Chapter 162: Drinking Together
Li Mu sighed slightly and bowed his hands in apology, "I am sorry for the rudeness."
Qin's counter-espionage plan was indeed despicable, but if King Zhao had not distrusted him from the beginning, how could this rumor have made King Zhao want to kill him? What's even more ridiculous is that his life was indeed saved by Qin.
Zhao Yuanxi returned the greeting and said sternly, "General Li is truly a gentleman. I was indeed wrong in this matter. I apologize to you here, but if I had the chance to do it again, I would still do the same thing."
At most, the means will be more decisive, and Li Mu will not be given the opportunity to defend Yecheng.
Li Mu cannot stay in Zhao State, even if he is really injured, he cannot be allowed to stay in Zhao State. The current situation is the best outcome Zhao Yuanxi can think of.
The two looked at each other, and the atmosphere around them was extremely depressing. No one dared to make a sound at this time.
Li Mu looked at the Queen Mother of Qin and vaguely saw the appearance of King Ying Zheng of Qin in her. If Ying Zheng was a tyrannical tiger, then the Queen Mother of Qin was the mysterious female. With the softest thing in the world, she could conquer the hardest thing in the world. It didn't seem surprising that he lost to her.
Zhao Yuanxi couldn't stand the atmosphere and coughed lightly. "If General Li still has a grudge against me, we can have a duel. If you lose, this matter will be over. If I lose, I will personally send you to another vassal state. How about that?"
Li Mu said, "I have already lost, and I have no complaints."
Zhao Yuanxi blinked in disbelief. "Really? Are you worried that I'll deliberately make things difficult for you, so you're admitting defeat? Don't worry. When I say I want to compete with you, I really mean it."
She also wanted to try arm wrestling with Li Mu! She was sure to win!
Li Mu said, "Warfare is the art of deception. Although the Queen Mother did not defeat me on the battlefield, she has defeated me in another battle."
Zhao Yuanxi muttered in her heart, this person is quite considerate of others! He even gave her a clear reason.
"General Li is truly a man of character!"
Zhao Yuanxi saw that everyone was looking at them, so he smiled and said, "Master Meng, is there a tea room here?"
"Yes, yes! Please follow me."
Zhao Yuanxi raised his hand towards Li Mu and said, "It's true that we've become acquainted through fighting. General Li, why don't you and I move to the tea room to chat?"
"I dare not. Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, please go first." Li Mu took a half step back and raised his hand as well.
The tea room was the place Meng Xi prepared to entertain guests. It was decorated in a simple and elegant style, with a plaque hanging above that read "Universal Love, Non-Aggression" in large characters.
This is indeed the style of the Mohist family.
Zhao Yuanxi and Li Mu sat opposite each other.
Zhao Yuanxi didn't know how to make tea and wanted to call Jang Geum in to help, but Li Mu took the teacup first.
"General Li is a military commander, yet he's also into this kind of pretentious things."
Drinking tea is not popular nowadays. Tea is often consumed with various spicy foods such as onions, ginger, orange peel, etc., and it is only a hobby for a small number of people.
"Tea is refreshing and detoxifying. I use some occasionally."
Seeing that Li Mu was about to add seasoning to the tea, Zhao Yuanxi quickly stopped him and said, "Just pour me a cup of plain tea."
Li Mu didn't understand, but he still poured her a cup of tea. He didn't add anything else to the tea, but just silently poured himself a cup.
"I never thought that one day I would be able to sit and drink with General Li like this." Zhao Yuanxi sighed.
Li Mu looked at her and asked bluntly, "The Queen Mother brought me here. What's the matter?"
Zhao Yuanxi sighed softly, "General Li is indeed a straightforward man. In that case, I will get straight to the point. General Li is now living in Xianyang. Does he plan to stay there forever?"
Although Xianyang is a good place, it is nothing more than a cage of wealth and luxury. Perhaps other people would be willing to stay there for the rest of their lives, but Zhao Yuanxi felt that Li Mu would never be the kind of person who seeks pleasure.
If he had sought wealth and glory, he would not have fought for the mediocre King Zhao, and in the end he was feared and suspected, and had a miserable end.
"What does the Queen Mother mean?" Li Mu frowned. Wasn't it the idea of the King of Qin and the Queen Mother of Qin to trap him in Xianyang? Did she still want him to lead the troops into battle?
"Literally, General Li is both a talented leader and skilled in military strategy. You should utilize your abilities in your areas of expertise. The King of Qin hasn't appointed you because he sees you have no intention of surrendering, not because he doesn't want to use you."
Li Mu was slightly startled. After a long silence, he said, "I will not lead the army to help Qin destroy Zhao."
"It is indeed difficult for you to lead your troops to attack the State of Zhao, but the world is so vast, and there is more than just one State of Zhao."
Zhao State cannot be attacked, but other places can be considered! For example, the Xiongnu, who he dealt with the most, or the lands of Yan and Qi, there are places for him to play, and of course Zhao State is his best stage.
Li Mu lowered his head in thought.
Zhao Yuanxi smiled and said, "Don't make a decision so quickly. Zhao State hasn't been destroyed yet! You still have time to consider it, but it would be best to do so before Qin conquers Zhao State. By then, you can demonstrate your value and perhaps protect more Zhao people."
Li Mu suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with shock. "What does the King of Qin want to do?"
Zhao Yuanxi's expression was indifferent. "It's obvious that Zheng'er will not let go of the people of Zhao, especially the nobles of Handan. Shouldn't you be very clear about the specific reasons?"
"The people of Zhao are innocent!"
"Then General Li, try to save those innocent Zhao people!" Zhao Yuanxi raised the teacup in his hand.
"So, the Queen Mother still wants me to lead the troops to conquer Zhao."
"No, I am only letting you know the consequences of the path you have chosen now. Whether you are willing to lead your troops to attack Zhao or not, the outcome for Qin will be the same."
It's cruel, but that's reality.
Zhao Yuanxi was just giving Li Mu a chance to choose. It didn't matter to her whether the king of Zhao lived or died, but there was no need for those people in Handan City to die with King Qian of Zhao.
Li Mu's eyes showed an unconcealable sadness. He did not speak, but held the teacup tightly, almost crushing it.
After a long while, he said, "I understand."
Zhao Yuanxi understood his helplessness and admired his choice. "I will use tea instead of wine to toast General Li."
The two raised their glasses together.
Zhao Yuanxi took a sip of hot tea and said in a lighter voice, "General Li, there's no need to be so depressed. It's not that bad! The destruction of Zhao is inevitable. Look at it another way. With you here, the Qin army won't at least massacre the city."
"Your Majesty, there are some things you don't have to say."
???
Was she being criticized? Well, it wasn't something that would make people happy, but she was telling the truth!
It’s okay for people to deceive others, but why deceive themselves?
Zhao Yuanxi curled his lips, "General Li should face reality sooner and prepare himself mentally so that he won't hesitate on the battlefield later."
Li Mu said, "The Queen Mother is telling me this because she wants to save the lives of the people of Zhao. I dare to ask you why."
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