Unparalleled Evildoer

Chapter 4: Being raped in the court
A moment later, a man in official uniform swaggered out of the Queen Mother's bedroom. Li Mu was sure that this man was Chunping Jun. After Chunping Jun left, Li Mu and Guo Kai walked out of the harem and returned to the carriage. Guo Kai saw that Li Mu was depressed and said, "Does Wu'an Jun trust Guo Kai this time?" Li Mu nodded, and Guo Kai continued, "I am the only one who is struggling to support the affairs of the court. I have no confidant. Sometimes I think it would be better to let them kill me so that I can't see it and won't be bothered!"

Li Mu generously said: "Prime Minister, rest assured, I, Li Mu, will never let them succeed in usurping the throne. As long as the Prime Minister works for the country and the people, I, Li Mu, am willing to be your side!"

Guo Kai grabbed Li Mu's hand and said with emotion: "With the approval of Wu'an Jun, I will die without regrets!"

Guo Kai was in the same car with Li Mu. After sending Li Mu back to the mansion, he turned back to the Prime Minister's Mansion. Once there, he went directly into the secret room. A Taoist in a green Taoist robe had been waiting in the secret room. This Taoist wore a Mars crown, had a high bun, had sword-like eyebrows, and a cold face. When he saw Guo Kai coming in, he said in a deep voice: "I have been waiting for you for a long time. Is everything going well?"

Guo Kai said with a smile: "Fortunately, I have this handle on Chunping Jun. Now Li Mu has seen everything and has full confidence in me. As long as Li Mu opposes, those people will not dare to act rashly. When the time is right, I will get rid of them one by one!"

The Taoist priest in green clothes said, "My king is preparing to send out troops again. Since you have stabilized the situation, don't let Li Mu lead the troops this time. Li Mu is brave and good at fighting. He is a great obstacle for my Qin to unify the six states in Shandong."

Guo Kai said: "This is difficult. Li Mu is in power now. As long as he volunteers to go to war, who in the court can oppose him? I think it is better to postpone this matter. After I get rid of these followers and isolate Li Mu, I will weaken Li Mu's military power and let him guard Yanmen Pass. By then, everything will be in my hands."

The Taoist priest in green clothes said: "No, the world is torn apart and the people are suffering. My king can't wait any longer. You must try every possible means to either seize Li Mu's military power or... get rid of Li Mu!"

Guo Kai said in embarrassment: "Master, this..."

The Taoist priest in green said in a cold voice: "I have found the person with the same yin and yang body that the Prime Minister wants. He is now in the Prime Minister's bedroom. The Prime Minister can enjoy him without worry, but my king's important matter cannot be delayed!"

Guo Kai said in surprise: "Master Qingyang is truly a god. He has found another one. I am extremely grateful for your kindness. I will definitely live up to your high expectations!"

People who practice Taoism should ignore worldly affairs, concentrate on cultivation, and comprehend the mysteries of heaven and earth. However, the Qin State recruited some people who practice Taoism and used their unique skills to secretly gather information. They spared no expense to bribe important officials of the six countries to become their accomplices, and even carried out assassinations. Qingyang learned that Guo Kai did not like women and liked to play with yin and yang, so he searched all over the countries to find such strange people for Guo Kai to play with.

……

Li Mu returned to the mansion, feeling very exhausted. He went to Na Lanxue's bedroom and learned that Li Zhan had woken up. He felt relieved and fell into a deep sleep.

On the second morning, it began to drizzle, like smoke and a dream. Handan City changed into green clothes, and there was no sound. Li Mu woke up and saw that Lan Xue had brought breakfast to the bedside. After washing up and finishing breakfast, he thought about yesterday's events in the study. He felt vaguely that he was being manipulated invisibly, but he really couldn't figure out the reason. At this time, the doorman came in and said, "The king is going to court and summoned civil and military officials to discuss important matters."

Li Mu thought, "Why is my king in court today? Did he know that someone is planning a coup?" He quickly changed into his battle robe and rode to the palace gate. After getting off his horse, he quickly walked into the government hall. In the hall, civil and military officials stood in two rows on either side. The civil officials Guo Kai and Chunping Jun were already in the first row, and the military official Pang Nuan was already in the first row. The first row where Sima Shang was was vacant, and this seat was reserved for Wu'an Jun. After Li Mu returned to his seat, the staff had basically arrived. At this time, King Zhao Qian entered the hall, and all the ministers knelt and greeted them. After they stood up, King Zhao Qian sat on the dragon chair and said impatiently, "Hurry up and discuss, and leave the court as soon as possible!"

Pang Nuan stepped out and said in a loud voice: "The border guards have just reported that the Qin army of 200,000 soldiers are divided into two routes. One route is heading north from Ye and intends to cross the Zhang River and approach Handan. The other route is heading out from Shangdang and approaching Jingxing Pass. They want to attack Handan from behind, making Handan vulnerable to attack from both sides. Their intention is to capture Handan and destroy the State of Zhao. Now my king has summoned all the ministers to discuss how to deal with the Qin army's invasion!" After hearing this, the ministers were shocked and talked a lot.

Chunping Jun stepped out and said: "Qin has wanted to destroy the six kingdoms for a long time. Although the morale of our Zhao army was greatly boosted after the battle of Feicheng led by Wu'an Jun, its manpower is far less than that of the Qin army. I suggest that we unite with Wei and Han to fight together to make up for the weakness of our army!" After hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.

Zhao Cong stepped out and said, "Wei and Han are afraid of Qin, and they are in two ways. At every critical moment, the Qin army would break their promise and withdraw as soon as they put pressure on them or tempted them. This has happened many times in history. Isn't our lesson enough? Moreover, if we unite with these two countries, they will either have no food or no horses. The food and horses left to our Zhao army will be ten times stronger than theirs in killing the enemy. I oppose the alliance!" Someone echoed, "Yes!" "Yes!"

Chunping Jun asked coldly: "If this method doesn't work, does General Zhao have any strategy to defeat the enemy?"

Zhao Cong said: "There are no winners on the battlefield. Although our Zhao army was defeated in the Battle of Changping, the Qin army was also seriously injured. I think we should ask for peace and send people to Xianyang to negotiate and force the Qin army to withdraw." As soon as these words came out, he was immediately cursed by everyone.

Sima Shang cursed: "The battle hasn't even started yet, and you're already weak-kneed. You want peace? Go to Xianyang and lick Ying Zheng's ass and ask for peace!"

Zhao Cong said angrily, "Sima Shang, you are a man who can't even spit out ivory. You are an ignorant man. You know the loss of material and money in this battle. It is many times more than asking for peace. You only know how to fight!"

Sima Shang angrily said: "A general who can't fight is still a general? Where in the world can you find a general like you who is as weak-winged as you?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Cong could no longer hold back and angrily cursed as he tried to rush towards Sima Shang, but was stopped by the ministers.

Sima Shang shouted, "Let him come, I will smash his turtle shell into pieces with one punch!" As he said that, he rolled up his sleeves and was about to rush over, but was held back by Li Mu and Pang Nuan.

Zhao Wangqian stood up and pointed at the two men, angrily saying: "Go out and sign a life and death agreement. Kill one of them and there will be one less. This will save you from making a fuss here and disturbing my peace. Let's discuss countermeasures quickly. If you continue like this, I will dismiss the court!"

Guo Kai stepped out and said, "Your Majesty, please calm down. I don't think there is anything to discuss about this. Zhao and Qin have always been determined by war. Just send troops. Although Zhao is short of troops, our Zhao army is worth ten times as much as one. We have never been afraid of the Qin army. If you are in favor of an alliance, you can send an envoy to Han and Wei. If you want to seek peace, go to Xianyang. But no matter what we do now, we must first send troops to resist the Qin army!" Some ministers echoed him.

Zhao Wangqian pointed at Zhao Cong and the other man and praised Guo Kai, "Look... the prime minister is wise. The rest of you are all good-for-nothings. You have no skills at all, but you just yell and scream in front of me, threatening to die. Don't ask me about this kind of thing in the future, just ask the prime minister!"

Guo Kai bowed and said, "How dare I, a humble minister, take on such an important matter!" He stood up and said, "The most urgent matter is that Your Majesty should select someone to lead the army to resist Qin."

Pang Nuan said: "Of course it's Wu An Jun, is there any other candidate?"

Li Mu stepped out and said, "I am willing to go!" After returning for a few days, Li Mu saw that the State of Zhao was in a mess, with factions forming for personal gain and intrigues everywhere. He wished he could leave this place of power struggle immediately.

Guo Kai quickly winked at Li Mu, indicating that it was not possible. Li Mu didn't know why, so he frowned slightly and thought, "Why not? Does he have another plan?"

King Zhao Qian said, "That's good. Since Wu'an Jun is willing to go, there is nothing more for me to do. I'll adjourn the court!" Then he was about to leave.

Guo Kai hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, wait a minute!"

Zhao Wangqian was displeased and asked, "Prime Minister, what else do you want?"

Guo Kai said: "I have also heard the news that the Xiongnu army intends to press into our Yanmen Pass. The Xiongnu are not like us Chinese. They are a foreign race and are more ferocious than the Qin army. If Yanmen Pass is lost, our Zhao State will be in danger. However, if we send troops to defend it, it will inevitably involve a lot of troops, so that we cannot fully resist Qin. I have a plan to solve this problem."

Zhao Wangqian said: "Hurry up and tell me!"

Guo Kai said: "The Xiongnu feared Wu'an Jun of Zhao and dared not attack for ten years. They attacked this time because they knew that Wu'an Jun was not guarding Yanmen Pass. If Wu'an Jun appeared at the top of Yanmen Pass, how could the Xiongnu dare to attack easily? It is enough for Wu'an Jun to go to Yanmen Pass alone to frighten the Xiongnu. In this way, we can use the main force of the army to fight against the Qin army. What do you think of this plan?"

King Zhao Qian said happily: "What a great idea! Let's use it!" All the ministers nodded in praise.

Li Mu had wanted to lead troops to fight against Qin, which was his lifelong wish. However, after Guo Kai's words, he not only lost the opportunity but was also deprived of his military power. He thought to himself, "People say Guo Kai is treacherous. This man is really hard to figure out. He is trying to win me over on the one hand and suppress me on the other. What is his intention?" He wanted to continue fighting, but King Qian of Zhao had already agreed and other ministers did not recommend him strongly. For a while, he was isolated by the other ministers.

Guo Kai said: "Since General Pang Nuan wants to join the coalition, he can't lead the troops. Now only Sima and General Zhao are left."

Sima Shang said: "I am willing to go, but..."

King Qian of Zhao said, "Just what? I order you to go to the battlefield tomorrow and withdraw from the court!" After saying that, he left in a hurry.

Sima Shang knew that he was not as good as Li Mu in leading troops, and wanted to fight for Li Mu, but King Zhao Qian had already issued an edict, so Sima Shang had to obey. After leaving the court, Sima Shang wanted to meet Li Mu alone, but saw Li Mu was called away by Guo Kai, shook his head, sighed, and walked away. Guo Kai called Li Mu aside and said, "How can I not understand Wu Anjun's intentions, but for the survival of the country, I can only temporarily wrong Wu Anjun!"

Li Mu smiled bitterly and said, "As long as it is for the sake of Zhao, I will go wherever you want me to go. I will set off tomorrow and rush to Yanmen Pass. Prime Minister, goodbye!"

After seeing Li Mu leave, Guo Kai breathed a sigh of relief and thought to himself: "The pillar of the Zhao State has been replaced by me just like that."

Li Mu returned to the mansion and packed his bag. Lan Xue asked, "General, are you leaving again?"

Li Mu sighed, "My king ordered me to go to Yanmen Pass alone to defend against the Huns." Then he told Lan Xue exactly what happened in the court and yesterday.

After hearing this, Lan Xue said, "In that case, how about Zhan'er and I go with you this time?"

Li Mu said: "How can that be possible? Zhan'er is not in good health. He is tired from the bumpy ride. If he catches a cold, how can he bear it!"

Na Lanxue sighed, tears welling up in her eyes, "I'm afraid that Zhan'er's days are numbered. He has hardly left home since he was born, and has never seen the scenery outside. I want to take him for a walk."

Li Mu was melancholy for a long time. "Okay, then I will also fulfill my responsibility as a father and accompany him the rest of the way to see if he can forgive me as a father."

The next day, as the sun rose, Sima Shang selected 100,000 elite soldiers and opened the city gates to march out. Sima Shang saw Li Mu driving a carriage and cheering him on. He came to his side and said, "I wanted to fight on the battlefield with Wu'an Jun this time, but I didn't expect the king to separate you and me. Without you to guide me, I have to lead the troops to fight alone, and I feel uncertain!"

Li Mu said: "I am also very worried. Although the general is brave and good at fighting, it is difficult for one army to deal with two routes alone. If we are not careful, we will be attacked from both sides. Unfortunately, our king has already issued an edict, and it is difficult to change it!"

At this time, a child's voice was heard in the carriage, "Dad, do you mind calling your name?"

Li Mu turned around and smiled: "How could your father care about that false reputation!"

"Does father want to fight this battle?"

Li Mu smiled again and said, "Of course I do!"

"General Sima, will you agree to fight alongside my father?"

Sima Shang had never heard that Li Mu had a son. He looked at Li Mu in confusion and asked, "Who is this child? Could it be your son?"

Li Mu said: "It is my son, Li Zhan, but he is weak and has difficulty moving, so no one knows about it."

Sima Shang had never expected that Li Mu actually had a son, and he smiled into the car and said, "Of course I hope to fight with your father, so what do you have in mind?"

Li Zhan asked: "How many days does it take to reach Jingxing from Yanmen Pass?"

Li Mu said: "Horse fast, half a day!"

"The Qin army's invasion this time must have been bribed by Guo Kai. Guo Kai excluded General Pang Nuan and sent my father away. The main force was led by General Sima himself. On the surface, it was a clever plan that was forced to happen, but in fact the intention was very clear. It was to destroy the country and leave General Sima isolated and helpless, just like General Zhao Kuo did in the past, burying the entire army and leaving a bad reputation. There are four reasons. First, how can such a big battle replace the commander who just defeated the Qin army? Second, why did the Huns come at any time? Moreover, the Huns and Qin have always been at odds. If they knew that the Qin army was attacking Zhao, they would attack Qin first. Third, General Sima was alone against two sides. If he could not defend one side, he would be defeated. Fourth, take this opportunity to remove my father's military power and eliminate the threat to him, so that he can rest assured in the court."

Sima Shang was enlightened by Li Zhan's analysis and said angrily, "If I don't kill Guo Kai, the traitor, I will never be able to relieve my hatred!"

Li Mu stroked his beard. He did not expect that his son could analyze Guo Kai's plan so thoroughly. He could not help but look at his son differently.

Sima Shang looked at Li Mu and smiled, "A tiger father will have a dog son!" He then asked, "Do you have any countermeasures?"

"Guo Kai's calculations were almost perfect, but he overlooked one point. Jingxing is only half a day's journey from Yanmen Pass. My father can completely block the northern route for General Sima. He only needs to hand over 50,000 personal soldiers to my father as deputy general and station them in Jingxing. My father can command from inside the military tent to resist the Qin army. General Sima only needs to defend the Weishui River bank with the Great Wall as support. When my father repels the Qin army in the north, the general will retreat to the south."

Sima Shang clapped his hands in admiration, but suddenly became puzzled: "Although this plan is brilliant, there are so many people and eyes, it is inevitable that the news will leak out. How can we explain it to the King of Zhao? Moreover, if the Xiongnu invade, it will be a great sin for Wu'an Jun to leave the battlefield."

"The Xiongnu may not attack. If they do, how can my father alone and several hundred Zhao soldiers defend Yanmen Pass? As long as my father takes us there and settles us down, he can pretend to catch a cold and then leave secretly and rush to Jingxing. The general will send someone to meet us in secret. Who can detect it? Even if he does, he can atone for his sins!"

Sima Shang shouted, "Great! It's settled!" "How old are you?"

"Eight years old!"...

Sima Shang let out an "Ah" and laughed loudly, "It's true that the waves behind push the waves ahead. In the future, you will surely become a pillar of the State of Zhao. Haha, the State of Zhao is saved!"

Li Mu was happy when he heard Sima Shang praising his son, but then he felt sad when he thought about his son's young age and the fact that he would not live long.

……

The sun sets over the long river and the smoke rises in the desert. Along the way, Wuzhai always opens the curtains and looks out, wondering how many days of happiness God will leave for him.

Li Mu wanted to eliminate the gap between him and his son and enhance their relationship, but for him, this was more difficult than fighting on the battlefield. Wu Zhan was taciturn, which made it difficult for Li Mu to have a chance to talk. Lan Xue looked at Li Mu's embarrassment and whispered softly in his ear, "We just need to accompany him."

When we arrived at Yanmen Pass, we saw undulating mountains stretching for thousands of miles. The city walls rose on the steep mountains and the city gates were located in the ravines. It was truly a one-man-guarding-the-pass situation where ten thousand men could not break through.

After settling down, Li Mu met the soldiers guarding the city. These soldiers were once Li Mu's subordinates. When they learned that Li Mu was coming, they had already prepared a banquet and rushed forward to toast him, their joy beyond words.

Li Mu happily drank a few cups of wine offered by the soldiers. After giving some instructions, he pretended to be unwell and left to rest. After the soldiers had finished their banquet, he rode his horse to Jingxing in the dark.

After arriving at Jingxing, someone had already received him secretly and he entered the camp secretly. Learning that the Qin army was about to reach Fanwu, Li Mu secretly went to check the terrain and then launched a fierce attack on the Qin army before the Qin army could set up camp. The Qin army suffered repeated defeats and kept retreating. Their men and horses were exhausted, and the more they retreated, the more chaotic it became. Countless casualties were innumerable, and the road was littered with the bodies of Qin soldiers. Finally, they had to withdraw their troops and go around to the south bank of the Weishui River to join the main force.

Li Mu led his army all the way to the Wei River. The Zhao army was so bloodthirsty that they joined forces with Sima Shang and attacked the main force of the Qin army in the south. The main force of the Qin army was defeated as soon as they came into contact with it and had to retreat and make long-term plans. At this time, Han and Wei, not only did not send troops to reinforce, but were watching them covetously and were eager to try. This is not discussed here.

Upon learning that Sima Shang had defeated the Qin army, the whole country of Zhao was jubilant, but they were unaware that a crisis was quietly approaching at another place, Yanmen Pass.

(End of this chapter)