Guo Xia could see clearly that the one who stepped in first was a woman.
The man who followed him actually called himself "Li Ran".
Guo Xia's heart couldn't help but move.
Although the word "assassin" was not shouted out, he still looked at "Li Ran" up and down with vigilance.
Gong Eryue came to the camp gate and was alert.
Li Ran walked forward generously, bowed his hands and said calmly:
"I, Li Ran, have met the state officials. I am here not to make grudges, but actually for the future of Qi State. Don't be nervous, sir!"
When Guo Xia heard this, he smiled:
"Haha, I have heard about Mr. Ziming's name for a long time. When I saw him today, he was really extraordinary. I never thought that Mr. Ziming could be so courageous! In such a dangerous situation, he could be so free and easy. It is really admirable. !”
Li Ran smiled slightly, shook his head and said:
"Haha, doctor is making fun of you. You and I can't help ourselves, so how can we be free and easy?"
Guo Xia slowly put away the hilt of the sword and returned the sword to its sheath.
Li Ran spoke to him so calmly, which directly shortened the distance between them.
However, after all, Guo Xia was a human being who had been involved in the official circles of Qi State for many years, and he would not be led by Li Ran so easily.
"Since you are the Taishi of the Zhou royal family, you have handed over your responsibilities to your subordinates, but you are living happily in the Lu Kingdom, enjoying the rare peace in this troubled world. Isn't this... still not 'free and easy'?"
Li Ran smiled slightly.
"What the doctor is blaming is, but Ran came here today not to discuss with the doctor what Li Ran is not. Does the doctor know that the country of Qi is in danger now?"
When Guo Xia heard this, he knew that this was Li Ran's "talking skills", but he still responded:
"Oh? Would you like to hear the details?"
Li Ran didn't hesitate and immediately asked:
"Since the doctor is an old honorary figure of the Qi State, his status is respected. The State of Lu is adjacent to the State of Qi and has been on good terms for generations. May I ask why the doctor traveled thousands of miles to lead troops to invade the State of Lu?"
Guo Xia glanced at Gong Eryue who was holding a sword in the distance. Gongeryue looked thinner, but from her demeanor, it could be seen that she was still somewhat capable.
Moreover, since they were able to get in here, it was obvious that this woman was not just an ordinary person.
Guo Xia secretly sighed, fearing that they would be detrimental to him, so he said:
"Xia is just following the order of the prince. Now the Yang Hu is causing trouble in the country of Lu, and it will not stop for a moment. And the Yang Hu does not respect our country of Qi, so the prince specially sent me here to admonish Lu. Kuo Ichiban.”
Li Ran curled his lips in disdain, laughed, and spoke in a slightly mocking tone:
"It's just... In Li's opinion, Qi's internal worries are no less than those of Lu! And the doctor... I'm afraid a disaster will come! The doctor doesn't reflect on himself, but instead wants to fulfill the real enemy's hatred. Sir, this... is not a wise move!"
Guo Xia has also heard about Li Ran's words for a long time. But he was indeed curious. He wanted to know what Li Ran was trying to sell. So, he just followed the words and continued to ask:
"Oh? In that case, sir, please give me a few words."
Li Ran made a gesture, and the two of them sat down. Then Li Ran spoke:
"I dare to ask the doctor, as far as Qi is concerned, is it better for Lu to become a strong neighbor and enemy, or to just be a small country that is also a friendly neighbor?"
When Guo Xia heard this question, he couldn't help but think about it:
"How can there be room for others to sleep peacefully on the side of the bed?...To be honest, of course it would be better to be weaker. I'm afraid...this is exactly what I want..."
Li Ran couldn't help but smile calmly when he heard this:
"What the doctor said is absolutely true... and now, Qi State thinks that Yang Hu is the internal worry of Lu State. Then please imagine, doctor, if it is a scourge for Lu State, if Qi State is attacking Lu now, could it be that it is for Lu State?" Get rid of this scourge? Doesn’t it mean that it has done a great favor to the state of Lu but also ruined the relationship between Qi and Lu? Can the state of Qi really benefit from this? "
"I'm afraid not?"
"The two countries of Qi and Lu have always been on the same side. Although there are occasional gaps between the two countries, they had close contacts in the past. The story of Qi Hou Xiang helping Duke Zhao of Lu is still praised by the people of Lu. And the people of Lu Now, just because Yang Hu has some disobedience to Qi State, Qi State will take advantage of Lu State's temporary instability to add insult to injury. Has Qi State made up its mind to sever ties with Lu State? "
"If that time really comes, even if Yang Hu is not here, won't the State of Lu become closer to the State of Jin? This is probably not what the Marquis of Qi wants to see, right?"
Guo Xia was silent after hearing this.
What Li Ran said was actually very reasonable, but if he chose to withdraw his troops because of this, it would be too childish.
Guo Xia thought for a while and then said:
"We, the princes, are not saying that we have to do anything to the state of Lu, but we are just admonishing. Now, the state of Lu has good relations with the state of Jin, but has abandoned its alliance with the state of Qi. If we let it go, then we, the state of Qi, will Isn’t the situation getting worse and worse?”
Li Ran seemed to have known that Guo Xia Hui would say this for a long time, so he immediately started talking:
"The Jin State is still the lord of the world. Since it is the lord, it is natural for the Lu State to be close to it. If the Qi State intends to compete with the Jin State, it should be to revive the former rule of Duke Huan! If the Qi State's national power If we are prosperous and have no complaints from our neighbors, then wherever Master Qi goes, are we still afraid that no one will eat the pot of slurry to welcome Master Qi?"
"And if it is just because the people of Lu are close to the uncle Jin, it leads to a crusade from the state of Qi. Then how can the state of Qi convince the world?! By doing this, isn't it... sacrificing the foundation and chasing the last?"
After Li Ran finished speaking, Guo Xia couldn't help but fall into deep thought, stroked his gray temples, and nodded slightly.
At this time, Li Ran continued to strike while the iron was hot and said:
"Moreover, what Li just said are only external causes. In fact...Qi State is also suffering from internal worries. Has the doctor really never considered it?"
Guo Xia pursed her lips, raised her hands and said:
"Please give me some advice, sir."
Li Ran said loudly:
"I'm afraid the official is also a fan of the authorities! I dare to say a few words. I hope the doctor can listen."
"In the past, Duke Huan of Qi divided his country into two parts, and there were the Guo clan and the Gao clan. Since ancient times, the two clans of Guo and Gao have been the second guardians of Qi. Their duty is precisely to defend Qi."
"However, over the years, both the government and the public in Qi State have only known about the benevolence of the Tian family, but have never heard of the Guo and Gao Er families. Especially after the death of Dr. Yan Ying, the Tian family has won the favor of the monarch. In the Qi State, No one can match his power!"
"The Marquis of Qi is now deceived by the Tian family, and there is no talent like Doctor Yan around the monarch, so the Tian family can now bring disaster to the Qi country!"
"For example, if the doctor attacks Lu this time, this is Tian's plan to drive away tigers and devour wolves! If the people of Guo lead troops to attack Lu, the people of Lu will blame the people of Guo. Qi and Lu are at odds with each other. If the doctor is labeled as the one who attacks relatives and friends in the future. If the country's reputation is not good, what will happen to the Guo family's reputation? Now the doctor is clearly a swordsman, but he doesn't know that he is actually a fish! If the doctor still can't discern the mystery, isn't that stupid? "
After hearing these words, Guo Xia's eyes kept rolling.
If Li Ran's previous words can be regarded as an excuse, but what he said later is directly related to the future of their Guo family.
This was indeed something he had to seriously consider.
"What sir said... does make some sense..."
"It's just... After all, this military expedition is an order given by the prince. If we withdraw the troops at this point, it will probably be criticized!"
Li Ran laughed and said calmly:
"Haha, what's so difficult about this? After Li Ran goes back, all he has to do is ask the Lu State to get a letter of credence, so that he can make peace with the Qi State. In this way, won't the doctor have nothing to worry about?"
Guo Xia couldn't help but be stunned, because the edict only said that he was required to attack the Lu State as punishment, but it did not explicitly state what he wanted to do to the Lu State.
If Lu Guo really gave in, it would indeed be an acceptable argument for him.
Guo Xia couldn't help but nodded and promised:
"Since Mr. Guo has made such a guarantee, the country will choose to withdraw its troops tomorrow!"
"It's just... Although Guo has withdrawn his troops, he also hopes that Yang Hu can restrain himself from now on. If he continues to cause harm to his neighbors like this, I'm afraid there will be no next time!"
Li Ran couldn't help but be overjoyed when he heard this. He stood up and cupped his hands and said:
"The doctor can think of the overall situation, eliminate the war, and benefit both countries. Li Ran is very grateful!"
As the two of them talked secretly in the camp, the noise outside the camp gradually disappeared.
Just because Sun Wu was just pretending to attack to lure the enemy, at this moment, most of Qi's pursuers had returned to the camp one after another.
Guo Xia, on the other hand, sent Li Ran and Gong Eryue out of the tent in a dignified manner.
At this time, Qi Ying saw two rows of swordsmen and axemen on both sides, and they all looked at Li Ran with great vigilance.
Li Ran didn't care, he just walked shoulder to shoulder with Guo Xia with a proud smile.
Li Ran and Guo Xia left the Qi army camp together.
Chu Dang had been waiting outside the Qi army camp for a long time. When he saw that Li Ran was safe and sound, he immediately came to join him.
"Sir! None of these Qi people can fight!..."
Hearing what Chu Dang said, Li Ran immediately waved his hand to stop him.
Guo Xia listened, but also smiled:
"Haha, I have always heard that there are many tiger generals in the Lu country. When I saw it today, it turned out to be true! It's just that... although there are many fierce people in the Lu country, they are still not as smart as sir!"
Obviously, after experiencing this debate, Guo Xia already had high regard for Li Ran.
Li Ran also smiled slightly after hearing this:
"Haha, the doctor is exaggerating. If Li Ran is offended in any way today, please forgive me!"
Afterwards, Li Ran said goodbye to Guo Xia after another greeting.
And Guo Xia stood in front of the camp and watched Li Ran leave. But he couldn't help but sigh:
"Li Ziming...is truly a national scholar!"
(End of chapter)
