ushernet Chapter 579 King Qin Meets Han Xin 2
Chapter 579 King Qin Meets Han Xin 2
At exactly 9:00 AM, at Zhangtai Palace.
Ying Wuyou led Han Xin into the main hall. The King of Qin sat behind his desk, reviewing memorials, seemingly unaware of their arrival.
"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty." Ying Wuyou bowed.
"This humble subject, Han Xin, pays his respects to Your Majesty." Han Xin then bowed, his posture neither humble nor arrogant.
The King of Qin put down his pen and looked up to examine Han Xin. His eyes, which seemed to see right through people, lingered on Han Xin for a long time before he spoke: "I have heard that you and the princess had a very pleasant conversation."
Han Xin responded calmly: "The princess is very learned. I have benefited greatly from discussing military strategy with her."
"Oh?" Ying Zheng raised an eyebrow slightly. "You understand military strategy?"
"Know a thing or two."
Ying Wuyou was nervous. [Father is testing him... Han Xin, Han Xin, you must perform well, and please don't say anything like 'the more the better'!]
The King of Qin's gaze shifted slightly as he looked at Ying Wuyou, then turned to Han Xin: "Since that's the case, I have a question. If the Qin army were to attack Qi, how would we plan our strategy?"
Han Xin pondered for a moment, then replied calmly, "Military tactics are not constant, just as water has no constant shape. If one does not know the Qi army's deployment, the terrain's terrain, and the amount of provisions, then to speak of a strategy is nothing more than empty talk."
"What a fine example of armchair strategist!" the King of Qin suddenly raised his voice. "Then tell me, what truly defines a capable general?"
Han Xin raised his head, his gaze resolute: "A general must possess wisdom, integrity, benevolence, courage, and strictness. The wise are not confused, the trustworthy are unwavering, the benevolent love others, the courageous are fearless, and the strict are diligent. Only those who possess all five virtues can be generals."
The hall was completely silent, except for the ticking of the water clock.
Suddenly, the King of Qin burst into laughter: "Excellent! What a perfect embodiment of the five virtues!" He stood up, walked to Han Xin, and asked, "Let me ask you again, if I were to give you an army, how many soldiers would you desire?"
Ying Wuyou's heart tightened. [The classic question is here!]
Han Xin smiled calmly: "The strength of an army lies not in its quantity, but in its quality; the strength of a general lies not in his bravery, but in his strategy. If Han Xin were a general, a thousand men could be used as ten thousand, and ten thousand men could be used as a million. If the methods are not followed, even a million-strong army is like driving a flock of sheep into the jaws of a tiger."
The King of Qin stared at him, remaining silent for a long time. The air in the Zhangtai Palace seemed to freeze.
"Jiayang," Ying Zheng finally spoke after a long silence, "you have discovered a talent for me."
Ying Wuyou breathed a sigh of relief and replied softly, "Father, you flatter me. It is Mr. Han who is truly talented."
The King of Qin walked back to his desk and took out a token: "Han Xin, I hereby appoint you as a court physician, to temporarily train in Meng Tian's army. If you achieve anything in the future, you will be given an important position."
Han Xin accepted the token and bowed calmly, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
After leaving Zhangtai Palace, Ying Wuyou finally felt relieved. She looked at Han Xin beside her and said softly, "Mr. Han, the road ahead is open. I hope you will perform well."
Han Xin bowed deeply: "I will never forget the princess's kindness in recognizing my talent."
Watching Han Xin's departing figure, Ying Wuyou couldn't help but smile. In this timeline, Han Xin, perhaps because he hadn't truly experienced the humiliation of crawling between someone's legs, wouldn't have the story of a meal worth a thousand pieces of gold, nor would he have been harmed by Empress Lü.
As we entered the middle of the twelfth lunar month, Xianyang had experienced three consecutive days of light snow, with the pristine white snow covering the majestic palaces and halls.
Inside the princess's study, a roaring charcoal fire provided warmth and comfort, keeping out the biting cold from outside.
Ying Wuyou removed her fox fur cloak, which was stained with snowflakes, her cheeks slightly flushed from the heat of the hall. She had just finished a meeting with officials from the Maritime Affairs Bureau regarding the annual settlement of the port opening project, and took a few sips of hot tea offered by her maid, Lan'er.
"Drinking warm tea in the cold winter is truly comforting," she sighed to herself.
At this moment, Cui'er announced that the King of Qin summoned her. Ying Wuyou put down her teacup, and Lan'er helped her fasten her cloak before she headed towards Zhangtai Palace.
Inside the Zhangtai Palace, King Ying Zheng of Qin stood before the enormous map of the Central Plains, his posture as straight as a pine tree, his gaze as sharp as a torch, staring at the vast black area on the map that had been dyed with Qin ink.
"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty." Ying Wuyou's clear voice broke the silence.
The King of Qin slowly turned around, his gaze falling on his daughter, a hint of gentleness in his eyes. "Jiayang, you've arrived."
He raised his hand, pointing to the Wei region on the map. "The year is drawing to a close, and all things await renewal. I have pondered whether, when spring arrives next year, this Central Plains should be completely transformed." His voice was steady, yet carried the power to establish order. "I intend to attack Wei. What are your thoughts?"
Ying Wuyou's mind raced. He stepped forward and stood shoulder to shoulder with the King of Qin in front of the map, gazing up at the familiar area.
Ying Wuyou pondered silently for a moment, then raised her hand and lightly touched the map spread out before her, gazing at the mountains and terrain. She then calmly analyzed, “Father, in my opinion, the King of Wei is cowardly, suspicious, and fond of comfort and pleasure, lacking any long-term strategy. His court is already fragmented, rife with infighting! Those who advocate war rely on the high and sturdy walls of Daliang and the wide and deep moat, believing they can rest easy. However, in reality, due to their long-term over-reliance on the Qin economy, their domestic military strength has long been neglected and weakened. Therefore, a suitable pretext is still needed for military action.”
After listening, the King of Qin nodded slightly, and then asked, "If we follow the strategy used to defeat Chu, would it be feasible?"
Upon hearing this, Ying Wuyou gently shook his head and explained, "Father, the reason we were able to defeat Chu so easily back then was mainly because Chu was facing a severe famine, and a large number of people fled their homeland to seek survival in our Great Qin. These refugees found fertile land and ample food, allowing them to settle down and live in peace. Furthermore, King Fuchu of Chu was inherently suspicious and fickle, which allowed us to cleverly use a strategy to successfully sow discord between him and Xiang Yan, ultimately forcing Xiang Yan to return to Qin. It was for this reason that Chu fell so easily. However, the situation in Wei is very different from that in Chu, so this strategy may not be very applicable."
Upon hearing this, the King of Qin smiled slightly, revealing a satisfied expression, and nodded gently.
In truth, the King of Qin harbored some concerns, fearing that Ying Wuyou might develop the misconception that using public opinion and other means to confront the State of Chu was a feasible and effective strategy. If so, she might apply the same methods to her conflict with the State of Wei, which would clearly not be a wise move.
However, as it turned out, Jia Yang was not blinded by victory. Faced with her achievements, she remained calm and humble, neither becoming complacent or arrogant because of the victory over the State of Chu, nor easily giving up or losing confidence because of the difficulties and setbacks she might encounter in the future.
Seeing Jia Yang's calm, reserved yet spirited demeanor, the King of Qin felt very pleased.
After a moment's thought, Ying Wuyou continued, "Father, in my opinion, we should implement the strategy of 'disintegrating the central government and cutting off its supply lines.' We should utilize the special status of Crown Prince Ji of Wei in Xianyang to make him an internal catalyst for Wei's surrender. This should be supplemented by economic blockade, public opinion pressure, and military deterrence."