Xiangxu has traveled all over the country in these years, and he has seen a lot of big scenes and big people.
As mentioned before, he gained some face in front of the Central Plains countries and the big bosses because he facilitated the meeting to eliminate the troops.
But I didn't expect that when I came back to the Chu Kingdom, I heard that the King of Chu, Xiong Wei, was going to give me a showdown as soon as I settled down. Is this making it clear that I don't want to buy his old face? !
Therefore, it would be strange to say that he is not resentful.
This is indeed very Xiangxu.
Because Xiang Xu himself is a very face-conscious person, and he also thinks that he has a lot of face.
Li Ran also knows this. After all, the current King of Chu is not the same King of Chu before. The reason why Xiang Xu of the Song Dynasty was able to travel all over the country to form an alliance to eliminate soldiers was largely because of the previous King of Chu. King Kang was relatively easy to talk to, and he had a good relationship with Xiang Xu, the magistrate of Chu State, Yin Zimu (Qu Jian), and the ruling minister of Jin State, Zhao Wu.
That's why his old face is a bit thin.
And now? He has already changed his world. How can the current King of Chu, Xiong Wei, be so easy to talk to? He doesn't care who Xiangxu was in the past. In his eyes, you are just a piece of dead wood.
"Well...this matter...King Chu has indeed gone a bit too far..."
After all, visitors from the Song Dynasty are always guests. As the host, the king of Chu did this as soon as he came. It was indeed not the way to treat guests.
Furthermore, the purpose of King Chu's convening of the Shendi Alliance was to seek the friendship of the Song Alliance.
The King of Chu was rude to the Song State at this time. Wasn't this a breach of trust among the princes? And once you lose your trust, the Song State is forced to abandon the alliance and leave. How should the other Central Plains countries react?
Although the countries in the Central Plains have been fighting for years, since Duke Huan of Qi, they have been committed to working together to deal with Chu in terms of value orientation. On this matter, everyone can be said to have always been highly consistent.
Therefore, if the King of Chu really presses the Song State, and then the Central Plains countries unite to isolate the Chu State, what good can the Chu State get?
Zichan, who was sitting quietly aside, couldn't help stroking his beard and said:
"All the countries in the Central Plains are united by the same spirit. If the King of Chu is so coercive and intimidating, then this meeting will probably be counterproductive."
Wisdom is like childbirth, how can we not see through the doorway?
After he said this, Xiang Xu immediately nodded in agreement.
Zichan looked at Li Ran and said:
"Yes, Zi Ming, now you can be regarded as a popular person in front of the King of Chu. You should give some advice on this matter."
Whether the King of Chu would listen to what others said or not, Zichan did not know.
But Zichan knew that King Chu would definitely listen to Li Ran's words.
At this time, Xiang Xu also cupped his hands towards Li Ran and continued:
"By the way, Xu and Ziming have never been in contact with each other. I didn't expect that this meeting will directly cause trouble. I apologize for my lack of etiquette..."
"Come on, bring the things up."
After he finished speaking, several guards from the Song Dynasty walked in from outside the garden carrying a large box.
Xiang Xu pointed to the boxes and explained:
"It's just a small gift, not respectful. I hope Ziming can accept it with a smile."
How could the experienced Xiang Xu, who had traveled all over the country and traveled north and south, not know the truth that "the emperor never needs hungry soldiers"?
So this time he came to visit, he had prepared generous gifts early in the morning, and was waiting for the opportunity to become friends with Li Ran.
When Li Ran saw this, he immediately stood up and bowed to Xiang Xu:
"Wouldn't this move towards Master Zuo be a disgrace to this junior?"
"How dare you accept such a generous gift? Master Zuo, please take it back."
The matter has not been settled yet, so of course Li Ran cannot accept the gift.
In this era of sophistication, Li Ran understands this rule better than Zichan and Xiang Xu.
Accepting gifts and doing things is indeed the norm in this era, but after all, he, Li Ran, is not a person of this era.
As the saying goes, there is no reward for no merit. If something is done, you can give a gift as a thank you when the time comes. This is okay.
But now that the matter has not been settled, the gift was sent early, which is not in line with the morality of future generations.
"Hey, Ziming is confused! Since it's just a little bit of kindness from Master Zuo, why should Ziming refuse?"
At this time, Zichan on the side also winked at Li Ran.
Li Ran was slightly startled when he saw this, and immediately sighed:
"But there is no reward for no merit..."
But who would have thought that Xiang Xu laughed and said:
"Haha, everyone in the world doesn't know Li Ziming's name. Who doesn't know him? Anyone who wants to give Ziming a gift will be able to queue up from here to go to Zheng!"
"Today Zi Ming is willing to accept Xu's measly gift, which is enough to give Xu some thin noodles..."
See, this is Xiang Xu’s wisdom.
He can always say the most appropriate and considerate words at the right time to achieve what he wants to achieve.
"Well, if that's the case, then it would be disrespectful."
After Li Ran finished speaking, he slightly raised his hand towards Chu Dang behind him. Chu Dang immediately led the people down and carried the box containing the betrothal gift into the backyard.
Since he accepted the gift, Li Ran acquiesced to intercede with the King of Chu on behalf of Song State.
"Haha, thanks to your efforts, Naxu will be waiting for good news."
After saying this, Xiang Xu stood up and said goodbye.
After he left, Li Ran turned back to Zichan and asked:
"Why did the doctor accept the betrothal gift from Master Xiang Zuo? It seems that it is not the doctor's style to act like this?"
When Zichan heard this, an enigmatic smile suddenly appeared on his face.
Just listen to him:
"Haha, doesn't Ziming still have to deal with the Hua family of Song Dynasty? If Xiang Xu can help you then, wouldn't this matter be much easier?"
It turns out that this is another secret move made by Zi Sheng.
Li Ran was also stunned after hearing this, and immediately nodded in agreement.
Although Qing Feng was a breakthrough, even if Li Ran seized this breakthrough and really dug out the gang hidden behind Qing Feng, how would he start?
If he really wants to attack the Hua family of Song State, then it is obvious that Xiang Xu, the left master of Song State, and even the Xiang family will play an extremely crucial role in the future.
Therefore, for Li Ran, being on good terms with Xiang Xu at this time would only make a profit but not a loss.
"According to what you said, Ziming, the Qingfeng family, the Ji family of the Lu state, the Hua family of the Song state, as well as Feng Duan of our Zheng state, and those who are still unknown in the Qi state, the power of these people is probably It’s unimaginable. Could there even be more wealthy families or even some offices involved?”
"So, if Ziming wants to attack them, I'm afraid it won't be enough to rely on his own abilities. Therefore, it might not be a bad thing to make friends with more powerful people and like-minded people!"
Zichan reminded him again.
After hearing this, Li Ran suddenly realized it and couldn't help but nodded and said:
"What the doctor said makes sense, but please remember it."
Regarding the use of "momentum", Li Ran should know better than anyone else in the world.
He naturally understood what Zichan meant, but there was always a hurdle in his heart.
That is that he is actually not good at "using momentum". In other words, he is not good at using others to achieve his goals.
Therefore, although he had already agreed, in fact, it would be very difficult for him to actually do it.
He actually prefers to rely solely on his own hard power to accomplish something.
But after all, it's still too early to say anything, and everything is still within his plan. Therefore, for Li Ran, he has no more ideas at the moment.
So, after the two of them chatted about other things, Zichan stood up and said goodbye.
After Zichan left, Ji Le walked out of the house. Seeing Li Ran's thoughtful expression, he immediately brewed a cup of scented tea and brought it to Li Ran.
"Is it possible that your husband doesn't want to help the people of Song Dynasty get out of trouble?"
Ji Le thought that Li Ran was worried about helping Song people to negotiate.
Li Ran shook his head and said:
"It's not difficult to help them."
"Oh? What is the husband thinking about?"
At this moment, Li Ran held the tea cup in his hand, stopped it at his mouth, and replied thoughtfully:
"My husband is just wondering if I can kill two birds with one stone..."
——
Chapter 282_Prince Qiji is unhappy
Since the Hua family of the Song Dynasty was also a member of Qingfeng who secretly supported Qingfeng, it stands to reason that they should be in the same group.
But now Hua Fei Sui from the Song Dynasty has also come to the Chu Kingdom, and the King of Chu wants to punish them immediately.
Since Li Ran agreed to help Prince Zuo and Xiang Xu to rescue the siege, but if he really did this, wouldn't it be equivalent to helping Hua Feisui to rescue the siege?
Therefore, what Li Ran was thinking at this moment was, is there any way to help Xiang Xu while also deterring Hua Feisui?
However, this is undoubtedly very difficult.
After all, Prince Zuo, Xiang Xu and Hua Feisui were all from the Song Dynasty, and they all suffered from prosperity and loss. How could they be separated at this time?
Ji Le didn't understand this. She looked at Li Ran and was deep in thought. She consciously closed her mouth and sat aside to wait quietly.
But after a long time, Li Ran couldn't think of a way to get the best of both worlds, so he had to give up now.
"It seems that the Hua family has already made preparations. The reason why this guy delayed his trip halfway is probably because he wanted to anger the King of Chu and make the Alliance Guild dirty."
After thinking about it for a while, he still had no solution, so Li Ran had to get up and prepare to go to see the King of Chu.
Seeing Li Ran get up, Ji Le also got up together, while arranging Li Ran's clothes. After finishing, he hugged Li Ran from behind, put his head on the back of Li Ran's neck, and whispered softly:
"Le'er doesn't understand what your husband has done. Ke Le'er still hopes that her husband will always remember one thing."
"That is, Le'er will always wait for her husband..."
After the words fell, the eyes in Ji Le's eyes were clear, pure and affectionate.
Yes, as a daughter, all she hopes is that her husband can return to her safely every day, that's all.
This is probably something that all women have in common.
The importance of Li Ran to Ji Le is self-evident, and Ji Le naturally does not want Li Ran to be in any danger.
"Haha, don't worry. As a husband, you don't have to sacrifice your life for the sake of the Song Dynasty."
Li Ran untied Ji Le's hands, turned around, and gently arranged her hair and ears, with a smile on his face.
…
Li Ran came to Zhanghua Hall, and after paying homage to him, he was about to bow down, but unexpectedly Prince Qiji also arrived.
So, Li Ran had to show his courtesy again.
Similarly, when Prince Qiji saw that Li Ran was there, he was slightly startled.
"Haha, Brother Ji and Ziming are here together today. I wonder what the important matter is?"
King Chu asked, sitting on the throne with a pleased smile on his face.
Whether it was Li Ran or Wang Zi Qiji, he took them very seriously.
Especially since Li Ran took the initiative to come to see him today, it meant that Li Ran was no longer as unfamiliar with him as before.
For King Chu, this was a happy thing.
And Prince Qiji took the initiative to come to see him, which meant that this younger brother was also helping him wholeheartedly, and the future of their Chu country was also very promising.
"I heard that Mr. Ling Zheng also came to Chu State with me. Qiji originally thought that Mr. was going to accompany my wife to relax? I didn't expect that Mr. would be so concerned about my affairs in Chu State?"
"In that case, why don't you, sir, stay in our country of Chu? Brother Wang will definitely satisfy you."
Prince Qiji was the first to speak, but he spoke harshly, with a hint of disdain in his words, and a look of disdain in his brows.
Before, Li Ran kept saying that he would not stay in the Chu State to work for the Chu State, but now he came to see the King of Chu every two days. Of course Prince Qiji thought that Li Ran was doing this just to gain fame.
Of course, by mocking Li Ran like this, he was actually irritating Li Ran.
After all, if Li Ran really stayed, it would definitely not be a good thing for him.
"Haha, the fourth prince is joking. I have an agreement with the king. I will leave after the three things are completed."
"As for the humble wife, she has just arrived in Chu State and has not adapted to everything yet. I will take care of her, so I won't bother the fourth prince."
Li Ran's words were watertight. He did not hold a gun or a stick, nor did he grovel. Instead, he said it in a very calm tone.
However, besides the superficial meaning of his words, there is actually another hidden meaning.
That is: a dog stalks a mouse, mind your own business! You are the only one who has so many things going on every day!
Because, whether it is his agreement with the King of Chu or the coming of Ji Le to Chu State, this is his own business. Is it your turn to intervene?
After Wang Ziqiji listened, he didn't seem to feel the deep meaning of Li Ran's words, he just laughed it off and didn't take it seriously.
But when the King of Chu heard Li Ran's words, "After the three aids are completed, you should leave on your own," his face suddenly darkened and he was a little unhappy.
"Sir, are you here today, but have something happened?"
"Back to the king, I heard recently that the king wanted to punish the Song Dynasty people just because they were late for a few days. After hearing this, I was very frightened and uneasy. This move is not good for the Chu country. I ask the king to take back the order and think twice. That’s fine!”
Li Ran didn't hide it, he immediately admonished him like this.
But as soon as he finished speaking, Prince Qiji on the side sneered and said with disdain:
"The people of Song Dynasty are arrogant and do not understand etiquette. Even if they answer the call, they are still so procrastinating. This is obviously intentional and does not give us Chu State face!"
"Brother Wang will give them a small punishment for this, so why not? Is it possible that Mr. Wang is speaking for them now and has something to do with them? Or is Mr. Wang taking advantage of them?"
As soon as these words came out, there was a sudden silence in the hall.
Li Ran frowned slightly, a suspicion rising in his heart.
Is this prince Qiji spying on him?
Thinking of this, he turned his head to look at Wang Zi Qiji and said in a deep voice:
"Then...how does the fourth prince think the Song people should be punished?"
"What's the point? The people of Song Dynasty did not follow the etiquette and neglected me. They should be severely punished!"
Just now he said "small punishment", but he turned around and said "severe punishment". It seems that Wang Zi Qiji is also very accomplished in talking to himself.
King Chu did not express his position when he heard this, but looked at it with a very indifferent look, as if waiting for Li Ran's rebuttal.
And Li Ran didn't hesitate and immediately sneered.
"If the king severely punishes the people of Song Dynasty today, all the countries from the Central Plains who came to attend the meeting tomorrow will leave together. By then, the so-called Shendi Alliance will probably become a joke. Can the fourth prince bear this responsibility?"
The people of Song Dynasty were only one representative of the Central Plains countries, and not a very important one.
But even so, Chu State cannot neglect them.
Because what the Chu State wanted at this time was to unite the countries in the Central Plains and isolate Zhongli.
If the King of Chu punishes the Song people severely at this time, the kings and ministers of other countries will see it. Will they still stay here stupidly and wait for you, the King of Chu, to make trouble?
And their departure would mean the failure of Chu State's entire plan. The Shendi Alliance was in name only but not real. Zhongli State would not only openly receive the support of the Hua family of Song State, but I am afraid that the entire Central Plains would also openly provide assistance.
By that time, the situation in Chu State will also plummet. Not to mention drinking horses from the Yellow River and striving for the Central Plains, even a small Zhufang City will become an obstacle that Chu State cannot overcome.
Prince Qiji was rendered speechless by Li Ran's refutation. He looked at Li Ran blankly, and it took him a long time to say:
"Hmph! It's a joke. Is our country, Chu, really afraid of them?"
He has a tough mouth, so that's him.
