After seeing off the young master, Tao Shouzao was hesitant and called his staff together to discuss how to deal with it; people from the Dianke Mansion also participated in the discussion. In view of the importance of Liao, She, and Linglu to Tao, and that this importance has not yet been recognized by the Qin court, after discussion, everyone came to a unified understanding: as Tao's guardian, Zao has the obligation to provide relevant background knowledge for decision-makers to consider. .
As for the visit of Prince Pong, everyone agreed that it should be reported to the King of Qin through formal channels to show that there was no personal relationship.
However, Xianyang is thousands of miles away, how to report it? During the reporting period, how should the young master be dealt with? Can we openly say that Prince Pong has arrived in Tao?
After repeated discussions, everyone believed that the matter of Prince Xi entering Tao should not be disclosed to other countries. Therefore, we cannot use this as an excuse to allow countries to open their roads. In what name? Ke Qingzao had just assumed the post of Tao Shou. He could report to the King of Qin and Marquis Rang and transport a batch of goods to Qin. This was considered an idea. The organizer is ready: Tao Cheng. As Zao's staff and assistant, Tao Cheng participated in and even planned all of Tao Shou's public and private activities. He personally went to Shou to welcome the young master Xi Tao, and had a clearer understanding of the entire incident than Zao. Pedestrians also set off, openly in the name of negotiating the customs issues of various countries.
The plan was decided and put into action the next day. Tao Shou personally went to Guanyi and informed the young master that he had sent someone to report to Xianyang and asked the young master to wait for instructions from Xianyang. On the other side, Tao Cheng gathered all the major merchants together to discuss the matter of success in Xianyang. When there was an opportunity to go on such a long journey, especially to the very mysterious Qin State, big merchants instinctively regarded it as an opportunity and signed up to go there one after another to buy tributes. Several postmen took a small boat and set off in secret as merchants, rushing to Qin to report the matter.
Three days later, ten large ships were loaded with tributes and civilians. Five hundred guards were led by Tao Wei himself. They escorted the front and rear of the ship. Tao Cheng and more than ten of his entourage escorted them. They set out from Taoyi Ferry in a mighty manner, leaving Heze and entering the Jishui River. Then it goes up through Xingyang and turns into the Yellow River, and then to Luoyang. Along the way, we passed several Wei Pavilion obstacles, and there were many difficulties. Tao Cheng and the pedestrians used both soft and hard tactics, and the merchants also showed their magic skills, and at least there was no danger.
After arriving in Luoyang, this group of people stayed around Luoyang in the name of raising money for transportation, until a Qin army came out of Huangdao to greet them.
These thousand people were from the personal camp of the fifth official who entered Tao, and were very familiar with Tao Cheng and Tao Wei. We haven’t seen each other for a few months, and we are all feeling sad. Tao Cheng did not explain the matter of Young Master Pong to the fifth doctor. He only introduced the fifth doctor to see the goods being transported and recommended the merchants who were traveling with him.
Due to the large amount of goods, the Qin army, led by the five officials, detoured around the Luohe River Valley and headed towards Qin. No one noticed that Tao Cheng and Xingren mingled with the business trip to Xianyang and entered the Qin Dynasty from the North Road first... As soon as they passed Hangu Pass, the two people showed their identities, and Hangu Pass arranged for them to take a boat to Xianyang. , reported to Dianke Mansion and Xiang Mansion respectively.
At this time, he had retired from the court, and King Qin had gone to an unknown palace. Both sources of news were reported to Wei Ran.
Since the office of the Prime Minister's Mansion was moved from Wangyi Palace to Xianyang Palace, when Wei Ran came back, he also started to work in Xianyang Palace. But almost all government agencies were in Xianyang Palace, and there were so many people and chaos every day. Wei Ran was very impatient, so he simply set up his office in his own palace. Wei Ran hasn't been home for a long time, and he even asked someone to tidy up when he wanted to go home.
Wei Ran received the news a few days ago that the postman secretly returned to Xianyang to report: Tao Yi will return to Xianyang in the near future, and there will be many tribute ships. The fifth doctor was the one Wei Ran applied for in the court. Now that the tribute has not arrived, Tao Cheng, who presided over the success, and his pedestrians hid and ran back to Xianyang. Wei Ran knew something was wrong and immediately summoned the two of them.
The two of them were guided to the Prime Minister's Mansion by Dian Ke. It was getting late, so Wei Ran invited them to have dinner and talk while eating. Wei Ran sat in the middle, Dian Ke sat in the east seat, and Tao Cheng and Xingren sat in the west seat.
Tao Cheng took out the document that had been stored close to the flesh from his arms, and the seal had been soaked with sweat. Wei Ran carefully removed the seal seal and opened the document. While watching, Tao Cheng reported: "A man named Zhao Gongzi made a surprise visit to Tao Yi a few days ago. Tao Shou did not dare to pick him up without permission, so he sent a passerby to explore. After verifying that the talismans and documents were correct, he sent his ministers to introduce Tao. The city. Prince Xi said that he would like to use the three cities of Liao, She and Linglu to change the Qin Dynasty and take the three cities of Lin, Lishi and Qi from Zhao. Tao Shou thought that it would be very beneficial to Tao, Gang and Shou to obtain the three cities of Liao, She and Linglu. , but I dare not do anything wrong, so I secretly ordered my ministers to go to Xianyang to report to me."
The passerby described the various details of Prince Pong's festival talisman in detail, confirming that it was the official talisman of the State of Zhao. He also said that the envoys were skilled in etiquette and could do something extraordinary.
After Wei Ran listened to the introduction of the two people, he handed the document in his hand to Dianke. Dianke also checked the seal and slip to confirm that they were correct before starting to read. After reading only a few sentences, he stopped and said, "I heard from a traveler that the shape of the knots and symbols mentioned by me is the same as what I know. The Zhechong Zunzu is extraordinary and comparable, and it must be impossible for noble people to do it."
After Wei Ran heard this, he turned to Tao Cheng and said, "Is it a lie to say that I have successfully entered the capital?"
Tao Cheng said: "It's not a scam. When Tao Shou arrived in the fourth and fifth months of Tao, the political affairs were somewhat clear, the laws of Qin were somewhat clear, and all the money and goods were handled, so it should be completed. However, Zhao's affairs did not dare to be leaked, but the ministers and other two people knew That’s all.”
Wei Ran said: "This matter has been accomplished. Both I and the Dianke know that you two have done the job well. However, what has been accomplished cannot be abandoned, and the affairs of Zhao's envoy cannot be leaked. You two will go out of the gate at night under the stars and re-enter. Tao Wu, accompanied him into the pass and succeeded to the king."
The two of you should be here. Not daring to be lazy, he ate dinner in a hurry, received the festival talisman, and then left the palace. We took a boat overnight and arrived at Hangu Pass. After resting for half a night, they hurried out of the customs at dawn and met Taoyi's transportation team. The goods of ten large ships require about fifty chariots to be transported at one time, and raising, loading and unloading fifty chariots is not a simple matter. At this time, they had just reached Nanling. The two of them deliberately kept busy in front of and behind others so that everyone could see them. Except for a few people, no one knew that either of them had ever left.
The team walked for a day before leaving Mt. The army's camp was still there when they set out to attack Taoyi. It's just that it was early winter when we set out for the expedition, and now it's early summer. Everyone slept in the camp overnight and entered Shaanxi County the next day. Tao Cheng very considerately asked the prisoners who had gone to Shaanxian County to disband Tao Shou's camp on the spot and go home to visit each other. The county magistrate of Shaanxi County hosted a banquet in honor of Taoyi officials and five senior officials. When Tao Wei set out half a year ago, he was still a doctor leading Shaanxi Wei. Half a year later, he was promoted to an official, and he was half a rank higher than himself. The county magistrate deliberately acted envious and jealous, which made Tao Wei very happy.
When the goods arrived in Shaanxi County, the Shaanxi County magistrate counted the goods list and notified it to Xianyang. The next day, an order was sent from the Prime Minister's Mansion, and all the goods were shipped to Xianyang, where the king of Qin was informed.
Taoyi was the fiefdom of Ranghou and an enclave of Qin. Tao's success was very different from that of Nanyang and others. In accordance with the teaching order, the escorting army, with flags flying and neat formations, protected fifty carriages among them (this is one of the reasons why Tao Cheng sent the prisoners in Shaanxi County home the first day. They could not escape this effect!)
Carloads of tribute were loaded onto the ship again. Five small boats with ten people in each were leading the way, and five small boats with ten people in each were holding the line behind. Ten large boats were loaded with tributes and civilians, and were rowed by Qin people, sandwiched in the middle. Others protected the almost empty carriage and headed for Xianyang. At about dusk, all the cars and boats arrived at the mouth of the Weihe River. With the participation of the Prime Minister's Office, a two-entry courtyard was vacated near the ferry for temporary parking of goods. Everyone rested for a night and presented tribute to the King of Qin the next day.
The next day, the fifth doctor got up early and took Tao Cheng and Tao Wei to the court. As foreign ministers, they were not qualified to go to court and could only wait outside the palace gate to listen to orders. The official in charge of the camp directed a series of specific tasks such as loading, transportation, and formation at the temporary residence.
After the five officials entered the court, they saw Wei Ran first and immediately reported to him that Tao Cheng and Tao Wei were already waiting outside the palace gate; Tao Yi's tribute items were immediately loaded and transported. Wei Ran expressed his gratitude.
After going to court, Wei Ran treated Tao Yi's tribute as an important matter. King Qin also expressed his approval.
After discussing some daily tasks, the court was dismissed. Then the servant came to report that Tao's tribute had arrived outside the palace. The King of Qin ordered the prince to count the goods on his behalf, and select a few items to be sent to the Queen Mother's Ganquan Palace. Since this was a tribute from Ranghou's fiefdom, the rest were sent to the Prime Minister's Mansion for Ranghou to take care of. Wei Ran thanked King Qin. King Qin took Wei Ran and Mi Rong to Ganquan Palace first, and the prince, Lord Jingyang and Lord Gaoling went to Zhangtai Palace to inventory the goods.
King Qin and three other people entered Ganquan Palace, and someone had already informed them to enter. The Queen Mother gave the order and the three of them went to the back hall to meet. So the three of them walked through a side door and entered the back hall. A female official had already been waiting in front of the steps and led him into the room.
The Queen Mother was sitting on a mat in front of the screen, leaning on the small case, half sitting and half lying down. When he saw the three people coming in, he didn't get up. He just said lazily to the three of them: "I am an old woman, a lazy and rogue woman. She is getting worse with each passing year. I am afraid her life will not be long."
Wei Ran said: "Is the Choufu of Wei who I have entered before me worthy of use?"
When the Queen Mother heard Wei Choufu's name, a smile appeared on her face and she said, "This is Er Cheng. Where did you get it?"
Wei Ran said: "I paid close attention to find it."
The Queen Mother said: "You are sincere! If you are not talking about important matters, you should call the ugly husband out!" Then with a wave of his hand, the female officials waiting around him all left the door and closed the door tightly.
The Queen Mother said: "I have thought about the matter of the Zhao envoy again and again. I am sincerely afraid that it is a fraud! I don't know what you are talking about."
Wei Ran said: "The passers-by from Dianke Mansion checked again and again and found no fraud."
The Queen Mother said: "Even if the ministers are not deceitful, why would the mission be deceitful? What can I do if Zhao takes my land and does not return it to the three cities of Jidong?"
Wei Ran said: "If Zhao breaks his promise, Qin will attack him!"
The Queen Mother said: "If the land was close to Qin, it could still be cut down. Now it is thousands of miles away, so it is inconvenient to cut down."
