Chapter 552: Such important information! Why didn't Your Majesty tell me?
The Second Emperor's anger seemed to come without reason and without any signs. Even Liu Bang, who was always trying to figure out his intentions, did not notice any signs.
But thinking about it afterwards, it is both reasonable and expected.
From the moment the Second Emperor drew his sword and committed suicide to the moment the military order was fully issued, the generals were not 100% sure of what the Second Emperor wanted. But it was obvious what the Second Emperor wanted them to do.
Now that things have happened, the generals have no time to think about anything else. They just hope that Your Majesty will calm down, deal with the matter at hand, and not implicate innocent people.
"promise!"
They looked at each other for a few seconds, and suddenly responded in unison.
Han Xin's voice can also be heard here. Liu Bang, who was standing with the surrendered general, deliberately bumped his arm and gave a hint.
Although he knew that Liu Bang was trying to win people over, Han Xin, who was taken care of repeatedly, couldn't help but feel good about Liu Bang. The person with the highest favorability among the generals of the Qin Empire changed from Li Xin to Liu Bang.
If Liu Bang hadn't been there, he wouldn't have been able to keep up with the other generals in responding. It might sound like nothing, but it was actually very embarrassing.
Ying Chengjiao rested his hands on the table, leaning forward with his shoulders slightly slumped.
"I have heard of a story called killing a chicken to scare the monkey.
"It is said that there was a monkey trainer who wanted the monkey to perform according to his instructions, but the monkey was always disobedient. The man bought a chicken and put it in front of the monkey, training the chicken like a monkey. The chicken was disobedient, so he killed the chicken. From then on, all the monkeys were obedient.
"Tu Sui is not a chicken, and you are not monkeys.
"If I were such a person, I would not have issued the death order to the supervisory soldiers in advance, requiring them to stop the soldiers before they violated the discipline. According to the Qin Law, if I kill people, no one can blame me, and my authority will be established, right? Why should I stick a sword here and walk at least two thousand steps!"
The second emperor tore open his clothes and pointed at the hideous scar on his stomach that had healed and no longer bleeds, his anger evident in his words.
The generals were silent.
What the Second Emperor said was true. They had nothing to say. The Second Emperor had already proved what kind of person he was through his actions.
Most generals, including Meng Tian and Li Xin, were secretly happy about Tu Sui's punishment.
As generals, no one liked to break the rules. Everyone strictly followed the military orders, but Tu Sui took advantage of the loopholes to gain more military merits, which had long caused dissatisfaction among the generals.
If it weren't for the fact that these military achievements were too few, the generals would think that bringing them up would make them seem petty and not worth it, and it wouldn't be Ying Chengjiao's turn to bring up this matter.
Ren Xiong, who was on good terms with Tu Sui, felt sorry for his brother and thought that this was just a minor matter and should not be dealt with so severely. Your Majesty was just killing one person to warn the rest, and his brother was too unlucky.
When he saw the scar left by the Qin King's sword, Ren Xiong knew he was wrong, extremely wrong. He was unwilling to use even the lowest soldier to establish his authority, so how could His Majesty, who loved his soldiers so much, be willing to use a general to establish his authority?
Ren Xiong remembered the stern warnings given by the second emperor before the troops were divided, and the words that the second emperor had just said at the beginning that he would only be demoted one rank.
It's not that their Majesty didn't give him chances; he gave him two chances. But his brother didn't seize them once and kept hoping for luck, which made the second emperor furious.
Even so, Tu Sui was not demoted or dismissed from office, and he returned to Xianyang with the 16th-rank title of Daliangzao.
Although there will be no more wars to fight in the future, at least we can live in wealth and glory and enjoy our old age in peace. Our treatment is better than that of 99% of the people in the world. Isn't that enough?
With one hand on the heavy case, Ying Chengjiao was panting heavily. The Yue woman brought a black crown and put it on him, buttoning it up. Then a singing black bird appeared in front of the generals.
"As long as you do what I say and don't have any evil thoughts, I won't cause you any trouble. Even if I sentence you to death, I will make sure you die clearly!"
The word "liberation" could make the Qin soldiers, who were at the bottom of the society, feel excited and full of ideals.
Under the guidance of the two rails of strict military law control and the personal worship of the emperor, they did not go off track and did not take detours.
But this doesn't work for the general.
The generals who were well-versed in military books and stood at the top of the Qin Empire would not care about the word "liberation".
Military law cannot control them because they are the ones who make the military law.
They were also the vested interests of the Qin Empire and the biggest beneficiaries of the war. They were seeking land division, titles, and promotions. The Second Emperor, who was unattainable in the eyes of ordinary people, was also high for them, but not that high, and it was not difficult to meet him.
There are two rails that restrain arrogant soldiers, but neither of them can restrain a brave general.
The only one who could suppress the fierce general was the second emperor Ying Chengjiao, who suppressed him forcefully. There was no logic to this.
[When I am no longer on the throne, will Qin III be able to suppress these people? Will he want to suppress these people...]
Ying Chengjiao shook his head and stopped thinking about this question.
Thinking about this problem carefully, he was afraid that he would not be able to do anything.
He ordered his personal soldiers to bring a map of the Central Plains and spread it on the large table, then waved to all the generals to come forward.
He pointed to the four regions marked on the map: Zhao, Zhangchu, Chu, and Qi.
"There are still four countries to be liberated. We don't have time to attack them one by one. We need to divide our forces into three groups."
The two emperors pointed to "Chu" and "Zhang Chu" respectively, and explained:
"These two countries are at war. When they decide the winner, the two countries will become one. We only need one army. I will go there myself."
He glanced at the faces of the generals and asked with a smile:
"Does anyone want to follow me to fight against the State of Chu?"
Liu Bang spoke immediately.
"The country is willing to follow!"
The Butcher General, who was running after his eldest brother, followed closely behind.
"Fan Kuai is willing to go."
Ying Chengjiao agreed.
After the two finished speaking, the scene fell into silence for a moment.
Meng Tian looked at Li Xin, Ren Xiong looked at Zhao Tuo, and they gave each other a probing look, both of them feeling reluctant.
If you want to gain military merit, you must fight in battles. What military merit can you gain if you can’t even fight a battle?
There are three battlefields. You can start fighting directly when you arrive at the Zhao and Qi battlefields. Only Chu and Zhang Chu, who were chosen by the second emperor, have to wait, which is obviously the worst choice. Maybe the battles in Zhao and Qi have been fought but this one hasn't started yet, so you can come back to fight for military merits at that time.
Moreover, the second emperor was the chief general there, so if he went there he could only hold a deputy position at most. This merit would naturally be greatly reduced. Which aspiring general would be willing to go there?
Just like when choosing a fief, Wang Ben, Meng Tian and other generals all challenged the border where chaos frequently occurred. How could they achieve success in the fertile and peaceful territory? It was not time for them to retire yet!
The four native Qin generals glanced at Liu Bang.
[Only a rogue like this who has little fighting ability and only wants to advance would be willing to go.]
He glanced at Fan Kuai again and sighed secretly.
[How could such a brave general be so determined to follow Liu Bang?]
Han Xin was very conflicted.
He thought the same as Meng Tian and the other three. Chu was really the worst option. He really needed to achieve something great.
But his feet were constantly stepped on by Liu Bang who was standing next to him, clearly wanting him to follow the second emperor.
He remembered Liu Bang's advice to go southeast and not north, as well as the care he had just shown him, and finally made a decision.
He raised his fists and said in a deep voice:
"Han Xin is willing to go with Your Majesty!"
But the second emperor who had agreed to Liu Bang and Fan Kuai was unwilling to do so and shook his head and said:
"You can't. Why don't you go to Qi? You were once a general in Qi and you are familiar with the country. You can attack Qi with half the effort, right?"
All the generals were a little stunned, thinking that they had to follow the orders. Only the old general Lian Po was calm and composed.
Having been a retainer in the Chang'an Jun Mansion for so many years, I have long understood Ying Chengjiao's temper.
At this moment, His Majesty must have already made up his mind. Asking for his will is just to see if it is consistent. It is impossible to change it without too much emotion.
"promise."
Han Xin obeyed the order and was satisfied.
Between Zhao and Qi, he was more inclined to Qi. Just as Ying Chengjiao said, he was familiar with the place. He knew Qi's military strength and generals very well, and it would be much easier to defeat Qi than Zhao, which was almost completely unfamiliar to him.
Liu Bang breathed a sigh of relief.
[It would be better if I were not in Zhao.]
He always remembered that when the Second Emperor first came to Pei County, he called him Liu Bang.
"Seeing that you all look hesitant and have difficulty making a choice, I will make the assignment for you. If you have any doubts, please speak up."
Ying Chengjiao was detained in the State of Zhao.
"Meng Tian, Li Xin, Lian Po, you three will each lead 20,000 men to Zhao. Is that a problem?"
Meng Tian and Li Xin responded happily.
Qi had Wang Jian, and it was Wang Jian who was fighting all the time. The relationship between the Meng family and the Wang family was very delicate. The former was the first military family of the Qin Dynasty, and the latter was the first famous general of the Qin Dynasty. The relationship between the two families could not be said to be bad, but it could not be said to be good either. It was best not to meet each other.
Lian Po showed a hint of excitement and responded generously. He had been away from Zhao State for a long time.
"Ren Xiong, Zhao Tuo, you two will join Han Xin and each lead 20,000 troops, is that ok?"
Zhao Tuo had no objection to Ren Xiong and was very satisfied.
The State of Zhao already had three generals, but only a few wars to fight, so it was definitely not as good as the State of Qi which only had one, Han Xin.
"Go and select your soldiers, and leave the rest to me."
The Second Emperor tapped the table with his fingertips.
"We will divide our forces and go out tomorrow."
"Your Majesty, I have a question."
Meng Tian said seriously:
"If we attack Chu, your Majesty will naturally be the commander-in-chief. What about the attacks on Zhao and Qi?"
The issue of the main general must be made clear, as this involves the question of distribution of credit.
"Since I didn't say anything, it's up to you to decide."
Ying Chengjiao smiled playfully.
“Whoever can convince the other generals will become the chief general.
"If no one has this prestige, then we can lead the troops to fight in different directions. There will be no deputy generals, only main generals. What do you think?"
There was a gleam in the eyes of all the generals. It was great that everyone relied on their own abilities!
The next day was April 2nd.
The second emperor led Fan Kuai and Liu Bang, commanded an army of 100,000 and marched towards the State of Chu.
Han Xin, Ren Xiong, and Zhao Tuo each led an army of 20,000 and marched towards the State of Qi.
Meng Tian, Lian Po, and Li Xin each led an army of 20,000 and marched towards the State of Zhao.
The remaining 40,000 troops were left in Wei. All of them were from the Qin State and no one had surrendered. Under the leadership of Cao Shen and Xiahou Ying, they cleaned up the remaining forces of Wei.
Whether the two can become generals depends on this battle.
In order to attack Wei State in a flash, Ying Chengjiao divided his troops into nine routes and headed straight for Daliang. Along the way, all the generals were looking for tall and large county towns. In the vast land of Wei, many villages were still unaware of the arrival of the Qin army, and Wei land became Qin land.
It was precisely because of the presence of these villages that the Qi army was able to enter Wei territory without alarming the Qin army.
When the news came out, everyone in the world was shocked.
Everyone knows that Qin is strong, but wasn’t it a bit too strong to conquer Wei in less than a month?
Xianyang Palace, Council Hall.
The First Emperor of Qin, who had just revisited his hometown and taken control of the Qin State, was greatly relieved when he read the latest war reports.
"color!
"This dandy boy has finally come to his senses. Killing them all is the way to go! Being kind to other countries is being cruel to Qin!"
The resurrected Prince Ying Fusu sat beside him.
In just two years, the eldest son of the Qin State has grown faster than in the past decade.
The Confucian hope who was so nervous when discussing philosophy with the First Emperor two years ago was now relaxed and at ease in front of his father, chatting and laughing at ease.
Although he does not have the domineering and arrogant attitude of his father, he has his own dignity and is not at all inferior to others.
"If father had cleaned it up thoroughly the first time, uncle wouldn't have to work so hard."
"ignorance!"
The First Emperor snorted coldly.
"Ten years ago, the six kingdoms had food and people. If they had united, they could have prevented Qin from leaving Hangu Pass! Bai Qi buried hundreds of thousands of surrendered soldiers alive, and the whole world was horrified, but also wanted to unite to keep warm.
"Your grandfather spent his entire life trying to eliminate the impact of the Battle of Changping and treated people with benevolence. If I kill all the nobles and the six countries fight to the death, even if Qin can win, it will not be able to hold on to the world..."
Ying Fusu, who was not the crown prince, listened with a smile, without any rebuttal, and looked like he was learning.
Ying Zheng was scolding his son in a stern tone when he suddenly felt something was wrong. This was not two years ago. How could his eldest son not understand such a simple thing?
He pointed at his eldest son, and a fatherly light finally appeared in his eyes. He scolded with a smile:
"After two years away, you and Han Zi have learned to flatter!"
Ying Fusu looked as if he was seen through, and smiled calmly.
"My father is at the helm of the government, and my uncle is away on a campaign. The great age is just around the corner."
After pouring a cup of Da Hong Pao, which tasted bitter at first but had a sweet aftertaste, Ying Zheng took a sip, smacked his lips twice, lowered his head and said yearningly:
"Your uncle's ability to govern the world is a hundred times greater than his ability to fight wars. This is not the time for your uncle to show his talents. In another year, the world will be unified. Just wait and see!"
Ying Fusu held a different opinion.
"It won't take a year, just half a year."
Ying Zheng said "oh".
"You dare to say that, it must be your uncle who has given you the lowdown, please tell me. Let's not talk about other countries for now, Zhao is so stubborn that it won't be conquered in a few months. Don't think that Zhao can be conquered in a month just because Zhao and Wei both came out of Jin. The people there are fierce and fierce, and they hate Qin to the core. It's easy to defeat them, but it's very difficult to subdue them like your uncle did."
Ying Fusu filled the tea cup for his father.
"Li Mu is back."
The First Emperor suddenly realized that he had not heard this name for a long time and had almost forgotten it.
"This brat has been waiting for Li Mu to show up. It turns out he's been waiting here! This is really... brilliant!"
Li Mu, Lord Wu'an of Zhao, was a hero of the State of Zhao.
"Li Mu died, and Zhao was destroyed."
This prophecy spread throughout the Wei State at that time. Li Mu was extremely loved in the Wei State and was regarded as a savior.
Li Mu, who did not harm the people or the country, did not die on the battlefield but died at the hands of his own people and was always unjustly killed in the eyes of the Zhao people, suddenly reappeared. Even the First Emperor could not imagine how much appeal he would have.
Zhang River is a river at the border between Zhao and Wei.
Meng Tian, Li Xin and Lian Po crossed the Zhang River.
As soon as they set foot on Zhao territory, they saw a Qin army wearing black armor lined up there. The leader was wearing general armor but no helmet, and seemed to have been waiting for a long time.
When he saw the general for the first time, Li Xin, who had been full of confidence all the way, smiled sharply, ran up to greet him in a hurry, and then said bitterly:
"Uncle, are you coming to attack Zhao as well?"
[Such important information! Why didn't your Majesty tell me?]
