Time passed day by day.

During this period, Zhao Kuo was very low-key. In addition to handling the official duties of the General Office, he was at home with his wife and children and enjoying the family's parent-child time.

In addition, Zhao Kuo also spends two or three days a month to go to the villa outside the city.

This villa has now become a large military camp of the Chiyou Army. Since hundreds of thousands of acres of land outside the villa are owned by Zhao Kuo, this area can be called a small independent kingdom of Zhao Kuo. The Chiyou Army trained here as if it were fish in water, and at the same time, it lowered the peeping from other forces to the lowest point.

As for other aspects, there are naturally Xu Li, Guo Zong, Li Si and others who helped Zhao Kuo manage it. These are talents Zhao Kuo trusts and is also very talented, so they can naturally help Zhao Kuo handle it properly.

During this period, the Empress Dowager specially sent someone to ask whether Zhao Kuo agreed to return Ji Hou's body to Qin. Zhao Kuo naturally had no concern about this and directly said that the Empress Dowager made the decision.

Time slowly passed through summer, autumn, and then New Year's Day.

New Year's Day is here and winter is here.

When the first snow fell from the sky in the New Year, Zhao Kuo also received an order from the palace.

The next day, the first court meeting for the New Year was held in the Congtai Hall of Handan.

After several years in power, the Empress Dowager Han Ji was obviously used to this feeling of giving orders. After he was thirty years old, his face was still pretty, but his majesty when he spoke was also impeccable.

"You guys, it's time to discuss the next target of conquest.

If you have any comments, you might as well bring them all up.”

There was suddenly silence in the hall.

Zhao Kuo looked left and right, and found that neither Pingyuan Jun nor Lin Xiangru spoke, and was stunned.

Lin Xiangru was naturally waiting for Zhao Kuo to speak, and Zhao Kuo had long known this because of Zhou Shaofen's information.

But what does Pingyuan Jun mean?

Could it be that... Zhao Kuo coughed and spoke: "Empress Dowager, I think the next target of conquest can be Qi or Qin."

The Queen Mother said: "Why are these two countries?"

Zhao Kuo said: "The Qin State was just defeated last year, and it was an excellent time for the Great Zhao to take the opportunity to attack Guanzhong.

Moreover, Chu, Han, Wei, and Yan have suffered heavy losses due to wars, and they do not have the ability to participate in the trouble of Da Zhao.

Even if we cannot completely capture Guanzhong, if we can take over the old land of Xihe County occupied by Jin and Wei, it will be an extremely severe suppression for Qin."

The so-called Xihe County refers to the area between the Luoshui River and the Yellow River in the eastern part of Guanzhong. It is named after its location west of the Yellow River.

Jin and Wei once occupied this place for hundreds of years, and it was not until Shang Yang's reform that Qin became powerful before he took it away from Wei.

The Empress Dowager said lightly: "What is the saying of conquering Qi?"

Zhao Kuo said: "Qi State has won consecutive victories in recent years. First, he won the Great Zhao by chance in the Battle of Gaotang, and last year he won the Langya City of Chu. Now he is in a strong position to become the second most powerful country in the world.

If the Great Zhao sends troops to attack Qi, it will not only avenge the shame of the Battle of Gaotang, but also weaken the power of Qi, preventing Qi from continuing to grow and becoming a strong enemy that Da Zhao will be difficult to solve in the future."

The Empress Dowager nodded very seriously when she heard it. If Zhao Kuo had not known the inside story for a long time, she would have thought that the Empress Dowager had really trusted her completely.

The Empress Dowager said: "Wu Xinjun's suggestion has been stated. Do you have any other suggestions?"

Zhao Kuo looked at Lin Xiangru and felt that Lin Xiangru should have spoken, or Lian Po.

Sure enough, the next moment, Lin Xiangru spoke: "Empress Dowager, the old minister felt that Wu Xinjun's strategy was too aggressive.

Now, the Great Zhao is the most powerful country in the world. Every move will arouse fear of the princes in the world. If they attack Qin or Qi again, it is likely to attract joint revenge from the princes in the world."

Zhao Kuo was waiting for these words from Lin Xiangru.

If you don’t refute this marquis, how can this marquis fail to show you?

Zhao Kuo immediately said, "Wen Xinjun's words are not right.

Since Da Zhao is the most powerful country in the world, no matter what he does, he will be paid attention to and feared by the princes in the world. Therefore, the best way for Da Zhao is to ignore these concerns and fears and just do his own things."

Lin Xiangru said: "Even if you do your own thing, it is too conspicuous to conquer Qi or Qin. That is a powerful country in the world.

In my opinion, it is obvious that conquering Yan State is the best strategy.”

Zhao Kuo was stunned: "National Yan?"

Although he had thought that Lin Xiangru would propose other countries as his target to refute, the Yan State still surprised Zhao Kuo a little.

Zhao Kuo originally thought that Lin Xiangru would suggest conquering the half-dead Wei State, or Han, who was in trouble with Wei State.

Lin Xiangru said: "It's Yan State.

Yan State is located on the back of the Great Zhao, which is a huge threat to the Great Zhao going south.

It’s better to destroy Yan State first, and then Da Zhao can go south with all his might."

When Zhao Kuo heard this, he couldn't help but shake his head.

From a military geography perspective, destroying Yan State and then heading south is indeed a very reasonable choice, but the problem is... the balance and tacit understanding between the seven countries were not formed in the past two years, but in the past two hundred years.

Taking the historical knowledge in Zhao Kuo's mind as an example, South Korea was the first to perish in 230 BC, and Qi was the last to perish in 221 BC, only ten years apart.

This actually shows that the demise of any country will trigger an avalanche effect, which will directly cause other countries to face a catastrophe.

Although the princes are not time travelers today, the situation is still clearly seen by the princes, and a consensus is formed that weak countries join forces to curb the continued annexation of strong countries.

It is precisely in this consensus that for many years, such as Qi's destruction of Yan, Yan's destruction of Qi, and Qin's destruction of Chu, would have been stopped by the princes.

In such a situation, if you want to destroy any country, the premise must be that the power of Zhao is enough to surpass the sum of the other six countries.

Otherwise, it will only cause Zhao to backfire while encountering the six countries.

So Zhao Kuo said, "If the other princes have not been completely destroyed by us today, to conquer Yan at this time, it is equivalent to forcing all other princes to stand opposite to our Great Zhao, and we must not."

Lin Xiangru frowned and said, "How is that possible?

Yan State is remote in the border area, and no one will come to rescue Yan State.

Needless to say, the two countries of Han and Wei, Chu is an ally of our Great Zhao, and it is not difficult to resist Qin. The only thing that needs to be concerned is Qi."

Zhao Kuo said: "Since you have to worry about Qi, why don't you send troops to attack Qi directly?

At least if you attack Qi State, most of the Yan State will not send troops."

Lin Xiangru said: "Because Yan State can be destroyed in one go, but Qi State cannot."
Chapter completed!