My brother Ying Zheng, who dares to kill me?.

Chapter 961: Stingy yet passionate, rational yet foolish loyalty! The closest people will be hurt the most!
Zhao Jiang was extremely shocked by the decisions of Qin and Yan!

Following the great surprise comes great joy!

The current Dai State is more powerful than the Zhao State. Zhao Jiang can enjoy greater power and better material conditions if he stays in the Dai State, so Zhao Jiang decided to stay in the Dai State at the first opportunity.

Once Zhao Jiang expressed his determination to Dai Wangjia, Dai Wangjia would surely recognize his loyalty even more and reward him with a high position and generous salary.

If the Dai Kingdom were to perish one day, Zhao Jiang could turn around and surrender to King Qian of Zhao. Would King Qian of Zhao treat Zhao Jiang harshly at that time?

Prince Jia of Dai is Zhao Jiang's nephew, and Prince Qian of Zhao is also Zhao Jiang's nephew. They are real relatives. Just based on this blood relationship, Prince Qian of Zhao cannot treat Zhao Jiang harshly!

More importantly, there were only three brothers in Zhao Jiang's lineage. The eldest and second brothers died in the battlefield for the State of Zhao. He was the only one left and ran back home crying. Based on the hard work and sacrifices of his lineage for the State of Zhao, King Qian of Zhao did not dare to treat him harshly!

Therefore, King Qian of Zhao's re-establishment of the State of Zhao had only benefits and no disadvantages for Zhao Jiang. It would be strange if he was not happy.

Unfortunately, the only person who was a member of the royal family was Zhao Jiang, but not Li Mu.

Sitting on the soft couch, Li Mu murmured bitterly: "I thought that if the king was captured, the State of Zhao would perish."

"I never thought that the first thing Qin Wenxinhou said when he returned to the court was to send the king to Yan State."

"At that time, I did not understand the deep meaning of this move. I thought that Qin wanted to humiliate the king. I hated Qin for this and wanted to avenge the king."

"I never thought that Qin would actually order Yan to send the king back at this moment, and help our Zhao Kingdom to restore its state in the name of survival and continuation!"

Even with Li Mu's political wisdom, he could see that it was just Qin's task for Yan to help Zhao restore its country.

The restoration of Zhao State would not only make the already narrow northeast region even more chaotic, but would also weaken Dai and Yan States, and would make the situation of Dai State extremely embarrassing and the title of Dai King's legitimacy no longer exist.

The reason why Qin did not personally intervene was only to avoid people in the world from thinking that Qin was going back on its word when it destroyed Zhao in the future.

However, this move also more clearly revealed Qin's determination and urgency to unify the world, allowing people all over the world to see how dangerous the situation of the three countries of Dai, Yan and Zhao was!
The State of Dai urgently needed Li Mu to protect the country, and the State of Zhao also urgently needed Li Mu to protect the country, but Li Mu was only one person, he couldn't split himself into two!
Li Mu murmured in confusion and helplessness: "How should I deal with this?"

"Which king should I fight for?"

"Am I a minister of Dai or Zhao?"

"What should I do to live up to the kindness of my late king?!"

Li Mu was loyal, but his loyalty was not the same as the loyalty advocated and praised by later generations.

Li Mu was not loyal to King Jia of Dai, nor to King Qian of Zhao, and even to the country of Zhao. He would not be loyal to anyone just because he sat on the throne.

Li Mu was only loyal to the kindness shown to him by King Dan of Zhao Xiaocheng and King Yan of Zhao Daoxiang!

Li Mu's loyalty is stingy but rational!

In Li Mu's view, Li Mu's life alone was enough to repay Zhao's kindness, and there was no need for his family to die for Zhao as well.

So even though the relationship between Qin and Zhao was even worse in history, Li Mu surrounded and annihilated the Qin general and almost shattered Ying Zheng's dream of unification with one punch, and Wang Jian repeatedly killed Li Mu's trusted generals and instigated discord, the hatred between Qin and Zhao was as deep as the sea, and they both regarded each other as their number one enemy and planned every day how to kill each other.

However, Li Mu still sent his eldest son Li Bo and Li Bo's three sons to Daqin shortly after King Qian of Zhao ascended the throne. While attacking Daqin fiercely, he asked the Li clan members in Daqin to recommend Li Bo for official service in Daqin. By the Tang Dynasty, Li Bo's descendants had multiplied and developed into one of the Five Surnames and Seven Families!

Li Mu's loyalty is ardent and stupid!

King Dan of Zhao asked Li Mu to fight for his son, and King Yan of Zhao also asked Li Mu to fight for his son, and Li Mu agreed to both requests.

So in Li Mu's opinion, he must fulfill his promise even at the cost of his life!

So even though the lesson of Lian Po was right in front of him and the reference answer given by Lian Po was at hand, and even though he guessed that King Qian of Zhao wanted to kill him, Li Mu still tried to explain himself with his poor eloquence, instead of leading his troops to break through and defect to another country like Lian Po did.

Therefore, even though Li Mu had extremely strong control over Dai, and even though he knew that it would do more harm than good for Li Mu if King Jia of Dai established a country in Dai, Li Mu still willingly gave up power over Dai, dismissed many of his long-time confidants, and presented the Dai that he had painstakingly managed for decades to King Jia of Dai.

But Li Mu never expected that his loyalty would encounter a huge BUG.

The number of Zhao Wangyan's sons for whom he needed to fight to the death now turned into two!
Moreover, these two people are enemies, not friends!
No matter which side he chose to fight for, Li Mu repaid the kindness of the previous king, but he was unable to repay it in full.

This BUG shook Li Mu’s loyalty!
Zhao Jiang was panicked when she heard this, and hurriedly advised: "Wu'an Jun, please don't have such thoughts."

"The king thinks highly of Wu Anjun. Not only did he promote Wu Anjun to the rank of general, he also has great trust in him."

"When Wu'an Jun is on his northern expedition to attack Qin, no matter what Wu'an Jun wants, the king will do his best to fulfill it."

"How can Wu Anjun be disloyal to the king?"

Li Mu sighed bitterly: "Yes!"

"Your Majesty is the former king's deposed crown prince."

"Abandon the crown prince!"

Zhao Jiang was slightly startled. He did not expect that the main point of Li Mu's rebuttal was actually Zhao Wangyan's wishes.

Instead, he thought that the money and grain that King Dai Jia used to support Li Mu's Northern Expedition were all grown by Li Mu and his subjects and common people over the past few decades, and were not worthy of Li Mu's gratitude.

Zhao Jiang's plan was scrapped, so she could only ask tentatively: "Does Wu'an Jun intend to defect to Zhao State and support the King of Zhao appointed by the previous king?" Li Mu sighed even more bitterly: "Yes!"

"Even if I am willing to fight for the king, the king may not believe me!"

Prince Jia of Dai treated Li Mu better than Prince Qian of Zhao, and was quite capable, so he would definitely win the favor of Prince Dan of Zhao. However, it happened that Prince Jia of Dai was the son of Prince Yan of Zhao, whose inheritance rights had been clearly abolished.

King Qian of Zhao was the successor designated by King Yan of Zhao, but King Qian of Zhao not only wanted to kill Li Mu, but also caused the downfall of the Zhao State. If King Dan of Zhao and King Yan of Zhao were resurrected, they would probably hang King Qian of Zhao up and beat him with a hammer.

How should Li Mu choose?
No matter what choice Li Mu makes, it seems like it’s always wrong!
Zhao Jiang whispered, "I think that Wu'an Jun should think about the present instead of the past."

"The late king's kindness was greater than that of Wu'an Jun, and Wu'an Jun also died for the king of Zhao, so the late king's kindness and righteousness are complete."

"Although the King of Zhao has returned to the throne and rebuilt the State of Zhao, he is only a puppet of the two states of Qin and Yan. Although he is the King of Zhao in name, he is not the King of Zhao in reality."

"I think that such a King of Zhao is not worthy of being the King of Zhao. Being loyal to such a King of Zhao is not being loyal to Zhao, but actually being loyal to Qin and Yan!"

"What Wu Anjun should consider more is the king's kindness and trust!"

With Zhao Jiang's continuous and sincere persuasion, Li Mu's heart gradually wavered.

But outside the tent came the voice of the family soldiers: "Report to the master! Letters have arrived from Duwei Hong, Duwei Xian and Junzibo!"

Li Mu pulled himself together and shouted in a deep voice: "Pass it on!"

The curtain was lifted, and the family soldier stepped in and presented three bamboo tubes.

Li Mu first picked up the bamboo tube of Li Xian, who was in charge of the defense of Jicheng, and opened it for inspection.

When Li Mu saw the conversation in the tent recorded by Li Xianru, especially the words of Ying Chengjiao, his heart skipped a beat and he shouted in a low voice: "Qin Chang'an Jun wanted to kill me with the curse I used in the battle. I tried my best to avoid it and was lucky enough to escape."

"Now that the three kingdoms have reached a truce, why does Qin Chang'an still want to kill me?"

Li Mu's political struggle wisdom is very low, but Li Mu's experience in political struggle (and being struggled against) is very sufficient.

Although Li Mu couldn't figure out what was going on, his intuition told him that Ying Chengjiao's words would most likely lead to his death!

With some hope, Li Mu hurriedly picked up the bamboo tube passed back by Li Hong, who was relatively more mature and steady.

But Li Mu didn't expect that as soon as he opened the bamboo slips, he would see twelve big characters.

【Aweng, why don't you and I, father and son, return to Daqin together? 】

Li Mu: ???
[Qin Chang'an Jun has a great appetite. I have already agreed with Qin Chang'an Jun to send a batch of Danla sheep to Qin as a gift to Qin Chang'an Jun. This is it...]

Li Mu did not continue reading, but could not help but go back to check the seal again, and then...

Almost had a myocardial infarction!

This turned out to be a letter sent back to him by his second son!

"Rebel!"

"What a rebellious son!"

"Qin Chang'an Jun wants to kill your father, you rebellious son also want to take his life!"

Li Mu's hands holding the bamboo slips were shaking with anger.

You were only invited to a banquet by Qin Chang'an Jun twice, and you have become a lobbyist for the Qin State? !
Not only did he lobby Nai Weng for Qin Chang'an Jun, but he even wanted to send Dan La Sheep to Qin Chang'an Jun to enjoy?
Are you afraid that people in the world don't realize that you and Qin Chang'an Jun have a close personal relationship?
Why are you sending me this mutton?
You, the rebellious son, directly gave the Zaoyanglu to Qin Chang'an Jun, implying that your father-in-law wanted to give the Dai Kingdom to Qin!

Seeing that the usually calm Li Mu was now in a state of panic and outspoken, Zhao Jiang asked carefully, "Lord Wu'an?"

Li Mu quickly closed the bamboo slips and forced a smile, saying, "My son is so ungrateful and has made Captain Zhao laugh at me."

"I will reply to the letter from the rebellious son first, and then discuss this matter with Captain Zhao in detail later."

Zhao Jiang hurriedly bowed: "Yes!"

By the time Zhao Jiang left the tent, Li Mu was in no mood to read Li Hong's letter. Instead, he opened Li Bo's letter with great trepidation.

If the two sons who followed him were like this, what would his eldest son, who had already served in the Qin State, say?
[Aung, what are you fighting for, and what should you fight for? ]

[Today, Lord Chang'an asks me, first, whether the King of Dai will consider the people of Dai, second, whether the King of Dai will seize the opportunity to escape from your sphere of influence, and third, if the King of Dai wants to harm you, what should you do?]

[Except for the third question, I don’t know how to answer any of them, so I can only ask the grandfather with full of doubts.]

[Will the King of Dai really allow a severe drought to harm the people of Dai? Will the King of Dai really move the capital to Jicheng and cultivate powerful people in Jicheng to check and balance Aweng? ]

[The King of Dai is so wary of Aong, suppressing Aong, and endangering the lives of my comrades. He is also the crown prince who was deposed by the previous king. Why on earth are you fighting for the King of Dai, Aong? ]

(End of this chapter)