The world knows that the Han inherited Qin's systems.
The institutions of the Great Han were a continuation and development of those of the Qin Dynasty.
But... few people know.
The reason the Qin state was destroyed was that to guard the gates of China, the main forces of the Qin army did not participate in the civil war at all.
Lu Yu once asked a question to the students of the Imperial Academy, such as Yang Xiu and Sima Yi.
— When Qin Shi Huang died, the world fell into chaos.
— Gaozu Liu Bang and the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, Xiang Yu, led twenty thousand troops to break through Xianyang.
So the question is?
Where were the main forces of the Qin army? Where were the hundreds of thousands of Qin troops who attacked Chu back then?
Where did that imperial army, which had been accumulated for six generations and made the six states tremble with fear?
Where did they go?
The answer is:
— Four hundred thousand were guarding the borders!
— Six hundred thousand were building the Great Wall and guarding against the Xiongnu!
They knew that something had happened in the Central Plains, but they were under military orders and could not return to the court!
"Commander Zhou, do you know... the Meng Tian and Meng Yi brothers, and the old subordinates of Wang Jian, heard that Great Qin was in trouble? They wept tears every day and beat their chests! But they couldn't go back! Until Gaozu defeated Xiang Yu and established the Han Dynasty! They still did not lead the former Qin troops to contend for hegemony in the Central Plains!"
At this point, Yang Xiu's tone became much more serious.
So much so that... there was even a hint of solemnity in this seriousness.
"My teacher told us that at that time, the King of Nanyue was stationed in Jiaozhou and Yunnan. He was an old subordinate of Wang Jian! Emperor Wu once sent him a letter, wanting to enfeunt him as the King of Nanyue, as long as he acknowledged the Han! But what did the King of Nanyue, this old subordinate of Wang Jian, say? He replied with a decree!"
— "I once received a trust from an old man, that Longxia could no longer be divided. For the sake of the Chinese ethnic group, I will not fight you, nor will I be the King of Nanyue. I surrender to you!"
As he spoke, Yang Xiu's eyes were already filled with tears.
Back then, when he heard his master Lu Yu tell this story, he was moved to tears...
Now...
Spoken from his own mouth, he was still unable to control his emotions!
"When the King of Nanyue surrendered, the entire Nanyue... once again fell into the hands of the Han people. And the old man he spoke of was Qin Shi Huang."
"In the past, I didn't understand the Qin Emperor. I thought he was just a tyrant, and that his faults outweighed his merits. But after hearing my teacher's story, I realized... he was worthy of the title 'Emperor of the Ages' that my teacher spoke of. He did not, like the emperors of the Han Dynasty, place ethnic groups and families above the empire. The Qin Emperor only saw the state... not his family!"
Hoo...
After listening to Yang Xiu's long speech, Zhou Yu felt his heart stir repeatedly.
This was perspective.
A person who only had the state in his heart and not his family had a breadth of vision and a magnanimity that inspired awe.
In contrast, himself...
He only cared about his family, his personal honor and disgrace, his gains and losses... his vision was too narrow!
Hoo...
He exhaled again.
Zhou Yu completely relaxed, and the clenched fists of this moment were completely released.
His state of mind had reached a state of complete peace.
"The Qin Emperor is remarkable, and your teacher is also remarkable..." Zhou Yu sighed, "The unification of the world allows us descendants of Yan and Huang to stand proudly in this world. I finally understand why your master chose the King of Wei, and why even though... Great Wei has pushed the Han Dynasty to such a point, your master still chose the King of Wei without hesitation!"
"He did not choose the King of Wei, but the unification of the world, the realm of the 'Qin Emperor', without family, without country, only the Chinese ethnic group!"
Hahaha...
Hearing this, Yang Xiu laughed and took a big gulp of wine.
It seemed that he was very happy that Zhou Yu finally understood his teacher!
"Thump thump thump."
Footsteps were already rustling outside the tent, evidently, the troops of Great Wei had already boarded Red Cliff!
"Commander Zhou... it's really too late if you don't run now."
Yang Xiu asked with a smile.
Zhou Yu shook his head. "I'm thinking, back then, when the Hegemon-King of Chu committed suicide at the Wu River and refused to cross the Jiangdong, besides having no face to face the elders of Jiangdong, was there another layer to it? He didn't want the world to continue to be in turmoil, and he didn't want the common people of Jiangdong to suffer from war again! Perhaps, at that moment, he understood that sacrificing himself to save the lives of everyone in the world was a very worthwhile exchange for a loser!"
His words lingered.
A soldier pushed open the tent, not the troops of Great Wei, but Zhou Yu's trusted subordinate from Jiangdong.
"Commander Zhou, it's not good! Lu Ziyu sent a fleet of ships and secretly captured Ruxu Port yesterday!"
"Now, Red Cliff... Ruxu are both... have been broken!"
Hmm...
The soldier's words did not surprise Zhou Yu.
Lu Yu...
If it were him, everything would be reasonable.
Feint to the east, attack to the west...
No... he wanted both "east" and "west." He Lu Yu never liked making choices!
"Heh heh..." Zhou Yu smiled, and he turned to look at Yang Xiu. "Yang Dezhu, I didn't expect... your master's goal is not only Red Cliff, but also Ruxu Port. From there, one can go directly to Wu County... will Jiangdong be conquered by Great Wei without a fight?"
"Not necessarily!" Yang Xiu waved his hand. "If... Commander Zhou is willing to be a mediator, perhaps... Jiangdong can also be spared from the suffering of war!"
Upon saying this...
Yang Xiu glanced sideways at Zhou Yu. Seeing his indifferent expression, Yang Xiu continued, "The general trend cannot be resisted, and the will of heaven cannot be violated. Should one learn from the First Emperor's broad vision, or be short-sighted... only caring about personal honor and disgrace, Commander Zhou should be able to distinguish, right?"
"Heh..." Zhou Yu smiled, "Whether to be a mediator for Great Wei, I have to meet your master first, don't I?"
Zhou Yu's eyes blinked... he became increasingly curious about Lu Yu.
Just then.
The sound of footsteps "thump thump thump" continued to be heard.
A burly general lifted the door and looked at Zhou Yu with narrowed eyes...
Who else could it be but Wen Pin?
"Commander Zhou is indeed here!"
"Our Commander Lu invites Commander Zhou for a chat on the river!"
...
...
In Luoyang, the atmosphere in the Hanzhang Palace was exceptionally cold.
"What? You mean... he... he's here?"
Empress Fu Shou frowned, listening incredulously to the report of the eunuch in front of her...
"It's absolutely true..." The eunuch truthfully reported, "That person said... he... he carries the dying emperor's heavy trust, and one of the four 'Zhongxing Swords' is in his hand. I want to save the Great Han in my own way!"
"Nonsense..." Fu Shou clenched her slender fist.
In her opinion...
His Majesty had completely abandoned the hope and idea of restoring the Han Dynasty. Why should others... insist on it?
"Tell him that his actions will harm His Majesty, and will harm the Great Han!"
Fu Shou's tone was anxious...
"Empress, I... even if I could find him, I fear I couldn't persuade him!" The eunuch looked troubled... "Empress, you have known him since childhood, you should know how stubborn this former Huben General is. Whatever he decides to do, that... that..."
Alas...
Empress Fu Shou sighed again.
Her eyes narrowed, and her heart seemed to sink into infinite despair and an abyss.
"Empress... he... he told me."
"He said, tell His Majesty and the Empress not to worry, victory or defeat often... often comes in an instant!"
"Nonsense!" Empress Fu Shou gritted her teeth again.
She looked helplessly at the vast night...
Her heart also sank into infinite despair.
Finally, after much effort, His Majesty and the King of Wei took a step back, ushering in this rare good day, and now... it is to be ruined again?
...
Outside Xuchang City, at the foot of Mount Rang.
Ma Teng was galloping with more than ten riders. They were getting close to Xuchang City, which made Ma Teng's anxious heart finally settle a bit.
The current situation...
Xuchang City cannot afford to lose.
"Stop!"
Arriving at a post station, Ma Teng ordered his knights.
It was the middle of the night, and the city gates were closed. Even though he was returning to the city under the command of "Shangshu Ling" Xun Yu, he still needed to obtain a written order from Lord Lingjun to enter the city at this hour of the night!
It would definitely disturb him...
It was better to rest here for a night!
"Leave two people to keep watch, and the rest are to sleep soundly... We must be in high spirits when we return to Xuchang tomorrow."
"Yes!"
The knights dismounted.
The group entered the post station...
At the same time, five hundred meters away, a man in black robes was following closely behind...
He wore a sword at his waist...
As Ma Teng's group entered the post station, the man in black placed his hand on his sword, his eyes deep.
"Finally... have they stopped?"
Whoosh...
With a crisp sound.
The sword... had been drawn!
...
...
Jiangdong, Wu Commandery.
In a post station at this moment, Madam Wu sat at the head seat, with Sun Yi and Sun Quan seated on either side.
Sun Shangxiang, who had rushed here, dust-covered, was slowly telling them a story...
To fulfill a promise, to be loyal to a task.
Since she had lost the bet, she, Gongya Ji, would not refuse what Lu Yu had asked her to do.
— "In the late Warring States period, the states were in constant conflict, but the Qin state's power was the strongest, showing signs of annexing the eight directions... It was precisely because of this that assassins targeting the Qin king appeared one after another, among whom the most famous were three..."
Sun Shangxiang said this...
Sun Quan interrupted, "Lu Ziyu didn't just ask my little sister to tell us the story of 'Jing Ke's assassination of Qin', did he?"
"Second Brother, don't interrupt me. This story has nothing to do with 'Jing Ke's assassination of Qin'." Sun Shangxiang briefly explained and continued to narrate.
"These three most famous assassins of Qin were Can Jian, Fei Xue, and Chang Kong!"
"The three of them were all from the state of Zhao. For ten years, they attempted to assassinate the King of Qin, making the King of Qin sleepless at night! The King of Qin offered a heavy reward for the capture of these three assassins: for breaking Chang Kong, a thousand gold coins, enfeoffment as a Marquis of a thousand households, and the right to ascend to the hall within twenty paces! For breaking Can Jian and Fei Xue, ten thousand gold coins, enfeoffment as a Marquis of five thousand households! The right to ascend to the hall within ten paces and drink with the King!"
"I never expected that one day, there would really be an assassin who achieved a triple kill. This assassin claimed to be nameless and was a pavilion chief in a small county of Qin. When the King of Qin learned of this, he summoned him to the palace overnight. In front of the palace... the Qin army was well-equipped, with soldiers arranged on both sides... the swordsman steadily walked towards the main hall, his presence suppressing three thousand soldiers, as swift as a shooting star..."
Sun Shangxiang's words reached this point.
Sun Quan couldn't help but interject, "Little sister, can you get to the point? The military situation is urgent, we can't afford to listen to long stories!"
Sun Yi was dismissive. "Red Cliff and Ruxu Port have already fallen, the military situation is irreversible. It's not impossible to listen to the story of the Great Wei's Southern Hunting Marquis."
On the other hand, Madam Wu was very interested in the story itself.
"Xiang'er, continue speaking. If anyone interrupts you again, I will expel him!"
Sun Shangxiang continued to narrate...
The King of Qin was surprised, why did a "pavilion chief" have such skill!
And "Nameless" began to tell his story.
Originally, it was reasonable that Nameless, with his superior martial arts, killed Can Jian, Fei Xue, and Chang Kong.
But... the King of Qin had already glimpsed the deeper meaning of it.
He believed that... Can Jian, Fei Xue, and Chang Kong had used their lives to help "Nameless" successfully ascend to the hall... to assassinate the King of Qin!
But the King of Qin still thought the story was too simple.
Because – Can Jian!
Can Jian was obstructing their assassination of the Qin king...
Even three years ago, during one operation, Can Jian and Fei Xue were on the verge of successfully assassinating the Qin king, but... they ultimately failed!
For this reason, Can Jian and Chang Kong, a couple, had not spoken to each other for three years!
Before "Nameless" entered the hall to assassinate the Qin king, Can Jian left him two words, and it was precisely these two words that changed "Nameless's" original plan to assassinate the Qin king.
"What words?"
Hearing this, Madam Wu became curious... Sun Yi also raised his neck with interest.
As for Sun Quan, he seemed to have realized something.
"Hmph..."
He immediately snorted coldly and glared at Sun Shangxiang... "I didn't expect that little sister not only fell into Lu Ziyu's hands but also had her heart captured by him!"
Sun Shangxiang paused, "What does Second Brother mean by that?"
"I didn't expect my sister Sun Quan to eventually become that Lu Ziyu's mediator... Hmph!" With a final snort, Sun Quan walked out of the room alone.
Sun Yi scratched his head and quickly asked, "Little sister, your second brother has that temper. What did 'Nameless' finally write?"
This...
Sun Shangxiang looked at Sun Quan's retreating back, unsure whether to say it or not...
It was Madam Wu who spoke.
"Just say it..."
Sun Shangxiang then raised her head, "It is... the word '天下' (Tianxia - all under heaven)?"
Tianxia?
This time, Sun Yi hadn't come to his senses yet, but Madam Wu subconsciously bit her lip. It was... it was Tianxia!
Meanwhile...
Sun Shangxiang continued to narrate the story slowly.
Meanwhile...
In the middle of the river, Lu Yu was also telling Zhou Yu this story.
"Tianxia?" Zhou Yu frowned... his gaze solemn. "The Seven Warring States, the conflicts of the seven nations... Tianxia? 'Nameless' means that the world is in ruins, and the people suffer. Only the King of Qin can unify the six regions and stop the war! What is Tianxia... unification and cessation of war is Tianxia!"
"Southern Hunting Marquis, ah, Southern Hunting Marquis, are you testing me, Zhou Yu? Your disciple first told me about the Qin Emperor's vision, and today... you use a 'swordsman' to tell me... what is Tianxia? Heh heh... you are too good at psychological tactics. No one can withstand a single move from you!"
Zhou Yu sighed with emotion.
Lu Yu squinted his eyes. "So... Commander Zhou will be my mediator."
"Just being a mediator won't be useful!" Zhou Yu sighed, "For me, loyalty to Great Wei and loyalty to Jiangdong are no different. But for... the Sun clan of Jiangdong, the difference is huge. It is the difference between master and servant..."
"What does Gongjin mean?"
In conversation with Zhou Yu, Lu Yu did not act like a victor, but more like a close friend...
Too familiar...
For Lu Yu, Zhou Yu in front of him was like a friend.
"Southern Hunting Marquis, forgive me for being blunt... just Red Cliff, just Ruxu Port... it is far from enough to persuade the Sun clan of Jiangdong to surrender..."
"It's not a lack of troops, but a lack of deterrence. Sun Jian of the Sun clan was once known as the Fierce Tiger of Jiangdong, and Sun Ce was known as the Little Overlord of Jiangdong... They will not surrender or compromise because of these... It must be... more fierce!"
"Let them see the consequences and the ending... otherwise, no matter who is the mediator, Jiangdong will still not be able to avoid... such bloodshed!"
This...
Zhou Yu's words made Lu Yu's eyes fix.
Indeed... there was some truth to it.
If they wanted to surrender... they would have surrendered before the Battle of Red Cliff.
Since they did not surrender before, they certainly would not surrender now!
Unless, they were truly beaten into submission with a mace!
Unknowingly...
Thinking of this, Lu Yu's mind subconsciously recalled "Sun Shiwan's clumsy overturn, Zhang Babai's childish deterrence!"
Only then...
Can the Sun family feel the pain?
Then... let the Sun family feel the pain!
...
...