Zhao State gathered its troops in the southwest direction, while Zhao Kuo's attack route was to attack the hinterland of Zhao State from the north. Therefore, most of the people Zhao Kuo encountered were empty cities and no soldiers could resist. Even so, Zhao Kuo's advancement speed was the slowest among the three armies. After Zhao Kuo captured Gaoliu, he pardoned the local officials, and even the original soldiers were released, and Zhao Kuo asked them to go home.

Yanmen and Yunzhong are pastoral areas of the nobles of Zhao State. They have a lot of cattle, sheep and plowing land here. Zhao Kuo is not polite at all. He checked these property and immediately asked local officials to distribute it to the people... The Zhao people were very confused. On the one hand, no one in Zhao State knows about the reputation of Ma Fujun, and no Zhao person does not regard Ma Fujun as his idol and pride.

But now Ma Fujun is standing opposite to Zhao State and even brought the Qin people to capture Zhao State's city. This made the people of Zhao State feel that they had been betrayed, but they knew exactly why Ma Fujun left Zhao State. This made Zhao people very confused. When the Qin army began to distribute food and livestock, Zhao people became even more confused. If they didn't want it, their family members were still hungry. If they wanted it, it meant surrender.

Things became a little messy, but in the face of hunger, many things became unimportant... After Zhao Kuo conquered Gao Liu, he only left some soldiers to help the local officials maintain local public order and left. When Zhao Kuo left with his army, everything seemed to have not changed. The officials were still the officials of the past, and the people were still the people of the past. There was no difference. The only difference was that they did not have to starve anymore.

In recent years, because of the war, the monetary system of Zhao State has completely collapsed, and the people of Zhao State even lived a life of bartering. However, Guo Kai's levies completely forced the people of Zhao State to a dead end. Zhao Kuo came to attack them, perhaps to save them. Zhao Kuo strictly prohibited the army from harassing the people of Zhao State. During his days in Gaoliu, he did not allow any soldiers to follow him and go to the homes of those people alone.

Zhao Kuo asked about their situation and recorded it with paper and pen. Everything was like the young man who had just ended the war twenty years ago, asking about the situation of the people in various parts of Zhao State. There were several old people who met Zhao Kuo at the time, but they couldn't help crying at this moment. They couldn't tell why. They had expected Zhao Kuo to return to Zhao State so much, but they didn't expect that he would go home as a conqueror.

Whether these people cried and called Ma Fujun, or whether they questioned themselves why they betrayed Zhao State.

Zhao Kuo didn't care. He just recorded his own experiences. The people of Gaoliu lacked iron tools, but the local plowing oxen was sufficient, and there were a large number of widows and old people... Zhao Kuo left Gaoliu and rushed to Pingyin. In Pingyin, Zhao Kuo was really encountered resistance. The officials here were very irritable. The county magistrate stood at the gate of the city, pointed to the direction of the chariot, and shouted loudly: "Give me back the horse to serve you!!"

The soldiers pulled out their strong bows and did not offer the city. Zhao Kuo ordered the soldiers to attack.

There were less than a thousand guards in the city. A rain of arrows from Qin made the city of Pingyin empty. The Qin soldiers forcibly attacked the city. When they climbed the city wall, the county magistrate had already committed suicide. The people in the city were very scared and hid at home and refused to go out. Zhao Kuo walked on the empty street, with his originally straight back, and couldn't help but feel a little hunched. Sometimes, the people peeked out of the cracks in the door.

After occupying the city, Zhao Kuo immediately arranged for the people in the army who could speak Zhao Yu to be temporarily responsible for the public security here, and then opened the warehouse and released grain as before. After the Qin army attacked the city, the Qin army did not commit atrocities, which surprised the people of Zhao. On the day when the warehouse and released grain, several brave people came first to collect grain and livestock, the rest of the people also came out one after another.

Zhao Kuo stood not far away, looking at the frightened Zhao people.

At some point, an old man appeared here. He leaned on a crutch and cursed: "I would rather starve to death like a Zhao man than live under the Qin man's command! My four sons were all dead at the hands of the Qin man! How can you eat these foods with peace of mind?!" Zhao Kuo looked at him calmly, and the old man obviously noticed him. He looked at Zhao Kuo angrily and shouted: "Ma Fujun is originally a very noble title! You let this title be shamed!!"

A few Qin soldiers who understood his words angrily drew out the short sword, but Zhao Kuo shook his head at them. Zhao Kuo walked to the old man, looked at his eyes calmly, and said, "I did this just to prevent the rest of the sons from dying on the battlefield... Do you have descendants? Are you willing to starve to death like a Zhao man, and what about them? Are they willing to die in battle like a Zhao man?"

"Are you worthy of Zhao State? Your father, he will never forgive you."

"Even if my father is standing in front of me at this moment, I will not change my mind... If you are angry and want to scold me, then take some food back. This food is not from Qin people, but grew in Zhao State... When you are full, you will have the strength to scold me." Zhao Kuo said, turning around and leaving here, leaving only a dazed old man, looking at his back blankly.

Pingyin took Zhao Kuo a longer time. After investigating the situation here and appeased the local people, Zhao Kuo sent troops again to Pingyi and Anyang... Zhao Kuo broke through one city after another and rushed from Yanmen toward Dai County... Zhao Kuo's strategy was correct. When the three armies launched an attack at different times, Zhao State just wanted to deal with Wang Jian and Meng Wu, but he did not expect that Zhao Kuo would be stabbed back.

On the front battlefield, Zhao Cong was guarding the Great Wall of Zhao, while Wang Jian and Meng Wu captured all the cities along the way. Wang Jian's army was outside Wu'an City, while Meng Wu's army was outside the people. These were two cities that could bypass the Great Wall and directly attack Handan. Zhao Cong had no way to resist these two people at the same time. He could only choose to divide his troops and guard Handan from two directions. As the war continued, the Zhao army's food was slowly exhausted, and from the chief general to the soldiers, they all began to endure hunger.

However, at this time, the soldiers of Zhao State had no sign of collapse. They slaughtered horses and even dug out wild vegetable bark to take them. Handan was behind them, and they would never bow to the Qin people. By this time, Wang Jian and Meng Wu were not in a hurry. They did not need to attack Handan at all. As long as they continued to confront each other, the soldiers of Zhao State could not hold on for too long.

Handan, in the palace

Half of the ministers of Zhao State were short of them. These people fled from Handan and other countries temporarily. There were only a dozen ministers who refused to leave. Guo Kai was among them. But now Guo Kai convened all the ministers to tell them the latest news. Guo Kai sighed and said, "The Marquis of Wucheng of Qin State sent troops from the clouds and had captured the counties of Yanmen. He is now launching an attack on Dai."

"We have no food, no army, no general, and no way to resist them..." Guo Kai said desperately. As soon as he finished speaking, several ministers present suddenly started to cry. They understood at this moment that Zhao State was powerless to turn the world... The old minister Zhao Li stood up and said tremblingly: "Now is not the time to cry. We have to find a way to save Zhao State... Now, Handan is surrounded by enemies on three sides. I think we can only give up Handan and go to Zhongshan... Zhongshan is very close to Yan State."

"Yan Wang Dan hated the Qin people very much. If they could get their help, the two countries might be able to fight against the Qin people... There was no other way." Zhao Li was the original Handan Order, the father of Handan Zao. He was already very old at the moment. If it weren't for the war, he wouldn't have appeared in the palace. When Guo Kai heard his plan, he sighed and said, "You are right."

"This is what I thought at the beginning, so I wrote to Yan Wang Dan, hoping that he could help Zhao State."

"However, this villain who killed the father not only humiliated the envoys I sent, but also had the idea of ​​taking the opportunity to attack Zhao State... At this moment, Yan State probably had troops sent to Zhongshan. Yan State did not like Qin State, nor did Zhao State." Guo Kai was just talking lies with his eyes open. He had never sent an envoy at all. Instead, the King of Yan sent an envoy to tell Guo Kai that Yan State could help Zhao State. Unfortunately, Guo Kai secretly executed the envoys of Yan State.

Hearing Guo Kai's words, Zhao Li trembled all over, "How could Zhao State be destroyed? Can't the King of Yan see this? Short-sighted, short-sighted!" The wrinkles on his face seemed to have become deeper, "What should I do? What should I do?" Looking at the atwed old minister, Guo Kai narrowed his eyes, thought for a moment, and said, "Since there are enemies on all sides... we can only defend Handan to the death."

"Please rest assured, I will arrange the city defense in person. As long as I am still alive, the Qin people will never be able to break into Handan!" Guo Kai said firmly. Zhao Li looked at him and always felt something was wrong. However, he could never have thought that the prime minister of Zhao would be the enemy's traitor... Under the leadership of Guo Kai, Handan began to build the city wall, strengthen the defense, and prepare for the final resistance.

Guo Kai took this opportunity to come to the harem to pay homage to the queen.

The news of Qin's attack scared the queen. Similarly, the young and ignorant King Zhao began to be inexplicably scared under the influence of his mother. Seeing Guo Kai coming, the queen rushed over and asked, "How is the war?" Guo Kai shook his head helplessly and said, "Wang Jian and Meng Wu have surrounded Handan, and Zhao Kuo is attacking from the north with his soldiers. Handan has no chance... There is no food, no army, nothing."

The queen sat on the ground and was about to cry loudly.

Guo Kai said seriously: "Now, if you want to save your life and want to save Shangjun's life, you can only surrender..."

"I will never surrender!" King Zhao shouted, rushed up and kicked Guo Kai in the leg. Guo Kai just looked at him coldly and ignored him. He looked at the queen and said, "If the Qin people break through Handan, they will definitely kill me, kill you, and Shangjun. We will suffer the most cruel torture... But if we are willing to surrender, Qin will definitely not kill us. Even if it is for the sake of the various countries to follow suit, he will definitely treat us well..."

The queen was a little moved and she asked, "Are you saying true?"

"Of course, I want to tell you a truth..." Guo Kai told the queen the story of buying horse bones with a daughter, and then said: "Zhao State destroyed Han Dynasty, Wei State, and their king did not surrender, so he was killed. If Zhao State is willing to become the first country to surrender, I am sure that the Qin people will never make things difficult for you." The queen thought about it, but the little Zhao King still said angrily: "I said, don't surrender!"

"Shut up!" The queen slapped him in the face, and King Zhao suddenly started to cry, lowered his head, and never dared to speak again.

The queen looked at Guo Kai and her eyes became more and more firm, "Then surrender."

"But what should I do?"

"You can't be anxious about this matter... There are still many old ministers in the country who are unwilling to surrender. If the Lord ordered the surrender, I'm afraid they will hold the Lord hostage and fight to the end. What we have to do now is to deal with these people, and then surrender to the Qin people in the name of the Lord!"

"Okay, just do what you said!"

"Then let's hold a banquet."

.............

Zhao Kuo had arrived in Dai at this moment. Unlike before, Gongzi Jia lived here. After learning about the attack of the Qin people, Gongzi Jia, who was detained, successfully persuaded the warriors who were guarding him, conquered the local guards, and left here with his army. He rushed to the other cities and continued to recruit local soldiers, hoping to set up a resistance army. Therefore, when Zhao Kuo came to Dai, the city gates here were wide open, and there was not even a Zhao soldier.

Gongzi Jia fled from the ages to Zhuolu, and the soldiers who came to serve him had already exceeded 10,000. Gongzi Jia did not stay in Zhuolu for too long. He gave up here and fled to Danqiu. His destination was Zhongshan. He sent envoys in the name of Gongzi Jia, asking officials from all over the country to gather in Zhongshan with troops and supplies. At the same time, he also sent envoys to Yan State, asking Yan State to send people to help.

His plan was to transport Zhao's materials to Zhongshan and resist Qin's army here through the assistance of Yan.

King Dan of Yan sent an envoy to Handan before, and then there was no news about the envoy, which made King Dan of Yan very distressed, because the Qin State spread a large number of news about his father killing, which caused some chaos in Yan State. However, it was not the people who caused the rebellion, but the nobles, which also gave Dan an excuse to deal with the noble forces. The people and soldiers were still willing to stand with him, which was enough.

Perhaps because the original Yan King's policies were too cruel, and after the Yan King Dan ascended the throne, these regulations were abolished, so the people would rather follow a father-killer.

Gongzi Jia's envoy finally arrived in Yan State.
Chapter completed!