Damn it!
"Damn it!"
Zhao Yan cursed repeatedly, his furious roar echoing throughout the palace. Below, all the officials wore worried expressions, their heads bowed in silence.
"What a wicked husband, Ying Zheng! What a cruel man!"
"puff....."
Enraged, Zhao Yan coughed up a mouthful of blood, staining his royal robe red, and collapsed to the ground.
"Your Majesty, your health is of utmost importance!"
"Your Majesty, are you alright?"
"....."
The ministers were taken aback, and their faces showed anxiety.
Zhao Yan slumped to the ground, his bloodshot eyes seeming to burn everything in front of him to ashes.
Zhao Yan's anger was like a raging storm, making the atmosphere in the entire hall extremely oppressive.
Among the officials, none dared to step forward to help him up. They knew that Zhao Yan at this moment was like an enraged lion, and any touch could lead to annihilation.
Some time ago, when he noticed that Lian Po had been missing for a long time, he sent out scouts to investigate, but the investigation only made his heart sink.
All three clans of soldiers and 150,000 Zhao soldiers perished in the flood. Qi County was reduced to a vast swamp, with countless corpses floating on the surface; not a single living person could be seen.
Even worse, the floodwaters spread deeper into the territory of Zhao, and scouts saw many counties and prefectures ravaged and besieged by the flood.
At the same time, local officials also submitted memorials requesting disaster relief, which, when stacked up, could even reach the top of the palace.
Looking at the scout kneeling in the center of the hall, Zhao Yan forced a smile and asked with a hint of hope, "Have you searched the area around Qi County? Have you found any trace of my Zhao army?"
The soldier, filled with trepidation, dared not deceive Zhao Yan, and could only bite the bullet and say, "Your Majesty, I have scouted the surrounding area. Although it is better than Qi County, it is not much worse than a vast swamp. I'm afraid it is..."
At this point, Xiao Zu swallowed hard, not daring to continue, still feeling lingering fear as he recalled the scene he witnessed that day.
His words shattered Zhao Yan's last hope. Indeed, if Lian Po had truly been able to lead his troops to safety, he would have sent word long ago.
"Lian Po, Guo Kai... Sigh!!"
Zhao Yan let out a long sigh, his face filled with dejection. He knew in his heart that this disaster had not only taken the lives of countless people in Zhao, but also seriously threatened the foundation of the Zhao state.
The country was already exhausted from years of war, leaving the treasury empty. Now, with the devastation of floods, people were displaced and there was no way to help them. Zhao Yan felt an unprecedented sense of powerlessness and despair.
Zhao Yan's thoughts drifted back to the past. He remembered the days when his father was still alive. Back then, he was still young, and his father always protected him from harm. Full of youthful vigor, he vowed to protect every inch of Zhao's land after ascending the throne.
However, his father had already passed away, and he could only face this sudden natural and man-made disaster alone, without even a pillar of support.
At this moment, he finally understood the hardships his father had endured and the weight of the throne.
Zhao originally intended to fight Qin with its three clans, reaping the benefits of the conflict. However, it never expected that Qin would dare to use such an outrageous and resentful tactic to thwart its plans.
"Your Majesty, I have something to report." An old minister's voice interrupted Zhao Yan's thoughts.
Zhao Yan raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the assembled officials. He suppressed his grief and prepared to hear what this minister had to say.
"Speak, I am listening." Zhao Yan's voice was weak, but it revealed a firmness.
The old minister stepped forward and respectfully said, “Your Majesty, the most urgent task is to organize disaster relief as soon as possible and appease the people. At the same time, we need to send envoys to neighboring countries to request assistance so that we can overcome this difficult time together.”
Zhao Yan nodded; he knew this was the only way out. He had to pull himself together, for the sake of the Zhao state, and for the countless homeless people.
He stood up, and although he was weak, a spark of hope rekindled in his eyes.
"Pass down the order to begin disaster relief work immediately. In addition, select capable individuals to send as envoys to various countries to request assistance." Zhao Yan's voice gradually became more forceful.
Seeing their king regain his spirits, the officials felt a glimmer of hope. They knew that as long as Zhao Yan was alive, there was still hope for the state of Zhao.
Another minister stepped forward and said loudly, "Your Majesty, King Zheng of Qin used the pretext that our Zhao state had united three clans, yet they dared to take advantage of the flood disaster to transfer the calamity to us in order to protect themselves."
"Why not unite with the states of Yan, Qi, and Chu to pressure Qin and thus compensate Zhao for its losses?"
Upon hearing this, the hall fell silent as Zhao Yan closed his eyes and pondered the feasibility of the matter.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes, and said somewhat hesitantly, "Previously, we allied with three clans. Although they didn't take any real action, they did voice their condemnation. So... can we really persuade them?"
The minister smiled slightly, revealing a confident expression. "Your Majesty, the wicked Qin ruler did not only divert water in Hedong Commandery, but also did so in the former territory of Han."
"Now the floods on his side have eased, but after the three rivers split, the floodwaters flowed northwards, heading straight for the State of Yan, passing through the State of Qi, and reaching the State of Chu, indirectly harming all three states."
"Even if the losses are not as great as those of my Zhao state, they will still be considerable."
These words made Zhao Yan's eyes light up, and he nodded repeatedly in agreement. It should be noted that Zhao's alliance with the three clans was only directed against Qin, albeit an inappropriate move.
Furthermore, the Qin state is now very powerful and poses a considerable threat to the three states. If we really look at it, the Zhao state can be considered to have been the first to speak out for the three states.
However, the current floods have truly caused damage to the three kingdoms, so how could they sit idly by?
Presumably, even the State of Qi, which has always had an ambiguous relationship with Qin, must hate Qin to death.
Zhao Yan pondered for a moment. If he could unite the states of Yan, Qi, and Chu to exert pressure, even if he couldn't directly destroy the Qin state, it might be forced to make compensation under pressure.
After all, Qin's actions had already provoked widespread anger, and not only Zhao, but also the other three states suffered greatly as a result.
He took a deep breath, his mind made up, and said to the minister who had made the suggestion, "What you say is very true. Qin's actions are no longer a matter for one country alone. Issue my decree to immediately send envoys to the three states of Yan, Qi, and Chu to detail Qin's evil deeds, request that they join forces with my Zhao state to attack Qin, and demand an explanation."
Zhao Yan's words were filled with determination; he understood that this should be the last chance for the State of Zhao.
A full 150,000 elite troops died in Qixian. The remaining troops in the country were already few, and their combat strength was incomparable to those 150,000 elite troops.
Once the floods have completely subsided and the Qin state has appeased its domestic victims, it will surely be sharpening its swords to attack Zhao.
At that time, what will the State of Zhao use to resist the State of Qin?
When the officials saw that the king finally had a clear solution, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
They knew that Zhao Yan's decision was a last-ditch effort, and it might bring a glimmer of hope to the Zhao state.
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