Chapter 178 Farewell

Zhao Yuanxi had no idea what the two little guys were planning.

She had just heard another piece of news: the State of Qin was going to attack Zhao.

"Are we going to send troops so soon?" Zhao Yuanxi sighed.

Now that the King of Zhao is seriously ill, the State of Zhao is caught up in internal strife, the people are in unrest, and the military morale is unstable. It is indeed a good time to send troops.

Zhao Yuanxi looked at the falling snowflakes and felt a little worried. "But if we go to war in winter, I'm afraid Qin won't have much of an advantage."

If they encountered extremely cold weather, the Qin soldiers would probably suffer a lot. In addition, marching in winter was difficult, and logistical supplies were a big problem.

The opportunity was indeed a good one, but it was still too hasty. If Zhao wanted to fight a protracted war with Qin and defend the city, the Qin army would probably be in great trouble.

However, Zhao Yuanxi didn't understand the war and didn't intend to interfere.

Zhao Yuanxi still believed in the strength of the Qin army.

"When will the army set out?"

"Three days later."

Three days later——

The King of Qin saw off the soldiers at Zhangtai Palace.

The army stood still, holding long spears, standing in a dense forest. The black bird flags were fluttering in the wind, and the armor on the soldiers reflected the cold light, making people hold their breath and watch.

On the altar, Ying Zheng slowly climbed to the highest point. The tasseled crown swayed slightly, blocking most of his face, and only his thin lips could be seen.

He lifted the wine glass beside him and spoke in a steady and powerful voice, "This battle is to stop war with weapons, to stop war with war, and to quell the chaos in the world. You are the elite warriors of our Great Qin. Your achievements will be engraved on gold and stone. Today I cheer you on. When you succeed, I will welcome you back!"

The soldiers below each held up a wine cup in their hands and drank the wine in the bowl in one gulp.

Ying Zheng looked at the generals in front of him and said in a deep voice, "I await your victory."

"I will definitely live up to your mission, seize Zhao's territory and take Handan." The generals said in unison.

The Qin soldiers, who had been quiet, also shouted loudly, "Seize Zhao's land and take Handan!"

"Seize Zhao territory and take Handan!"

......

The shout that shook the sky startled the birds flying everywhere and made them flee.

The sky gradually opened, the sun rose, and the clouds in the sky seemed to be seeing them off.

Zhao Yuanxi stood not far away, staring at the soldiers. The distance was too far, so she couldn't see their faces clearly, but she could feel their determined eyes, and their newly-changed battle robes also made them look particularly spirited.

"I hope you can return safely." Zhao Yuanxi thought to himself.

Zhao Yuanxi saw Li Mu standing beside Wang Jian, and not far away, Qu Ji was also staring at the front with a calm expression.

Perhaps Zhao Yuanxi's gaze was too obvious, Qu Ji noticed it, turned his head slightly, and saw the empress dowager standing not far away, and his heart was filled with joy.

The sound of war drums was heard.

Dong-dong-dong-dong

The horn sounded.

The generals mounted their horses and saluted Ying Zheng. Wang Jian then shouted, "Let's go!"

The orderly footsteps of tens of thousands of people, accompanied by the incessant sound of war drums, seemed to reach the sky with momentum.

Zhao Yuanxi looked at their backs with a complicated mood.

Just as Ying Zheng was about to return to the palace, he saw the Queen Mother staring at the soldiers for a long time without coming back to her senses. He couldn't help but walk over and asked, "Why did the Queen Mother choose to come to Zhangtai Palace today?"

"I'll see them off."

Ying Zheng and Zhao Yuanxi stood side by side, and asked in a strange voice, "Is the Queen Mother worried about them?"

“???” Zhao Yuanxi was stunned. What did he mean?

"Your Majesty, do you think I will stop you from mobilizing your troops?"

Ying Zheng had this expression on his face.

Zhao Yuanxi sighed and said calmly, "Although I don't like war, it doesn't mean I'm stupid. Since the King of Zhou enfeoffed the princes, there have been hundreds of vassal states, large and small, fighting against each other. There have been countless battles."

"From hundreds of vassal states to the last seven powerful nations, only when the world is unified can this land truly be stable."

"If the Qin State chooses to stay in a corner, it can indeed enjoy a relatively stable life for a while, given its current strength. But one day, chaos will always return. Even if you don't fight others, others will come to you."

"Moreover, these soldiers sacrificed their lives for the Qin State. They are heroes. Recognizing their contributions is the true respect for them. Compromising with their status will not benefit the country or the people."

Ying Zheng was stunned for a long moment, the tasseled crown swaying gently, obscuring his vision. All he could hear was him say, "Does the Queen Mother have such confidence that Qin will be the victor of this decisive battle?"

Zhao Yuanxi said as a matter of course, "What else? Then who else do you think can win?"

Ying Zheng laughed out loud.

He has always been confident and naturally felt that no force could compete with the Qin State. In his view, it was only a matter of time before the Qin State destroyed the six states. However, no one had ever believed so firmly that the Qin State could really unify the world. Even he himself would not speak so easily.

But now, this empress dowager, whom he had always thought was too kind and weak, was even more determined than him, which really surprised him.

Ying Zheng's laughter startled Zhao Yuanxi.

Was she wrong? The Qin State had already unified the six kingdoms!

"The Queen Mother is right. Qin will definitely win." Ying Zheng laughed heartily. "Who else but Qin can unify the world?"

When others heard this, they thought Ying Zheng was too arrogant, but Zhao Yuanxi thought Ying Zheng was just telling the truth.

However, his expression was indeed a bit provocative, and Zhao Yuanxi couldn't help but say, "It's easy to conquer an empire, but it's hard to keep it. Don't be too optimistic."

Ying Zheng rarely heard such arguments, so he asked curiously, "According to the Queen Mother, is it more difficult for me to govern the six kingdoms than to conquer them?"

"Qin is your own home, you can do whatever you want with it, but now you want to seize other people's property. Do you think the people whose property you have seized will listen to you obediently?" Zhao Yuanxi asked back.

Of course it is impossible.

Over the past hundred years, the Qin State has seized Shangdang County and Shu County and destroyed the Zhou Dynasty. Today, there are still many resistance forces in those places. If the Qin State had not been so strong, those people might have caused trouble for it.

Seeing that he was silent, Zhao Yuanxi comforted him, "Don't worry so much. After all, this is the first time since the beginning of the world. Everything is a first time. Difficulties will always exist. Solve them slowly. You have to believe in yourself."

It was the first time someone told him that he had to believe in himself.

Ying Zheng chuckled, "The Queen Mother seems to believe in myself more than I do."

"Is it strange to believe in you? You are really amazing!" Zhao Yuanxi admired sincerely.

The more you understand the chaos of this world, the more you will understand the value of Qin Shi Huang's unified six kingdoms, which included standardizing the wheel gauge, writing system, and weights and measures.

A trace of embarrassment flashed across Ying Zheng's face.

That's exactly what she would say.

"Why aren't you talking?" Zhao Yuanxi asked quietly. Could it be that she had said something wrong again? She couldn't be flattering him, could she?