Gongzi Shen frowned as he looked at the letter from the King of Chu. The letter mentioned the war in Yue, pacified Gongzi Shen’s emotions, but also subtly pointed out the immense pressure Chu was currently facing domestically.
Gongzi Shen naturally understood the King of Chu’s meaning and was aware of the internal situation in Chu. Under such complex circumstances, the war in Yue dragged on without end, and domestic support for the front lines dwindled.
Moreover, the situation in Yue was unclear. King Goujian of Yue was a monarch with great patience, and he did not rush into battle with the Chu army. Instead, he relied on the advantageous situation in Yue and constantly wore down the Chu army, intending to bleed them dry in Yue.
If the rear were stable, Gongzi Shen would have been confident in continuing this war of attrition with the Yue army, and he was sure that he would be the one standing at the end.
However, the current situation clearly did not offer Gongzi Shen such an opportunity. Even with an uncertain path ahead, Gongzi Shen had no choice but to grit his teeth and lead his army back to Chu.
The war that would determine the fate of nations between Wei and Chu thus slowly began.
…
While the great war raged in the south, the battle in the north also continued.
The Yan King’s Palace.
At this time, King Xi of Yan was at his wit’s end. The north had been relatively peaceful for the past few years, and King Xi of Yan had, for the first time in a long time, savored the beauty of peace.
In King Xi of Yan’s view, holding the position of king was already a blessing from his ancestors, and living a peaceful life was the most important thing.
Therefore, King Xi of Yan harbored no great ambitions and adhered to the philosophy of Wu Wei (non-action) of Lao Tzu.
Fortunately, after absorbing a part of Lu’s territory, Yan’s industry and commerce had also achieved considerable development, and Wei had not continued to pursue Yan relentlessly.
Under such circumstances, Yan saw a prosperous and thriving scene domestically.
Later, news of Wei encountering a powerful enemy also reached Yan. However, the King of Yan and the Yan court did not take it seriously, instead mocking Wei.
In Yan’s opinion, it was only a matter of time before a war-like nation like Wei encountered such a formidable enemy. However, Wei’s military strength was formidable. Although Zhao was secretly colluding with Yan to jointly attack Wei,
King Xi of Yan had no desire to get involved in Wei’s war. Zhao acted alone and could not achieve much, so this matter was dropped.
As for the wars in the south, whether it was Chu, Yue, or Wu, they made no difference in King Xi of Yan’s eyes. They had been bickering for hundreds of years in the south without any significant outcome.
Therefore, the Yan court believed that the state of division among the various states, which had lasted for centuries, would not be an exception this time.
However, no one expected that Wei would not only avoid getting bogged down in the southern quagmire but would instead unify the south with overwhelming force.
This made King Xi of Yan somewhat panicked. Although King Xi of Yan himself had no great ambitions, he did not dare to be negligent in the face of a powerful enemy like Wei. He hastily summoned his ministers for a discussion.
King Xi of Yan asked with great hope, “Wei has wolfish ambitions and covets the ancestral temples of our Great Yan. Do you ministers have any good strategies?”
Chancellor Gao Yan said, “Wei now possesses a million troops, and under the pretext of the Son of Heaven, they are conquering all directions. Resistance is not advisable. Moreover, there are very few forces in Yan that can withstand their onslaught. Currently, Wei is an invincible force. In my humble opinion, it would be best to surrender and seek peace!”
King Xi of Yan’s face turned red with anger and he said, “You all have received my favor, and now you are advising me to surrender?”
Gao Yan further said, “Your Majesty need not doubt. If we submit to Wei, the northern border will be pacified, and the ancestral temples of Yan can be preserved.”
All the ministers bowed and said, “Your Majesty, surrender.”
“You! You!” King Yan pointed at these ministers, trembling, and said, “Villains! Villains!”