Li Ran looked at Guan Cong, somewhat shocked. After seeing this, Guan Cong also knew what Li Ran was thinking, so he continued:
"Actually, the truth behind this is all obvious. The reason why the young master never thought about it is because caring leads to chaos. Now, what he is thinking in his heart is all affected by the illness of the young lady and the previous Marquis Lu. , and secondly, the young master is too pure of heart to come up with such a 'vicious' idea!"
"After all, as the saying goes, 'the deceased is the most important,' the young master will certainly not be able to think of such a way to 'humiliate his name after death,' but Guan Cong is different. Guan Cong has seen many such things since he was a child, and it is true. He has no other abilities, so he is slightly better than ordinary people in these weird arts."
"The young master has always pursued the pursuit of persuading others with virtue and treating others with kindness. The young master has a broad mind and walks on the high road. Only Guan Follower walks on the treacherous path. Haha, it is really not good enough for outsiders!"
Li Ran knew that Guan Cong's praise was just a word of comfort, so he didn't take it to heart and just continued to ask:
"That being the case... what is Ziyu's specific plan? Can you tell me in detail?"
Guan tilted the corner of his mouth and said confidently:
"Young master does not need to worry about this matter. The young master only needs to give me a token and let Guan Cong handle the negotiations with the Lu State with full authority. Guan Cong will definitely handle this matter properly without leaking anything. The flaw!"
Li Ran still had some concerns in his heart. It wasn't that he didn't trust Guan Cong. In fact, he knew this person very well and he often did things regardless of the consequences. If you compare it to practicing medicine, he is the kind of person who always uses strong drugs.
But thinking that Guan Cong had gone through the same troubles with him after all, Guan Cong's move was ultimately a good intention.
In addition, as a member of the "Tao Ji", Guan Cong maintains the order of the world and is his duty as a "Tao Ji". In this regard, he is no different from Kuan Cong.
What's more, as Guan Cong said, "care leads to chaos", he Li Ran was already a little exhausted.
Since he had no intention of disciplining this matter, why should he hinder the obedience?
Thinking of this, Li Ran took off the jade pendant he was carrying. This jade pendant was given to him by King Zhou personally when Li Ran took over the position of Taishi of the Zhou royal family. The imprint on the bamboo slip on it can represent Li Ran's identity.
Guan Cong holds it in his hand, with a happy face:
"Young master, rest assured, just wait and see the good news."
Li Ran watched Guan Cong leave, then sighed and went to accompany Ji Le.
At night, Li Ran settled down to sleep with the ritual music, and then went to Lu Houchou's mourning hall. Ling Ren (the official in charge of hiding the ice) was changing the ice at the moment. The sealing of the coffin was already very good, and with a coffin set outside and placed in ice, the cold inside the coffin was extremely cold.
Confucius and several disciples were keeping vigil. After Li Ran saluted the coffin, he also knelt aside and stayed with Lu Houchou for a while. Then he called Confucius to go out with him, and then called Sun Wu.
After all, he still had to listen to the opinions of others as Guan Cong wanted to handle the matter of Ji's return of Lu Hou's body in his name.
They went directly to Zijiaji's mansion, but halfway there, a young man rushed up to them. He was a new young disciple of Confucius.
His surname is Duanmu, his given name is Ci, and his given name is Zigong. He is still young, so his face still looks a little childish at this time.
However, although this person appears childish, his abilities are outstanding. So much so that even Li Ran was somewhat impressed by him.
This Duanmu Ci was originally from the Wei State. The situation in the Wei State was very good, and the family also had some spare money. After hearing about the famous name and deeds of Confucius of the state of Lu, he decided to come to learn rites from his teacher, hoping to become an official in the future.
But at that time, Confucius happened to follow the Marquis of Lu because he ran away, and he had no fixed place. When this son came to the State of Lu, he could not find anyone, but he was not discouraged. He wandered around in search of him, and finally found Confucius and became his disciple.
And according to Confucius, Duanmu Ci made money while looking for him along the way. In the end, not only did his travel expenses remain unchanged, he actually made a lot of money by taking advantage of the price differences between countries.
Therefore, in this Duanmu Ci, Li Ran saw a bit of the shadow of Fan Li back then.
Duanmuci came to Confucius and whispered:
"Master, where are you going?"
Confucius glanced at Duanmu Ci:
"Oh, it's a gift. If we have something to discuss, you can go and watch over Master's body. Come back as soon as Master goes."
But Li Ran's heart moved:
"It doesn't matter, let's let Zigong go with us. Zigong has traveled all over the world and has a lot of knowledge. It's just right now to listen to his opinions."
After Confucius heard what Li Ran said, he naturally wouldn't stop him any more, so everyone came to Zijiaji's mansion together.
Because the monarch was newly mourned and his son was very old, he waited in the mourning hall during the day and had to rest when he came back at night.
He had already gone to bed, but when he learned that Li Ran had brought people with him to discuss matters, he immediately got up in a hurry, got dressed and went to the hall to meet everyone.
After everyone greeted him, Li Ran got straight to the point and said that he was ready to leave it to Guan Cong to handle the matter of Marquis Lu's return, but he didn't know everyone's opinions.
I heard Zijiaji also sigh:
"Hey... Mr. Ji is old and doesn't want to worry about this anymore. When the time comes when the Marquis of Lu returns to the country, Ji wants to go to Qi to recognize his ancestors and return to the clan, and then retire and stop taking part in worldly affairs!"
"So, I leave it up to Taishi to make his own decision on this matter. I don't have any opinions!"
Shouldn't it be said that this son's family is not from the state of Lu? Why did you choose to go to Qi to recognize your ancestors?
Just because their ancestor Gongsun Guifu had fled to Qi State, there were still people of their lineage in Qi State. Although they were not taken seriously by Qi State, they still had a place to settle down.
Li Ran knew that Zi Jiaji had made up his mind, so he couldn't persuade him, so he could only sigh.
As for Sun Wu, after all, he understood Guan Cong better, so he immediately said:
"Sir, Marquis Lu has passed away, but the matter of returning home should not be underestimated. Wu felt that it was inappropriate to hand over such important matters to Ziyu. This person's affairs are mostly... treacherous. If he does not handle them properly, let Lu It’s really inappropriate for Hou to be humiliated after his death!”
Li Ran couldn't help but smile bitterly. Sun Wu hated evil as much as his enemies. He and Guan Cong were indeed incompatible. And the reason why the two of them can get along is entirely because of Li Ran's presence, otherwise Sun Wu would not even talk to him.
In Sun Wu's view, Guancong's plan would definitely humiliate the Marquis of Lu. After all, only in this way can the world see Ji's true face more clearly.
Confucius didn't know much about Guan Cong, but he was organizing Lu Hou Chou's funeral together with him during this period. After all, Guan Cong had also done divination and was well versed in the red tape of Zhou rites, so Confucius had a pretty good impression of this man.
"I think Ziyu is quite polite. It would be nice if he is willing to contribute."
When Duanmu met his master and spoke, he also said from the side:
"On weekdays, Ci most likes to talk to Brother Ziyu. Although Brother Ziyu is a very sophisticated man, he is also very knowledgeable about etiquette and righteousness. He often understands problems deeply. If Mr. Ziyu entrusts him with the matter, Ci also thinks that he is the right person. The perfect choice!"
After Confucius heard this, he couldn't help but scolded:
"Gi! How do you know these things? Don't make rash comments about others here!"
When Duanmu Ci heard the words, he immediately looked at his nose with his eyes, and his nose with his heart. He lowered his head and said nothing more.
In fact, Confucius did not want to suppress his disciples' ideas. What's more, he once said to his disciples:
"I can live longer in one day than I should."
The meaning is that just because I am older than you, you should not be afraid to speak, and let the disciples express their opinions freely.
However, on the one hand, in situations like this, any subjective comments from others will often determine the judgment of the person in charge. And who is Guan Cong, and how can they possibly know everything about it?
Moreover, Confucius also understood Duanmu Ci's character quite well. I know that relying on his intelligence, he likes to comment on others the most. But if this kind of behavior is not restrained a little, I am afraid that he will suffer big losses in the future.
Therefore, based on these two factors, Confucius gave Duanmu such a lecture on the spot.
Afterwards, I heard Confucius continue to say to Li Ran:
"This matter still needs to be decided by Taishi. Since Guan Ziyu is serving Mr. Guan Ziyu, he must have already made a decision. In any case, we will just obey and have no objection to this."
After hearing this, Li Ran couldn't help but nodded, hesitated for a while, and then said:
"In that case... let Ziyu handle this matter!"
——
Chapter 539_Zhongliang drinks hard in the air
As the Taishi of the Zhou royal family, Li Ran was related to Luhou Chou's sister, so Li Ran was equivalent to the uncle of the two young masters. In addition, Zi Jiaji had decided to retire.
So everyone regarded Li Ran as the main one at the moment. Since he had made the decision, no one else would say anything more.
The next day, Li Ran signaled Guan Cong to start taking care of the matter.
Therefore, Guan Cong immediately summoned the group of people who had followed Lu Hou Chou to attack Ji's family, and expressed that he wanted them to escort Lu Hou's coffin back to the state of Lu.
When these people heard this, they couldn't help but look at each other for a while. Most of them have grudges against the Ji family, and going back is like a sheep entering a tiger's mouth. Therefore, they were very worried and no one dared to respond.
Seeing that no one wanted to risk returning home, Guan Cong calmly took out Li Ran's jade pendant.
"I have received the approval of Li Taishi and the officials of the Zi family, and I have full authority to deal with the affairs of Luhou after his death in Yunyi. If you don't obey, you will be disobedient and disrespectful!"
"Moreover, Dr. Ji Sun has already said that anyone who goes back can forget about the past! Dr. Ji Sun on the side can also testify to this, so you don't have to worry!"
When everyone saw this, they were helpless, and Shusun did not dare to retort in order to smoothly receive the body of Marquis Lu, so he would not refute on the spot.
So, under the leadership of Guan Cong, these hundreds of people escorted the coffin of Marquis of Lu together with his uncle and grandson, starting from Yunyi to Qufu.
Li Ran and Zi Jiaji accompanied Gong Yan and Gong Wei to the city gate in tears.
At this time, Li Ran also suddenly discovered that the people Guan Cong brought were actually people who had had issues with the Ji family. While marveling at Guan Cong's meticulous intelligence work, he also felt vaguely uneasy in his heart.
But now the arrow was on the string and had to be fired, so he had no choice but to give instructions:
"Ziyu, don't put the overall situation first!"
Guan Cong faced Li Ran, bowed and said:
"No! I will handle this matter properly from now on!"
Li Ran wanted to step forward to speak, but Guan Cong spoke first:
"Young master, don't worry, I will never have any second thoughts when observing you!"
When Li Ran saw this, he still nodded uneasily:
"Well... let's go..."
Guan Cong bowed again, turned around and led the team towards Qufu.
When these people gradually went away, Zijiaji knelt directly in front of Gongyan and Gongwei.
"Two young gentlemen, I am already old and my time is running out. I hope you can allow me to retire..."
Gongyan and Gongwei stepped forward to help Zi Jiaji, and Gongyan said in his very childish voice:
"Why is the doctor like this? Now that my father has passed away, my two brothers have no relatives. In these years, I have only listened to the doctor's teachings, just like my father, and I also asked the doctor to stay and help..."
When Zijiaji heard this, he closed his eyes and looked up to the sky again and sighed:
"Time flies, the years fly by, and it's already late in the blink of an eye. I can no longer serve the two young masters. I am really beyond my ability and can't help the two young masters. Fortunately, Li Taishi is here to take charge, and Ji Sun Yiru wanted to come. I don't dare to invade Yunyi again rashly. The two young masters will be safe and sound. I also ask the two young masters to fulfill my wishes."
Gongyan sighed and finally agreed.
Zijiaji was different from the group of people who were sending Lu Hou Chou's coffin back home. He had been thinking about how to escort Lu Hou Chou back to resume the government.
Zang Zhaobo and others had a deep grudge against the Ji family. In order to avoid disunity, they had drafted an alliance letter, requiring those who fled to swear an oath together.
The alliance letter reads:
"Work together with one heart, like and dislike the same. Believe in whether there is a sin or not, and follow it with care and attention. There is no connection between the outside and the inside."
The general meaning is: everyone must unite as one, not be able to communicate with the inside of the country, and the outside with the outside world, let alone abandon the king.
At that time, everyone also joined in the blood alliance. But when he brought it to Zi Jiaji, he refused on the spot and said:
"By signing such an agreement, you are putting yourself in trouble. It is simply a heinous crime. My family will never participate in such an agreement!"
"You people are crowding around the king to go into exile because you are afraid of the world being in chaos and hate being settled. How can I, my son, be a comrade with you? You are putting the king in trouble, which is the biggest crime! Moreover, my son, my son, is a comrade. I am determined to communicate with the outside world and leave the king's side. What I do is to make the king return home quickly! If you don't communicate with the country or unite with foreign countries, what can you do with just a mob like you? Why should we defend this place?"
It can be seen that Zijiaji at that time always believed that Lu Hou's exile was just a temporary measure.
Therefore, in this regard, even Ji Sun Yiru had calculated at that time, thinking that Zi Jiaji was someone he could win over.
But as far as Zi Jiaji's true thoughts are concerned, now that Lu Houchou has passed away, why should he worry about whether he can return to his country or not?
It would be a shame for the king if he could not return him to his country during his lifetime. In this case, how could he return to Lu and bring shame on himself?
It can be seen from this that this son Jiaji is really a gentleman of the state of Lu.
Li Ran knew his intentions and knew that he could not persuade him, so he and Confucius put him in the carriage.
Zi Jiaji held Confucius' hand tightly. They both had ordinary thoughts, so they naturally felt sympathy for each other.
"Zhongni, you are in your prime. If you have the chance, you will have to return to your country and become an official. Don't be discouraged! The country of Lu is in need of talents like you right now!"
In fact, Confucius was now at a loss about his own future and the prospects of the State of Lu.
Therefore, when he heard this, he sighed and shook his head:
"It's a pity that the Ji family is now in exclusive power and the imperial family is in decline. Qiu Zong is determined to serve the country, but what can he do? On the contrary, you, the official of the Zi family, end up in peace and quiet..."
Confucius said with a self-deprecating smile.
In fact, he was somewhat discouraged. He had told Li Ran before that he would find another way to make a living elsewhere. But now I still have to stay in Yunyi and continue to serve the two young masters.
Zijiaji sighed:
"Hey... Zhongni doesn't have to be like this. Things are unpredictable. Even though the Ji family has been in Lu for three generations, who can guarantee that their family business can last for thousands of generations? Although the world is difficult nowadays, as the saying goes, ' If you are stripped of your strength, you will surely recover, otherwise you will be able to recover peacefully. Just wait for the day to come, and Zhongni will have great potential!"
Confucius knew that this was Zijiaji encouraging him, and also knew that this was Zijiaji's high hopes for him, so he bowed and said to him:
"Thank you for your kindness, doctor. Qiu is not afraid of not having an official position. He is only worried that he does not have the skills to be qualified for the position. He is not worried that no one will know him. He just wants to make his talents known to others."
(Don’t worry about not having a position, it’s because of the worry that you can establish it. Don’t worry about not knowing what you know, it’s about knowing what you want to do.)
Zi Jiaji nodded with satisfaction, then turned to Li Ran and said:
"Mr. Ziming, I have always advocated a private life, but most of the time things have gone against my wishes. My wife is in poor health. Now I only hope that I can think of the loneliness of the two young masters. If I really have the opportunity to return to my country, I hope that I can be as considerate as possible..."
Li Ran said:
"Don't worry, Mr. Zi family, as long as Li Ran is here, he will try his best to facilitate it."
Zijiaji bowed his hands towards Li Ran and Confucius, thinking that they were trusting him very much:
"I... take my leave..."
The Zi family got on the carriage and gradually went away...
And a generation of virtuous ministers has come to an end.
As the saying goes:
Lu Zhaozheng is unclear, but his childlike innocence is determined.
Strong ministers have been in power for a long time, and they slander others and secretly provoke them.
The prince's son's family is restrained, and he is loyal to the country.
Mingda judges the plot, but ignores the harsh words.
The group of young people are in a daze, and they are convinced at the same time.
When the sun enters, it will rise, and it will eventually become a day of anger.
Nojing asks everyone, Hu Bu Zao is like Jin.
Evil will lead to death, and evil will take hold of it.
Wan turned to humiliate the Marquis of Qian, and Shuanghu was temporarily ordered to do so.
Pingzi is so deceitful and willing to join politics.
It's no longer superficial, and he sends messages frequently without work.
It's sad that one's ambition is not stretched, and loyalty is empty and hatred is swallowed up.
original:
Meng took charge of Zhaobo and killed him to the west of the south gate, then attacked the public disciples. Zijiazi said: "All the ministers pretended to rob the emperor, and they are responsible for the crime. You should stop it. You do what you want, and you dare not change it." The duke said: "I can't bear it." He and Zang Sunru tomb plotted, and carried out the plan. . Jihai, Gongsun Yu Qi, second to Yangzhou. The Marquis of Qi will pay his condolences to the Duke in Pingyin, and the Duke will go to Nojing first. The Marquis of Qi said: "This is the sin of a few people." He sent a minister to stay in Pingyin for the sake of proximity. The book says: "Gongsun lived in Qi, followed by Yangzhou, and the Marquis of Qi mourned the Duke in Nojing." Li Ye. When you ask for something from someone, give it first, as this is the kind thing that is polite. The Marquis of Qi said: "From the west of Jujiang, please go to Qianshe to wait for your orders. I am appointed as a deacon by the commander-in-chief, and I will only obey your orders. Your worries are also my worries." The public is happy. Zijiazi said: "Heaven's fortune is no longer there. Heaven is like Lord Xu, but he is no better than Duke Zhou. Lu is enough. If Lu is lost, and Qianshe is his minister, who can support him? And the Lord of Qi has no faith, so it is better to advance to Jin as early as possible." "Fobong. Zang Zhaobo led his followers to make an alliance, and wrote in a book: "Work together with one heart, like and dislike the same. Believe in the guilt or not, follow the public closely, and have no communication between the outside and the inside." The public order was given to the children of the family. Zijiazi said: "In this case, I cannot make an alliance. I am not a sycophant. I cannot agree with the second and third sons, and think that they are all guilty. Maybe I want to connect with the outside and the inside, and I want to get rid of the king. The second and third sons like death but hate concentration. How can we be the same?" What's the biggest crime if you put your ruler in trouble? If you pass through the outside and inside to get rid of you, your general will rush in. What's the point of not passing through? How can you defend yourself?" It's not an alliance.
——"Zuo Zhuan: The Twenty-fifth Year of Duke Zhao"
