Chapter 381
The new king Chu sat down in the pavilion and did not speak.
For the benefit of Chu country, he could meet Shen lang and have a secret conversation. However, it would be impossible for him to be friendly with Shen lang.
After all, this man had captured his capital and burned down the Royal Palace of Chu.
“I don’t have much time. I have to go back before dawn.” The new king Chu said.
“Your Majesty, the world is about to change,” Shen lang said.
The new king Chu was silent. The world had changed.
“His Majesty is already showing his dominance, and the footsteps of unifying the world have already begun.” Shen lang said, ” all of us thought that he would place the transition of the Imperial power as his top priority. We didn’t expect him to be so ambitious. After ruling for more than 40 years, not only did he destroy Emperor Jiang Li, but he also completed the new governance. Now, he is actually going to unify the world and hand the complete Great Yan Dynasty to the Crown Prince.”
“First, you don’t have to tell me that the main culprit behind my father’s murder is His Majesty the Emperor,” the new king Chu said.
Shen lang nodded. There was no need to mention this as all the higher-ups knew about it. The Emperor did not hide it from others.
second, I know it’s more in the interest of Chu State for Ning Zheng to take the position.
Ning Qi was cunning and ever-changing. To join forces with him was like asking a Tiger for its skin.
Now, ning Qi’s plan was clear. He would cling tightly to the Emperor. After he inherited the throne, he would probably become the second person to be conferred the title of Prince in the great Yan Empire.
Not only that, but he would also be in high spirits to expand his territory in the name of the great Yan Empire.
In short, ning Qi might rebel against the Empire of Great Yan. However, he would definitely wait until Dajin and the newly established Kingdom rebelled before taking action.
He only intended to sit back and reap the benefits.
On the contrary, after Ning Zheng ascended the throne, he would put all his effort into resisting the invasion of the great Yan Empire.
To the new king of Chu, a King of Yue who could resist the Emperor was most in line with the interests of Chu State.
The new king Chu continued. but I’m not Ning Zheng. I won’t oppose His Majesty. The path I take is similar to ning Qi’S.
Hahaha!
Shen lang said, ” therefore, there are too many smart people in the world. The emperor’s power has already started to invade the world. However, everyone wants to be the fisherman who benefits from the battle, and everyone wants someone else to be the first bird to take the lead.”
The new king Chu tacitly agreed.
however, the result of this is that they are broken down one by one. “The last one was annexed by the great Yan Empire,” Shen lang said.
The new king Chu remained silent.
Who didn’t understand the logic? But what was the use?
Shen lang also understood.
When the state of Qin unified the world, didn’t the six states know that they should unite and fight against the state of Qin together?
And the result?
In su ‘er’s’ Six Nations’, it was very clear: The destruction of the six states would not be a good war, but it would be a disadvantage to Qin.
Currently, the entire Great Yan Empire also had six great countries.
Yue, Chu, Yi, Jin, Wu, and da Rong.
The smallest of the six was the state of Wu, which was about 430000 square kilometers.
The largest one was the Darong Khanate, with an area of more than three million square kilometers. However, it was a nomadic Kingdom in the North and had a vast land but few people.
The most powerful country was the Kingdom of Jin. It had an area of more than 1.5 million square kilometers and a population of more than 35 million.
Just the newly established Kingdom after being dismembered was still more than one million square kilometers and had a population of more than 20 million.
The combined area of the Six Nations was slightly larger than the great Yan Empire.
However, the total population of the six countries combined was not as great as the Empire of Yan, and their National Strength was not as good either.
Therefore, the situation that the six states were facing was much worse than the six states during the Warring States period.
After the new governance was completed, the Empire of Great Yan was so powerful that no one had the will to resist.
Therefore, the various Kings resisted in their hearts, but their actions compromised.
“The country of Liang is the Empire of Yan’s loyal dog, so they will be the first to be tamed.” Shen lang said,”however, the country of Liang is only a dukedom and not a Kingdom.” Among the six Kingdoms, besides ning Qi, who else would kneel down first and turn their vassal state into a vassal state?”
The new king Chu did not speak.
None of the six great kingdoms were easy to deal with.
The young king of Wu had lost the last battle, and he had retreated his troops in this battle. It seemed that he had not made any contributions. However, Wu Wang was not a simple person. He could be considered a heroic figure.
The newly established Kingdom had won many victories, but this person was the most despicable.
He was an abandoned child adopted by the late King of great Qian. As the most trusted adopted brother of Emperor Jiang Li and the Supreme Commander of great Qian Kingdom, he betrayed the Jiang royal family at a critical moment, surrendered to the Empire of Great Yan, and declared himself King.
On the surface, Ying Guang and the great Yan Empire seemed to be the closest.
However, this person was extremely treacherous and was almost the most difficult King to tame.
of the six Kingdoms, no one will kneel down so easily, except for ning Qi! Shen lang said.
Then, Shen lang placed the six cards on the table.
After pushing down the first stone, the other five stones fell down.
There was a domino effect.
Shen lang said, ” it’s precisely because of ning Qi’s compromise that it might cause an avalanche effect. Then, the second, third, and finally, all Six Kingdoms will compromise and be annexed by the great Yan Empire. His Majesty the King of Chu should have seen the new governance of Yue country clearly. Su Nan, as the head of the old aristocratic families, surrendered unconditionally in the face of the king of Yue’s new rule. As a result, all the old aristocratic families were leaderless and were almost defeated by the king of Yue one by one.”
Of course, this was a long story. Su Nan’s ambition was too big. He did not even set his eyes on resisting the new policies.
the consequences of ning Qi’s compromise with His Majesty the Emperor are much more serious than imagined. Shen lang said, ” originally, the six Dynasties were considered a complete wooden bucket. After ning Qi compromised, it was like a part of the wooden bucket was taken away. All the water in the wooden bucket was poured out. This was like a solid dam. After a hole was dug, it was likely to completely collapse. It was also because of this that His Majesty risked the world’s condemnation to save ning Qi’s fate, and even poured dirty water on the head of the xianchu King. After his death, he was still laughed at by the world.”
At this point, the new king Chu’s forehead twitched.
This was the greatest pain in his heart.
The emperor’s declaration had dealt a blow to Chu State, even more so than the burning of the Royal Palace.
The first king of Chu was murdered, and not only would they not be able to find out the truth, they would also be accused of murdering their father and make the first king of Chu a cuckold.
Shen lang said, ” the six Dynasties are United to fight against the great Yan Empire. I have never dared to dream of such a beautiful dream. However, the Kasaya can at least make the six kings of the world follow their hearts and not be the first to kneel, and not cause an avalanche effect.”
“Your Majesty, if ning Qi were to succeed the throne and become the Prince of Yue of the Empire of Great Yan, and the Emperor were to send the Prime Minister to the Board of Ministers of Yue ... Which country will it be next?”
The new king Chu thought for a while and said,”Wu country, or Chu country.”
He picked the soft persimmons and pinched them.
In the current situation, Chu State was even weaker than Wu State.
In this war, the people of Chu country had shed all their blood. The casualties of the capital and the battlefield of Tianxi province had reached nearly 200000.
Moreover, the palace had been burned down, and it was unknown how long it would take to recover its national power.
Shen lang said, ” so, the next target will be you. What will you do? ” Was it resistance? Or kneel down?”
The new king Chu closed his eyes.
Once he knelt down, he would never have the chance to stand up again.
He would be promoted from the King of Chu to the Imperial Prince of Chu, and the prime minister of Chu would be appointed by the great Yan Empire.
“But if Ning Zheng takes the throne, won’t the Emperor come to me first?” the new king Chu said.
Shen lang said,”no!” There was a good saying,”the instigator will always be the one who does it.” This kind of thing required the kings of the world to take the initiative to ask the Emperor to change the vassal states. The Emperor himself could not take the initiative to open this mouth. If ning Qi doesn’t do it, even if the Emperor uses force to force the Kings to kneel and compromise, it can only be the neighboring countries.”
The new king Chu nodded and admitted that Shen Lang’s words made sense.
When the Empire of Great Yan was preparing to Annex the world, if political means could not be used, they would choose military means.
However, if they chose to use military means, they would fall into a disadvantageous position and the price would be relatively high.
Furthermore, if they wanted to strike with force, they would naturally choose the countries bordering the great Yan Empire.
Out of the six great kingdoms, only Chu and Yue did not share a border with the great Yan Empire.
Shen lang said, ” Your Majesty King Chu, think about it. Once you become the Chu Royal Prince of the Empire, you can’t even address me as Your Majesty. You will be addressed as Your Highness.
The new king Chu convulsed violently again.
“Your Majesty King Chu, letting His Highness Ning Zheng take the throne is not only beneficial to you, but it also concerns the fate of Chu country.” Shen lang said, ” or, let’s be more direct. His Highness Ning Zheng is determined. He would rather break than submit. If we’re not careful, he might become the vanguard in resisting the great Yan Empire’s invasion. Isn’t this what you’ve been dreaming of?”
“Resist the great Yan Empire?” the new king Chu asked. The State of Yue will be destroyed in less than two months.”
Shen lang said, ” even if the State of Yue is destroyed, with His Highness Ning Zheng’s personality, he will most likely retreat to the sand primitive race and establish a regime in exile. He will continue to fight. This time, I led an Army to attack the Chu royal capital, and half of the troops came from Jin Jun. Your Majesty, ning Qi is cunning and ever-changing. If you want to form an alliance, it’s better to choose His Highness Ning Zheng or someone like Jinjun.”
The new king Chu said,”Shen lang, you and Ning Zheng have occupied my capital and burned my Palace.” If I can’t kill Ning Zheng, how can I answer to the people of Chu?”
Shen lang was silent for a moment and said, ” Your Majesty, there’s no such thing as a perfect solution. There are gains and losses. If you can defeat us or even kill Ning Zheng in this battle, of course, your reputation in Chu State will soar. But could this benefit offset the losses caused by ning Qi’s Ascension? If Ning Zheng takes the position, you will lose your reputation now, but what you gain will be your future benefits. Do you choose to enjoy yourself now, or do you choose the future safety of Chu country?”
“Future benefits are too vague. The present benefits are the real ones,” the new king Chu said.
“Your Majesty, I must correct your opinion.” Shen lang said. I’m here to negotiate with you for the future, not for the present, and not to ask you to spare me and Ning Zheng. To be honest, we don’t need you to spare us. We have nothing to fear from your 200000 strong Army.”
“Shen lang, aren’t you a little too arrogant?” King Chu’s eyes narrowed.
Shen lang said,”Your Majesty King Chu, I know that you must fight this battle given the current situation.” Even if you don’t want to fight, your generals and Army will fight. You want to wash away the shame of the country and kill us all. That’s what your Army of Two hundred thousand wants. So I’m here to talk about the aftermath of the war. I’ve never thought of avoiding this first battle. However, after this first battle, if all of you end up badly injured, then I hope that King Chu will consider my suggestion.”
“what suggestion?” Lord Chu said.
“Sign the armistice agreement with His Highness Ning Zheng,” Shen lang said.
“I’ve already signed it with ning Qi,” the new king Chu said.
Shen lang said, ” that armistice agreement is a little humiliating. It actually made the State of Yue give up 200 miles of territory. Furthermore, it also deceived the people of the State of Yue. Therefore, I want you to sign a new armistice agreement with His Highness Ning Zheng. The one you signed with ning Qi will be completely void, and this time, our Yue country will not cut an inch of land.”
“You’re going too far, this is impossible,” the new king Chu said sternly.
but in exchange, ” Shen lang said, ” we are willing to pay you a sum of money to help you rebuild the palace.
“How much is it?” the new king Chu asked.
two million gold coins, ” Shen lang said. of course, it’s not cash. It’s goods of the same value.
There was a lot of room for negotiation.
Goods of the same value as 2000000 gold coins could probably be exchanged for 2000000 gold coins in Chu.
However, for Shen lang, the cost might not even be 200000 gold coins.
Shen lang said,”I guarantee it’s hard currency. It can be exchanged for gold coins.” We intend to pay the two million gold coins in five years.”
Then, Shen lang continued, ” not only will we provide you with the goods that are worth two million gold coins, we will also invest in Chu country in the name of the heavenly society. The investment amount will exceed five million gold coins within five years.
The new king Chu continued to remain silent.
Shen lang said,”Your Majesty, your Palace needs to be rebuilt, right?” Take a look at my Jade brick.”
Shen lang took out a tile that did not exist in this world.
The new king Chu took it and examined it. It was indeed as smooth as Jade, and most importantly, there were gorgeous patterns on it.
Shen lang said, ” this is more beautiful than white marble. It’s also more luxurious than marble. How about you use it to build some of the outer walls of the palace that you’re rebuilding? We can supply you with these Jade bricks unconditionally. For you to rebuild the palace, we will use half the price of white marble and put them on the list of two million gold coins to help you free of charge. However, in exchange, we hope that these Jade bricks can be sold publicly in Chu country.”
Then, Shen lang continued, ” we can not only provide Jade bricks. We can also provide a very magical building material. It can allow you to completely abandon wood. This will not only save on costs, but it will also be able to withstand fire. Not only that, but it will also increase the efficiency of your construction by several times. You can even build a brand new palace in one or two years.”
Then, Shen lang took out a piece of crystal clear glass and said, ” “Your Palace can completely abandon the paper Windows and replace them with our glass. It’ll be so noble, bright, and warm, and it will never need to be changed. The glass that your Palace needs is also on our list of support. Of course, in exchange, we also hope to sell this transparent jade to the public in Chu.”
The new king Chu could not help but want to smash the Jade brick in his hand.
You’re using the excuse of rebuilding the Royal Palace to expand your market in Chu. You’re even letting the heavenly Dao Association enter Chu to suppress the yin Yuan Association.
Shen lang, you’re too smart. You’re building a Palace for me, but in fact, you’re making a fortune.
Once King Chu and Ning Zheng signed a new armistice agreement.
What a slap to ning Qi’s face that would be?
You, ning Qi, have ceded 200 miles of land, losing your power and humiliating the country.
However, the armistice agreement signed by His Highness Ning Zheng did not give up an inch of land, and kept the territory of Yue country intact.
As for the compensation of two million gold coins to King Chu, that was in the name of the heavenly Dao Association and had nothing to do with Yue country.
There were two choices in front of Lord Chu.
Do you want two million gold coins or two hundred miles of land?
From a long-term perspective, of course, the two hundred miles of land was more useful.
Although the 200 li of land that the State of Yue had ceded this time was actually a military fortress, it could only bring about military initiative. It could not produce much food, and there was not much tax.
However, the Tsar also sold Alaska for 7.2 million US dollars, which was a total of 1.52 million square kilometers.
The new king Chu looked at Shen lang and said,”you are right in many things, but the people of Chu and the 200000 troops are looking at me.” This battle was already like an arrow on the bow, it had to be fired. So no matter what? Let’s finish this battle first.”
“Sure!” Shen lang said.
The new king Chu said,”Shen lang, there’s one more thing.” Even if I can think far ahead, the soldiers under my command don’t care about the long term. They only want to wash away the shame of the country and kill you all, so don’t expect us to show mercy in this battle. Don’t blame me if you’re annihilated.”
Shen lang said,”I understand!” I’ve already said that I’m here to negotiate with you for the future, not the present. We have no intention of asking you to spare us. We have no fear of your two hundred thousand soldiers!”
Lord Chu was slightly angered.
Shen lang, you are too arrogant.
How many troops do you have? only 9000.
How big was the perimeter of the Chu royal capital’s city walls? More than fifty li.
In other words, less than 200 people were guarding the city wall.
How are you going to guard them with such sparse numbers?
With such a sparse defensive formation, the might of the arrow rain could not be displayed at all.
Not to mention that once my Army attacks the capital, the hundreds of thousands of people in the city will come out and attack you from behind.
At that time, your mere 9000 men will be attacked from both the inside and the outside, and you will die without a doubt!
The new king Chu said,”it doesn’t matter whether it’s a secret alliance or a new armistice agreement.” Let’s finish this battle first. The arrow has already been nocked, and we have no choice but to fire.”
Shen lang said, ” I understand. Only the strong have the right to negotiate and form an alliance! Your Majesty, I shall take my leave! I’m going to prepare for battle. We welcome your 200000 strong Army to attack.”
After that, Shen lang and Li qianqiu left and returned to the Chu royal capital at their fastest speed.
The new king Chu had also returned to the military camp without anyone knowing.
Your Majesty, do we really have to negotiate with Shen lang? ” Li Xuan asked curiously.
King Chu said,”this battle must be fought, and the soldiers will also be fighting with their lives on the line.” If I don’t fight, I’m not fit to be the king, and I’ll be spurned by the soldiers. Shen lang wants to negotiate with me and make me sign a new truce agreement with Ning Zheng. Let’s talk about it after you survive!”
..................
The next day!
King Chu’s Army of 200000 continued to March towards the capital of the Chu Kingdom.
The marching speed had actually increased.
This was because these 200000 soldiers were filled with hot-bloodedness, all for the sake of revenge and to wash away the shame of their country.
take revenge! Wipe away the shame of our country!
take revenge! Wipe away the shame of our country!
The entire Chu country and the entire world’s attention was once again focused on Shen lang and Ning Zheng.
This pair of lunatics were actually retreating now.
They actually tried to use nine thousand troops to resist King Chu’s two hundred thousand troops.
It was simply appalling.
..................
In the Chu royal capital!
Lord Chu’s Army of 200000 was only about 300 li away from him.
“Under normal circumstances, we definitely wouldn’t be able to defend it.” Ku Huan said,”King Chu’s 200000 troops are definitely the elite of the frontlines. Their morale is high and they are not afraid of death.” The key point was that the city walls of the Chu royal capital were too long, more than fifty miles long. There could only be one hundred and eighty soldiers on the city walls for every mile. This way, we’ll lose the advantage of our berserk arrow rain. Furthermore, we have hundreds of thousands of Chu citizens behind us. They were well-behaved before, but when King Chu attacks the city, they will definitely attack from behind. So under normal circumstances, we will definitely lose this battle and will be completely drowned out, even to the point of being completely annihilated.”
yes! Shen lang nodded and said, ” therefore, I have two decisions to announce!
“First, completely abandon the outer walls of the Chu royal capital and retreat to the inner city. The perimeter of the inner city wall was only ten miles. On average, there were eight to nine hundred people guarding every mile, which was more than enough. The advantage of the rain of arrows could be fully utilized. Most importantly, the inner city is filled with residences. King Chu’s 200000 strong Army can’t be deployed at all, and the advantage of military strength will be completely weakened.”
“Second, expel everyone from the inner city. Kill anyone who disobeys. This way, we won’t have any enemies behind us.”
“Of course, King Chu’s Army of 200000 is still 300 li away from us. We can still make it in time to retreat. However, this place is a few thousand li away from the State of Yue. If we don’t defeat King Chu, our return journey will not be peaceful and we will have to deal with endless attacks.”
“If we defeat King Chu in this battle and force him to sign a truce agreement with His Highness Ning Zheng, then ning Qi’s share will be completely invalid, because ceding 200 li is also considered a loss of power and humiliation to the country. This will be a huge blow to ning Qi’s reputation, and his miraculous victory in Tianxi province will be completely reduced to nothing.”
“Your Highness ningzheng, are we going to fight this battle? It’s up to you to decide if you want to take the risk.”
“Beat him up!” Ning Zheng said directly.
..................
With Ning Zheng’s order.
A tragic scene played out in the capital city of the Chu Kingdom.
The 9,000 soldiers under Shen lang gave up on the outer city walls and retreated to the inner city.
After that, they began to drive out the people of the inner city.
The total population of the inner city did not exceed 50000, but all of them were rich and powerful.
These people cherished their lives, but they were not willing to give up their luxurious mansions and properties.
Hence, a conflict broke out.
After Shen Lang’s Army entered the Chu royal capital, they were considered to be very restrained. They had almost never harmed the civilians here.
But now, Yingluo
He immediately started a massacre.
Everyone in the inner city, whether they’re nobles or wealthy merchants, leave.
They had to clear the entire inner city.
However, leave me the food.
When the time was up, all those who had not left would be killed!
And then,
Shen lang gave the order to kill two Dukes and three Marquises, all of whom were members of the royal family of Chu.
Hundreds and thousands of heads fell to the ground.
Blood stained the ground.
All the people in the inner city left in tears.
In just one day, the inner city was completely emptied.
Shen Lang’s Army no longer had to worry about being attacked from the back.
However, this was also a dead end.
Because they had abandoned the outer walls, it was equivalent to being completely surrounded, cutting off their path of retreat.
........................
King Chu’s 200000 strong Army was getting closer and closer.
Three hundred miles, two hundred miles, one hundred miles!
Fifty li!
Thirty li!
Five days later!
King Chu’s Army was approaching the city.
Even though he had already received the news, Lord Chu was still completely shocked when he saw the empty outer city walls.
Shen lang and Ning Zheng were really crazy.
Retreating to the inner city was good for defense, but it also cut off their escape route.
Ning Qi was a person who would produce miracles after being forced into a desperate situation.
On the other hand, Ning Zheng and Shen lang were creating more miracles.
Such a strong determination and will?
While Lord Chu was shocked, he also felt admiration.
If he wanted to form an alliance, this kind of ally was truly reassuring, because he had a will as strong as steel and would not easily change his stance.
Ning Zheng, Shen lang, I really admire you.
But I have no other choice.
I must do my best in this battle.
If you are defeated, then everything will be over.
However, if you can really create a miracle and make my Army bleed, I’ll give you a chance.
Then we can talk about Yingluo.
Respect is respect, but don’t think I’ll show mercy.
“Army, enter the city!”
Following King Chu’s orders, the 200000 strong Army marched into the outer city of the capital.
It took three whole days.
The 200,000-strong Army set up an attack formation in the outer city and surrounded Shen Lang’s Army in the inner city.
..................
Three days later!
“Attack the city!” King Chu ordered.
Immediately, 80,000 troops crazily attacked the inner city from the four city walls!
This battle, with the greatest disparity in numbers, had completely erupted.
Ning Zheng and Shen Lang’s 9000-strong Army against King Chu’s 200000 elite soldiers!
No matter what the result was, it was bound to shock the world!
..................
[ note: I’m going to eat and then write the second update! ] In the last few hours of the month, desserts are kowtowing for monthly votes, please!