Spring and Autumn I Am King

ps: I have something to do today, there is only one chapter

…

At the head of Linzi City, the rain-like crossbow arrows roared from the city, and the sharp arrows penetrated the bodies of some Qi people who were trying to counterattack. Falling to the ground, Zhao Lu's army completely gained the upper hand in the long-range confrontation between the two sides.

First, the trebuchet attacked the enemy's morale, and then, under the cover of arrows, Zhao Jun used the dark night to cover the moat. It was covered with thick raw cowhide, which could block the arrows shot by the city head. Under the protection of the army, tens of thousands of people tirelessly carried large sacks filled with sand and stones into the Zishui, surrounded by water. in the moat.

At dawn the next day, a moat with a width of several hundred steps had been filled. Early in the morning, the dense battle formation was pressed up again. Black helmets, black armor, spears and halberds, and heavily armed foot soldiers stepped out to the beat of drums. At a steady pace, a cloud ladder and a rushing car rushed to Linzi under the impetus of the brave soldiers. Under the command of the drums in the sky, the Zhao army resumed the siege.

"Ta, ta..." A series of voices sounded, and countless cloud ladders were placed on the city wall. Numerous soldiers climbed up the cloud ladders, and at the moment when Qi people hadn't recovered from the arrow rain, they boarded the city in one fell swoop. After half an hour of confrontation, the Qi people who had no fighting spirit on the city head suddenly collapsed, shouting repeatedly: "We surrender, we surrender".

At the same time, a giant rushing car covered in raw cowhide began to mercilessly rammed into the city gate.

An hour of fierce battle has passed, and with the announcement of Jimen's collapse, Linzi is approaching its fall.

But the four party members of Guo, Gao, Bao, and Yan who had been hiding in the city for many days saw this and took the opportunity to come out from the shadows and carry out public activities. They fought with the Chen clan in the city, fighting for control of other city gates.

…

"Patriarch, my father has already died on the top of Jimen city... Zhao Jun has been greeted by the rebels and has begun to control the southern city wall and city gate." Chen Xi heard the family soldier say a few words in the ear of Chen's mansion. Later, he reported the situation to Chen Qi with red eyes.

"It's a matter of time, sooner or later..." Chen Qi described as withered, and he was on the verge of dying. Seeing this, he couldn't even hold Zhao Jun to enter the inner city and break into the mansion.

He laughed a few times, and then asked: "Is everything I asked you to prepare ready?"

Chen Xi's heart trembled: "It's ready! Patriarch, do you really want to..."

"It must be so!" Chen Qi said, he was full of resentment towards Zhao Wuxi, hated him for taking away the Chen family's fortune, hated him for ruining the good things of his own family, his heart was full of unwillingness, if he was ten years younger At the age of ten, it is not Chen Heng but Chen Qi who is taking the Chen family back to Donglai. He will definitely compete with Zhao Wuxi again, even if there is only one "scholar" left by his side.

However, although Chen Qi knew that the Chen family would be defeated, he still believed that he still had the ability to overturn the chessboard.

Thinking of this, he laughed heartily.

"Zhao Wuxi has cut off the family luck of the Chen family, so that my family can't get Linzi and Qi, but he can't easily get what the Chen family can't get! The place where the grease was set on fire, I wanted to turn this big city of 100,000 people into a sea of ​​fire. Burn it! Burn it! Even if it can't be listed as a prince, the old man will take Zhao Jun and the country and the party of high to Huangquan together! Turn Linzi into a piece of scorched earth, and let Zhao Wuxi gain nothing!"

After saying that, this gentleman who was supposed to honor the Chen family and steal his power took his last breath and died. Chen Qi didn't know that in the original history, he would also die this year, but after his death, he was the founder of the Tian family's Qi state, and he sacrificed blood for generations in the ancestral temple...

…

After Guo, Gao, Yan, and Bao Dangyu invaded Linzi, Zhao Jun faced a city that was completely in chaos.

The order has completely left this big city, the rebels are looting in the city, the doors and windows of every household are closed, and the dogs and horses without owners are running on the streets - they are afraid of the flames burning behind!

The fire started from the Chen family's mansion. Chen Qi didn't want to let Zhao Jun live in peace when he died, so he resorted to a desperate trick. He had people pile up firewood and grease in the Chen family's mansion and various key positions. As soon as Chen Qi died, the grief-stricken and desperate Chen family soldiers began to light fires everywhere. For a while, the sky above Linzi was densely covered with smoke, and the flames filled the field of vision.

Under the protection of his personal guards, Zhao Wuxi climbed the Jimen city wall and looked into the city, but saw the whole city of Linzi raging into the sky, a sea of ​​fire. At this time, it was catching up with the strong wind, and the fire was even more violent. The official offices, market wells, and lilu in the big city of Linzi were all affected. On the whirring flames, fortunately, Zhao Jun has entered here first and put it out.

However, Zhao Zun, who had entered the big city of Linzi before, began to scold and retreat. The fire inside was too great, and the city of Linzi was already in chaos. The sound of flames, the sound of houses collapsing, the people running and screaming were mixed together, like a boiling cauldron.

It was night, although Zhao Jun was numerous and powerful, but because of the lack of fire fighting tools, there were too many things that could be burned in Linzi, and it was impossible to put out the flames at all. Hundreds of fire houses burned all night, illuminating the dark night, red or orange flames like bouquets, blooming in the night sky, competing with each other to bloom, as if to burn everything down.

The fire did not stop until after the rain fell the next day. Most of Linzi City had become a piece of scorched earth, and the smoke pillars rose slowly, obscuring the sun, moon and stars.

At noon, the smoke gradually dissipated. Seeing that most of the Linzi 300 Lu was destroyed, the once prosperous scene had become the current scorched black ghost. Ran Qiu was so angry that he couldn't help scolding Chen.

"After the Battle of Pingyin, the princes attacked Qi and encircled Linzi, but they only set fire to the bamboo and wood outside Yongmen and Shenmen, as well as some buildings outside the city. This move has been criticized by gentlemen. However, The Chen family is even more ruthless. As Qi Qing, he is also the lord of many people in Linzi. He burns the city regardless of the life and death of 100,000 people. It is a pity that the body of the old thief Chen Qi also turned to ashes, otherwise he should have been hung up. Whip whip whip!"

The always modest Ran Qiu was so angry, the rest of the generals were also moved by the tragic situation in Linzi, and at the same time very annoyed. When they followed Zhao Wuxi and attacked Linzi, they heard a lot about the prosperity of Linzi. For example, the people of Linzi were prosperous and lived a full life. All of their people played yong, drums, strikes, plays qin, fights cocks, walks dogs, Liubo, and tramps. stumbling. There are seven city gates in Linzi, each of which is connected by east-west, north-south trunk roads, and the width can accommodate six military vehicles running side by side. Sweat into rain. And no matter what you want to buy, you can basically buy it. The most prosperous salt market and fish market have a huge transaction volume. If you are good, you can almost make money every day...

However, now, there are smoldering ruins everywhere, even several treasuries have been burned, and nothing of value can be obtained. .

The people of Linzi lost their former wealth and wealth, and their ambitions were high. Instead, they were downcast, crying and burying their relatives in the sea of ​​flames, or being dumbfounded by their homes with nothing.

Zhao Wuxi also sighed, Chen Qi took this fire seriously, and not only turned Chen's unfulfilled grand cause and conspiracy into dust. He also burnt away the painstaking efforts of Qi Taigong, Qi Huangong, Guan Zhong, Yan Ying and others to build Linzi City over the past six hundred years. engineering.

"Fortune and misfortune lie on the side, and misfortune and fortune depend on it, but Chen Qi was wrong about one thing, that is, even if he burns down the entire Linzi, the widow can turn bad things into good things in my favor..."

After all, Zhao Wuxi didn't reveal how he wanted to "use the waste" in Linzi, but first let the soldiers rebuild order in the city and put out the residual fire that might reignite. At the same time, he also advertised the Chen Clan's city-burning action among the Qi people, which caused the family's reputation to fall to the ground. Everyone in the Zhao Jun-controlled area can help to hunt down the Chen Clan members, and they will be rewarded with 2,000 yuan for each living person, and 1,000 for the head. money.

This time, the Chen family has become a rat crossing the street, everyone shouted and beaten, Zhao Wuxi really thanked Chen Qi, if he did not forget to buy people's hearts at the last moment, facing the hidden Chen Qi in the population of 100,000 The clan's party can be screened by Zhao Jun.

Afterwards, he took Yu Linwei to the still intact small town of Linzi, that is, the Palace City of Qi Kingdom.

Because I don't know if it was a coincidence or if Chen Qi did it on purpose, under the fire, Qi's mistress Yan Ji, Qi Hou Ruzi, and Qi Hou's biological mother Rui Zi all survived by chance. On, there is another hot potato...

…

The small town of Linzi is built in the southwest of the big city, and its northeast extends into the southwest corner of the big city, more than four miles from north to south, and nearly three miles from east to west. After Zhao Wuxi arrived here, he found that the terrain here is slightly higher, with green cypresses planted all over the place, standing tall and straight to block the sun, and among the trees, there are high platforms rising from the ground.

The so-called high platform refers to the construction of several earth platforms with a height of tens of meters or a dozen meters, on which palaces and houses are built. The high platform has the advantages of majesty, flood control and moisture control, and fresh air, so it is favored by the government of Qi. Almost every monarch will build a high platform that is exclusive to him. Therefore, from this point of view, there are countless high platforms standing in the Linzi Palace City like a pyramid. The building and the platform are very large, surrounded by smooth stones inlaid, and the square eye looks spectacular.

Bao Xi respectfully introduced to Zhao Wuxi that the marquis of Qi in all dynasties liked to climb high and look far, so they liked to build high platforms. For example, Duke Huan of Qi had built the platform of Duke Huan. degree.

"Pinggong built the platform for the road to sleep for three years, and the battle for the long bed did not rest for two years; and Zou Zhi's long painting."

In just a few decades, such as the Road Sleeping Terrace, Trent Terrace, Wu Terrace, etc., often one platform has just been repaired and another one needs to be built. Among them, Road Sleeping Terrace and Trent Terrace are the most high-end, more than ten feet high. Trent was the main banquet venue of the state of Qi. In the past, Qihou Chujiu once asked Yan Ying here many times, and in later generations, it was also called the gathering place of the war horses of the state of Qi, and the place where King Wei of Qi and Tian Ji raced horses.

Looking at the pavilions in front of them who had escaped by chance, Zhao Wuxi couldn't help but sigh: "Actually, this is the place that should be burned the most."

The renovation of high terraces and various roads together is the largest financial expenditure in Qi State every year. Qi State’s public office also regards building magnificent palace terraces as an important means to promote consumption and adjust economic development. In the palace, the group of materials will not be scattered" ("Guanzi·Shiyu"). However, in Zhao Wuxi's view, even if infrastructure construction is to drive economic development, it is better to build roads and canals than to repair palaces.

Later, the Chen family used the money for building the high platform to build the Great Wall. Although the people suffered a bit, it was still not as good as Chujiu's tyrannical levy.

After bypassing Trent, it is the tallest and most magnificent "road sleeping platform" among the high platforms. In order to avoid the fire, Yan Ji and Qi Hou both fled here, and now they are under the control of Zhao Jun.

After Wu Xie took the stage, he first met Yan Ji, the mistress of Qi State, and the wife of Yuan Consort of Qi Hou Chujiu. This old woman in her 70s had a strong body, but she was a little frightened when the fire broke out in the city. The State of Yan was an ally of the State of Zhao, and also participated in the battle of the Five Kingdoms to attack Qi. He begged Zhao Wuxi to let the Yan people bring Yan Ji back after he captured Linzi.

So Zhao Wuxi didn't feel embarrassed, this old woman who always wanted to spit on her, let her continue to live in the palace, waiting for the envoy of the Yan Kingdom to come and pick her up. , It's just that Beiyan is bitterly cold, and I don't know how long she can last.

After that, he had people bring Qi Hou and his mother Rui Zi up.

…

Qi Hou's name is Yan, nicknamed Ruzi, and Chongling succeeded to the throne. He is now thirteen or fourteen years old, but he did not wear the robes of the princes, but a plain white shirt. This son was put on hold by Chen for ten years. He was a timid one who followed closely behind his mother, trembling in the face of the conqueror's scrutiny, not daring to look directly into Zhao Wuxi's eyes.

On the other hand, his mother Rui Zi was extraordinary. She was pale and thin as a fluff, but she tried her best to block Qi Hou with her body. After getting close to Zhao Wuxi, she suddenly pulled Qi Hou to the ground and said: " The widow and Ruzi have seen the Marquis of Zhao."

"How dare a widow be honored by the princes of a great country?" Having said that, Zhao Wuxi just raised his hand slightly and let the orphans and widow mothers be lifted up.

Rui Zi raised his head timidly and quietly looked at Zhao Wuxi. She was also the favored concubine of Qihou Chujiu. Although her status was low, she was highly respected because she gave birth to a son. For her, the death of the first emperor was the sky above her head. Fortunately, there was still a son to worry about, so she was not buried. Today, the city of Linzi was broken, and disasters came flying, it was like a bottomless abyss splitting on the ground, and she and her son were to be swallowed up together!

Zhao Hou once beheaded Yangsheng in the waist, and also killed Song Gongjiu and other lords from big and small states. He was simply an executioner of the feudal lords. Rui Zi had heard about it for a long time, but today he found out about him. It doesn't seem that vicious on the outside, but for a while, there is a glimmer of hope in Rui Zi's heart.

The experience of living in the palace for many years has taught her many things, so Rui Zi immediately pulled her son and cried and said: "The state is controlled by the Chen family, and the concubine and son are only orphans and widowed mothers. How will Hou want to deal with us?"

But seeing her two lines of clear tears hanging on her cheeks, like dewdrops on the grass, seemingly falling but not falling, she looked even more pitiful, and Lin Wei of the feathers couldn't help but move, and Zhao Wuxi was no longer expressionless, but seemed to be pity as sad.

Seeing this, she approached tentatively, puffing out her bulging chest, intentionally or unintentionally.

"My son is young, and I hope Zhao Hou can spare his life. As for the concubine..."

Rui Zi only wears an ordinary light green palace dress, and the only waist is white, which makes her waist more slender; the head has no ornaments, which makes it more like a cloud of blue silk, which can be seen from the light. This outfit, coupled with proper maintenance, makes her even more timid and charming, not like a thirty-year-old woman who has already given birth to a son. In this behavior, there is a hint of seductive charm...

"As long as I can let my son go, the concubine will let the prince go down..." (To be continued.)