Naturally, Sanhuan and his generals were in an uproar.
The Qi division's 30,000 troops are certainly not a small number, but after all, the enemy division is deep into the Lu territory. If they really fight, they may not necessarily be defeated.
Therefore, they couldn't understand why Confucius chose to retreat at this time?
However, although Sanhuan and others could not understand it, they could only obey his orders. 33
After all, in this crusade, Confucius served as the chief minister and also took photos of the ministers, so he was the true commander-in-chief.
Although they are three members, no one wants to take the blame if they lose.
What's more, the Chengyi matter has indeed not been resolved yet. As far as the selfish motives of the Ji family and Shusun family are concerned, they are of course eager to defeat Chengyi as soon as possible instead of getting entangled with Qi here.
After Confucius announced this military order, the front camp set out and retreated ten miles.
It was night, and he hurriedly came to Li Ran's camp.
At this time, Chu Dang was patrolling outside the tent. Although he was a rough man, when he saw Confucius coming, he greeted him politely:
"It turns out to be Kong Sikou! Sir, you have been waiting in the tent for a long time!" Confucius was slightly surprised when he heard this, but he immediately waved to Chu Dang as a salute and went straight into the tent.
But at this time, Li Ran and Fan Li were talking.
When the two saw Confucius coming in, they immediately stood up to greet him. Confucius returned the courtesy in a hurry, but after sitting down, he frowned for a while:
"My benefactor, now that we have given up two places to Qi, I am afraid that the people of the country will not accept it! Moreover, the Marquis of Qi... bullies the weak and fears the strong. Who knows whether he will get worse? This move... ....Qiu thought something was wrong!"
Obviously, the previously agreed-upon strategy of "playing hard to get" in offering Guan and Chan was exactly the work of Li Ran!
At this time, Li Ran replied very firmly:
"Haha, Zhong Ni, don't panic. As the saying goes, "There are dangers, so seek for small gains." If not, how could we alienate Gong Lianyang and Qi State? "
"Before, what the young uncle said made Gong Lianyang suspicious of the Qi State. But now, when Gong Lianyang sees that the Qi army has temporarily retreated, he must have thought that the Marquis of Qi has abandoned him!"
"As long as we can cause Qi State and Chengyi to have mutual dissatisfaction, we can defeat them one by one when the time comes!"
As for Confucius, after hearing what Li Ran said, he still felt embarrassed and said:
"It's just... I'm afraid that the Qi State will really take advantage of it. If the Marquis of Qi sends more reinforcements... what can be done?"
Li Ran heard Confucius' question, but still replied with great determination:
"Haha, don't panic, Zhongni. When I join Qi and persuade the Marquis of Qi, I can make them retreat in one fell swoop!"
When Confucius heard this, he was shocked:
"Ah? Is my benefactor going to Qi to lobby the Marquis of Qi? This move... is too dangerous..."
It turns out that the current plan to retreat the entire army is just Li Ran's first step.
What followed was another back-up plan.
At this time, Li Ran still said calmly:
"Haha, Qi State is currently experiencing constant internal troubles, so what is there to fear?!"
"Recently, I heard that Prince Tu is favored by the Marquis of Qi, and the Guo and Gao families also support the prince. Therefore, Tian Qi has long been dissatisfied with this."
When Confucius heard this, he couldn't help but look left and right:
"It's just that Tian Qi has long wanted to put his benefactor to death, so he will definitely make every possible effort to make it difficult for him! Qiu Ke can't afford it if his benefactor makes any mistakes!"
At this time, Li Ran burst out laughing:
"Hahaha, others only think that Qi is a dragon's pond and a tiger's den, but I, Li Ran, am still as safe as Mount Tai! Zhongni, don't worry, Li has his own plan!"
Confucius couldn't help but suffocated when he saw the confidence exuding from Li Ran:
"Qiu naturally knows the capabilities of his benefactor. Since his benefactor said this, Qiu is inconvenient to say it again. He only hopes that the Marquis of Qi can restrain himself and not send more troops. In this way, he can also avoid this incident of his benefactor. A dangerous journey."
When Li Ran heard this, he just smiled slightly and said no more...
Speaking of Gao Zhang, without spending a single soldier, he actually obtained Guan and Chan from the state of Lu for free.
Shu Niu followed the army all the way and felt that he could get these two places effortlessly. Although he felt a little strange, he couldn't figure out what was wrong with it.
Tian Qi was far away in Linzi, so he didn't understand the reason even more.
Just because although he had always corresponded with Shu Niu, it was still quite inconvenient.
What's more, the situation in this battle is also changing rapidly, which can be said to be beyond everyone's expectations.
Gao Zhang happily left 10,000 troops stationed in Guan and Chan. Then he took the remaining 20,000 troops and returned directly to Linzi.
In the court, Qi Hou Chujiu couldn't help but feel even more delighted after hearing Gao Zhang's report:
"Well, it was thirty thousand. I didn't want to think that it was a miracle, but I never thought that Gao Qing would be able to obtain the two places of Guan and Chan. Although these two places are not rich, their location is excellent. If you want to make progress in Lu in the future, The country is the key. Gao Qing, your contribution is really not small!"
Gao Zhang leaned over and said hurriedly:
"This is all a blessing to the king, how dare I take the credit?!" Chujiu, the Marquis of Qi, said with a smile:
"Well... Gao Qing's great victory is really rare! I have to think carefully... how to reward you?!"
Gao Zhang heard this and prostrated on the ground again:
"My minister, I only serve the king wholeheartedly. Although I have achieved little success in this battle, Zhang does not dare to be greedy for credit. As for what to do with these two places next, and... and what should Chengyi do? How to deal with it, please make your decision as soon as possible!"
When Qi Hou Chujiu heard this, he couldn't help but put away his smile and fell into deep thought.
Under his pale hair, his head seemed to be unable to bear such a complicated problem.
Qihou Chujiu thought hard for a while, but he could only shake his head for a while, but still couldn't think of any clever move.
Indeed, when faced with such sudden good things, people are always caught off guard.
Tian Qi, on the other hand, was extremely angry when he saw Gao Zhang being so proud. However, after all, he had recommended Gao Zhang in the first place, so it was not convenient for him to pour cold water on him at this moment.
"Your Majesty, now that we have obtained the two lands of Guan and Chan, taking the city will be like searching for something! Please send troops to continue to support the city!"
When Qi Hou Chujiu heard this, he seemed quite embarrassed.
"The two new places of Deguan and Chan have not yet established a foothold. If we continue to trade, we may suffer losses..."Yi" says: We need to be in the mud, and the invaders will come. If the Jin State invades, I'm afraid ..."
Before the Marquis of Qi could finish his words, Prince Tu came out and said:
"My father, my sons and my ministers also think that Chengyi is desirable!"
When Qi Hou Chujiu heard this, he looked at his most beloved son strangely.
"Oh? Why is Tu'er's attitude so different from last time?" Prince Tu replied:
"Father, this moment is the same as that moment! I have recently heard rumors from the Jin State that although the Zhao family of the Jin State is the chief minister, the Fan family and the Zhongxing family have always been enemies of him. Now within the Jin State, The Zhao family has Handan who they think is an internal threat, and they are really powerless to provoke our Qi State again!"
"Not long ago, the Zhao family dispatched troops and stationed troops in Xingqiu, but now it seems that it is more like a bluff!"
"Therefore, I believe that the Jin State is no longer a concern. Your father can send tens of thousands more troops to the Lu State, and you will have no worries!"
Qihou Chujiu couldn't help but narrowed his eyes:
"Cha'er, are you so sure that the Jin Kingdom will not take advantage of the situation? Can you afford the consequences?"
Prince Tu smiled slightly:
"Please rest assured, sir. I have determined that the Zhao family and the Fan family in the Jin Kingdom are now at odds with each other, and one of them will be injured in the future!"
"Now, the Fan family has intermarried with princes from various countries, and its prestige has not diminished at all when Fan Xianzi was there. At home, it has received strong support from the Zhongxing family, who is of the same clan as the Zhi family and is married to the Zhao family in Handan. Such a situation Now, Zhao Yang has no time to take care of himself, so how can he be distracted by our Qi State?"
--
Chapter 720_The sharp-edged Prince Tu
Chujiu, the Marquis of Qi, could not help but feel pleased when he saw that Prince Cha's analysis was clear and logical:
"Tu'er's analysis is also very reasonable. According to your opinion, what should the father of the Lu State do in order to be the most beneficial to our Qi State?"
Obviously, Prince Tu has been thinking about this matter repeatedly in the past few days.
"Replying to your father, Gong Lianyang wrote a letter before, asking if Qi State can increase its troops. Although the words are sincere, it is not difficult to see from this that he means to wait and see!"
"My father, you might as well go with the flow and use this as an excuse to order Master Gao Zhang to lead troops to the Lu Kingdom again! Let's see what Gong Lianyang's attitude is. It's not too late to make a decision!"
"If Gong Lianyang is willing to surrender to our Qi State, then we can move forward and establish a city! If Gong Lianyang still stands still...then we can temporarily garrison Guan and Chan, and let's see how Kong Zhongni and The victory and defeat of Gong Lianyang will be determined, and we will figure it out slowly!"
"This is my minister's plan to "take advantage of the fire", please make your decision! "When Qi Hou Chujiu heard this, he couldn't help but clapped his hands suddenly.
"Wonderful! My son's plan is very clever!"
Chujiu, the Marquis of Qi, had already doted on Prince Tu, but Prince Tu was now talking eloquently in the court.
From the situation in Jin to the contest between Qi and Lu, it can be said that it covers everything.
Qihou Chujiu nodded with satisfaction, and looked at Tian Qi again: "Tian Qing, what do you think?"
Tian Qi hurriedly said:
"Back to the king, I think that what the prince said is reasonable and every word is accurate. There is no doubt that aggressively establishing a city is the most suitable approach at the moment!"
When Qi Hou Chujiu heard this, he couldn't help laughing:
"Hahaha! Okay! Okay...then...Tu'er thinks, how many more troops should be added to Guan and Chan this time?"
Prince Tu thought for a moment and replied:
"Back to my father, now there are 10,000 troops in Guan and Chan each. We can send another 40,000! Gao Zhang and Guoxia will divide their troops to garrison Guan and Chan!"
"In this way, the Qi Division's troops in Lu State have reached 50,000, which can be regarded as giving Gong Lianyang an attitude. It depends on how Gong Lianyang handles it!"
Qihou Chujiu nodded again and turned his head to the ministers present:
"I think what the prince said is very reasonable. What do you think?"
Everyone looked at each other in shock, but seeing that Qi Hou Chujiu had said so, there was no objection.
Therefore, Qi Hou Chujiu immediately issued an order, asking Gao Zhang and Guo Xia to each bring 20,000 troops to Guan and Chan. He also stated that if Gong Liyang's Chengyi took action, they should cooperate with it in time and wait for the opportunity to enter the city. Chengyi.
...
After the court meeting dispersed, Tian Qi returned to the mansion with an angry look on his face. Zhu Niu saw that Tian Qi had a strange look on his face and knew that he must have hit a wall in the court hall again, so he stepped forward and asked:
"Sir, have you encountered something unpleasant again?"
Tian Qi snorted coldly:
"Hmph! I really underestimated this Shu Zi before!" Shu Niu pondered and asked again:
"Could it be...that the prince has rebelled against you again?" Tian Qi heard this and sneered:
"This time...it's not that I'm going against my wishes. It's just that I'm a little worried!"
"This man is quite organized in his information, which makes me a little impressed! Moreover...this man is not just refuting me, but based on his own judgment, he is specifically seeking benefits for the country of Qi! "
"It's really disturbing that he can be so broad-minded at such a young age! I thought that this person was still young, and even if he succeeded to the throne in the future, he would not bring any harm to me. But now it seems ...It seems that I am too naive!"
"With this talent, if he is allowed to flourish in the future, my Tian family will be in danger!"
After hearing this, Shu Niu also nodded:
"Then... Sir, have you ever thought of a countermeasure?" Hearing this, Tian Qi gradually showed a ruthless look on his face:
"This piece must not be kept! It seems that the chess piece of Young Master Yangsheng will be moved sooner or later!"
Ever since Shu Niu followed Tian Qi, he had rarely seen Tian Qi with such an expression.
Moreover, even Fan Yang at that time would never dare to say such treacherous words.
Zhu Niu sighed for a moment, then laughed:
Tian Qi nodded slightly, and for a moment, his eyes were filled with viciousness.
...... both sides of the story
After the Qi army occupied Guan and Chan, Confucius sent envoys to Chengyi to negotiate peace with Gong Lianyang.
However, although Gong Lianyang entertained them politely, he did not mention the destruction of the city wall at all.
Confucius knew that Gong Lianyang was still determined not to give up, so he told Li Ran about the situation.
After hearing this, Li Ran said quite calmly:
"Haha, just as we expected before, Gong Lianyang still refuses to give up after all! Although the Qi army has retreated, it still occupied Guan and Chan of Lu State after all."
"This matter, according to common sense, is detrimental to the morality of our country of Lu. Therefore, with the character of Gong Li Yang, I will not let it go easily!"
What is wrong with Confucius:
"Now that Guan and Chan are lost, it will be difficult to get them back.
Hey, it was better to have a showdown with Master Qi back then!
....”
Before Confucius finished speaking, he suddenly heard someone coming from outside to report:
"Report! Report to your lord, the scouts came to report that Qi State has sent Gao and Guo, a total of 40,000 troops, to garrison at Guan and Chan!"
When Confucius heard this, he couldn't help but stood up: "My benefactor has calculated it! The Marquis of Qi is indeed unwilling to give up!"
After hearing this, Li Ran couldn't help but nodded and said:
"Now Zhao Yang is also in a difficult situation in Jin State, and it will be a matter of time before Qi State sees through his bluff. Next...it will be my turn to appear!"
When Confucius heard this, his eyes widened:
"My benefactor...really want to go to Qi in person?"
Li Ran saw the sad look on Kong Qiu's face, but he couldn't help laughing again:
"Haha, Zhongni, just don't worry! Since Li Mou lost Guan and Chan, Li Mou will naturally bring them back to the State of Lu safely!"
Confucius saw that Li Ran was so determined, but he still hesitated: "It's just...will Tian Qi let his benefactor off easily?"
Before Li Ran spoke, Fan Li, who was listening to the side, couldn't help but say:
"Sir! That Shu Niu is right next to Tian Qi. Even if Tian Qi is inconvenient to attack Sir for various reasons, that Shu Niu will definitely do harm in the dark!"
"Excuse me for my words, sir, this is really inappropriate!"
At this time, Confucius also responded:
"Yes! What the young uncle said makes sense! Qiu also thinks this matter is extremely inappropriate! What's more, there are many eloquent people among Qiu's disciples. How about letting them go on your behalf?!"
Some people died, but not completely...
