Mr. Pingyuan stayed in Luoyang for five days before leaving. He loaded all the goods on the boat and took a 200-carriage with only a small amount of baggage and provisions. He crossed the river and took the dry road from Taihang Road to Handan. Mr. Pingyuan claimed to take the water route, but in fact he was mixed in with the car rides. The light carriage went to Handan without any fanfare along the way. On the contrary, it was the water route all the way, and everyone stayed at the post office with great fanfare. Every time we get off the boat and rest, there are always gods and goddesses from all walks of life meeting overtly and covertly.
Lord Pingyuan walked on the Yellow River for ten days before turning into the Zhangshui River, which was regarded as entering the territory of the State of Zhao. The ministers and nobles sent by the King of Zhao to welcome him were already waiting at the mouth of the Zhangshui River. After routine etiquette, Mr. Pingyuan was invited onto a large ship dedicated to the royal family, and was escorted by warships at the front and rear. Ships carrying cargo followed.
Mr. Pingyuan talked with the prominent ministers and relatives on the boat to learn about the situation in Handan in the past six months, paying special attention to the situation of the young master. A minister said: "Lü Buwei went to Xianyang to lobby, and a stranger was able to enter Madam Huayang's house. Both the prince and Madam Huayang gave generous gifts, and Lü Buwei was appointed as his tutor. Today, the Qin Gongzi Mansion is majestic and can be seen in Handan City."
Lord Pingyuan shook his head and said: "No! The Duke of Qin's most important military exploits, even though he is a relative, cannot be outside. Qin and Zhao are fighting, and strangers have taken their own bodies as hostages to have sex with Zhao. Their achievements are incomparable. Isn't it only Lu's fault? !”
After Mr. Pingyuan finished his words, the whole audience burst into compliments, praising Mr. Pingyuan for his unique insight and profound thoughts. Lord Pingyuan said: "If you come to Handan, you should meet with the young master!"
A minister on the side asked: "Since Qin sent the emperor to Xianyang, should you return the son to him?"
Lord Pingyuan's face suddenly darkened and he said: "I live in Xianyang, so I owe you a lot of kindness from the King of Qin. How can there be so many young masters in Handan!" The frightened minister turned pale and lowered his head in silence.
A minister hurriedly came out and changed the subject and said: "We will greet you outside Handan City tomorrow morning. The young master is a foreigner, so why not join him!"
Mr. Pingyuan's face became slightly brighter and he said, "Young master, I am here. I would like to meet you."
The minister immediately went out and conveyed Lord Pingyuan's instructions to the passers-by outside the cabin. The pedestrians immediately boarded a small boat and rushed to Handan.
Change boats from Zhangshui River to Mingshui River and rest in Yiyang City. There is King Zhao's palace in Yiyang City. Lord Pingyuan will rest here for one night before setting off to Handan tomorrow.
After dinner, someone came to report that Mr. Qin sent his Fu Lu Buwei to see him. Lord Pingyuan himself was naturally absent and sent his retainers to contact Lu Buwei on his behalf.
The retainer met Lu Buwei at the gate of Xin Palace, and the two greeted each other. Lu Buwei said: "Your Majesty, I am fortunate to have summoned the young master to see you. I am afraid that the young master will be disrespectful, so I ordered my ministers to consult him!"
The retainer said: "Your Majesty is impressed by the virtue of the King of Qin and is willing to meet the young master, no one else." The two decided on the time and etiquette of meeting tomorrow. Lu Buwei said: "Young Master is fortunate to be loved by Mrs. Huayang. He takes her into his lap and has no way to repay her. So he changed his name to Zi Chu to show his respect for Chu! Now he has been ordered by the king to say yes. From now on, the young master's name is Zi Chu, and he is not a stranger." , hope you don’t make a mistake!”
The retainer was a little surprised and said: "I should report it to you. It happened suddenly. If you make a mistake, don't blame me!"
Lu Buwei said: "The king's order has just arrived, but something unexpected happened. I hope you will not be guilty!"
The matter was settled and the two resigned. The retainers went to the palace to pay homage, and explained tomorrow's events one by one, and explained that the young master Yiren had been renamed "Zi Chu". Mr. Pingyuan was a little surprised and said to himself: "Change the name to Zi Chu, change the name to Zi Chu..., a wonderful person, a wonderful person!"
Before dawn the next day, ministers and nobles arriving outside Yiyang City to greet Lord Pingyuan arrived one after another. Since Yiyang is not far from Handan, more people came this time. Many people wanted to take this opportunity to establish relations with the powerful Pingyuan Lord. A branching talisman was sent into the city. Except for a few people, Pingyuan Jun did not even let them enter the city. They also queued up outside the city and waited with peace of mind. Among the people who were allowed to enter Yiyang City, Gongzi Yiren, now named Zichu, was one of them.
After Lu Buwei met Pingyuan Jun's retainers, he immediately went home to prepare. Zi Chu naturally knew the importance and stayed up all night. Together with the groomsmen, attendants, and Lu Buwei, he carefully studied the details of the audience. Pedestrians came before dawn to urge them to get up. Zichu prepared the car and took only the best man and Lu Buwei with him. They took a car, with pedestrians leading the way. They called for the city gate to be opened and drove from Handan City to Yiyang. This is the first fall of the Qin calendar, and the weather is hot, so everyone usually goes out early and returns home for a lunch break after the sun rises.
There was a slight dawn in the east, and the morning breeze blew in, bringing coolness. The heat of the night was swept away, and Zichu felt refreshed. Now, he is no longer dressed in a shabby way when he first arrived in Handan. He is dressed in black clothes, with sleeves fluttering in the wind, a majestic crown, a sword in his waist, and a high-spirited look. In the middle, the best man is driving a chariot with a solemn expression. Lu Buwei, who was on the right side of the car, also changed into the color of the Qin people's clothes, wearing a black robe. At that time, after the reform of riding and shooting in Hu clothing by King Wuling of Zhao, the clothing styles of the Zhao people were relatively mixed. Some wore Hu clothing and some wore dark clothes. The colors were also various. Zi Chu's carriage was all black, which naturally attracted people's attention. .
When they arrived at the foot of Yiyang City, many noble relatives of Zhao Guo were already lined up outside the city. Pedestrians took Zichu to the city gate and presented the festival talisman. When I was young, a retainer came out to welcome him and said respectfully: "Master Sheng of Zhao Pingyuan would like to invite Master Qin to come to Chu!"
Zi Chu and the other two people were relieved when they saw that the visitor had changed his name. The best man stepped forward and said, "Young master Qin, Chu Jin, pays homage to Lord Pingyuan!"
The best man and Zi Chu followed the retainers into the city. The pedestrians took Lu Buwei to park the car on a horse-standing stone outside the palace gate, and waited outside the gate with Lu Buwei. Although the pedestrian fulfilled his duties, he was obviously very hostile to the Qin people and ignored Lu Buwei. Lu Buwei took the initiative to talk to him several times, but he only responded briefly, as if he was rejecting people thousands of miles away. Lu Buwei had no choice but to give up his efforts and close his eyes to rest in the car.
Zichu and his best friend entered the palace with their retainers, and were taken into a side hall by the retainers. Lord Pingyuan greeted them in front of the steps.
Zi Chu saw that there was no one else in the courtyard. It seemed that he was the only one meeting in the palace this time, so he couldn't help but become nervous. I know very well what happened to Pingyuan Lord in Qin: the King of Qin detained him roughly and threatened King Zhao to kill Wei Qi who defected to Pingyuan Lord, causing Zhao and Pingyuan Lord to lose face among the princes. It is possible to finally come back from Qin and take the opportunity to take revenge on yourself. But when he saw Mr. Pingyuan coming to the steps in person, he seemed to have no ill intentions.
Without allowing himself to think about it, Zi Chu stepped forward to greet him. The best man said, "Zi Chu would like to see you, Mr. Pingyuan. Your Majesty, who has come from Xianyang, should be like a father!"
Lord Pingyuan also politely returned the greeting and said: "I was treated favorably by the King of Qin when I was in Xianyang, but I heard that the young master was despised by the people of Zhao in Handan. I felt very unfair. The young master said that when he met the winner, he would treat him like his father, so he treated the king of Qin like his father."
The best man said: "Qin and Zhao are one and the same. The king's hostage is with Yan. I relied on King Wu to return home. I don't dare to forget it!"
Lord Pingyuan said: "Of course, I have a world-wide friendship with you, the Young Master!" The lower step took his son, Chu Shou, into the hall with the upper step, and sat down on the left and right sides.
Pingyuan Jun said: "When I left Handan at the beginning of the year, the young master arrived. Qin and Zhao fought in Wu'an, and it was unknown whether they would advance or retreat. When they arrived in Xianyang, the king treated him like a relative and was kind to him. After the troops in Wu'an were over, the people lived in peace, and they all belonged to the young master. Strength. I heard that the young master became famous in Handan externally, and favored by Huayang internally. This is how a wise man achieves his own goals."
Seeing that Lord Pingyuan didn't say anything bad to him, Zi Chu also said respectfully: "When I entered Handan in the past, I was always worried about it. Every time I thought that the people of Zhao would not tolerate it, I gave myself up in a gully. When I arrived, I first gained the love of all the princes of Zhao. We are very happy with each other; we are favored by the king of Zhao again and have a high family. Now the king and the prince have made an alliance by the river, Qin and Zhao have made peace, and the world is good. It is not only a blessing for the two countries, but also a blessing for the whole world!"
Unexpectedly, Lord Pingyuan's face darkened and he said: "Young Master's words are wrong! The peace between Qin and Zhao will forever ensure good times. It is only a blessing for the two countries, not for the whole world! What is it? Victory returns from Xianyang to Handan, and every prince wants to fight between Zhao and Qin To fight, if Zhao and Qin fight, they will definitely support them, and the trend of alliance is complete!"
Zi Chu hesitated and asked, "What country wants Qin and Zhao to fight?"
Pingyuan Jun said: "The leader is Gai Chu. Wei and Han go in and out of it; and Yan and Qi also communicate secretly."
Zi Chu said: "This is all about two tigers fighting each other, one will die and the other will be injured. I hope you will stop your ears and not listen!"
Lord Pingyuan said: "Sheng Gu knows the dangers of his intentions! Zhao is fighting with Qin, and all the princes in the world want to take advantage of it. If Zhao is not in danger, Qin is also in danger!"
Zichu said: "That's what you said. I live in Handan, and the king and my father have repeatedly said that we should make good friends with all Zhaos, and we will always be good friends!"
Lord Pingyuan said: "This is what I want to win. However, the people of Zhao love the land, and the former promised peace with six cities, but there are constant complaints in the court. Now that the agreement has been made, everyone in Zhao thinks that there is no such thing as six cities." This is the achievement of victory. May Qin temporarily suspend the division of six cities, and let Rong Sheng slowly say that his ministers are worthy!"
Zi Chu took a long breath, organized his words a little, and said: "The struggle between Qin and Zhao began with the bullying of the six cities, and then Yan attacked them, resulting in the disaster of Changping. If the six cities were not invaded, How can this fight be stopped?"
Lord Pingyuan said: "Since King Zhao has many cities in the six cities, he must offer them. However, I am not convinced, so I would like to wait a little longer to submit."
Zichu said: "I will see fighting again."
Lord Pingyuan said: "I hope that the young master will express his wishes to the king, so that the princes' plan will not succeed and the brothers' alliance will be defeated. When Qin and Zhao fight, the gains will be with the princes, but the losses will be with the two countries. The six cities have little benefit and gain the upper hand. The benefits are great. Qin and Zhao are in alliance, with Chen in the south and Zheng in the east. They are both in the capital. Qin attacks in the south and Zhao attacks in the north. The world is not convinced. Why do you think of six cities?"
Zi Chu said: "I offer six cities for peace, and Zhao Zhi promises. I still hear the words now, and I want to feed myself. Even if I don't do it, I am a handsome gentleman! I am willing to say it."
Lord Pingyuan said: "If Qin must seize six cities, the Zhao officials will refuse, and a battle will begin, and then the princes will benefit from it. I hope you will survey it carefully and speak well to the king!"
Zichu said: "I must report to the king. If I say that when I enter Xianyang, the Qin envoys will come to Handan. If they fail to seize the city, the Qin army will come. I am afraid that Handan will become a hill and the countryside will become a ruins! I don't need to say anything about my body." !”
Pingyuan Jun said: "The king and the prince love the young master very much. If the young master's words come in, the king will accept them, and the friendship between Qin and Zhao will be forever strong."
