Chapter 296: The city walls are indestructible, but people’s hearts can be scattered
Zhao State was a very special enemy for Qin State. Since the reform of wearing Hu clothes and riding and shooting during the reign of King Wuling of Qin, the combat capability of Zhao army leapt to the top in the world. It had the advantage of Hu cavalry and the armaments of the seven states far surpassed those of Hu people.

It can be said that the martial spirit of the entire Zhao State was no less than that of the Qin State. In addition, the Zhao State produced many famous generals, which meant that in the war with the Qin State, the Zhao State was not unilaterally crushed like the other countries, but the two countries had wins and losses.

In the previous wars against Zhao, Qin did not gain much advantage in a strict sense. But this time, taking advantage of the opportunity of Qi attacking Yan, the Qin army did not want to wait any longer.

In the past few years, Qin first helped Wei attack Chu, and then completely tied Wei to Qin's chariot. As long as Chu did not give up revenge on Wei, Wei could not do without Qin.

After the Qin Dynasty destroyed the Han State, it could be said that of the former Three Jin States, only the weak Zhao State remained.

What's more, Zhao State had just experienced a major disaster. Although it had the assistance of Qi State, the people of Zhao who died in the earthquake could not be resurrected. Therefore, Zhao State was currently at its weakest.

How could the Qin State miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?

Moreover, Qin had learned from previous lessons. After several unfavorable battles against Zhao, the Qin army had given up its previous plan of sending only hundreds of thousands of troops to attack Zhao. This time, Qin would make full use of its own strength which far exceeded that of Zhao and crush it with absolute advantage.

For this battle, the Qin army directly mobilized more than 400,000 troops, of which 150,000 were led by Wang Jian, who went out of Taihang Mountain to face the Zhao border army led by Li Mu. The biggest goal of the Qin army along the way was not to defeat Li Mu, but to contain Li Mu and prevent him from rescuing the Zhao capital Handan.

The State of Zhao used an army of 150,000 plus General Wang Jian to contain Li Mu and his Zhao army, which gave Li Mu and his men enough face.

Another 150,000 Qin troops left Shangdang County and headed straight for Handan, the capital of Zhao State.

At the same time, more than 100,000 Qin troops were stationed along the line from Dongjun to Henei to intimidate Qi and make it difficult for Qi to rescue Zhao.

It can be said that this time Wang Jian, who was the general of Qin State, became a detachment of the Qin army. Logically speaking, Wang Jian must have been a little angry about such an arrangement. After all, it was a great achievement to destroy a country. Who would be willing to serve as a detachment and give up such an unprecedented achievement? You know, such an achievement is enough to make a family become the top wealthy family in Qin State and ensure wealth for generations.

This arrangement fully reflects the political wisdom of King Zheng of Qin. While he ordered Wang Jian to serve as a detachment to delay Li Mu, he also recalled Wang Ben to serve as the commander of the Qin army to attack the capital of Zhao. It can be said that the credit of destroying Zhao this time belonged only to the father and son of the Wang family.

Wang Jian might not be willing to support others, but as a father, what complaints could he have about supporting his own son?

For this reason, could Wang Jian not give his all?
"King Zheng of Qin is indeed a very formidable opponent." In Handan City, even though he was far away from the city wall, Guo Kai could still hear the shouting and killing outside the city, which made him, who only wanted to be the prime minister of peace, turn pale.

It was not until today that Guo Kai realized that having power was not always a good thing. Power also meant responsibility. In Handan City, many people could surrender, but he did not seem to have such an opportunity.

"Go back." The tragic shouts and cries of killing outside the city echoed in Guo Kai's ears. He felt quite uncomfortable and could only turn around and return to his mansion. As for going up the city wall to encourage the soldiers, he would not do it. He was the prime minister, not a general. He understood better than anyone the principle that a gentleman should not stand under a dangerous wall.

When Guo Kai returned to his mansion, an unexpected person appeared in front of him.

"Yao Jia, you dare to appear in front of me at this time? Aren't you afraid that I will kill you, Qin Chen?" Guo Kai was quite shocked when he saw the person coming.

The person who came was actually from Qin State and a close confidant of King Zheng of Qin. He once carried millions of gold to lobby other countries for Qin State. It can be said that he is the most capable person in the world today who is more like a strategist than a diplomat.

"I'm afraid, but I believe the Prime Minister will never kill me." Facing Guo Kai's threat, Yao Jia was extremely calm. He was just brave, not ignorant. If he was with Guo Kai, he would definitely die, so he would not come.

"Why?" Guo Kai asked back.

"Because the prime minister is a smart man." Yao Jia said.

The best way to deal with people like Yao Jia is to kill him before he opens his mouth. Otherwise, once he opens his mouth, he can turn black into white.

So Guo Kai was fooled.

"Wouldn't a smart person kill you?" Guo Kai was so angry that he almost laughed. Yao Jia's calmness must have made him very annoyed.

"Of course, because my life is not that precious, but the prime minister's life is different." Yao Jia said.

"Are you threatening me?" Guo Kai's eyes were now unfriendly.

"I dare not. I am just reminding the Prime Minister that Zhao State does not have much time left. The Prime Minister should leave a way out for himself." Yao Jia reminded.

"A way out? Qin has sent 300,000 troops this time. Will these 300,000 troops give me a way out?" Guo Kai questioned. However, when he started to question, it almost showed that his thinking had been led by Yao Jia to the rhythm he wanted.

"The army will not give the prime minister a way out, but our king can give the prime minister a way out." Yao Jia said.

"Do you want me to betray Zhao and join Qin?" Guo Kai understood Yao Jia's meaning at this time. Qin was too familiar with such tactics.

"Is it not possible? With the wisdom of the Prime Minister, can't you see that Zhao State is doomed this time?" Yao Jia said.

Although the Qin army currently has an absolute advantage, the price behind the siege is too high. If there is a chance to win with a better method, the Qin people will naturally want it. The walls of a city can be very strong, but the people's hearts in the city are different. However, the walls cannot be destroyed, so destroying the hearts of the people inside the city is a good choice.

And Guo Kai is Handan's weakness.

"I have no friendship with the King of Qin. If Zhao State is destroyed, I am not without a way out." Guo Kai said.

"Whether I can have a friendship with the king depends entirely on the choice of the prime minister. As for the retreat the prime minister mentioned, is the prime minister talking about the King of Qi?" Yao Jia knew Guo Kai's thoughts very well.

"Of course it's the King of Qi. With Qin's intelligence capabilities, it's impossible that he doesn't know about my friendship with the King of Qi." Guo Kai said confidently. "Of course I believe it, but now the King of Qi is attacking Yan and turning a blind eye to the life and death of Zhao. It can be seen that although the King of Qi has a friendship with the Prime Minister, it is really limited." Yao Jia's mouth is really poisonous.

"The King of Qi naturally has his own plans, and he does not need to be responsible for our State of Zhao." Guo Kai said.

"Prime Minister, Handan has now been surrounded by our Qin army. Even if the Prime Minister can escape to Qi when the city is broken, and even if the King of Qi still treats the Prime Minister as an old friend, can the Prime Minister's property still be preserved?"

"Besides, if the prime minister flees to Qi, it is hard to say whether he can continue to maintain friendship with the king of Qi. After all, the friend the king of Qi needs is the prime minister of Zhao, not necessarily Guo Kai himself."

"Also, even if the King of Qi still regards Guo Kai as a friend, in the opinion of the Prime Minister, if Qin attacks Qi with all its strength after destroying Zhao, will Qi be able to stop it?"

"When our Qin army conquers Linzi, won't the prime minister still have to surrender? However, at that time, it was only Guo Kai who surrendered. But if the prime minister surrenders to our Qin now, he will serve our Qin army with his dignity as prime minister. I think the prime minister knows the difference between surrendering and serving, Guo Kai and the prime minister."

Yao Jia spoke eloquently, and every word he said was like a heavy blow to Guo Kai's heart.

Guo Kai was of course clear about the difference between the prime minister's surrender and his surrender. Yao Jia's words were indeed sharp. Guo Kai had originally thought of going to Qi if Zhao was in trouble, but in the current situation, it seemed that directly surrendering to Qin was a better choice.

But, is Zhao really in trouble now? What if Zhao can survive the current crisis and persist?
So although what Yao Jia said made sense, Guo Kai was still hesitant.

Fortunately, Yao Jia does not need Guo Kai to agree to his conditions right now. What he needs to do now is to plant the seeds of betrayal in Guo Kai's heart. With the attack of the Qin army outside Handan City and with the crumbling of Handan, the seeds of betrayal will begin to take root in Guo Kai's heart until he betrays the State of Zhao.

"Sir, there is no need to say more. I am the prime minister of Zhao. Zhao is in crisis right now. How could I do such a thing?" Guo Kai said firmly.

"The Prime Minister is right. I am only doing this to complete the king's mission. I have always admired the Prime Minister's character." Yao Jia complimented seriously, but a playful smile appeared in his eyes. The change in the way Guo Kai addressed him had already exposed his change of mind.

The Qin State was attacking the Zhao State on a two-pronged approach. On the Yan State side, the Qi army had already marched all the way to the city of Ji.

"How dare they?" In the Yan Palace, when King Yan Xi learned that the Qi army was already at the gates of the city, his face was filled with shock. He had always thought that the Qi army was just bluffing in order to lure out the 100,000 Yan troops from Yicheng.

but now?
How could one bluff all the way to the gates of the enemy's capital?
This was not a bluff at all, but the Qi army was going to actually attack Jicheng.

However, this time Yan Chunjun did not answer King Yan's question, because Yan Chunjun was not here at all. King Yan's brother had already hidden in his mansion and disappeared. He seemed to feel that the situation facing Yan State this time was not as optimistic as he had imagined.

King Xi of Yan didn't know why the Qi army dared to march straight in, and no one answered his question. He was now facing a Qi army of nearly 80,000. How to repel this Qi army was a problem he had to face.

Faced with the pressure from the Qi army, King Xi of Yan could only think of one thing, which was to order the garrisons from all over the Yan State to gather in Jicheng to fight against the Qi army.

This was the only choice King Xi of Yan could make, but it was not a very good choice.

Relying on Jicheng, the capital of Yan State that had been operated for hundreds of years, it might be possible to stop the attack of Qi Army, but King Xi of Yan did not dare to gamble. His life was too precious, so how could he take such a risk.

However, since King Xi of Yan did not want to take any risks, his risks would have to be borne by the military forces in various parts of the Yan State.

When King Xi of Yan's edict reached all places, the Qi army had already completed the construction of camps and defensive fortifications outside the city of Ji. During this period, the Qi army did not take the initiative to launch an attack, but slowly built camps and fortifications.

This made some knowledgeable people in Jicheng see some clues, but even if they saw it, they could do nothing. A considerable number of Jicheng's elite troops had been transferred to Yicheng before. Now Jicheng's defense force was limited. They definitely did not have the courage to go out of the city to fight a field battle with Qi. If they were really so brave, Yan State would not have been in such a miserable state in these years.

Fortunately, the authority of King Yan was still useful in Yan State. When King Yan's edict was spread to all parts of Yan State, the troops of Yan State were mobilized quickly, and troops had already arrived from the Yanshan camp not far from Yan State.

However, although the Yan army had arrived in front of the Qi army, no one dared to take the initiative to fight the Qi army.

After all, their numbers are still too small compared to the Qi army, and they need to wait for more reinforcements before they can take the initiative to attack.

Unfortunately, the decision on whether or not to fight did not lie with the Yan army, but with the Qi army.

Therefore, the first Yan army that arrived had to fight even if they didn't want to.

Under the city of Ji, the Qi army, which had an absolute advantage in manpower, took the initiative to attack the Yan army that came to support it. This Yan army was considered elite in the Yan State, but it was still inferior to the Qi army led by Wei Zhuang.

In just half a day, the first Yan army that came to support was defeated and was surrounded by the Qi army from top to bottom. It seemed that the whole army was about to be wiped out.

Seeing that the reinforcements were already in a desperate situation, the people of Jicheng were indifferent. Seeing that the reinforcements were constantly retreating under the attack of the Qi army and had already reached the moat of Jicheng, as long as Jicheng opened the city gates and sent out troops, the reinforcements that were about to be wiped out could be brought into Jicheng. However, the people of Jicheng did not dare to open the city gates to receive the reinforcements from beginning to end.

"General, please open the city gate quickly and bring the brothers outside the city into the city. If it is too late, they will be wiped out." On the wall of Jicheng, a tall general, who was much taller than an ordinary man, said to the general in front of him anxiously.

"No, who dares to open the city gate without the king's order?" The general's request was rejected.

"General, those outside the city are all our brothers." The general was anxious.

"We are now protecting the king. Apart from the king, we don't need to be responsible to anyone else."

(End of this chapter)