After Wang Jian left, Lu Fusheng came in.
"Brother Lu, everyone has been sent out."
Lu Li nodded, picked up the teacup, and drank it all in one gulp.
"Tell Chu Jiu to keep a close watch on Prince Dan of Yan, and report back immediately if there is any unusual activity."
"Yes, Brother Lu!"
...
In 230 BC, Qin conquered Han. In the same year, Lu Li instigated a war between Yan and Zhao. In order to make the King of Yan and the King of Zhao fight each other, Qin sent General Wang Ben to feign an attack on Wei.
The great war lasted for a full year, and the states of Qi and Chu were unsure which side to help, so they both chose to remain on the sidelines and wait for the war between the four states to end.
However, after Qin general Wang Ben captured twenty-five cities, he did not advance any further. He sent troops to the front line every day, pretending that a general offensive was about to begin, but there was no movement.
Suddenly, Yun Qingshu woke up with a start!
Qin's ultimate target was still Zhao, and it was once again deceived by Lu Li.
By the time he realized what was happening, it was too late.
The states of Zhao and Yan fought for a full year, leaving both sides exhausted and depleted of their national strength.
At this time, Wang Jian led his troops, using the state of Han as a stepping stone, and under the pretext of rescuing the state of Yan, divided his forces into three routes to attack Zhao.
Yang Ruihe, the northern envoy, led 100,000 troops to attack Hanyang, leaving Handan without a protective barrier in the northwest.
Wang Jian, stationed at the central route, led an army of 100,000 to attack Eyu, a strategic stronghold in the Taihang Mountains, and captured this strategic location in one fell swoop, opening up a passage to attack Handan from the west.
The Qin army dispatched Huan Yi with 100,000 troops from Nanyang to capture Anyang, which belonged to Yeyi.
By this time, the Qin army had advanced to the south of Handan, separated from the Zhao capital Handan only by the Zhang River and a few other cities.
Faced with the powerful offensive of the Qin state, the Zhao state dispatched Li Mu with 100,000 border troops to confront the Qin army on the northern and central routes, and sent Hu Zhe with 100,000 Zhao troops to confront the Qin army on the southern route.
The armies of Qin and Zhao engaged in a fierce battle in the narrow area around Handan. Due to the terrain, neither side could fully deploy its forces, resulting in a stalemate. Therefore, both sides decided to cease hostilities.
"This Li Mu truly deserves to be called a great general!"
Looking at the city of Handan so close at hand, Wang Jian couldn't help but sigh.
If it weren't for Li Mu, Zhao would have already captured Handan.
"Indeed, how fortunate is the State of Zhao! First there was Lian Po, and now there is Li Mu."
That being said, the King of Zhao was incompetent, and he couldn't use Lian Po and Li Mu effectively, which led to the Zhao state's current passive situation.
"Has Mr. Lu arrived?" Wang Jian asked.
"They're on their way," the subordinate replied.
Wang Jian is truly at his wit's end. He has been launching a fierce attack for a year, but he still can't break through Li Mu's defenses.
This man was even more capable of defending the city than Lian Po was back then. If it weren't for the fact that he had destroyed the state of Han and had sufficient logistical support, Wang Jian would probably have withdrawn his troops long ago.
"Not only is Li Mu in the city, but the Mohists are too!"
Lu Li's voice came from behind Wang Jian. He turned around and saw Lu Li riding a horse, looking travel-worn.
"Sir, you've finally arrived!" Wang Jian was overjoyed.
Lu Li looked worried. According to his original plan, Wang Jian should have already captured Handan City by now.
But this time, he miscalculated. The war of annihilation actually united the people of Zhao. King Zhao appointed Li Mu as general, and he actually managed to hold back Wang Jian's advance.
Li Mu, along with Bai Qi, Wang Jian, and Lian Po, is known as one of the four great generals of the Warring States period.
Lu Li originally thought that with Wang Jian's strength, it shouldn't take much effort, since it was a surprise attack.
But to everyone's surprise, Li Mu reacted so quickly.
Meanwhile, Mozi's Yun Qingshu returned to Zhao from Wei to help Li Mu defend the city. Li Mu was already a famous general, and now with the addition of Mozi's Yun Qingshu, conquering Handan became even more difficult.
"Sir, our attack is currently stalled. What should we do?"
After a moment of contemplation, Lu Li said, "Retreat is definitely not an option. Logistics will continue to supply us."
"But we must deal with Li Mu first!"
This man has such high prestige in the army that his presence ensures the army's morale and allows the Zhao soldiers to muster the will to fight.
If this drags on for too long, it will definitely not be a good thing for the Qin state!
"General Wang, this year is a year of severe drought in the Zhao Kingdom." After saying this, Lu Li sighed towards the sky.
Wang Jian immediately realized, "That's right! This year, Zhao suffered a severe drought, and after a year-long war with Yan, their money and grain have been almost completely depleted. If the people have no harvest next year, how can their army fight if Zhao cannot collect taxes?"
"It's just that the people of Zhao have suffered."
But there was nothing that could be done about it. The State of Zhao was facing a severe drought and was also attacked by war. Next year, it would definitely be completely dragged down.
"General Wang, no matter what, you cannot back down. Leave the rest to me!" Lu Li's eyes revealed a sinister glint.
Wang Jian was immediately stunned. He now had absolute trust in Lu Li, not only because Ying Zheng trusted him, but also because Lu Li's decisions had made the Qin army invincible.
"But if we can't take Handan, what will happen to His Majesty..." Wang Jian asked with some concern.
Lu Li said directly, "You just stay here and waste your time with them. I'll explain to the King myself."
Wang Jian nodded, feeling more confident after hearing Lu Li say those words.
What he feared most was that Ying Zheng would order him to withdraw his troops, because a prolonged siege would be a huge drain on the Qin state.
This is 300,000 troops; their daily food, drink, and supplies are a huge sum.
"If we can just hold out for these next few months, the State of Zhao will surely fall into chaos!"
Wang Jian was somewhat puzzled. Even if the State of Zhao was experiencing a famine, their country should still have grain reserves, and if all else failed, they could borrow grain from Chu, Wei, and Qi.
Maintaining morale shouldn't be a problem, so why is Lu Li so certain that the Zhao Kingdom will descend into chaos?
However, Lu Li did not explain, and Wang Jian did not ask in detail. He was too shrewd and always knew what he should and should not know.
After leaving the front line, Lu Li infiltrated Handan City.
"Master, what brings you here?"
When Lu Li appeared in front of her on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, she was terrified!
Qin and Zhao are currently at war, which is so dangerous, yet Lu Li still dares to come to Zhao.
"To make a long story short, deploy all the Black Ice Guards in Zhao to buy up grain in batches, and then secretly transport it to Qin!"
Chu Liu was immediately taken aback. This was not difficult, but why did Lu Li need to buy up a large amount of grain?
The State of Zhao had fought major battles with Yan and Qin, and had not yet had time to react to the severe drought that year. After all, they still had surplus grain, which was enough to sustain their army in the war.
But the common people will suffer terribly. Once they run out of food, it will be like a raging flood.
Lu Li is now buying large quantities of grain from the people in order to add fuel to the fire for the people of Zhao!
When that time comes, the people will have no food to grow, and a rebellion will surely break out!
"After the people of Zhao riot, spread rumors that Yun Qingshu embezzled a lot of military rations!"
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