Chapter 6: Lian Po, and Harming Yourself

Lord Wu’an Manor

“Nan . ” Bai Qi looked at Gu Nan who was gulping down the water .

“…” Pausing a moment, he finally made up his mind and took out a roll of worn-down bamboo slips .

“Read this, and be diligent to understand everything . If there are any questions, ask me when I get back . ”

After saying this, he turned to his wife .

“Wife, the king told me to go to the palace in the afternoon . It seems there’s something that needs to be discussed . Hm, I’ll be going . ”

“Go then and come back soon . ” Wei Lan nodded and waved her hand .

He nodded and turned to walk out for the entrance .

As he left, he snuck a glance at Gu Nan and the book bundle in her hand . He was still unsure if it was the right decision to introduce it so early, but there’s not really an alternative . He doesn’t have the time to slowly teach everything .

…

Gu Nan clutched the bamboo strips and looked confusingly at Bai Qi’s receding figure .

What’s about this book that made him so serious? It doesn’t look to be a light matter .

Furrowing her brows, she rolled open the bamboo slips, revealing a few boldly-written characters .

“Sun Tzu: Art of War” – Introduction

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An old eunuch stood respectfully in the empty hall . All around, the bamboo curtains filtered in sunlight and casted shadows . A man laid down comfortably on the couch, watching the small teapot emit faint wisps of steam .

In the hot summer, the palace still retained some of the refres.h.i.+ng, cool air .

“clink, clink, clink . ”

With some heavy footsteps, a soldier wearing armor walked in and whispered some words to the old eunuch .

The old eunuch nodded and waved his hand to dismiss the guard .

“What is it?” Said an aged voice, but one still thick with power . “The king is here to escape the heat . I have no interest in debating politics now . ”

“My king, it is Lord Wu’an . ” The old eunuch bowed and said, before adding another sentence . “You called for him earlier . ”

“This…” The king said faintly after some thought . “No matter, have him come . ”

The old eunuch didn’t say anymore and retreated from the hall . He’s served King Zhaoxiang so long and understands the king’s mood better than anyone . The king’s att.i.tude clearly said that he wanted this to be a private discussion .

After the old eunuch left, the palace became quiet again . After a while, the sound of rattling armor became increasingly clear . An older man dressed in a black armor entered into the hall like a gale-like momentum . Finally, the man stopped as he held his helmet in his left hand and cupped his hands in greeting .

Bai Qi keeled and bowed again . “I greet the king . ”

“En, Lord Wu’an, you’ve arrived . ” The king’s voice didn’t have any fluctuations but still held a regal tone . His finger pointing out . “Sit . ”

“Thank you, king . ”

…

The hall was silent for a long time, as both of them looked at the steaming teapot .

As the water started to bubble, King Zhaoxian took a cloth and lifted the pot from the stove . “Do you know why I called for you today?”

Bai Qi didn’t rush to answer . After a while, he sighed, “Shangdang?”

Zhao’s former king, King Wuling, carried out the military reform of “Wearing Hu and Horse Archery . ” Because of this, their national power has prospered and their military strength equally so . To the extent that they can rival Qin and the neighboring countries .

Zhao’s former king, King Wuling, carried out the military reform of “Wearing Hu and Horse Archery . ” Because of this, their national power has prospered and their military strength equally so . To the extent that they can rival Qin and the neighboring countries .

This made King Zhaoxiang constantly feel threatened as this neighboring superpower kept ama.s.sing more troops and influence . But to remove this threat has been a difficult struggle . He’s waited for Zhao’s national strength to falter or to suffer a catastrophic defeat, but it’s only until now that there’s an opportunity .

Shangdong is a territory on the border of Qin and is the key to defeating Zhao . If the Qin army can occupy the territory of Shangdang, they will hold the initiative and control the strategic point of Hedong . Advancing north, there’s a direct route to Zhao’s old capital of Jinyang (now southwest of Taiyuan, Shanxi) . Further west and past the Taihang Mountains, an army could directly threaten the Zhao capital .

So long as this vital point is captured, Zhao’s threat would be dramatically reduced, and if possible, it could be the staging point for an invasion of the Zhao central territories .

“Haha . ” The king gave a big smile . “Lord Wu’an, you understand me well . I really don’t know what to do . If it weren’t for you, who in great Qin could be my commander?”

“The king is joking . ”

“No, this is no joke . ” The laughter stopped somewhat abruptly, and the king’s voice became serious . “But Lord Wu’an, I’ve received some news . The Zhao court has become very discontent with Lian Po . There’s been an action to replace him . ”

Two years ago, the Qin attacked and occupied the Hanguo Plain (now Qinyang, Henan), completely cutting off Shangdang from the Zhao mainland .

Originally in the past decades, the State of Han had controlled Shangdang . However, King Huanhui‘s ordered the governor-general, Feng Ting, to cede the territory to in the interests of peace .

But surprisingly, Feng Ting did not follow through with Qin, and after consulting with the people of the Shangdang, he, along with 17 cities, instead surrendered to Zhao .

But this guaranteed an invasion, and the two powers sent their respective armies to occupy Shangdang .

When the Qin army started their invasion, Zhao sent Lian Po as commander . However, he was unable to achieve a decisive victory, and it eventually turned into a defensive war .

Is this bad? Not necessarily, simply keeping your army alive is probably the best strategy a general can have, although it’s certainly not impressive . But to replace Lian Po? If he’s was replaced, who would defend the city? Bai Qi thought deeply, but his face remained rigid and expressionless .

Is this bad? Not necessarily, simply keeping your army alive is probably the best strategy a general can have, although it’s certainly not impressive . But to replace Lian Po? If he’s was replaced, who would defend the city? Bai Qi thought deeply, but his face remained rigid and expressionless .

“They selected the son of Lord Mafu  . ” Afterward, King Zhaoxiang’s turned into an obvious smirk .

The son of Lord Mafu is named Zhao Kuo, a teenager with a clever mind but no battlefield experience .

Lian Po’s leaders.h.i.+p of Zhao’s 450,000 troops is best characterized as being disciplined . Their defenses are stiff and resolute . Bai Qi has tried numerous times to bait the army out, but there’s been no avail . There’s no real way to attack Shangdang, and it’s been an endless source of headaches for him .

Although Qin has control of the waterways and grain, it’s no solution to the inevitable siege that will need to happen .

But even if they could defeat the enemy army of 450,000 and trudge through all of Zhao . Qin would also be substantially weakened, and their enemies are not limited to Zhao, there are tigers and wolves lurking all around .

In fact, Zhao probably wouldn’t have replaced Lian Po, but King Zhaoxiang saw their thirst for victory . And so, he sent spies to spread rumors of Lian Po becoming old and incapable, and that he’s become too pa.s.sive and lazy .

When word of this reached the current king of Zhao, King Xiaocheng, he became enraged . Citing the losses the Zhao army has suffered, they really sought to replace Lian Po .

If Lian Po is replaced, everything will be much easier .

“Hmm, the son of Lord Mafu, Zhao Kuo?” Bai Qi said as he stared at the floor inside the hall .

“Yes, Lord Wu’an, if that King Xiaocheng really wants Zhao Kuo to replace Lian Po . I want you to be the general . What you do think?”