After Lu Houchou was placed in the coffin on the fifth day, his body has been parked in the mourning hall, preparing to be buried five months later.
As for where to be buried, there is no doubt that it would be best for my mother to be buried in Qufu.
However, given the current situation, this seems difficult to achieve.
After all, this is obviously a dilemma for both Yunyi and the Ji family.
Because of Lu Houchou's death, Ji Le has been bedridden and depressed. Li Ran also thought about asking Fan Li to bring his daughter to Yunyi. Maybe Ji Le would be in a better mood after seeing her daughter, which might be good for her health.
But thinking that Marquis Lu is dead now, although Yang Hu has withdrawn his troops, he is afraid that Ji Sun Yiru will not give up, and the future of Yunyi is uncertain. Therefore, if Guang'er is brought to Yunyi, it will probably make people even more worried.
Moreover, he thought that he would not live in Yunyi for a long time, and might return to Zhengyi soon, so he gave up this idea for the time being.
】
Yi He had no choice but to use some strong medicine, which was able to barely protect Ji Le's heart. As for the previous soothing medicine, naturally it cannot be stopped.
Although Ji Le was not averse to taking medicine, due to his depression, the medicine had little effect and could only barely maintain his life.
Li Ran was also very anxious about this, and he placed all his hopes on Yi He. As an old man, Yi He has been working day and night to treat Ji Le with all his strength.
On this day, Tian Ruoju and Han Buxin came to find Li Ran together. Tian Ruanju looked solemn and sighed:
"Ziming, the Marquis of Lu has passed away. Although I have not stated it clearly, Tian has received news from Dr. Pingzhong. He seems to have the intention of letting Tian leave Yunyi. Moreover, Tian Qi also sent three orders several times. People came to urge Tian to go back. If Tian insists on staying here now, I’m afraid it would be inappropriate..."
Of course Li Ran knew the current situation. In fact, neither Tian Ruoju nor Han Buxin had any need to stay in Yunyi. Although he was unwilling to do so, there was nothing he could do about it.
"Master Tian understands the great righteousness, but he has nothing to repay, and he is really ashamed..."
Tian Juju shook his head and sighed:
"It's a pity... Hey, it's a pity that the destiny is so inferior to Lu Hou... It's okay, it's okay not to say it!"
And Han Buxin's mood was even lower:
"If you don't believe it, you have to go back now. If you stay too long, I'm afraid there will be more talk in the Jin Kingdom..."
Li Ran nodded, bowed helplessly and replied:
"Yes, I understand. I am grateful to the general for his help. If it were not for the general, I, Li Ran, would have died tragically in Handan. The general is so kind and kind, but I will never forget it!"
Han Buxin waved his hand.
"Sir, what you said is serious. If you don't believe it, you are just being entrusted by others. It's just a simple effort, so why bother?"
At this time, Tian Ruoju turned around again and said to Sun Wu who was beside Li Ran:
"By the way, sir, I'm afraid Tian will have to take off his armor and go into seclusion in the future. In the past, Tian also summarized some of his experiences in leading troops and wrote a book, tentatively titled [Sima Fa]. These days, Tian has copied a copy, and now he keeps this book in the house and gives it to Chang Qing, hoping it can be of help to Chang Qing!"
When Sun Wu heard this, he was very moved and knelt down to thank him:
"Thank you Lord Sima for your kindness. Wu has benefited a lot from fighting side by side with Lord Sima these days. But now he is still receiving such a great gift. How can Wu be so virtuous?"
Tian Ruoju helped Sun Wu up.
"Chang Qing, Tian thinks you are an unparalleled general with great talent, and you will surely become famous all over the world in the future! Tian is not talented, so this is the only way to help you."
"Sir Ma's words are serious. Your Majesty's mastery of military use is something I am ashamed of myself. Wu Dinghui studies the military books written by you day and night, and does not dare to slack off, in order to repay your kindness."
Afterwards, everyone exchanged pleasantries for a while, and then Tian Ruoju and Han Buxin left.
Soon, Gongsun Qing also found Li Ran and said that he would also be ordered to leave here.
As mentioned before, Yunyi has now become insignificant in the eyes of Qi Hou. Therefore, it is no longer necessary for the country for him to stay here any longer.
Regarding this, Li Ran had long known that all this was bound to happen, so he just sighed slightly, nodded and responded roughly.
After Gongsun Qing left, Confucius, who had just finished organizing the funeral of Marquis Lu, came to Li Ran again.
Li Ranqi told Confucius everything about what had just happened, and Confucius also said secretly:
"Hey... Now that the overall situation has been decided, Qiu thinks that he can only run away and find another way to make a living. But I don't know what your thoughts are, sir?"
When Li Ran asked, he couldn't help but think of Ji Le.
"After the monarch is buried, I plan to return to Zhengyi..."
Confucius couldn't help but feel even more depressed after hearing this, but he was helpless.
In fact, Li Ran had long thought of quitting, and everyone around him knew this.
He might be eager to take Ji Le and leave Yunyi right now, but on the one hand, Lu Houchou has not yet been laid to rest, and Ji Le's body is weak, so he is afraid that she will not be able to survive the hard work of traveling.
Now, everyone in Yunyi is immersed in an atmosphere of grief and anger, and the atmosphere is extremely depressing.
When Li Ran came to Ji Le, he saw her eyes were red and swollen, and she was lying on the bed. She was no longer as lively as before. In just a few years, Ji Le had developed such a disease, and Li Ran was in an extremely bad mood.
And such a feeling of powerlessness was something he had never encountered before.
Ji Le looked at Li Ran and smiled reluctantly:
"Husband..."
Li Ran stepped forward and held Ji Le's hand.
"Husband, Le'er... I really miss Guang'er..."
"Well...after you recover and feel better, we will return to Zhengyi. By then, the three of us as a family will never be separated again!"
Li Ran secretly made up his mind at this time. No matter what happened in the future, he would never be able to change Li Ran's mind.
As for sacrificial music, I also yearn for it very much.
"If this is really possible, then...that would be great..."
Li Ran held it back, but there was a pain in his heart because he wanted to cry but didn't dare:
"So, Le'er must take good care of herself! For Guang'er, and for her husband..."
Ji Le nodded with difficulty.
"Le'er knows..."
Li Ran hugged Ji Le and felt that her whole body was weak and her heart tightened.
"Le'er, have you taken your medicine today?"
"I...I want to drink some porridge."
So, Li Ran immediately asked his servants to cook porridge, and then stayed with Ji Le all the time. In fact, Ji Le had no appetite at the moment, but in order to get better as soon as possible, he took the initiative to eat something.
…
At this time, Guan Cong, who was in Luoyi, was really worried after he learned the news that Lu Hou Chou had passed away.
So, he rushed to Yunyi along with the condolence team of the Zhou royal family.
When Guan Cong saw Li Ran again, he was also surprised by his current desolate and decadent appearance.
Upon closer inspection, Guan Cong discovered that Li Ran now had several silver-white hairs.
Li Ran has been thinking a lot over the years, and most of the things he has done are counterproductive. Coupled with his wife's serious illness, these days have been a drain on him.
"Young Master, you must take care of yourself."
Guan Cong comforted him from the side, but how could Li Ran listen to these words at this moment? Therefore, I couldn't help but smile bitterly:
"Thank you Ziyu... Hey, things are unpredictable. I really didn't expect that the incident involving Marquis Lu would end like this..."
When Guan Cong heard this, he also sighed and said:
"Hey... time is also fate. How can it be done by human beings? Young Master actually does not need to blame himself so much."
——
Chapter 535_Ji’s Dilemma
After listening to Guan Cong's consolation, Li Ran felt calm.
"Ziyu, why are you here this time?"
"It's nothing important. It's just that when Guan Cong learned that Marquis Lu passed away, he was afraid that it would be detrimental to the young master. Guan Cong was also very worried, so he took time to visit the young master."
Li Ran waved his hand:
"Although it is unfavorable, it is still reluctant. Ziyu is also determined."
So Guan Cong stayed with Confucius to organize the funeral of Marquis Lu.
…
On the other hand, Lu Houchou is the king of a country after all. Although he is away from home, he is still the nominal king of Lu.
Therefore, after waiting for other countries to wait and see, they found that Ji Sun Yiru did not immediately register a new king in the Lu State. This showed that the Lu State still recognized Lu Hou as the king.
As a result, these princes and states sent people to express their condolences.
Yin Duan of Zheng State and Dong Anyu of Jin State came one after another, and Tian Rangju also officially received the edict from the Marquis of Qi at this moment, saying that he could express condolences on behalf of Qi State before returning home.
Not long after this, Li Ran received another letter from Yang Hu of the State of Lu.
Since Yang Hu returned to Lu State, he has indeed kept his promise and often communicates with Li Ran.
This time, he even told the truth that Ji Sun Yiru and Shu Niu wanted to use the pretense of "the Marquis of Lu returned to the country and used the topic to show off".
Yang Hu also suggested that Li Ran agree temporarily, and when he entered Qufu, Yang Hu could also ensure Li Ran's safety.
Li Ran looked at the letter and then handed it to Sun Wu beside him. After reading it, Sun Wu didn't know whether it was acceptable or not. Just listen to Li Ran say:
"Ji Sun Yiru now intends to welcome Marquis Lu back to his country for burial, which saves us a lot of trouble. However, Ji Sun Yiru actually wants to recruit us together this time. It seems that his evil intentions are not dead and he wants to kill us." I’ll catch them all in one fell swoop!”
After hearing this, Sun Wu also said:
"Sir, your concerns are serious, but I'm afraid... this matter is really hard to refuse..."
Confucius also read the letter and was at a loss what to do.
After all, if they don't obey, or even disperse in a hurry, it will be equivalent to confirming that they are guilty of "stealing the emperor to cause chaos". But if it is true that they went to the State of Lu, they are probably a sheep in a tiger's mouth. .
"Ziyu, what do you think?"
Guan Congju Shen said:
"Young Master, this old thief Ji Sun is undoubtedly trying to lure us into a trap, and it is not clear whether this Yang Hu is an enemy or a friend..."
I saw Sun Wu also holding his chin with one hand.
"What Ziyu said is not unreasonable. This Yang Hu... is difficult to distinguish between ourselves and the enemy after all. What purpose it serves is unclear. And how credible is his current statement?"
Li Ran thought deeply, but still had not made up his mind...
He returned to Ji Le, who had been carefully nursed back to health by doctors and was now able to sit on the bed.
Although Ji Le has not completely come to terms with the death of his younger brother Achou, thinking about his daughter still keeps him from falling down.
Li Ran personally fed her some decoction. After Ji Le finished taking it, Li Ran wiped the corners of her mouth with a towel. Ji Le suddenly said:
"Husband, where is Ah Chou going to be buried?"
Li Ran hesitated.
"The State of Lu intends to welcome him back and bury him in the clan mausoleum..."
Ji Le couldn't help but nodded:
"This is what it should be..."
Ji Le didn't think too much, so he said innocently.
Li Ran nodded, knowing that he couldn't talk to Ji Leming about this matter, lest it cause her more troubles.
"Achou has been wandering for half his life. It would be great if he could return to his roots...but what should Ayan and Awei do?"
Li Ran was slightly startled when he heard Ji Le's question. When Lu Houchou was about to die, he actually wanted to take care of his orphan. Although he didn't say it explicitly, he must have hoped that the two brothers could return to the State of Lu.
As for the two brothers, as heirs of the Marquis of Lu, they were the most qualified to inherit the throne. But facing the current situation, there must be many dangers.
Therefore, after thinking about it, Li Ransi thought it would be better to use this as an excuse to pose a difficult problem to Ji Sun Yiru.
After all, it is an ancient system for a son to inherit the throne from his father, and it can be said to be a matter of course, and Ji Sun Yiru has never done anything to abolish it.
Then, Gongyan and Gongwei should naturally be the first in line to become heirs.
And Ji Sun Yiru would never be stupid enough to directly agree to this matter. After all, he and Lu Hou Chou had a blood feud. How could he dare to make his son king?
Therefore, Li Ran thought that maybe he could use this to put him in a dilemma.
Let the Marquis of Lu return home for burial, and under the pretense of becoming a king, he may be able to stay in Yunyi for a while and watch.
Li Ran thought about this and couldn't help but said to Ji Le:
"Le'er, since my husband has promised Ah Chou, he will take care of his two children. My husband has already taken care of this matter in his mind. Le'er doesn't need to worry too much. He just wants to be healthy and recuperate."
…
Sure enough, as Yang Hu said in his letter, within a few days, the uncle and grandson of one of the three emperors of Lu State did not dare to come to Yunyi in the name of condolences to the Marquis of Lu.
He was ordered by Ji Sun Yiru to come to receive the body of Marquis Lu and return it to his country for burial.
Li Ran did not see him immediately, and after all, Li Ran was not a senior official in Lu State, so he asked Zi Jiaji to receive him on his behalf.
Zijiaji was also a direct minister. Seeing that his uncle and grandson did not dare to come, he just said:
"We are all Lu ministers. Since the monarch has not allowed us to see the doctor in private, and the monarch is no longer here, how can we dare to meet the doctor in private to discuss state affairs?"
After Zijiaji put down his words, he walked away.
Uncle Sun did not dare to hear these prevarications and did not understand their meaning. He planned to send it back to Qufu according to the original words so that Ji Sun Yiru could make up his mind.
But at this time, the people around him reminded him:
"This statement has two meanings. One is to blame the Shusun family for not being able to protect the king. Since they are here to express condolences to the king, they also come to see him on behalf of the Ji family. This is really inconsistent with etiquette!"
"Secondly, we, Uncle Sun, are not willing to give up until we confirm the candidate for the new king. According to the wishes of the Zi family officials, I am afraid that we want to make Gong Yan and Gong the two young masters. But...it seems that there is something wrong with the Ji family. Song, the younger brother of Marquis Lu, has already been chosen."
"Therefore, the Lord must explain this matter to the Ji family. If it is not handled properly, the Ji family may be displeased!"
Uncle and grandson didn't dare to listen, because they were also afraid of Ji's power. So, he brought the words directly to Ji Sun Yiru.
When Ji Sun Yiru heard this, he couldn't help but snorted coldly and said to the standing cow next to him:
"Li Ziming is really wishful thinking! Gongyan and Gongwei have lived abroad for a long time, and they have no foundation in the Lu country. How can I let them succeed to the throne of the country?"
Hearing this, Zhu Niu couldn't help but nodded. But at the same time, he could also see other clues:
"But...according to common law, Gongyan and Gongwei are indeed qualified to inherit the throne of the country. If they follow the body of Marquis Lu and return to the country, and Li Ran advises him, he will surely fight for the throne! There is a hidden worry here , we must check it!”
"Haha, it's just Zhuzi, so what's the difficulty? Let's welcome back the Marquis of Lu and let them stay outside. Then we can raise troops to attack!"
Hearing this, Zhu Niu shook his head:
"You must not do this! If you do this, wouldn't you just fall into Li Ran's plan? The Marquis of Lu has never been deposed. The Ji family's helplessness and respect for the official family have been known to the world. If you force someone to do so at this moment, If we establish the son of Song Dynasty and ignore Gong Yan and Gong Wei, won’t the Ji family’s forbearance over the past few years be in vain?!”
Ji Sun Yiru narrowed her eyes:
"But no matter what... we have already agreed to make Young Master Song the king. Wouldn't it be ridiculous if we give up now just because of these trivial matters?"
