taiyuan County has no danger to defend, and the cost of transporting grain and grass from Guanzhong to Taiyuan is huge. The king wants to defeat Han and Zhao in a war, and it is not a short time. The manpower and material resources to be spent are immeasurable, and this war. The state is not yet fully prepared. If it fails, the consequences are unimaginable. Even if he wins, it is only a place in Taiyuan County, and the damaged vitality cannot be restored in three or five years. ”

"Is it possible that the land of Taiyuan, which the widow has obtained with great difficulty, will be handed over?" King Qin snorted coldly dissatisfied.

Wei Ran wiped a cold sweat and said, "Unless Wei Guoken sends troops from Hedong as our Great Qin's backup." With the grain and grass from the east of the river to feed Wu Anjun's army, we put on a posture of not retreating, perhaps making Han and Zhao jealous and accepting the fact that our Qin State occupies the south of Puyang! ”

King Qin nodded slightly and said, "Since the Wei State has promised to betray Korea. Does the prime minister think that the Wei State will be used by the widows? ”

Wei Ran hesitated for a moment and replied, "The State of Wei is now attacking the State of Chu, in order to expand its territory and increase its strength. It can be seen from this that Wei has indeed developed a jealousy of Korea. But now that South Korea is aiding Zhao, if Wei aids our Qin State, it will be a complete break with Han and Zhao. The minister was worried that the Wei State would not dare to rescue our Qin State because it was afraid of the momentum of Han and Zhao. Even, Han and Zhao will threaten Wei and let Wei attack Qin together. ”

King Qin's eyebrows furrowed, and he said, "Doesn't the Wei State know that if the widowed Qin State declines, it will be difficult for the Wei State to survive?" ”

Wei Ran smiled bitterly, Qin Guo was not there, and it was naturally difficult for Wei State to be alone. But once the Qin State is rescued, the Wei State will be in great trouble, unless other countries also stand up against the Han and Zhao alliances and share the pressure of the Wei State, otherwise, the Wei State will never accept such a big risk. After all, for Wei, the Qin state declined, and Wei also had other ways to protect itself. For example, he instigated the Zhao State to pass through the Yan State, the Korean State to pass through the Chu State, and he himself to pass through the Qi State. For example, forming an alliance with the Qi and Chu states against the Han and Zhao alliances. There was no need for Wei to take such a risk and come to Qin's aid.

Cai Ze also shook his head secretly, he had calculated everything, but he didn't calculate that King Zhao Huiwen would die so early. As soon as King Zhao Huiwen died, the lord of Zhao was suspicious, and Zhao completely lost the courage to confront Qin. South Korea was also worried that Zhao would not be able to compete with Qin, so it allied with Zhao, and its plan to isolate Korea was completely ineffective. On the contrary, it indirectly contributed to the two major countries of South Korea and Zhao standing together. I knew that King Zhao Huiwen died so early, it was better to crusade against Wei!

"Daliang is only a hundred miles away from Xinzheng, and at the moment the main force of Wei is confronting the Chu army, if Wei dares to rescue us, South Korea can contact Chu and surround Daliang. Therefore, the minister thought that most of the Wei State would not send troops to reinforce us. The Wei people are short-sighted, where would they think of the end of our decline, even if the king sends someone to know the reason, the monarchs and ministers of the Wei State are afraid that they will only worry about the danger of the Great Liang and are unwilling to make long-term plans. Cai Ze explained.

King Qin was stunned, and after a while, Fang said: "Then inform Wu Anjun to withdraw his troops!" This Taiyuan land, the widow doesn't want it! ”

The ministers looked at each other, and they all heard the disappointment in King Qin's tone. At the beginning, Wei was so strong that it swallowed the land of the West River of Qin, and Qin sent people to lobby Zhao, Qi, Song, and Chu to speak of Wei's ambitions, so that Wei was besieged by four countries, and the hegemony did not last long. If there is a strong country in the Central Plains, other countries will naturally be afraid and fearful, and they can be used by the Qin State. But now that Han and Zhao are both strong, it has become more and more difficult for Qin to seek allies. The vitality of the state of Chu was greatly injured and could not be used. Wei Guoxin has more than enough heart but not enough strength. Don't dare to have a seizure. Yan Guo is thousands of miles away, and far water can't quench the thirst of the near. As for the State of Qi, he was frightened by the State of Zhao, and his eyes were firmly fixed on the State of Chu, and he couldn't count on it.

"The minister has a plan, which can eliminate the great trouble in the king's heart. It's just too risky. Cai Ze hesitated and said.

King Qin's face was overjoyed, and he encouraged: "Keqing, but it doesn't hurt to say it!" ”

Cai Ze nodded and said, "A snake can't walk without a head, and a bird can't fly without wings." If the country does not have a king, it will be a plate of scattered sand, and there is nothing to worry about. The reason why Zhao State condescended to the nobles and submitted to Korea was only because King Zhao Huiwen died. The Lord Shaoguo is suspicious. The reason why South Korea has been able to win many battles and rise to the Central Plains is only because of Han Wangran, who appoints people on the basis of merit and is convinced by the Chinese people. Now the monarchs of Han and Zhao are going to Luoyang to meet Zhou Tianzi, and they are allied by blood, and if the monarchs of the two countries die, Han and Zhao will inevitably be in chaos. The two countries survived even if they were lucky. The strength of the country is bound to decline greatly, and it will no longer be a great trouble for the king's henchmen! ”

King Qin's face changed. I felt unbelievable in my heart, but I had to admit that this was the most convenient way. King Zhao has just succeeded to the throne, and if he dies in Luoyang, it can only be succeeded by the younger Chang'an Jun. Han Wangran's son is even younger, less than five years old. Who deserves to be your own opponent! But this plan was too difficult, and the King of Qin said tentatively: "The two countries will meet in Luoyang, and the guards will be fierce, and the assassins are afraid that it will be difficult to start!" ”

If it was so easy to assassinate the king, Zhuan Zhu would not have become famous for successfully assassinating the king of Wu. To leave is nothing more than to assassinate Gongzi Qingji. was able to leave a name for future generations, which shows the difficulty of assassinating the noble at this time.

Cai Ze nodded and said: "Right now, it is only half a month before the two kings of Han and Zhao meet in Luoyang, and it is too late to send assassins to blend in. ”

"Yangmou?" King Qin was stunned.

"Hangu Pass is only three hundred miles away from Luoyang, if the king can send a surprise army to surround Luoyang and fight down, then the king of Han and the king of Zhao will definitely die. Although Hangu Pass is in the hands of Wei at the moment, the king can send someone to rush to Daliang to lobby Wei and allow us to pass Hangu Pass. After all, as soon as King Han and King Zhao died, Wei would also benefit. Even, Wei was bolder, and he could directly concurrently send Xinzheng and destroy Korea in one fell swoop. At that time, Korea had hundreds of thousands of soldiers and millions of people, but none of them had enough prestige to inherit the throne. Or carve up Korea with Wei. No matter how you choose, my Qin State can expand its territory for thousands of miles! ”

The monarchs and ministers of the Qin State were excited by Cai Ze's whimsical idea, and their faces flushed. Can a war I wipe out South Korea? It seems unlikely. But when you really think about it, the possibility is very high. When King Han went to see Zhou Tianzi, he must have brought a minister who was close to him. Once King Han dies in Luoyang, there will be a large blank space at the top of the Korean power pyramid. Those nobles who stayed in Xinzheng were suppressed by King Han before, and they did not dare to be presumptuous. Now that he has lost the suppression of King Han, King Han's only son is only five or six years old and doesn't understand anything. The nobles of South Korea must be eager to try, vying to push the son of King Han to the front as a puppet and monopolize the power themselves. No one is willing to give up such a good opportunity, and a fight is expected.

At that time, no matter how large the land area of Korea is, what if it has more than 500,000 troops, without the leadership of the Ming monarch, the magnates will compete with each other for power, and the Wei or Qin countries will send troops to conquer Xinzheng again, and Korea will die. Even if the officials of each county still want to be loyal to Korea, what can they do without the object of their allegiance?

Of course, there are two difficulties in achieving this goal. One is to persuade Wei to borrow the way, if Wei can not be allowed to borrow the way, but also to ensure that Wei does not leak secrets, and when Qin sends troops down the river to attack Luoyang, Wei will not send troops to obstruct it. There is also a must be taken by surprise, with an absolutely superior force, and quickly take Luoyang with lightning speed. Otherwise, if King Zhao and King Han were allowed to escape, the State of Qin would need to face the wrath of the two countries.

King Qin looked at Prime Minister Wei Ran as if soliciting, and this action also showed that at least King Qin was moved. Think about it! The state of Qin can turn the situation around again in just half a month, and it is subversive. After this battle, the Korean and Zhao states were completely decayed, and if the success of the plan could be guaranteed, the Qin State was willing to pay the price of 100,000 people, no, or 150,000, 200,000!

Wei Ran had to admit that he was also moved. Although this plan was a bit risky, once it succeeded, it could completely catch up with the normal twenty years of Qin State's efforts. The great good form of the Qin State was actually defeated in the hands of his own generation, if it was calculated. The form that the Qin State has obtained will be even better than it was seven years ago! The huge benefits are enough to dazzle people's minds, Wei Ran weighed it repeatedly, but he still came to his senses.

"Your Majesty! Although Lord Keqing's idea is good, there is still something wrong. First, if you want to take it by surprise, you must send troops to Guguan. The king sent people to rush to Daliang. If the monarchs and ministers of Wei are unwilling, how should we Qin deal with ourselves? It is important to know that the more people who know about this plan, the more dangerous it will be for the army to attack Luoyang. Once the Wei State leaks out, I am afraid that it will steal chickens and a handful of rice. ”

King Qin nodded, in fact, the Qin State was taking a huge risk to attack Luoyang, and if the Wei State was sincere, it should also send troops together. After all, Korea and Zhao are strong, and there is no benefit to Wei. But the Qin State does not force it now, and only needs the Wei State to turn a blind eye and allow the Qin army to cross the border. If Wei was worried that Qin would not succeed, and he was afraid of offending Han and Zhao, and "accidentally" leaked the news, then Qin would lose a lot of money.

"The two, when the Han and Zhao monarchs met Zhou Tianzi and the alliance. Luoyang must be heavily guarded. If you want to take Luoyang by surprise, you must use dignified soldiers. But now Wu Anjun's army can't be withdrawn from Taiyuan. The king wanted to send troops to reinforce Wu Anjun, and he had to prepare for an elite attack on Luoyang, and the troops in Guanzhong were really tight. ”

King Qin turned to look at Cai Ze, and in King Qin's opinion, since Cai Ze had put forward this bold idea, he should have taken these into account.

Faced with Wei Ran's doubts. Cai Ze was not annoyed, and said to King Qin: "The prime minister's first worry is indeed zài!" If Wei is unwilling to take risks, this plan will not succeed! Nachen has a second plan. can make the Wei State trust our Qin State, and no matter how bad it is, it can also take the Hangu Pass for the king. However, this required the minister to personally go to Daliang to lobby the king of Wei. ”

King Qin's face was overjoyed, and he thought that it would not be bad to take Hangu Pass, and Qin State could take this opportunity to withdraw from Taiyuan County and pass through Sanchuan County instead. With Hangu Pass in hand, Qin Guojin can attack and retreat and defend, and the shape is not so bad. Even if Zhao Guo wants to rescue South Korea, he is not slacking off.

"According to the meaning of the guest secretary, the widow sent the guest secretary to the big beam, and the guest secretary can represent the widow with full authority and make a promise to the Wei State!" King Qin made a decision.

"Thank you, the king!" Cai Ze first returned the salute, and then continued: "Second, the troops are indeed a little insufficient as the prime minister said. But the deficiency here is the shortage of the elite, and if the king is willing to raise the whole country's troops, it will be more than enough. On the occasion of this great war, the minister thought that anyone from the age of 16 and under the age of 50 in the country could be conscripted into the army. In this way, 150,000 troops can be added. ”

King Qin nodded, although it was now spring ploughing, and the conscription of the whole country would strictly affect the harvest. But the battle of Luoyang can be described as a major battle related to the national fortunes of Qin, this battle cannot be lost, since you have decided to do it, you must do your best.

Prime Minister Wei Ran felt that it was inappropriate, and it was too risky to pin all the fortunes of the country on a big war. Although the state of Qin is already very bad, it is not without hope of slowly recovering. The reason why Zhao fell to Korea was only because the lord Shaoguo suspected that Qin invaded, and if Qin took the initiative to show favor to Zhao in a few years, the relationship between Qin and Zhao would not have room for relaxation. It's really not good, it's better to attack Hedong of Wei.

But seeing that King Qin's attitude was already resolute, Wei Ran swallowed back his words of opposition. Perhaps, Wei State would not agree with Qin State's crazy idea, then in this case, there is still room for relaxation. Didn't Cai Ze say it? If Wei refused, he was sure to use Wei for the last time and take Hangu Pass. With Hangu in hand, the Qin State can completely fight with South Korea.

"In addition to the 150,000 troops under Wu Anjun, plus the minimum number of soldiers needed to garrison various places, according to Keqing's opinion, the widow can still come up with 400,000 troops. This 400,000-strong army has to complete the assembly and departure within half a month, but it is not easy! The implication in King Qin's words was to approve Cai Ze's idea.

"The minister thought that there was no need for all of these 400,000 troops to be assembled in Xianyang. On the one hand, Wu Anjun needs reinforcements, and Wang Shangke can recruit 100,000 troops nearby to reinforce them, creating a situation in which our Great Qin will not hesitate to fight to the death with the Han and Zhao coalition forces in order to keep Taiyuan. On the other hand, we took the opportunity to storm Wuguan and Hanzhong, so that South Korea mistakenly thought that we were attacking the east and west, and the real purpose was to open the road to Chu. In the end, the king sent an army of 100,000 to the east to send a letter to Guguan and take Luoyang in one fell swoop. South Korea would never have imagined that our Qin State would go to great lengths, but in fact, the real purpose was Luoyang. Cai Ze talked eloquently.

King Qin thought about it secretly, not considering the logistics problem, the time required to recruit 100,000 lightly armed troops was extremely short, and when South Korea reacted, it should be five days later. If South Korea does not want to be defeated, it will definitely increase its troops to the front. At this time, the second batch of troops has also completed the assembly, and they can send troops south. Then, the news of the attack on Hanzhong and Nanyang received in South Korea a dozen days later. The time seems to be a bit rushed, but as long as you spread the news of going to conscription at the right time, the army can be in place one after another, instead of being in place all at once. Only the 100,000 troops rushing to Luoyang must be fully equipped, and the others are more of a matter of posture.

"The widow has made up his mind, and immediately conscripts the army of the country. In this battle, whoever dares to retreat lightly, not win, and slack off, regardless of whether there is merit or not, will be killed! "King Qin made a final decision. (To be continued......)