Phi-Fic Chapter 586 The Campaign Against Wei 7
Chapter 586 The Campaign Against Wei 7
Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the Wei King's palace was equally oppressive.
King Wei sat alone in his bedchamber, three documents laid out before him: one was an urgent report from the Market Supervisor, detailing the dire situation of soaring prices and shortages of supplies in the city; another was a military report from the border general, reporting unusual movements of the Qin army; and the last was the "New Qin Gazette," which had been secretly delivered that morning. The article on the front page, "On the Unification of the World and the Blessing of All People," pierced his heart like needles with every word.
"Your Majesty," the eunuch entered cautiously, "General Jin Yu and Prime Minister Wei request an audience."
"Announce it." King Wei's voice was hoarse.
A moment later, two high-ranking officials entered the hall one after the other. Jin Yu was dressed in military attire, but his eyes were bloodshot; Wei Ziyuan had a solemn expression and was holding a scroll of documents in his hand.
"My two ministers," King Wei asked, feigning exhaustion, "how is the situation in the city?"
Wei Ziyuan stepped forward and presented the document: "Your Majesty, this is the statistics for each ward today... From yesterday to today, seven people have died and more than thirty have been injured in the clashes over grain. The price of grain has risen to six times the usual price, and the price of salt to eight times the usual price. Ironware and medicine are completely out of supply. The people... there are already rumors that the people are exchanging their own children to eat."
The fake hand of the King of Wei trembled slightly.
Jin Yu knelt on the ground: "Your Majesty! This cannot continue! Let me lead the troops out of the city and raid the Qin army's supply lines! Rather than waiting to be killed, we should fight to the death!"
"General, you are brave and valiant," Wei Ziyuan said with a wry smile, "but do you know where the Qin army's supply lines are?"
Jin Yu was taken aback.
“On the paved road.” Wei Ziyuan walked to the map. “From the Xingyang granary to the Daliang border, there’s a 300-li paved road; the Qin cavalry can reach it in a day. Our cavalry? Running on dirt roads, they’d be lucky to get there in three days. Besides…” He paused, “Does the general think the Qin army is unprepared?”
Jin Yu was speechless, but still unconvinced: "So, are we just going to stand by and watch the people starve to death?"
“Perhaps…” Wei Ziyuan looked at King Wei Jia, his voice low, “we should consider other options.”
He took out the copy of the *Great Qin News* from his sleeve: "Your Majesty, please read this article. Though the Qin people are ruthless, what is written in this article... may not be entirely untrue. If we can preserve the ancestral temples and treat the people well, perhaps..."
"Prime Minister!" Jin Yu glared angrily, "You're trying to persuade me to surrender!"
"I'm thinking of the State of Wei!" Wei Ziyuan also became agitated. "General, go and see for yourself in the city! See those emaciated people, see those starving people killing each other for a bite of food! Is there any point in defending a State like this? Do you really have to wait until the city is full of bones before you feel you've done right by your ancestors?"
"You!" Jin Yu drew his sword, ready to rise.
"Enough!" King Wei slammed his hand on the table and stood up. He walked between the two men, looking at the loyal general and then at the pragmatic old prime minister, his heart torn between his feelings.
Finally, his gaze fell on the newspaper, on the sentence "The talents of the six states all entered the Qin court; the cultures of all states all returned to China."
"My two ministers may step aside," he said dejectedly, waving his hand. "Let me... think about it some more."
After the two men left, King Jia of Wei sat alone in the palace. The charcoal fire was dying down, and a chill crept in from all directions. He recalled his father, King Anli of Wei's, dying words: "Qin is a tiger and a wolf. But our Wei state is located in the heart of the Central Plains, with high walls and deep moats. As long as we do not provoke them, we may be able to prolong our dynasty."
But now? No provocation? Does Qin need your provocation? It's just slowly tightening the noose, letting you die of suffocation. No, it doesn't even need a noose—it just lets you see how vast the outside world is, making you realize how ridiculous your confinement to this tiny place is.
“Ji’er…” he murmured, thinking of his son who was being held hostage in Xianyang, “What…did you see there?”
While the State of Wei was struggling in the cold winter, the article in the Da Qin Xin Bao (New Qin Gazette) was like a stone thrown into a pond, creating ripples in other states as well.
In Linzi, Qi State, there was the Jixia Academy.
On the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month, dozens of students sat around the largest lecture hall in the academy, the Minglun Hall, with the Da Qin Xin Bao (New Qin Gazette) secretly sent from Xianyang spread out in the middle.
"Absurd! Utter nonsense!" A young Confucian scholar, a disciple of Tian He, a great Confucian scholar from the State of Qi, slammed his fist on the table and stood up. "Unification of the world? The Qin people are displaying their wolfish ambition to annex the six states! Can't you all see that?"
A Legalist student standing nearby sneered: "So what if it's annexed? The world, after a long period of division, will eventually unite. The Zhou dynasty has been in decline for eight hundred years, and the feudal lords have been fighting for three hundred years. The people have suffered from war for too long. If we can truly unify the country and stop the fighting, it might not be a bad thing."
"A good thing?" a Mohist disciple retorted. "Qin law is harsh, with collective punishment and cruel penalties. How can the people of Qi adapt to it? Moreover, our Qi region is rich and our culture is flourishing. Why should we submit to that barbarian Qin in the west?"
"Barbarian Qin?" A slightly mocking voice rang out. Everyone looked over and saw Zou Yan, a scholar from the academy known for his extensive knowledge and prodigious memory. "Do you all know what Xianyang is like now?"
He stood up and walked to the front of the hall: "I have a classmate who does business in Xianyang. He wrote to me last month saying that in the East Market of Xianyang, shops line the streets and goods are piled up like mountains; the streets of Xianyang are all paved with cement and are as smooth as a mirror; the Xianyang Academy has thousands of students who study not only classics and history, but also physics, mathematics, law, agriculture and industry... Can such a Qin state still be called 'barbaric Qin'?"
The hall fell silent for a moment.
Zou Yan continued, "The letter also said that the Qin people have built ports and ships on the coast of the East China Sea, and the farthest ships have been at sea for more than a year. Their sights are no longer limited to the Central Plains. And we..." He looked around at everyone, "are still complacent about 'Qi culture' and 'Qi system,' unaware that times have changed."
An older scholar frowned: "Does Zou Sheng mean he agrees with the Qin people?"
"I dare not," Zou Yan bowed. "I am merely stating the facts. The Qin people are changing and growing stronger. But our Qi state is still clinging to the old ways. If this continues... I fear we will follow in the footsteps of Han, Zhao, and Chu."
These words were so sharp that the room erupted in a heated debate. Some agreed, some disagreed, and the argument continued.
Meanwhile, in the palace of King Jian of Qi, King Jian was playing chess with his prime minister, Hou Sheng.
"Has the Prime Minister read the Qin people's writings?" King Jian of Qi asked casually as he placed a piece on the board.
Hou Sheng paused, holding the chess piece: "I've read it. His writing is brilliant, but... his heart is despicable."
"Oh?" King Jian of Qi raised his eyes. "What do you mean?"
"The policies described in the text are all beneficial to the people," Hou Sheng said slowly. "Stopping war, facilitating trade, promoting education, developing water conservancy... which of these is not something a wise ruler should do? The Qin people are using these to win people's hearts; their ambition is not small."
King Jian of Qi was silent for a moment: "Then what does the Prime Minister think our State of Qi should do?"
Hou Sheng did not answer immediately. He stared at the chessboard for a long time before saying, "The Qin people are powerful and cannot be resisted head-on. However, my Qi region is rich and prosperous, with the benefits of fish and salt, the natural barrier of Mount Tai, and the protective barrier of the East Sea. If we can... if we can deal with them, we may be able to maintain peace for a time."
"Maneuver?" King Jian of Qi smiled bitterly. "How can we maneuver? The lessons of Han, Zhao, and Chu are right before our eyes."
"Therefore we must be even more cautious." Hou Sheng lowered his voice. "I have heard that Princess Ying Wuyou of Qin is planning to open up the sea. Our Qi region is located by the sea. If we can cooperate with Qin to seek profits from the sea... perhaps we can gain a chance to catch our breath."
King Jian of Qi sighed deeply, "There is no other way."