Seeing Wang Jian's serious expression, how could Wang Ben not understand the situation?
He immediately nodded and said, "Father, I will keep my mouth shut."
"You and I are father and son."
"If it were an outsider, I truly couldn't say a word."
"But given the current situation in the court, for the sake of your brother-in-law, our Wang family must do something for him." Wang Jian spoke with a solemn expression.
"Do something for my brother-in-law?" Wang Ben looked completely puzzled.
"Your brother-in-law is the King's son," Wang Jian said in a deep voice.
Upon hearing this, Wang Ben's expression became extremely strange. He then slowly stood up and looked at Wang Jian as if he were staring at a madman.
After a brief silence, he spoke.
"Father."
"You're neither dreaming nor sick, so why are you speaking nonsense in broad daylight?"
"Coincidentally, Physician Xia has returned, and my brother-in-law has a good relationship with him. I'll go find Physician Xia later to have him check your condition." Wang Ben spoke with genuine concern.
Hearing this, Wang Jian shot him a speechless glare and scolded, "You brat, do you think your father has gone mad?"
"Father."
"If you're not mad, then why are you talking nonsense?"
"Don't you know what kind of background my brother-in-law has?"
"He was born in Shachiu, not in Xianyang."
"Ever since His Majesty returned from Zhao, he has remained in Xianyang and never left. How could he have gone to Shachiu to find a concubine and father my brother-in-law?" Wang Ben chuckled, thinking his father was confused.
Wang Jian didn't say a word. He simply stared at Wang Ben in silence.
Under his father's gaze, Wang Ben gradually sensed that something was off.
"Wait a moment."
"Father."
"You're serious about this?"
Wang Ben finally grew serious.
"If I weren't serious, do you think I would joke with you about the royal family and the King's son?" Wang Jian said impatiently.
"This… this is impossible."
"How could my brother-in-law be the King's son?" Wang Ben was still in disbelief.
"Have you forgotten the young woman who accompanied the King when he returned from Zhao?" Wang Jian asked.
"Hiss…"
Wang Ben took a sharp breath.
"But… wasn't she already dead?"
"That massacre in the palace…" Wang Ben spoke in a low voice.
"I can tell you with absolute certainty."
"That woman did not die, and she gave birth to Zhao Feng and his sister they are His Majesty's flesh and blood," Wang Jian confirmed.
"Father."
"It's not that I don't believe you."
"But this is an enormous matter."
"How did you come to know this?" Wang Ben asked, puzzled.
Wang Jian chuckled and pointed toward the royal palace.
"The King."
"His Majesty told you this himself?"
"Then… that means it's true?"
"My brother-in-law is the Crown Prince, a member of the royal bloodline."
"Does this mean he has a chance to become the heir?"
Wang Ben, always a straightforward person, couldn't help but feel excited upon learning Zhao Feng's true identity.
"It's not just a chance."
"Judging from the King's attitude toward your brother-in-law, he intends to make him the heir."
"When His Majesty first revealed this to me, I was completely taken aback."
"It took me quite some time to calm down."
Thinking back to how he had walked out of Zhangtai Palace in a daze, Wang Jian couldn't help but sigh.
"I remember this incident."
"It happened when my brother-in-law was granted a noble title. Wang Wan submitted a memorial, claiming that our Wang family and my brother-in-law held too much military power. After that, Father, you were summoned to Zhangtai Palace."
"When you came out, your expression wasn't right."
"All of Xianyang was buzzing with speculation. So it was because of this!" Wang Ben suddenly realized.
Wang Jian smiled. "If you had personally heard what the King said back then, you wouldn't have been able to accept it immediately either."
"That's true."
Wang Ben nodded in agreement.
His expression gradually turned even more peculiar. "My brother-in-law is the King's son. This is almost unbelievable."
"No one would have expected this."
"No wonder you publicly severed ties with Wang Wan today, making sure the entire court witnessed it."
"So everything was for my brother-in-law."
Wang Jian smiled. "Indeed."
"Today, I openly broke with Wang Wan in court because he went too far again and again. If we continued to endure, he would truly think our Wang family was easy to bully."
"Of course."
"After today's events."
"Many officials who have not yet taken sides in court will now have a clearer view of my stance."
"This will also have an impact on Fusu."
"These past days, I have come to understand."
"The reason the King told me about Zhao Feng's identity was not just to reassure us it was also to position us as Zhao Feng's allies."
"Zhao Feng is unaware of his own identity. He would never suspect that he is a royal prince."
"The King wants to pave the way for Zhao Feng, but for the sake of Qin's stability, he will not reveal Zhao Feng's identity until the unification of the realm is complete. Once his identity is announced, the court must have Zhao Feng's people in place not just in the military, but in the government as well."
"With this in mind."
"I want to start selecting some supporters for Zhao Feng people who can serve him in the future."
"To claim that position, he must have his faction." Wang Jian spoke in a deep voice.
"Father."
"You underestimate my brother-in-law."
"Even though he doesn't know his identity and has few friends in court, his only true friend, Han Fei, is now one of the Nine Ministers, a position of significant influence."
"Then there's Li Si."
"He has always been opposed to Fusu and Wang Wan's faction. His son, Li You, already serves under my brother-in-law. If Zhao Feng's identity is revealed one day, Li Si will undoubtedly side with him."
"Among the Nine Ministers, two are already aligned with him."
"Then there's Shaofu Ling Liao."
"He is a disciple of the Ghost Valley School, possessing unparalleled wisdom."
"Since arriving in Qin, he has always remained neutral, never forming alliances or befriending others. No one has ever been able to win him over, but he treats my brother-in-law differently it's evident in court."
"As for Feng Quji and Feng Jie, we can put them aside for now. They don't seem to be involved in political struggles."
"And the Meng family."
"They have already chosen to support Fusu."
Although Wang Ben was straightforward, he was intelligent. In just a short time, he had outlined the current political landscape of the court.
"When you put your mind to it, you're quite sharp."
"Not bad." Wang Jian praised him.
"Father."
"While court politics may influence the King's decisions to some extent, the ultimate decision of who becomes Crown Prince rests with His Majesty alone."
"After all."
"The ministers in court may stir up some trouble, but once the realm is unified, no matter how much they oppose, as long as the King has made his choice, everything can be settled by force."
"So…" Wang Ben spoke with a serious expression.
"So, you're asking whether the King is truly intent on making your brother-in-law the Crown Prince or if he just mentioned it in passing?" Wang Jian smiled.
Wang Ben nodded. "That's exactly what I want to know."
"From my long conversation with His Majesty that day, it is clear that his expectations for Zhao Feng surpass those for any other prince."
"The future ruler of Qin must not be an incompetent fool; such a person could never hold the kingdom together."
"Among all of the King's sons, who is stronger than Zhao Feng?"
"Or rather, in all the land, who could be stronger than Zhao Feng?" Wang Jian said solemnly, affirming Ying Zheng's stance.
"Should we tell my sister about this?"
Wang Ben asked cautiously.
"No." Wang Jian shook his head.
"His Majesty said that once the world is unified, he will give Zhao Feng a great surprise one that will also be a surprise for his mother."
"If Yan'er finds out, she will surely tell Zhao Feng."
"If that ruins His Majesty's plans, it would be a grave offense."
"The reason I'm telling you this is so that you take this matter seriously and do not blindly support any other prince. Our Wang family has been granted an extraordinary opportunity. If you squander it, I will not be lenient with you," Wang Jian warned sternly.
"Father."
"I have always followed your teachings and never involved myself in court factions."
"You're worrying too much," Wang Ben said, feeling a little wronged.
"Enough."
"Keep this matter to yourself."
"Today, I openly broke ties with Wang Wan in court and even threatened him."
"Knowing him as I do, he will certainly try to retaliate against our Wang family and will place an even greater emphasis on controlling military power."
"The Blue Fields garrison has no active battles at the moment."
"Keep a close watch on Wang Wan and his faction. Take note of any commanders in the capital's garrison or nearby regional armies who have connections with them." Wang Jian commanded.
Unlike Wang Wan, who only strategized on paper, Wang Jian was a seasoned general who had fought in countless battles. Since he had now openly turned against Wang Wan, he could easily predict his next moves.
Not that Wang Jian was worried.
After all, the King himself was his backing, and royal authority remained unshakable.
"Rest assured, Father."
"I will handle this matter properly."
"That old fox Wang Wan, and that schemer Chunyu Yue they'll pay for their actions sooner or later." Wang Ben sneered.
Yan Kingdom, Yuyang Commandery
Before the city gates.
Over 200,000 Qin troops stood in formation, seemingly ready to storm Yuyang at any moment.
Even though the Qin army had yet to move, their overwhelming military presence loomed over the entire city like a dark storm, creating a suffocating sense of dread.
"General!"
"Everything is prepared."
Tu Sui rode forward on horseback and reported to Zhao Feng, who stood atop his war chariot.
"Are all the arrows marked with the Yan character?" Zhao Feng asked.
"Yes, every single one."
"They are all bound to the arrows." Tu Sui confirmed.
"Let the arrows rain down today."
"Tomorrow, we suppress them and launch our attack."
Zhao Feng ordered in a deep voice.
"Yes, my lord!" Tu Sui immediately complied.
Moments later
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sound of war drums echoed across the battlefield.
Following the command, tens of thousands of elite Qin archers marched forward toward the city.
On Yuyang's walls
Qing Qin's expression grew increasingly grave.
"The Qin army only just arrived, and they're already preparing to attack."
"Zhao Feng..."
"Am I a match for him?"
As he looked upon the vast black tide of enemy troops before him, Qing Qin felt a creeping sense of unease.
Across the land, Zhao Feng's name had already reached legendary status.
To the nations opposing Qin, Zhao Feng's military leadership was nothing short of a nightmare.
Since taking command, he had never suffered a single defeat.
Even great generals like Lian Po, Pang Nuan, and Wei Wuji had all fallen to his blade.
Compared to them, Qing Qin was well aware of his limitations.
So before the battle had even begun, a sense of fear had already begun to take root in his heart.
"General!"
"Intelligence reports have arrived."
"The Qin army has only deployed the Wu'an garrison; no reinforcements have been sent from their other garrisons."
"If we focus purely on defense, we can hold them off."
The deputy general, Le Cheng, reported.
Though Le Cheng also held the rank of supreme commander, the Yan king did not fully trust him after all, he had a history of surrendering to the enemy.
"We have 300,000 troops inside Yuyang."
"The Qin army numbers nearly the same."
"How soon can reinforcements from Ji City arrive?" Qing Qin asked.
"At least half a month." Le Cheng responded immediately.
"Half a month..."
"Can Yuyang hold out that long?" Qing Qin let out a weary sigh.
At that moment
"General!"
"The Qin army is preparing to fire their arrows!"
A lookout officer shouted.
"Just as expected from the Qin army."
"In siege battles, they always begin with an overwhelming arrow barrage."
"Pass down the order prepare for defense!" Qing Qin commanded.
Against the arrows of Qin, there was no countermeasure other than taking cover.
After all, when an entire sky is blotted out by arrows, they cover almost the entire city.
"Kill!"
Zhao Feng raised his sword and pointed toward Yuyang.
"Wind, wind, wind!"
"A great wind!"
Nearly 300,000 Qin soldiers roared in unison.
With that deafening war cry
The Qin archers at the frontlines drew their bows.
An endless storm of arrows was unleashed toward the city.
Like a torrential downpour, the arrows rained down.
As in previous siege battles, the Yan soldiers within the city cowered in fear, praying for their survival.
But this time, the storm of arrows carried more than just death many of the arrows had cloth strips tied to them.
As more and more Yan soldiers fell, those still standing noticed the unusual sight.
"Look! There are cloth strips tied to the Qin arrows!"
"There's writing on them!"
"Read it! What does it say?"
"It says the reason Qin is attacking Yan is because our King sent assassins to kill the Qin King. Qin has a justified cause for war."
"Could the rumors be true? Did our King send assassins after the Qin King?"
"If that's true, then our nation is in the wrong... Qin does have a valid reason for war..."
"What do we do now?"
"If Qin is justified in this war, then Qi and Chu won't intervene. Our Yan Kingdom won't be able to stand against Qin alone..."
When the contents of the cloth strips were revealed, the news quickly spread.
On the city wall.
"General, the Qin army is using psychological warfare," a general reported respectfully as he handed a blood-stained cloth strip to Qing Qin.
Qing Qin took it and read the words written in the Yan script:
"Yan is treacherous! They sent assassins against our king! The warriors of Great Qin have come for revenge! Surrender and you shall be spared resist, and you shall be slain!"
"Zhao Feng..."
"What a cunning strategy."
"Using this method to shake my army's morale."
Qing Qin let out a sigh.
"General, what should we do?"
"The Qin army's tactics are devastating our morale. If they attack the city now, we won't be able to hold out," a nearby general said anxiously.
"Pass my order."
"If anyone finds a cloth strip attached to a Qin arrow, they must not read it. Squad leaders are to collect them immediately and burn them."
"Anyone caught spreading the message will be executed under military law," Qing Qin said coldly.
"Understood."
The general accepted the order.
"The message has already started spreading. This is merely a temporary measure," Le Cheng added.
"If we allow it to spread freely, the consequences will be even worse."
"We'll take it one step at a time and wait for reinforcements. Perhaps there will still be a chance."
Qing Qin sighed in his heart.
Le Cheng remained silent after hearing this.
At that moment, Qing Qin suddenly turned to him and asked, "General Le Cheng, will you truly dedicate your life to Yan?"
Le Cheng was startled and quickly responded, "General Qing, what do you mean by this?"
"In the past, when Zhao attacked Yan, you surrendered to them."
"Before I came to Yuyang, the king naturally had concerns about you," Qing Qin said coldly, his words carrying an unmistakable warning.
"Rest assured, General Qing. I, Le Cheng, am willing to die for Yan," Le Cheng immediately declared his loyalty.
Hearing this, Qing Qin smirked.
"Of course, I trust you, General Le."
"However..."
"For the sake of Yan's survival..."
"I must ask you to relinquish your military command."
"Your authority over ten thousand troops shall be transferred to me," Qing Qin continued.
As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding guards fixed their sharp gazes on Le Cheng.
Likewise, Le Cheng's guards grew tense.
It seemed as though a battle could break out at any moment between Yan's two highest-ranking generals.
However, given the circumstances, Le Cheng ultimately chose to back down.
"Since the king has entrusted the command to General Qing, I will comply."
With that, Qing Qin smiled in satisfaction.
"Once we repel the Qin army, I will ensure you are rewarded for your service, General Le."
With this confrontation settled, he had secured the upper hand.
"Yan King..."
"Even now, you still don't trust me."
"Back then, when Zhao attacked, I surrendered only because our army had run out of provisions, and no reinforcements arrived."
"If I hadn't surrendered, my ten thousand troops would have been slaughtered."
"Yan could not have preserved its elite forces otherwise."
"And yet now, I am still blamed for it," Le Cheng thought bitterly.
"General Le."
"Please return to your residence."
"There is no need for you to concern yourself with Yuyang's defense," Qing Qin said while pointing toward the battlefield below.
It was clear that Qing Qin intended to put Le Cheng under house arrest.
And Le Cheng had no way to resist.
That Night, Qin Camp
Zhao Feng sat at the head of the command tent, with three generals gathered before him.
"Tomorrow."
"We will employ the standard siege tactics of the Wu'an Camp."
"Catapults and archers will provide cover, while fifty thousand vanguard troops will launch the assault, breaking through Yuyang's defenses. The cavalry will then charge in."
"I will lead the vanguard."
Zhao Feng spoke calmly.
"We understand."
Tu Sui and Zhang Han responded in unison.
Only Li You remained hesitant.
He was still unfamiliar with Zhao Feng's true strength or the long-established tactics of the Wu'an Camp.
"However..."
"Tonight."
"We might have another option."
"What do you know about Le Cheng?" Zhao Feng asked the three generals.
"General, I know a little about him," Li You responded immediately.
"Speak."
Zhao Feng gestured for him to continue.
"This man was once Yan's top general, ranked higher than Qing Qin. However, when Zhao attacked Yan, General Lian Po besieged his army of ten thousand with a force of twenty thousand. With no supplies and no reinforcements in sight, Le Cheng realized that further resistance would lead to unnecessary deaths."
"So, he ordered his troops to surrender."
"Because of this, Le Cheng became infamous across the land as a traitor the highest-ranking defector in history," Li You reported respectfully.
"Hmm."
Zhao Feng nodded.
At that moment, Zhang Ming hurried in from outside the tent.
"General!"
"We've received intelligence from inside Yuyang!" Zhang Ming presented a sealed document.
Zhao Feng opened it and then smiled.
"As expected, Qing Qin has stripped Le Cheng of his command."
"Le Cheng may yet become our key to breaking Yuyang."
Zhang Han was surprised.
"General, Le Cheng has no power now how could he possibly help us break the city?"
"I do not believe that Le Cheng has no remaining influence," Zhao Feng said with a smirk.
He then turned to Zhang Ming.
"Send our agents inside the city to win Le Cheng over."
"Promise him high rank and wealth whatever he demands, agree to it."
"Understood." Zhang Ming left to carry out the order.
"General."
"I do not think Le Cheng can be trusted," Li You said hesitantly.
"Who said I trust him?" Zhao Feng chuckled.
"Then why send people to persuade him?" Li You was puzzled.
But before Zhao Feng could reply, Zhang Han and Tu Sui immediately understood.
"Brilliant strategy, General!"
Both men bowed in admiration.
Li You thought for a moment, then suddenly realized.
"A masterstroke, General!"
-support me on Patreon for more chapters, 375+ chapters in there
patreon.com/LordoftheReader