Great Qin Empire: Part 3. Steel and Horsepower (Volumes 1 and 2)

Author: Sun Haohui / Country:
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-09-01
Features: King Zhao of Yan was exceptionally perceptive and immediately began constructing a luxurious mansion in the dilapidated city of Ji. He then built a golden pavilion in the courtyard using bronze and solemnly summoned Guo Wei to join his court, inviting him to reside in the Golden Pavilion and become the national teacher! The news spread, and scholars from various states were inspired by the precedent of King Xiaohong of Qin seeking talent during his impoverished and declining reign. They were deeply impressed and flocked to Yan, creating a trend. Among the most notable were Yue Yi, descendant of the famous general Yue Yang of Wei; Ju Xin, a renowned scholar of Zhao; and Zou Yan, the director of the Jixia Academy in Qi. Yue Yi was appointed as Vice Minister, holding real power over military and political affairs; Ju Xin was appointed as Minister of the High Rank, overseeing administrative and civil governance; and Zou Yan was appointed as Minister of the Supreme Rank, governing the state. During these years when King Wu of Qin was showcasing his military might, King Zhao of Yan and his ministers worked together to implement reforms in Yan, abolishing the old system of serf agriculture and the outdated well-field system, and introducing a new system where all commoners had land. Meanwhile, Yue Yi recruited young men and forged weapons, training a elite new army of over 50,000 within just two or three years. Farmland was cultivated, artisans worked diligently, and merchants thrived. Thus, the ancient state of Yan, like a drought-stricken land receiving sweet rain, was filled with fervor nationwide. All of this, Bai Qi did not know, but only heard continuous marvels from the grassland herdsmen about Yan on his journey north, which made him keenly sense something unusual. According to Gan Mao's account: Yan's Zi Zhi had previously made an agreement with Zhang Yi that he would not hostilely oppose Qin, and as long as there were no incidents on the return journey, welcoming the new king would be without issue; the greatest danger was the recent obsession with military reforms in Zhao and the active hostility of Wei toward Qin, as the return journey could no longer be delayed by a month to (detour through Jiuyuan), but must pass through Zhao and Wei to return to Qin. If the two states blocked them, it would be a major crisis; the reason this mission was assigned to Bai Qi was precisely because these two states might take advantage of the chaos. Originally a low-ranking general, Bai Qi naturally relied on Gan Mao for decisions on diplomatic matters. However, as he traveled, Bai Qi grew wary: the situation in Yan had changed, and Gan Mao's judgment might be mistaken. If so, the situation would be greatly troublesome, and whether Yan would easily let go of Ying Ji and his mother would become a . If he rashly entered Ji openly, revealing the future identity of Ying Ji and his mother to Yan, it might backfire. What should he do? He must wait and see. Bai Qi calmly considered and chose to camp in the hidden Yuanyan River Valley to investigate. He sent Xian Ren Qianfu Wang Ling and two northern Qin youths born in Yan. This Wang Ling was also a northern Qin youth, not only resembling the appearance and manner of Xiongnu knights but also possessing a remarkable ability: he was extremely alert and nimble, illiterate yet with an extraordinary memory, never forgetting anything he had seen or heard, and could repeat even the longest military orders exactly, earning the nickname "Eagle Eye and Fox Heart" in the army and being a rising star in the Qin army. Bai Qi was completely confident in sending him. As soon as Wang Ling left, Bai Qi's camp changed its location daily, but the column of wolf smoke remained straight and tall at the camping site. Military affairs demanded absolute reliability, and even though Wang Ling had an excellent memory, he needed a reliable marker. That day, the wolf smoke suddenly disappeared! The Qin knights hidden in the nearby woods immediately galloped to the smoke and brought Wang Ling back to the new camp. After Wang Ling recounted everything in detail, Bai Qi realized that Yan had indeed undergone a dramatic change and fell into deep thought. "Report, General: I also met Princess of Liyang and learned about the general situation of the new king and his mother." Bai Qi clapped his hands in realization, but only said two crisp words: "Speak quickly!" When Wang Ling finished speaking, Bai Qi fell silent again. During the tumultuous years in Yan, the envoys and hostages from various states were often unlucky. Due to Zi Zhi's extraordinary power in Yan, all the states were deeply uneasy: if Zi Zhi's "abdication" succeeded, the sanctity of royal power across the world would be greatly weakened, potentially creating a frightening phenomenon where outstanding talents could not only rise to the highest positions but also rule a state. Although it was an era of fierce competition, ministers gradually replacing their former rulers by seizing their fiefdoms had become common. Far from the past, recent examples included the division of Jin by the three states of Han, Zhao, and Wei, and the replacement of the Jiang family by the Tian family in Qi. However, these were all outdated trends that had occurred over three hundred years in the Spring and Autumn period. In the Warring States period, commoners with far less foundation than the emerging landlords of the Spring and Autumn period had numerous outstanding talents who rose to become military leaders, ministers, and even rulers, but there had been no precedent for a minister to become a monarch. If Zi Zhi's "abdication" succeeded, it would pose a major challenge to the rulers of the Warring States states. In these "blazing lightning and thunder, restless and disorderly" times, crowns falling no longer seemed unusual. Who dared to say that the powerful and domineering Zi Zhi would not become a monarch? Who dared to say that Zi Zhi would not trigger a trend of commoners seizing power? This was the fundamental reason why all the states paid close attention to the situation in the aging state of Yan. Even Chu, a state that could not even reach Yan with its longest pole, sent an envoy who had been living in Ji for a long time, making the small city of Ji a gathering place for envoys from various states. At that time, the three states of Qin, Qi, and Zhao were the most concerned about Yan's situation. Qi, as Yan's eastern neighbor, was both a long-standing ally of Yan and sought to gain the greatest benefit from the changes in Yan. Zhao, as Yan's southern neighbor, was an old rival with complex entanglements with Yan. Qin, based on the need to break the alliance of the six states through the policy of "connecting" (Li), had formed a deep alliance with Yan, using it to contain Qi and Zhao. Zhang Yi planned to marry Princess of Liyang to the new King of Yan and tirelessly stabilize Zi Zhi. Ultimately, the goal was to make Yan a loyal ally of Qin in the east. Based on this long-term vision, when Zi Zhi actually came to power, King Hui of Qin sent his youngest son as an envoy to Yan as a hostage. This decision signaled to Yan: regardless of any changes in Yan, Qin would remain friendly with it. The actual meaning of the hostage was that the prince served as a guarantee, ensuring that Qin would not betray Yan, but if Qin betrayed Yan, the prince would be at Yan's mercy! As an envoy, his mission was naturally single and clear: to monitor Zi Zhi, not interfere in Yan's politics, and report any news to the king at any time. Although this mission was very risky, it was quite leisurely, and most envoys stayed in first-class inns run by their own country's merchants, while only the Chu envoy, who had no such inns in Yan, stayed in the Yan post office. The Qin prince Ying Ji, with his royal blood and as the most powerful Qin envoy, received special attention from Zi Zhi: he lived alone in a courtyard with three entrances, servants provided entirely by the Yan government, and twenty armored soldiers were assigned to protect him. Over the years, Ying Ji and his mother lived as peacefully and leisurely as the envoys, though their livelihood was modest. However, with the abdication of Zi Zhi and the outbreak of chaos in Yan, followed by the invasion of Yan by Qi's army, Ying Ji and his mother, along with the envoys from various states, faced impending disaster. When Prince Ji Ping mobilized his troops, Zi Zhi's generals killed the envoys from Qi, Wei, Han, and Zhao, and then declared to the world that the blame lay with the prince's faction. Princess of Liyang told Wang Ling that on the night the four envoys were killed, Zi Zhi's generals went to kill Ying Ji and his mother, but they suddenly disappeared, and none of the seven or eight servants in the large courtyard knew anything about it. Later, Ji became a city half in ruins and half filled with corpses, and the Princess of Liyang searched everywhere for Ying Ji and his mother but found no trace. It was only when Wang Ling found this retired princess of Yan in the Yan Mountains that he learned of an uncertain piece of news the princess had recently discovered: Ying Ji and his mother might still be inside Ji, but he did not know where. "How does the Princess of Liyang have this speculation?" Bai Qi suddenly asked. Wang Ling whispered, "The princess said that one of her old maidservants was close to the king. Once, the king discussed something with Yue Yi in secret, and the maidservant overheard the name Ying Ji. She guessed that the prince might be hidden in a secret place by the king." Bai Qi glanced at Wang Ling, "What do you think we should do?" Wang Ling thought for a moment, "I believe that if the king is secretly protecting the prince, it must be to align with Qin. If the general goes to the king as a dignified envoy to negotiate, it should not be difficult." Bai Qi casually tapped the map of Yan with a branch and shook his head, "At first, it might have been protection, but after the incident in Luoyang, things might have changed. The new king of Yan is ambitious and has the support of Yue Yi and Ju Xin. This move might have ulterior motives, otherwise how could he have deceived even the princess of Liyang? Now, among the six states of Shandong, who does not hope for Qin's chaos?" Wang Ling thought for a moment, "Ask Lin Hu for troops to coerce Yan to release them?" Bai Qi waved his hand, "No, first, it would delay time, and second, it would create complications and might lead to even greater trouble." Wang Ling said, "But we rely on the general's decision." Bai Qi instructed, "Only rely on ourselves, act secretly." He then gave some low instructions. Wang Ling clapped his hands, "Excellent, I will lead the way." As dusk fell, Ji suddenly plunged into boundless darkness. Although it had recovered, Ji was still desolate in terms of merchants and travelers, far from the bustling night markets of Linzi, Daming, and Xianyang. Moreover, the spring cold was severe, and the people had not yet fully emerged from their winter hibernation, so as soon as it got dark, they closed their doors and rested. Ordinary families saved lamp oil, even occasional night work was done in the dark, let alone sleeping without lights. As a result, the bustling Ji of the day turned into a silent, dark, and vast night, with only the dim lights of the royal palace dotting the sky like scattered warm sparks.