After hearing Guan Cong's next plan, Prince Qiji couldn't help but nod.
Although he had faintly harbored murderous intentions towards Guan Cong, it had to be said that Guan Cong's strategies were always so seamless, and everything was fully prepared for him to usurp the throne in the future.
What king wouldn't need someone like Guancong who dares to do dirty work? What's more, Guan Cong can not only do dirty things without leakage, but also get out of trouble in time. This kind of person is really rare for him.
"Well, sir, this move is in line with Qi Ji's intention, so I will follow your plan!"
Prince Qiji is determined to win this throne. In fact, if he is willing, he can raise his troops now to fight back on the pretext of "avenging the king's brother". Such behavior is also easy for him.
However, if we can borrow the "heroic spirit" of Chu King Xiong Wei to directly scare Xiong Bi away, such a "terrorist act" will not only make his career look more logical, but also won't be criticized. This is also very helpful in maintaining his image.
Since the throne can be so secure, of course he is more willing to choose the safest way.
What's more, how to make reasonable use of the Xiongbi chess piece and maximize its effectiveness is something he needs to seriously consider.
Although Prince Qiji, like his brother, also usurped the throne and committed regicide. But obviously, compared to his brother's simplicity and roughness, every step he took was a lot of effort.
From the earliest attempts to persuade Brother Wang to move to the people of Xu and Lai, to now he is planning to use Brother Wang's "heroic soul" to plot to kill Xiong Bi.
This shows at every turn that he actually has a darker and more ruthless side than Xiong Wei.
"No! I'll do whatever it takes when I return to my country from now on!"
Prince Qiji said leisurely:
"Don't be in a hurry. It's not too late to wait until everything is ready! It's really hard for Mr. to travel back and forth during this period. Besides, it's the same to let others do this kind of thing. I hope Mr. will stay with Qiji for the time being. , you can also take a good rest!”
"No! Since the fourth prince said so, just obey and obey!"
Obviously, although Prince Qiji did not kill Guan Cong for the time being, he was already somewhat wary of him. Therefore, he left it with him on the pretext of letting it rest.
Just when Prince Qiji and Guan Cong had settled the matter, they suddenly received a reward from the spy.
"Reporting to the Great Sima, someone found traces of Ran Youyin near the Han River!"
When Prince Qiji heard this, he frowned slightly.
"Oh? Randan?... Where is he now?"
"He has been captured and is still on the road, but he will be brought here immediately."
"Bring him here immediately without any mistakes!"
"Here!"
The attendant took the order and left, while Prince Qiji was silent for a moment and asked:
"Sir, how do you think this person should be dealt with?"
"His loyalty is commendable. It is said that he followed Xiong Wei until the last moment. I thought I could ask him where Xiong Wei is now, and then either killed him directly or drove him away from the Chu Kingdom!"
"Although this person is from Zheng, he is still loyal to the Chu State. How can such a loyal person be killed at once? I'm afraid there is something wrong with what you said, sir?"
After hearing this, Guan Cong continued to bow and said:
"Fourth Prince, I am also thinking about the future of the Fourth Prince. Although Xiong Wei's old tribe should be collected, it is not available to everyone. This man has great talents and is extremely loyal to the deposed king. Yes, I have hinted to the Fourth Prince that you may have second thoughts in front of the deposed king several times. Therefore, I hope the Fourth Prince will think twice!"
When Prince Qiji heard this, he suddenly hesitated.
Perhaps it was because he wanted to imitate Brother Wang’s employment strategy. In fact, for Prince Qiji, being able to recruit some of the great talents who had been around Xiong Wei, King of Chu, such as Ran Dan and Wu Ju, can actually reflect his "tolerant and generous" mind.
Therefore, let alone massacre these people at will.
What's more, in the final analysis, Ran Dan is just a scholar and has no roots in Chu State. For such a person, why bother to kill him?
"Guancong, please go down first!"
Prince Qiji waved his hand, and Guan Cong had no choice but to step back. At this moment, a person stepped out from behind the screen, and it was Fei Wuji.
"Fourth Prince, I will never let you stay here from now on!"
Prince Qiji was not surprised when he heard this, he just replied with a calm expression:
"Oh? Why do you see it?"
"Since this person is the one who has done so many things for the Fourth Prince, he should be careful at all times, but he makes decisions time and time again. Even if he is informed afterward, even if he threatens to do so, he is Your Majesty, I’ll consider it, but it’s also very inappropriate!”
"Moreover, the fourth prince will become the King of Wu in the future! In the past, Guan Zhong once wanted to assassinate Qi Gongzi Xiaobai, but after he came to the throne, he was able to ignore the past grudges and entrust him with important tasks. Since Qi Huan Gong has such a broad mind, then today Why can't the fourth prince do it? Therefore, he accepts a usable talent like Ran Dan but insists on asking the fourth prince to kill him. Isn't this trying to trap the fourth prince into injustice? "
The King Wu Cheng that Fei Wuji mentioned was actually King Wu and King Cheng of Chu. Both of them killed their brothers to usurp the throne, but later showed kindness and dominated for a while. The old story between Duke Huan of Qi and Guan Zhong mentioned is a beautiful story well known to the world.
And this is tantamount to invisibly and instantly raising the image of Wang Zi Qiji.
Fei Wuji is like this, he can always flatter the prince invisibly. And these words can also make the listener feel very useful. Compared to the straightforwardness of the Chu people, Fei Wuji, who was obviously born in the Lu country, was better at this.
"Haha, Wuji, what you said makes sense! In your opinion, should he be killed now?"
"Now is not the time. It's better to wait until the big thing is decided and then see what kind of intentions this person has. If he wants an official position that is too high or too low, you can kill him on the spot! If what you want is moderate, then you have to do it right. Be vigilant! If you see any second thoughts, you can get rid of them immediately!"
Prince Qiji heard the words but remained silent. He only smiled slightly and said:
"Haha, you are not a gentleman if you think small, and you are not a husband if you are too generous. Throughout the ages, how can anything be accomplished if there are no magnanimous people?"
As Wang Zi Qiji said something ambiguous, there was a burst of movement outside the door.
Not long after, Ran Dan was escorted up. Prince Qiji immediately ordered someone to tie him up, but Ran Dan also knowingly raised his hand towards Prince Qiji and said:
"I've met the Fourth Prince."
"You Yin, without courtesy, may I ask where Brother Qiji is now?"
Randan sighed:
"I don't know, but I'm afraid it won't be long..."
Ran Dan did not hide anything and told Prince Qiji exactly about King Chu's situation.
Prince Qiji took a step forward and took Ran Dan's hand.
"Zige, you and I are old acquaintances. Are you willing to follow Qiji and avenge your brother?"
When Wang Ziqiji said this, he was obviously planning to shift all the blame to his two puppet brothers.
But who is Ran Dan? How could he not know the secret behind this?
But Ran Dan also knew very well that the situation was stronger than the person. Even if he no longer liked Prince Qiji, there was no doubt that the man in front of him was the new master of the Chu Kingdom.
However, Dan has done everything he should do. Perhaps obeying the last king's order became his final mission.
What's more, the way Prince Qiji treated him today was clearly preparing to win over him.
Ran Dan felt the same as Ming Jing, so he immediately replied:
"Sin Chen Dan is willing to follow the fourth prince!"
When Prince Qiji heard this, he couldn't help laughing, while Fei Wuji said from the side:
"Congratulations to the fourth prince, you have gained another great talent!"
"Okay! Zige, you go down and rest first. Soon after you abandon your illness, you will raise your troops and go to Yingdu! Avenge your brother!"
——
Chapter 404_The prince abandoned his illness and finally ascended the throne
When Xiong Bi was the king of Chu in Yingdu, he actually had trouble sleeping and eating all day long.
The situation on the front line was passed to him, and most of it was handled by Wang Ziqiji. In the report, King Xiong Wei of Chu was still alive.
Therefore, every time Xiong Bi heard these battle reports, he couldn't help but feel frightened, and even felt that he shouldn't be in such troubled waters.
That night, Xiong Bi was sleeping when he suddenly heard someone in the palace shouting:
"The king is back! The king is back!"
Xiong Bi was awakened by a sudden shock, and hurriedly summoned Prince Hei Gong. Prince Hei Gong returned to the country with him, so there was only one trustworthy person around him.
When Prince Heigou saw King Xiong Bi of Chu, he obviously heard these rumors. His brows furrowed involuntarily. He plucked up the courage and said:
"Your Majesty, there is no need to panic. Someone must be spreading rumors. I will investigate in detail and find out everything. I should catch these thieves!"
"I... what I'm worried about is what if Xiong Wei really comes back and kills me! What should we do?"
When Prince Heigou heard this, he couldn't help but take a breath.
"Your Majesty! Before we returned home, we already knew that the Chu army would be defeated by the Wu army. But now we are sitting on the fortress of Fangcheng, and we have the support of Chen Cai, Bu Geng and other countries, as well as the support of various aristocratic families. Even if Even if he comes back after killing him, he won't be able to accomplish anything big!"
Xiong Bi heard this and sighed:
"It's just...he was unmatched when he captured Zhongli, defeated Zhufan, and destroyed Chen Cai! Although there are setbacks now, as long as he is not dead, we will not be safe for a day. What's more, there are still people around him With the extremely resourceful Li Ran assisting him, how can we be his opponent?"
And why doesn’t Prince Heigou know this truth?
"Hey... the two of us did go back a little early. But now we have no good solution..."
Therefore, Xiong Bi had no choice but to give an order the next day, and Prince Lingyin Heigong personally led people to investigate the origin of the rumors.
But of course, he would never be able to find any clues by himself. And the matter finally had to be dropped.
But in the next few days, when Xiong Bi was about to fall asleep, he would suddenly hear someone outside shouting words such as "The King of Chu wants to come back."
But the next day, he couldn't find out at all. Later, he simply asked no one else to stay around his palace. However, these shouts still appeared from time to time.
The bear is facing the abyss. For several months, he has not been able to sleep well, has restless sleep, and cannot eat to his liking. What he has done as a king can be said to be no fun at all.
In fact, the prince Heigou was in a similar situation to him. That night, not only did the words "King Chu come back" spread again in the palace, but also began to spread in the entire Yingdu city.
Xiong Bi and Prince Heigou got together again. The mental torture during this period made them both dizzy and their mental state was extremely poor.
Although Qi Wan didn't know whether this "rumor" was true or not, he felt that it would not be a bad thing if the King of Chu could really come back.
Therefore, he just stood on one side and did not speak.
At this moment, Dou Chengran suddenly came to see him.
When Xiong Bi heard this, he immediately called the guard at the door:
"Quick! Let him in!"
After Dou Chengran hurriedly entered, he knelt on the ground and said:
"Your Majesty, something bad has happened! Xiong Wei has returned! The fourth prince was defeated and killed on the outskirts of Yingdu. The King of Chu threatened to enter the city soon, and Xiong Wei's best friends in the city have also launched a riot! Please also ask Your Majesty, you must have made plans in advance!”
When Xiong Bi heard this, he was already frightened:
"Then...where is the army of the few?!"
"Ahem!... The Great Sima is dead, but where is the army left?!"
Dou Chengran shouted in a sharp voice.
And his shouts made the already upset Xiongbi even more anxious.
"Enough is enough! You all should stand down! Stand down!"
Xiong Bi rebuked loudly and drove everyone except Prince Heigou out of the hall.
Qi Wan was hesitant to speak. He seemed to have something to say, but was pushed out by Xiong Bi.
Qie Wan was not sincere in his submission, so when he saw this situation, he stopped talking.
Soon, only Xiong Bi and Prince Heigou were left in the huge hall.
The deserted main hall suddenly became lifeless and unusually silent. After a long time, Prince Heigui said in a trembling voice:
"Brother Wang!... We are afraid that we are doomed and our death is coming...!"
Xiong Bi was frightened and said:
"I know, I know... Since Xiong Wei was able to kill his nephew Jia Ao and ascend to the throne, it shows that he is ruthless and vicious. If the two of us fell into his hands, it would be worse than dying directly! Rather than To be insulted by him would be worse than death...Zixi!..."
These two cowards burst into tears as they talked, hugging each other and crying bitterly.
In fact, they didn't have much of a brotherhood, but when they came back this time, they were lonely in this court, so the two of them gradually developed a feeling of sympathy and support for each other.
And now the two of them are like grasshoppers tied together after autumn, how can they not express sadness at the same time?
Crying until the end, Chu King Xiong Bi and Prince Hei Gong actually hanged themselves because they were afraid that King Chu Xiong would come to take revenge!
…
Prince Qiji and Guan Congben also thought that they might need to use other means, either poisoning them to death, or forcing them to hang themselves and take poison. Unexpectedly, the two of them were so cowardly that they were scared to death so easily.
Prince Qiji then entered the capital of Ying, and naturally inherited the throne of King Chu. He also ordered people to bury Xiong Bi in Zidi, so people called him Ziao.
Prince Qiji denied the murdered man's legal status as king by giving him the title "Ao" instead of a posthumous title. And this approach is just like what Xiong Wei, the king of Chu, did back then.
Later, Prince Qiji ordered someone to kill a prisoner who was similar in stature to the King of Chu, put him in the clothes of the King of Chu, and let him drift in the Han River. He also deliberately arranged for him to be found and salvaged, and then let him go. Xiong Wei was buried and given the posthumous title of "Ling".
Later generations would call him "King Ling of Chu", and such an evil posthumous title pinned him to the list of "faint kings" in history.
However, because Prince Qiji did not follow the "courtesy of the king of Chu" and lay his coffin in mourning for several months, it aroused suspicion and dissatisfaction among the people of Chu.
After all, King Chu Ling had been in charge of the government for more than ten years and was a great leader of the Chu Kingdom. Therefore, there were not a few people who missed his old master.
Three years later, Shen Hai finally came forward to reveal the remains of King Chu Ling and asked the King of Chu to abandon his illness and bury him with royal rites.
Of course, these are all things for later.
…
As for Wu Ju's family, Qiji also learned about their experiences. Since they were separated from King Ling of Chu, they had no choice but to return to Jiaoyi.
After all, Jiaoyi is Wu Ju's fiefdom and his birthplace. After Wu Ju returned to Jiaoyi, he soon became depressed and became ill, and died with hatred.
However, the fallen leaves have finally returned to their roots.
The King of Chu abandoned his illness and ordered Randan to go to Jiaoyi, hoping that he could persuade Wu She to go to Yingdu and become the teacher of his son Taizi Jian.
King Chu's idea of abandoning Ji was also very clear. The Wu family is now quite famous in Chu State. If there is no way to bring them under his command, not only Jiaoyi will become an overhanging land, but also the entire Chu State, especially the military. Among the people, people's hearts are also unstable.
Therefore, using Ran Dan's friendship with Wu She to lure Wu She to come can show his tolerance and magnanimity. Secondly, he can also make him his hostage, and the Wu family will not dare to do it again.
Ran Dan knew this very well and made up his mind to try to prevent Wu She from coming.
Ran Dan and Fei Wuji came to Jiao County. At this time, Wu She was leading Wu Shang to mourn Wu Ju, and a mourning hall was set up in the mansion.
When Wu She saw Ran Dan coming over, he kowtowed in thanks but said nothing. After Ran Dan returned the gift, he came to Wu Ju's coffin and bowed deeply. Fei Wuji was aware of his words and also followed suit.
After the three rituals were completed, Ran Dan came to Wu She:
"Master Taifu! Are you okay?"
When Wu She heard this, he couldn't help but be startled.
"Why did Lord Youyin say this? What kind of Lord Taifu?"
