Like the Wei State, the Zhao State also built a Great Wall, which ran roughly along the Zhang River, one to prevent floods and the other to prevent attacks. Since they are merchants, they usually choose to take the water route, which goes straight down from the Yellow River and into Zhangshui River. It has a large cargo volume, good speed and low transportation costs. However, when envoys come to Zhao, they usually go overland from the main road, with flags flying and a great momentum, and they can report the news from a distance.
Qin prepared three kinds of gifts for his envoys, including furs, scales, cinnabar and jade. The envoys and guests each took a ride, and the rest followed on foot.
The other side of Luoyang is also collectively called Nanyang. In order to distinguish it from Nanyang where Wan and Deng are located, Nanyang on the other side of Luoyang is called Jin Nanyang, and Nanyang where Wan and Deng are located is called Chu Nanyang. In addition to these two places, the area south of Mount Tai and north of Wenshui is also the more famous Nanyang, called Lu Nanyang. Later, after the unification of Qin, counties were established. Nanyang of Chu was set as Nanyang County, Nanyang of Jin was set as Hanoi County, and Nanyang of Shandong was not established as an independent county due to its small area.
Landing from Nanyang, the Qin envoy and his party headed north along the foothills of Taihang Mountain, passing through Chaoge, the old capital of Wei State, and arrived at the shore of Zhangshui River. After crossing the Zhang River, we entered Ye, the famous metropolis of Zhao State. It is less than a hundred miles from Ye to Handan.
The guest of the envoy, Renhu, entered the post first and showed his talisman to explain his identity. Guanyi naturally did not dare to stay in trouble, arranged a courtyard for them, and directed them to report to Ye Ling. Ye Ling was the son of the Zhao family. He had already known that the Qin delegation was coming with great fanfare, but he didn't know why. When he saw a passerby coming to declare customs, he immediately summoned him. After meeting and reciting the ceremony, they found out that the Qin State was here to ask for a crime. Zheng Zhi was the son of the King of Qin and immediately knew that the matter was serious. The negotiations between the two big countries are naturally not something that a small person like him can interfere with. He could only instruct the post office to receive the Qin envoy according to the above-mentioned standards, and he sent a post officer to report the Qin envoy's visit to Handan.
Since Handan is built separately from the royal city and the civilian city, there are no post houses in either city. Ye is actually the last stop outside Handan City, although it is still a hundred miles away from Handan. The Qin delegation had to wait in Ye for King Zhao's call to arrange temporary accommodation for them before entering Handan; otherwise, there would be no place to stay in Handan.
Gongzi Zhen rode in the car for days, being exposed to the sun and rain, and it was very hard. He was usually in weak health, but he could barely hold on until he reached Ye, where he was bedridden and developed a high fever. Some of the accompanying retainers were knowledgeable in medicine. They went to Ye City to purchase some herbal medicines, decocted them and drank them. They broke out in sweat and the fever was somewhat gone. They only used medicines to regulate their spleen and stomach. Due to Gongzi Zhen's illness, although the delegation stayed in Yecheng for several days, no one came to urge them.
After about five or six days, Gongzi Zhen's condition improved, so he asked Xingrenhu to go to the county government to ask Handan whether he had any writings. The traveler tiger went away, and he came back to report in a short time: "The county government has a message. Yesterday, Handan Xingwen arrived, saying that Handan was hit by a disaster, and King Zhao was anxious and difficult to manage. The young master did not need to go to Handan, so he waited in Ye. King Zhao sent his doctor Zheng Zhu to see him. "
When the envoys heard the news, one was happy and the other was worried. The good news is that Prince Zhen has not yet recovered from his illness, so it is good to be exempted from the hard work; the bad news is that the King of Zhao did not allow the Qin envoy to enter Handan, but sent a doctor to negotiate. Obviously his attitude was not good, and this mission can be worrying. In any case, since King Zhao has made his decision, there is nothing to discuss. We just have to wait for the Zhao envoy to arrive in Ye.
Five days later, Ye Ling sent someone to inform Gongzi Zhen that Dr. Zheng Zhu would visit him tomorrow. The passer-by Hu paid tribute to Prince Zhen on behalf of the young master, saying that he did not dare to have the labor doctor come to his door, but that I would like to pay him a visit at his residence. The visitor naturally knew that this was a polite statement, so he said "how dare" and "of course" and left.
Not only did Gongzi Zhen feel the wind and cold on the way, but he also felt a little acclimatized. When his spleen and stomach got better and he ate some food, he started to have diarrhea again. I'm going to see the envoy tomorrow. It would be a joke if I have diarrhea. So I decided to starve myself for a day, only drinking medicine and not eating. I had loose bowel movements three or five times in the morning. At night, I stopped having diarrhea and had a good night's sleep.
I got up early the next day, straightened my clothes, hung up my jade pendant, and put on my long sword. The thin face caused by the fatigue and illness for several days added a sense of vicissitudes to Gongzi Zhen. The five sons were also dressed up, each holding a guard of honor, sitting behind him. The fatigue of the road and exposure to the sun and rain also made these children lose their childishness and become mature.
Guanyi gave up the main hall as a place for their negotiations. Three carriages were lined up in front of the court, with two pedestrians standing beside them. Ten swordsmen stood at the foot of the steps and under the eaves. The retainers did not appear, but hid behind the screen, waiting to be called.
The guest, Xingrenhu, led the remaining four pedestrians to wait at the entrance of the posthouse to welcome Dr. Zheng Zhu.
Although the county government was not far from Guanyi, Dr. Zheng Zhu came in a car with the county magistrate to show respect. When they arrived in front of the post, they saw pedestrians waiting in front of the post. They were neatly dressed and each held a wat board. They hurriedly jumped out of the car. The county captain on the right side of the car stopped and did not stop. Zheng Zhu and the county magistrate stepped forward. The county magistrate temporarily Acting as a guest, he said: "Doctor Zhu, Zhao, on the order of King Zhao, would like to see Mr. Qin Zhen!"
Xingrenhu replied: "Master Qin Zhen, by the order of the King of Qin, I would like to pay my respects to the King of Zhao!"
Zheng Zhu came forward and said: "King Zhao heard that the prince of Qin had arrived, and he bathed and fasted in anticipation. The Naihe River was flooded, and the country east of Handan was full of water. Handan was in chaos, and he did not dare to insult the prince, so he ordered his ministers to greet him respectfully. He condescended to the prince in vain, and came to Listen to your Majesty’s teachings in Yezhong!”
Xingrenhu replied: "Young masters and others have been ordered by the king to go to Handan in person to meet the king. How dare they condescend to the labor doctor!"
Zheng Zhu said: "I am so lucky to be able to look at the noble face of the young master and receive the teachings of the king!"
The two exchanged greetings and bowed to the post.
The three carriages all unloaded their oxen and stood in the courtyard, with two pedestrians beside each carriage. There are two sword-wielding warriors on each side of the steps, one on each side of the steps, and two on each side of the corridor. Young master Zeng Qiang supported his sick body and stood on the steps with his back straight. Five sons stood behind him. Seeing someone coming out from both sides of the screen wall, the young master crossed his hands to his chest and walked slowly down the steps. The five sons also followed him down the stairs. Zheng Zhu immediately stepped forward. Xingrenhu sang loudly: "Master Qin Zhen is ready to welcome the doctor!"
Zheng Zhu saluted and said: "I, Zheng Zhu, have been ordered by King Zhao to pay homage to Young Master Zhen. Young Master has an order, but I dare not resign!"
So the two of them bowed to each other, climbed up the stairs, and sat down on both sides of the hall. It stands to reason that Zhao is the master, but this is a post house, and those who have just entered cannot sit in the east hall. They can only let people from Qin sit in the east hall. Zheng and Zhu himself are the guests, and the county magistrate is at the head. Two other attendants sat in the back. On the Qin side, Gongzi Zhen is naturally at the top, Xingrenhu is at the bottom, five sons sit behind Gongzizhen, and four Xingren sit behind Xingrenhu.
Xingrenhu spoke first: "Qin and Zhao have the same origin, and they are brothers for generations; most of the Qin families are Zhao family. The king is an official, and he should prepare all his property for employment with the king!" Prince Zhen came from his arms. Taking out a piece of slip, the eldest son behind him quickly got up, took it, and walked towards Zheng Zhu's table. Zheng Zhu took it, glanced at it briefly, handed it to the county magistrate, and said to himself: "The king of Qin has given me such a generous gift, how can I accept it?"
Xingrenhu continued: "Formerly, your Majesty sent your son Gong Ming to our city to ask for the three cities in the east of Yiji City in Taiyuan. With the king's order, my king did not dare to say anything, so he ordered his ministers to return to Lin and Lishi in the three cities of Taiyuan as soon as possible. , Qi. But when it was time to receive the gift from the king, the young master Xi Yaoran. The king was impressed by the king's virtue and feared the king's majesty, so he did not dare to violate the king's order and did not dare to say anything about the king's gift. So he ordered the young master to express his gratitude to the king and said, although the young master Xi Zhi After passing away, I dare not say goodbye to the gift from the king. I dare to ask the king to send a boy servant to hold a talisman and return it to the gift of my city. I hope that the king and his ministers will share the kindness of the king and the virtue of leading the king, and I dare not abolish it. "
After listening to Xingrenhu's words, Zheng Zhu pondered for a moment and replied: "Zhao and Qin are brothers. Zhao has served Qin as a lord and has never dared to arrogantly do so from the beginning to the present. Qin claimed the title of king and emperor, and Zhao retreated and lived as the emperor. Dare to uphold it. Although it is difficult to deny the public opinion, and encourage Jin to be the king, I still dare not to be the ancestor of Qin. This young master has a deep understanding. What the young master said about the young master Gong, the subordinates have never heard of it; even the young master Gong and his people have no idea. When I heard his name for the first time, I didn’t know who he was! Your Majesty, for this crime, I have ruined the city, and it is really hard for me to destroy the city. I hope the King will look into it and the young master will learn from it!"
When they were in Qin, everyone had already foreseen that the Zhao people would use all kinds of excuses on the grounds that there was no evidence to prove their death. When they saw that Zheng Zhu really said such things, they replied: "I have never heard of the name of Young Master Xi. However, the Zhao family Zixi Fanmao, because Qin is remote, many people have not heard of it, but few people have heard of it. Seeing that the festival symbols and documents are all correct, I believe it. Now our king has returned the three cities of Taiyuan to Zhao, and the king of Zhao found it as soon as he checked. There are Is it not the king's order to dedicate the city to the king? Although there is no trace of Young Master Xi now, but it was given by the king, and it must be there as expected. I hope the doctor will check it out!"
The county magistrate sneered at the side and said: "Is it reasonable to want to capture Zhao Sancheng without any proof?"
The traveler Hu said: "That's not true. As soon as Young Master Pi came to Xianyang, the king, the prime minister and all the ministers didn't know him. They should have driven him away. However, Young Master Pi carried the Festival Talisman of Zhao and the documents of the King of Zhao. I am the king of Xin in the city. Yes, but the three-foot-old boy servant arrived with a slip, and the city dared not disobey. Therefore, the city eagerly obeyed the king's order and dedicated the three cities. What the doctor said today was not the king's order. Although the three cities of Taiyuan are small, they are also the city. If the result of your hard work is Zhao Ling, I hope the king will give it back!"
The county magistrate said: "Your envoy said that you have Zhao's talisman and documents. Where are the talismans and documents?"
Xingren Hu's face sank and he said: "It's time for the official to arrive. My son's food doesn't taste good, he can't sleep on the table, and he greets you with courtesy. Do you dare to ask where his integrity and books are? The friendship between husband and country depends on trust and righteousness. Faith and righteousness If you don't stand up and are obsessed with rules and documents, how can you do it by splitting the soil and sealing the borders?"
Zheng Zhu softened his expression and said: "I am the one who dares to betray my faith. There is no such person as Master Xi in our city. I dare to face the sun and the sky because of this matter! I am afraid that I will not be able to bear the responsibility of the master." Dare to take it!”
The traveler Hu said: "Lin, Lishi and Qi are now the leaders of Zhao. It must be true. Since the doctor said that our city has been deceived by villains, I hope that the doctor will grant the three cities as soon as possible. I dare not forget the virtue of the king!" "
Faced with the aggressive approach of the pedestrian tiger, Zheng Zhu changed the subject and said: "Young master has just come to our city for the first time. It seems that there is no danger!"
