The king of Chu was newly mourned and sent an envoy to Zheng to invite Uncle Zheng to express his condolences.
After some analysis by Zichan, Uncle Zheng immediately agreed and arranged for Zichan to accompany him.
When Wu Ju saw Uncle Zheng and Zichan agreeing so readily, a smile suddenly flashed across his face.
"Haha, it really took no effort at all. Now it seems that these Xia kingdoms have really recognized my position as the leader of the Chu Kingdom."
Originally, he did not expect to be able to invite the king of Zheng so easily this time, but he did not expect that it would go so smoothly, which was somewhat beyond his expectation.
At this time, Fengduan, who was sitting on the other side and had never said anything, finally couldn't bear it anymore.
He didn't have anything to say at today's celebration banquet. Seeing that Li Ran was about to be listed as a junior doctor just now, the bitterness in his stomach was already overwhelming. Now that he didn't agree to seize the opportunity, he couldn't let it go.
"I would like to ask the envoy, Duan heard that the late King of Chu passed away suddenly when he was young and had no heir. I wonder who the successor is?"
Reporting funerals and expressing condolences are actually minor issues.
But what Toyodan asked was the real big deal!
If the King of Chu dies, then the Chu Kingdom must have a successor, right?
But the previous emperor had no children, so who should inherit the throne?
As for this issue, everyone present knew it in their hearts. Apart from Prince Wei of Chu Lingyin, whose ambition was already obvious, who else could be there?
Before, his prince Wei had already blatantly dressed in royal attire at the Guodi Meeting. Now that the King of Chu is dead, if he doesn't ascend the throne of Chu, who else can?
So since everyone knew it in their hearts, why did Toyoda deliberately single out this issue and ask about it?
Of course, this is what is called "showing off"!
Because at least in name, he, Feng Duan, was Prince Wei's father-in-law!
Once Wang Ziwei becomes the King of Chu, wouldn't Feng Duan become the royal family member of the Chu Kingdom?
With this level of relationship, coupled with the various subtle relationships between the Zheng State and the Chu State throughout the ages, he will be able to feel more proud in the future when he is in the Zheng State? At least he won't be as passive and passive as he is now.
Moreover, what kind of person is Wang Ziwei? It was already evident at the Guo Di Meeting.
If Wang Ziwei really intends to go north to compete with Jin for hegemony in the future, and given Zheng's embarrassing geographical situation, will he still need to look at Zichan and Hanhu's eyes? I'm afraid it's not that they need to look at his face to act!
Therefore, Feng Duan's question is actually a typical show off, a naked show off. Even though, his ability to show off is more or less suspected of "telling the truth".
However, Toyodan was not ashamed of it, but rather proud of it.
Therefore, as soon as he finished speaking, a trace of imperceptible pride and self-satisfaction appeared in the corners of his eyes.
Li Ran also heard it clearly, and then snorted slightly to express his disdain.
Of course, Uncle Zheng, Han Hu, and Zi Chan all knew what Feng Duan had planned there, but due to the presence of the Chu envoy, they naturally couldn't say much.
Wu Ju was obviously well prepared for this question.
His answer can be said to be very subtle.
"The sons of the common king are always surrounded."
Although this sentence only has seven words, these seven short words instantly demonstrated Wu Ju's sophistication and shrewdness to the fullest. Even Li Ran couldn't help but secretly admire this man.
Good guy, ginger is still hotter than old. The ancients do not deceive me.
You know, according to the diplomatic etiquette of various countries, everything Wu Ju says now will be recorded in the history of Zheng.
This is an important way of writing history in the Spring and Autumn Period.
And this is the reason why although the book "Spring and Autumn" was written by the historians of the State of Lu, there are many important events in other countries.
Therefore, Wu Ju knew very well that every word he said now must be carefully crafted.
The seven words he just answered undoubtedly reflected Wu Ju's diplomatic sophistication.
Li Ran also smiled slightly when he heard the sound, and joked with Wu Ju:
"Shouldn't it be 'Chu Ling Yin Wei'?"
Li Ran and Wu Ju had already met several times, and Wang Ziwei had recruited him before, so the relationship between Li Ran and Wu Ju was actually quite familiar.
Of course, although Li Ran said this in a joke, it actually left quite a hole.
Although the "Chu Ling Yin Wei" he mentioned and the "King King's Son Wei" mentioned by Wu Ju are the same person, they are completely different in nature and have completely different meanings.
After all, Ling Yin was the highest-ranking minister in Chu State, similar to the "prime minister" in later generations. Officials are indeed very big, but in the final analysis, they are still just ministers.
When Wu Ju said "Wei, the son of King Gong", he deliberately emphasized Wang Ziwei's status as a prince, and also emphasized most importantly that Wang Ziwei was the eldest son of the late King Gong.
If Wang Ziwei declares the world as the commander of the Chu Kingdom and ascends to the throne of the King of Chu, no matter what he says, it is a naked usurpation of power and regicide, and he will be ashamed of all countries. .
But what if Wang Ziwei ascends to the throne of King Chu as a prince? And he is still the eldest son of the King of Chu! Then for him to inherit the position of King of Chu, wouldn't it suddenly become more justified?
Therefore, whether it is Wu Ju or Li Ran, when discussing this issue, although it seems that they are just arguing about a prefix, in fact, it is completely related to the face of Chu State.
And this was a little trick that was often played between countries during the Spring and Autumn Period. The so-called "Spring and Autumn Brushwork" in later generations generally means this.
Therefore, the reason why Li Ran asked this question was actually very simple. In fact, it was just a trap for Wu Ju. It depends on whether you will accept Wu Ju or not. If you want to accept it, how are you going to accept it?
Because, as mentioned above, if Wu Ju makes a mistake, it will completely lose the face of Chu State.
Wu Ju obviously understood the profound meaning of Li Ran's words. He immediately turned around and looked at Li Ran.
"Oh?...It's Brother Ziming!"
"It's been more than half a year since we last met in Guodi, and I didn't recognize him for a while. I'm really ashamed, so ashamed."
"But? If you remember correctly, when you were in Guodi, Brother Ziming was just a traveler of Zheng Guo. But now he can discuss national affairs here as a traveler? It's really impressive. !”
In fact, how could he not recognize Li Ran? As soon as he entered the palace, he recognized Li Ran at first sight. And the reason why he said that was actually just to respond to Li Ran in a deliberately sarcastic way.
After all, Li Ran is still just a pedestrian. Although Wu Ju didn't know what was going on to be able to stand here today, it was obviously not in line with etiquette.
What's more, what they are talking about now is about such an important matter as the successor of the king of Chu. Why does he, a pedestrian, interrupt?
then. Translate his two sentences directly, and if they are more straightforward, they are just two words: Shut up!
Although Wu Ju said this, he was still polite on the surface. But whether it was Uncle Zheng, Han Hu or Zi Chan, they had actually heard the rudeness of Wu Ju's words.
Zichan couldn't stand it for the first time and said bluntly:
"Haha, Li Ziming has made great contributions to our country of Zheng these days. It's just a coincidence that the envoy came. Just before the envoy came in, I was preparing to appoint Li Ziming as the next official. Ziming Since he is the official of our state of Zheng, why shouldn't he discuss political affairs here?"
Chapter 211_Destiny
When a smart person talks, don't pay attention to what he says, but pay attention to what he doesn't say.
This is true for Wu Ju, and so is Zi Chan.
Zichan was already disgusted with the people of Chu who were always domineering, but now he could not help but feel even more angry when he heard Wu Ju criticizing Sang and Huaihuai in such a weird way.
And the meaning of these two sentences he replied is very obvious: Li Ran is a pillar of our Zheng Kingdom, what can't he say here?
When Uncle Zheng and Han Hu heard this, they both nodded slightly in agreement.
Only Feng Duan and Si Hei seemed a little unhappy, but they did not dare to say anything in front of Uncle Zheng.
And after Li Ran got the approval of Zichan and Zheng Bo, he felt a little more confident. So he responded:
"Then... I dare to ask the Chu envoy, since Wang Ziwei has occupied the high position of Ling Yin, at this moment, he should be acting in compliance with the destiny. How can he be in vain, abandon the destiny and do something independent?"
"What's more, because of the 'Destiny of Dangbi', does the prince really have no worries about him?"
When Wu Ju heard Li Ran's words, he immediately understood -->>
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Come over. What he meant by "acting in accordance with the destiny" actually refers to the other younger son of King Gong - "Prince Qiji".
Because he is also the son of the King of the Communist Party of Chu, this prince Qiji is actually more blessed by "destiny" than Wang Ziwei.
King Gong of Chu had five sons, namely Zhao, the eldest son, Wei, the second son, Bi, the third son, Xi, the fourth son, and Qiji, the fifth son. Among these five sons, the eldest son is the oldest.
At that time, the King of the Communist Party of Chu was also fooling around. In order to choose the successor of the King of Chu, he once played a game in the ancestral temple of "who sits closer to the jade bi", which meant that the jade bi was buried in the ancestral temple. Somewhere in the temple, the five sons are then asked to enter the ancestral temple one after another to see who sits closer to the jade bi, which means who has the "destiny".
But what is interesting is that three of the five sons of King Gong came into contact with jade. The boss, Zhao, the second, Wei, and the fifth, Qiji, all touched the jade one after another.
However, the slight difference is that the boss's ultimate move is just "step over". And what about the second child Wai? It's very interesting. The person who looks like he is not sitting is actually lying on his side with his elbows on his back. However, the elbow around the second one is just pressing on the top of the jade, so it is called "elbow plus".
The most interesting thing is Laoxiao Qiji. At that time, Laoxiao Qiji was just an infant, so he was carried into the ancestral temple by a servant. Who would have expected that this servant would actually push Xiaoqiji directly into his arms? Sitting on the jade bi is called "dang bi".
One is "crossing over", one is "elbow plus", and the other is "dang jade". Therefore, it is clear at a glance who has the blessing of destiny.
The eldest brother, Dazhao, succeeded to the throne as King Chu Kang. However, King Chu Kang did not live long, so he passed it on to his son Jia Ao.
But now that Jia Ao has died again, Wang Ziwei has seized the throne, which can be regarded as fulfilling this extremely absurd "game".
Okay, since you can all take this game seriously. Then let's calculate it according to "fate". What about Prince Qiji? Shouldn't I have an advantage over you, Wang Ziwei?
This is obviously another trap Li Ran set for Wu Ju.
However, Wu Ju heard Li Ran speak so tit-for-tat and aggressively. But he was not in a hurry at all. A smile appeared inadvertently between his brows and eyes, and his face looked like he didn't care at all.
"Haha, Brother Ziming's so-called 'destiny' is nothing more than two points. One is to see whether he has the favor of God, and the other is to see whether the king can get the support of the people. I think, can If these two are satisfied, it can be regarded as 'the destination of destiny'."
"Wei, the son of the King of the Communist Party, before he became the new king, he allied with the princes in Guo and considered himself the leader of the world. Isn't this achievement a blessing from God? And after hearing about it, the people of our country were all there. They were cheering for joy. Doesn’t this mean that the prince has been recognized by the people?"
"What's more, Wang Ziwei is now the leader of all the kings. This is the status given to him by God. Isn't it considered destiny?"
When Wu Ju finished speaking, he paused for a moment, and the calm look on his face gradually became worse.
Although Fengduan's expression remained unchanged at this time, in fact, he was already "cheering for joy" deep in his heart:
Ha, there is someone who can vent his anger on his behalf! How unpleasant it is!
After hearing this, Li Ran admired Wu Ju very much.
He is indeed a talent that was fought over by Jin and Chu at the same time. Even if he, Li Ran, were asked to answer these diplomatic words at this moment, he would probably be no more than that.
What's really valuable about Wu Ju is that he was originally from a "military" background! In other words, in addition to his current "literary" side, he also has a "martial" side, and this ability is something Li Ran does not have.
Moreover, Wu Ju's life has gone through several turmoils and ups and downs. If the things he experienced were connected in series, it would be enough to write another novel.
Such rich life experience has become the capital for him to stand in Deming Palace and talk freely.
Therefore, even Li Ran, who is knowledgeable about the past and the present, cannot refute his words.
After all, how can one refute a voice from a higher standpoint?
Therefore, the first confrontation between Li Ran and Wu Ju was evenly matched, and no one suffered a loss.
The two stopped fighting, looked at each other, and both smiled.
Now that the words have been brought, Uncle Zheng has agreed to Chu's request and will go to Chu in person to express his condolences to the fallen king. Then Wu Ju was ready to say goodbye.
However, just before Wu Ju was about to say goodbye, he mentioned one more sentence by the way:
"By the way, there is one more thing I need to report to you. I took special care of you before leaving. When Uncle Zheng comes to express his condolences, Li Ziming must come with him."
After saying this, he bowed to Uncle Zheng and retreated out of the palace, leaving everyone in Deming Palace with stunned expressions on their faces.
Because they don't understand at all what Wu Ju's last sentence means?
Then Wang Ziwei actually asked Uncle Zheng to take Li Ran to the Chu Kingdom to express condolences?
What kind of medicine is this gourd selling?
Could it be said that Li Ran has become a favorite among everyone now? Even the prince who had just usurped the throne and seized power was coveting it?
Something is wrong, very wrong.
Everyone immediately turned their attention to Li Ran.
At this moment, Li Ran of course also reacted. If others didn't know what medicine was sold in Wang Ziwei's gourd, how could he not know?
"Good guy, this guy is still very evil..."
Li Ran couldn't help but secretly curse.
At the meeting in Guodi, Wang Ziwei had recruited him, but he rejected him.
Now it seems that Wang Ziwei asked Uncle Zheng to take him with him. Doesn't this mean that he wants to continue to recruit him?
"No, why do these four words 'the evil spirit never die' feel a bit strange?"
Li Ran frowned, feeling a little nauseous about his wording.
…
The banquet atmosphere in Deming Palace ended quietly after Wu Ju's arrival.
After Wu Ju left, the banquet in the palace naturally broke up.
Zichan returned with Li Ran, and the two discussed today's matters again in the chariot.
"Is Ziming really going to Chu with your Majesty and Qiao?"
Although Wu Ju only made a suggestion, he did not clearly state the consequences if he did not comply. Therefore, whether he goes or not ultimately depends on Li Ran's own wishes.
After all, Zichan still hopes that Li Ran can stay in Zheng Guo.
As the saying goes, "People are afraid of being famous, pigs are afraid of being strong." In today's diplomatic situation, for Li Ran, it will be a bit more dangerous.
Li Ran nodded when he heard this, feeling quite helpless.
"Come to think of it, Wu Ju didn't just mention this sentence for no reason today. It must have been intentional by that prince!"
"Prince Wei, this person is headstrong and moody. Now that he has established himself as the new king of Chu, the relationship between Zheng and Chu will probably become more variable! Therefore, if Zheng and Chu are at odds only because of Li Ran, then Li Ran The sin is huge."
It goes without saying how embarrassed Zheng Guo was when facing the pressure from Chu State.
Therefore, under this general premise, even if Li Ran did not want to go to Chu State, in order to calm the situation as much as possible, he had better do it.
Moreover, he also knew that although Wang Ziwei was domineering, his life would not be in danger during this trip.
But Li Ran's words couldn't help but make Zichan's heart tighten.
When he heard the sound, his eyebrows suddenly furrowed, and a hint of worry appeared in the corners of his eyes that had begun to show crow's feet.
"Prince Wei is moody and often does some outrageous things..."
"If you go like this, I will be very worried..."
After the words fell, Zichan immediately fell into thinking.
"Doctor, don't worry. If there is a real crisis, there will be extraordinary measures to deal with it.".CoM
"Although this matter seems inappropriate on the surface, if you look at it from another angle, it can be regarded as an opportunity for Zheng Guo."
When Zichan heard this, he was startled again and couldn't help asking:
"Oh? What does Ziming mean by this?"
Li Ran replied immediately:
"Everyone knows that the Chu State is eager to march north to fight for supremacy, but if we can take this opportunity to express condolences to the Chu State and persuade it to give up its northward advance, wouldn't that be a good thing for our country, Zheng?"
When Zichan heard this, of course he understood the truth immediately. But he was still a little worried. After all, Li Ran was too important to him now.
"Having said that, just in case..."
"That's all, we have to go together this time anyway. Just in case... I can at least have someone to take care of me along the way."
