Chapter 89: Li Mu's Doubts

Zhao Sheng was close to death, yet he had an able son.

Guo Kai’s warning brought sudden clarity to the King of Zhao. If he refused, even the royal clan might abandon him. Perhaps Lord Pingyuan even hoped he would refuse, so that his eldest son could ascend the throne.

There was no doubt the King of Zhao could do nothing but sign the alliance treaty and send it under escort to the eastern desert camp.

To travel through Yan was too far; there was no time left.

Soon the treaty and the royal credentials reached Li Mu’s hands.

After Pang Nuan returned to Handan to plead guilty, the meritorious Li Mu, who had captured tens of thousands of Xiongnu and seized hundreds of thousands of cattle and sheep, was also made the new commander of an army of more than one hundred thousand men.

Of course, half that force was made up of peasant soldiers, and many were old men and boys as well.

After reading the letter, Li Mu remained silent for a long while.

He asked himself whether there was any army he feared, but this time he had no confidence that he could hold back the northern army.

The battle would not be fought, yet it had already pierced through Zhao’s fate.

“Could it really be that destiny cannot be defied?”

After the God of Slaughter, Bai Qi, had ravaged the states one after another, the men of the feudal kingdoms seemed also to glimpse the future awaiting the Six States.

After the Battle of Changping, Zhao had nearly perished for good.

“King of the North, what are you really planning? To aid Qin? Is there still any path left for the Six States to retreat?”

There was not much information in the letter, but the King of Zhao had clearly stated the reason he could not but join the alliance.

Among Zhao’s generals now, only Li Mu could truly be relied upon. The King of Zhao had to placate him; otherwise, he would not even have disclosed this matter.

This was a humiliation for Yan and Zhao, and also a way out for the kings, nobles, and ministers. Those in the know kept the matter strictly secret.

After the cotton cloth was burned, Li Mu summoned the commanders and gave his instructions. This time he would go in person as envoy, and the suzerain treaty would, of course, be delivered ahead of time.

...

As for the suzerain treaty, Lin Shu had no time to concern himself with it.

He was busy enough already, teaching students while also organizing the navy and overseeing the construction of sea-going ships.

The four ministers of the cabinet were so busy they did not even return to the palace, living directly in carriages instead.

Because Jing Ni taught in the day and at night still had to go to the docks to supervise shipbuilding and train sailors, and sometimes she even had to go into the mountains to mine ore and dig coal.

...

Cabinet.

After a female official knocked, she entered.

She was one of the first minister’s attendants, and as soon as she arrived, Jing Ni put down the documents.

“First Minister, the Zhao envoy has arrived and requests an audience with His Majesty.”

The Yan envoy and Zhao Jia had already arrived in the royal city two days earlier, but her husband was so busy that Jing Ni did not want the envoys from the two states to be received in separate visits.

“Tell the envoys from both states to wait in the conference room at half past one.”

It was almost time to leave work, so Jing Ni did not report it immediately. When she returned to the palace for lunch, she could tell the king then.

The two states’ alliance treaty had already been delivered in advance, and the negotiators had begun to set out as well. Now that he knew Li Mu would come in person, Lin Shu was also preparing to meet this famed general of the Warring States, the military god of Zhao.

Conference room, military and government tower.

Several people were looking at the view of the royal city. From there, one could also see the academy filled with students.

The glass on the side facing the palace was frosted, and only the square nearby could be seen.

Among them, Yan He looked the best, while Zhao Jia’s expression was the most complicated. He did not know whether this division of the realm was a good thing or a bad one.

Li Mu had no interest in exchanging polite words with Zhao Jia. He simply stood quietly, gazing at this northern royal city.

The walls were not high, yet they were all built of solid stone.

There were not many buildings within the city, but the few towering stone structures were unmatched anywhere else. And those enormous steel bridges were simply unprecedented.

Before half past one, Lin Shu arrived in the conference room with the four ministers of the cabinet.

After the formal greetings, everyone sat down.

“Your Majesty, the first batch of several tens of thousands of Yan commoners will depart in a few days. The rest can be delivered within two months.”

Yan He was the first to report. This time Yan would send more than two hundred thousand people to the northern state. They were all families of captured soldiers, and most were women and children.

“Good. With the Yan ruler handling affairs, I am reassured. Next spring, prepare one hundred thousand soldiers and civilians to go to the mouth of the Yan River, then board ships directly for the Northern Island of the Eastern Sea.”

“As you command.” Resettling and founding a state was no small matter, and Lord Yan Chun also needed time to prepare.

Zhao Jia could not help but speak up. “Your Majesty, when will my Zhao people depart?”

He did not want to leave, but there was no other choice. In the past month, the whole of Zhao had believed him dead. Even the crown prince had been replaced.

Lin Shu said, “You shall follow after the Yan ruler. The round trip will take several days anyway, so the Zhao people may arrive a few days later at the mouth of the Liao River.”

“Yes.” Zhao Jia clasped his hands and nodded.

Alas. Li Mu let out a deep sigh. The two nobles of the Yan and Zhao royal houses were now both bowing their heads in submission.

“May I ask the King of the North why you aid Qin, and yet also prepare a path of retreat for the Six States?”

Li Mu bowed respectfully. This king was already worthy of his esteem.

His face was stern, his gaze even more focused. He was a general unafraid of life or death.

A man such as this would inspire admiration in anyone. It was a pity he could never truly be his subject.

“General Li Mu, you truly deserve your place among the four great generals of the Warring States.”

Lin Shu could not help but sigh.

The four great generals? The others were puzzled. Li Mu had not yet reached the peak of his career.

“Your Majesty, who are the four great generals?” they did not dare ask, but Jing Ni was also curious.

A woman interfering in state affairs! Li Mu frowned and lowered his head, unwilling to show any expression.

“The four great generals of the Warring States are, first, Lord Wuan, Bai Qi; second, Wang Jian of Qin; third, the veteran Zhao general Lian Po; and the last is the one before us now.”

Jing Ni nodded and asked no further.

Li Mu shook his head with a bitter smile.

“I am a defeated general. I do not deserve such praise from the King of the North.”

Bai Qi and Lian Po were universally recognized as peerless generals of the age, but Li Mu still fell short of them, let alone Wang Jian, whose fame had yet to fully spread.

Yan He had questions in his heart, but he did not intend to ask further.

Li Mu frowned. Was the King of the North not planning to clear up his doubts?

Seeing the question mark practically hanging over Li Mu’s head, Lin Shu no longer kept silent.

“The world is forever divided and reunited. Such is the law of destiny, and also the cycle of the Yanhuang and Huaxia peoples. The contention of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States eras has lasted nearly seven hundred years; it has already come to the time of unification. No one, and no state, can stop the Qin army. Unless—”

Li Mu could also see the workings of fate, but he was a man of Zhao, and as such was destined to perish with Zhao.

“Unless what, King of the North?”

Lin Shu smiled and nodded.

“Unless the northern army marches south. Otherwise, Qin is already unstoppable.”

Li Mu gave a bitter laugh. “Then why does the King of the North not contend with Qin for the Central Plains?”

By now, Zhao had already lost all qualification to speak of the fate of the world. Li Mu understood even better that the northern army was indeed no weaker than Qin’s.

“The world will certainly be unified. Yet the seven states have endured for centuries, and their roots run deep in the hearts of the people. The Yanhuang Empire may have blood as red as any, but it was born in the wild northern lands. It is not suited to annihilate states and inherit all their hatred. For the people to accept an empire will still take time.”

He understood now. Li Mu understood now.

“So the King of the North, as suzerain over the Six States and their territories, is also seeking the grand principle of rightful rule over all under heaven. Yet fate is hard to predict. I hope the northern army will not bring fire upon itself.”

Rather, Li Mu now looked forward to seeing how the future Qin, once it unified the world, would deal with the northern state.

No matter how powerful Qin might be, it could not compare with two thousand years of accumulation. Lin Shu understood this, though the others could not see it clearly.

Even the Moon Goddess felt a faint unease.

“General Li Mu need not worry.”

“General, you also came because you are not at ease about the division of the overseas lands, am I right?”

In a good mood, Lin Shu took out a map and personally explained it to Li Mu.

“The four islands of the Eastern Sea, along with the southern part of the peninsula, are rich in fish, grain, and resources. They can easily sustain tens of millions of people, more than enough to support the Six States for a hundred years.”

“The Northern Island is comparable to one district of Liaodong and shall belong to Yan. The Long Island of the Eastern Sea is no less suitable than Zhao’s territory, so Zhao, Wei, and Qi may divide it among themselves.”

The long wooden pointer moved, and everyone’s eyes followed it.

“Chu may take the two southern islands, which are also equivalent to the land of a commandery. As for Han, it may occupy one third of the peninsula.”

The large islands belong to the Six States, while the countless smaller islands and reefs farther from the coast all belong to the empire.

After finishing with the Eastern Sea, Lin Shu pointed to the many islands of Southeast Asia.

“The South Seas are thousands, even nearly ten thousand kilometers from Liaodong. The many large islands there are no smaller than the Six States, and with three harvests a year, they are even better suited for growing grain.”

Zhao Jia was moved by this as well, and could not help but say in a low voice, “Your, your Majesty, these islands in the South Seas...”