Qin Shizhi's Confucian junior master

Chapter 475, Tian Zhan takes action, Zhang Er betrays (ends in 1w)

When Hou Sheng heard Qi Wangjian's words, he was stunned for a moment and felt a little nervous. Now the only one left among the Six Kingdoms is Qi State, and Hou Sheng naturally understood that the current Qi State could not stop Qin State at all, so he had the idea of ​​imitating Li Yuan in his mind, but he did not want to establish another King Qi, but wanted to persuade King Qi Jian to surrender.

Hou Sheng did not answer Qi Wangjian's question in a hurry, but secretly scanned the situation in the hall with his peripheral vision. He was worried that Qi Wangjian knew his thoughts and specially asked him to come and ambush the swordsman in the hall. , as long as he reveals his true intention, he will break the cup and kill him.

Seeing Hou Sheng's alert look, Qi Wangjian was not in a hurry. He already knew from Ying Zheng's mouth that Hou Sheng had the idea of ​​surrender, so he recruited Hou Sheng, hoping that Hou Sheng would help him check and balance the main war faction in the country. Wang Jian of Qi said he could understand his vigilance about the latter's victory. After all, no one would believe that their king wanted to surrender before the enemy attacked. If this matter was revealed, he, the King of Qi, would be nailed to the pillar of shame forever. .

After learning that Hou Sheng had the idea of ​​​​surrender, Qi Wangjian had other thoughts in his mind. Surrender was destined, but it was not impossible to let his evaluation in the history books after his death be not so unbearable.

Hou Sheng observed around and found that there was no ambush around. When he came, he also noticed that there were no guards outside the palace. It could be said that he was absolutely safe.

"Your Majesty has already visited Qin. How do you think Qi compares with Qin?" Hou Sheng asked tentatively.

"Far worse. When King Qin Zhaoxiang was alive, he wanted to be called the East and West Emperors together with Qi State. At that time, Qi State was at the peak of its uprightness. Since then, Qin State has become stronger and stronger, while Qi State has become weaker and weaker." Qi Wangjian said .

Hearing that King Qi Jian was calm in Qi State, Hou Sheng also gained some confidence in his heart and continued.

"What does your Majesty think of the people of Qi?"

"They are a kind family!" Qi Wangjian said.

Seeing Qi Wangjian acting weak and bullied as always, Hou Sheng finally felt confident.

"The next words of your Majesty are very disrespectful. Please forgive me for my disrespect," Hou Sheng said.

"You said, I will forgive you for your disrespect." Qi Wangjian looked at Hou Sheng who took the bait and said.

"Now the Qin Dynasty has gone to six points in the world. The army is strong and the horses are strong. Millions of people who are good at fighting can be recruited in the country at any time. There are also many fierce generals. Not to mention the famous generals such as Wu'an Lord Li Mu and Wang Jian, Wang Ben, Meng Tian, ​​Li Xin, Yang Duan War generals such as He are definitely not something that our Qi State can compete with. Ever since the Jiang family lost the support of the people, until my Grand Duke Tian complied with the people's support, he was elected by the people to take charge of the State of Qi, and was named a Marquis of Qi by the Emperor of Zhou. The people of the State of Qi have been loyal to the clan. dedicated.

Now the Qi State is facing a powerful enemy. If we fight, the Qi State will be defeated. The people will be displaced and suffer the disasters of the war. I don’t know how many of our Qi State people will die in vain. If Qi surrenders without a fight, Qi will also perish, but the people of Qi will not be disturbed by war, and the land of Qi will not be trampled by the Qin army's cavalry. The blood sacrifice of King Qi’s royal family will not be cut off.

Our Tian family's Qi State was established in compliance with the people's wishes and was recommended by the people. Now the people of Qi are unwilling to fight against Qin. Please worry about your personal gains and losses and protect the people of Qi! Hou Sheng said and began to burst into tears.

Seeing Hou Sheng like this, Qi Wangjian thought that it was done, but on the surface he still said

"I know what the Prime Minister said, but how can our Qi country surrender without a fight? What's more, do the officials in the DPRK and the Central Government agree to the surrender? Can the clan accept it?"

After hearing Qi Wangjian's answer, Hou Sheng understood that Qi Wangjian had accepted his opinion in his heart, but he was a little hesitant because of the court and the clan, but this was normal. It would have been strange if Qi Wangjian had decisively agreed. .

"As long as the king is willing, I can unify the wishes of the courtiers and clan for the king. Surrender is not that our country of Qi succumbs to the lust of Qin, but that the king has a good life and cannot bear to see the people of Qi suffer from the war. ." Hou Sheng said righteously.

"Then I'll trouble you, Prime Minister. We are all waiting for news from the Prime Minister." Qi Wangjian said.

"Leave everything to me," Hou Sheng said.

Qi Wangjian nodded, and a smile appeared on Hou Sheng's face. Neither King Jian of Qi nor Hou Sheng noticed that a chamberlain outside the palace was eavesdropping on their conversation.

The door of the main hall opened and Hou Sheng walked out. The chamberlain hurriedly stepped forward to help Hou Sheng put on his shoes. After sending Hou Sheng out of the palace, the chamberlain headed towards the direction of the clan.

"I have important information, let me go see Young Master Zhan." The chamberlain said to the guard at the door.

"follow me."

The guards and the servants found Young Master Zhan.

"Greetings to the young master, your Majesty has summoned Hou Sheng." said the chamberlain.

"What did they say?" Tian Zhan asked.

"Hou Sheng proposed to the king to surrender to the Qin State. The king was worried that the court and the clan would not agree, so he did not agree. Then Hou Sheng promised to help the king unify the opinions of the court officials and the clan. It seems that the king agreed with Hou Sheng's idea of ​​surrender," the chamberlain said. .

"Damn Hou Sheng! The traitor is harming the country!" Tian Zhan yelled angrily.

The chamberlain hunched over and did not dare to reply.

"Go and receive the reward." Tian Zhan said.

"Thank you, sir."

After the waiter left happily, Tian Zhan punched the table with anger in his eyes.

"How can our country of Qi surrender without a fight? The treacherous prime minister has ruined the country!" Tian Zhan said sadly, "Ancestors of the Tian family, you see, the current king of Qi is weak, and his power is controlled by the treacherous prime minister. I, Qi, The country will perish.”

As one of the few main militants in the clan, Tian Zhan has always been disliked by the clan. It is precisely because of this that Tian Zhan's presence is not strong, which gives him many opportunities to develop his own power. . Because he discovered Zhang Liang's traces by chance, he originally wanted to use the cooperation between Zhang Liang and Xiong Qi to move the Qi State southward and help the puppet Chu State capture the Chu State, thus forming an alliance between Qi and Chu to deal with the Qi State.

But before he could wait for Xiong Qi's reply, the pseudo-Chu state was destroyed by Qin, and he could only turn to cooperation with Zhang Liang.

"Maybe I should take action first." Tian Zhan said.

Because of his frequent contact with the Zhang family, the clan members became even more disgusted with him as the main war faction. He just found an excuse to drive Paitian, the main battler, to Xuecheng. In Xuecheng Tian Zhan met the Xuecheng County Magistrate who was also a militant. So with the help of the Mohist anti-Qin faction, Tian Zhan secretly controlled several cities near Xuecheng and secretly trained a group of troops in Xuecheng. This army was what he planned to use to kill the enemy and gain control of the Qi court.

Zhang Liang sent him a letter yesterday, saying that he was planning to start an uprising in Daliang and wanted his support. He has not replied yet, but now it seems that he cannot provide support to Zhang Liang, but Zhang Liang can provide support to him. Zhang Liang involved the Qin army in Dongjun. He launched the Qing Dynasty in Qi State and took charge of Qi State. When the time comes, he will continue to let Zhang Liang launch uprisings in various parts of Qin State. And he will rely on the help of the Mohists to train the new army in Qi State. When the time comes, Together with the uprisings in various parts of the Qin State, they attacked the Qin State.

Thinking of this, Tian Zhan didn't have much chance of winning, but this was his last gamble. If he won, he would become the future king of Qi. After overthrowing Qin, he would be the most prominent person in the world in the future. If you lose, you will die. If he didn't fight, he would die.

After making a decision in his mind, Tian Zhan wrote to Zhang Liang, hoping to get Zhang Liang's help. At the same time, he wrote to the county magistrate of Xuecheng, preparing him to find an opportunity to go south to help him kill Hou Sheng and control the Qi court.

After receiving a large number of letters from his retainers, Ziyou knew that the time was right, so he set out for Daliang. In order to cover his whereabouts, Ziyou went alone. Mo Yabaifeng, Concubine Yan, Shao Siming, Xue Nu, Jing Salamander and Yan Lingji were all left behind in Xianyang by Ziyou, creating a feeling that he was still in Xianyang. signs.

By the time Ziyou arrived in Daliang, the censor sent by Yingzheng had arrested a group of people. These people were not only Ziyou's retainers, but also some official positions left over from the old Wei state.

After entering Daliang City, Ziyou went directly to the local Dingxiang Tower and found the person in charge of Daliang Luowang. After seeing Ziyou arriving, the person in charge of Daliang was also extremely surprised.

"Greetings, sir." The person in charge of Daliang saluted.

"Well, I came to you to ask you what happened in Daliang recently?" Ziyou asked. "Recently, a large number of Jianghu people have appeared in Daliang. The identities of these people are complicated and we cannot identify them one by one, but most of them are Jianghu knights. Recently, the censor was investigating cases and arresting people in Dongjun, and many people were sent to After entering Daliang's prison, Luo Wang suspected that these people might be the followers of the arrested person, or people who came to watch the fun." said the person in charge of Daliang.

"Is there any news about Zhang Er?" Ziyou asked.

The person in charge of Daliang was stunned. Zhang Er was Ziyou's disciple and he knew it. He had also heard about Ziyou's recent abolition. All the reasons were because of Ziyou's door. Now Ziyou asked him about the news about Zhang Er, and he was not sure how to answer.

"Tell the truth." Ziyou said.

"Luowang does not specifically monitor Zhang Er. However, recently there has been news in Daliang City that Zhang Er is ill and has not seen visitors for the time being. Many knights and knights or scholars who came to visit Zhang Er and wanted to become his disciples all returned in despair. Or they stayed in Daliang. The news of Zhang Er's illness was also spread by them." said the person in charge of Daliang.

"Well, is there any other news? From various places in Dongjun?" Ziyou asked.

"Now the censor is investigating cases in various places. It is quite chaotic everywhere. However, with the protection of the Yulin Army, no one has hurt the censor." The person in charge of Daliang said. Because Ying Zheng used the imperial censor this time to resolve the matter openly and honestly, people like Luo Wang who did the dirty work did not intervene in the matter and continued to secretly investigate the anti-Qin forces.

"Well, please step back," Ziyou said.

"promise!"

After the person in charge of Daliang left, Ziyou decided to meet Zhang Er. Although Ziyou didn't know Zhang Er's role in this matter, he asked Zhang Er to manage these retainers. If Zhang Er's loyalty to him wavered, it would be difficult for his retainers to say whether they were loyal to him or not.

into the night.

Zhang Er was writing something in his study room when suddenly the door opened. Zhang Er's heart tightened, and then he drew out his sword and looked cautiously towards the door.

"It's easy for the military to move, but it's hard for a frightened bird to be at peace. Is there a time when Zhang Er does something wrong and feels uneasy?" Ziyou's voice sounded from behind Zhang Er.

After Zhang Er turned his head and saw Ziyou, the sword in his hand fell to the ground.

"Ah! Sir, why did you come to me?" Zhang Er said in surprise.

"What? Aren't you welcome?" Ziyou asked.

"How dare you, sir, it's my honor to come to my place, but I have no preparation for your sudden arrival, so please don't be angry." Zhang Er said.

"There is no need for these false gifts." Ziyou said, "After I arrived in Daliang, I heard that you were sick, so I wanted to come and see you. But I think you are in good health, and it is not as serious as what others said. .”

"Thank you for your concern, sir. I'm not sick myself, but there have been a lot of knights and gentlemen coming to visit recently. I didn't want to see them, so I sent them away on the pretext of being sick." Zhang Er said with cupped hands.

"Ah."

Ziyou nodded and said no more, but looked at the half-written letter on Zhang Er's desk. Seeing Ziyou reading his letter, Zhang Er suddenly became nervous, because this letter was written by him to one of Ziyou's retainers. It is natural for the retainers to communicate through letters, but this retainer had something to do with Zhang Liang. Collusion.

"Why don't I have any impression of this retainer named Wei Lin?" Ziyou said, looking at the beginning of the letter.

"Weilin is just a nobody. Naturally, sir, I don't know his name. He is now the county captain of Shanyang." Zhang Er said.

"I see. What do you mean by your letter telling him not to have close friendship with thieves?" Ziyou raised his head and looked at Zhang Er.

As Quilt You stared at him, Zhang Er suddenly felt a huge pressure. Looking at Ziyou's indifferent eyes, Zhang Er knew that his master knew the situation in Dongjun very well, and the news about himself and Zhang Liang was probably known to Ziyou.

"Zhang Er is so ashamed of yourself, sir!" Zhang Er kneeled on the ground and bowed his head and said to Zi You.

"You still know that you are ashamed of me? Tell me, why?" Ziyou sat down and said indifferently.

"Zhang Er is ashamed of his trust in Mr. Zhang Liang. When the traitor Zhang Liang found me, I should have informed the government to arrest him as soon as possible. I should not have provided him with protection out of selfishness in my heart, nor should I have secretly sheltered him. The dignitaries left behind by the old Wei Kingdom." Zhang Er kneeled on the ground and said.

Hearing Zhang Er's words, a flash of surprise flashed in Ziyou's eyes. He didn't expect Zhang Er to do so many things behind his back. Originally he just thought that Zhang Er concealed the actions of his disciples, but he did not expect that Zhang Er secretly colluded with Zhang Liang and the anti-Qin forces.

"Is the state of Qin not good now? Is the life of the people in Dongjun better than when they lived in the state of Wei? When you brought Lord Xinling's retainers to serve me, you said that Lord Xinling's greatest wish is Two, one is to regain the dominance of Wei and give Wei the power to dominate the world. The second is to make the people of Wei have food and clothing. The first wish is that Lord Xinling has lost hope because of his brother's betrayal. .So he wanted to see a second one, and I promised to make it happen.

Now, although the people of Dongjun cannot say that they have no worries about food and clothing, they can still have enough food and clothing. Why do you feel resentful? " Ziyou asked. Ziyou actually didn't care much about Zhang Er's betrayal. One of the reasons was that historically Zhang Er and Chen Yu had taken refuge with Chen Sheng and Wu Guang at the end of Qin Dynasty, and were supporting the Zhao royal family. Descendants restored King Zhao. Finally, he helped Liu Bang destroy Xiang Yu. It can be said that Zhang Er in history was never loyal to Qin from beginning to end.

The second is that in Ziyou's view, he and Zhang Er have a cooperative relationship. Ziyou promised to make the people of Wei rich and well-fed first, and Zhang Er led Lord Xinling's retainers to join him.

"Okay, but Zhang Er was highly valued and trusted by Lord Xinling, but he betrayed his motherland when Wei was in danger. Zhang Er felt guilty. So when he found out that the old nobleman of Wei had fled, he chose to protect him. They wanted to give them a way out. When Zhang Liang heard about this, he thought that I also had anti-Qin intentions in my heart, and wanted to win over me.

But I didn't agree, and he stationed himself in a village near Daliang. I was worried that his contact with me would be exposed, so I helped him cover his tracks. "Zhang Er said.

Looking at Zhang Er, Ziyou's eyes flashed with a cold light, but then returned to normal.

"Zhang Er, you are also a famous person, how could you do such a mindless thing?" Ziyou sighed.

"I am confused. Zhang Er is ashamed of Mr. Zhang," Zhang Er cried.

"Tell me more about the retainers. Who has colluded with Zhang Liang?" Ziyou asked.

Zhang Er still carefully explained to Ziyou the affairs of the Dongjun disciples. Although the quality of Lord Xinling's retainers was the highest among the four princes of the Warring States Period, they were not all upright people. After their contribution to Wei, Ying Zheng rewarded them. Because Qin had insufficient officials and they were all Ziyou's disciples, Ying Zheng let them temporarily manage the place.

These retainers, who had been retainers for half their lives, suddenly became officials with real power, and their hearts still swelled. At the beginning, Dongjun was recovering. They did not dare to go too far, nor did they dare to amass wealth and power. As East County recovered and developed rapidly. Ying Zheng also began to send officials trained by Qin to replace them. So they used Ziyou's name and the fact that most of Dong County was controlled by people from the same family as them, so they started to amass money.

After they had money, they began to recruit disciples and experienced their master's addiction. The people who took refuge in Zhang Liang initially took refuge in the Qin State because of the general trend and the benefits, so they were willing to take refuge. Later, they became accustomed to holding real power, but were suddenly replaced. Their hearts were unbalanced, so Zhang Liang had the opportunity Ready to ride.

After they colluded with Zhang Liang, they began to collect money more obviously to provide money and manpower for Zhang Liang's anti-Qin cause.

"You just watch them make mistakes and help them hide it from me?" Ziyou asked.

"Yes." Zhang Er said.

Ziyou looked at Zhang Er and didn't know what to say for a moment.

(End of this chapter)