In the first year of King Qin's new reign, Xianyang.

Although the weather is still cold, the land of Guanzhong has gradually revealed a little spring. The north wind is no longer strong, the snow is melting, and the temperature is slowly rising.

The beginning of the year is New Year's Day, which represents the renewal of Vientiane. As early as the period of the Three Emperors and Five Emperors, Emperor Zhuan took the first month of Meng Chun as the yuan, and at that time, the spring of the New Year's Day, that is, the first month of the first month was called the Yuan, and the first day of the new year was the first day. On the first day of the first month of each year, the king of Qin will lead hundreds of officials of the clan to the Taimiao in Yongcheng to worship the five emperors, pay tribute to the ancestors, remove the old and cloth the new, welcome the jubilee and receive blessings, and pray for a good year, hoping that the coming year will be smooth and the country will be prosperous.

And this year's New Year's Day sacrifice is particularly important, the past year is undoubtedly a test of life and death for the Qin State. No matter how difficult it is to prosper the country, the Qin State of Nirvana has not only preserved the Sheji Temple, but also gradually restored the vitality of the heyday, and several successive victories have allowed the Qin people to regain their former self-confidence, and firmly believe that they can once again go out of the eastern part of the country to regain the lost territory and rebuild the Qin Empire, which was extremely strong.

Because the Qin king was demoted to the title of emperor, the successor monarch was no longer called the third emperor and the fourth emperor as the first emperor expected, but restored the title of king of Qin before unification. According to the law, although the second emperor Hu Hai died in February of the third year, the era still used his title, so it was still called the third year of the second year until the New Year's Day of the following year. Although the later Prince of Qin Chu ascended the throne as the king of Qin, his reign was extremely short, and he died in less than nine months, so it was not used as a separate title in the era.

When New Year's Day came, the Qin State changed to a new era, no longer called the third year of the second king, but the first year of the king. Because the new king was still young, he was afraid that he could not stand the wind and cold on the road from Xianyang to Yongcheng, so the sacrificial ceremony was presided over by Ying Ke, the princess of the prison state, and the general Han Xin and the prime minister Sun Hong accompanied the whole process.

In the past month, General Han Xin suddenly disappeared into Xianyang City, claiming to be the defense of Shangjun on behalf of the Son of Heaven. But rumors spread in Xianyang City, some people said that Han Xin was seriously ill and could no longer serve as a member of the court; Some people also say that Han Xin was detained by the mutiny of the royalists such as Ying Ke and Gongsun Hong, but he kept it a secret from the outside world; What's more, it is rumored that Han Xin was turned into a ghost by Zi Ying and has already died in the palace, but in order to stabilize the army, he gave orders in his name.

All kinds of rumors spread in Xianyang, and they all spread one by one, which made people in China panic. After Li Zuoche, the national lieutenant, found out, he urgently visited Princess Huayang, and then she ordered the guard Wang Qi to send troops through the city to lock up and strictly investigate those who maliciously spread rumors.

The government's swift response quickly stabilized the situation in Xianyang, and the sixteen culprits who were caught spreading rumors were found to be spies of the Six Kingdoms and people who were sympathetic to Ziying. Ying Ke ordered the execution of these sixteen people as an example, and the other foolish villagers who spread false rumors were open to the net, only punishing them for half a year's hard labor for the Qin state.

Although the rumors in the city were strictly investigated and banned, the panic caused by the rumors was still not effectively resolved, and even the generals stationed abroad were suspicious and sent their cronies to Xianyang to investigate the truth.

It wasn't until at the New Year's Day sacrifice that General Han Xin appeared immaculate next to Princess Huayang, and the rumors that had been circulating all over the city were self-defeating.

In front of the Taimiao, Han Xin held Ying Ke in his hand and smiled to accept the worship of the hundred officials.

Although he is only a courtier, he has the status of a member of the royal family because he married Ying Ke, and this princess is also a princess of the prison country with a transcendent status, and Han Xin has also risen with the tide. According to the generation, he became the grandparents of the king of Qin, so it is not impossible to accept the worship of hundreds of officials instead of the Son of Heaven. Besides, even if there is an illegal system, in this situation in the Qin State, who will openly stand up and accuse Han Xin of arrogance so ignorantly.

After accepting the congratulations of the hundred officials, Ying Ke and Han Xin also stepped forward to bless everyone, and rewarded the ministers led by Prime Minister Sun Hong in the name of the Son of Heaven, and the ministers knelt down one after another to thank them. In this exchange, when a whole set of rituals was completed, it was already late in the evening, and after the dinner point, all the people participating in the sacrifice were hungry, cold and hungry, and they couldn't help but feel resentful.

Han Xin, who had been watching the play, saw that everyone was complaining, so he ordered the palace manager of Yongcheng to prepare the meal, and at the same time compressed the remaining content of the sacrifice one by one, which greatly accelerated the process of the ceremony. Finally, in the secret cheers of everyone, the sacrificial ceremony ended.

The wind on the early spring night was still a little cool, and although Ying Ke was tightly wrapped, he was also trembling slightly in the wind. Han Xin reached out to hold her hand, only to feel that his palm was cold, and he couldn't help but whisper; "Is it cold? Why don't you go back to the carriage first, and I'll look for you when the ceremony is over." ”

Win Ke turned around, smiled sweetly, and said; "It's okay, where can my body be so weak."

Han Xin took her hand and put it in his sleeve, and couldn't help but smile when he heard it, "It really didn't matter before, but now you are different, you must know that you have a little Han Xin or a little win in your stomach, this is not sloppy at all."

Win Keyan's face turned red when he heard this, and he lowered his head slightly, but his face was full of happiness. How long after Han Xin left, she didn't think about the tea and food, and at first she thought that she was missing her husband, but then she gradually felt that something was wrong, so she asked the imperial doctor to come to see her. Unexpectedly, she got a great piece of good news, saying that she was pregnant, which made Ying Ke suddenly smile, and the depression in his heart was swept away, and he didn't dare to sloppy his body for the child in his belly for half a year.

After Han Xin secretly returned to Xianyang, he heard her say that she was pregnant, and he jumped up with joy for a while, looked up to the sky and laughed, and kept talking; "I'm going to be a father, I'm going to be a father." Immediately sent people to inform all the henchmen and courtiers, and spread the good news throughout the Qin State, and a large number of generals and officials rushed to Xianyang to congratulate them.

The reason why Han Xin made a big announcement, on the one hand, was because he was really happy in his heart, and the joy of becoming a father for the first time washed away his previous depression; On the other hand, it is also out of consideration for stabilizing the internal state of Qin, after all, he is now powerful, and he has a lot of echoes in the country, and there are countless followers above the court. But he also has a fatal weakness, that is, his foundation is too shallow, and he has no relatives to help, and more importantly, he does not have an heir.

You must know the path he is taking now, and anyone with a discerning eye can see that sooner or later he will ascend the throne and be called a lonely widow, but if there is no one to inherit his inheritance, then once there is a change, the people who follow him will have no goal to follow, and they will also lose cohesion, and they will become a plate of scattered sand. So at this time, Win Ke's pregnancy is undoubtedly for his group to be more closely united.

Ying Ke's face was a little hot, he shook off Han Xin's hand, and whispered in a pretended anger; "Okay, it turns out that you feel sorry for my stomach, if you change me alone, you won't care, right?"

Han Xin grinned and hurriedly begged for mercy in a low voice, but only then did he snort and stop pursuing it.

Because the two of them were standing high in front of the throne, and the ministers couldn't see clearly from a distance, Han Xin and Ying Ke were careful to laugh and play, and they didn't have to worry about being seen and teased by others.

Finally, when everyone dispersed, Han Xin led Ying Ke back to the frame of the Son of Heaven and drove back to Xianyang.

There are a lot of melons, fruits and pastries in the car, and the two of them will not feel hungry, talking and laughing, and they will not feel bored on the road.

Halfway through the car, Han Xin took the chain probe and went out to ask; "Where is this?"

A soldier on horseback reined in the reins of his horse, turned around and saluted loudly; "Back to the general, it has already passed Anyi, and there is Jiming Pass in front of you, and it will take about an hour to return to Xianyang."

Han Xin nodded, but ordered in a loud voice; "Stop."

The pro-soldier got the order, and without asking the reason, he quickly conveyed his military order, and the mighty frame of the Son of Heaven suddenly stopped slowly. Win Ke, who was already a little tired, poked his head out of his coat and looked at Han Xin in a daze; "What's the matter, why don't you stop."

Han Xin kissed her on the cheek and said with a smile; "You go back to Xianyang first, I'll go see an old friend."

Win Ke was stunned for a moment, and couldn't help but say with wide eyes; "It's the middle of the night, it's New Year's Day, where are you going if you don't go back to the house?" Suddenly, something came to mind, and suddenly he nodded; "That's right, then you go, be careful on the dark road at night, tomorrow morning is not early, you might as well come back later."

A team of more than 100 horsemen left the frame brigade, and Han Xin galloped to the southeast in the embrace of everyone. After marching for about half an hour, he heard a shout in the darkness ahead; "Someone, stop, or you'll release the arrows."

One of the soldiers at the front pulled the reins of his horse, held a token in his hand, and replied loudly on his horse; "General Wu Xinhou came to visit, and the general on duty came to greet him."

There was an exclamation in the darkness, and then the firelight lit up, and dozens of torches were raised at the same time, which was a level. Several horses ran out from the fallen city gate, but the soldiers with crossbow arrows at the city gate did not relax at all, and still aimed at the comer. After the token was checked, the officer bowed to the ground, knelt down in fear and pleaded guilty to Han Xin: "It is a violation of etiquette to be lowly in office, and I hope the general will punish him." ”

Han Xin smiled, immediately stretched out his hand to help him, and said, "Get up, you are just strictly implementing the military order, not only is there no fault, but you have merit, and you should be rewarded." ”

Speaking of this, Han Xin said loudly again; "Come and reward ten times." The soldiers behind him took out the money they had brought with them and gave it to the general. The general was suddenly overjoyed, and became more and more respectful to Han Xin.

This is a manor, covering a large area, but far away from Xianyang City, at a glance you know that it is a place used by wealthy relatives to maintain health and enjoy happiness. The only difference is that it is heavily guarded, surrounded by high walls, and the only entrance and exit is a temporary checkpoint, which can be used by the defenders to resist even if a large number of enemies come to attack.

Han Xin rode through the gate, came to the door of the house, dismounted and strode in, while his soldiers consciously stopped their horses and waited outside the door, and no one followed.

The manor was originally the property of a Qin nobleman, but it was involved in a conflict not long ago. Because he plotted a rebellion after the death of Ziying, he was ordered by Han Xin to raid the family, and this manor naturally became Han Xin's private property, which he transformed to imprison a special person.

Han Xin walked across the courtyard, stretched out his hand to stop a servant girl who was hurrying with her head down, and asked; "What about you?"

The maid was holding the brazier and bowing her head and hurrying away, when Han Xin suddenly stopped her and was startled, and was raising her eyebrows and wanting to scold, but suddenly recognized Han Xin, and hurriedly knelt down in a panic and replied; "Back to the general, my lord is in the study."

Han Xin nodded, then ignored her, and walked to the study by himself, looking very familiar with this place.

When he came to the outside of the room, Han Xin stretched out his hand to push the door, and when he entered the door, he saw Wang Jing sitting at the table drinking stuffy wine, and there was a table full of dishes in front of the table.

Wang Jing looked up, and when he saw that it was Han Xin, he immediately smiled, and laughed: "You're late, come, punish yourself three cups first." After speaking, he filled the three wine lords and looked at Han Xin with a smug face.

Han Xin stepped forward, and without shirking, he reached out and drank all the Sanjue wine, then sat down and explained with a smile; "Those sacrificial rituals are very boring, and I really can't leave for a while, so it's too late."

Wang Jing said with a smile; "You're being honest, I just wondered if you forgot about me, but I didn't expect you kid to be righteous in the end. You know, I've driven all those wives and concubines away, and I'm here to wait for you. ”

Han Xin smiled, "I don't know about you yet." ”

"You're used to living here all this time."

"Habit, very accustomed to it." Wang Jing shook his head and said with a smile on his face; "I don't have to do anything here except eat, drink and have fun, how can there be such a comfortable thing in the world, you see my waistline, is it a circle. Hehe, let me tell you, I have nothing to do during this time, and I indulge in that matter with a few wives and concubines all day long, and now I have three wives who are pregnant. Haha, I'm about to be a dad, and I'm much better than you. ”

Han Xin pursed his lips and said, "It seems that you are going to be disappointed, to tell you, Ke'er has been pregnant for almost two months, and I am you before you in terms of time, so you still can't compare to me." ”

Wang Jing was stunned for a moment, and then said in surprise; "Kerr is pregnant?"

Han Xin glanced at him and said vigilantly; "What's the matter, looking at your reluctant expression, do you still have any thoughts about her."

Wang Jing shook his head and said; "There are a lot of ideas, do you want to hear them?"

Han Xin rolled his eyes at him, "Get away, if you dare to be disrespectful to your sister-in-law, be careful that I castrate you and let a few younger siblings stay alive." ”

The two joked casually, but Han Xin still didn't ignore the look of loneliness in Wang Jing's eyes that flashed when he was asked by him just now. Indeed, a person like Wang Jing, who regards fame and military exploits as his life, but is carefully supported here for retirement in advance, how can he not be depressed and unhappy in his heart, but he still pretends to be indifferent in front of his brother.

Thinking of this, Han Xin couldn't help but open his mouth and said softly; "The limelight is still very tight during this time, and I can only control most of the entire Qin State, not all of it, so it's not good to forcibly pardon you now. After a while, the limelight will ease down a bit, and I'll try to figure it out, and I'll definitely get you back on the battlefield. ”

Wang Jing waved his hand as if he didn't care and said; "Then you don't have to worry about it, the big crime of killing the king should have been punished, and now I am not only intact, but I am also here all day long, even in my home. You can take me so unsuspiciously, brother, I have already exhausted my feelings in my heart, and what else to say. ”

The more Han Xin saw him pretending not to care, the more uncomfortable he felt in his heart, so he said; "Don't worry, I'll definitely think of a way. It is not impossible to pardon the crime of killing the king, one is that I ascended the throne and became the king, since the king of Qin in the current dynasty is not a descendant of the king of Qin back then, then where did the crime of killing the king come from; The other one is more risky, since it is a heinous crime, it should be made up for with monstrous achievements, so how about I let you hide your eyes and ears and rejoin the army to make meritorious contributions?"

Wang Jing smiled when he heard this, but he didn't reply, but smiled; "You're not polite at all, you used to be a loyal minister everywhere, and now you seem to be just a rebel and a thief."

Han Xin filled himself with another glass, drank it all in one gulp, and smiled helplessly; "It's not a question of whether I want to or not, it's something I have to do. Otherwise, my subordinates may not have overthrown me, because I would not have brought them benefits. ”

Wang Jing picked up his wine glass, "Okay, let's not talk about these uninteresting things, come, do it." ”

The two looked at each other and smiled, and both drank a full bottle of wine.

Wang Jing put down the wine glass and said with a trace of worry on his face; "By the way, what's going on over there over there, Mao Dun has suffered such a big loss in Hedong, and he will never give up if he wants to."

Han Xin's face was slightly dark, and he said in a deep voice; "I got a secret report from the spies who had infiltrated the steppe, that the heavy snow of the Huns had passed, and the weather was gradually getting warmer. Maudun is now gearing up in Dragon City, ordering the various tribes to bring all the adult men to Dragon City, ready to head south at any time. ”

Wang Jing's face was slightly plural, "Then how are you going to deal with it?" ”

Han Xin smiled and shook his head, "The soldiers will come to block, the water will cover the earth, and what should come will always come." Looking at Mao Dun's posture, it should be the strength of the country, and it should not be difficult to gather 400,000 people to control the strings according to the current power of the Xiongnu. ”

Wang Jing was slightly surprised, "Then how are you going to deal with it?"

Han Xin shook his head and said; "Actually, I don't have any bottom in my heart."

Wang Jing smiled disapprecitatively; "What kind of modest jokes, if you don't have a way to believe anyone, you already have an idea."

Han Xin said with a sigh; "In fact, it is not difficult to repel the Huns, don't look at the Huns have an army of 400,000, but after our Qin State has recuperated, if the whole country mobilizes to put together an army of 400,000, and has the advantage of being convenient at home, if it will still be defeated, then I really don't have the face to see you."

"The difficulty is that even if we repel the Huns for a while, according to Mao Dun's temperament, we will definitely die endlessly, and we will never let us have a good life easily. As long as the Xiongnu are still alive for a day, our Qin State will not be able to safely march eastward to compete for the world. It's a hard one. ”

"The second dilemma is that our main opponent is not the Xiongnu, but Xiang Yu of the Kanto region. Therefore, in the war with the Xiongnu, we must not lose too much, otherwise we will kill 1,000 enemies and injure 800 ourselves, so what strength do we have to deal with the princes of Kwantung. ”

Han Xin said here and sighed, "These two dilemmas can be summed up as we have to win the battle, and we have to win the battle, but we can't lose too much." You have to have both, so it's hard to say, and I can't think of anything in my mind for a while. ”

Wang Jing lowered his head and thought about it for a while, but he couldn't do anything, so he had to raise the wine lord and say loudly; "Okay, okay, drink and drink, let's just think about such mundane things tomorrow, we just need to drink today."