Qin Shi: I only work eight hours

Chapter 366 The Disappointing Young Master Jia

The next day.

Handan, the Palace of the King of Zhao.

King Zhao Qian was lying in a woman's arms, enjoying a massage from a maid.

With a formidable enemy at hand, he has become much more restrained. Normally, he would spend ten out of twelve hours a day in a woman's arms, but now he only spends six. Isn't that a change?

"Your Majesty, Prime Minister Guo requests an audience!"

The eunuch said respectfully.

"Let him in."

King Zhao Qian frowned, then said.

He had a very close personal relationship with Guo Kai; they were both ruler and subject, as well as good friends, so there was no need to dismiss the maids.

Guo Kai slowly walked into the study and saw that Zhao Wangqian was still admiring the book, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back. He was already used to this.

"What happened?"

King Zhao Qian did not even raise his head.

He likes to bury his face in it, seeking the feeling of suffocation.

"Your Majesty, General Li Mu is probably..."

Guo Kaidao.

He deliberately left his words unfinished, because this was a serious matter and he had to be careful that no one could overhear him.

"Do you have any evidence?"

King Zhao Qian disagreed.

He didn't like Li Mu either, but Li Mu was good at military strategy, so unless Li Mu really rebelled, he wouldn't replace Li Mu.

Li Mu was at least loyal to the State of Zhao.

"Your Majesty, please read this letter."

Guo Kai nodded and handed the letter that Zhao Cong had secretly sent to the eunuch.

The eunuch took the letter and rushed to King Zhao Qian, presenting it with both hands.

This forced King Zhao Qian to take the matter seriously.

"You may all leave."

King Zhao Qian took the letter and dismissed the maid.

Although these maids were all quite beautiful, they eventually got tired of eating delicacies every day.

This is the situation where some die from drought and others die from floods.

The maids dressed and filed out; they had been wanting to leave for a long time.

The letter stated that Li Mu and Sima Shang had formed a faction for personal gain, seemingly intending to support Prince Jia, and that Your Majesty's ascension to the throne was illegitimate.

Moreover, Li Mu had a good personal relationship with the Qin army and they frequently exchanged letters.

"Has my ascension to the throne been illegitimate?"

After reading it, King Zhao Qian began to sneer.

This is his Achilles' heel; anyone who touches it will die.

As the saying goes, lies don't hurt, but the truth is the sharpest knife. So the words "illegitimate accession" made King Zhao Qian anxious.

This letter made King Zhao Qian want to immediately demote Li Mu to a commoner.

But then I thought, the war is still raging on the front lines, and without Li Mu, who can stand against the tyrannical Qin?

Therefore, King Qian of Zhao was very conflicted.

"Guo Aiqing".

"Although Li Mu has many problems, he is well-versed in the art of war."

"If I replace him, who will defend against the enemy?"

King Zhao Qian couldn't help but yawn.

Although he was not old, his body had been ruined by alcohol and sex, mainly by sex.

"I believe that Zhao Cong and General Yan Ju are both capable of undertaking important tasks."

"Although I am not a military general, I have read military books, and defending a city is not a difficult task."

Guo Kai replied.

King Zhao Qian remained silent and looked at the map hanging to the side.

After he ascended the throne, the territory of the Zhao state shrank more and more.

Wang Jian's unstoppable advance reminded him of the Battle of Changping. If Lian Po hadn't been replaced in the Battle of Changping, would the Zhao state have lost?

We might lose, but not so quickly.

"Your Majesty."

"The key question is whether Li Mu has any ulterior motives."

"If he has any disloyal intentions, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Seeing that King Zhao Qian hesitated, Guo Kai offered his advice.

Since he has taken Xu Lin's money, he will try every means to kill Li Mu.

King Zhao Qian remained silent upon hearing this.

He was also afraid that Li Mu might have ulterior motives, which is why he sent Zhao Cong to the front line to supervise the army.

"I have a plan to test whether Li Mu has any disloyal intentions."

Guo Kai stepped forward and offered his advice.

"Oh?"

King Zhao became interested.

"Pretend to seize his military power. If he hands over the power willingly, it will prove that he is innocent."

"He may continue to command the army to defend against the tyrannical Qin."

“If they don’t hand over military power…” Guo Kai lowered his voice.

He knew Li Mu well; given Li Mu's personality, he would never easily relinquish military power.

The military power in the hands of a general is like the teeth of a tiger. If a tiger loses its sharp teeth, wouldn't it be helpless to be captured?

"This is a matter of great importance; let me think about it some more."

King Zhao Qian pondered for a long time.

This matter concerns the survival of the Zhao state, so he had to be cautious.

One wrong step and the whole game is lost.

Guo Kai accepted the order and withdrew with clasped hands.

He knew that these things couldn't be rushed, and that pushing too hard could easily backfire.

After Guo Kai walked away, King Qian of Zhao rubbed his fingers and fell into deep thought.

Chunping Jun and Guo Kai successively advised him to be wary of Li Mu. Was Li Mu truly disloyal, or were Guo Kai and Chunping Jun plotting something?

Guo Kai, Chunping Jun's success today is all thanks to the Great Zhao.

What good would it do them if the Great Zhao Dynasty were to fall?

In his letter, Zhao Cong wrote that Li Mu was getting very close to Prince Jia, and wondered if his elder brother was really plotting a rebellion.

Although King Qian of Zhao and Prince Jia were half-siblings, they had a good personal relationship. As a result, Prince Jia's status was not low after King Qian of Zhao ascended the throne.

Shortly after, King Zhao Qian sent men to secretly monitor Prince Jia, just in case.

With a formidable enemy at hand, we must take precautions.

……

That night.

Sima Shang arrived in Handan and met Prince Jia.

"General Sima, what has happened that requires me to see you now?"

"If the King finds out about this, it will be suspected of forming cliques for personal gain!"

Gongzi Jia was upright and awe-inspiring.

He was the former crown prince of the Zhao state, so he had the air of a superior in every gesture.

Seeing that Gongzi Jia was upright and righteous, Sima Shang sighed inwardly.

Gongzi Jiaxi loves reading and is an upright person. Is he capable of plotting a rebellion?

If he were to speak frankly to Prince Jia, Prince Jia would not only refuse, but might also tell King Zhao Qian about it. In that case, wouldn't Lord Wu'an be finished?

With this in mind, Sima Shang decided to take a roundabout approach and test the waters.

"A person with an upright character has nothing to fear."

Sima Shang said solemnly.

Then he had someone bring over a few jugs of wine.

Gongzi Jia was unwilling to drink, as drinking could easily lead to mistakes, but Sima Shang said that he couldn't speak without drinking.

Left with no other choice, Gongzi Jia drank two jugs of wine.

Gongzi Jia is somewhat like the historical figure Fusu, adhering to rules and being an upright person.

"Son."

"The king is indulging in wine and women, and his health is deteriorating day by day."

"If he were to die young, would you be willing..."

Sima Shang hiccuped and asked.

He was interrupted before he could finish speaking.

"I am the king's eldest brother."

Prince Jia Dao.

"In times of emergency, one must act expediently. Does Your Highness intend to watch our Great Zhao become just a few counties of the tyrannical Qin?"

Sima Shang looked serious.

"I certainly don't want to."

"But if the younger brother succeeds the elder brother, it violates the proper etiquette and law, and thus leads to chaos..."

Gongzi Jia's eyes showed worry.

He didn't want to be remembered with infamy.

"The problem is that the king has no heir."

"Besides, the young master is the crown prince, isn't he?"

Sima Shang said in a deep voice.

"The matter of the Crown Prince is too distant; I have long forgotten it."

Gongzi Jia waved his hand.

He had no intention of fighting with King Zhao Qian.

Even if King Qian of Zhao were to suddenly pass away, he would not actively vie for the throne of Zhao.

He is a passive person, someone who is pushed along by life.

This greatly disappointed Sima Shang.

The current situation in the State of Zhao requires a strong leader, someone who dares to take risks and is not afraid of failure.

Clearly, Gongzi Jia is not.

In times of peace, Prince Jia would be quite good, as he has his own principles, but now we live in a time of great strife.

"In that case, young master, you should get some rest."

Sima Shang was unwilling to waste any more words.

Gongzi Jia had no intention of going along with the trend, so no matter how much he said, it would be useless.

But now that he's back in Handan, he's decided to give it another try.

So he went to the residence of Lord Chunping. (End of Chapter)