Chapter 131 The Fall of Qin 43
Having received confirmation from Qin, Liu Bang, after conquering Wuguan, directly told Wei Sheng Jiujiu that he thought the previous method was good and agreed to let him lead the detached soldiers to follow the main force, while he himself would lead the main army on an urgent march.
After the Wuguan Pass was breached, the two sides separated. Liu Bang led the main force to set off ahead of Wei Sheng Jiu Shi Jiu. Wei Sheng Jiu Shi Jiu thought that since there was no need to rush, he stayed at Wuguan Pass to see if there was anything useful there that he could take with him.
It wasn't until Liu Bang led his army to defeat the Qin army at Yaoxia that Wei Sheng Jiu Shi Jiu slowly followed behind with his men.
He always packed the gunpowder into his storage space, and the remaining unseen loads were mostly semi-finished products, so there was no possibility of them suddenly exploding halfway through the journey.
When he arrived at Yaoxia with his men, someone specifically sent a message that they had already reached Lantian near Xianyang, and he was told to hurry and ideally arrive in Lantian before capturing Xianyang.
Because Liu Bang was fairly aware of Wei Sheng's martial prowess, he didn't assign any special deputy generals to protect him, except for the soldiers. The generals who could lead troops into battle were either taken away by Liu Bang himself or assigned to Li Shang's army, which was tasked with conquering Hanzhong, Ba, and Shu.
Upon receiving the message, Wei Sheng Jiu Shi Jiu naturally agreed. He maintained his aloof expression and said "Understood" to the messenger, and that was the end of it.
The man was taken aback, not expecting this person to have such a personality. However, he was just a lowly soldier, so he didn't say anything and simply took his leave to go back and report.
Wei Sheng Jiu Shi Jiu calculated the current time. It was not yet October, just the end of the year. He first thought about how the harvest was in the fields he planted in Pei County, and then looked through the historical document that Qing Ai had sent him before.
Xiang Yu arrived in Guanzhong in December, so he had at least two more months.
However, it cannot be ruled out that due to various changes in factors, Xiang Yu arrived earlier than expected.
Therefore, Wei Sheng Jiu Shi Jiu hadn't planned to leave himself much time, and thinking about it, he suddenly felt that there wasn't enough time left when he looked at the piles of gunpowder in the space.
He analyzed meticulously that perhaps after becoming human, he also developed a fear of insufficient firepower.
The changes in human psychology are truly amazing; even his own thoughts seem strange and novel to him.
He used the system's functions to check on Liu Bang's situation. As the legitimate host, there was no reason why he couldn't use the functions that Liu Bang could use. So he saw that Liu Bang's group was heading towards Lantian.
Calculating the time, they were about to encounter the last Qin army. He ordered his men to speed up slightly, but according to his precise calculations, even if they sped up, they wouldn't catch up with the two groups in the final battle in Lantian.
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While Wei Sheng Jiu Shi Jiu slightly increased his travel speed, Liu Bang and his men had already started fighting against the last resistance forces organized by the imperial court.
The morale of the Qin army could not be described as high; rather, it was rather low.
Although Emperor Huhai was not a very good emperor, he was still the emperor in name only. Now that the emperor has been killed at will by the court officials, it is normal for morale to be affected.
When they fought against Liu Bang, they were easily defeated. If surrendering meant survival, they really had no intention of resisting.
Liu Bang had an excellent reputation, at least in the eyes of the outside world. There was no news of him doing anything to the cities he passed through, and there were even many surrendered soldiers in his army.
After being defeated once, the Qin army could hardly regroup, and with no one blocking their way, the road ahead was wide open.
Having lived most of his life, Liu Bang finally understood what it meant to be full of vigor and ambition.
Among all the feudal lords, Liu Bang was the first to arrive near Xianyang. He defeated the Qin army in Lantian, gathered some surrendered soldiers, and then led them to Ba Shang.
Before attacking Xianyang, he still needed to have a good discussion with his subordinates.
The best outcome would be for the current King of Qin to surrender, while the worst outcome would be to attack the city.
Xianyang City had been established for many years and was the capital of the Qin State. Its city walls stood tall and straight, surrounded by concentric rings of auxiliary cities. Over the years, it had expanded outwards, so it was no longer a simple city.
It was larger than any city I had seen on the road. More than a city, it was a complex of buildings, with the inner city guarded by the city guards and the outer city guards by the outer walls.
The layout was an inner city with an outer wall, separating the inner and outer areas. The inner city was for royalty and nobles, while the outer city was mostly inhabited by commoners.
Liu Bang himself was not keen on attacking cities, because attacking cities would mean paying with lives. But it didn't mean that everything would end once he entered Xianyang. He still had Xiang Yu leading a large number of Chu troops who were watching him closely.
He scoffed at Xiang Yu's claim that he wanted to avenge his uncle, and he simply didn't believe anyone could resist the temptation of entering the pass and becoming king.
In retrospect, he really had to thank Song Yi for the time he had wasted, otherwise he would have had to rush to enter the pass.
Unlike now, when they could send envoys to the Qin court to try to persuade them to surrender.
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When Liu Bang's envoys went to Xianyang, Ziying was reluctant to surrender, but he saw that the officials in the hall were restless and their expressions were very obvious.
Ziying remained silent for a moment, then realized that the situation was hopeless. His ministers were all eager to surrender and join Liu Bang's camp. What could he do to stop them?
Killing Zhao Gao had given him confidence, and he had even considered restoring the court, but the situation in the country was already dire, and he was powerless to do so even if he wanted to.
Seeing the morale of the court in disarray, he realized that he had no room to struggle. So he returned to the envoy and said that he would surrender the city on his own when he was ready.
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After the envoy returned to his post in Ba Shang, he told Liu Bang everything he had seen in Xianyang.
Liu Bang also learned the reason why Ziying only called himself King of Qin and not Emperor. It turned out that Zhao Gao said that calling himself Emperor at this time would be nominal but not real, so he called Ziying King of Qin.
Supporting Ziying was a last resort. Zhao Gao's actions also made Ziying realize that he had great ambitions. In addition, because he killed Qin Er Shi, the court officials were dissatisfied. Zhao Gao was actually killed by Ziying through a scheme, and his entire family was exterminated.
Therefore, the matter of surrendering was something Ziying could decide. Liu Bang was not afraid of the other side using tricks, since they were waiting at Ba Shang, and with a large army around, he was not afraid of the already exhausted court.
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After promising to surrender, Prince Ziying of Qin had no intention of delaying. The agreement that whoever entered the pass first would become king was not a secret; he had heard about it before.
Many more feudal lords marched westward, but the first to arrive in Xianyang was the army nominally from the state of Chu, led by Liu Bang, the governor of Dang Commandery.
He was also aware of the various rebel armies. Although he had been on the throne for less than two months, he was definitely a qualified monarch compared to the previous emperor.
Unfortunately, the imperial court had completely collapsed and could not be saved by diligent governance alone.
The most famous rebel armies were probably the two armies that both belonged to the State of Chu. One army was led by Xiang Yu, a descendant of Chu nobles, and the other army was led by Liu, the prefect who was now trying to persuade him to surrender.
He had weighed the pros and cons of whether or not to delay, because the agreement was in place, and entering Xianyang first was very important to these people. He wasn't against negotiating, and perhaps he could gain some benefits for himself. Even if he didn't talk about benefits, he at least had to protect his wife and children and let them live.
Born in a chaotic world, Ziying had very low expectations. He was content to simply live. Even if he had to die, he just wanted his wife and children to survive.
After comparing Xiang Yu and Liu Bang, Ziying felt that he was more likely to survive under Liu Bang.
He immediately ordered people to prepare the necessary documents for surrendering, as he dared not delay matters that would determine his own life.
It would be best if Liu Bang stayed in Xianyang and kept Xiang Yu outside the city.
With his own plans in mind, Ziying showed no unusual expression, simply acting calmly according to the ceremony of a monarch's surrender.
Within three days, everything was ready, and Liu Bang was informed.
Prince Ziying of Qin then bound himself with his wife and children and rode in a chariot drawn by white horses. The group was dressed in funeral attire, and there were few soldiers around to protect them. They encountered the Chu army that came to pick them up halfway, and were guarded by a group of soldiers.
Ziying personally carried the imperial seal and military tally, and the army left Xianyang and headed towards Liu Bang's camp.
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Standing on the makeshift platform, Liu Bang looked into the distance and could barely make out a line of small black dots moving toward him.
Accepting the surrender of Prince Ziying of Qin was a foregone conclusion. Liu Bang was happy at the moment, but his mind was not entirely on this matter. He looked around furtively.
He looked around but didn't see Qin. He couldn't say whether he was disappointed or happy that Qin hadn't come.
But it's a bit of a shame.
Among the group of people around, only Zhang Liang and Meng Tian had seen the Qin dynasty. If Liu Bang wanted to find someone to compare his skills with, he could only ask Zhang Liang or Meng Tian.
But seeing Zhang Liang's elegant and gentlemanly demeanor, he felt it wasn't appropriate to bring this up with him. Then, noticing Meng Tian's complicated expression, as if he were recalling something, he decided to let it go.
Liu Bang sighed, realizing that after trying for so long, he had no one to speak to.
One can't be suffocated, can one? Liu Bang hesitated for two seconds between the two, then happily chose Zhang Liang. He stood next to Zhang Liang with a smile and lowered his voice: "She didn't come."
Zhang Liang: "..."
Zhang Liang hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back, before finally subtly reminding Liu Bang: "This is Qin territory, it makes no difference whether she comes or not."
Zhang Liang gazed at the distant horizon and pondered for a moment before saying, "Perhaps she is over there right now."
Liu Bang followed Zhang Liang's gaze and looked ahead; there stood Prince Ziying of Qin and his entourage.
Liu Bang immediately recalled their first meeting, when she was sitting in the First Emperor's carriage.
A chill ran down his spine. Was it too late to take back what he had just said? Ah, one really shouldn't get carried away with success.
But he didn't care much, because he thought that with the surrender of the King of Qin and the complete demise of the Qin state, the chaos among the spirits would mean that Qin might not have time to care about him.
In other words, he felt he was capable again.
It's a bit of a shame about the personal map Qin gave him. I wonder if he can still use it if Qin dies... He probably can't...
Liu Bang felt a pang of regret, but maintained a serious expression as he prepared to accept the surrender of Prince Ziying of Qin.
They were speaking in hushed tones, so no one around them noticed. Even those who caught a word or two couldn't understand what they were saying.
As the sun gradually rose higher, its rays shone on the earth, dispelling some of the coolness brought by the breeze.
Prince Ziying of Qin's entourage had reached Zhidao. Liu Bang took the initiative to lead his men down from the high platform, and Prince Ziying of Qin also got off the chariot. Because he was tied with ropes, his movements were not very convenient.
But he could still kneel down and surrender, holding the imperial seal. He knelt before Liu Bang, bowed his head, and presented the imperial seal with both hands. Liu Bang solemnly accepted the magnificent wooden box containing the imperial seal. The surroundings were solemn, and no one made a sound to disturb them.
A gentle breeze carried the banner bearing the character "Liu," marking the end of the Qin Dynasty's centuries-long reign.
Prince Ziying of Qin could feel his hand become lighter; something very important had been taken away.
Despite having made preparations, a bittersweet emotion welled up inside him, as if something had shattered and been scattered in the wind, or as if some weight had appeared out of nowhere and been imposed upon him.
A monarch who lost his country.
Prince Ziying of Qin stared blankly, his back slumped down in dejection.
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The author says: When writing about the Qin Dynasty, which lasted for hundreds of years, I included the lifespan of the Qin state before it was unified. The lifespan of the Qin state after unification is much shorter, but in reality, it was still a long-lived state.
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