Douping Jun was called Paul Dean. He was originally from Qi, and when Qi was on the verge of destruction, it was he who saved the state. One could even say that he single-handedly forged Qi. Yet, precisely because of this, he became someone the King of Qi feared and could no longer tolerate. The King of Zhao seized the opportunity, trading more than fifty cities to obtain Paul Dean, making him a general of Zhao, and later appointing him as the prime minister of Zhao.

Ever since he was sent by the King of Qi to the King of Zhao in exchange for fifty cities, Paul Dean had become increasingly silent and withdrawn. This man, both civil and military, who had risked his life to save Qi, was sold for the price of fifty cities. No matter how much respect the King of Zhao showed him, Paul Dean remained cold and indifferent. He was still alive, but the former savior of Qi, who had been a brilliant commander and defeated Frank Lee, seemed to have died already.

He did not get along well with any of the generals of Zhao.

Upon hearing the King of Zhao’s inquiry, Paul Dean said, “I only have a passing acquaintance with Steven Hill, having met him on the road and nodded in greeting. I do not know anything about his affairs.”

The King of Zhao sighed helplessly and said, “You may go back and rest.” Only then did Paul Dean rise, bow to the King of Zhao, and leave the palace. In the palace, only the King of Zhao and another legendary figure of Zhao remained. The old man sitting before the King of Zhao coughed from time to time, his hair and beard completely white, which made the King of Zhao sigh at the power of time. The King of Zhao respectfully lowered his head, “Mr. Carter, is there anything you wish to tell me?”

Sitting before the King of Zhao was none other than the previous prime minister of Zhao, William Carter.

William Carter raised his head, his pale face making the King of Zhao feel deep sorrow. He said, “Steven Hill’s suggestion was rejected by the lord. He must have gone to visit Charles Clark. Perhaps it was Charles Clark or one of his retainers who told Steven Hill. However, Steven Hill was not wrong—General Robert Lane should not be replaced.”

“Although Charles Clark is young, he has a great reputation,” said the King of Zhao.

“If the lord appoints Charles Clark based solely on his reputation, it is like gluing the tuning pegs of a zither and then trying to play it—unable to adapt. Charles Clark only reads the books left by his father and does not know how to be flexible,” said William Carter.

“Then if I use Douping Jun Paul Dean, what do you think?”

“General Paul Dean does not get along with the other generals, and besides, his heart is still with Qi. Since coming to Zhao, he has been utterly disheartened. He will not care about the survival of Zhao as General Robert Lane does. I believe he is not suitable.”

“Then if I use Wangzhu Jun Frank Lee, what do you think?”

“General Frank Lee has only just defected, and the King of Yan hates him deeply and wants to kill him. If the lord uses General Frank Lee, it will surely provoke the anger of the Yan people. Zhao cannot stand alone against Qin; now is the time when we need the help of Yan, Qi, Wei, and other states. The lord must not use him as a general.” As soon as William Carter finished speaking, he began to cough again, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. The King of Zhao was greatly alarmed and hurried to support him personally.

He ordered the guards to escort William Carter back to his residence and repeatedly urged him to take care of himself. The King of Zhao sat alone in the palace, looking desolate.

King Daniel of Zhao had ascended the throne as a child. He had always wanted to establish Zhao’s hegemony and make the other states submit to Zhao’s might. In his first year on the throne, he allied with Qi and repelled the Qin invasion. Since then, he had constantly thought of taking revenge on Qin. He did everything he could to attract talented people, believing that as long as Zhao had enough talent, Qin would not be a match for Zhao. He traded fifty cities to obtain Paul Dean.

He seized the right moment and used a family letter to persuade Frank Lee to surrender.

But why were things not turning out as he had hoped? Why could the people of Zhao not defeat the Qin?

King Daniel of Zhao clenched his fists, his eyes bloodshot.

Chapter 009: Where to Send the Envoy

“Let’s see you hurt again! Let’s see you hurt again!”

Just as Charles Clark stepped out the door, he saw Miller furiously banging his head against a mulberry tree. With each impact, mulberry leaves flew everywhere, and a pile had already accumulated on the ground. Charles Clark was startled—what was going on? He was about to step forward when Grace stopped him. Grace said helplessly, “Young master, don’t be alarmed. Miller is just like this. Yesterday he drank with friends, and today his headache is unbearable, so in a fit of anger, he’s banging his head against the tree.”

Charles Clark widened his eyes and asked, “Is he always like this?”

Grace nodded. “He has a violent temper. Once, because his nose kept itching, he punched it until it bled… Young master, you may not know, but when he first came to Zhao, many people invited him to be a retainer. But he talked too much, going on and on, so they didn’t want him anymore and sent him to herd sheep and horses. He’s good at those things, but if the sheep don’t listen or run wild…”

“What does he do?”

“He beats and kicks the sheep. I’ve seen him wrestle a donkey, pinning it down and beating it. Even horses and cattle are not spared. If they anger him, he’ll fight them, not caring if his own fists bleed. Later, whether it was sheep, cattle, or horses, they all became afraid of him. When noisy flocks saw Miller coming, they didn’t dare make a sound and only lowered their heads to graze.”

Charles Clark gaped in astonishment. What kind of people were his retainers, anyway?