Gao Zhang heard Confucius change his topic and pointed directly at Tian Qi. He thought for a moment and then replied:
"Tian Qi has always shown kindness to others. In the eyes of the Chinese people, going out for military expeditions is a militaristic move, which is naturally unpopular. However, although he does not hold military power, there are many informants placed by him in the army. Therefore, , to say that he has no such ambition is probably not entirely true."
When Confucius heard this, he couldn't help but pretend to be suddenly enlightened:
"Oh! So that's it. No wonder every time I go out to lead troops, it's either a general or Lord Guoxia! It seems... Tian Qi intends to destroy the reputation of the Gao family and the Guo family!"
When Gao Zhang heard this, he couldn't help but secretly clenched his fist.
"What Zhongni said is true. Over the years, I, the Gao family and the Guo family, have repeatedly sent out troops under the emperor's orders, but with no success. In the eyes of the monarch and the people, I am afraid that I have long been inferior to the Tian family... .”
"Haha, so this time, I have to get some military glory from you to take back! Otherwise, I'm afraid our Gao family will find it increasingly difficult to gain a foothold in Qi State!"
Confucius heard what Gao Zhang said and knew that it was just a bluff. He couldn't help but laugh and said:
"What the general said makes sense, but does the general think that the reason why Chengyi is difficult to break is just because the city wall is tall and strong?"
When Gao Zhang heard this, he couldn't help but asked with interest: "Oh? Is there any other reason?" At this time, Confucius made a metaphor with his hands:
"May I ask General, if you use your left hand to tap your right hand, how much strength can you exert?"
Gao Zhang didn't know why, but he replied:
"I can't use all my strength. I only use 30% of my strength. I'm afraid it's too much." After hearing this, Confucius couldn't help but nodded:
"What the general said is true! Therefore, Chengyi is like the right hand, and the army of Lu is like the left hand. The reason why the world thinks that the army of Lu is weak is just because the state of Lu is a benevolent and righteous army. In the face of fratricide, , so I can’t put my best effort into it.”
"But... if it is to resist foreign enemies..."
Confucius suddenly paused, then smiled slightly and bowed with his hands clasped together.
Gao Zhang followed Confucius' words and asked, "So what?"
Confucius punched twice again:
"I have to fight with all my strength! It may not be possible for the Lu army to conquer the city, but they will never be merciful when facing foreign enemies! Shu Qiu said bluntly, the 30,000 people and 500 vehicles led by the general want to do this I’m afraid it’s not that easy to defeat me, Master Lu!”
"When the time comes, the general will not achieve even an inch of success, but will lose troops and generals. How will Master Gao explain to the Marquis of Qi? How will he face Tian Qi's accountability?"
Gao Zhang suddenly couldn't help but think of what Prince Tu said before leaving. For a moment he felt that what Confucius said made sense.
However, although the principle is this principle, one cannot lose his composure in front of Confucius.
Therefore, Gao Zhang still said harshly:
"Haha, the 30,000 men and horses of our Qi State are all the elites of our Qi State! Zhongni said this... is he too underestimated our Qi State?"
Confucius said directly:
"General, I, Confucius, know about the Qi State after all. The Qi army has 30,000 troops. From Yu Qiu's point of view, even if they are elite, they are nothing more than that!"
"What's more, the general thinks, why did our Lu army choose to withdraw from the siege of Chengyi and rashly lead our troops to confront the general? Haha, let's tell the truth to the general. Now Gong Lianyang will only inspect and seize the capital in Chengyi. , Just act according to circumstances!"
Gao Zhang lowered his head and thought for a long time, but did not speak for a long time. Confucius said again:
"The State of Qi is certainly strong, and the State of Lu is certainly weak. But our State of Lu is by no means comparable to ordinary small countries! If we really go to war with Qi, is the general really confident that he can handle it?"
"General, what Qiu said today is from the bottom of his heart. Just because the general once took shelter in Qiu, I want to meet the general here frankly! If the general can escape unscathed, it is better than humiliating the whole army again! "
Gao Zhang's eyes flickered, and it was obvious that he had been persuaded by Confucius, while Ran Qiu on the side also continued:
"My master's words are very clear. General, please think again!!"
Gao Zhang suddenly stood up and paced back and forth. Confucius was sitting and waiting. After careful consideration, Gao Zhang looked at Confucius again:
"Zhongni, then...what do you think I should do?" 33
Obviously, although what Confucius said was reasonable, it was still not enough to make Gao Zhang retreat.
Confucius heard this question and said calmly:
"Haha, it's very simple. You just need to order the general to go back and give an explanation. This battle will not be successful without fighting. But how to fight it is very important!"
Gao Zhang said slowly:
"Oh? As Zhong Ni meant.
But how should we fight? Confucius nodded and said:
"My Lu division is willing to retreat another thirty miles. The general can lead his troops to occupy Guan and Chan, and then we can retreat. So, what do you think, general?"
Gao Zhang thought about it carefully, but he was puzzled:
"If I get the two places of Guan and Chan, I can go back and resume my life, but what you are doing, Zhongni, is probably against the righteousness of a minister, right?!"
When Confucius heard this, he laughed and said:
"Haha, thank you for your concern, General. Since Qiu is a minister of Lu, how can he be unjust? Since Qiu has a way to give it away, he has a way to get it back..."
"The general should think carefully about how he should face the Tian family after returning home. I'm afraid the general's current situation is not comfortable. The rise of the Tian family is Qi's biggest concern and hidden worry! "
Gao Zhang said:
"Okay! The two places of Guan and Chan and Chengyi are like horns. It would be reasonable for me to return to the army and resume my life. In this case, I would rather obey my order out of respect and wait until I lead my army to occupy the two places. Just withdraw your troops and return! But...as for how you are going to recover the lost territory, I don’t care about that?!"
Confucius put his palms together and laughed:
"Okay! Once you say something, it's hard to catch up!" Hearing this, Gao Zhang couldn't help but be overjoyed.
In fact, how could he not know how much the 30,000 soldiers and horses in his hands could accomplish? What's more, Prince Tu had given special instructions to him to preserve his strength before he went on the expedition.
Moreover, if Gong Lianyang is really going to sit back and watch, he will stand still. And he was the only one who had a fierce fight with Master Lu there.
There is indeed no need to fight this battle!
The two sides reached an agreement, and after Gao Zhang and Confucius said goodbye to each other, they each drove their carriages back to the front camp.
As soon as Confucius arrived, he saw that Li Ran and Fan Li had been waiting for a long time. Confucius recounted the conversation with Gao Zhang in detail. After listening to it, Li Ran also breathed a sigh of relief.
"This level, it seems, is over without incident!" Ran Qiu asked:
"Then...can we focus on Chengyi now?" Li Ran shook his head and said:
"No, we have to wait for a while! Although Gao Zhang has already agreed, there may be many Tian Qi's spies among the army. Whether Gao Zhang can restrain himself and accept the order by then will still be It’s hard to say. Therefore, the matter of Chengyi must be put on hold for the time being!"
Confucius also nodded and said:
"My benefactor's words are very true. We really need to wait and see about this matter. Nowadays, the situation is changeable, and one move can affect the whole body, so we need to deal with it carefully!"
Some people died, but not completely...
