As a latecomer, Li Ran thought he could see through everyone in this era. But reality hit him hard in the face again.
He never expected that Chu King Xiong Wei had long thought of passing the throne to Prince Qiji!
"Haha, Sir, there is no need to be so surprised. We, the people of Chu, are different from the other countries in the Central Plains, and I, too, are different from those mediocre kings!"
"Brother Ji is superior to others in terms of his character and ability. Moreover, he has the 'destiny of serving as a jade' given by God. If he is not the King of Chu, I am afraid even God will not allow it, right? "
"And the reason why I want to fight for this throne is because our Chu country can no longer afford to hold it back. There was the defeat of Yanling before and the humiliation of Zhanban later. Now there are more Wu people in the east who are like tigers. Neighbors. If we don't take advantage of the situation and turn the tide, who in the future will be able to shoulder such an important task?"
When the King of Chu finished speaking, he paused slightly and then continued.
"I actually know very well that no matter whether it is the Battle of Qunshu or the Battle of Zhongli, even if they are both completely victorious, if you want to drink from the Yellow River and conquer the Central Plains, I am afraid that it will not be achieved when I am in power."
"Although the Jin State has become weak in recent years, its heritage as a great nation still exists. If the six ministers of the Jin State's office unanimously attack me, our Chu State will only end up in a disastrous defeat if we rush northward."
"And the State of Wu is far to the southeast. If the State of Chu wants to conquer it, it will not happen overnight."
"Therefore, what I can do now is to pave the way for future generations. In the future, our Chu country will be united as one, the country will be rich and its army will be strong. At that time, our Chu country will march north to the Central Plains and dominate the Central Plains. It’s time for the world!”
"As Mr. Xiang said, if there was no Duke Xiang of Qi to open up territory for him, how could Duke Huan of Qi dominate the world? If Duke Xiang of Jin had not killed all the young men to gather power, how could Duke Wen of Jin have conquered the country in just a few short years? A sudden rise within a year?"
"Even if I can't be Duke Huan of Qi or Duke Wen of Jin, it would be good to be Duke Xiang of Qi or Duke Xian of Jin. Haha, even if I have a bad reputation like them, so what?"
Unexpectedly, the King of Chu, who had just ascended the throne for less than a year, deeply shocked Li Ran with his actual actions, or words that were so true that people could not refute them.
Li Ran suddenly had a deeper understanding of monarchy and King Xiong Wei of Chu.
The King of Chu was not a tyrant who only knew how to be domineering, nor was he a tyrant who fought without any brains.
Everything he did was just paving the way for future generations.
Such a big heart, such a courage, even Li Ran couldn't help but be in awe!
Because Li Ran knew very well what kind of infamy what King Chu had done would bring him behind him?
Just like the Duke Xianggong of Qi and Duke Xiang of Jin he just mentioned, these two monarchs were also "infamous" in history.
But the King of Chu still chose to do this without hesitation.
Compared with the rogue tricks played by the King of Chu before, the King of Chu at this time seemed to be a completely different person with his awe-inspiring righteousness.
In other words, King Chu's "playing rogue" was actually just paving the way for his righteousness.
"Your Majesty Mingde!"
Li Ran couldn't help but admire such a king.
After all, in such an era of insatiable desires, in such an era of selfish desires, there are very few people who can think like King Chu.
"Haha, sir, you don't have to be like this. I'm just a little self-aware, not a wise man."
"On the contrary, Sir, he is so loyal to Zhou Bang that he even risked his life for them. But Sir, have you ever thought about whether they are so stupid and unscrupulous, and are they worthy of Sir protecting them like this?"
"The power of the world is no longer controllable, and the state of Zhou cannot be revived. Sir, if you only stick to the way of the state of Zhou, isn't it true that you are trapped in shackles?"
In addition to his broad mind, King Chu also had a lot of foresight.
And his rhetorical question can be said to be well-founded and hard to defend.
But what he didn't expect was that Li Ran's answer surprised him.
"What the king said is true. I really have no way to defend myself."
"However, there is a saying that I don't know whether to say or not."
"Sir, it doesn't matter."
King Chu behaved calmly.
Then, Li Ran smiled calmly, and a bright light suddenly flashed in his eyes.
"Looking at the ways of the world, whether it is the King's way of promoting Chu or the Central Plains' way of Zhou Rites, in fact... they are not what I want."
As soon as these words came out, King Chu's expression suddenly changed, and he looked at Li Ran in disbelief. The eyes were full of indescribable confusion and surprise, intertwined, and then merged to form a very confused look.
He didn't understand, but at the same time he was scared.
What does it mean that the world's way is not his Li Ran's way?
Is it possible that he, Li Ran, is not determined to revitalize the country with the surname Ji?
Or maybe he, Li Ran, wants to carve out another path on his own?
"Sir, could you please make it more clear?"
King Chu unloaded the club that had been swung high, turned his head, and asked very cautiously.
But who knew that Li Ran just shook his head.
"Haha, Your Majesty, there is no need to worry. What I pursue is not the way to prosper the country, but the way to peace for all ages. However, I have been wandering for several years since I left the Zhou royal family, but I still have not been able to find this way."
"I can only say that the world is vast, and what I seek and seek is not within it."
Yes, Li Ran still has not been able to find the path that can save all people in the world.
Although he went from Luoyi to Qufu, from Qufu to Zhengyi, and then from Zhengyi to Chu State.
Traveling thousands of miles and experiencing ups and downs, Li Ran has experienced a lot.
But even so, he is still exploring.
In the State of Lu, he saw what an "oligarch" with monopoly power was. In the State of Zheng, we again saw the scene of a "republic" in which ministers and powers were constrained by each other. But now, it is obvious that Chu State has allowed him to see what it means to be a "monarch" who can control everything.
Li Ran is very fortunate that he can be in this "institutional incubator" and be able to appreciate various completely different systems.
But which one do you want him to prefer? In fact, even Li Ran himself couldn't explain it clearly.
Of course, Chu King Xiong Wei didn't know Li Ran's details after all. Therefore, these words obviously sounded a little weird to him.
However, he also had a premonition that the Li Ran in front of him would definitely cause an uproar in the future.
Of course, I'm afraid he would have already passed away by then.
"Haha, sir, you have great ambitions, and I really admire him."
"However, before that, I would like to ask you, sir, to never forget the agreement you made with me."
In any case, no matter what path Li Ran wants to take or what path he wants to pursue, as long as his agreement with Li Ran remains, Chu will be fine.
When Li Ran heard this, he couldn't help but smile and didn't comment.
...
When Li Ran returned to Xiangyuan in the evening, Chu Dang sent him another letter.
This letter was written by Yang Yangui.
In the letter, Yang Toji asked Li Ran about Prince Qiji and Chu's war against Zhongli. He hoped that Li Ran could consider the country with the surname Ji in the Central Plains and give it some appropriate obstacles.
Moreover, he also told Li Ran about some of Prince Qiji's performance in Jin.
It was through this letter that Li Ran finally concluded the prince's ambition.
This person will definitely become the next Chu King Xiong Wei, it is only a matter of time.
Therefore, in his reply to Yang Yanji, he also clearly told Yang Yanji about Prince Qiji's "hiding evil intentions", and at the same time expressed his own opinions on the Zhongli War.
"With the marriage imminent, the King of Chu's intention to march north to fight for supremacy has been temporarily suspended. However, the Ji family of Lu is actually worried. If we are granted the title of Qing, we will surely find out the clues."
Capturing Qingfeng alive would reveal the entire chain of interest groups behind them. By then, if we can catch them all, there will be one less trouble in the world.
