Under night.

Bai Yan and Han Yezhe rode in the carriage of the palace and were escorted all the way by the palace guards. They were summoned late at night. This honor was something that not many people in Qin could obtain.

After arriving at the palace gate, Bai Yan and Han Yezhe hurriedly entered the palace and rushed to the main hall study.

In the huge and vast open space in the palace, twelve maids held candle lanterns to lead the way. The breeze blew and the candle lanterns swayed. Bai Yan glanced at the stars and bright moon in the night sky, and then walked while resisting his sleepiness.

.

After walking up a hundred steps, bypassing the main hall, and arriving at the study, the maids and eunuchs all stopped.

Only Han Yezhe and Bai Yan entered the study.

In the study room.

After Bai Yan followed Han Yezhe in, he saw Ying Zheng behind the innermost wooden table, looking at the bamboo slips.

Bai Yan had met the princess behind her occasionally when he was helping Ying Zheng deal with the bamboo slips in the study. If Bai Yan remembered correctly, that princess was Concubine Qi.

The reason why Bai Yan has such a deep memory and can be recognized at a glance is that Bai Yan is from Qi, and he lives in the mountains on the outskirts not far from Linzi. When he was in Qi State, Qi Concubine had not yet married to Qin State.

, in the village, many villagers, whether they are young people, middle-aged men, or old people, when they talk about Princess Chunchan of Qi State, they can't praise her any more. If any villager can be lucky enough to see her from a distance in Linzi City,

Even if the carriage arrives at Princess Shuchan, even if it is avoided at a distance, it is enough to excite the villagers for a long time, and even become a source of conversation in the past few years, or even more than ten years.

When I first heard that Princess Shuchan had married into the Qin Kingdom, many people could not forget it for a long time. Even Bai Yan had heard about it. Princess Shuchan had a very good reputation. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also kind and intelligent, and she was loved by people all over the country.

"Kings!"

They had been walking in the study room, and when they came to a place not far from the wooden table, Bai Yan and Han Ye stopped. At this moment, Bai Yan could see at a glance that the bamboo slips on the wooden table were all given by him before.

In the bamboo slips he came, he wrote what Xiong You and Li Yuan said.

"General Bai has been brought here!"

Han Yezhe slowly bowed to Ying Zheng and signaled that he had brought Bai Yan. When he saw Ying Zheng raising his head, Han Yezhe backed away slowly, turned around and left the study.

"Bai Yan, a humble minister, pays homage to the king!"

After Bai Yan waited for Han Ye to leave, he raised his hand and saluted Ying Zheng.

In the quiet study, it was not until a few breaths passed that Ying Zheng's voice came.

"Where did the news in these bamboo slips come from?"

Without too much nonsense, Ying Zheng asked the most important question concisely and directly, which was the source of these messages.

When Ying Zheng finished saying this, he tilted his head slightly.

Concubine Qi, who had been rubbing Ying Zheng's shoulders, stood up slowly and in a measured manner and told Ying Zheng to prepare warm soup. Before leaving, Concubine Qi and Bai Yan looked at each other and saluted each other.

Walk outside the study room.

Bai Yan turned his head to look at Concubine Qi's back as she left, then turned to look at Ying Zheng.

Ying Zheng saw Concubine Qi leaving.

"Are these reports true?"

Ying Zheng frowned and looked at Bai Yan seriously.

Even at this moment, Ying Zheng still couldn't believe that Bai Yan could bring him so much news just by going to the border of Qin and Chu. You know, Bai Yan is not Yao Jia. The biggest difference between Bai Yan and Yao Jia is that

Yes, Bai Yan commanded the elite soldiers of the Qin State. These soldiers followed Bai Yan on the battlefield and fought bravely to kill the enemy and open up territory for the Qin State.

Yao Jia, on the other hand, took the thousands of gold and carriages given by Ying Zheng to keep his retainers and bribe his craftsmen, specifically using them to alienate, assassinate, win over and other means to provide information to the Qin State.

This is why when Bai Yan went south, the news was leaked and he was almost assassinated. If it were Yao Jia, this kind of thing would definitely not happen.

The good things they do are different, and the things they do are different.

This is also the biggest difference between Bai Yan and Yao Jia. One holds thousands of gold from the Qin State, while the other holds the elite of the Qin State.

The results are now.

The general holding the elite army of the Qin State went to the Qin-Chu border and was almost assassinated. Just when even he, Ying Zheng, was worried about it, this general who did not bring ten thousand gold with him brought back more than twenty volumes.

News that cannot be brought back even if tens of thousands of dollars are spent.

What did Ying Zheng think? What would Yao Jia think if he knew about it?

Previously, Yingzheng gave Yao Jia so much money, asked Yao Jia to keep many retainers secretly, and carefully planned how many connections and influence he had expanded in the vassal states. The number of carriages and rides he spent alone was an astronomical figure.

It was good at the moment. Bai Yan, a man who did not have a fortune and was not responsible for traveling around the six countries, just went to the border and brought back the news that Yao Jia had spent countless money and could not bring back in several years.

Such a ridiculous thing even gave Ying Zheng a sense of illusion.

He Yingzheng wanted more from Yao Jia, so why did he spend so much money? Bai Yan could bring him so much news without asking for anything.

"Back to the king, this news is absolutely true. I have already ordered people to verify it. After returning to Xianyang, Bai Yan has ordered spies to go to the Chu State Granary. If the news is true, it can be burned at any time!"

When Bai Yan heard Ying Zheng's words, he slowly cupped his hands.

Chu State has a vast territory, a pleasant climate, and fertile land. As the leading general of Qin State, Bai Yan knew very well that if Qin State went to war with Chu State, the first thing he would do would be to destroy Chu State's granaries, otherwise Chu State would

The territory is vast, and it uses its depth to fight Qin. Qin will lose so many troops and horses that even Qin may not be able to bear it.

At this moment, Bai Yan didn't understand Ying Zheng's thoughts, so he didn't think much about it.

"Who is this person?"

Ying Zheng looked at Bai Yan's salute and was shocked when he heard Bai Yan's personal assurance that the news was true. Even though he was prepared, Ying Zheng couldn't help but tremble slightly at this moment.

This is enough news to destroy the Chu Kingdom!!!

Ying Zheng couldn't imagine how much trouble and disaster it would bring to the Qin State if all the granaries, garrison troops, and gaps were known in such detail to other vassal states.

"This person is Xiong You, Li Yuan's confidant!"

Bai Yan looked at Ying Zheng and raised his hand: "Previously, Xiong You and Li Yuan had planned to prevent Xiong Fuchu when King You was seriously ill. Unfortunately, Xiong You succeeded to the throne with great difficulty, and Li Yuan did not wait for Xiong Fuchu.

When his party members took action, he was assassinated by Jing Qi of the Jing clan, and the entire Li Yuan clan was wiped out."

In the study room, Bai Yan found an excuse to put it off. As long as the news was true, it didn't matter to Ying Zheng who gave it to him. If the Chu Kingdom was really destroyed one day, Bai Yan could bring him with him.

Go to Ying Zheng and accept Ying Zheng's reward.

Later, under Ying Zheng's questioning, Bai Yan told everything about his journey south to be assassinated and then to his trip to Shouchun, Chu State. He only had reservations about his uncle and Ban Ding.

It was also at this time that Ying Zheng learned that Bai Yan had personally ventured to Shouchun, the capital of Chu State, in order to find out the news.

"Aren't you afraid that the people of Chu will see through such a rash move?"

Ying Zheng frowned and looked at Bai Yan. He was horrified. When he thought that Bai Yan actually went to Shouchun, the capital of Chu State, Ying Zheng didn't know what to say. Did Bai Yan know that once someone discovered it, the consequences would be disastrous?

"Back to the king, I am a humble minister leading troops on the battlefield. I have already seen life and death. Besides, going to Shouchun is a thousand times better than the battlefield!"

Bai Yan thought for a while and explained with a smile, indicating that Ying Zheng didn't need to worry, but halfway through, his voice became hoarse.

Ying Zheng could naturally see Bai Yan's tired look, his eyes were red with bloodshot eyes, and looking at so many bamboo slips in front of him, Ying Zheng was a little speechless for a moment, and just now he wanted to blame Bai Yan for not showing his face.

If you don't take it to heart, you won't be able to speak for a while.

After all, after learning what had happened, Ying Zheng knew better than anyone else that Bai Yan could not have taken the risk during this trip, let alone deliberately take risks to go to the hinterland of Chu State to find out this information.

Bai Yan knew that the purpose of letting him go to the border of Qin and Chu was to deal with Chu. If Bai Yan really didn't take his words to heart, where would these bamboo slips be today?

There are more than twenty volumes of bamboo slips! They are full of secrets of the Chu State!

Think of this.

Ying Zheng's only trace of dissatisfaction disappeared when he glanced at Bai Yan. From the beginning to the end, Ying Zheng looked at Bai Yan with eyes full of respect and trust as before.

Behind the wooden table.

Ying Zheng thought of the bamboo slips he had been looking at when Bai Yan didn't come, so he slowly stood up.

After walking around the wooden table and making way for Bai Yan, Ying Zheng came to the widest map in the middle of the study and looked at the two huge territories of Qin and Chu.

"Bai Yan!"

Ying Zheng looked at the map and asked softly: "With these, if you were to destroy Chu, how many troops and horses would you need?"

After asking, Ying Zheng patiently waited for Bai Yan's answer. As for the boy next to him who was much younger than Li Xindu, when the Qin State attacked Zhao State, Ying Zheng was the one who overriding all opinions and appointed Bai Yan as the deputy general.

, this decision once caused hundreds of civil and military officials in the court to be blocked by countless people. Even Li Si, Wei Zhuang, Wei Liao and others saw the horseshoe nails and stirrups in advance, considering that they could have miraculous effects.

I didn't refute this decision in court just now.

All the fundamental reasons are because of Bai Yan's age.

Bai Yan is really too young. There are few people in the world who, at Bai Yan's age, command so many elite troops.

now.

In this late night, Ying Zheng stood next to the map and still asked this question, which was enough to shock everyone in the world.

How many soldiers and horses does Bai Yan need to be confident of destroying Chu!!!

If Ying Zheng had sent Bai Yan as the deputy general of the army last time when he sent a large army to attack Zhao in order to destroy Zhao, then now Ying Zheng has obviously had his mind set on letting Bai Yan lead the army to destroy Chu, just like these bamboo slips are Bai Yan's.

It's the same as what Yan brought back. Maybe Bai Yan will give him Ying Zheng and bring unexpected surprises to Qin.

"The king said to destroy Chu, should we attack Shouchun and destroy the king of Chu, or"

While Bai Yan was speaking, he paused and looked at Ying Zheng with some doubts.

"Everyone wants to be destroyed!"

Ying Zheng looked at Bai Yan's eyes, turned his head and looked at the location of Chu State on the map, and spoke without hesitation before Bai Yan finished speaking.

Bai Yan, who was standing next to Ying Zheng, looked at the map again after hearing Ying Zheng's words and thought for a moment.

"Your Majesty, with an army ranging from 300,000 to 600,000, it will take at least one year to destroy the Chu State! It will take ten years to pacify the Chu State!"

Bai Yan lowered his head and gave his answer.

This answer was the result of Bai Yan thinking about it countless times. It was only after receiving the information from Xiong You and Li Yuan that he dared to say it.

The more he understood the Chu State, the more fearful Bai Yan became, and the more he understood why in later generations, General Wang Jian had to use an army of 600,000 to destroy the Chu State.
To be continued...