"If I were to tell you, my lord…"
"That the one behind the events of the past was none other than the former Empress Dowager."
Wang Wan lowered his voice as he spoke.
Hearing this, Fusu's expression changed. "Grandmother, the former Empress Dowager? Why would she do such a thing?"
"All because of power and personal interests."
"As for the specifics, even I do not know much. Perhaps only the former Empress Dowager and Lü Buwei truly understand the details."
"There is nothing more to say about it."
"My only reason for bringing this up today is to warn you, my lord. No matter what, never even vaguely mention this matter in front of His Majesty, and under no circumstances should you offend Xia Wuqi."
"In His Majesty's heart, the entire court of ministers combined is not worth a single Xia Wuqi."
"Think carefully on this matter, my lord."
"And above all, never let this information leak out. Otherwise, disaster will surely follow." Wang Wan's expression was extremely solemn as he warned.
Fusu also nodded seriously. "I will remember your words, Prime Minister."
"As long as my lord understands, that is enough. But you must never speak of it again." Wang Wan still felt uneasy and repeated his warning.
He knew that this matter was a forbidden topic for the current king. If anyone were to bring it up again, forcing His Majesty to relive the humiliation and the pain of losing his beloved, the consequences would be dire.
"My lord," Wang Wan continued, "who else do you think is aware of this matter?"
"There are only a few in the court who know."
"Myself, Prime Minister Kui…"
"And your great-uncle, Ying Xi, is also aware."
"But none of us dare to speak of it again," Wang Wan explained.
"Now I finally understand why my father holds such deep resentment toward the royal clan," Fusu said in realization.
"In the past, the royal clan held great power over the court, no less than the old noble families. But now, there are few among them who wield real influence. All of this stems from that past event."
"That is precisely why this matter is so serious, my lord," Wang Wan reminded him once again.
Time Passes!
Nearly two months later...
Wei Kingdom
Just a few dozen miles from the capital city of Daliang...
On the official road leading to Wei's capital, columns of Qin soldiers marched forward, heading straight for Daliang.
On a war chariot, Zhao Feng stood tall, flanked by his guards.
"General," a scout officer galloped forward and reported, "we have entered the territory of Wei's capital, Daliang."
"At this marching speed, we will reach Daliang within a day."
"Pass my orders," Zhao Feng commanded calmly.
"Proceed with caution, maintain a defensive formation while advancing."
"Deploy the scout battalions and spread them out."
"If any sign of enemy forces is detected attack immediately."
"Yes, sir!" The scout officer swiftly rode off.
"Commander," General Zhang Ming spoke, "it has been less than three months since we moved out from Wu'an Base Camp, and now we have already penetrated the heart of Wei's territory."
"I heard that Hangu Base Camp is still in a stalemate with the Wei army. They have taken over ten cities, but General Pang Wu of Wei is retreating strategically, scattering his forces to slow down Hangu's advance. This tactic has caused considerable casualties among the Wei troops, but it has also delayed Hangu Base Camp's progress."
Zhao Feng nodded without surprise. "Wei Wuji is a skilled general. Though old, his strategies remain sound. He knows when to advance and when to retreat."
"If Hangu Base Camp were to break through Wei's western defenses, they would be able to march straight to Daliang. At that point, Wei would be facing an attack from two Qin forces. That would be a disaster for them."
"Moreover," Zhao Feng continued, "with Huang Xie dead and the Chu King also gone, Wei has no external reinforcements left. This time, Wei Wuji is determined to make the Qin army suffer as much as possible, even if it means mutual destruction."
"So, Wei Wuji will hold the line he will fight to the very end."
Zhang Ming nodded but then asked, "Commander, I still don't understand something. Why won't they just surrender?"
"If they surrender, given His Majesty's wisdom, he would not necessarily take their lives. Surely they could still live a life of wealth and privilege."
"Why do they have to fight to the bitter end?"
"After all, their defeat is already certain."
Hearing this, Zhao Feng merely smiled.
"That is precisely why you are not Wei Wuji."
"When a nation falls, its people bear the responsibility."
"Moreover, Wei Wuji is of royal blood he is the last pillar of Wei."
"For one, his pride and status do not allow him to surrender. For another, he still holds onto a sliver of hope."
"He believes that if he holds out long enough, a miracle might happen and save Wei."
Zhao Feng had encountered Wei Wuji before, back during the Battle of Weicheng.
Though Wei Wuji had lost that battle, Zhao Feng had gained an understanding of him.
Wei Wuji one of the famed 'Four Lords of the Warring States.'
Surrender?
Wei Wuji would never surrender.
Nor would the many loyal warriors of Wei.
This was the nature of a nation's fall it separated the loyal from the disloyal.
When Zhao Feng had first joined the army, he had only wanted to serve a short term in logistics before returning home to care for his mother.
However, even back then, he had sworn that if the nation was ever in danger, he would lay down his life to defend it.
This was a fundamental sense of loyalty.
The fall of a nation always brought great suffering to its people. If the victors were benevolent, they might show mercy. But if they were not, then plundering and atrocities would be inevitable.
However
Qin's laws were strict, and its military discipline even stricter.
Furthermore, King Zheng of Qin had already decreed that once a city was taken, its people must not be slaughtered.
Even when Qin conquered Handan the city that had humiliated and tormented him the most King Zheng restrained himself and refrained from ordering a massacre. This alone was proof of his great vision and ambition.
But across the various warring states, not every ruler was like Qin Shi Huang!
"I think I understand now," Zhang Ming said hesitantly.
"This must be what they call honor."
"Honor?" Zhao Feng chuckled.
"You can think of it that way."
"Enough," Zhao Feng continued, "pass down my orders."
"Mobilize the Third Army Division we march at full speed to Daliang."
"This war... is about to end."
"Yes, sir!" Zhang Ming responded loudly.
Daliang, the Capital of Wei
"Your Majesty," a Wei general spoke, his face grim.
"The Qin army… has arrived."
Standing atop the city walls, Wei Wuji gazed out into the distance.
"Yes…"
"They have finally arrived."
"And faster than I expected by an entire month."
"I underestimated the Wu'an Base Camp." Wei Wuji sighed.
"I truly don't understand," the general beside him said.
"How is it possible that an army made up of surrendered soldiers can fight with such power?"
"How did Zhao Feng make them so loyal?"
"After all, those surrendered soldiers are all Zhao people. How could they be willing to fight for Qin?" A nearby Wei general asked in confusion.
"The Penal Servitude Army."
"This is Zhao Feng's psychological warfare strategy."
"If the State of Zhao still existed, these tens of thousands of surrendered Zhao soldiers would naturally not fight for Qin. But Zhao has already perished. Tens of millions of Zhao people have now become Qin people, and those soldiers' families are also under Qin's rule."
"If your family was under Qin's control, would you still dare to betray Qin? Would you still dare to defect on the battlefield?" Wei Wuji explained knowingly.
"This… indeed, I wouldn't dare, nor would I be able to." The Wei general suddenly understood.
"This is precisely the Qin State's Penal Servitude Army strategy."
"It not only restrains soldiers through military law but also controls them by holding their families hostage."
"This is a strategy that cannot be replicated by other states."
"Moreover,"
"Zhao Feng has always led his troops by example. He did so as a deputy general, he did so as a main general, and now, even as Qin's Supreme General, he still personally leads from the front."
"If I were to charge ahead into battle, what would our Wei soldiers do?" Wei Wuji asked again.
"The entire army would be greatly inspired. After all, if even someone as noble as you charged ahead, all the soldiers would be fearless and fight with everything they have." The Wei general immediately responded.
"That is Zhao Feng's leadership."
"He always charges at the front, igniting the morale of his troops."
"If even the Supreme General leads the charge, what fear should ordinary soldiers have?"
"Under Zhao Feng's influence,"
"Even the generals under his command have followed suit, leading from the front."
"This is one of the reasons why the Wu'an Army is so formidable."
"Even after reaching such a high status, he still fights at the forefront. If it were you, could you do the same?" Wei Wuji asked with a wry smile.
The Wei generals surrounding him all lowered their heads. Their response was clear they could not.
"Qin's Wu'an Army."
"Zhao Feng."
"No matter how fearless you are,"
"I have sealed the city gates with bricks and stones."
"Even if you have divine weapons, you cannot easily break through. Unless you attack with siege ladders, but how could your troops climb up against our defenses?"
"This battle,"
"Even if we are doomed to lose, even if Wei is destined to perish,"
"I will make sure that Qin pays a heavy price and loses an entire army." Wei Wuji said coldly.
Then, he turned to the generals beside him.
"Have your families been sent to Chu?" Wei Wuji asked.
"Thanks to your grace, our families have all entered Chu territory,"
"We have no more worries,"
"We are willing to die in service of Wei."
The surrounding Wei generals responded one after another.
"Wei may fall this time,"
"But its legacy will endure."
"I do not believe that Qin can remain strong forever. As soon as Qin weakens, the forces I have preserved for Wei will rise and overthrow them." A sharp light flashed in Wei Wuji's eyes.
At that moment
Thunderous sounds rumbled at the city gates.
Countless Qin soldiers clad in black armor had arrived before the capital city of Daliang. They halted beyond the range of arrows, standing in formation before the city.
Standing atop a war chariot, Zhao Feng moved to the front lines.
When they were a hundred zhang (around 300 meters) from the city, the army came to a stop, positioning themselves before the walls of Wei's capital, Daliang.
"From this sight, can you still see any trace of the former Zhao army?"
Wei Wuji looked at the Qin soldiers assembled outside the city and suddenly asked.
"They are completely Qin soldiers now, not Zhao soldiers at all."
"After being reorganized, they have completely changed," a Wei general replied.
"Zhao Feng, Zhao Feng…" Wei Wuji muttered his name twice, his expression complicated.
Turning his gaze back to the battlefield
"Supreme General, shall we give the order to attack?" Li You asked respectfully, his eyes filled with eagerness for glory.
Over the past three months, Li You had led troops to conquer many cities, accumulating some merit. However, compared to Zhang Han and Tu Sui, his achievements still fell far behind.
"Wei's capital, Daliang, has been reinforced by Wei Wuji for nearly three years. All its gates have been sealed with bricks and stone, turning the city into a fortress. Without siege ladders, it will be difficult to breach its walls."
"Unless we use trebuchets to bombard the walls for several days, hoping to collapse a section."
"But of course, Wei Wuji would have anticipated this as well," Zhao Feng said in a deep voice.
"Then does that mean Daliang is impenetrable?" Li You's expression changed.
"From a conventional standpoint, yes." Zhao Feng nodded.
Of course
If Zhao Feng were to unleash his full power, he could easily bring down a section of the wall.
However, doing so would be too conspicuous.
Such an act would surpass the capabilities of ordinary men.
If he were to reveal his true strength
Zhao Feng could not be sure whether Qin King Zheng would seek him out in pursuit of immortality.
"Then are we truly unable to breach Daliang?"
"What should we do?"
"Should we just besiege the city and wait for their supplies to run out?"
"But intelligence reports say that Wei Wuji has stockpiled a year's worth of provisions. Are we going to wait outside the city for an entire year?" Tu Sui could not help but ask.
"Zhang Ming."
Zhao Feng called out.
"Here!" Zhang Ming immediately responded.
"Go invite Wei Wuji to a meeting."
"See if he is willing." Zhao Feng ordered.
"Understood."
Zhang Ming did not hesitate, immediately riding his horse toward the gates of Wei's capital.
On the city wall
"Your Highness,"
"A Qin rider is approaching," a Wei general reported.
"He must be here to negotiate a surrender," Wei Wuji said calmly.
But he did not order the archers to shoot.
In battles between states, emissaries were not to be harmed such had been the rule since the Spring and Autumn period.
With no obstruction, Zhang Ming arrived at the base of the city wall.
"May I ask if Prince Xinling of Wei is present?" Zhang Ming raised his head and called out loudly.
"I am here."
"If you have come to persuade me to surrender, there is no need to speak," Wei Wuji replied calmly.
"My lord, the Supreme General, wishes to meet you at the front lines. May I ask if you are willing?" Zhang Ming clasped his hands and asked directly.
"Zhao Feng wants to see me?" Wei Wuji was momentarily taken aback.
"I am merely following the orders of the Supreme General to extend his invitation," Zhang Ming called out loudly.
"Master, you must not leave the city!"
"That's right, Master!"
"You are the backbone of Great Wei. If Zhao Feng intends to harm you, we would be unable to come to your aid."
"Please think this through carefully, Master."
Seeing Wei Wuji's eagerness, the surrounding Wei generals immediately tried to dissuade him.
Wei Wuji raised his hand. "If Zhao Feng were to kill me this way, he would be ridiculed by the world."
"Besides"
"I truly do wish to meet with Zhao Feng and have a conversation."
Hearing this, the Wei generals fell silent, unsure of what more to say.
"Prepare the basket," Wei Wuji commanded.
"Then I shall return to report to the Supreme General," Zhang Ming cupped his fists and said.
With that, he turned his horse around and rode back toward the Qin camp.
At this moment
The basket on the city tower was prepared, and Wei Wuji stepped onto it.
As the basket was lowered, he landed on the ground.
Inside the Qin camp
"Supreme General."
"Wei Wuji has agreed to meet," Zhang Ming reported respectfully.
"The Four Lords of the Warring States truly live up to their reputation," Zhao Feng remarked, glancing toward the distance.
He saw Wei Wuji walking alone toward the Qin formation.
Seeing this, Zhao Feng also stepped down from his war chariot and walked forward.
At the same time
Zhao Feng instructed, "Bring the table over."
Before coming, he had already ordered his guards to prepare a table and cushions.
At a time like this, he naturally wished to have a proper conversation with Wei Wuji.
Before long
At the very center between Wei's capital and the Qin army
Zhao Feng and Wei Wuji stood facing each other.
"Lord Xinling."
"I have long admired your name," Zhao Feng said with a slight smile, cupping his fists.
"Qin's Supreme General, Zhao Feng."
"I have long admired your name even more."
Looking at Zhao Feng's youthful appearance and the confidence radiating from him
Wei Wuji couldn't help but sigh inwardly. The heavens must truly favor Qin, for it continues to produce such talent. When Bai Qi died, all the states rejoiced, yet soon after came Wang Jian and Meng Wu. And now, there is Zhao Feng an even younger general, whose command of the army may be even superior.
Sigh...
At this moment, Wei Wuji could only lament.
Just then, several Qin guards stepped forward.
They set up the table
Placed two cushions
And laid out a fine wine flask and two wine cups.
"Lord Xinling, please sit," Zhao Feng gestured with a wave of his hand.
Wei Wuji did not hesitate and took a seat, while Zhao Feng also sat down.
Then
Zhao Feng picked up the flask and poured wine into both cups.
"Lord Xinling."
"Today, I toast to you."
"This wine from the Jiu Xian Tavern is of the finest quality."
Zhao Feng smiled, raising his cup and drinking it in one gulp.
Wei Wuji did not suspect Zhao Feng of poisoning the wine.
At their level of status, resorting to such underhanded means would only invite ridicule from the world.
So he, too, picked up his cup and drained it.
"Indeed"
"The wine from the Jiu Xian Tavern is truly exquisite," Wei Wuji remarked, nodding with a smile.
"It seems that Lord Xinling is also a man who appreciates good wine," Zhao Feng chuckled.
Wei Wuji responded with a faint smile.
The two exchanged pleasantries for a moment.
Had they not been sitting in the center of a battlefield, before the walls of Wei's capital, one might have mistaken them for old friends reuniting after years apart.
"I had thought you invited me here to persuade me to surrender, yet it seems that is not your intention," Wei Wuji said suddenly, sipping his wine.
"Surrender?"
Zhao Feng shook his head with a smile. "Such an offer might work on those who lack loyalty and honor, but for Lord Xinling? There is no need because I know you would never surrender."
"Today, I meet with you purely out of respect."
Hearing Zhao Feng's words, Wei Wuji sighed and said, "What a pity... If only you were a subject of Great Wei. With your abilities, perhaps you could have preserved Wei's destiny."
"Lord Xinling jests."
"If I were a Wei subject, I would never have reached my current position."
"Your Wei state has no military merit system, nor does it allow commoners to rise through the ranks by slaying enemies. Everything is dictated by nobility, and social status is fixed from birth."
Zhao Feng spoke with a hint of amusement in his voice.
Hearing this
Wei Wuji's expression changed slightly, but he soon nodded. "Indeed!"
"Of all the states, only Qin has succeeded in its reforms."
"The other states fall short!"
Even if Wei Wuji had the desire for reform, the opposition was too strong
Too many people stood against it.
It threatened the interests of the noble class, and they would never allow it.
Only Qin
Qin had also paid a great price for its reforms, but in the end, it had succeeded.
"Wei will fall."
"You must know this as well," Zhao Feng said.
"Yes."
"Great Wei will fall."
"But if we can take a bite out of Qin before we perish"
"That will be worth it." Wei Wuji chuckled.
Then, he pointed to the towering city walls of Wei's capital behind him.
"Zhao Feng."
"This city was reinforced under my supervision for three years. The gates have been sealed with stone beyond the strength of men to open."
"Can your Qin army breach it?" Wei Wuji asked confidently.
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