lcionline Chapter 75 The Night in Xianyang
Chapter 75 The Night in Xianyang
The Yan people returned to the villa with solemn expressions, each with a heavy heart. Li Fu broke the silence first, speaking seriously, "Now, everyone, let's discuss how we should deal with this situation." His gaze swept over everyone present, hoping they could offer some useful suggestions.
At this moment, the deputy envoy stepped forward and said, "Qin is truly going too far! Qin has always harbored the intention to destroy our Yan state. Even if it wasn't because of the papermaking method this time, they will surely find other excuses to deal with us next time. In my opinion, we should return to Yan and join forces with Chu and Qi to attack Qin." His words were full of determination and resolve, as if he was already prepared for a war with Qin.
Li Fu nodded slightly, indicating his agreement with the deputy envoy's point of view, but he still decided to listen to the opinions of others before making a decision. After all, war was not the only way to solve problems, and it would be best if disputes could be resolved peacefully. So, he turned to the other ministers, waiting for them to express their views.
Another deputy envoy frowned and said, "But during the period of the six states, the states had repeatedly joined forces to attack Qin, but all of them failed. Now that only four states remain, can we still succeed in forming an alliance?"
Li Fu said in a calm voice, "Although previous joint operations have not always been successful, we cannot give up trying. Now that only four countries remain, the other countries should feel more urgency. Perhaps this time, a joint effort with Chu and Qi will be successful."
Everyone nodded in agreement, agreeing with the Prime Minister's point. They continued their discussion for a while longer, then returned to their rooms to rest.
Li Fu lay in bed, his mind filled with conflict. The State of Yan had originally hoped to establish friendly relations with the State of Qin by purchasing papermaking technology, but now, due to the exorbitant price, they risked antagonizing Qin. He didn't know if the King of Yan would agree to his idea, a question that kept him tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
Meanwhile, in a courtyard in Xianyang, several people sat together, their faces grave as they discussed something. One of them spoke first: "Have you all seen the notice in Xianyang?" Everyone nodded in agreement. The man continued, "The Qin state is going too far. We've only just arrived in Xianyang and we've already encountered this. What do you all think we should do?" He looked around at the others, awaiting their opinions.
At this point, another person suggested, "In my opinion, we should contact the Prime Minister as soon as possible, report the situation here to him, and follow his instructions." However, this suggestion was not accepted by everyone. A man with a noticeable scar on his face retorted, "Our Qi state is no weaker than Qin, why should we be afraid of them? In my opinion, we can create some chaos and commotion in Xianyang City to let Qin know our strength, and then quickly escape back to Qi."
At this moment, someone responded, "This is not a good idea. Don't forget that our purpose in coming to Qin is to learn their papermaking method. If we run back to Qi now, it means we will be unable to complete this mission."
The scarred man turned red with anger and retorted furiously, "Then what do you suggest we do? We've only just arrived here and have no idea where Qin is developing papermaking technology. Even if we find out and learn it, if we send the technology back to our country, wouldn't that just give Qin a reason and excuse to attack us?"
The man thought for a moment and replied, "In my opinion, it would be better to send an envoy back to the country to deliver the message to the Prime Minister, and then follow his instructions before making a decision."
Scarface then asked, "What about us? Are we just supposed to sit here and wait?"
Upon hearing this, a silence fell over the room as everyone fell into deep thought. After a while, someone finally spoke up and suggested, "We can send some people back to deliver a message to the Prime Minister, while the rest can stay in Xianyang to learn about the specific situation in Qin and investigate matters related to papermaking." This suggestion was unanimously approved, and they further discussed how to allocate personnel and the details of the plan. Finally, they reached a consensus and dispersed to rest.
In another courtyard in Xianyang, a man solemnly addressed another: “Leave the city at daybreak and make sure to deliver this letter to General Xiang Yan!” He gripped the letter tightly, as if it were the hope of the entire Chu Kingdom.
The other man nodded respectfully and replied, "Yes, I will certainly deliver the letter to General Xiang Yan." He knew that this matter was of great importance and could not be lost.
"Remember, you must hand it over to General Xiang Yan personally; do not entrust it to anyone else," the man instructed again, a resolute glint in his eyes.
"Your subordinate understands, please rest assured, sir," the other replied solemnly.
It was late at night, but neither of them felt sleepy. Their hearts were filled with worry and anticipation for the future of the State of Chu.
The State of Chu had always been self-sufficient and had never relied on other states. When paper from Qin flowed into Chu, the people of Chu did not consider relying on purchasing paper from Qin to meet their needs. Instead, they chose to research and develop papermaking techniques themselves to achieve self-sufficiency.
However, the proclamation issued by Qin now filled the people of Chu with immense anger and humiliation. For them, this was undoubtedly an unbearable insult. Therefore, he decided to write to General Xiang Yan, hoping to persuade the king to take action with his help. He knew that General Xiang Yan was loyal and brave, and would surely understand the feeling of being bullied, and would try his best to persuade the king to join forces with other states to attack Qin.
This man from Chu firmly believed that only through unity and cooperation could they resist Qin's aggression and safeguard their nation's dignity and interests. General Xiang Yan, as Chu's military leader, possessed immense prestige and power, making him a key figure in achieving this goal. Therefore, he resolved to convey his ideas to General Xiang Yan, hoping he could lead Chu out of its predicament and usher in a new era of glory.
"His Majesty will surely take action," the man murmured to himself, his eyes revealing trust and expectation in the King of Chu.
As dawn broke, the man set off on his journey out of the city. He carried a mission, bearing that important letter, to the State of Chu. He believed that once General Xiang Yan saw the contents of the letter, Chu would surely unite with the other states to attack Qin.