Chapter 210 Queen Zhao’s Fear
In fact, I am not that important. Zhao Cong really wanted to say this to Yang Chong at this moment. He wanted to fly away from Yecheng, but he couldn't say it directly. It would be too embarrassing to say it directly.

"Hey, Governor Yang fought hard against the Qin army and won a great victory. His bravery and strategy are far superior to mine. Now that you are in Yecheng, I think you can hold off the Qin army's attack in a short time. And the matter of seeking help is urgent, and I am the only one who can make the trip." Zhao Cong said his reasons.

"No, the soldiers and civilians of Yecheng only recognize General Zhao. How can General Zhao leave so easily?" Yang Chong was unmoved, as if Yecheng really couldn't do without Zhao Cong.

"Mofficer Yang is also an official of our Zhao State. He has the prestige of defeating the Qin army. Everyone in Yecheng truly admires Magistrate Yang. How could they listen to his command?" Zhao Cong's mind flashed. While he said flattering words, he had already thought of Yang Chong's real purpose in his heart.

"If County Magistrate Yang is worried about not being able to command the military and civilians in Yecheng, I can leave all my seals and tokens to County Magistrate Yang. With the seals and tokens, who would dare to disobey County Magistrate Yang's orders?" Zhao Cong promised again solemnly. At this time, he thought he had understood Yang Chong's mind, so naturally he knew how to please him.

"In that case, I'll have to trouble General Zhao. The safety of Yecheng depends entirely on General Zhao." Yang Chongmian said with difficulty.

Zhao Cong's departure was certainly a good thing for him. If Zhao Cong had not left, it would not have been easy for him to completely control Yecheng. Fortunately, the result was good, so Yang Chong was very happy.

In this tacit deal, Yang Chong was not the only one who was happy. Zhao Cong was also very happy. He could finally escape from Yecheng, this desperate place. As long as he returned to Handan, everything would be fine. Besides, he had been defending Yecheng for such a long time and had enough merits. As for even if Yecheng was lost in the future, it would not be his responsibility. When he was defending Yecheng, Yecheng was still fine.

Amidst some false pretenses, Zhao Cong led his personal guards out of the city and headed straight for Handan. The Zhao people, who were skilled in riding and shooting, were indeed very fast, and Zhao Cong returned to Handan in just two days.

The terminally ill King Yan of Zhao brought precious good news.

"What did you say? Yang Chong defeated 30,000 Qin troops at Zhangshui?" In the Zhao Palace, the weak Zhao Wangyan leaned on the sickbed, his pale face flushed with excitement, and he seemed to have more strength to speak.

"Yes, your Majesty. Three days ago, Governor Yang defeated the Qin army with a smaller force at Zhangshui and annihilated nearly 30,000 Qin troops. Only Huan Xi managed to escape." Although Zhao Cong's fighting skills were only passable, his storytelling skills were first-rate.

In his story, Yang Chong has become a famous general of the time. In front of Yang Chong, Lian Po is just an ordinary person, and Bai Qi is not unable to compete with him. As for the current generals of Qin, they are as vulnerable as chickens and dogs in front of Yang Chong.

"Okay, okay, I really didn't make a mistake. Well, the queen didn't make a mistake either." Zhao Wangyan murmured to himself, and his eyes couldn't help but look at his queen. It was still that pretty face with a bit of resentment. It was exactly what he liked most, and now she could help him. Zhao Wangyan was more and more satisfied with the queen, and the thoughts that were shaken by the threat of death before gradually calmed down.

King Yan of Zhao felt that he could overcome the current difficulties, just as the State of Zhao could overcome its current difficulties.

"It is all thanks to your Majesty that he has a keen eye for heroes. I dare not take credit for it." Queen Zhao apologized with a smile.

Yang Chong was her ally, and Yang Chong's achievements naturally benefited her as well. Queen Zhao was well aware of this. Moreover, she needed Prince Yan of Zhao to continue living until the day when her son could truly control the State of Zhao.

The vitality radiating from Prince Yan of Zhao at this time gave Queen Zhao hope again.

"You don't need to be humble in front of me. As long as Yecheng is not lost, the nine cities in Ye can be recovered slowly. This time, Qin has miscalculated after all." King Yan of Zhao pondered, and the anger accumulated in his heart due to anxiety and anger gradually dissipated.

"Your Majesty, although Yecheng can be defended temporarily, the Qin army still has tens of thousands of troops besieging Yecheng. Although the Jibei army is durable, they also suffered heavy casualties in the battle of annihilating 30,000 Qin soldiers. Your Majesty needs to send reinforcements urgently." Zhao Cong stated his purpose. To be honest, he still had some integrity. Although he fled Yecheng under the pretext of seeking help, he did not forget his purpose after returning to Handan.

If Zhao Cong forgets about asking for help after he comes back, no one can do anything to him.

However, I would not do such a stupid thing. Asking for help is just a few words. Why would I be reluctant to say it? Anyway, the military affairs do not require me to worry about. I am just delivering the message.

And... thinking of Yang Chong whom he met in Yecheng, Zhao Cong felt a chill in his heart.

He knew very well what kind of person Huan Zhi was. After all, he had been abused at the beginning of the war. But even such a powerful Huan Zhi was schemed against by Yang Chong, which really frightened him.

Thinking about what Yang Chong had done in Jibei County over the past year and the hints he had given him from the top of Yecheng City, Zhao Cong felt that he had seen another unknown side of Yang Chong.

He is ambitious and powerful, and more importantly, he has a style of doing things by any means necessary to achieve his goals.

After bribing Guo Kai and making friends with Queen Zhao, it is clear that such a person is both thoughtful and capable. In the future, he will definitely have a place in the State of Zhao, and it is only inevitable that he will become a powerful official.

Such a Yang Chong is worthy of his making friends and even trying to please him.

If Zhao Cong's ability in fighting is only six points, then in terms of the interpersonal relationships in the court, he has eight points of ability.

In this world, everyone who is alive has his or her own way of survival, and this is also true for people like Zhao Cong.

"Reinforcements?" When Zhao Wangyan heard the word reinforcements, his heart sank, and his good mood was instantly overshadowed.

If he had been able to mobilize reinforcements, why would he have fallen ill due to anger?
"Reinforcements will arrive soon." A gloomy look appeared on Zhao Wangyan's face.

"Yes." Zhao Cong didn't say anything more after hearing that.

After leaving Yecheng, he had actually realized that what Yang Chong needed was not reinforcements, but to leave. Only when he left could Yang Chong truly control Yecheng.

However, while answering this question, another bigger question also emerged in his mind: What if Yang Chong could control Yecheng? The real owner of Yecheng was still King Zhao, could Yang Chong replace him?
However, this question was just a bored fantasy for Zhao Cong. Now he only knew that he had returned to Handan. No matter what Yang Chong was thinking, he had already left the dangerous place of Yecheng.

As for the reinforcements, it was just something to mention. Anyway, his mission has been completed now.

The atmosphere of Handan is indeed sweet. Yecheng has been completely forgotten by Zhao Cong.

With the great victory in the Battle of Zhangshui, the dark clouds hanging over Handan were eased. Seeing that Prince Zhao Yan's health was getting better and better, it seemed that the current crisis was no longer a problem.

On this day, Queen Zhao was in the bedroom of King Zhao Yan. In order to show her thoughtfulness, she did a lot of things by herself, such as cleaning the incense burner. Queen Zhao poured the ashes from the incense burner into the wooden frame, and her eyes became solemn. In the black ashes, she saw a piece of silk that had not been completely burned, and there were faint words on it.

When was it thrown into the incense burner? Queen Zhao couldn't help but feel a little curious. Her tender fingers reached into the ashes and picked out the fragment.

"This is..." Looking at the fragments between her fingers, Queen Zhao's eyes couldn't help but freeze. It was a bright spring time with bright sunshine, but Queen Zhao felt a bone-chilling chill, which was even more intense than the wind and snow in Daibei.

On that small piece, three words were clearly written:...located in Chang...

There were only three words, but what came before them and what came after them? Queen Zhao did not think twice before filling in the missing three words: Pass the throne to the eldest son Jia.

Queen Zhao felt her hands and feet go cold when she realized this. She knew that the fragment in her hand could not be fake. Suddenly realizing something, she quickly stuffed the fragment into her mouth. Her face became distorted while chewing. Was it because the fragment was too unpalatable, or was it her heart that was distorted?

Before this, King Yan of Zhao was already terminally ill, and passing on the throne was something he had to do, even though he was unwilling.

It was also because of this that the Queen of Zhao at that time was afraid. She knew very well that without Prince Yan of Zhao, it would be difficult for her alone to stabilize the throne of her son, Prince Zhao Qian of Zhao, so she was afraid that Prince Yan of Zhao would really die.

At that time, she was just afraid that after King Yan of Zhao passed away, they, an orphan and a widow, would not be able to control the situation in Zhao State, and might even be overthrown or even lose their lives.

In Zhao State, this was not considered an outrageous matter. Since it concerned the succession of the throne, how could there not be blood and gore?

Although Zhao was not as bustling as Chu, it had every bit of filial piety and loving fathers. Among the seven states, Zhao was definitely in the top three in terms of the bloodiness of the succession to the throne.

Although Queen Zhao lacked experience due to her background, she was able to rise from a prostitute to the queen of a country, so she was not a stupid person. Therefore, she was able to see the situation clearly.

But at that time, she was just worried that after Zhao Wangyan passed away, she and her son would not be able to control the situation. She never thought that Zhao Wangyan actually wanted to pass the throne to his eldest son Zhao Jia instead of her son.

A deposed prince is certainly miserable, but at least he can still survive. But what will be the fate of a current prince who cannot ascend the throne? Is there any need to think about it?
Although the former crown prince Zhao Jia was deposed, he is still alive and well, but what about her son? If Zhao Jia really ascended the throne, would he be able to accommodate them mother and son?

When Queen Zhao thought of the information in the fragment, she could no longer control the chill in her heart. She turned her gaze and looked out the window. There, Prince Yan of Zhao was moving slowly with the support of a palace maid. She was really going to survive.

But at this time, Queen Zhao only wanted King Zhao Yan to die.

In the last moments of his life, King Yan of Zhao also wanted her to die.

Queen Zhao's heart was cold and she could not hide her fear, but this fear quickly turned into resentment. She hated King Zhao Yan, just as she had always been grateful to him before, but the hatred now was even deeper and heavier than her previous gratitude.

The Queen of Zhao used to be afraid that King Zhao Yan would die, but now she only wishes that King Zhao Yan could continue to live.

"I can't just sit there and wait for death, not only for myself, but also for Qian'er." Queen Zhao thought and struggled, and her uncertain expression gradually turned into a smile.

As a queen, she can do a lot of things.

Powerless? While Queen Zhao felt that she could do a lot, Huan Zhi could do nothing.

Facing Yecheng, even though he still had tens of thousands of soldiers and horses at his disposal, Huan He was powerless. Yecheng and Yang Chong had become invincible in front of him.

"I have lost this war." Huan Xi looked at the city in the distance. He had realized that he had lost the war. Even though he still had tens of thousands of soldiers, he was powerless.

It was impossible for him to capture Yecheng from Yang Chong, and as time went by, reinforcements from Zhao would arrive. If the forces were equal, how could he capture a city like Yecheng with its high walls and deep moats?

"But I can't retreat now. If I retreat, all the pressure will be transferred to the western battlefield where Wang Jian is." Huan Xi said to himself.

In this year's war, the Qin army's attack targets were mainly Yanyu and Yecheng. The two cities used similar forces and were actually in competition with each other.

Ever since Meng Ao resigned from the position of general, the Qin State only had generals but no generals.

With the personal rule of King Zheng of Qin, the Qin State, which had been stagnant for several years, gradually needed to change its previous war mode. During the reign of King Zhaoxiang, the Qin State pursued the policy of making friends with distant countries and attacking nearby ones. The goal of the attack was to gradually erode and weaken the six countries.

By today, Qin has achieved this goal and has weakened the six kingdoms to the extreme. Qi has closed itself off, Zhao has lost its ancestral land of Jinyang, Chu has moved its capital three times, and Han has only a corner left. Although Wei got a breath of relief by annexing Song, it has never regained its former bravery.

Faced with such a situation, it was feasible for the Qin State to launch a war to annihilate the country.

In order to achieve the goal of destroying the country, the Qin army needed a real commander, like Bai Qi, the Marquis of Wu'an.

Among the middle-aged generals of the Qin army, Huan Xi and Wang Jian had the highest status and strength. The two had similar qualifications and military achievements. Whoever could succeed to the position of general would be able to lead the future war to annihilate the country and accomplish a feat that no one before him could accomplish.

Therefore, this war was also a test for Huan Xi and Wang Jian, to test who of them could be qualified for the position of general.

But now, Huan Xi had to admit that it was impossible for him to win.

(End of this chapter)