freenovelworld Chapter 481 The Panicked Nobles of Six Nations 4
Chapter 481 The Panicked Nobles of Six Nations 4
“Your Majesty, things have come to this point; we must find another way out,” Wei Ziyuan broke the silence, his voice tinged with a sense of vicissitude.
King Jia of Wei slowly opened his eyes, his eyes filled with exhaustion and resentment. "What way out is there? The Qin state is powerful, and I'm afraid my Wei state will be unable to resist."
Wei Ziyuan gritted his teeth, "We can contact the other countries and form an alliance against Qin. Although the Thunderclap Bomb is powerful, the combined forces of several countries may be able to contend with it."
The King of Wei gave a forced bitter smile, "The alliance we formed back then eventually fell apart. Who would truly be willing to join forces with my Wei state now?"
Wei Ziyuan clenched his fist. "Your Majesty, how will we know if we don't try? If we sit and wait for death, the State of Wei will only perish."
Just then, another bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating King Wei's face, and his gaze gradually hardened. "Very well, as you say. Immediately send messengers to the other states to convey Wei's intention to form an alliance against Qin."
Wei Ziyuan breathed a sigh of relief. "Your Majesty is wise! This old minister will make the arrangements immediately." With that, he got up and left in a hurry.
King Wei gazed at the torrential rain outside the palace, silently praying that this alliance would work as he wished and save the Wei kingdom from its dire straits.
Inside the majestic Zhanghua Palace, the capital of Chu, a heated debate raged like boiling water. Qu Pingzhi, a minister advocating war, suddenly threw back his wide sleeves and proclaimed, "Qin harbors wolfish ambitions, and now with the Thunderclap Bomb, they might target us at any moment. If we don't unite, Chu will inevitably follow in the footsteps of Han!" As the white-haired old minister spoke, his eyes reddened, and he repeatedly kowtowed before the steps, his forehead striking the blue bricks with a dull thud, startling the warriors below who trembled slightly in their spears and halberds.
The pro-peace minister Jin Shang, however, strolled slowly out of the ranks, his sleeves embroidered with cloud patterns. Behind him followed several well-dressed nobles, their jade pendants clinking together: "Minister Jing is exaggerating! The State of Chu possesses the fertile plains of the Yangtze and Han Rivers, and the Wushan Mountains stand as impregnable as an iron wall. Even if the Qin army has thunderous thunderbolts, can they possibly fly over these towering mountains?"
He deliberately dragged out the last syllable, eliciting a few soft chuckles of agreement from the hall. "Wei is already at its last gasp. To ally with them would only invite disaster. It would be better to remain neutral and observe the situation. Besides, if that thunderbolt were truly as powerful as the legends say, Qin would have already started a war. Why remain inactive? Furthermore, we just signed a ceasefire agreement last year to jointly develop the economic zone. At this time, it would be unacceptable for Chu to violate the agreement and ally with Wei."
"An agreement?" Qu Pingzhi looked up abruptly, his face streaked with blood. "Lord Jin, have you forgotten the shame of Shang Yang's deception of Chu? When has Qin ever regarded an alliance as a contract?" He turned to face King Fuchu of Chu on the throne and said hoarsely, "Your Majesty, when King Huai entered Qin, he was naively trusting a pact made by wolves and tigers! We must heed the lessons of the past!"
King Chu's fingers unconsciously caressed the jade armrest, the gilded dragon casting shadows in the candlelight, mirroring his wavering emotions. He recalled the Sichuan brocade and bronze chimes sent by the Qin envoy during their alliance meeting last year, and the power of the Qin's thunderous roar reported by his scouts. His Adam's apple bobbed, but he remained silent.
Meanwhile, the Jixia Academy in Linzi, Qi, was still filled with the sounds of students reciting their lessons, while the palace built by King Jian of Qi remained tightly shut. Chancellor Hou Sheng leaned back on his jade-inlaid couch, leisurely playing with a newly acquired luminous jade disc. "Your Majesty has recently caught a cold and is unable to receive guests," he said lazily, waving his hand dismissively at the Wei envoy.
In Liaodong, the capital of Yan, the weather had already turned cold. King Xi of Yan threw the treaty with Wei into the brazier, and looking at the flickering flames, he sneered: "How majestic was King Wuling of Zhao's nomadic attire and cavalry archery! Yet, the city of Handan was reduced to ashes."
In a small courtyard in Nanyang, Han Cheng was painting. He was a free spirit, and for him, the greatest hope in life was to live a peaceful and stable life. He had no interest in power struggles or the pursuit of power.
Suddenly, a subordinate came to report that an envoy from the State of Wei had arrived with a request for an alliance. Upon hearing this, Han Cheng frowned slightly, his heart filled with annoyance. He knew all too well that if he agreed to this alliance, he would be drawn into endless strife, shattering his current peaceful life.
The envoy urgently requested an audience outside the mansion, speaking earnestly and declaring that the matter concerned the future rise and fall of the state. However, Han Cheng's mind was made up, and he simply told his servant, "Just say I am not in the mansion, there is no need to open the gate." The servant obeyed and left, though somewhat worried, he dared not disobey Han Cheng's wishes.
The envoy waited outside the door for a long time without receiving a response, then shouted loudly, "King Han, this alliance is indeed a good plan, I hope you will consider it carefully!" However, the palace was silent, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind.
Han Cheng sat inside, oblivious to everything, continuing to paint as if nothing outside concerned him. He only wished to cherish this tranquility and live his simple life. As for the empty title of King Han and the alliance request from the State of Wei, they were all like fleeting clouds, unmoved by him.
Three days later, as dusk fell like blood and the setting sun blazed like fire, the city of Daliang was dyed a dark red. Secret agents galloped into the palace, their hooves echoing through the silent streets like the drumbeat of destiny.
King Jia of Wei paced anxiously in the palace, his gaze frequently drifting towards the outside. When a spy burst in, panting, he practically pounced on him, snatching the secret report from the spy's hand. Unfolding the report, he saw that the handwriting was hasty but clear, recording the attitudes of various states: the prince of Han refused to see the envoy; King Jia of Dai wanted to ally with Wei, but could only contribute a maximum of three thousand troops; King Fuchu of Chu hesitated, and the Chu court was embroiled in heated debate over whether to form an alliance; King Jian of Qi refused to leave his palace, and the Qi prime minister, Hou Sheng, kept making excuses, showing no intention of forming an alliance; King Xi of Yan directly rejected our proposal.
King Wei felt a sudden darkness engulf him, nearly losing his footing. He clung to a pillar beside him, his fingernails digging deep into the cold stone, as if grasping at a last glimmer of hope. "What...what should I do?" he murmured, his voice filled with despair and helplessness.
Wei Ziyuan rushed over and, seeing King Wei's seemingly distraught appearance, felt a pang of anxiety. He took the secret report, quickly glanced through it, and his face turned deathly pale. "Your Majesty," he said, his voice trembling, "each nation has its own agenda, and the path of alliance is unlikely to succeed."
King Jia of Wei suddenly flew into a rage, sweeping the bamboo slips off the table and scattering them across the floor with a crackling sound. "Back then, the six states united in a coalition, how powerful they were! Now that Qin is so powerful, not a single person is willing to fight alongside my Wei!" His voice echoed in the empty hall, filled with anger and resentment.
Wei Ziyuan was silent for a moment, then said, "Your Majesty, although Prince Jia of Dai can only send three thousand soldiers, it is better than nothing. Perhaps we can take this opportunity to try to persuade him to join us."
King Wei shook his head with a bitter smile: "Three thousand soldiers are nothing but a drop in the ocean compared to the ferocious army of Qin." His gaze became vacant, as if he could see the tragic scene of Daliang City being breached by the Qin army, with people displaced and rivers of blood flowing.