Qin Shi: I only work eight hours

Chapter 356 Earthquake in Zhao State

"Can it be destroyed with a flick of the finger?"

"I hope that's really the case."

King Zhao hoped.

Then he looked at Sima Shang.

It will take time for Li Mu to return. Before Li Mu arrives in Handan, someone needs to stop the Qin army.

Guo Kai was a purely civil official, so the task could only fall to Sima Shang.

"Your Majesty."

"It is not that I am unwilling to share your burdens, but in terms of military strategy, I am far inferior to General Zhao Cong and General Yan Ju."

"Therefore, I suggest that before General Li Mu returns, either Zhao Cong or Yan Ju should..."

Sima Shang offered his advice.

He didn't want to go and die.

Wang Jian knew better than anyone how well he used his troops.

Even at his peak, Meng Ao might not have been a match for Wang Jian.

The only people in Zhao who could rival Wang Jian before were Lian Po and now only Li Mu; the others were basically just going to their deaths.

"My dear minister, there is no need for such modesty."

"I do not trust them."

"Your task is to hold out and await reinforcements; this should not be too difficult."

"I remember the military texts say that if you have ten times the enemy's strength, surround them; if you have five times their strength, attack them. I will give you an army of one hundred thousand."

King Zhao waved his sleeve.

He's the kind of person who likes to force people to do things they don't want to do.

He's the one who's most likely to do the things that others don't want him to do.

He married a prostitute in the same way, defying all opposition, and now the prostitute has become the queen of prostitutes.

Countless people used this to mock King Qian of Zhao, but King Qian didn't care. He knew better than anyone what kind of courtesan she was.

Marrying a courtesan further proves that he held absolute power and was not a puppet of the royal family.

After Ying Zheng ascended the throne, he was forced to marry a woman from Zhao. Wasn't that a sign of his lack of power?

"In that case, I will certainly not fail in my mission!"

Seeing that the King of Zhao had made up his mind, Sima Shang no longer refused.

Li Mu is certain to die this time, and he may be able to take this opportunity to become the number one general of Zhao.

In terms of military strategy, Sima Shang wouldn't even rank in the top three in the Zhao state, let alone the top five, but he was loyal to the King of Zhao.

In the State of Zhao, no matter how skilled you are in warfare, it's useless if you're not blindly loyal!

King Zhao Qian was overjoyed upon seeing this and instructed the eunuch to give the tiger tally to Sima Shang.

After Sima Shang left, Guo Kai not only did not retreat, but also took a few steps forward.

"Is there anything else, Minister Guo?"

King Zhao Qian looked puzzled.

He had a very good personal relationship with Guo Kai; he was a friend of Guo Kai even before he took over the throne.

"Yes."

"I have two small matters to discuss."

Guo Kai nodded.

Seeing Guo Kai acting mysteriously, King Zhao Qian waved his hand and dismissed his attendants.

"The first thing is related to the land."

"I originally intended to tell you after I finished dealing with this matter, but with a formidable enemy at hand, I'm afraid it won't be resolved in a short time."

Guo opened his mouth.

After speaking, he took out a letter from his sleeve and handed it to King Zhao Qian.

King Zhao Qian took the letter, tore open the envelope, and stared intently at the contents.

Since Sima Shang and the eunuchs had already left, he no longer sat upright.

The letter stated that an earthquake had occurred in Daidi, from west of Lexu to north of Pingyin. Most of the buildings, houses, and walls were destroyed, and a huge crack appeared in the ground, 130 paces wide from east to west.

When did this happen?

"Why was I completely unaware of this?"

After reading it, King Zhao Qian questioned him.

An earthquake occurred in the region, which is no small matter. Why did no one in the imperial court report it?

About a month and a half ago.

"One who receives the king's bounty must serve the king faithfully."

"Your Majesty, I only wish to share your burdens, so I have always tried my best to report good news and not bad news."

"If it weren't for the sudden attack by the Qin Dynasty, I would have been able to finish dealing with the affairs of the Dai region in two months at most."

"I originally intended to tell you about this matter after I had dealt with the affairs of Dai."

Guo Kai replied.

His answer was flawless.

In fact, that was exactly what he thought. In his view, the earthquake in Daidi was both a natural disaster and an opportunity.

Taking advantage of the situation to seize land from commoners?

He had no interest in land because he believed that the Zhao state would most likely lose to the Qin state; it was only a matter of time. Therefore, he preferred money.

Why do we need so much?

Where is it convenient to have money?

How many people died in Daidi?

King Zhao pressed for an answer.

He was very satisfied with Guo Kai's answer.

If Li Mu, Mao Sui, and others could be as obedient and sensible as Guo Kai, what would they have to worry about in achieving great things?

I am the ruler of the Great Zhao State, why do Mao Sui and Li Mu always oppose me?

Why can't you just listen to me and obey my every word?

Even if you can't blindly obey orders, can you at least be a little more tactful when offering advice?

You always speak so bluntly, don't I have any pride?

"Thanks to Your Majesty, not many people have died."

"I will inform Your Majesty of the specific details after I have dealt with the matter."

Guo Kaidao.

In fact, not only did many people die in Daidi, but there were also cases of cannibalism involving the exchange of children.

Guo Kai originally wanted to take this opportunity to select a few beauties for King Zhao Qian, but he was afraid that the Empress would be jealous, so after thinking it over, he decided to give up.

King Qian of Zhao was merely lazy and stupid; he wasn't particularly lustful.

After acquiring the courtesan, he lost interest in other women.

Or perhaps he was interested, but couldn't show it because of the presence of the courtesan.

So Guo Kai's plan was to find a suitable beauty to hide in his mansion, and then find an opportunity to invite the Prince of Zhao to his mansion for pleasure.

His household was filled with reliable people, and as long as King Zhao Qian didn't say anything, it was almost impossible for the Empress to know.

"it is good."

"I am tired. Is there anything else?"

King Zhao Qian nodded and touched his forehead.

He was lazy and loved to eat, so he could only handle official business for a maximum of one hour a day; any more than that would give him a headache.

"The second thing is not very important."

"I will report back another day."

Guo Kai, being very perceptive, said...

He turned and left as soon as he finished speaking.

……

That night.

The territory of the Zhao state.

The moon is bright and the stars are few; corpses lie strewn across the fields.

Originally, Ding Village had over a hundred households, but now only a dozen or so remain, and they are all barely surviving.

Jing Tian, ​​a girl in her early teens, was sleeping in her bedroom at this moment.

She couldn't sleep at all because she was hungry.

Before she went to sleep, her mother said that she wouldn't be hungry anymore once she fell asleep, but she was so hungry that she couldn't fall asleep at all.

As she tossed and turned, she heard rustling sounds outside.

So she leaned her ear closer.

She has had excellent hearing since she was a child.

All I heard her father say was, "Since things have come to this, why don't we sell Tian'er?"

Even going to a brothel is better than starving to death, right?

Sweetie is still young, her life has just begun.

"But……"

"Using one's looks to please others is... inappropriate."

"I still want to let Tian'er marry, to marry into a good family."

Jing's mother was weak and spoke haltingly.

She was so thin from hunger that she hadn't eaten for over a day.

The Jing family was one of the wealthier families in Ding Village, but even they were starving like this. You can imagine how miserable other families must be.

"If it were six months ago, you wouldn't need to tell me."

"Now Tian'er is just skin and bones, and an epidemic may break out in Dai at any time. Who would be willing to come to Dai to marry Tian'er?"

"Do you think I don't want Tian'er to have a good life?"

Jing's father was panting heavily.

He only has one daughter, Jingtian, and he has always doted on her.

Would he sell his daughter to a brothel if he had no other choice?

Jingfu said it was a place of pleasure because people from such places came yesterday.

Applicants must be under 30 years old, regardless of gender, but they must be good-looking, and literacy and artistic talent are a plus.

Of the dozen or so families still alive in the village, some survived by selling their sons, while others left the village entirely because of this.

After hearing her parents' discussion, Jingtian leaned against the earthen wall, her lips trembling, and tears streaming down her face.

Now that things have come to this, what choice does she have? (End of Chapter)