eurekapd Chapter 613 Qi State
Chapter 613 Qi State
Wang Ben walked into the backyard and saw Tian Chong dressed in a martial arts outfit, his clothes soaked with sweat. Knowing that he was practicing martial arts, he cupped his hands and said, "General Tian, you seem to be in good spirits."
"General Wang is no less impressive," Tian Chong returned the greeting, his tone neither warm nor cold. "May I ask what brings General Wang here?"
"I dare not presume to offer guidance," Wang Ben said. "I have come to pay my respects to the General on the orders of Li Sizheng of our dynasty. I have long heard of the General's skillful administration of the army and have come to seek his advice."
"Seeking advice?" Tian Chong raised an eyebrow. "The Qin army is strong and well-equipped, and their thunderbolts are invincible. Do they really need to consult a defeated general like me?"
These words were barbed, but Wang Ben didn't seem to care: "General, you are too modest. The Qi navy is renowned throughout the East China Sea, and its warships are unparalleled in the world. Although our dynasty is strong in land warfare, we know very little about naval warfare, and we need to learn from you, General."
These were polite words, and Tian Chong's expression softened slightly: "The navy... Hmph, no matter how strong the navy is, it can't withstand the thunderous thunder."
"Has the General ever seen the Thunderclap Bomb?" Wang Ben asked.
Tian Chong remained silent. He hadn't seen it, but he'd heard of it. The city walls of Dai were as solid as a rock, yet they crumbled like paper under the thunderous roar. Even the thick walls of Qi would likely crumble under such circumstances.
“General,” Wang Ben said solemnly, “Chief Li asked me to convey to you: King Qin is benevolent and unwilling to commit further bloodshed. If Qi submits willingly, you can continue to command the Qi navy, be ennobled and appointed general, and your wealth and honor will remain unchanged. If you resist to the end…”
He didn't finish speaking, but his meaning was clear.
Tian Chong gripped his sword hilt tightly, veins bulging. Continue commanding the navy? That sounded nice, but it was probably just a nominal title; he had long since lost all real power. Be granted a title and honors? What face did a general of a fallen kingdom have to accept such a reward?
"General Wang, please return," Tian Chong said coldly. "I was born a general of Qi, and I will die a ghost of Qi. The only way to make me surrender to Qin is by my own death!"
Wang Ben was not surprised. If Tian Chong were so easily persuaded to surrender, he wouldn't be Tian Chong.
"General's loyalty and righteousness are admirable." Wang Ben cupped his hands in respect. "But has the General ever considered what would happen to the people of Linzi if war broke out? What would happen to the prosperity of Qi? What would happen to the General's subordinates and their families?"
Tian Chong's body trembled.
"Under the thunderous roar, everything is reduced to ashes," Wang Ben continued. "General, you may not fear death, but what about the innocent civilians? What about the soldiers who have followed you for so many years? Can you bear to let them perish with you?"
"You...you shut up!" Tian Chong shouted angrily, but his voice trembled slightly.
“Li Sizheng also said,” Wang Ben lowered his voice, “that if the general is willing, he can secretly go to Xianyang to meet the King of Qin. The King of Qin is eager to find talented people and will surely treat them as national treasures. The general’s talent should not be buried on this sinking ship.”
After speaking, Wang Ben bowed and took his leave, leaving Tian Chong standing alone in the courtyard.
A spring breeze blew by, bringing the fragrance of flowers, but Tian Chong only felt cold.
He knew all too well that Qi was doomed. Qin was strong and Qi was weak; the tide had turned. But he was Tian Dan's grandson, a general of Qi. How could he surrender? If he surrendered, how could he face his ancestors?
But what if we don't surrender? Are we really going to let Linzi turn to ashes? Are we really going to let our navy, built up over decades, be destroyed in an instant? Are we really going to let those soldiers who have followed us for so many years die in vain?
He closed his eyes in pain.
At this moment, the steward rushed in, looking flustered: "General, something terrible has happened! The Prime Minister... the Prime Minister proposed in court that we should voluntarily submit to the Qin state! His Majesty... His Majesty seems to be considering it!"
Tian Chong suddenly opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing in them.
Hou Sheng! That old scoundrel! It really was him!
"Prepare the horses! I'm going to the palace!"
The main hall of the Qi King's Palace.
The court assembly was embroiled in heated debate. Hou Sheng proposed voluntarily submitting to the Qin state, which immediately drew widespread opposition.
"Absurd! How can we surrender the eight-hundred-year-old state of Qi to others?" Grand Tutor Chunyu Kun was the first to challenge. "Prime Minister, you have received great favors from the state. How can you advise the King to surrender to Qin?"
Hou Sheng remained calm and said, "Grand Tutor, you are mistaken. It is not surrender, but submission. The unification of the world is an inevitable trend. Qin has already destroyed four states, and Yan is barely clinging to life. Qi is alone and cannot stand up to the challenge. Why should it try to stop the chariot with its bare hands?"
"Like a mantis trying to stop a chariot?" Imperial Censor Tian Wen sneered. "The Prime Minister is boosting the morale of others while diminishing our own. Our Qi has hundreds of thousands of armored soldiers, ample provisions, and the sea as our shield. Although the Qin army is strong, it has gone on a long and arduous campaign, and the outcome is still uncertain!"
"The outcome is still uncertain?" Hou Sheng retorted. "Does the Imperial Censor know of the Heaven-Shaking Thunder? The city of Dai fell in three days. How many days can my Linzi city walls hold out?"
"We can move the capital!" Tian Wen said. "We can move it to Jimo and use the navy as a shield. The Qin army is not good at naval warfare, what can they do to us?"
"Move the capital?" Hou Sheng shook his head. "Moving the capital would be a waste of resources and manpower, and would also shake the foundation of the country. Even if we move to Jimo, the Qin army will besiege us without attacking, cutting off our supply lines. How long can we hold out? A year? Two years? In the end, we will still have to surrender, and then the conditions will be much worse."
The two sides argued endlessly, and the court officials split into two factions: one advocating war, led by Tian Wen and Tian Chong; the other advocating peace, with the latter being the leader. There were also some who remained on the sidelines, not daring to express their opinions.
King Jian of Qi sat on his throne, his face pale, torn between two opposing viewpoints. The pro-war faction had a point: Qi still possessed the strength to fight; the pro-peace faction also had a point: defeat would have unimaginable consequences.
"Your Majesty!" Tian Chong strode into the hall, his armor clanging loudly. "Your subject, Tian Chong, opposes surrendering to Qin!"
King Jian of Qi perked up: "What brilliant idea does the General have?"
Tian Chong knelt down, raised his head, and said, "Qi has endured eight hundred years of trials and tribulations. Duke Huan dominated the world; Duke Qing resisted Yan and preserved the state. Although we are weak now, we still have hundreds of thousands of armored soldiers and a navy that reigns supreme in the East China Sea. If we were to wage war with the whole nation, we might not be without a chance of victory!"
He looked at Hou Sheng, his gaze sharp as a knife: "Prime Minister, is your persuasion to surrender motivated by public interest or private gain? I have heard that your three sons have all purchased land and houses in Qin. Could it be that you have already planned your escape route?"
These words were extremely serious, directly accusing Hou Sheng of treason. The court was in an uproar.
Hou Sheng's expression changed, but he quickly regained his composure: "General, are you slandering me? My three sons went to Qin to do business, which was normal trade. How can you talk about a way out? On the contrary, General, you are holding military power and are you perhaps planning a rebellion?"
"You!" Tian Chong was furious and drew his sword half an inch from its sheath.
"Outrageous!" King Qi Jian slammed his fist on the table. "How dare you resort to violence in the imperial court!"
Tian Chong sheathed his sword and knelt down: "Your Majesty, I have lost my composure. But my loyalty is as clear as day! Qi can die in battle, but it cannot live on its knees! I beg Your Majesty to order the army to prepare for war and fight Qin to the death!"
"Let's fight to the death!" the pro-war faction shouted in unison.
Hou Sheng sneered: "A decisive battle to the death? Easier said than done. What if we lose? The general can die for his country, but what about the people? The soldiers? The king? Will they all be buried with him?"
He turned to King Jian of Qi, his tone earnest: "Your Majesty, I am not afraid of death, but I am thinking of the survival of Qi. If we surrender voluntarily, the ancestral temples will be preserved, the nobles will survive, and the people will live in peace. If we resist to the end, when the city falls, everything will be destroyed. I beg Your Majesty to consider which is more important!"
King Jian of Qi had a splitting headache. Both sides were right; whose advice should he listen to?
"Your Majesty," the previously silent Zongzheng Tian Dan spoke up, "I have something to say."
Tian Dan was a respected elder of the royal family of Qi, and his opinion was very important.
"Please speak, Minister of the Imperial Clan."