The Six Arts of the Gentleman in the Bright Moon of Qin Dynasty

Chapter 590: Disregarding Human Life [Please Subscribe*Please Pass the Monthly Ticket]

"What are you going to do?" Ying Zheng was very curious about how Yan Yan brought disgrace upon King Zhao.

"If there is no production, there is no production. It is impossible for the State of Zhao to produce so much food and equipment out of thin air. The food can be said to have been sold, but what about the equipment?" Yan Yan was confident.

After all, the State of Zhao was unable to fill the gap in equipment shortage. How could they dare to give those defective products to their soldiers?

It is impossible for the State of Zhao to create a batch of equipment out of thin air.

"General Wang, I need your cooperation!" Yan Yan turned and looked at Wang Jian.

Wang Jian was not the kind of military general who only knew how to fight, he was also well versed in court struggles, so he understood Yan Yan's meaning instantly.

"I will launch a fierce attack on Liaoyang in the coming days to consume their food and supplies!"

Yan Yan nodded with satisfaction. It was easy to work with smart people.

Ying Zheng also understood that if something doesn't exist, it just doesn't exist, and no matter how hard you try to explain it away, it won't work.

So, they just need to wait, quietly wait for Bingzhou's next move.

Ten days later, in the Qin army's central military headquarters tent, Wang Jian and Wang Ben walked into the tent in great anger.

"Zhao is crazy and disregards human life!"

Wang Ben was so angry that he didn't care about the impoliteness in front of the king.

"What's wrong?" It was the first time that Ying Zheng saw the generals all angry.

"The State of Zhao disregarded the lives of the soldiers and resolutely forced them to use that batch of defective weapons on the battlefield!" Wang Jian calmed down and explained in a low voice.

But there was still anger in Wang Jian's tone.

The State of Zhao knew clearly that there were problems with the weapons and equipment, but in order to cover up their lie that they did not produce these weapons and equipment, they still allowed their soldiers to use these weapons on the battlefield.

Afraid that Ying Zheng, Yan Yan and others might not understand, Wang Jian ordered his men to deliver the seized weapons and arrows into the big tent.

"Your Majesty, please look!" Wang Jian first placed the archer's arrow on his middle finger for balance.

"Bent!"

Looking at the arrow in Wang Jian's hand, Yan Yan and Ying Zheng were stunned.

Although Ying Zheng had never been on the battlefield, as the king of Qin, martial arts was also a compulsory course, otherwise Gai Nie would not have become Ying Zheng's chief swordsmanship teacher.

The arrow shaft was actually bent. Who could imagine how the Zhao archers could shoot with such arrows?

"Besides that, Your Majesty, please take a look!" Wang Jian broke off the arrow's tip and placed it in his palm for Yan Yan and Ying Zheng to observe carefully.

The arrowhead was mottled and blunt, as if it could be crushed into pieces with a little force.

As it turned out, the arrowhead really broke into pieces with just a pinch. Wang Jian simply rubbed the arrowhead hard with the thumb of his other hand, and the arrowhead broke into pieces.

If you want to kill people with arrows like this, you might as well hope that the Zhao archers have amazing archery skills and can use arrows without arrowheads to penetrate armor and kill people.

"Tetanus arrow!" Yan Yan's mouth twitched.

They did steal some equipment from the Liaoyang treasury, but because they knew they were defective products, they did not carefully study how bad they were.

But no one expected that Zhao State got such an old rusty arrow from somewhere.

As for other weapons, Yan Yan didn't dare to imagine.

But Wang Jian still showed it to them.

Originally, the craftsmanship of Zhao's swords could not match that of Qin's swords, but it was not to the extent that the Zhao sword could not cut the Qin sword. It was actually the Zhao sword that was broken.

It would be normal if a gap was cut, and it is understandable that the sword cut was a famous sword made at a great expense by the Qin State.

However, the sword that was wielding Zhao Jian was just an ordinary Qin-style long sword.

"There are too many impurities, or in other words, the ore is simply refined and used to forge swords. Whether it is the temperature or the material selection, it is the worst of the worst. In the Tangxi Sword Alliance, it is not even as good as the waste in the sword pool!" Yan Yan finally understood why Wang Jian, Wang Ben and others were so angry.

Using such weapons on the battlefield was like sending soldiers to their deaths. Even enemy generals would not accept such an outcome.

At first, they only intended to consume Zhao's food and supplies and force the other side to withdraw.

But who would have thought that Zhao State knew that there were problems with the equipment, but still went ahead and let its soldiers use this batch of equipment on the battlefield.

"If, I mean if, if the King of Qin and General Wang were to release these soldiers back to Handan, would the King of Qin and the general be willing?" Yan Yan looked at Ying Zheng and Wang Jian.

Wang Jian didn't say anything. He knew Yan Yan's plan, but Ying Zheng was the one in charge now.

Ying Zheng naturally knew what Yan Yan wanted to do, and after just a little thought, he nodded in agreement.

Their goal is not just to occupy Zhao State, but to rule Zhao State!
Making the Zhao court and king lose the support of the people will be more beneficial to future rule.

"I will arrange it right away!" Wang Jian turned and left, continuing to give orders.

"I am very curious. No matter how corrupt the State of Zhao is, it is impossible for them to tamper with weapons!" Ying Zheng said with a frown.

The most important affairs of the country are military service and sacrifice.

As a rising power, Zhao State once contended with Qin State for hegemony, so it is impossible for it not to understand this principle.

But why did the State of Zhao dare to tamper with weapons!
"Maybe... it is also related to Bingzhou!" Yan Yan hesitated.

"?" Ying Zheng looked at Yan Yan in confusion.

"Because of the war three years ago, the State of Zhao needs to pay war reparations to Bingzhou every year!" Yan Yan stopped there.

Because Zhao needed to pay war reparations to Bingzhou, but Zhao could not afford so much money, Guo Kai arrogantly used Zhao's minerals as a substitute.

This also means that the State of Zhao actually did not have any extra mineral resources to forge weapons.

"..." Ying Zheng also fell silent.

Looking at it this way, it seems that Zhao cannot be blamed.

But Ying Zheng's eyes narrowed again and he looked at Yan Yan.

If Zhao State cannot produce this batch of equipment, then what about Bingzhou, which received war reparations?

"How many soldiers in Bingzhou have you got now?" Ying Zheng asked tentatively.

Bingzhou forged swords into plowshares and rested for three years without any external displays of force. Everything was focused on developing people's livelihood, and one professional workshop after another was established.

If there was no arsenal, they would never believe it even if they were beaten to death.

So how many equipment and weapons can Bingzhou, which has obtained so many mineral deposits from Zhao State, produce?
"About 100,000!" Yan Yan smiled awkwardly.

"One hundred thousand!" Ying Zheng took a deep breath.

Even the Qin State might not be able to gather 100,000 armored soldiers!

Moreover, even if the State of Zhao paid compensation with mineral deposits, it seems that they would not be enough to make 100,000 sets of armor, right?

"The Mohists were inspired by the smelting technology of the Western Regions and were able to smelt fine iron!" Yan Yan continued to explain.

None of the princes paid attention to iron ore, nor did they include it in the banned list, and Bingzhou naturally would not say anything about it.

Making a fortune quietly is the way to make money.

Ying Zheng understood, and after returning, he included iron ore in the list of war reserve materials and restricted its export to Bingzhou.

"Don't you know about the Mohist school?" Ying Zheng asked in a low voice. Of course, he was not talking about the Mohist school in Bingzhou, but the Qin Mohist school of Xiangli Zi in the Qin State.

"He probably doesn't know. The Mohist School is divided into three parts, and Qin Mo and Deng Lingzi's lineages hardly communicate with each other!" Yan Yan thought for a while and said.

The most important thing is that Xianglizi's lineage is famous for its mechanical engineering, so naturally they look down on Xiamo's lineage who only know how to use their fists, and they don't think that Denglingzi's lineage can surpass them in mechanical engineering and swordmaking.

(End of this chapter)