"King?"

Seeing that Han Wangran seemed to be in a daze, the Prime Minister opened his mouth and called out softly.

Han Wangran came back to his senses, frowning slightly and thinking.

At first he didn't care, but the words of Wei Qing Ma Kuo made him have some doubts about Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi: Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, planned to kill Li Chu and tie Yuanyi soldiers to his rebellion. I always feel that it is a bit beyond the level of Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi.

Either Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, has been hiding his secrets all these years, or there are clever advisers advising him.

The doubtful point is that if it is the latter, the counselor's methods are quite powerful. Why does such a powerful person not go to other people, but to go to Yuanyi Hou Hanpu, who has already lost his big backer and is being conquered by Jicheng? Who is targeted?—What is the purpose of this counselor?

"hiss--"

Han Wangran breathed lightly, and his intense thinking made his head begin to hurt again, as if acupuncture was stabbing him.

"Just wait and see what happens." He said in a deep voice, "Tell Sima Tao that he must defend Xia Quyang no matter what method he uses..."

Xiaquyang is located on the main road connecting Handan County and Daijun. Even if Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, occupied Jingjing Pass and cut off this main road, Jicheng can still pass through Xiaquyang, take Daijun, and go to Yanmen County - just This road is far less convenient than going to Yanmen County via Jingjing Pass.

But if Quyang is lost, South Korea will be in trouble. If the Qin State intensifies its offensive against Yanmen County, Jicheng will not be able to support Yanmen County as soon as possible. Compared with Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, this scabies This disease is a big problem.

"...As for Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, ask Sima Tao to try to stabilize him. After the spring of next year, Jicheng will send troops to conquer..." At this point, Han Wangran paused and asked the prime minister: " Where is Qin Kai now?"

"The trade routes are still being repaired in the northern regions outside the country." The prime minister replied openly.

The overseas northern land he refers to refers to the overseas land in the north of Shanggu and Yuyang counties. Since South Korea started trade with the foreign peoples on the northern plateau last year, South Korea has begun to repair roads outside the country. After all, the Wei State The rise has taught the Central Plains countries a truth: if you want to be rich, build roads first.

"Hmm." Han Wangran nodded and said: "The palace sent a message to Qin Kai, asking Qin Kai to make preparations for sending troops, and after the next spring... to attack Yuanyi." After a pause, he deliberately warned: "Other than that Outside, we sent someone to keep an eye on Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, and make inquiries to see what his intentions were. As for the rest... don't try to scare the snake."

"Snatching the grass and alerting the snake?"

The prime minister glanced at Han Wangran with open eyes and doubts, confused as to why the monarch suddenly said such a sentence. However, seeing Han Wangran rubbing his forehead with his hands and showing a tired look, he hesitated for a moment and did not ask any more questions. .

Under the instruction of Han Wangran, the Jicheng court quickly expressed its dissatisfaction with Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi. However, it has not yet nailed him to death in the name of a "traitor". It only ordered Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, to immediately disband his army and hand it over to the next generation. Sima Tao of Quyang immediately went to Jicheng - on the surface, it seemed that he was willing to give Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, a chance to reform.

But a few days later, when Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, learned of the incident, he dismissed it.

Disband your troops and head to Jicheng?

Can this be returned?

Could it be that the officials in Jicheng were treating him like a fool?

Afterwards, Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, sneered and told Zhang Qigong and Bei Gongyu about the incident, treating it purely as a joke.

However, Zhang Qigong couldn't laugh.

"Unexpectedly..." Zhang Qigong said to Bei Gongyu: "Jicheng only ordered in the name of his court..."

Bei Gongyu also frowned and nodded.

It is undeniable that they were just fishing with bait to see if Jicheng would issue a royal order against Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi. Of course, they did not expect Han Wangran and the ministers of Jicheng to be stupid enough to let Han Wangran hesitate.

They risked their plan of cheating death to issue the royal order. They just expected Jicheng to "pretend" on Han Wangran's order to issue the royal order.

Regardless of whether it was a 'pretend', as long as Jicheng's efforts to conquer Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, they could roughly estimate whether Han Wangran's death was true or false.

But what they didn't expect was that Jicheng did not act in Han Wangran's name as they thought.

"It seems that our strength is not strong enough." Bei Gongyu said to Zhang Qigong.

Zhang Qigong nodded, turned to Yuanyi Marquis Han Pu and said, "I wonder how the Lord and Marquis have arranged the rumors?"

Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, said respectfully: "I have asked people to let him out."

The rumors they mentioned were rumors that slandered Han Wangran.

This rumor, written by the poisonous man Zhang Qigong himself, is naturally very vicious. When the rumor was published, he compared the situation in South Korea before and after Han Wangran came to power. Generally speaking, it means that before Han Wangran came to power, South Korea was peaceful and peaceful, and the people lived and worked in peace and contentment. But waiting for Han Wangran

After taking power personally, South Korea's economy and the living conditions of the domestic people plummeted. From this perspective, he slandered King Han as an ignorant and ignorant king.

It has to be said that when it comes to confusing right and wrong, Zhang Qigong, a disciple of Legalism, is also an expert at it.

It is undeniable that the basis he proposed is actually true, but the question is, is the reason why South Korea's national power has plummeted over the years really because of Han Wangran?

Isn’t it because Kang Gong Han Hu and Li Hou Han Wu attacked Wei several times but were defeated? What does it have to do with Han Wangran? When Han Wangran took over Korea, Korea was already in such a mess.

However, Zhang Qigong deliberately ignored this point and guided public opinion to attack Han Wangran, forcing the label of "foolish king" on Han Wangran's head to facilitate Yuanyi Hou Han Pu's subsequent plan to "establish a new king."

As the saying goes, the people follow the clouds. When Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, sent his confidants to try their best to discredit Han Wangran, the Korean people in Yuanyi and Yi'an greatly changed their view of Han Wangran.

Even Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, did not expect that it would go so smoothly.

However, Zhang Qigong and Bei Gongyu were not surprised by this.

Because they knew very well that after South Korea was defeated in recent wars with Wei, the Korean court naturally increased taxes in order to pay the high compensation to Wei. In addition, some nobles also wanted to compensate for the losses of their families in the war.

losses and secretly increased exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes, which made the Korean people resentful.

The so-called popular support is actually this: if you make the people live a good life, the people will support you; if you make it difficult for the people to live, the people will scold you, and even if you cannot live, the people will take risks and start rebellion.

In recent years, South Korea has passed on the two major losses of "reparations to Wei" and "compensation for war losses" to the domestic people, which has caused great resentment among the people in the country.

Why was Han Wangran forced to declare war on Wei this year in the hope of diverting domestic conflicts?

Is it really just because of the economic war between the merchants of Wei and South Korea?

Of course it’s impossible!

Can an economic war in just half a year really defeat a country? Can it destroy the country's local economy?

In fact, the war between the merchants of Wei and South Korea was just the last straw that broke the camel's back in South Korea - the people of South Korea were already in great difficulty before, and this economic war further increased the difficulty of survival of the South Korean people.

The difficulty forced Han Wangran to declare war on Wei.

Because if he does not declare war on Wei and divert domestic conflicts, the desperate people in the country are likely to riot.

This is the most fundamental reason.

Precisely because they had all kinds of resentment towards the country and the royal family, when people sent by Yuanyi Hou Hanpu spread rumors to slander Han Wangran, the Korean people in the area around Yuanyi and Yi'an would of course accept this concept: they these children

The people are starving to death, so what is the king who governs this country if he is not a foolish king?

How could these ignorant people know that this matter had nothing to do with Han Wangran.

In addition to slandering Han Wangran, at the suggestion of Zhang Qigong, Yuanyi Hou Hanpu also did not forget to win over the people. Under the current Korean national conditions, the best way to win over the people is to give the local people a way to survive. Simply put, it is to release grain.

Recruit strong men.

Opening granaries and releasing grain corresponded to the old, young, women and children, allowing Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, to earn a good reputation, which was convenient for him to come forward to slander Han Wangran.

As for the conquest of young men, on the surface it was to give those young people a way to make a living, but in fact, it was Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, in order to expand the army. After all, if you think about it, you know that when the next spring comes, Jicheng will definitely send them to conquer.

Soldiers and horses, before this, Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, must become stronger as soon as possible. Only in this way can he be valuable in Zhang Qigong's eyes.

It has to be said that the time period when Zhang Qigong and Yuanyi Hou Hanpu decided to cause trouble was very good. It happened that Jicheng was temporarily unable to send troops to attack due to the weather, but Yuanyi Hou Hanpu was able to recruit those soldiers during this winter.

Local people who were short of food at home enlisted in the army.

No, by the end of the year, Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, had recruited 8,000 new soldiers, increasing the number of troops under his command to nearly 30,000.

However, even so, the Korean people in Yuanyi and Yi'an still praised Hanpu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, and gave a thumbs up to praise him as a king who really loves his people like his own son. This made Hanpu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, famous.

.

The only problem is that Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, spent a lot of money on this.

But it didn't matter, because Zhang Qigong had already sent someone to contact Shangdang County on the other side of the Taihang Mountains, and asked Jiang Bi of Shangdang County to secretly transport the grain and grass to the mountain, and then the confidants under Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, would go and receive it.

If anyone asks, just say that this batch of grain comes from the secret granary built by Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, in the Taihang Mountains earlier. Unless it is a spy sent from Jicheng, who has the time to confirm whether what Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, says is true?

For the local people and the soldiers under Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, it was enough as long as they had enough food to fill their bellies.

Precisely because of the secret funding from Shangdang County of Wei State, Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, expanded his army aggressively. Instead of falling into a situation of food shortage, it attracted more and more refugees to seek refuge. This shocked Sima Tao of Xiaquyang: Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, where did he get so much food?

During this period, the messenger sent by Jicheng notified Jicheng of the news in Yuanyi and Yi'an in detail, and presented it to Han Wangran's bedside.

After carefully reading the information, Han Wangran rubbed his aching forehead tiredly, and said to Ma Kuo, the minister of Wei who was standing beside him: "Unfortunately, Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, has been betrayed by others. I am afraid that he has secretly defected to Wei. "

Hearing this, Wei Qing Ma Kuo was shocked.

Han Wangran then explained: "Do you still remember what Han Pu said when he killed Li Chu? He said that he was forced to have no choice but to attack Jicheng to get rid of this foolish king and avenge his uncle Han Hu. ...But look at what he has been doing these past two months? He is consolidating his defenses... He is determined to get rid of this foolish king, but what he does is actually defend the city he has occupied."

"This alone does not prove that Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, secretly defected to Wei, right?"

"That's right." Han Wangran nodded and said softly: "This alone cannot prove that Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, secretly defected to the Wei State. What really made us suspicious was his seemingly endless but unexplainable batch of people. The grain of origin... It is said that several granaries were secretly built in the Taihang Mountains. This kind of lie can only deceive a three-year-old child. If I am not mistaken, those grains of unknown origin are most likely from Wei on the other side of the Taihang Mountains. Guoshangdang County..."

Having said this, he narrowed his eyes and murmured: "It can be seen from this that in the matter of instigating rebellion against Yuanyi Marquis Han Pu, Wei State may have sent a great minister, and this Wei minister was in his dynasty. He has a very high status in the army, higher than Shangdang Shou Jiang Bi, so he can instruct Shangdang Shou Jiang Bi to cooperate with his actions and secretly escort grain and grass to Han Pu..."

After listening to Han Wangran's analysis of the matter, Wei Qing Ma Kuo was filled with admiration and couldn't help but ask: "Your Majesty, do you mean that the rebellion of Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, was instigated by the State of Wei behind his back? I don't understand... Since Wei Guoce rebelled against Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi. Why not ask Han Pu to defect at the critical moment, or cooperate with the Wei army on the border to launch a two-sided attack against Wu'an, Bairen, and Julu? Wouldn't this be better? Why did he deliberately call Han Pu the Marquis of Yuanyi? Exposed?"

"Because Wei's appetite is greater."

Han Wangran glanced at Ma Kuo and said in a deep voice: "If I am not mistaken, Han Pu, the Marquis of Yuanyi, was a stone deliberately thrown by the State of Wei to test the road conditions ahead, just to see the reaction of Jicheng. From this It is inferred whether the news of his death that I deliberately asked others to spread is true or false... To ask for directions by throwing stones, huh, it is a very clever method, isn't it?"

Ma Kuo hesitated to speak. After hesitating a few times, he frowned and said, "How should Jicheng deal with this?"

Han Wangran thought for a while and said calmly: "The person who guided Yuanyi Hou Han Pu behind his back...maybe that minister of the Wei State. He is not simple and is very good at winning people's hearts..." At this point, he suddenly thought of One person asked: "Where is that person?"

Ma Kuo hesitated for a moment, then said cautiously: "Marquis Li?...We've almost arrived at Yuyang County."

Han Wangran was silent for a moment and said: "When he arrives in Jicheng, you personally welcome him into the palace to see me."

"……yes."
To be continued...