readytorunbook Chapter 371 Fu Chu ascends the throne, King Wei dies
Chapter 371 Fu Chu ascends the throne, King Wei dies
In Xiang Yan's view, whether or not he was the son of the late king was not that important.
The key is how well the country is governed.
For example, if Ying Zheng of Qin governed Qin very poorly, what good would it do if he was the son of Ying Yiren?
On the contrary, if he governs the country very well, what does it matter if he is the son of Lü Buwei?
As for Xiong Han, Xiang Yan couldn't be sure whether Xiong You was the son of the former king.
But what he was certain of was that after Xiong You succeeded to the throne and Li Yuan continued to hold power, he offended countless people, not only the Qu Jingzhao clan, but also the people of Chu.
Therefore, replacing Fu Chu with the King of Chu is clearly a better choice.
Xiang Yan did not directly help Fu Chu because he did not want to get involved in the matter.
With Fu Chu's strength, he was already capable of bringing down Xiong You, Li Yuan, Li Huan, and others.
Soon, the rumors spread throughout Shouchun, the capital of Chu.
Upon learning of this, Xiong You was furious and immediately ordered a thorough investigation. Anyone who dared to discuss the matter in private would be executed without mercy.
However, it is better to guide than to suppress, and countless people still gossip about it in private.
This further diminished Xiong You's already limited prestige.
Left with no other choice, Xiong You had to ask Li Huan and Li Yuan for help.
"Mother, Uncle, what should we do?"
Xiong asked anxiously.
He is now only the nominal King of Chu. Qu Jingzhao and his three clans follow Chu Ma's lead, Xiang Yan claims to be ill, and the common people do not like him either.
"Kill one to warn a hundred."
Li Yuan didn't hesitate.
"no!"
“If killing them would be effective, Qu Jingzhao’s entire clan should follow your lead instead of becoming their lackeys.”
Li Huan disagreed.
Over the years, Li Yuan has killed countless people and offended everyone he could.
Have you considered a way out?
"What should I do?"
Li Yuan asked.
He is incapable of governing a country; all he knows is pleasure and assassination.
"talk."
Li Huan looked serious.
Xiong is still young, and Li Yuan is a good-for-nothing; she must step forward.
How should we negotiate?
The bear still did not understand.
He felt that they couldn't reach an agreement on the matter.
Fu Chu's sudden appearance clearly indicates that he has long coveted the throne.
Will he accept peace talks?
"The Empress Dowager's words have enlightened me."
“We can have Fu Chu come to the Empress Dowager’s palace to talk, and then lay an ambush before that.”
"In that case, Fu Chu will surely die."
Li Yuan gave a sinister smile.
He has many loyal followers in his household, who are very capable.
"???"
Li Huan looked exasperated.
Is Fu Chu an idiot?
"I'll say it again, killing won't solve anything."
"This time, I will speak with him."
Li Huan said irritably.
After speaking, she personally wrote a letter to Fu Chu, suggesting that Fu Chu be appointed as the Left Magistrate, to jointly manage the government with Li Yuan, and to assist Xiong You.
"On the contrary."
"Talking won't solve the problem."
"Little sister, you're still too naive."
After leaving, Li Yuan stroked the glass bottle in his hand and said.
He then wrote a letter to Fu Chu, inviting him to his home the following evening for drinks to discuss the future of the Chu state.
……
That night.
Fu Chu received letters from Li Huan and Li Yuan.
"To divide the Chief Minister in two?"
“If it were last year, this would indeed have been a good idea.”
"But now the arrow is on the bowstring, and we have no choice but to release it."
"If Li Yuan were as intelligent as Your Majesty, how could my Great Chu have come to this?"
Fu Chu smiled and shook his head.
He burned Li Huan's letter and gazed intently towards the Empress Dowager's palace.
Li Huan was exceptionally beautiful; otherwise, why would Lord Chunshen and King Kaolie of Chu have taken a liking to her?
Fu Chu was quite intrigued to discover that Li Huan was so clever.
Then Fu Chu looked at Li Yuan's letter.
After reading it, his smile deepened, and he led his men to Li Yuan's residence.
If we want to discuss the future of the Chu Kingdom, why wait until tomorrow night?
Upon entering the magistrate's residence, Fu Chu didn't waste any words and immediately ordered the killing of Li Yuan and the ambushing assassins.
After Li Yuan died, Fu Chu's confidants shot several rocket-tipped arrows into the sky.
The spies in the Chu King's palace, upon seeing the fire arrows, killed Xiong You, who was still asleep.
There are three reasons why Fu Chu was able to eliminate Li Yuan and Xiong You so easily.
First, Xiang Yan said he would not help either side, but in reality, he was helping Fu Chu instead of Xiong You.
Military commanders aren't stupid; they can see through it.
Secondly, the hearts and minds of the people are at stake. Whether it's Xiong Han, Li Yuan, or Xiong You, they are all birds of a feather. In recent years, under their rule, the people of Chu have suffered terribly and are in dire straits.
Third, the influence of Qu Jingzhao's three clans was widespread in Shouchun, with spies not only in the Chu King's palace but also in the Lingyin's residence.
If Fu Chu hadn't insisted on having absolute certainty before taking action, he could have done it last year!
With the support of Qu Jingzhao's three clans, Fu Chu became the new King of Chu.
A bottle of poison lay before Li Huan, who was prepared to die.
Seeing that Fu Chu's eyes were greedy and that he was trying to force her to do something she couldn't, Li Huan chose to commit suicide.
The deaths of Li Yuan and Xiong You were a good thing for the people of Chu.
But Li Huan's death made the people of Chu feel that Fu Chu was not a wise ruler either.
Li Huan was always kind to commoners, officials, and the Qu Jingzhao clan.
Why would Fu Chu force Li Huan to his death?
The key point is that after this matter got out, various changes occurred, and Fu Chu transformed from a lustful man into a complete tyrant.
Under Fu Chu's strong suppression, the matter was temporarily put to rest.
……
the other side.
Xianyang, Xu Mansion.
Xu Lin, with his head resting on Yan Lingji's jade-like legs, heard about Li Huan's murder.
I wonder how Li Huan compares to Zhao Ji after the Empress Dowager?
He hasn't even gone to the State of Chu yet, how can Li Huan die?
what a pity!
"Do you want to taste what she's like?"
Seeing Xu Lin's regretful expression, Yan Lingji spoke up.
Xu Lin is truly insatiable; not content with just having her, he's already thinking about other women!
This shows how broad-minded she is. If it were a narrow-minded woman, she would have abandoned Xu Lin long ago!
Xu Lin responded that he has no interest in narrow-minded women.
Aren't you curious?
Xu Lin did not deny it.
This era is not the future, so there's no need to hide anything.
It was a system of one husband and multiple concubines, so it was normal for him to want other women when he already had them.
Times have changed, and we cannot use the ideas of later generations to view this era.
"My sister isn't interested in women."
Yan Lingji smiled alluringly.
Then she clamped Xu Lin's head between her knees.
She really spoils Xu Lin too much; she can actually tolerate him thinking about other women!
"It's alright."
"As long as I'm interested, that's fine with me."
Xu Lin smiled.
Then he turned 180 degrees and used his legs to trap Yan Lingji.
"Sister, I've heard that there's a man in the State of Wei, I think his name is Lord Longyang?"
"Is it true that he is only interested in men?"
"Yan Ling Ji asked curiously."
She couldn't understand attraction between women.
Even before meeting Xu Lin, she wasn't very interested in men; she just thought men were more fun.
Bullying Honglian is nowhere near as interesting as bullying Han Fei.
"Homosexuality?"
Xu Lin frowned, thinking to himself.
It seems that Lord Longyang was indeed a person from the state of Wei during the late Warring States period.
"do not know."
"Perhaps Mei San Niang knows."
Xu Lin shook his head.
He was unsure about it.
Anyway, he's heterosexual and only interested in women.
“If you were a woman, sir, my sister might actually accept a woman.”
After finishing her meal, Yan Lingji tossed her hair and said...
She likes Xu Lin as a person, and it doesn't seem to have much to do with Xu Lin's gender; she's not even sure.
She seems to like anything that belongs to Xu Lin.
next month.
When King Zeng of Wei died, Prince Jia of Wei succeeded to the throne, with Lord Longyang acting as regent.
“These dog kings really died at the worst possible time,” Yan Lingji said.
"how you said that?"
Xu Lin asked.
He liked to use Yan Lingji's jade-like legs as a pillow, so he was still using Yan Lingji's legs as a pillow at this moment.
"If he had died a few months later, Qin would have had time to send troops."
"In that case, Wei and Chu could be destroyed with a snap of the fingers."
Yan Lingji looked serious.
Because of Xu Lin's subtle influence, she became increasingly knowledgeable about the war.
“The terrain of Wei is low-lying, and even without the recent death of its ruler, it could be destroyed in the blink of an eye.”
"The situation in Chu is different."
Xu Lin said solemnly.
Of the six states in Shandong, Chu was arguably the most difficult to conquer.
However, this matter is not urgent, and there's no point in rushing it.
Fu Chu's ascension to the throne was illegitimate; how easy would it be for him to restore the strength of the Chu state?
Yan Lingji nodded and placed her hand on Xu Lin's face.
The State of Chu bordered the Baiyue, and many leaders of the Baiyue submitted to Chu.
After destroying Chu, she wants to go to Baiyue with Xu Lin.
……
Three days later.
With the help of the Mohists, Yan Dan escaped from Xianyang.
When Ying Zheng learned of this, he decided to turn a blind eye, because if Yan Dan did not flee, it would be difficult to find a reason to attack Yan.
The reason of saving people from suffering cannot be used indefinitely.
As the saying goes, if the name is not correct, the words will not be proper; if the words are not proper, things will not be accomplished. Since Yan Dan wants to escape, let him escape.
After leaving Xianyang, Yan Dan was overjoyed.
In his view, his departure was like a bird soaring to the sky or a fish entering the sea, but in the eyes of Ying Zheng and Xu Lin, Yan Dan was courting death and would drag the entire Yan Kingdom down with him.
After learning about this, Honglian changed into her favorite pink dress and went to Xu Lin's residence.
Perhaps it's because the food in Xianyang is so good, but Honglian has developed extremely quickly, and in many ways she is no less than Yanlingji.
"Does the gentleman like flowers?"
After taking her seat, Honglian asked.
She loves flowers. On her way here, she picked a few bright red ones, but she didn't know what they were called.
Before Xu Lin could answer, she magically produced several flowers from under her skirt and gave them to him.
"Not as good as you."
"So you should keep it yourself."
Xu Lin smiled calmly.
He was indifferent to flowers and plants, preferring instead the beauty of lakes and mountains and the presence of human culture.
That's why I agreed to go to Handan with Zhao Ji several months ago.
Handan was where Zhao Ji and Ying Zheng once lived, and it was also the capital of the Zhao state. How could he not be curious?
"I have many more at home."
Red Lotus Path.
After chatting for a while, she changed the subject to Yan Dan's matter.
"Have you heard, sir?"
"The Crown Prince of Yan has fled."
Honglian lowered her voice.
"You mean Yan Dan?"
Xu Lin asked.
He really didn't know.
After being promoted to Grand Tutor, he rarely had his secret guards report to him anymore.
The more messages you receive, the more tired you become.
The women in the manor are already enough to exhaust him.
People should learn to balance work and rest.
Work is never-ending; working two or three hours a day, or three or four days a week, is enough.
"Correct!"
Honglian nodded vigorously.
She knows Yan Dan quite well.
The main reason was that Xu Lin had been paying attention to the situation in Wei, Chu, Yan, and other states. Because of this, Hong Lian also had to pay attention to Yan Dan, Fu Chu, Long Yang Jun, and others.
What is the King's reaction to this?
Xu Lin pressed for an answer.
He wasn't surprised at this point, because Yan Dan had also run away in the original story.
As for how Yan Dan escaped, he didn't care. Anyway, he could confirm that it was most likely unrelated to Yan Fei.
Xu Lin's view on women is as follows.
You can't force it.
In later generations, many men feared their wives would cheat on them, so they harbored all sorts of suspicions and guesses, which stemmed from a sense of insecurity.
If he really wants to cheat, what's the point of your suspicions and guesses?
The same logic applies to Yan Fei's situation. In Xu Lin's view, Yan Fei would never help Yan Dan.
Because Yan Dan was inferior to him in every way, and he was the one who met Yan Fei first.
The order of appearance is important.
Who a person is is also important.
"His Majesty doesn't seem to care much about this."
Honglian blinked her beautiful eyes and said.
If she were Ying Zheng, she would surely be furious upon learning of this.
What are the assassins of the Luo Wang organization for?
Xianyang was the capital of the Qin Dynasty, yet it couldn't even keep an eunuch in check?
No, is it possible that Ying Zheng deliberately let Yan Dan go?
If Yan Dan doesn't leave, how can Qin attack Yan?
That must be it!
Thinking of this, Honglian's eyebrows lit up with joy.
She's so smart!
Then she suddenly stood up, tiptoed, and kissed Xu Lin like a chick pecking at rice.
Xu Lin found Honglian's brief attempt quite amusing.
After being used to delicacies, it's nice to have a simple cold dish once in a while.
Honglian was in a great mood and invited Xu Lin to her place.
After Han An died, Honglian moved out.
Moreover, in order to train herself, Honglian did not want any maids.
Han Fei was initially very worried about this, but later he found that Honglian was not so fragile.
Honglian's residence was not large, but the yard was full of flowers and plants, which were not only beautiful but also smelled wonderful.
However, since no one had lived there before, the bedroom was not very well tidied up.
"How long has it been since you aired your blankets?"
Xu Lin asked.
At this moment, he seemed more like Honglian's brother than Honglian's beloved.
In his later years, he also started living alone at about the same age as Honglian.
At first, it was a complete mess, and I found it very difficult to adapt.
Later, I came to understand that a virtuous person is cautious when alone, and thus I came to enjoy living alone.
"Ten days?"
"Half a month?"
"The main problem is that there's been a lot of sunshine lately, and I often forget."
Honglian awkwardly tossed her hair.
Although she practices swordsmanship frequently and is quite strong, she still finds the blankets heavy and instinctively doesn't want to air them out.
Once you're used to a life of luxury, it's not something you can change overnight.
"If that's the case, why don't you keep a maid?"
Xu Lin looked puzzled.
In his view, everything must be done step by step.
Honglian was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and was regarded as the apple of Han Wang An's eye. She was waited on hand and foot and had never suffered such hardship.
"Because you said, sir, a thousand-mile dike can be destroyed by an ant hole."
"If I leave the maidservants here today, I will want to enjoy them tomorrow, just like I did in Xinzheng."
Honglian looked serious.
South Korea no longer exists, and she is no longer a princess, so she must learn to be independent.
Even if South Korea still exists, she should be mature by now.
Seeing this, Xu Lin hesitated, then pulled Honglian into his arms.
He used to dislike tidying up the house, but later discovered that it brought him joy.
After tidying up the house with Honglian, Xu Lin comfortably lay down on the soft couch.
Although Honglian's couch wasn't particularly soft, it was quite comfortable.
While Xu Lin was taking a short rest, Hong Lian closed the doors and windows and drank a large gulp of strong liquor.
Like rain after a long drought, we can't let Xu Lin leave.
Therefore, despite her exhaustion, Honglian tied her hair up.
Then he knelt on the soft couch, transforming into a 'little glutton'.
Xu Lin did not refuse.
But soon, Han Fei's voice came from outside the door.
Honglian did not stop upon hearing this. Instead, she looked at the door latch, and after confirming that it was engaged, she cleared her throat and continued her actions.
"Ninth Brother, what is it you need?"
"I haven't gotten up yet, so it's not convenient for me to see anyone right now."
Honglian lied calmly and deliberately. (End of Chapter)