Qin Dynasty: Starting with clinging to Zhao Ji's thigh

Chapter 280 The Great Qin Dynasty, The Wind Rises!

As the place where Ying Zheng handled state affairs year-round, Zhangtai Palace was solemn and dignified.

Today, Ying Zheng summoned several important high-ranking officials of the Qin state to discuss matters, making the atmosphere even more intense.

"General Wang Jian, would you be willing to be the second one?"

As soon as Ying Zheng uttered this simple sentence, the palace fell completely silent.

Whether it was Lord Changping or Meng Wu, all eyes in the hall were now focused on Wang Jian, the general who was nearly fifty years old.

At forty, one is no longer perplexed; at fifty, one knows the will of Heaven.

Wang Jian had endured many years in the army before finally making his mark. He was by no means the kind of hothead who could be easily swayed by a few passionate words.

But at this moment, Wang Jian couldn't help but feel a sudden jolt in his heart, his strong body trembling slightly with excitement.

"Thanks to Your Majesty's trust, I am willing to expand Your Majesty's territory!"

Wang Jian answered in a deep voice; he had been waiting for this day for a long time.

The strength of the Qin state began with the reforms of Shang Yang in the past.

While Shang Yang could not escape the fate of reformers who inevitably shed blood, his comprehensive system of military meritocracy has profoundly influenced every generation of Qin citizens.

Expanding territories and achieving great feats seemed to be etched into the very bones of the Qin soldiers!

Even though Wang Jian now holds a pivotal position in the army, this remains true.

The achievement of destroying a country was nothing to Ying Jing; in fact, it was somewhat troublesome.

But for a military general like Wang Jian, that was absolutely the greatest pursuit and glory.

Although his current status in the army is almost on par with Meng Ao's, Wang Jian still lacks prestige due to the absence of sufficiently convincing military achievements.

The military exploits of conquering a country are exactly what Wang Jian needs now!

Ying Zheng had clearly anticipated this answer, but he still showed a hint of joy: "Then General, you may begin your preparations..."

"Feng Jie, you'll be in charge of coordinating logistics and supplies."

The three armies have not moved, and the food and grass go first.

While an army and generals are important for starting a war, logistics are equally crucial.

Fortunately, the Qin state had been preparing for many years, and its national strength in all aspects had reached its peak, so these were no longer problems.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will make all the necessary preparations."

Feng Jie took a deep breath, his tone incredibly firm.

Ying Zheng nodded in satisfaction and continued to discuss the various details of sending troops to Zhao.

Although it was called a discussion, it was basically Ying Zheng who was talking, and everyone else could only listen from the sidelines. Only Wang Jian and Meng Wu were able to say a few words from time to time.

Like the others, Ying Jing remained silent throughout, only nodding occasionally to indicate his agreement.

Lord Changxin is skilled at winning hearts and minds; to put it bluntly, he's good at plotting within people's ranks.

In a real, direct battle, Ying Jing was not exactly clueless, but he certainly couldn't compare to a professional like Wang Jian.

It's best to leave professional matters to professionals.

I don't know how much time has passed.

Ying Zheng finally turned his attention to Ying Jing again.

"Third brother, after the land is handed over and the seal is presented, you should take over the affairs of the Korean side first. Prime Minister Lü and Meng Wu will lend you a hand."

Ying Jing's expression shifted slightly: "Your Majesty, I will certainly not fail in your trust."

Even with Han Fei's cooperation, taking over a country is by no means an easy task. Lü Buwei's long reign makes this analogy quite fitting.

Moreover, with Ying Jing and Meng Wu acting as a check and balance, there's no need to worry about him causing any trouble.

"Furthermore, the process of sowing discord within Zhao's country needs to be accelerated."

Ying Zheng's gaze had already shifted to Lord Changping.

Changping Jun was about to step forward.

However, before Changping Jun could answer, Ying Zheng looked at Ying Jing again and said, "Third brother, you continue to follow up on this matter."

Changping was a little embarrassed, one foot halfway up, unsure whether to pull it back.

Ying Jing didn't care about Changping Jun's embarrassment, and simply replied in a deep voice, "Your subject understands."

If Li Mu is not dealt with before Qin launches its attack, all the previous efforts to sow discord may be in vain under pressure from Qin.

Even as he left Zhangtai Palace, Ying Jing still felt somewhat bewildered.

Although Lü Buwei and Lord Changping participated in the discussion today, they were both somewhat invisible.

Ying Zheng did not ask for their opinions, and the two of them remained mostly silent, at most offering a few "uh-huhs" in agreement, as if they were merely listening from the sidelines.

Lü Buwei stroked his white goatee and guessed, "Is Your Majesty telling me that without me, Lü Buwei, the Qin state will be even stronger than before?"

"How could my brother have such thoughts?"

Ying Jing shook his head.

Ying Zheng was a man of great stature; this is to underestimate him.

"Hahaha."

Lü Buwei's attitude was not bad. He did not argue, but just smiled and said, "Although the king's heart is hard to fathom, Your Majesty is also an ordinary person."

There is no entertainment, no love, and not even much family affection; one's only concern is the world.

Ying Zheng lived a life that was somewhat inhuman.

But in essence, he is still just an ordinary person.

Lu Buwei had repeatedly clung to power under the pretext that "the king is young and Qin cannot do without its old ministers." Now, Ying Zheng was going to let him see for himself that Qin was still strong, even stronger, without him!

"And what about Lord Changping?"

Ying Jing and Lü Buwei were once enemies, but now that there is no longer a conflict of interest, they are more like old friends.

Lü Buwei shook his head: "The follow-up matters of Zhao are entirely handled by Lord Changxin. Do I need to say more about this matter?"

This matter was previously entrusted to Lord Changping, which clearly indicates a lack of trust in him.

……

Whether it was Wang Wan, Feng Jie, or other Qin officials, they had all been working hard lately to finalize the procedures and dates for surrendering the land and presenting the seal.

Han Fei and his companions have been under close surveillance these past few days, but no further incidents have occurred.

Although some foreign agents have been making a lot of small moves lately, they have all been harmless and have been exposed and caught red-handed by the police.

On this day, Ying Jing did not linger at Lady Mingzhu's bedside and arrived at the Qilin Hall of Xianyang Palace early in the morning.

Officials from Qin gathered, and envoys from various states arrived, while the people from Han wore complex expressions.

After this day, there will be no more Korea in the world.

"The Zhou dynasty declined for three hundred years, and the seven states fought each other for three hundred years."

"Now we have King Zheng of Qin, whose wisdom rivals that of the Three Sovereigns and whose virtue is comparable to that of the Five Emperors. He has the ambition to usher in an era of peace for ten thousand generations."

"Han Fei presented the King of Qin with a map of the thirteen cities west of Xiaohan Pass and the seal of the King of Han, along with the important ancestral temple artifacts!"

"May the King of Qin end the chaos as soon as possible and restore peace to the world!"

Below the nine jade steps, black birds and bronze lamps stood in formation. Han Fei, dressed in plain clothes, held a jade box aloft, reciting sentences he had long memorized, his face showing neither sorrow nor joy.

At the very top of the jade steps, Ying Zheng, dressed in a black robe, stood with an indifferent expression.

"From this day forward, the people of Han will be the people of Qin."

"Soon afterward, all the people of the world will become the people of Qin."

Ying Zheng's voice was soft, yet it carried a strong sense of solemnity and dignified authority.

"Great Qin, the wind rises!"

In the tenth year of King Zheng of Qin, King Fei of Han surrendered his land and presented the imperial seal, and the entire country submitted to Qin without the need for war.

After hundreds of years of war following the decline of the Zhou royal family, the dawn of unification finally arrived.