PFC Chapter 614 Qi State 2
Chapter 614 Qi State 2
Tian Dan said slowly, "War and peace each have their advantages and disadvantages. But there is one thing you all seem to have forgotten—the will of the people."
He looked at his ministers and asked, "Do the people of Qi really want to fight? Years of war have brought heavy taxes and unbearable suffering to the people. If we go to war again, we will have to increase taxes and conscript soldiers. Can the people bear it? If the people do not support us, how can we fight this war?"
These words awakened everyone. Yes, war depends on the hearts of the people. But did the people of Qi still want to fight?
Hou Sheng seized the opportunity and said, “What the Imperial Clan says is absolutely right. I sent people to secretly investigate among the people, and they all long for peace. Qin exempted Wei from taxes for a year and opened its granaries to distribute grain, and the people of Wei were all grateful. If Qi were to take the initiative to submit, the people would also benefit from this. The will of the people is the true way to survive.”
Tian Chong wanted to retort, but Tian Dan waved his hand: "General, I know your loyalty. But loyalty must be assessed in light of the situation. Qi... is truly unwinnable. Rather than being defeated and destroyed, it is better to surrender voluntarily and still gain some benefits."
Even Zongzheng said so, and the momentum of the pro-war faction was dampened.
King Jian of Qi finally made a decision: "This matter... I will consider it further. Court adjourned."
He needs time, he needs to be alone.
After the court session, Tian Chong stopped Hou Sheng, his gaze icy: "The Prime Minister has some impressive methods."
Hou Sheng smiled and said, "It's all for the sake of the State of Qi."
"For the State of Qi?" Tian Chong gritted his teeth. "You're after your own mountains of gold and silver, aren't you? Salt and iron monopolies, aren't they tempting?"
Hou Sheng's expression changed slightly: "General, please be careful with your words."
"What do you mean by 'be careful what you say'?" Tian Chong pressed closer. "How much money did you receive from Qin? Three thousand gold pieces? Five thousand gold pieces? Or more? You betrayed your country for personal gain; aren't you afraid of retribution?"
"Retribution?" Hou Sheng sneered. "General, times have changed. Qin's unification of the world is an inevitable trend. Those who follow the trend prosper, and those who go against it perish. You are the real sinner if you insist on dragging Qi down with you!"
After saying that, he turned and left.
Tian Chong stood still, gripping the sword hilt tightly, his knuckles turning white.
Is the State of Qi truly beyond saving?
He was not reconciled.
The State of Yan, Xiangping City.
Xiang Yan stood in front of the delegation, gazing at the border town shivering in the cold wind.
In April, Liaodong was still cold. Xiang Yan was dressed in the official robes of a Qin envoy, with a black cloak over his shoulders, but he still wore the Chu sword that had been with him for many years at his waist.
"General, shall we enter the city?" the deputy envoy asked in a low voice.
Xiang Yan nodded. He looked up at the Yan soldiers on the city wall, thinly dressed and shivering in the cold wind, yet still gripping their spears tightly. This scene was all too familiar—last year in Chu, his soldiers had done the same, struggling to hold on, waiting for reinforcements that would never arrive.
The city gates slowly opened. There were no ceremonial guards, no welcoming party, only a few Yan officials leading the way with expressionless faces.
Xiang Yan entered Xiangping City. The streets were muddy, the houses were dilapidated, and the people looked emaciated, avoiding the delegation. This city was already at its end.
King Xi of Yan received Xiang Yan in a so-called "palace." This palace was inferior even to the mansion of a wealthy merchant in Xianyang. Xiang Yan remained unfazed and performed the proper courtesies.
"Xiang Yan, a foreign subject, has been ordered by the King of Qin to pay homage to the King of Yan."
King Xi of Yan looked at this former famous general who had resisted Qin. Xiang Yan was about fifty years old, with a resolute face, deep eyes, and a scar on his forehead, a mark of many years of fighting. He wore Qin official robes, but still carried the majesty of a Chu general.
“General Xiang… no, Envoy Xiang,” Yan Wang Xi said hoarsely, “I never expected that we would meet like this.”
Xiang Yan was silent for a moment: "Things are unpredictable. Even I didn't expect this."
These words were spoken softly, but King Xi of Yan sensed the vicissitudes of life within them. Indeed, life is unpredictable. Just a year ago, Xiang Yan was a pillar of the Chu state, fighting fiercely against the Qin army on the battlefield. Now, he had come as an envoy of Qin to persuade the Yan state to surrender.
"Your Excellency has traveled a long way and must be tired," said the King of Yan with delight. "May I ask what the King of Qin's orders are?"
Xiang Yan took out a letter written by the King of Qin from his bosom and presented it with both hands: "My king writes to the King of Yan to discuss the peace of the world."
King Yan happily unfurled the silk scroll; King Ying Zheng of Qin's handwriting was powerful and vigorous.
"To the King of Yan: For centuries, the world has been in turmoil, and the people have suffered greatly. Now, Qin has pacified the four kingdoms, and the unification of the world is imminent. Yan is located in the remote Liaodong region, with barren land and impoverished people. Why should we remain trapped in this isolated city, stubbornly resisting? If the King of Yan can recognize the times and come to surrender willingly, I will treat him as a national hero. I will bestow upon him a title of nobility, grant him a residence, protect his ancestral temple, and preserve his bloodline. If he remains obstinate, the royal army will march east, and we will all perish. I urge the King of Yan to reconsider his course of action."
The letter was short, but its meaning was clear: surrender, and wealth and status could be preserved; fight, and death was inevitable.
After reading it, the Prince of Yan remained silent for a long time.
"King Qin...can you truly protect my ancestral temple?"
"My king's word is as good as gold," Xiang Yan said calmly. "The King of Wei, having feigned surrender, was granted the title of Marquis of Guiming, and his ancestral temple was preserved for sacrifices. As for foreign subjects... Xiang Yan, having submitted, was also granted the title of General Anyuan, with a command of three thousand households."
He paused, then looked at Prince Yan Xi: "If Prince Yan returns, his treatment will be even better than ours."
These words carried particular weight coming from Xiang Yan. A former general of an enemy state, now personally confirming the King of Qin's promise, was more convincing than any other words.
"And...and what about my soldiers?" King Yan looked at the Yan soldiers outside the palace. They were ragged and emaciated, but their eyes remained resolute.
Xiang Yan said solemnly, “Those who wish to return home will be given travel expenses and land; those who wish to join the army can be incorporated into the Qin army and treated the same as Qin soldiers; those who wish to become officials can be employed after passing an examination. The former Chu soldiers under my command are now all serving in the Qin army, and no one has been humiliated.”
"What about the people of Liaodong?"
"Liaodong originally belonged to Yan, so naturally they are subjects of Qin. They will be exempted from taxes for one year, and given grain, seeds, and farming tools to help them settle down," Xiang Yan said. "My king has decreed: the unification of the world is not about conquest, but about integration. The people of the six states are all subjects of Qin, and will be treated equally."
The King of Yan was somewhat moved. But he still hesitated: "But... but I am the King of Yan. Eight hundred years of rule, just like that, it's over?"
Xiang Yan remained silent. He had asked himself this question before. Hadn't the Chu state, with its eight hundred years of history, also come to an end?
"King Yan," Xiang Yan said slowly, "which is more important, the state or the people? Which is more important, the ancestral temple or the bloodline?"
He looked at the emaciated soldiers outside the palace: "Last year in Chu, I also struggled to hold on in this way. The city was out of food, and there was no reinforcement outside. Every day, soldiers were starving and freezing to death. At that time, I wondered: What am I holding on for? Is it for the King of Chu? Or for the State of Chu? Or for these soldiers who follow me?"
"Later, when the city fell, I intended to die for my country. But when I saw the eyes of the surviving soldiers—they wanted to live. Their parents, wives, and children were waiting for them to come home," Xiang Yan said in a low voice. "So I surrendered. By surrendering, at least I could save their lives."
King Xi of Yan stared blankly at Xiang Yan. How much helplessness and sorrow were contained in the words of this once renowned general who would rather die than surrender?
"Your Excellency, please allow me... to discuss this with your subject," King Xi of Yan finally said.
“Of course.” Xiang Yan bowed. “This humble subject awaits His Majesty’s reply at the post station. However…”
He looked at Ji Yan in Yan Wang Xi's arms: "I beg Your Majesty to think of the Crown Prince. He is only ten years old and should not die in this bitter and cold place."
After Xiang Yan withdrew, King Xi of Yan summoned his ministers.