frightfiction Chapter 615 The Surrender of the State of Yan
Chapter 615 The Surrender of the State of Yan
Li Fu, Ju Wan, and other important ministers were present, along with several accompanying nobles. After reading the King of Qin's letter and hearing the details of Xiang Yan's visit, the group reacted in various ways.
"Your Majesty, we cannot surrender!" the play's playwright exclaimed, "Xiang Yan, cowardly and afraid of death, surrendered to Qin and now he's acting as an envoy—how shameful! How can we follow his example?"
“General Ju,” Li Fu sighed, “we both know whether Xiang Yan is a coward or not. Last year in the battle of Chu, he held out for two months until his food supplies ran out and reinforcements were cut off. King Fu Chu of Chu suspected him and refused to send reinforcements. What would you have done in his place?”
Speechless after the play ended.
“Xiang Yan is right,” Li Fu continued, “Which is more important, the country or the people? We, as subjects, can die for our country and be remembered in history. But what about the people? What about the soldiers? They only want to live.”
"Living?" the actor sneered after the play ended. "Living on your knees?"
"It's easy to die standing, but hard to live." An old voice rang out. Everyone looked over and saw that it was a senior member of the Yan Kingdom, the uncle of King Xi of Yan, who was over seventy years old.
The old nobleman said tremblingly, "This old minister has lived for seventy years, witnessing the strength of King Zhao of Yan's reign and also its current decline. To tell you the truth, this old minister does not wish to surrender, does not wish to become a slave of a conquered nation. But..."
Tears streamed down his face as he said, “General Ju, look at the soldiers outside. That old soldier who feeds the horses, named Wang San, has served your father for thirty years. When Jicheng fell, he carried you, who was wounded, for thirty li. Can you bear to let such a man be buried with you?”
After the play ended, he looked out of the hall. Wang San was feeding the horses, his movements slow and his back stiff. When he saw the play was over and people looking at him, Wang San grinned, revealing two missing front teeth.
My eyes were red after the show ended.
“Your Majesty,” the old nobleman turned to King Xi of Yan, “for the sake of Yan’er, for the sake of the Yan bloodline, surrender. Xiang Yan is right, Yan’er is only ten years old, he shouldn’t die here.”
The King of Yan looked at Ji Yan in his arms. His son was fast asleep, his little face red from the cold, but a smile played on his lips, probably having a sweet dream.
"General Ju," the Prince of Yan asked with delight, "if war breaks out, what are our chances of winning?"
After a long silence following the play, he said with difficulty, "If the Qin army doesn't use the Heaven-Shaking Thunder, they might have a 10% chance of winning; but if they do... they have no chance at all."
"How long can the food supplies last?"
"Only three months. If the Qin army besieges without attacking, it will last at most half a year."
Six months, only six months. After six months, they will run out of ammunition and food, and collapse without a fight.
King Yan closed his eyes, tears streaming down his face.
"Summon Xiang Yan."
When Xiang Yan re-entered the "palace," the Yan king and his ministers were all present. He stood at the very front, gripping his sword hilt, his gaze sharp as a knife.
"Xiang Yan!" the play ended with a stern voice, "You still have the nerve to try and persuade Yan to surrender? You are largely to blame for the fall of Chu! Now you're acting as a lackey of Qin, trying to persuade Yan to surrender. Aren't you afraid of being ridiculed by the world?"
Xiang Yan watched the play finish calmly: "General Ju is right to scold me. Xiang Yan is indeed a defeated general and a surrendered subject. But precisely because of this, Xiang Yan must tell the truth."
He looked around at everyone: "How did the State of Chu perish? It didn't fall because of the strength of the Qin army, but because of internal strife and suspicion. The King of Chu suspected me, refused to send reinforcements, and cut off our supplies, leaving my 30,000 soldiers to endure two months of bitter winter. Two months! Every day, hundreds starved and froze to death. In the end, people in the city resorted to cannibalism..."
Xiang Yan's voice choked with sobs: "Do you know what that feels like? Watching the soldiers who have followed me for so many years starve to death one by one, and being powerless to do anything about it. Watching the people exchange their own children to eat each other, and being unable to stop it. At that time, I thought, what is this all for? For the King of Chu? He suspects me. For the State of Chu? The State of Chu has already abandoned me."
"So you lowered your standards?" the actor sneered after the performance ended.
"Yes, I surrender," Xiang Yan said, raising his head. "But not for myself, but for the soldiers who are still alive. If I surrender, they can live; if I die in battle, they will all be buried with me. General Ju, if it were you, what would you choose?"
He was speechless after the play ended.
"I've come to persuade them to surrender not because I'm afraid of death, nor because I want to serve as an official in Qin," Xiang Yan continued, his voice resolute, "but because I don't want to see Yan repeat the mistakes of Chu! I don't want to see the people of Liaodong resorting to cannibalism! I don't want these soldiers to die in vain!"
He pointed outside the hall: "They followed you all the way north, enduring so much hardship. Now they have a chance to live, a chance to have a good life, why should they die? Just for 'integrity'? Is integrity more important than human life?"
The hall was completely silent. Everyone was stunned by Xiang Yan's words. Every word this former general of an enemy state uttered struck a nerve.
"General Xiang," King Xi of Yan said, his voice hoarse, "if I surrender... can King Qin truly protect the ancestral temples of Yan? Can he truly treat the people of Yan well?"
Xiang Yan knelt down and solemnly declared, "Xiang Yan swears on the century-old reputation of the Xiang family: the King of Qin's promise is absolutely true. If the King of Yan returns, he will be treated with great respect. The people of Yan will enjoy peace. If the King of Qin breaks his promise, Xiang Yan is willing to be struck by lightning and may the Xiang family never be reincarnated!"
This was an extremely solemn oath. Xiang Yan swore it on the century-old reputation of his family and on the promises of his descendants; no one would doubt his sincerity.
King Yan sighed deeply and looked at Ju Wan: "General Ju, what do you say?"
After the performance, he knelt down, tears streaming down his face: "Your Majesty, I have nothing to say. I only ask one thing of you: if you surrender, please allow me to retire from the army and return to my hometown. I cannot serve the Qin state."
"Approved," the Prince of Yan said happily.
He then looked at Li Fu and his ministers: "And you, gentlemen?"
After a moment of silence, the crowd knelt down one after another: "Your subjects... obey the king's command."
King Yan rose and walked to Xiang Yan, helping him up with both hands: "General Xiang, I trust you. Propose a surrender document."
A complex emotion flashed in Xiang Yan's eyes as he solemnly bowed, saying, "The King of Yan is benevolent and virtuous; he will surely reap good results."
That night, Xiang Yan sat alone in the post station. The deputy envoy entered and whispered, "General, the Yan Kingdom has agreed to surrender. We... have succeeded."
Xiang Yan didn't speak, but just stared at the drizzling rain outside the window.
He thought of the land of Chu, of the soldiers who died in battle, and of the vow he had made—that one day he would see the world unified and free from war forever.
Now, that day is almost here. But in his heart, there is no joy, only endless desolation.
"Prepare," Xiang Yan said softly. "Tomorrow, we will take over Xiangping."
On April 20th, the city gates of Xiangping were opened wide.
King Xi of Yan led his court out of the city and presented a letter of surrender to Xiang Yan. Thirty thousand Yan soldiers laid down their weapons and surrendered. The Yan state, which had lasted for eight hundred years, officially came to an end.
Xiang Yan stood before the city gate and received the surrender document. His hand was steady, but his heart was churning with turmoil. A year ago, he had submitted the surrender document from Chu; now, he was receiving the surrender document from Yan. How similar history was, and how cruel it was.
"General Xiang," King Xi of Yan looked at Xiang Yan, "I have a matter to entrust to you."
"Please speak, Prince of Yan."
King Yan pulled Ji Yan aside and said, "This is my youngest son, Ji Yan, who is ten years old this year. My journey to Xianyang is uncertain. If... if anything untoward happens, please, General, take care of this child, considering our frankness today."