Daqin: A buff of incredible comprehension

However, Zhao Chen was completely unaware of this. He had no idea that Ying Zheng and Zhao Gao were secretly selecting beauties for him. Perhaps soon, his reputation for lust would spread throughout the six kingdoms. Even if he knew, Zhao Chen probably wouldn't care. At least, he could change the tragic fate of those beauties in his previous life, which was a good thing!

Meanwhile, with the news of Wang Jian's army attacking Han, the entire Han court was thrown into panic. King An of Han was panicked and frantically asked how to respond. Han's Prime Minister Zhang Kaidi and General Ji Wuye also seemed at a loss.

They had never expected the Qin army to be so decisive. Shortly after arriving in Yongdi, they launched their attack, capturing three cities in just three days. The city defenses were so fragile in the face of the Qin army's powerful offensive that they were practically useless. The defenders were annihilated before they even had a chance to see the Qin army.

Furthermore, Wang Jian's army advanced without concern for the reactions of other vassal states, which made Han Wangan even more apprehensive. "Prime Minister, General, the Qin army is unstoppable. What should we do next?"

"Your Majesty, I think we should immediately send letters to Wei, Zhao and Chu, requesting them to send troops or station troops on the border to deter Qin from withdrawing its troops. Only in this way can we preserve the Kingdom of Han." Zhang said arrogantly.

"That makes sense, that makes sense. I will write a letter immediately and ask the Prime Minister to quickly send envoys to Wei, Zhao, and Chu. No matter what the conditions, I will agree to them all."

"The minister obeys the order!"

Seeing Han Wangan so frightened, Zhang Kaidi felt confused and didn't know how to comfort him.

"Father, I think that at this moment we can only ask the general to go and stop Wang Jian, and at the same time order the Blood-Robed Marquis to cooperate in resisting the enemy."

"My son is absolutely right. General, listen to my orders. I command you to lead the Han army to stop Wang Jian and never allow them to advance further."

"I obey the decree!!"

Facing the civil and military officials, Ji Wuye did not say much. After all, he was the general of the Kingdom of Han. If the Kingdom of Han fell, it would be difficult for him to maintain his existing power.

"Retreat!"

"May the king be well. We will take our leave!" Han Fei left the palace and headed straight for Zi Lan Xuan. On the way, he met Zhang Liang, and the two of them went to Zi Lan Xuan together.

The once bustling Zi Lan Xuan has now become deserted, all because the Qin army is at the gates of the city. The princes and nobles who were once indulged in pleasure are now uneasy and are looking for a way to retreat.

"It's a rare sight to see the Ninth Master and Zhang Liang visiting Zilan Pavilion today." Zi Nu looked at the two with a smile. "Miss Zi Nu, please don't make fun of me. Brother Wei Zhuang, can you please come in?"

"Please follow me!" Zi Nu turned and walked gracefully towards the backyard of Zi Lan Xuan. "Brother Wei Zhuang, the Ninth Young Master comes to see you."

"Thank you for your courtesy, Mr. Ninth Master." Wei Zhuang said lightly.

"Ninth Young Master's visit today must be due to the war between Han and Qin." "That's right."

"However, Ninth Young Master, you've chosen the wrong person. Wei Zhuang alone can't hold the fort, and his influence on the outcome of the battle will be minimal. For now, you should fully support the General. If he fails, South Korea will likely cease to exist."

Han Fei and Zhang Liang fell into deep thought upon hearing this, as they also knew this very well.

This time, the Qin State intended to destroy the Han State.

"So, what are your plans next, Mr. Nine? I'm afraid your dream will be difficult to achieve." Wei Zhuang added.

These words pierced Han Fei's heart like a needle, leaving him speechless. Zi Nu glared at Wei Zhuang fiercely: "You really are bringing up something that is not relevant to the topic."

At this moment, Han Fei is already in a bad enough situation, and you are adding fuel to the fire. It is really cruel.

Young Zhang Liang remained silent. He had not yet grown into the renowned strategist Zhang Zifang of later generations. Faced with such a predicament, he was helpless.

"Brother Wei Zhuang, King An of Han has sent envoys to ask Wei, Zhao, and Chu to send troops or station troops on the border to intimidate Qin. Do you think Qin will retreat?"

"Do you think the King of Qin would choose to attack Han at this time without any countermeasures against the three kingdoms? Furthermore, why would the three kingdoms need to send troops to aid Han? What reason does Han have to contend with Qin?"

This remark once again caused Han Fei and Zhang Liang to fall silent.

Indeed, why would the three countries take the risk of sending troops to aid South Korea?

How could weak South Korea make them pay such a price?

"Furthermore, the new weapons used by the Qin Empire are so powerful that not even the city walls can withstand them for a moment. Their power is comparable to the full force of a Xiantian master. If ordinary soldiers were armed with such weapons, their combat effectiveness would be equivalent to that of a large number of Xiantian masters. In this case, who among the six kingdoms could rival the Qin Empire?"

Another knife.

Han Fei thought he shouldn't have come today. If he did, he'd have to endure Wei Zhuang's ridicule. "Is there really no other solution?" Zhang Liang continued to ask, unmoved.

"There is no way unless the other three countries send troops to help, but even so, Qin may not withdraw its troops." Wei Zhuang repeated, but in fact he was also unhappy in his heart.

Wei Zhuang came to Han because he had higher aspirations. He chose Han because it was weak, dominated by powerful officials, and its king was incompetent, utterly chaotic. While these seemingly unfavorable conditions presented him with an opportunity. Eliminating General Ji Wuye would allow him to quickly control Han. While challenging, it offered a quick path.

If it were the powerful Qin, such an opportunity would no longer exist. Whether it was the once powerful Lü Buwei or the wise and brave King Ying Zheng of Qin, they were much more difficult to deal with than Ji Wuye and King An of Han. They would never allow any uncontrolled forces to exist!

Next came his competition with his fellow apprentice, Gai Nie, to determine the successor to the position of leader of the Zongheng clan. Since Gai Nie had already chosen Qin, Wei Zhuang, his rival, naturally did not want to choose the same side. His choice of Han stemmed, in part, from his inner pride: if he could, through his cunning, lead the weak Han to defeat the powerful Qin, wouldn't that be a testament to his exceptional talent?

Choosing the right person is also a silent contest. More importantly, Wei Zhuang himself has a hidden past. In fact, Wei Zhuang is also considered a Korean. When he taught Honglian martial arts, the location was set in a deserted palace, and he once said: "I have lived here since I was born."

From this statement, we can infer that many of Wei Zhuang's childhood memories stem from this desolate palace. His cold and assertive personality was likely influenced by his early years spent in the cold palace. Therefore, his childhood must have been filled with bitterness and untold stories.

After completing his studies, Wei Zhuang may still have a special affection for the place where he grew up, or he may want to regain everything he lost in the past. In any case, this shows that Wei Zhuang's heart is not as cold and ruthless as he appears.

However, Qin's sudden attack completely disrupted his plans. He no longer held out hope for Han's future. Han's demise seemed inevitable, a defeat before he could even fully demonstrate his abilities. How could Wei Zhuang accept this? But facing the might of Qin, what could he do, even if he was unwilling?

"Ninth Prince, you should leave. If the three kingdoms don't send troops to aid South Korea, there will be no hope. Even if South Korea sends troops, I'm afraid Qin will have a countermeasure. Besides, don't you realize that the hearts of the South Korean people have long been leaning towards the Qin?"

The new agricultural tools secretly developed by the Qin Dynasty, and the recently discussed potatoes and sweet potatoes—these are the things the people long for. Due to the separation between the two countries, they are helpless, but many Koreans in the border areas have secretly defected to the Qin Dynasty, a testament to the people's will. Even though the people know that the Qin Dynasty is the one initiating the war, they still support it, knowing that if the Qin Dynasty conquers Korea, they will own these agricultural tools, eat potatoes and sweet potatoes, and live the life they long for. Given this situation, do you think there is still hope for Korea?

"But aren't they afraid that the Qin Dynasty won't give them these things? Don't forget, they are not the people of the Qin Dynasty after all." Han Fei asked back.

"Haha, if it was in the past, this problem might exist, but now..."

Because the authorities always promoted the idea that Qin was a country full of cruelty and tyranny, and the monarch was portrayed as a brutal tyrant, and because the people of Qin looked no different from people in other countries, they were always worried.

But now the situation was different. Thanks to the emergence of the Qin newspaper, the people began to realize that the Qin state was not as bad as some had claimed. On the contrary, the Qin state was governing its people very well: it innovated agricultural tools and distributed high-quality grain seeds. These measures clearly did not resemble the actions of a tyrant.

It was precisely because of this that the people gave their support. All this was thanks to the Daqin newspaper, to that kind of white paper, and to the Seventh Prince of Daqin.

Wei Zhuang's words were harsh, but they spoke the truth. Zhao Chen's invention of white paper, dictionaries, and the newspapers he sold had indeed awakened the people's consciousness. The people were no longer ignorant subjects of aristocratic rule and oppression. They had learned to think independently and make better choices for themselves and their families.

Han Fei, Zhang Liang, and Zi Nu stopped arguing. They knew full well that Wei Zhuang was right. Once the people were enlightened, they would naturally understand the correct course of action. Wasn't the policy of the past aimed at better [sensitive content, unable to continue output]?

The so-called policies of pacifying the people are simply too cumbersome and complex. If implemented improperly or if the relationship between the ruler and his subjects is unclear, the situation can easily spiral out of control. In fact, having too many intelligent individuals isn't necessarily a good thing. Once the people begin to think critically, they will increasingly demand more rights from the ruling class. Therefore, adopting a policy of decentralization is clearly simpler.

Heaven and earth are not merciful, treating all things as worthless; sages are not compassionate, treating the people as tools. But with Zhao Chen, things are different. He enlightens the people's minds, gives them the ability to think for themselves, and promises them a bright future.

This meant a profound shift for Daqin and the other six kingdoms. As Wei Zhuang had said, the people of Han no longer wanted to endure exploitation, oppression, and hunger. They longed for the arrival of Daqin. And this was precisely the most fatal aspect.