The Moon in the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 163 Princess Zhao
Everything in the Qin court today is a good show!
All of this was discussed in advance by Lu Buwei, Wei Liao and Guo Kai.

Don’t look at what a person says, look at what he does!
Guo Kai spoke righteously in the court and seemed loyal and courageous, but in fact he sold out the State of Zhao.

The Qin State was also willing to play along with him. Without sending a single soldier, it gained both the inside and the outside, and achieved both its strategic and tactical goals. It was a huge profit.

Moreover, Guo Kai was also very nervous. Today, the Qin State would cooperate with him to spread the news that Guo Kai argued for his rights in the Qin court throughout the world.

They must create a good momentum for Guo Kai and let him have more say in the Zhao court. Of course, they will definitely avoid the important issues in their publicity.

As for Zhao, it had lost its core. Qin was strong and Zhao was weak, and there was a crisis outside, so it was good enough to be able to negotiate peace.

It's no big deal to pay some compensation. Guo Kai can't be blamed for this. I guess King Zhao should thank Guo Kai.

King Zhao Daoxiang was mentally prepared to pay some losses, and based on Guo Kai's understanding of the king, he knew that these losses were within his tolerance.

After all, the situation of Zhao State is not very good now, and King Zhao Daoxiang is also not in a good situation. In his opinion, Qin State still has a powerful weapon, that is, the former Prince Chunping Marquis of Zhao State, his elder brother. If Qin State makes use of his elder brother to make trouble, it would be really bad.

Moreover, the Qin State also prepared a big gift for Guo Kai. After forming an alliance with the Zhao State through marriage, the Qin State promised to help them fight the Wei State just as it helped the Chu State.

Even if they attack Yan State, we can just sit back and watch.

And in order to show the sincerity of the marriage alliance, when attacking the State of Yan, all the hostages of the State of Yan can be driven back to the State of Yan.

Also, the Qin State has helped trap Chunping Hou in Qin for a long time. Logically, he should have been released long ago. But now that King Zhao is in a bad situation, we can risk the wrath of the world and help King Zhao delay for a while longer. This is all for the sake of our friendship with Zhao.

These things were all achievements prepared for Guo Kai. Anyway, Guo Kai said that these things were promoted by him and the Qin State would not object, and would indeed do so. King Zhao Daoxiang had no reason not to believe it.

Of course, these things were said in private and definitely could not be said in the court.

Although Zhao State seemed to have lost some things, it seemed that it was able to take them back from Wei State and Yan State, which was much better than being beaten by Qin State.

King Zhao Daoxiang also wants to thank Guo Kai.

Wei Liao also secretly prepared two thousand gold coins for Guo Kai to take back.

This money is not given for free. Starting from today, I have to find a way to get rid of Li Mu.

This is not an easy task, because the Xiongnu still depends on Li Mu, but as long as Li Mu can completely defeat the Xiongnu this year, what will happen next?
In the short term, Guo Kai's invasion of Qin was a complete victory, not to mention the victory of the Qin Dynasty.

Even Zhao State and Guo Kai himself would be in trouble in the short term.

As for the long term, they won't be able to grow any longer.

Isn't pacifying Daqin like raising a tiger to cause trouble?
The hungry tiger of Wei State is not easy to feed, but what about Qin State?
In any case, Guo Kai returned to Zhao State happily with a lot of harvest.

He returned slowly all the way, and before he reached Handan, his bravery, wisdom, loyalty and courage in the Qin court had already been reported back to Zhao.

It can be said that there was a lot of praise for Guo Kai, but of course there were also people who criticized him, saying that Guo Kai lost power and humiliated the country.

However, under the power of the Qin Dynasty and Guo Kai himself, and even with the secret support of King Zhao Daoxiang, the people who cursed him were still a minority.

As for King Zhao Daoxiang, as expected, not only did he not blame Guo Kai, he also praised him for his good work and gave him a generous reward.

But after Guo Kai said that Qin was willing to be friendly with Zhao, and was willing to attack Wei together with Zhao, and even stand idly by when attacking Yan, Guo Kai's situation in the Zhao court was completely different.

This is not a loss of sovereignty or humiliation of the country, it is just an exchange of interests.

It can also avoid a major war with the State of Qin, which is truly a great achievement.

The King of Qin's evaluation of Guo Kai as a national hero was widely discussed by many people.

Needless to say, Guo Kai himself was secretly promoting it.

Now in the Zhao court, Guo Kai is the most popular person for a while, even Jianxin Jun cannot compare to Guo Kai.

Privately, Guo Kai secretly reported the matter of Chunping Marquis to King Zhao Daoxiang. King Zhao Daoxiang was extremely satisfied with Guo Kai's thoughtfulness and loyalty.

After all these things, the person King Zhao Daoxiang now trusts the most is Guo Kai.

Look, what a perfect subject is.

He is loyal and devoted, a unique patriot, dares to do things, is able to do things, and can accomplish things.

The most important thing is to be loyal to yourself, be considerate when doing things, even willing to do dirty things for you, always think about yourself, and do everything to make yourself comfortable.

A perfect minister. If all the people in Zhao State were ministers like Guo Kai, what would Zhao State have to fear from the powerful Qin State?
As the new King of Zhao, according to the rules, he must fight a battle to establish his authority, but it is better to show his face and not show his butt, like King Xi of Yan.

But we are surrounded by enemies and it is really difficult to attack easily. Even in the current situation, it is good enough not to be beaten.

It’s great that Qin is willing to join forces with me to fight Wei.

All of a sudden, the strongest enemy was gone, and the pressure of attack could be shared. With the help of this great battle, he could capture the city, fight a beautiful battle, and firmly secure the throne.

By then, I won’t be afraid of my eldest brother coming back. When he comes back, I will let him live a rich and idle life.

It’s all thanks to Guo Qing!
Now several core ministers of Zhao State are sitting together to discuss the good news brought back by Guo Kai.

King Zhao Daoxiang first praised Guo Kai: "This time we have reconciled with the State of Qin and resolved our grievances, all thanks to Mr. Guo."

Guo Kai quickly replied modestly: "I dare not take credit for it. I am just a messenger. It is the king's generosity and magnanimity that has brought us here. How can the King of Qin fail the king's intention of reconciliation?"

King Zhao Daoxiang was very pleased with Guo Kai's humble attitude: "Mr. Guo, there is no need to be modest. I am not a person who does not know his merits and demerits. Merits are merits, and I will reward you handsomely later."

Guo Kai replied respectfully: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

King Zhao Daoxiang continued, "It is of great benefit to Zhao to stop fighting and make peace with Qin. As for the marriage, it is indeed necessary. What Guo Qing said in Qin is also reasonable."

"But I am young now, and I don't have a daughter of the right age. My sisters are not of the right age either, and those who are suitable are already married. If I choose a collateral branch, I am afraid the King of Qin will be unhappy. What should I do?"

"Besides, the previous king has just passed away, and it has not been a year yet. How can the royal family arrange marriages?"

All the civil and military officials looked at each other in silence, and it was Guo Kai who spoke up:
"Your Majesty has forgotten one thing. Your sister, Princess Ying Xin, is seventeen years old and in her prime. Princess Ying Xin is extremely beautiful and has a virtuous character. She is the perfect choice."

"As for mourning for the late king, this is of course the right thing to do, but now the mourning period has been over for nearly half a year, and royal marriages are complicated, so we can just delay it a little. Now as long as the marriage is signed, Da Zhao and Qin can sign an alliance first, so as not to interfere with state affairs."

King Zhao Daoxiang was delighted and praised: "Sure enough, Mr. Guo is very thoughtful."

After hesitating for a moment, he said, "But Ying Xin, ah, although my sister is a woman, she loves military affairs the most, and she is worried about the country and forgets about her family. She has always hated Qin the most. If I let her go to Qin, I am afraid she will do something unwise, which will damage the relationship between the two countries. "Guo Kai smiled and said, "Your Majesty, you worry too much. Princess Ying Xin is loyal to the royal family, so she will tolerate it for the sake of the country."

"For the sake of Qin and Zhao's peace, and for the sake of Zhao, the princess will surely understand."

King Zhao Daoxiang sighed softly: "My sister is very stubborn, and I don't want to force her, so I can only give it a try."

Guo Kai said righteously: "I am willing to give it a try and persuade Princess Ying Xin to enter Qin!"

King Zhao Daoxiang nodded and said, "Okay, Guo Qing, you always have the most ideas, go and give it a try."

"Tell my sister that even though she has been wronged for the sake of Zhao, I, as her brother, will never wrong her and will never let her reputation fall to the rubble of the so-called Princess of Chu."

"The Heshi Bi and five cities will be her dowry, plus five hundred carts of precious treasures."

King Zhao Daoxiang gritted his teeth and said, "Doesn't she like martial arts the most? The Yuchang sword will also be her dowry, but remember, you must tell her not to do anything stupid!"

Guo Kai enviously complimented, "Your Majesty is so considerate and caring towards the princess. I'm sure the princess will never let your Majesty down."

King Zhao Daoxiang nodded gently: "I hope so."

The ministers also praised and admired him.

Next, a detailed plan was made to attack Wei, the army was organized and prepared for war, the marriage with the State of Qin was completed, and then Wei was attacked directly!
The marriage has to be quick.

Last year, Zhao suffered a great loss at the hands of Wei (being trapped deep in the territory by Ying Zheng), and he accidentally drove away Lian Po just after he ascended the throne. Now he urgently needs to establish his authority to stabilize the throne.

Attacking Wei is the best option, but it is not easy to fight. If you cannot defeat them, you will be doomed. Not to mention establishing your authority, you may even lose your throne.

So he prepared to attack the State of Yan, but the State of Qin had formed an alliance with the State of Yan, and he was suddenly caught in a dilemma.

This time the State of Qin is actually willing to attack Wei together, which is really a timely help. We must win this time and must have a beautiful battle!

Not only that, after attacking Wei, Qin also promised to turn a blind eye to Zhao's attack on Yan, and was willing to help delay Wei and prevent it from causing trouble.

For this reason, he was willing to send all the hostages from Yan State back, and only wanted to give some of the conquered land to Qin State. The King of Qin was a kind man!

This time I will establish my power and take all the cities, it’s a huge profit!
Damn Lian Po, you actually dared to rebel and flee to Wei! Sooner or later I will find a chance to kill you!
The next day, Guo Kai went to the princess's mansion to ask for an audience with Princess Ying Xin. This princess had been fond of martial arts since childhood, but she was not only fond of martial arts. She also advocated the theory of governing the country with famous learning, and knew some of the studies of various schools of thought. She could be said to be proficient in both civil and military affairs.

A few years ago, she moved out of the palace because she felt it was inconvenient to study in the palace. King Xiaocheng of Zhao also doted on her and gave her a large and luxurious princess mansion, and also rewarded her with a lot of money for her use.

Princess Ying Xin was also extraordinary. In this princess mansion, she not only invited many female masters, but also invited many scholars to give lectures, and also learned to keep retainers.

But after all, she is a girl, so how could she find any truly talented person to work for her?

The guests in his mansion are just mediocre people, with few talented people.

Even some talented people only wanted to enter the official career through her because she was the beloved daughter of King Xiaocheng of Zhao.

Since the death of King Xiaocheng of Zhao, the source of money has been cut off and some of his retainers have left.

Guo Kai was led by a maid into the mansion. The furnishings and decorations in the mansion were quite decent. They were not extravagant but rather simple and elegant. Especially the martial arts training ground and lecture hall were huge. They were bustling in the past, but now they were quite deserted.

Guo Kai couldn't help but sigh in his heart: "She is just a woman. As a princess of the royal family, shouldn't she enjoy a good and comfortable life? Why is she struggling all day long? How can she still be a king?"

"It's a shame to spend so much money on supporting retainers and wasting it on such useless things."

When Guo Kai saw Ying Xin, he bowed respectfully and politely: "I pay my respects to Princess Ying Xin."

In her heart, she sighed: "Why is it so indecent for a good-looking girl to wear a martial arts outfit? Even if she is so beautiful, she will never be able to compete with the beauties in the Qin King's harem."

"Forget it. I'm afraid this future supporter of the Qin State can no longer be relied upon."

"It's just a bonus anyway, just don't cause any trouble."

Ying Xin had never liked Guo Kai in the past. Although Guo Kai did not have a bad reputation, with a woman's intuition, she always felt that this important official in the court was not a loyal person, and she rarely interacted with him.

Today, he treated Guo Kai quite courteously, returned the greeting, and said, "Master Guo, please don't be too polite."

He invited Guo Kai to take a seat, and then asked in a gentle voice: "Lord Guo is very busy with government affairs, I wonder why you are looking for Ying Xin?"

Guo Kai stood up and bowed deeply. He got straight to the point and said something shocking. He said solemnly, "I am here on behalf of the Great Zhao and the King to ask the Princess a favor."

Ying Xin was not surprised, and still said in a gentle voice: "Master Guo, please sit down and talk."

Ying Xin's calmness surprised Guo Kai. He was at a loss as to whether to stand or sit, and finally he just stood there motionless.

Ying Xin did not force it, and still asked politely: "I don't know what Lord Guo wants, please speak frankly."

Guo Kai frowned slightly and said solemnly: "Princess, you are both civil and military, you must know the current national situation. Now the Great Zhao is facing many external threats and is surrounded by powerful enemies."

"In the northwest, the Xiongnu are lurking around, and a war is imminent. In the northeast, there is the State of Yan, whose intention to invade Zhao is well known. In the east, there is the State of Qi, which is not so bad. But in the south, there is the powerful Wei, which has been at war for several years and has not stopped yet. In the west, there is the powerful Qin, whose ferocious intentions are even more well known."

"Your Majesty has just ascended the throne, and the affairs of state are still complicated. Many enemies are ready to take advantage of the situation. The situation in Zhao is now in a precarious situation."

Seeing Ying Xin was silent and just listening, Guo Kai continued:
"Among all the threats, the Xiongnu, Qin and Wei are the most powerful. If they attack Zhao together, Zhao will be in danger."

"General Li Mu has been managing the Northern Frontier for many years. With him in the Northern Frontier, there is no need to worry."

"The biggest enemy is still Qin and Wei."

"Qin and Zhao have always been enemies. When the king first ascended the throne, Qin deployed more than 100,000 troops and prepared to attack Zhao."

"I went to Qin to negotiate peace a few days ago. Fortunately, the king supported me and I fulfilled my mission. We successfully negotiated peace, and Qin agreed to help Zhao attack Wei. In this way, Zhao's crisis has been resolved."

"This peace talk was also strongly insisted by the King of Qin, and it was only after he overcame all objections in Qin that the talks were concluded."

"The King of Qin also wants to make peace with Zhao. In order to completely resolve the hatred between the two countries, the King and the King of Qin decided to form an alliance through marriage."

"The King of Qin is young and has no children. The previous King of Qin also did not have a daughter of marriageable age, so the only option is for the noble daughter of Zhao to marry the King of Qin."

"The most suitable person for the royal family right now is you, Princess."

"Princess, please take notice"

(End of this chapter)