The king of Qin turns his eyes to Gu Nan, a slight smile on his face.
“My wish to see miss Gu has been fulfilled. I wish to speak to your master in private, you are dismissed for now.”
Gu Nan finds out that she cannot cut into the conversation between a king and a duke at all, the atmosphere between the two men with absolute power is solemn and rigid.
As a mere seventeen-year-old, this is Gu Nan’s first experience at attending a meeting like this one, making it uneasy for her.
Moreover, she was just an ordinary person in the first place from the modern era, and therefore, even with all her knowledge from the future, she does not have the mindset of someone on par with kings and generals.
Bai Qi nods toward Gu Nan: “You can leave now, Nan’er.”
Gu Nan knows well that the following private conversation between the two will decide Bai Qi’s fate, but it appears that there is nothing she can do about it.
Unnecessary words from her will only make it difficult for Bai Qi.
“Yes.” Gu Nan retreats outside, her head hung, leaving Bai Qi alone with the king in the palace.
The two sit face to face, just like the time when Bai Qi took the order from the king, except that this time there is no veil in between them.
The king looks uninterested, and only opens his mouth after Gu Nan is out of his sight. “Lord Wu An, answer this question from gua: is there a way to guarantee victory when we invade north?”
The king of Qin only asks for a strategy to win, instead of an opinion about the viability to start another invasion, suggesting that he has already finalized his decision to invade north.
“Your highness…” After a moment of silence, Bai Qi speaks: “Zhao has just lost four hundred thousand lives to Qin, and so they must hate us to the extreme. If we insist on another invasion, the remaining enemies in Zhao will resist us at all cost. We should not underestimate their battle prowess.”
“Even though the Qin army has four hundred thousand remaining, it is still almost impossible to win, considering that other potential enemies around us might send back up to Zhao at its direst time.”
“If we weigh up advantages and disadvantages,” Bai Qi hesitates for a moment and continues: “there is no doubt that the Qin army will be defeated.”
Bai Qi’s prediction of Qin’s defeat echoes in the palace.
The king falls into silence, as if contemplating over something.
“Not so long ago, gua asked for an opinion from Mr. Fan.” Somehow, he mentions Fan Ju out of nowhere. “I asked him if should we invade north. Can you guess his answer?”
Bai Qi does not respond. He and Fan Ju have both served on the same court for so many years that he knows Fan Ju well enough to guess his answer.
The king of Qin smiles: “he said that our army was fatigued and needed rest as well as reorganization. He advised me to strike a truce with Zhao in exchange for land when we are at the absolute advantage.”
“Do you know the reason why I called you back while the main forces stayed at Chang Ping?” The smile remains on his face, yet it can be sensed that the king has grown serious.
“Gua want us to head north, and bring back another victory!” He fixes his sight on Bai Qi. “Lord Wu An, Gua request you to assume command of this expedition.”
Bai Qi is speechless. In early years, the king of Qin was not like this.
But now, the king has become anxious about the slow progress in conquering and unifying the rest six kingdoms.
He has few years left in his life, yet he has just begun to realize his great ambition. Given that, how can he not be anxious?
Zhao has lost half of its men due to the preceding battle, and thus has been rendered vulnerable. In just a dozen years, it may be completely worn out and consumed by this era of chaos and wars.
However, he does not have another dozen years to live to see the end of Zhao. He cannot settle for this outcome.
Therefore, the king has decided to wage another invasion up north right away. He yearns to see the ruin of Zhao for himself!
The king’s decision weighs on Bai Qi’s mind. “If so, your highness, please forgive Bai Qi’s incompliance.”
The king of Qin was dumbfounded in his seat. After a while, he rubs his forehead with an expression of weariness.
“Lord Wu An, you have been following gua for many years and undefeated. But this time do you really refuse to help gua?”
Understanding his question, a thread of hope rekindles in Bai Qi’s eyes as he replies: “A truce for land is acceptable. Zhao will perish by itself in a few years, so why should we force it to happen right now?”
“Alright.” The king expresses his compliance, yet some sense of resolve still glimmers in his eyes.
“A truce for land it is then.”
Bai Qi heaves a sign of relief. However, should he see the resolve from the king’s eyes, he may not feel relieved at all.
Deep in his mind, Bai Qi wishes to trust his king to be wise and patient as usual, instead of seeking only short-term benefits.
Gu Nan waits outside, sweat all over her forehead despite the weather still being cold in early spring.
Seeing that Bai Qi has come outside, she hurriedly steps forward to him.
“My master…”
In contrast to Gu Nan’s anxiousness, Bai Qi pats her head peacefully with a smile: “it is fine; let’s go home.”
Hearing that, Gu Nan feels relieved, as if a giant a rock choking her on her lungs has been lifted.
She giggles: “Great, let’s go home.”
“By the way, can I not have assignment for today?”
“Stop dreaming. Your mother is the one leaving assignments. You should beg her, not me.”
“Hah…mother…”
The two of them leaves.
However, it does not cross Bai Qi’s mind that he only brought a dozen thousand soldiers back to Xian Yang. There are as many as nearly four hundred thousand still stationed at Chang Ping, Shang Dang.
The king remains sat by himself, and finally breaks the silence.
“Messenger!”
Wang Jian is the only visitor to Wu An mansion after hearing the news that Bai Qi has returned victorious.
He carries two jars of wine with him. However, when Bai Qi notices the wine, he drags Wang Jian somewhere else and drinks them up with him.
Wang Jian is too embarrassed to remind Bai Qi that the wine is for Gu Nan.
Bai Qi was never a drinker, making it bewildering to Wang Jian about his sudden change.
Bai Jian does not know that Bai Qi is delighted by the king’s wise decision. Hence, all the anger and anxiety he has buried in his heart has been released.
As for Gu Nan, she is in the yard.
“Go easy on me, Xiao Lu.”
“Miss, you need to stand straighter.” Xiao Lu strokes Gu Nan’s legs with a twig while giggling.
Gu Nan is trying to maintain an unnatural posture, her upper body twisted forty degrees to another angle while her legs have to stay straight. It is so hard to bear for her.
Painting fairy stands in front her, seeing her struggle, smirks and reaches to her hands, pulling them up. “You need to place your hands higher. There, that looks better.”
“I am at my limit.” Gu Nan’s body shakes uncontrollably, and that forced up lady smile is at the verge of collapse. She wishes to go into another battle rather than suffer this kind of torture.
Wei Lan relaxes under the old tree, looking satisfied. “Good. Your stance is not too awful now. Go on, standing is just the first lesson. There are sitting, walking, eating, talking, sleeping…and more waiting for you. Let’s take it slow.”
“No, mother…”
The king of Qin turns his eyes to Gu Nan, a slight smile on his face.
“My wish to see miss Gu has been fulfilled. I wish to speak to your master in private, you are dismissed for now.”
Gu Nan finds out that she cannot cut into the conversation between a king and a duke at all, the atmosphere between the two men with absolute power is solemn and rigid.
As a mere seventeen-year-old, this is Gu Nan’s first experience at attending a meeting like this one, making it uneasy for her.
Moreover, she was just an ordinary person in the first place from the modern era, and therefore, even with all her knowledge from the future, she does not have the mindset of someone on par with kings and generals.
Bai Qi nods toward Gu Nan: “You can leave now, Nan’er.”
Gu Nan knows well that the following private conversation between the two will decide Bai Qi’s fate, but it appears that there is nothing she can do about it.
Unnecessary words from her will only make it difficult for Bai Qi.
“Yes.” Gu Nan retreats outside, her head hung, leaving Bai Qi alone with the king in the palace.
The two sit face to face, just like the time when Bai Qi took the order from the king, except that this time there is no veil in between them.
The king looks uninterested, and only opens his mouth after Gu Nan is out of his sight. “Lord Wu An, answer this question from gua: is there a way to guarantee victory when we invade north?”
The king of Qin only asks for a strategy to win, instead of an opinion about the viability to start another invasion, suggesting that he has already finalized his decision to invade north.
“Your highness…” After a moment of silence, Bai Qi speaks: “Zhao has just lost four hundred thousand lives to Qin, and so they must hate us to the extreme. If we insist on another invasion, the remaining enemies in Zhao will resist us at all cost. We should not underestimate their battle prowess.”
“Even though the Qin army has four hundred thousand remaining, it is still almost impossible to win, considering that other potential enemies around us might send back up to Zhao at its direst time.”
“If we weigh up advantages and disadvantages,” Bai Qi hesitates for a moment and continues: “there is no doubt that the Qin army will be defeated.”
Bai Qi’s prediction of Qin’s defeat echoes in the palace.
The king falls into silence, as if contemplating over something.
“Not so long ago, gua asked for an opinion from Mr. Fan.” Somehow, he mentions Fan Ju out of nowhere. “I asked him if should we invade north. Can you guess his answer?”
Bai Qi does not respond. He and Fan Ju have both served on the same court for so many years that he knows Fan Ju well enough to guess his answer.
The king of Qin smiles: “he said that our army was fatigued and needed rest as well as reorganization. He advised me to strike a truce with Zhao in exchange for land when we are at the absolute advantage.”
“Do you know the reason why I called you back while the main forces stayed at Chang Ping?” The smile remains on his face, yet it can be sensed that the king has grown serious.
“Gua want us to head north, and bring back another victory!” He fixes his sight on Bai Qi. “Lord Wu An, Gua request you to assume command of this expedition.”
Bai Qi is speechless. In early years, the king of Qin was not like this.
But now, the king has become anxious about the slow progress in conquering and unifying the rest six kingdoms.
He has few years left in his life, yet he has just begun to realize his great ambition. Given that, how can he not be anxious?
Zhao has lost half of its men due to the preceding battle, and thus has been rendered vulnerable. In just a dozen years, it may be completely worn out and consumed by this era of chaos and wars.
However, he does not have another dozen years to live to see the end of Zhao. He cannot settle for this outcome.
Therefore, the king has decided to wage another invasion up north right away. He yearns to see the ruin of Zhao for himself!
The king’s decision weighs on Bai Qi’s mind. “If so, your highness, please forgive Bai Qi’s incompliance.”
The king of Qin was dumbfounded in his seat. After a while, he rubs his forehead with an expression of weariness.
“Lord Wu An, you have been following gua for many years and undefeated. But this time do you really refuse to help gua?”
Understanding his question, a thread of hope rekindles in Bai Qi’s eyes as he replies: “A truce for land is acceptable. Zhao will perish by itself in a few years, so why should we force it to happen right now?”
“Alright.” The king expresses his compliance, yet some sense of resolve still glimmers in his eyes.
“A truce for land it is then.”
Bai Qi heaves a sign of relief. However, should he see the resolve from the king’s eyes, he may not feel relieved at all.
Deep in his mind, Bai Qi wishes to trust his king to be wise and patient as usual, instead of seeking only short-term benefits.
Gu Nan waits outside, sweat all over her forehead despite the weather still being cold in early spring.
Seeing that Bai Qi has come outside, she hurriedly steps forward to him.
“My master…”
In contrast to Gu Nan’s anxiousness, Bai Qi pats her head peacefully with a smile: “it is fine; let’s go home.”
Hearing that, Gu Nan feels relieved, as if a giant a rock choking her on her lungs has been lifted.
She giggles: “Great, let’s go home.”
“By the way, can I not have assignment for today?”
“Stop dreaming. Your mother is the one leaving assignments. You should beg her, not me.”
“Hah…mother…”
The two of them leaves.
However, it does not cross Bai Qi’s mind that he only brought a dozen thousand soldiers back to Xian Yang. There are as many as nearly four hundred thousand still stationed at Chang Ping, Shang Dang.
The king remains sat by himself, and finally breaks the silence.
“Messenger!”
Wang Jian is the only visitor to Wu An mansion after hearing the news that Bai Qi has returned victorious.
He carries two jars of wine with him. However, when Bai Qi notices the wine, he drags Wang Jian somewhere else and drinks them up with him.
Wang Jian is too embarrassed to remind Bai Qi that the wine is for Gu Nan.
Bai Qi was never a drinker, making it bewildering to Wang Jian about his sudden change.
Bai Jian does not know that Bai Qi is delighted by the king’s wise decision. Hence, all the anger and anxiety he has buried in his heart has been released.
As for Gu Nan, she is in the yard.
“Go easy on me, Xiao Lu.”
“Miss, you need to stand straighter.” Xiao Lu strokes Gu Nan’s legs with a twig while giggling.
Gu Nan is trying to maintain an unnatural posture, her upper body twisted forty degrees to another angle while her legs have to stay straight. It is so hard to bear for her.
Painting fairy stands in front her, seeing her struggle, smirks and reaches to her hands, pulling them up. “You need to place your hands higher. There, that looks better.”
“I am at my limit.” Gu Nan’s body shakes uncontrollably, and that forced up lady smile is at the verge of collapse. She wishes to go into another battle rather than suffer this kind of torture.
Wei Lan relaxes under the old tree, looking satisfied. “Good. Your stance is not too awful now. Go on, standing is just the first lesson. There are sitting, walking, eating, talking, sleeping…and more waiting for you. Let’s take it slow.”
“No, mother…”
