The Wei delegation crossed the river from Mengjin Pass in Sizhou. Jiba, the Marquis of Rencheng, and his wife Tuoba Qing spent three days in Luoyang. Then the two returned to Songshan Mountain and burned incense at the Taoist temple where Kou Xianshi practiced Taoism.
Standing in the pavilion where he and Yang Anxuan fought over the past, looking back on the past, the two looked at each other and smiled, which was not sweet.
Ji Ba doted on his wife and did not travel in a hurry. He traveled slowly and leisurely from Yingchuan, Runan and Yiyang to Xunyang City. Then he took a boat down the river and arrived at Jiankang City on December 26. , lived in Honglu Temple.
The Minister of Honglu Temple, Xu Si, reported that Sima Dewen, king of Langya, had sent an envoy from Wei. After Sima Dewen read Wei's credentials and learned that Wei intended to deepen the alliance and trade with each other, he ordered Shangshu's right servant to shoot Liu Muzhi to take full responsibility.
Song Gong Liu Yu returned to Jiankang on December 10th and was recuperating in Song Gong's mansion in Xicheng. He saw almost no foreign guests. After a period of rest, Liu Yu's condition improved and he is recovering.
After Liu Muzhi left the court, he went directly to Song Gong's mansion. He was a frequent visitor to the mansion, so he went directly to the inner hall without any communication.
Passing through the inner hall door, I saw Liu Yu strolling slowly down the corridor. Liu Muzhi walked a few steps forward and saluted, saying: "Song Gong, the wind is strong downstairs. You have just recovered from your illness. Don't catch the wind and cold again. It's better to go back to the house to rest."
Liu Yu said with a smile: "It doesn't matter. When I was fighting with Sun Enbian's militia, I had a high fever, and I got better immediately after fighting a little sweat. During this time, I always sat in the house and felt a little stuffy, so I walked around. .Dao He, but is there something going on in the court?"
In order to allow Liu Yu to recuperate with peace of mind, Liu Muzhi would handle minor matters by himself, and Liu Yu could trust him, as long as he showed him the abbreviations every few days. Liu Muzhi came to the house in person. It seemed that he was not just visiting patients, so Liu Yu asked.
Compared with before the expedition, Liu Yu was much thinner, and his temples were white. This illness made him much older. Liu Muzhi said: "The State of Wei has sent envoys to form an alliance, and they should go to the house to make a detailed statement to the lord."
Liu Yu nodded and walked towards the hall. As he walked, he said: "Wei State has suffered from disasters for many years and food is in short supply. I guess I want to borrow food from Jin State."
Liu Muzhi saw that although Liu Yu's steps were slow, he was walking steadily and powerfully. He was relieved and said with a smile: "My lord expected it to be true. King Langya appointed Yu to be responsible for the peace talks. Yu wants to ask my lord what the regulations are."
There was a charcoal fire in the hall, and it was as warm as spring. Liu Yu took off his fur and said, "The peace talks are nothing more than business, it doesn't matter. But Yu Jingguang said that during this time, the demons in the capital were dancing wildly, and those powerful people Ready to move."
Seeing the unhealthy blush on Liu Yu's face, Liu Muzhi hurriedly said: "My lord, please calm down. It's not worth getting angry for those short-sighted people. Medical Officer Lu told me not to get angry."
Liu Yu said coldly: "Although Yu captured Jiangling this time, he was defeated by Yang Anxuan and lost Jiangxia County and Northern Jizhou. The gains outweighed the losses. No matter how much he boasted about his victory, he could not hide it from others. I'm afraid there are people in the court who feel that Yu is no match for Yang Anxuan. , planning to vote for a new owner."
The words were full of murderous intent, which became even colder in the winter. Just listen to Liu Yu continue: "I heard that Sima Zhen went to Zhangshan to persuade Yang Anxuan to stop the army, and wanted to send his grandson to Xiangyang to study. It seems that the Imperial Academy cannot accommodate his grandson. I'm afraid there are many powerful people in Beijing. If someone follows his example, he will send his nephew to Xiangyang."
Liu Yu took a deep breath, turned and sat down slowly on the table, and said: "The intelligence reported that when Yu and Yang Anxuan were fighting, Qin launched an attack on Tianshui and Lueyang, and Yong's army failed to attack Qiuchi. Yu also said why Yang Anxuan would He hurriedly agreed to stop the troops, but it turned out that the rear was unstable. What a shame, if Yu hadn't gotten sick at this time, Yang Anxuan would have been defeated in the battle of Jingling, and he would have taken the opportunity to seize Xiangyang City."
Liu Muzhi said: "The land of Yongsi and Yanliang occupied by Yang Anxuan is bordered by Zhuhu and serves as a barrier for the lord. When the Wei State sends envoys, why don't the lord give in to them and secretly let the Wei State go south to attack the land of Siyan? Contain Yang Anxuan's troops; then send envoys to Qiuchi, Qin, Xia, and Zhuliang to win over, so that Yang Anxuan will be disturbed by the north and have no time to visit the south. The lord will take the opportunity to recuperate, and when the time is right, he can launch an attack from Jiangling to Xiangyang attack."
Liu Yu nodded and said: "Yes, we must be cautious about letting Wei go south and not let outsiders know."
"I understand." Liu Muzhi nodded solemnly.
It was already noon, and Liu Yu ordered a banquet to be served in honor of Liu Muzhi.
Liu Muzhi was the descendant of Liu Fei, the eldest son of Han Emperor Liu Bangshu, but by the time of the Jin Dynasty, his family had already fallen into decline. When Liu Muzhi was young, his family was extremely poor and he liked to drink and eat meat. He often had to go to his wife Jiang's natal family to have dinner. He was often ridiculed by his elder brother-in-law and brothers-in-law, so Liu Muzhi had to shamelessly pretend not to care.
Following Liu Yu's Jingkou Uprising, Liu Muzhi prospered and became Liu Yu's most valued adviser, whom he relied heavily on.
After Liu Muzhi became famous, he liked luxury. Every time he ate, he would use a large table about ten feet square, filled with delicacies, enough for more than a dozen people to enjoy.
Liu Yu knew his habits, so he specially ordered the kitchen to prepare more sumptuous food, filling a big table. However, these food and wine were not even one-third of what Liu Muzhi usually ate. Liu Muzhi had already expressed in one word "shabby". ".
Liu Muzhi knew that Liu Yu was frugal by nature. He ate no more than meat and vegetables on weekdays, and rarely drank alcohol. Even when he ate with his family, he would only have no more than five dishes. There were sixteen dishes on the table. Prepare for yourself.
Liu Muzhi stood up and thanked him, saying: "Thank you for your kindness, my lord. You were born in a humble background and often didn't have enough to eat. It was only after you followed your lord that you made a fool of yourself, your family situation changed, and you are grateful to your lord for your kindness. You knew that you were criticized for being extravagant. The food he eats every day is quite abundant, but apart from that, he has not committed any acts of corruption and does not dare to neglect the entrustment of the Lord for personal gain."
Liu Yu knew that all the noble families in the capital were fond of extravagance, and it had become a fashion to compete for wealth. Tao Kan, the former Grand Sima of Changsha County, was born in a humble family. His poor family required his mother to cut off her hair in exchange for wine and meat to entertain guests. Later, when he became rich, he had dozens of concubines in his family. , there are thousands of children in the family; Wang Xie and other aristocratic families have amassed countless properties, occupying gardens and landscapes, thousands of hectares of fertile land, hundreds of prostitutes, and thousands of slaves at every turn.
In contrast, Liu Muzhi handled Dali's government affairs and maintained the operation of the court, so this waste of food was really nothing.
"Daohe, we might as well put off the envoy's request for food for a few days and wait until later in the year." Liu Yu raised his glass and said, "You also have Danyang Yin. The public opinion in the capital cannot be ignored. You sent people to collect information about which sects are interested." Favoring Yang Anxuan, I might as well take the opportunity to deal with a few of them and let them know that the fool has the final say in Beijing."
After leaving Song Gong's mansion, Liu Muzhi went to Honglu Temple and met the Wei envoy Ji Ba. After passing the name, Liu Muzhi learned that the Wei State had sent Ren Chenghou as an envoy. Ji Ba was one of the "Eight Dukes" of the Wei Dynasty, and he actually sent him as an envoy. It seems that the Wei State was eager to ask for food this time.
Knowing it well, Liu Muzhi said calmly: "There is no rush to form an alliance. The New Year is coming soon. Your envoy may wish to watch the wind and moon in the capital, stroll along the Qinhuai River, and listen to operas in Goulan. Yu Minghong He Temple sent people to accompany your envoy to travel around.
Ji Ba originally intended to celebrate the New Year in Jiankang and experience the fashionable clothes of the Jin Dynasty. He smiled and said, "Thank you Liu Pushe for your kindness."
Seeing the joy on Ji Ba's face, Liu Muzhi became suspicious. Could it be that his guess was wrong? The Wei State was not in a hurry to transport food back for emergency relief. Otherwise, why would Ji Ba have fun in Jiankang?
Accompanied by the officials of Honglu Temple, Ji Ba took a swim in the Qinhuai River and experienced the beauty of the Qinhuai River. He sang "Lovesickness" in the boat, listened to "Farewell" in Yiqiu upstairs, and appreciated "Butterfly Lovers" in the fence. Then he drove to In Wuyi Lane, I visited Wang Xie and other aristocratic families, looking leisurely and at ease.
On New Year's Eve, when the Taiji Hall kept the New Year's Eve, King Langya invited Ji Ba to participate in the celebration as a foreign minister, and asked him with great interest about Wei's customs of celebrating the New Year.
Wei also held a banquet on New Year's Eve, where the emperor held a banquet for his officials and enjoyed music and dance. Ji Ba knew that the Jin people regarded themselves as orthodox and regarded Wei as a barbarian. They came to form an alliance this time to show weakness to Jin, so he smiled and said: "Wei is not as luxurious as Jin. It has the habit of digging dunghills. Say "Ruyi" while saying "Ruyi" to seek wealth and honor."
Everyone in the hall laughed loudly, and Sima Dewen said: "The country of Wei is really cold and miserable. Your envoy may wish to drink a few more cups and taste more delicious food from the Central Plains."
Ji Ba bowed to express his thanks, and the lowered brim of his hat blocked his cold gaze. No one could see the sarcasm in his gaze.
The Jin Dynasty was indeed more prosperous than the Wei Kingdom, with constant business trips and densely populated areas. However, during his stay in Jiankang, he discovered that the Jin gentry were intoxicated, greedy for pleasure, and had no enterprising spirit at all. Such Jin's court was nothing more than fattened cattle and sheep. Wei had hundreds of thousands of cavalry, and when the time came, they would send their troops south to Jin and let them be slaughtered.
However, when Ji Ba was in Pingcheng, he heard that Song Gong Liu Yu of the Jin Dynasty was a great hero. Yan was destroyed by him. His Beifu army defeated Fu Qin's 800,000 army with 80,000 soldiers; and Yao Qin was destroyed by Yong's army. , the Wei army fought with them several times but failed to gain any benefit. These two people were the backbone of the Jin state. This trip to observe the situation was not only to form an alliance with the Jin Dynasty and ask for food, but also to explore the reality of the Jin state.
In the next few days, Ji Ba no longer allowed the officials of Honglu Temple to follow him. He and his wife dressed up as Jin people and walked through the streets with two guards. They wandered around restaurants, teahouses and markets, listening to the stories of Jin people. of street talk.
He also made a special trip to Stone City to observe the power and equipment of the Jin army. He also took advantage of playing in Xuanwu Lake to overlook the Jin army's navy. If not for time, Ji Ba would also like to go to Jingkou to see the Beifu Army garrison.
Ji Ba learned from the street talks that Duke Liu Yu of the Song Dynasty controlled the court, and the Sima clan was like a puppet. The right servant of Shangshu, Liu Muzhi, whom he had met once, was Liu Yu's most trusted minister. It seemed that there was something wrong Just settle the matter with him.
At the same time, Ji Ba also found out that there was a battle between Liu Yugang and Yang Anxuan in Jingzhou. Liu Yu captured Jiangling City, but he did not gain the upper hand in the battle with Yang Anxuan, and he even returned to Beijing after falling ill.
There are various rumors about Liu Yu's illness. Liu Yu did not participate in such an important event as New Year's Eve. It seems that he is seriously ill.
Tuoba Qing smiled and said: "If Liu Yuru died of illness and the Jin Dynasty lost an arm, wouldn't it be more beneficial to our country?"
Ji Ba shook his head and said: "The princess doesn't know something. If Liu Yu dies, Yang Anxuan will definitely take over Jiankang soon. By then, the entire Jin Dynasty will be under his control."
Tuoba Qing rolled his eyes and smiled slyly: "Ji Lang wants Liu Yu and Yang Anxuan to fight and both sides will suffer."
Ji Ba looked at Tuoba Qing fondly and said with a smile: "The one who knows me is a princess."
On the fifth day of the first lunar month, officials from Honglu Temple informed Ji Ba that tomorrow Shangshu's right servant Liu Muzhi would formally discuss with him the alliance between the two countries.
At the end of the sixth day of the first lunar month, Liu Muzhi arrived with officials. After all the red tape, the two sides began to bargain.
The specific negotiations were discussed by the officials below. Ji Ba invited Liu Muzhi to drink tea in the inner room. Things that should not be placed on the table were gradually revealed in the two men's whispers.
Some people died, but not completely...
