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

Chapter 953: The Ritual of Leading a Sheep [Subscription*Monthly Ticket Request]

Ju Wu stared at his adopted nephew, the King of Yan, and finally understood where the 50,000 Great Wall garrison troops had gone.

However, Ju Wu did not hesitate at all when it came to the three choices given by Yan Wangxi, "I choose the first one!"

"No regrets?" King Yan looked at Ju Wu with satisfaction. It was worth it that he let go of the past grudges and accepted Ju Wu back to Yan State and appointed him as prime minister.

"No regrets!" Ju Wu shook his head.

Those who cause trouble to the State of Yan, after their death, are the soul of the State of Yan.

At least he is also a member of the royal family of Yan State.

"Sometimes living requires more courage than dying!" Yan Wangxi sighed deeply, "I need you to live!"

Ju Wu frowned, somewhat confused.

"Qin fought too hastily in this battle. Xianyang didn't have time to prepare so many local officials, so they must have selected some officials from Yan to help Qin manage this huge territory!" King Xi of Yan looked straight at Ju Wu, "I need you to bear the crime of treason and stay to help Qin manage Yan."

"This..." Ju Wu finally understood Yan Wangxi's purpose.

King Xi of Yan did not trust the Qin people, or perhaps it was because Yan had learned too many lessons and would not easily trust ministers from other countries.

If he could stay, with his status and position, Qin would continue to employ him and let him assist the Qin army in controlling the territory of Yan.

Only if he stayed could he ensure that the Qin people would not mistreat and exploit the people of Yan.

However, this is not a good thing for Ju Wu.

In the eyes of the Yan people, he would become a traitor to Yan.

This is also what King Xi of Yan said, sometimes living requires more courage than dying.

The people of Yan and even Ju Wu's relatives would not understand him and regarded him as a running dog of the Qin people and a traitor of Yan.

"I..." Ju Wu hesitated.

It is easy to die, but living with a bad reputation requires more courage, is more painful, and is more tormenting.

"I am willing!" Ju Wu finally agreed.

Even if the world doesn't understand, he has to do it.

The Ji clan of Yan State had been supported by Yan State for hundreds of years, and they also needed to shoulder their responsibilities.

"The Qin army is coming soon!" King Xi of Yan handed over the national seal and the map of Yan State, and placed them in front of Ju Wu with both hands.

Ju Wu took the tray carrying the Yan State's national seal and map with trembling hands. He knew that if he took these two things, he would be cursed for eternity, and both the Qin army and the Yan people would look down on him.

But he had no choice. In order to prevent the Qin people from treating the Yan people harshly, he had to bear the infamy.

"Go!" King Xi of Yan waved his hand, stood up alone, and walked into the depths of the palace.

Under the city of Ji, Wang Jian personally led the army to surround the entire city of Ji.

As long as Jicheng fell, it would mean the demise of Yan State, and they would be able to send victory news to Xianyang.

However, there were tens of thousands of troops retreating from Shicheng and troops coming from all over Yan State to support the king in Jicheng, so it was not easy to capture Jicheng.

Therefore, Wang Jian did not rashly order an attack, but set up camp on the spot and wait for the entire army to rest.

"Click, click, click~" The suspension bridge at the south gate of Jicheng slowly fell down under the rotation of the machinery, and leaned heavily on the moat.

The heavy city gate slowly opened from the inside.

Wang Jian and other Qin generals looked at the Yan army that was marching out of the city in confusion. They were also a little puzzled. "Is the Yan army going to fight to the death?" Wang Ben had no choice but to order the vanguard camp to be ready.

"Not really!" Wang Jian shook his head.

Although the Yan army left the city, they did so in the form of a guard of honor, standing on both sides of the road. It was obvious that an important figure from the Yan State was about to come out.

Soon, Ju Wu led a group of Yan officials and slowly walked out of the city gate and walked slowly towards the Qin army camp.

Only when he reached the front of the Qin army did Ju Wu take off his cloak, revealing his inner garments.

"Is this surrender?" Wang Jian, Xin Sheng and others were stunned.

It’s not that the Yan people don’t have the ability to fight. At least we have to wait until they attack the city for a few days before surrendering.

But when they saw Ju Wu holding a jade in his mouth, wearing a sheepskin, and with a straw rope around his neck, they understood that the State of Yan was about to surrender.

"Let's go!" Wang Jian, along with Xin Sheng and other Qin generals, also headed towards Jicheng.

"The King of Yan has passed away. Prime Minister Ju Wu leads all the officials of Yan to present the national seal and map of Yan to Qin!" The prime minister of Yan shouted.

Read more latest popular novels at 6.9*shuba!

Wang Jian and others still looked at the Yan State group in disbelief. They never expected that King Xi of Yan had already passed away.

But looking at Ju Wu holding a jade in his mouth and performing the sheep-leading ceremony, they had to accept this fact.

Holding a jade in the mouth was the etiquette of the King of Eastern Zhou Dynasty surrendering to the Qin State, and the ceremony of leading a sheep was also a humiliating ceremony for the princes to surrender.

Holding a jade in the mouth represents handing over one's kingdom, people, wealth, and fiefdom. Usually, a king would hold a jade in his mouth after his death and would do so when he was buried in a tomb. A living person would not do this, and for a living person to do so would also represent surrender.

As for the sheep-leading ceremony, it is even more humiliating, meaning that one becomes a lamb to be slaughtered, at the mercy of others.

In fact, as one of the only seven remaining princes in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Ju Wu only needed to hold a jade in his mouth, and there was no need to perform the sheep-leading ceremony, which was too insulting.

So this is also the reason why Wang Jian and others were shocked.

"Why must the Prime Minister do this!" Wang Jian quickly dismounted, tied the straw rope around Ju Wu's neck and the sheepskin on his body, and put his own cloak on Ju Wu.

Respect is mutual. They were able to defeat the State of Yan because Yan did not deploy its Great Wall garrison corps to the battlefield, which was considered an unfair victory and they were completely unworthy of the courtesy of leading a sheep.

Ju Wu looked at Wang Jian calmly, waiting for Wang Jian to take the jade out of his mouth.

Wang Jian was not stupid. If he really accepted the gift of leading a sheep, the soldiers in Jicheng might not agree, especially since they had not yet taken off their armor.

The ceremony of leading a sheep is the greatest insult. Even when Bingzhou conquered the barbarians, it did not allow the other side to surrender with the ceremony of leading a sheep.

Therefore, Wang Jian's behavior also made the angry eyes of the Yan soldiers around him ease a little, and their fingers no longer pressed on the scabbard.

"You are trying to trick me before you die!" Wang Jian cursed in his heart.

If young people like Wang Ben and Li Xin had come instead, and accepted the surrender without knowing the truth, it might have triggered a war and caused more casualties.

"The State of Yan is destroyed!" Wang Jian took the jade from Ju Wu's mouth, held it high above his head, and showed it off to the Qin army.

On the top of Jicheng, the soldiers guarding the city looked at the jade stone held high in Wang Jian's hand, and the light in their eyes disappeared. Many of them closed their eyes, drew the long swords at their waists, crossed their necks, lay down in blood, and fell down the tall city wall.

"Bang~" a dull sound of falling to the ground.

Ju Wu turned his head and looked at the soldiers who died for their country. His eyes instantly turned red and he finally closed his eyes, unable to bear to look any longer.

"It is said that there are many righteous men in Yan and Zhao. I didn't believe it before, but now I have to believe it!" Wang Jian also took a deep breath, looked at the Yan soldiers falling from the city wall, and couldn't help but take off his helmet to salute.

(End of this chapter)