When I was in Qin Dynasty, I really didn't want to make progress

When the Battle of Changping was at its most intense, Qin State used an outside tactic to force Zhao State to change its generals, which led to the great victory of the Qin army in Changping. However, Yang Chong was obviously not Lian Po. Although his current fiefdom was given by King Zhao, the army was formed by Yang Chong himself, and the military supplies were also earned by Yang Chong himself. Even if King Zhao wanted to take away Yang Chong's power, he probably couldn't do it.

Qin Wang Zheng, in a good mood, stopped playing mysterious and said directly: "Yang Chong is a descendant of the Lu family of Qi. He worked for the King of Zhao not because he was loyal to the King of Zhao, but to use the power of Zhao to revive the Lu family and ascend the throne of Qi again."

"For this, he can give up his position as the general of Han State. For this, he can be loyal to King Zhao. Moreover, he has been accumulating strength and stockpiling military equipment and food in the past few years, waiting for the day when the situation is right to invade Qi State in one fell swoop and replace Tian Jian as the new Qi State."

Qi? The words of King Qin Zheng fell into the ears of several people in the hall, and they were shocked. They really didn't know these inside stories.

"Yang Chong wants to accumulate strength. If he is really allowed to gain power, with his ability, if he controls the power of Qi, he may be able to recreate the might of Qi in the past and become a strong enemy of our Qin State's eastward expansion. Therefore, we must take precautions in advance and cut off Yang Chong's opportunity to accumulate strength." Xiong Qi said.

The reason he could become the prime minister of King Zheng of Qin was not only because King Zheng of Qin was his brother-in-law, but also because of his own talents. When Xiong Qi was still around, a person like Li Si, no matter how capable he was, could only rank behind him.

"Yes, you think the same as I do." King Zheng of Qin said with a smile.

Looking at King Zheng of Qin's reaction, everyone present understood: their king had already made up his mind.

"Yang Chong, you once helped me a lot in the past. I have always wanted to repay you. Unfortunately, he did not come to Qin, so I never had the chance. Now that I know that he is aiming for the throne of Qi, I naturally have to help him so that he can become the King of Qi as soon as possible." said King Zheng of Qin. As a young man, he couldn't help but have a hint of pride.

"What does the king mean?" Li Si showed his presence very appropriately.

"I am going to give Yang Chong a gift." Qin Wangzheng looked around at everyone and then continued, "When Dayu cast nine tripods, the Qingzhou tripod happened to be in Qi. I am going to give the Qingzhou tripod to Yang Chong. At the same time, I will send letters to Han, Wei, Chu, Yan, Zhao and other countries to recommend Yang Chong as the King of Qi."

"Your Majesty, in this case, even if King Jian of Qi wants to live in peace, it may not be possible. It is impossible for one Qi country to have two kings of Qi at the same time." Although Li Si had understood King Zheng of Qin's plan at this time, he still pretended not to understand, because he knew that King Zheng of Qin still wanted to continue speaking.

“What I want is a fight to the death between King Jian of Qi and Yang Chong. Only by making Yang Chong fall into the war with Qi, when my army attacks Zhao again next year, can I cut off Zhao’s arm.” When King Zheng of Qin said this, he stated his true purpose.

Yang Chong lived in Dong'a City, training his soldiers and storing grain honestly. His purpose was to slowly accumulate strength and wait for the right time to attack Qi State in one fell swoop. This is exactly what the saying goes: build high walls, store up grain, and slowly become king.

Yang Chong's decision was certainly correct, and could even be said to be very wise, but his purpose was also seen through by smart people, and King Zheng of Qin happened to be such a smart person.

So he came up with this brilliant idea. In his capacity as King of Qin, he invited the five countries of Han, Wei, Chu, Yan, and Zhao to jointly promote Yang Chong as the King of Qi in the name of the six countries of Qin, and push Yang Chong, the King of Qi, and Tian Jian, the King of Qi, to the point of a life-and-death struggle.

At that time, whether Tian Jian was willing to start a war or not, he had to start a war with Yang Chong. There would be no room for easing, unless Tian Jian, the King of Qi, was willing to give up everything he had.

At that time, a scene like this will appear: Yang Chong, who has not accumulated enough strength, will face the entire Qi State. Although the combat effectiveness of Qi State has declined in recent years, it is still alive and well. Facing Yang Chong at this time, Yang Chong will definitely be exhausted and even face defeat if he is not careful.

By then, Yang Chong would be unable to take care of himself, so how could he have the room to support Zhao? When Yang Chong was caught in a tough battle with Qi, the Qin army could be dispatched. Whether it was attacking Zhao or cutting off Yang Chong's retreat, both were good choices. Moreover, with Qin's military strength, it was not impossible to fight on two fronts.

Qin Shi Huang's plan was extremely vicious, as it completely found Yang Chong's weakness.

As for whether he could persuade the kings of the five countries to jointly recommend Yang Chong as the King of Qi, King Zheng of Qin was not worried at all. Han and Wei had long been psychologically traumatized by Qin. When King Zheng of Qin asked the King of Han and the King of Wei to do this little thing, the two really did not dare to refuse. As for Yan, it always followed Qin's lead.

Speaking of the King of Chu, he also had no reason to refuse. He might not be willing to accept King Zheng of Qin's invitation, but he was willing to see a Qi State in civil strife.

Over the years, Chu has annexed many of Qi's former territories. Even Lu, which Qi had never annexed, was destroyed by Chu not long ago. This was because Chu had been in constant friction with Qin and Wei in recent years, and Qi was not so weak that it had no power to resist. Therefore, Chu did not dare to force Qi into a desperate situation and did not use large-scale military forces against Qi. However, if Qi fell into civil strife, Chu might have a chance.

It can be said that neither the King of Chu nor the nobles of Chu would sit idly by and watch such an opportunity slip away. After all, Qi was too rich. Occupying a city in Qi was more tempting than expanding a hundred miles of territory in Yue.

As for King Zhao, he also had no reason to refuse. If all the kings of the countries wanted to push Yang Chong to be the King of Qi, with himself being the only exception, he would have to imagine whether his behavior would make Yang Chong think too much. And in the current situation, King Zhao still had to rely on Yang Chong in many ways.

The people present were all top figures of this era. Qin Wang Zheng had already said this, so how could they not understand? They all showed a look of understanding. With his knowledge, he was very sure that Qin Wang Zheng's plan would succeed, and Yang Chong was in big trouble.

If Yang Chong knew that such a conspiracy against him was brewing in the distant Xianyang Palace, he would probably curse loudly: Damn Qin Shi Huang!

Chapter 237 Clouds move in all directions

Han was the closest to Qin, so the edict from King Zheng of Qin first appeared in the court of Han. Such a secret matter naturally did not need to be publicized, so after receiving the letter, King An of Han only summoned a few trusted ministers to see the meaning behind this letter.

As for refusing to accept the offer from King Qin Zheng, King Han An didn't even think about it. Not to mention that King Qin Zheng just wanted him to join Qin in promoting Yang Chong as the King of Qi, even if King Qin Zheng wanted his Nanyang County, he probably wouldn't have the courage to refuse.

At this time, Prime Minister Zhang Kaidi, Sikou Han Fei, Sima Wei Zhuang and the fourth young master Han Yu, who had no specific official position but no one in the Kingdom of Han could ignore, were all in the hall, listening to Han Wangan's story one by one, and each of them showed a different expression.

Han Fei and Wei Zhuang were not too surprised. After all, they could barely be considered good friends of Yang Chong. Their former collaborator Zi Nu had even had both her and Zi Lan Xuan poached away. They knew Yang Chong's background, but that didn't mean they didn't have any ideas. It's just that their ideas were not directed at Yang Chong, but at King Zheng of Qin. King Zheng of Qin seemed to be helping Yang Chong by doing this, but in fact he was harboring evil intentions. Faced with such a situation, what should Yang Chong choose?

Han Fei, Wei Zhuang and others were happy to see Yang Chong's plan for Qi. After all, the emergence of a strong Qi might not necessarily be good for the world situation, but it would not be too bad after all. The situation faced by Han was already as bad as it could be, so they were naturally looking forward to the so-called variables. After all, Han had already hit rock bottom, and if things got any worse, it might rebound.

Zhang Kaidi and Han Yu were truly shocked. Yang Chong, their former colleague, actually had such an identity? Even more incredible, now Qin Wangzheng wanted to unite the kings and jointly promote Yang Chong as the King of Qi. This was not a general, but the King of Qi. There were only seven such people in the world. Such a thing had never happened in hundreds of years.

In particular, they were not unfamiliar with Yang Chong. After all, they had served in the same palace with him. In their impression, Yang Chong was a more terrifying person than Ji Wuye. After all, he was the murderer who killed Ji Wuye. He was definitely arrogant and domineering. But such a person was now associated with the position of King of Qi. Is the world changing too fast, or are they just getting old and lacking imagination?

"The King of Qin contacted the other kings and wanted to jointly recommend Yang Chong, a descendant of the Jiang clan and the Lu clan, as the King of Qi. Do you have any ideas?" King Han An naturally could not guess what everyone in the hall was thinking, but none of this matter mattered. What was important was what this matter meant and what impact it would have on South Korea.

"This matter has little to do with us. It is more about King Zheng of Qin's plan against Yang Chong." Han Fei spoke first.

Everyone present may be smart, but when it comes to the person who knows both Yang Chong and King Zheng of Qin, the first person to be mentioned is Han Fei. He has more information than anyone else present, so he is the first person to see King Zheng of Qin's plan.

"What did Qin Wangzheng want to plot against Yang Chong?" Han Wangan asked. He had never thought of this. Qin Wangzheng went to such great lengths to invite the kings to recommend Yang Chong as the King of Qi. He thought it was because the two were good friends. In his opinion, Qin Wangzheng was helping Yang Chong, and it was a great help.

"In recent years, Qin's main target has been Zhao. This year, the Qin army attacked Zhao. It took several years of planning to transfer the main force of the Zhao army away from the country. The Qin army wanted to take this opportunity to completely eliminate all of Zhao's strongholds west of Taihang Mountain and south of Zhangshui, but it failed because of Yang Chong. Now Zhao has Li Mu in the north and Yang Chong in the south. This situation makes Qin feel pressured. So if King Zheng of Qin still wants to plot against Zhao, he must remove the obstacle of Yang Chong." Han Fei analyzed.

"So, what King Zheng of Qin is doing is not to help Yang Chong, but to let King Jian of Qi take action against Yang Chong. At that time, Qin will take action against Zhao, and Yang Chong will have no time to take care of other things?" Han Yu, the fourth young master, understood it in an instant.

"King Zheng of Qin is definitely not a person who is willing to help others, so it is very likely that he did this for this reason," Han Fei replied.

"This matter has nothing to do with us. As for the letter from King Zheng of Qin, it's nothing. We just need to send an envoy. As for the rest, let Yang Chong and King Zheng of Qin calculate against each other. I guess that the King of Wei probably has the same idea." Listening to Han Fei's clear analysis, King Han An had no interest. No matter what King Zheng of Qin's calculations were, he could only listen. He really had no room for choice.

Seeing that King Han An was not interested, Han Fei said no more. However, he was very interested in this diplomatic mission. Yang Chong had only been in Zhao for two years, but he was able to dominate the area, so much so that King Qin Zheng had to resort to this desperate measure to plot against him. This made Han Fei very interested, and he was very interested in everything Yang Chong did.

He once said that he wanted to be the master of 99% of the world. He was confident at that time. However, when he really joined the chess game of the world, he realized that this game was not as simple as he had imagined. Now he is trapped in the power struggle in South Korea, while Yang Chong has already jumped out of South Korea and created a foundation outside.

Now King Zheng of Qin is going to contact other kings to jointly recommend Yang Chong as the King of Qi. No matter what fate Yang Chong will face next, at least Yang Chong is successful for now.

He was very interested in communicating with Yang Chong, or, more accurately, asking for advice.

So Han Fei looked at Zhang Kaidi, and he needed Zhang Kaidi's help at this time.

Zhang Kaidi saw Han Fei's gesture and reacted in an instant. Han Fei was interested in this mission. Since Han Fei was interested in it, he naturally didn't mind helping out. It was an unimportant matter and it didn't matter who went.

However, before Zhang Kaidi could open his mouth, Han Yu took the initiative to stand up and asked, "If my father has not designated a candidate, I would like to volunteer for the mission of envoy."

Hmm? Han Fei was startled when he heard this, and his eyes fell on his fourth brother: What is Fourth Brother going to do? I have never heard that he has any friendship with Yang Chong!

Han Fei was confused and couldn't figure out the deeper meaning behind Han Yu's action for a moment.

"Since you want to go, then go ahead." Han Wangan glanced at his son without thinking much about it. It was just an insignificant matter after all.

Yang Chong was still too far away from him after all, but King Zheng of Qin was right in front of them.

Han Fei was completely helpless now. He had just secured a victory, so how did the situation change?

The matter of King Zheng of Qin's letter was thus finalized in Korea.

People left the palace one after another.

After walking out of the palace, Han Fei was about to leave with Wei Zhuang, but was stopped by Han Yu. Han Fei had no choice but to get on Han Yu's carriage.

"Ninth brother, are you curious about why I took the initiative to take on this task?" Han Yu said to Han Fei who was sitting opposite him.

His ninth brother is good in every way, except for one thing: he acts too impulsively on many things and cannot distinguish the important from the unimportant. To put it nicely, he is a man of temperament, but to put it bluntly, he is clueless.

"I am a little curious. I didn't expect that Fourth Brother would be interested in this job. To be honest, I was also thinking of taking this job, but I never thought that you would get there first." Han Fei rolled his eyes. He didn't know if his Fourth Brother asked him to get on the carriage to show off. He thought that his respected and steady Fourth Brother would not do such an outrageous thing.

"If you want something, you have to fight for it." Han Yu said something that seemed irrelevant, and then he added: "I also want to see if this future King of Qi can continue to turn decay into magic. If he can really become the King of Qi, we may have to rely on him in many ways in the future."

"It's difficult. King Zheng of Qin has put Yang Chong to death with this move. Although Qi has not fought foreign wars for many years, it still has the foundation of a great power. When the time comes, hundreds of thousands of troops will rush to Dong'a City. Even if Yang Chong has great abilities, I'm afraid all his struggles will be in vain in the face of absolute power." Han Fei was not optimistic about Yang Chong's prospects. After all, it was Qi State, and it would be easy to mobilize an army of 200,000 or 300,000.

"This is not something we need to worry about. If he succeeds, we will have to make friends with him. If he fails, it will just be a wasted trip and there is no loss." Han Yu said indifferently.

Yang Chong's place was just a fallback plan he considered. He didn't care much whether this fallback plan could succeed. It was just a consideration.

"Fourth brother has thought it through." What else could Han Fei say? There was nothing else to say.

Not long after, as the Qin envoy Li Si passed through Xinzheng, the Korean delegation headed by Han Yu also set out, heading towards Daliang with Li Si and others, where they would wait for the delegation from Chu, and then go to Dong'a City together.

During this period, the Qin State's official letter also appeared on the desk in the Zhao Palace.

Queen Dowager Zhao looked at the letter in her hand, feeling confused and uncertain. What did King Zheng of Qin mean by this?

As a collaborator, Queen Dowager Zhao knew more about Yang Chongzhi's plan to restore the country than most people, but what about King Zheng of Qin's interference?

It seems that King Zheng of Qin is helping Yang Chong, and he even calculated the Qingzhou Tripod. Could it be that there is some other tacit understanding between Yang Chong and King Zheng of Qin?

When she thought of this possibility, Queen Dowager Zhao felt a chill down her spine. To a large extent, everything she had now was because of Yang Chong. It was because of Yang Chong that her son was able to ascend the throne and she was able to become the queen dowager. It was also because of Yang Chong's advice that she was able to control the State of Zhao.

If Yang Chongruo really reached a tacit understanding with Qin Wangzheng, what should she do? When Queen Mother Zhao thought of this, she became more flustered.

It seemed that because Yang Chong had helped her so much before, she now developed an unspeakable dependence on Yang Chong. Queen Zhao had never noticed this in the past, but with the appearance of this letter, she suddenly realized this fact.

No, this matter... Queen Zhao stood up suddenly, but when she looked up, there was only the empty hall and her confused mood.

Queen Zhao didn't know what to do and could only summon Guo Kai. Although Guo Kai was not a very reliable person, he knew his situation and knew that he could only maintain his power by standing on the side of Queen Dowager Zhao and King Qian of Zhao. Therefore, he was quite loyal to Queen Dowager Zhao and King Qian of Zhao and their mother.

"This matter is simple. Wouldn't the Queen Mother know the answer by summoning Master Yang back to Handan? Any further guesses are useless." Guo Kai took a look at the imperial edict in his hand and could tell at a glance that the paper used was the top-quality paper produced in Dong'e City. A piece of such paper would cost several thousand gold coins. Even for someone of Qin Shi Huang's status, he would not use this level of paper unless it was an important decree or letter.

He is really rich, even King Zheng of Qin has to give him money obediently. Guo Kai thought with envy.

"Is that all that's needed?" Queen Mother Zhao asked in surprise. She was worried about this and couldn't sleep. Is it so simple with Guo Kai?

"That depends on whether the Queen Mother still trusts Master Yang, and whether Master Yang still trusts the Queen Mother." Guo Kai said.

"Of course I trust the young master, but he...Okay, I'll do as you say on this matter." Queen Mother Zhao said after a moment of silence. She also knew that her wild thoughts at this moment were meaningless, and everything had to be made clear in person.

Handan is not far from Dong'a City, because when Queen Dowager Zhao decided to summon Yang Chong for a meeting, the letter appeared on Yang Chong's desk in less than two days.

It was a letter, not an imperial edict. Although the two were similar, the meanings they represented were worlds apart. Queen Dowager Zhao summoned Yang Chong via a private message, which was also to express her attitude. She was reminding Yang Chong that the two of them were not just monarch and subject and collaborators, but also good friends with a common secret.

It can be said that Queen Dowager Zhao's action really has a bit of moral kidnapping meaning. This widow is indeed very cunning.

When Yang Chong saw the letter from Queen Mother Zhao, he was also a little surprised. What did this pretty widow who controlled the State of Zhao and was so domineering want to see him for at this time?

Apart from the words of invitation in the letter, Queen Dowager Zhao did not mention a word about what King Zheng of Qin had done. Perhaps she was not completely at ease.

"Are you going to Handan?" Zi Nu asked while helping Yang Chong put away the letter from Queen Mother Zhao.

As a woman, Zi Nu had a feeling that the relationship between Queen Mother Zhao and her man was not as simple as it seemed. As for the reason, a woman's intuition was the reason.

"We need the support of Zhao, and now it is the queen mother who controls Zhao. It is important for us to maintain a good relationship with her." Yang Chong explained.

"Don't sacrifice yourself." Zi Nu said softly, and it seemed that she had a woman's temper.

"Am I that stupid?" Yang Chong said innocently.

"Of course you are not stupid. If you were stupid, that would be fine. You are just too smart. You are so smart that any incredible thing happening to you is normal in my opinion." Zi Nu said resentfully.

Chapter 238 Lies and Trust

While Yang Chong was talking to Zi Nu, another letter from Handan was delivered to Yang Chong.

"Guo Kai?" Yang Chong looked at the sealing wax on the letter, slightly surprised. The letters from Queen Mother Zhao and Guo Kai came one after the other, which was really timely. He just didn't know what Guo Kai's purpose was this time.

Yang Chong tore open the envelope, glanced at it, and a look of shock appeared on his face. Is this really the case?

In the letter, Guo Kai mentioned that King Zheng of Qin had invited other kings to come to Dong'a to jointly recommend him as King of Qi, and also explained the reason why Queen Dowager Zhao invited Yang Chong to Handan this time.

"Guo Kai is quite smart. I have to do him a favor this time." Yang Chong handed the letter to Zi Nu. Didn't you see that Zi Nu's eyes were lighting up?

"Where's Guo Kai's cleverness?" Zi Nu asked after taking the letter. However, as the information in the letter appeared before her, Zi Nu was no longer in the mood to pay attention to this question. Her mind was completely dominated by two pieces of information in it.

"The letter written by Queen Dowager Zhao must have been discussed with Guo Kai. If Guo Kai wanted to inform me of the news, this letter could have come before Queen Dowager Zhao's letter. However, in this way, he would have sold out Queen Dowager Zhao, but his letter only came a little later than Queen Dowager Zhao's letter. In this way, he would not have sold out Queen Dowager Zhao, but he had informed me of the news. Naturally, I would have accepted his favor." Yang Chong explained.

"What is King Zheng of Qin trying to do? Is he trying to alienate you from the Queen Mother of Zhao? Qin is the best at doing this. Since Zhang Yi and Fan Ju, when they encounter insurmountable obstacles in war, they will use the strategy of sowing discord, and it has worked time and again over the years."

Zi Nu's palm subconsciously clenched the letter. As for whether Guo Kai was a smart man, she no longer cared. The information in it was too important. It could even be said that it would affect Yang Chong's future fate.

"He is trying to roast me on the fire." Yang Chong immediately understood the intention behind King Zheng of Qin's move.

"You mean?" After Yang Chong's reminder, Zi Nu also reacted, and then she was worried: "The Qin Wang Zheng's move is an open conspiracy. How should we deal with it? It seems that there is no chance to break the situation. The people of the King of Han and the King of Wei dare not refuse the invitation of the Qin Wang Zheng."

"King Zheng of Qin didn't even give us a chance to refuse. He is so domineering!" Yang Chong exclaimed in admiration. He was helpless in doing anything about King Zheng of Qin's plan. He could only accept it. There was nothing else he could do.

"If King Zheng of Qin's plan is really realized, we will have to face the State of Qi directly. With our current strength, we have no chance of winning against the State of Qi." Zi Nu said worriedly.

After all, Qi is a big country with a population of millions, and can easily mobilize hundreds of thousands of troops. By then, even if Yang Chong has three heads and six arms, he will not be able to withstand the army of Qi.

"King Zheng of Qin also thought so, so he went to great lengths to help me with this 'big favor'. Our old friend Master Shang is really grateful!" Yang Chong said sarcastically.

"Perhaps we all underestimated him back then. He is as terrifying as his ancestors. The Qin State will become even more powerful under his control. Perhaps Ji Wuye and the others were right back then." Zi Nu said.

King Qin Zheng's scheme against Yang Chong made Zi Nu lose her good impression of him. At this moment, Zi Nu recalled that if she had known what would happen today, she would have taken action against King Qin Zheng in Xinzheng. How could she have even brought Yang Chong into the game in order to save King Qin Zheng?

"It's useless to say these things now. If Zi Lan Xuan hadn't been destroyed by me, it would have been difficult to get you to elope with me." Yang Chong smiled. He did not regret what he had done.

"It's already this late and you're still in the mood to joke." Zi Nu said helplessly. She was extremely worried now and didn't find anything funny about what Yang Chong said.

"Don't worry, King Zheng of Qin's plan is flawless, but he overlooked one point, or more accurately, he overlooked a person." Yang Chong said.

"Who is he ignoring?" Zi Nu asked nervously. Is there really still a chance to break the deadlock?

"Of course it's me. Although his calculations were good, he missed me. He knows too little about me." Yang Chong said, his expression full of confidence. His confidence was not to comfort Zi Nu, but because he had his own confidence.

"You..." Zi Nu looked at Yang Chong, but for a moment she couldn't understand why Yang Chong said that.