Wei Ran really hoped to complete the transaction of exchanging Liao, She, and Linglu for Lin, Lishi, and Qi. Lin, Lishi, and Qiyuan were on the east bank of the Yellow River, blocked by mountains and rivers, and adjacent to Taiyuan, the important place of Zhao State, so they were very defensive. Strict and burdensome. As the Prime Minister of Qin, this pressure is very obvious.
And Liao, She and Linglu are very attractive. They are all cities with centuries of history, very mature, and complete ecologies. Not to mention, they expanded Taoyi's control area and provided a powerful defensive fortress. The immediate benefits are very obvious. Although Lin, Lishi, and Qi secured an advance base for Taiyuan to attack Zhao, the time to attack Zhao was far from mature. It seems unwise to give up immediate interests for a distant dream.
The King of Qin knew Wei Ran's thoughts, but he was worried that Tao Yi's interests might blind Wei Ran's vision, causing him to increase the weight of Tao Yi's interests to an unreasonable level. The Queen Mother's worry is that Zhao Guo is not so kind-hearted. If the hidden interests behind Zhao Guo's actions are not found, then don't make a hasty decision. Mi Rong had no definite idea, but he advocated a deal. The reason was that it was not easy to win Liao, She, and Ling Lu at the moment. If Zhao gave it to him, he would not give it up for free. Lin, Li Shi, and Qi were available at any time if necessary. If you take it back, it won't be a big deal even if you give it back to Zhao.
Regarding the question that the Queen Mother said that if the cities of Taiyuan were traded, the city of Jidong could not be conquered unless it was returned, Wei Ran's answer was: "If it is true, then it must be a big city."
The Queen Mother said: "Although Zhao is on the border with Qin, its territory is dangerous and blocked by mountains and rivers. It is easy to defend but difficult to attack. If you are bullied, it will be inconvenient to attack."
The King of Qin felt that it was not necessary to argue on this issue, so he asked: "If there is no deceit, is it possible?"
The Empress Dowager said: "With the help of the three cities in the east and the three cities in Taiyuan, the gains and losses should be considered."
King Qin said: "What the Queen Mother said is very clear. Mr. Huayang said sincerely that the three cities of Jidong are not for me to take, but the three cities of Taiyuan are for me. You might as well allow it. If there is a conspiracy, it will gradually become apparent."
Wei Ran and Mi Rong both said: "What the king said is true." The Queen Mother wanted to say something else, but seeing the current situation, she couldn't stick to her point of view, so she had to say: "You must be afraid at every step!"
The other three people all said: "Here!"
The King of Qin said: "Marquis Rang was granted the title of Tao, thousands of miles away, and no tribute has been paid for a long time. Today, Keqing Zao led 30,000 people to attack Gangshou, and the stove was guarded by Tao. It was completed in the fifth month, and the tribute has arrived. Your orders have all arrived in Xianyang, The prince and the two princes will choose the best one to be the queen mother, and the rest will be the marquis of Rang."
The Queen Mother said: "The king will receive the tribute from Tao Yi. The old woman will be exempted."
The King of Qin said: "If you don't dare to take tribute from it, there must be something novel and interesting for those who are thousands of miles away."
Wei Ran said: "The prince is checking the tributes. The king will give gifts to the ministers, but the ministers dare not accept them and dare to resign!"
The King of Qin said: "Tao, Marquis Rang is granted the title of a city. If tribute comes, Marquis Rang will be the one to take charge of it, so why should he say anything?"
Wei Ran said: "I, Feng Rang and Tao, didn't even have the strength to add to it. They all have the power of the king..."
Before Wei Ran could finish speaking, the Queen Mother interrupted: "Come on! Come on! Come on! It's a gift from the King of Qin. Marquis Rang will not say goodbye, but there are only one or two that can be played with. It can be done by the King of Qin."
Wei Ran did not dare to say any more, so he could only say: "I sincerely accept your advice!"
The Queen Mother said: "Open the door! The prince has arrived, but he can't get there." The four people said confidential things, dismissed everyone, and closed the door. If you don't open the door, no one will dare to report no matter how important the matter is. Now the gossip has begun, Her Majesty reminded, open the door. King Qin stood up in person, opened the door, and asked in front of the steps: "Is there any reward?"
The female official who agreed in front of the steps reported: "The Prince reported that I have a cart full of tributes, and I would like to present them to the Queen Mother."
King Qin asked: "Where is the prince?"
The female official said: "I am not summoned, or I am outside the palace."
King Qin entered the palace and said, "The prince has arrived, but he has not yet entered the palace."
The Queen Mother said: "Let me go to the front hall to watch it! And call Taoyi for someone to come in."
The King of Qin said to the outside: "The Queen Mother has moved to the front hall, and the Prince is here, and there is a minister in Taoyi to come and see her!"
A group of female officials rushed in from the back door and helped the Queen Mother to stand up. The Queen Mother said: "Change!" King Qin and the other three people withdrew and went to the front yard first. They had already seen a female official who reported what she had just heard to the minister, who in turn informed the prince. The prince hurriedly asked his servant Xin to move things into the courtyard, and then called Tao Cheng and Tao Wei, saying, "The Queen Mother has summoned us!"
Tao Cheng and Zao lived in Xianyang and knew the power structure of the Qin State. The Queen Mother was the balancer of the highest power. It was normal for the Queen Mother to summon ministers. But that's not the case with Tao Wei. He doesn't even know that the Queen Mother is a character! He whispered to Tao Cheng, "Who is the Queen Mother?"
Tao Cheng whispered: "Queen Mother of Qin!" Tao Wei was so frightened that he shrank his head and said nothing again.
The servants unloaded the goods from the cart and carried them to the front yard of the palace. Suddenly, King Qin, Marquis Rang, and Lord Huayang arrived and hurriedly paid tribute. King Qin returned the favor and motioned for them to continue working.
The three of them stood in front of the steps. The prince and the second prince happened to enter, followed by Tao Cheng and Tao Wei. The prince saw the King of Qin standing in front of the steps waiting for him. He quickly touched the Lord Jingyang and Lord Gaoling beside him. The three of them also saw the King of Qin. The tribute from the city has been completed, please give me your order!"
King Qin pointed to the tributes in the courtyard and said, "Are they dedicated to the Queen Mother?"
The prince said: "Of course!"
King Qin asked again: "The rest will be transported to Ranghou's mansion?"
The prince said: "There are fifty tributes, choose one to go to the Queen Mother, and the rest will go to the Prime Minister's Mansion!"
The King of Qin asked: "Where is the Secretary in Tao Yi?"
The prince turned aside, asked Tao Cheng and Tao Wei to come over, and said, "It's Tao Cheng, it's Tao Wei! I've seen King Qin, Marquis Rang, and Lord Huayang!"
Tao Cheng and Tao Wei did not dare to look up, so they bowed down and said, "We, the common people, would like to see the King of Qin and all the princes!"
King Qin returned the greeting, but the two of them did not dare to raise their heads even after they got up. The King of Qin asked: "Where do the two ministers meet? Who is the king? Who should they enter Tao?"
Tao Cheng replied: "I saw him as Tao Cheng. When he entered Tao, he was dressed in white. He helped the army and won two cities. He became a noble official. He returned to Tao and was promoted to Jin Dynasty. He entered Tao as a guest and accompanied Tao to guard the stove."
Tao Wei replied: "When I saw that I was Tao Wei, I thought that I would be promoted to a senior official in Tao. So Shaanxi Wei, a jue official, introduced five hundred Shaanxi soldiers to Tao."
King Qin seemed to feel that something was wrong, but he did not say anything. He just stared at Tao Cheng and Tao Wei for a while and said, "It's been a long journey. Will the tributes you carry be damaged along the way?"
Tao Cheng replied: "There are dozens of fine pieces of pottery broken when the boat and carriage are repeated. I will take it seriously!"
King Qin looked at Wei Ran, and Wei Ran said: "I was escorted thousands of miles, and I lost ten percent. Now it's less than a hundred, but I'm making a profit. Everyone has merit."
Both of them bowed down and said, "Thank you Marquis Rang!"
While he was talking, a gust of fragrant wind blew, and the Queen Mother came out with a group of female officials. The person supporting the Queen Mother was a handsome young man.
King Qin stepped forward to greet him, but the young man stepped back knowingly. The Queen Mother took the young man's hand and said, "The King of Qin will lead the way, and the old lady will go slowly."
The King of Qin asked the prince to introduce the tributes selected by the Queen Mother one by one. He walked beside the Queen Mother, Wei Ran and Mi Rong followed behind, and the female officials had to retreat five steps away.
After looking at a few new things, the Queen Mother asked: "Is there anyone in Taoyi?"
Seeing King Qin wave his hand, Tao Cheng and Tao Wei quickly ran up and saluted, "I'm waiting here!"
The Queen Mother asked: "It has only been a few months, but you have succeeded. You are truly a talented person!"
The two said: "Both are the King of Qin and the Queen Mother Hongfu!"
The Queen Mother held up a phoenix hairpin, looked at it carefully, and asked: "How many roads are there in Taoyi? Can the people live in peace?"
Tao Cheng said: "Tao has no city walls, but only residential areas built between the lakes. They are crowded together. I don't know how many people there are. They come from all directions, either businessmen or workers. But there are no fixed places to live in. There are many fertile fields in the surrounding fields. Living on the lake, he was scattered and unsteady. Tao Shou led 30,000 Qin soldiers to take Gangshou in the north, expanded the land for 300 miles, and created thousands of fertile fields. The king added the rank of Qin soldiers to one rank, and ordered him to live in Tao Gangshou's period to help Tao encourage farmers. There are quite a lot of water thieves on the rivers and lakes in the city. Tao Shou raised an army to attack them, but they all dispersed and found the head of the canal. Now the fields are sown, the merchants live in peace, and the market is prosperous. So I ordered the ministers to report to the king."
The Queen Mother glanced at Tao Cheng with interest and said, "You are very eloquent, where are you from?"
Tao Cheng said: "I am a native of Qi. I was a guest in Qin and came out to stay under Tao Shou's door."
The Queen Mother said to King Qin: "Who is Tao Shou?"
The King of Qin said: "Tao Shou is a guest of Qing Zao. People from Qi are guests of Qin. They go out for an expedition at the beginning of the year, and Zao's rate is high. He is determined not to let him return, but to guard him."
The Queen Mother turned to Wei Ran and said, "Ranghou also knows about Tao Shou?"
Wei Ran didn't know the meaning of the Queen Mother's question and didn't know how to answer, so he could only vaguely say: "I may see you in the palace."
The Queen Mother said: "Tao, Marquis Rang also holds a fiefdom. Tao Shouning is not known to Marquis Rang?"
The king of Qin said: "The stove is the guardian of Tao, and it is recommended by Marquis Rang."
Wei Ran said: "Zao uses soldiers to enter Tao, which shows his ability. He is a native of Qi, and he will be able to rule Qi with him. That is why he is recommended."
The Queen Mother said: "The stove has been put into pottery. How can we discuss it with Marquis Rang?"
Wei Ran was a little surprised and said: "The stove is in the pottery, how can I discuss it with my ministers?"
The Empress Dowager said: "Tao is the fiefdom of Marquis Rang. Since Zao has joined Tao, how can we not discuss it with Marquis Rang?"
Wei Ran said: "Although Tao is a minister of the land, it is a gift from the king, not the merit of the minister..."
The King of Qin interrupted: "Ranghou led the Qin army into Qi. Once they entered Qi thousands of miles away, the Qi army was invincible. Ranghou used this merit to be granted the title of Tao. How can it be without merit!"
Wei Ran said: "The effect of ministers' dogs and horses is also that of Wang Yanzhi!"
The Queen Mother said: "Tao is the fiefdom of Marquis Rang, and the guardian of Tao is the one guarding Tao on behalf of Marquis Rang. If it succeeds, the credit goes to Marquis Rang; if it fails, there will be no blame for mistakes."
Marquis Rang was shocked and quickly responded: "Here!"
The Queen Mother said: "The prince's choice is very suitable for me, I will accept it! Tao has a secretary, and he will discuss with Marquis Rang how to manage Tao. The old woman is willing to hear about it."
Surrounded by a group of female officials, the Queen Mother and the King of Qin entered the main hall with the Crown Prince and Tao Yi officials.
The female officials scrambled to arrange the seats. The young man helped the Queen Mother sit down, and everyone else left the hall. The Queen Mother sat in the center in front of the screen, the King of Qin, Wei Ran and other nobles sat in the east aisle, and the others and the Crown Prince sat beside the door. .
The Queen Mother waved to the King of Qin and said, "The old woman is exhausted. I would like the King of Qin to help her." She called the King of Qin to the table. Ranghou and other four people stepped forward one by one, and Ranghou became the chief. Everyone didn't know what the Queen Mother meant, and they were all surprised.
