Li Ran, Kong Qiu, Gongsun Qing and others were looking far away from the city wall. Suddenly, they saw dust rising in the distance, forming a straight line, heading straight towards the city gate. Li Ran squinted to take a closer look.
Because the situation of the battle is unclear, it is not yet known who this person is. Yang Hu was prepared to resist until the end. After being defeated, he simply took the risk and led the remaining troops to kill him!
Gongsun Qing quickly ordered the soldiers left behind on the city wall to prepare for war and set up bows and arrows just in case.
Not long after, the group of men and horses approached, and the soldiers standing on the lookout shouted:
"It's General Han and General Sun!"
At this time, Kong Qiu, Gongsun Qing and others also saw clearly, but they saw that it was Sun Wu and Han Buxin who were on the chariot in front. Yang Hu, on the other hand, was caught in the middle by the two of them and tied up tightly.
When Li Ran saw this, he couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief and ordered his people to leave the city gate. He straightened his clothes and went down to the tower.
The city gate opened, and Sun Wu and Han Buxin pressed Yang Hu in. After a hard fight, they finally captured Yang Hu again.
As for Gongshan Buxuan, because the Chinese army was not stationed there, seeing that the situation was not right, he did not take care of Yang Hu's side, but escaped the disaster in a flash of smoke.
When Yang Hu saw Li Ran, he was ashamed and angry, and couldn't help but said loudly:
"Li Ziming! You actually took advantage of me now that I don't dare to embarrass the official, so I am hesitant! It's so shameless! I, Yang Hu, won't accept it!"
Li Ran winked at Sun Wu and Han Buxin, and the two of them immediately stepped back. Li Ran walked over and stood face to face with Yang Hu. Li Ran looked up for a while, then took a step forward, got behind Yang Hu, and started to take his place. Unbundled.
The people around him suddenly became nervous, knowing that Li Ran was powerless, and although Yang Hu was defeated and unarmed, he was as strong as an ox after all. It would have been easy for him to kill Li Ran or hold him hostage.
Li Ran untied Yang Hu's rope. Yang Hu did not expect that Li Ran would have such courage. He couldn't help but be startled at first, then moved his wrists and arms to himself, glanced at Li Ran again, and sneered:
"Li Ziming, if I want to kill you right now, it will be easy. Do you really think that I, Yang Hu, don't dare?"
Li Ran heard this, but his expression remained unchanged:
"Haha, I have long heard that you, Yang Hu, are a decisive person in killing. Back then, on top of the city gate, in front of everyone in the Meng family, you killed Li evil. But today, if you really kill Li with one punch On the spot, it’s not surprising! However, Li is certain that Brother Yang will never do this this time!”
After hearing this, Yang Hu couldn't help but laugh:
"Hahaha! Li Ran! You captured me many times and ruined Yang's reputation. How can we be sure that Yang will not kill you?!"
Li Ran stared into Yang Hu's eyes and said calmly:
"Haha, if you achieve great things, why should you be afraid of this momentary humiliation? Besides, you were not defeated by me, Li Ran, but by Tian Sima, Sun Changqing and the young master of the Han family. Even if Qin Jin's father comes again, It must be difficult to match, so why should Brother Yang feel embarrassed?"
Li Ran said the name of Qin Jin's father, which actually had a profound meaning. It should be said that Qin Jin's father was also a retainer of the Meng family back then. However, he can be called the Three Tigers of Lu together with Di Mi Mi and Liang He, the biological father of Confucius.
Retainers and scholar-bureaucrats are both called this, which can be said to be a special honor.
Li Ran deliberately compared Qin Jin's father and Yang Hu, and Yang Hu understood the meaning instantly.
How could he, Yang Hu, not know Qin Jin’s father? If Qin Jin's father can be as good as Doctor Qing and achieve his own career, what is left behind for him, Yang Hu?
They are both retainers, and they are also branches of the Meng family. Moreover, Yang Hu is now in the Ji family. It can be said that he is inferior to one person and superior to ten thousand people. If Qin Jin's father can do it, why can't he, Yang Hu?
Yang Hu dropped his hands and sighed:
"Li Ziming, Li Ziming, no wonder others say that you have a sharp tongue. Your sharp tongue is really remarkable. I, Yang Hu, have to accept it!"
As soon as Yang Hu finished these words, Li Ran immediately heard the underlying meaning of Yang Hu's words! He grabbed Yang Hu's hand excitedly and smiled slightly:
"Let's go! You and I will go to the inner hall to discuss matters! Zhongni, please come with us."
So, Li Ran took Yang Hu and Kong Qiu into Li Ran's official residence. The three of them sat cross-legged in the living room. The servant brought three cups of water and placed a few snacks on the table before retreating and closing the door.
Yang Hu had just experienced a hard battle and was indeed a little thirsty, so he drank the cup of water directly.
Li Ran looked at Yang Hu and then at Kong Qiu. The two of them were indeed similar, but the key was that their heads were indeed rare in this era.
Both of them are eight feet tall, and they are even shoulder to shoulder, which is really amazing.
Yang Hu took another piece of silk cloth from the eucalyptus, covered it slightly and wiped his mouth, then said:
"Yang Hu was captured three times, and I am sincerely convinced by Mr. Yang. However, if Mr. Yang wants Yang Hu to betray the Ji family, please forgive Yang Hu for not obeying his orders!"
Li Ran smiled slightly. He actually knew Yang Hu's intentions. His indecision in this battle had already shown his thoughts. He still had a trace of awe for the office. Especially when this matter will really affect him.
However, Li Ran also understood that if he were to change his mind immediately and stand on the side of the office, he would still need to add fuel to the fire.
"Yang Hu, what do you think of the current situation of the Lu State?"
Yang Hu thought for a long time and then said:
"Hey... Our country of Lu has never made any achievements since the Battle of Changshao, when Cao GUI led his army to defeat Qi Huan. It is far behind Jin and Chu, and it is also very difficult to be adjacent to Qi. Nowadays, , even in the barbarian land of Wu and Yue, I am afraid it is not as good as it is."
"The State of Lu is located among a large country, and it is also in a place where there are four wars. There is no danger to defend, and there is no land to expand. In addition, there are constant civil strife. As time goes by, the power of our State of Lu is gradually declining."
"Therefore, our country of Lu has been tolerated by the uncles of the world several times since then. How can I, as a Lu person, forget this shame?"
Of the two things Yang Hu mentioned, one is that after the Battle of Pengya, when the Jin State came to dominate, Duke Wen of Lu came to see Duke Xiang of Jin, but Duke Xiang of Jin did not even see Duke Wen of Lu, and only asked the doctor to entertain Duke Wen of Lu to get things done.
The other was during the reign of Duke Xuangong of Lu, who participated in the Black Soil Alliance, but was directly kicked out of the alliance by the Jin state because of being late.
】
The Jin State has not respected the Lu State for a long time.
Therefore, Lu Houchou personally came to Jin for help many times before, but he was always rejected.
Speaking of which, although Fan Yang and others were behind the instigation of this matter, in terms of the relationship between Jin and Shandong, this kind of "disrespect" can also be regarded as a historical inheritance.
Li Ran couldn't help but nodded and asked:
"Then Brother Yang, why do you think the current situation has been caused?"
Yang Hu thought for a moment and wanted to say more, but when the words came to his lips, he immediately became discouraged and shook his head sadly:
"Yang Hu is stupid and doesn't know the key. I wonder what you have to say, sir?"
At this time, Confucius stood up, put his hands behind his back, and said calmly:
"Lu Zhi has been in the public office for the fifth generation! He has been arrested by the doctor for the fourth generation! The three emperors started from Wen Gong, and now they have experienced five emperors! Thinking about the bad government of our country of Lu, there was the Qingfu Rebellion in the past, and the Dongmen clan's dictatorship later , and now the three Huan are fighting overtly and covertly, all of which are the root cause of Lu’s decline!”
In fact, as a retainer of the Ji family, how could Yang Hu not know these truths? It's just that he doesn't want to think about it, let alone say it clearly.
Yang Hu couldn't help but sigh again and was speechless.
At this time, I heard Li Ran say again:
"Yes, what Zhongni said is absolutely true. The three Huan are all officials of the Qing clan. If the three Huan do not respect the emperor, how can we, the country of Lu, be respected by outsiders?"
At this time, Confucius continued:
"When Qiu Shao was young, he also worked under Ji's family. He also heard Brother Yang say that 'to be rich is not benevolent, and to be benevolent is not rich'. Didn't Brother Yang also feel it at that time?"
After hearing this, Yang Hu couldn't sit still anymore, stood up immediately and bowed.
"The words of the two shake people and make them noble, and the tiger will be taught!"
