The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 326: Prince Dan of Yan returns to Yan, Yan State urgently strengthens

Here it comes... Mr. Zhao Yi silently said in his heart, holding up the wine bottle:
“Brother Yan, please don’t forget our friendship!
"If Yi returns to Zhao, we must make peace with Yan!"

Drink it all in one gulp.

It's finally here... Prince Dan of Yan was overjoyed, but his mood dropped when he heard Zhao Yi's words.

He stood up from the table, without picking up the wine bottle, and stared at Zhao Gongziyi, who had once shared the same suffering and stood together with him, and could be called a good friend:
"Dan will not abandon Brother Zhao, and I hope Brother Zhao will not abandon Dan either."

For no reason, I thought of Qin Wang Zheng, who was once my good friend:
"Don't learn from Zhao Zheng."

The King of Qin was not called Zhao Zheng, and Prince Dan of Yan called him Zhao Zheng to remind Zhao Yi. The King of Qin grew up in Handan, Zhao State, just like you, and was a man of few feelings. What about you?
"Yi has only heard of Prince Zheng of Qin, but not Zhao Zheng." Zhao Yi said in a deep voice.

The reason why King Zheng of Qin is like this now is because he is a member of the Qin royal family. The Qin royal family is cold-hearted in nature, and it has nothing to do with being born in the State of Zhao.

Prince Dan of Yan said nothing and walked out quickly.

Now that the owner of this place has left, the guests naturally shouldn't stay either.

Zhao Yi also stood up, and before leaving, he walked to the table of Prince Dan of Yan, and leaned over to see how much wine was in Prince Dan's wine jar.

A few drops of wine at the bottom of the bottle flow like fireflies.

Zhao Yi smiled bitterly.

He toasted and filled the cup.

There was only a little wine in Prince Dan of Yan's wine jar.

This is slighting.

The State of Zhao was attacking the State of Yan.

He was the former crown prince of Zhao, but was looked down upon by the crown prince of Yan in Qin.

Zhao Guoqiang has nothing to do with him, Zhao Yi.

Nothing to do for now.

Zhangtai Palace, front hall.

When Prince Dan of Yan arrived, he felt confident as soon as he saw Zhang Tai.

Zhangtai Palace was the most formal palace for the Qin State to receive foreign guests, and meetings here were a means of communication between the two countries.

There is hope for the return of the swallows... Prince Dan of Yan's eyes warmed up and his pace could not help but quicken, his walking rhythm becoming disordered.

After entering the front hall, Prince Dan of Yan, who had long suspected it, saw King Zheng of Qin and bowed down to pay homage:
"Meet the King of Qin!"

As the crown prince of Yan, Yan Dan's presence here represents Yan. With his original character, he would rather die than do such a thing that humiliates Yan.

Now, the State of Yan is going to die.

How can a country that has been destroyed have any dignity?
He was willing to be more humble as long as he could return to Yan.

He didn't know whether returning to Yan could save the country, but he knew that if he didn't return to Yan, Yan would sooner or later perish at the hands of his father.

A strange look flashed in King Zheng of Qin's eyes. He didn't expect that the once majestic Master Yan would be kneeling in the front hall of Zhangtai Palace today.

This is a courtesy that even an official cannot perform.

"Oh, it's Yan Dan." Qin Wangzheng looked as if he had just recognized Prince Dan of Yan: "Hurry up, get up."

"Thank you, King Qin." Yan Dan, who had prostrated himself on the ground, got up.

"Why are you here?" Qin Wangzheng said to Yan Dan, turning his head to look at his brother sitting below him: "Did you call him?"

Young and powerful, the thirteen-year-old boy nodded:
"Didn't the king say that when the black man's head turns white and the horse grows horns, he would let Prince Dan of Yan go back to Yan?"

Prince Dan of Yan asked King Zheng of Qin several times to return to Yan, but King Zheng said that he could only go back when the crows turned white and the horses grew horns.

Without waiting for King Qin Zheng to reply, Ying Chengjiao shouted at the palace gate:
"Hoo! Bring in the horse that Prince Yan gave me!"

Prince Dan of Yan, who was totally unaware of this incident, looked calm as he stood sideways, quietly looking at the entrance of the hall.

It was as if he had really given a fine horse to Chang'an Jun.

Hu led a horse and walked into the lobby of the front hall of Zhangtai Palace.

He was leading a white horse.

This white horse has a black bump on its head, which looks like a horn from a distance.

"The white horse has grown horns." Ying Chengjiao bowed slightly to the King of Qin Zheng, who was sitting above him, and said, "Your Majesty, it's time to fulfill your promise."

"Is there really such a miraculous thing in the world?" King Zheng of Qin walked down from the high platform and approached the white horse.

Looking at it from such a close distance, the black bulge is very obvious.

That's not a corner, it's clearly a piece of stone.

A stone stuck to the horse's head by some unknown object.

The white horse shook its head slightly, trying to shake off the foreign object on its head, feeling uncomfortable.

King Zheng of Qin glanced at Prince Dan of Yan out of the corner of his eye, and did not notice any nervousness in his former friend, so he sighed.

"If it is God's will." Qin Wangzheng turned around and looked at Prince Dan of Yan: "Yan Dan, if you are willing to return to Yan, you can prepare to return to Yan at any time."

Prince Dan of Yan did not react immediately. Things went more smoothly than he had imagined. Was it so easy?

The next moment, he prostrated himself on the ground, showing his most humble side, and said loudly:

"Thank you, King Qin!"

From beginning to end, he didn't say anything.

Everything was arranged by Chang'an Jun.

[What a trustworthy person!] At this moment, Prince Dan of Yan supported Prince Cheng Jiao of Qin more than ninety-nine percent of the people in this world.

Prince Dan of Yan knew that it was not that things were easy, but that the people who worked for him were powerful.

The white horse passed by him, and he could not tell the stone from the horn.

He rested his forehead on the ground and thought of Zhao Yi, with whom he had just been drinking.

After hesitating for a moment, he raised his head cautiously, wanting to cheer for Zhao Yi.

He knew that Zhao Yi was far stronger than the current King of Zhao Yan, and that Zhao would definitely be stronger in the hands of Zhao Yi than in the hands of King of Zhao Yan.

How can a king who makes a prostitute his queen and a king who makes his male favorite his prime minister have any great talent and strategy?
Under normal circumstances, no matter how deep his relationship with Zhao Yi was, he would not speak for Zhao Yi - he wished Zhao Yi would die of old age in Qin.

Zhao and Yan were neighbors and had constant friction.

The stronger Zhao State becomes, the worse it will be for Yan State.

But these are extraordinary times.

The State of Zhao is preparing to use military force against the State of Yan, and this decision was made by the current King Yan of Zhao.

If Zhao Yi did not return, King Yan of Zhao would destroy the State of Yan.

After Zhao Yi returned, Zhao State would become more powerful, but it might not attack Yan State immediately.

It is not advisable to quench thirst with poison.

But if you are about to die of thirst, it is advisable.

"Your Majesty, Prince Yi of Zhao..." Prince Dan of Yan just started to speak and then stopped.

The look in King Zheng of Qin's eyes was full of impatience.

He didn't dare say any more.

He was afraid that if he continued talking, he wouldn't even be able to leave.

The Qin hostage he had pitied before was now the King of Qin, a King who could make him dare not say anything with just a glance.

He bowed again to King Zheng of Qin, kowtowed, and took his leave.

With the permission of King Zheng of Qin, Prince Dan of Yan hurried back to the Honglu Temple and ordered his servants to pack up quickly.

The night is long and dreams are many. He plans to set off today. What if the King of Qin changes his mind tomorrow?
Although the matter is very urgent, I still have to take time out to thank Chang'an Jun.

Without Chang'an Jun, there would be no today. Prince Dan of Yan was a man who knew how to repay kindness - judging from the scene that day, he didn't know if he could have left Qin if he hadn't thanked Chang'an Jun.

If you abandon the person who did the job after it's done, not only will you not get the job done in the future, but the thing that was originally done may also be messed up.

It's getting late.

In a hurry to leave, the anxiously waiting Prince Dan of Yan finally waited for Ying Chengjiao. At the gate of Honglu Temple, the four-horse carriage exclusively for Prince Chengjiao stopped.

Prince Dan of Yan had been waiting here for a long time.

He walked to the front room of the carriage like a servant, waiting for Master Chengjiao to come out of the carriage. Although he was extremely anxious, he could not show any anxiety on his face.

The carriage curtain was opened from the inside, Ying Chengjiao poked his head out and said to Prince Dan of Yan who was standing beside him:
"I won't get off the car, let's go."

Prince Dan of Yan was delighted to see this, and he bent his waist slightly, saying very sincerely:

"Dan has prepared wine and food, just waiting for you to come in, why do you refuse?"

Ying Chengjiao sighed:

"If that's what you want to say, then you can stay in Xianyang and eat and drink with me every day. Are you willing?"

Prince Dan of Yan wanted to say that he was willing, and he said these insincere words more and more fluently.

He was about to say something, but when he looked into the boy's dark eyes, he swallowed it back.

Such a gentleman should not be deceived.

"Thank you, sir." He bowed again with all his heart.

Kneeling to the King of Qin was to return to Yan.

Paying respect to Chang'an is considered as something that should be paid.

"Your Excellency, I will repay you for your kindness later!" He lowered his head, and every word sounded like a vow.

"You fought for it yourself." The young man did not take credit for it: "If you refused to go with me to the Bai family, you would not be able to go back even if I helped you."

"Without you, I can't go to the Bai family." The figure of a white horse flashed through Prince Dan of Yan's mind.

It’s not the white horse with a stone on its head, but the white horse of the Bai family.

The one who invited him to the banquet and met Ying Chengjiao's white horse.

The figure flashed by and Yan Taizi Dan, who had rushed to Baima's ancestral residence, continued:
“The blackhead turns white, and the horse grows horns.

“Your Excellency only led the horse with horns, and the King of Qin did not even ask about the white-headed crow.

“It can be seen that it is not important whether a black-headed white horse has horns, but the prince is important.

"Without the Lord, even if I go to the Bai family, I can't leave."

Ying Chengjiao chuckled twice after being praised, and got back into the carriage. His voice floated out from inside the carriage:

"Go on, bye."

The carriage with four horses came, and then it left.

His master didn't even get out of the carriage. This extremely rude behavior made Yan Taizi Dan sigh deeply as he watched the carriage go away:
“That’s really noble.”

With the open meeting with Chang'an Jun, his journey in Qin should be smooth.

Before the curfew, Prince Dan of Yan's carriage convoy left Xianyang and headed northeast, embarking on their journey home.

Zhao Gongzi Yi was extremely envious and regretted again not accepting Chang'an Jun's request and sending a visiting card to Chang'an Jun.

He delivers it almost every day.

But all these visiting cards fell on deaf ears, without even a response.

Zhao Yi guessed that it must be his previous behavior that annoyed Changan Jun, so he didn't want to communicate with him. A gentleman like Changan Jun was angry when he was angry, without any hypocrisy.

Zhao Yi wanted to visit Chang'an Jun in person.

But Chang'an Jun lived in the Qin Palace, and he couldn't enter the Qin Palace casually.

Therefore, he could only continue to send visiting cards and have people keep an eye on Chang'an Jun's whereabouts. If he couldn't get into the palace, he could just stay outside the palace.

Chengjiao Palace, Li Yi Palace.

Ying Chengjiao sat at the desk, carefully recalling the history of his previous life in his mind.

Prince Yi of Zhao was the Marquis of Chunping, and after returning to Zhao, he seemed to have become a spy of Qin.

Glancing at the pile of visiting cards that was half a person's height, the young man pinched his chin, somewhat undecided.

Judging from Zhao Yi's current performance, he really didn't see the possibility that Zhao Yi would be turned against the state. If Zhao Yi was released back to Zhao, it would be like letting a tiger return to the mountain.

Is to believe in history.

Still believe in yourself.

The young man thought of the dead Meng Yi and his face turned pale.

History has actually been changing, but he just didn't notice it.

He let out a breath and thought of King Yan of Zhao, with whom he had had many interactions.

To be honest, during the time he was getting along with King Yan of Zhao, the young man did not realize that this King of Zhao was particularly bad.

At least compared with King Xi of Yan, the young man felt that King Yan of Zhao was better.

How could Zhao Yan, who seemed very clever, do such a ridiculous thing as making a prostitute the queen and Guo Kai the prime minister?
Compared with Zhao Yan, Zhao Yi is indeed much stronger.

In the current Zhao State, because the powerful Qin State was lying dormant to control the floods, the border general Li Mu swept across the desert and his power was at its peak.

The rise of Li Mu completely filled the turmoil caused by the departure of veteran general Lian Po.

Li Mu, who fought against the Hu people in the northwest and the State of Yan in the northeast, announced to the world the arrival of a new generation of war god. He could be said to have single-handedly pulled a large force on the State of Zhao.

"This won't do." Ying Chengjiao said to himself.

Prince Dan of Yan did not want to see a powerful Zhao State, and he did not want it even more.

From the beginning to the end, as he traveled around the various countries, he believed that the only army that could rival the Qin State was the Zhao State's.

The State of Zhao could not rise.

We have to find something for Zhao to do.

The State of Zhao is too strong. There are two ways to stop its rise.

One is to strengthen the State of Yan.

One is to weaken the State of Zhao.

The most direct way to weaken the State of Zhao is to release Zhao Yi back - the former prince should still have a large number of supporters, right?

If Ying Chengjiao doesn't want to let him go, then he can only strengthen Yan State first. Let Yan Prince Dan go back to Yan, hoping that Yan State can hold out for a while longer.

Zhao Yi didn't know.

Even if he had followed Prince Dan of Yan to the Bai family that day, he could not return to Zhao.

Even if Prince Dan of Yan refused to go to the Bai family, he would still return to Yan now.

It is very easy for the strong to find excuses to deal with the weak.

With his chin in his hand, the boy changed his posture.

He remembered that because Li Mu had seized the cities of Yan State, Yan General Ju Xin led a large army to attack Zhao State on a spring day when Li Mu had to lead a large army to station at the border and could not leave without permission.

The State of Yan lost this war.

The famous general Ju Xin, also known as Ju Zi, was a veteran general who first served as a general of Zhao and later as a general of Yan. He was not defeated by Li Mu - Li Mu was guarding the border.

Instead, he lost to his old friend, the Zhao veteran Pang Nuan.

Since the goal is to strengthen Yan and weaken Zhao, we naturally cannot let Yan lose.

A cold light flashed in Ying Chengjiao's eyes.

If he remembered correctly, Pang Nuan was currently unemployed at home and was not valued by King Yan of Zhao.

King Yan of Zhao appointed Pang Nuan to fight against the State of Yan, not because he thought of Pang Nuan, but because of Guo Kai's suggestion.

Ying Chengjiao felt that Guo Kai's original advice was just a last-ditch effort, but he never expected that he would actually dig up a treasure.

Ying Chengjiao thought for a moment, picked up a pen, and wrote quickly on a blank bamboo slip, expressing his thoughts on the bamboo.

If Pang Nuan died, would Zhao still win?
Although Zhao State has many generals, Ju Xin is no ordinary person. There shouldn't be that many people who can defeat Ju Xin, right?
Ying Chengjiao was thinking about something in his mind and writing faster and faster.

(End of this chapter)