Although Lu Li said that, who is Wang Jian?
This decision was changed by the King of Qin, who wanted to take risks to maximize his profits. Lu Li was merely a scapegoat for the king.
But he couldn't point it out, so he could only say, "Even an old horse can stumble sometimes, sir, please don't criticize me."
Wang Jian was well-versed in court politics, and he had been appointed Grand General by Ying Zheng, giving him command over almost the entire army of Qin.
As the saying goes, a tall tree catches the wind, and great achievements overshadow one's master; he had to be careful.
The crisis has now been resolved, but the Qin army has lost too many soldiers and is no longer able to fight.
Moreover, the Yan state was already prepared, so the surprise attack was no longer effective.
Upon returning to Qin, Li Xin carried thorns on his back to apologize, hoping that Ying Zheng would punish him.
Surprisingly, Ying Zheng did not blame Li Xin. He merely reprimanded him and then ordered him to continue guarding the former Han state.
Lu Li watched with great satisfaction, realizing that Ying Zheng's ability to manage people was becoming increasingly sophisticated.
After everyone had dispersed, Ying Zheng bowed to Lu Li and solemnly said, "Sir, I regret not heeding your advice and acting on my own, which led to our army's crushing defeat!"
Lu Li quickly helped Ying Zheng up and said slowly, "Your Majesty, victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. Who dares to claim perpetual victory? Who dares to say they are invincible?"
"This defeat is not necessarily a bad thing. At least it has served as a wake-up call for all the generals, making them realize that they should not be arrogant."
Li Xin's defeat this time was due to his greed for merit and his overconfidence, as well as his underestimation of the enemy and his carelessness.
Having won too many battles, they became somewhat arrogant and looked down on the Wei army, which resulted in the Wei army breaching their city.
The seven kingdoms were able to fight for hundreds of years because they all had some foundation.
If we underestimate our enemy and are careless, our journey eastward will only become more difficult.
“What you say is very true, sir. I will follow your advice from now on.”
Lu Li shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, your decision this time was correct. I just didn't expect Li Xin to fail to hold the line."
As a king, one must have one's own subjective consciousness, and Ying Zheng did have it, but he relied too much on Lu Li.
Lu Li was very pleased with Ying Zheng's suggestion. Even if they were defeated, as the King of Qin, he had to have an independent mindset.
Ying Zheng felt a surge of warmth in his heart. Since he assumed power, Lu Li was the only person he absolutely trusted, because Lu Li always thought of him.
"Sir, after this defeat, I wish to rest for a year and then proceed with our previous strategic plan to destroy Wei in a year. What do you think?"
Lu Li nodded. Since this attempt failed, they should stick to the original strategy: destroy the State of Wei and ensure that the State of Qin could expand eastward without any worries about its rear.
"Your Majesty is wise," Lu Li replied respectfully.
...
The Chu Kingdom, the Chu King's Palace.
The Chu army fled back to the Chu state in disarray, and the King of Chu was terrified when he learned of it.
But when he learned that Xiang Yan and Yun Qingshu were both safe and sound, he breathed a sigh of relief.
When Yun Qingshu faced the King of Chu again, he was filled with shame and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I..."
Unexpectedly, the King of Chu stepped forward, took Yun Qingshu's hand, and said with a smile, "Sir, do not blame yourself. This battle was due to the Qin army being too strong. Your strategy was correct."
"I am relieved that you have returned safely, sir."
Yun Qingshu's eyes immediately turned red and swollen, and he knelt on the ground with a choked voice, saying, "Your Majesty, I am willing to do everything in my power to help the State of Chu, to serve it to the utmost until my dying breath!"
The King of Chu quickly helped Yun Qingshu up and scolded him, "Sir, don't say such unlucky things. What do you mean by death? We'll have to rely on you to fight against Qin in the future!"
Since the Mo family emerged from seclusion, Yun Qingshu had never received such courtesy. King Zhao had really tricked him.
It was in the State of Chu that he truly experienced what trust meant and what it meant for the ruler and his subjects to be of one mind!
Yun Qingshu secretly vowed to help the State of Chu stop Qin from conquering the other six states.
.............
In the Qin state, in the city of Xianyang, in Luli's secluded garden.
Li Si sat opposite Lu Li with a furrowed brow.
"Sir, isn't it a bit too risky to launch another war against Wei a year later?"
Although the Qin army ultimately managed to salvage the situation, it still suffered heavy losses in terms of soldiers, horses, money, and provisions.
If we wait just one year, Li Si fears that the Qin state will not be able to recover.
"The Wei Kingdom was already at its last gasp, and this time it has dealt them a severe blow. Not only were all 50,000 troops they sent lost, but they also lost nearly 100,000 troops in the previous battle with Wang Ben."
As the saying goes, strike while the iron is hot and kill him!
Li Si nodded thoughtfully. Although the Qin state had suffered a rather fierce battle this time, it had not been crippled, while the Wei state was different.
They have suffered a severe blow; even if given ten years, let alone a year, they would not be able to recover.
"After destroying Wei, should we continue our attack on Yan?" Li Si continued to ask.
The State of Yan also paid a heavy price this time, being utterly defeated by Wang Jian. If it weren't for the intervention of the States of Chu and Wei, the State of Yan would have been destroyed by Wang Jian by now.
"No, come and see for yourself."
Lu Li and Li Si approached the map, and Lu Li pointed to the area bordering Chu to the east, saying, "After destroying Wei, if we attack Yan, it will be a long-term war!"
"Moreover, I estimate that it will be impossible to take it down without 500,000 troops."
Five hundred thousand troops—that's two-thirds of the Qin Dynasty's military force.
"Most importantly, if we prolong our battle against Yan, and Chu launches a full-scale attack on Qin, then all our previous efforts will be in vain."
Li Si nodded frequently, seemingly agreeing with what Lu Li said.
"What you say is true, sir. Then shall we attack Chu first?"
"Indeed! After destroying Wei, attacking Chu would be the best course of action!"
Through this war, Lu Li also thoroughly understood the strength of the Chu Kingdom.
The military strength of the Chu army was in no way inferior to that of the Yan and Qi states; it was just that the state's national strength was insufficient.
Moreover, Xiang Yan's defense of the city was indeed quite formidable. If Cang Wu hadn't single-handedly breached the city gates, they wouldn't have been able to turn the tide of defeat so quickly.
And most importantly, there is also a Mo family cloud-green book.
This was because the State of Chu launched the first attack, which was aimed at besieging the city.
The Mohist mechanisms are mostly designed for defending cities, so attacking Chu would likely be quite difficult.
"The war with the State of Chu will likely be a tough one," Lu Li sighed.
After Li Si left, Lu Li summoned Little Deer.
"Any news about the eldest brother?"
Little Deer shook her head and replied, "No, it's as if Gai Nie has vanished. None of the spies we sent out have heard anything."
Lu Li sighed. Gai Nie had been gone for a year, and there was no news of him. Even the Black Ice Guard couldn't find him.
"Well, with Senior Brother's martial prowess, there are probably very few people in this world who would want to keep him here."
"News came from Chu yesterday that Yun Qingshu has been officially appointed as the prime minister by the King of Chu."
Lu Li raised an eyebrow. The King of Chu actually valued Yun Qingshu so much?
The fact that the Chu ruler and his ministers are of one mind is not a good omen!
"Send a message to Chu Shi, telling him to find an opportunity to kill the King of Chu!"
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