During the Mid-Autumn Festival, Sun Quan sent an order to set up a land and water dojo for his brother at Ganlu Temple during the day, and to enjoy the civil and military banquets at night.
While chanting sutras, news came that Cao Cao had ascended the throne as King of Wei, and everyone was scolding.
Sun Quan was secretly happy. Cao Pi had pushed Cao Cao to the forefront, and his ambition was clearly revealed. At this time, his biggest enemy was Liu Qi, so it was reasonable to send an assassin to take action.
Lu Su looked at Sun Quan who was offering incense and worshiping outside the palace, shook his head and sighed: "If Wu Hou had not been killed and took Xuzhou into the Central Plains, how could the Cao family and his son be called autocratic and arrogant?"
Zhang Zhao twisted his beard and said: "Cao Pi is still a little younger after all. Cao's army has been defeated repeatedly, and the world is looking to Liu Qi to rejuvenate the Han Dynasty. At this time, when it is time to appease people's hearts, he wants to join the imperial court and bully the court. It is tantamount to putting out fires and is counterproductive. That’s it!”
Lu Su was quite surprised and turned to look at Zhang Zhao: "Does Mr. Zhang also think that the Cao family will be defeated?"
Zhang Zhao sneered and said: "Cao Mengde previously welcomed the emperor, followed the imperial edict to fight against rebellion, and brought the world back to his heart. He is indeed a hero in the world. But now he is monopolizing power and plotting rebellion. He is even more reckless and a thief. He is unpopular. How can he be undefeated?"
Lu Su nodded slightly and looked at Gu Yong and others calmly, deeply agreeing with Zhang Zhao's arguments. These changes in attitude from those who once advocated surrendering to the Cao faction are enough to show that Jiangdong has completely lost his ambition to win the world.
While they were discussing, the guards reported the arrival of Liu Qi and his entourage, who were accompanied by Zhang Cheng to the temple. As the son-in-law of the Sun family, Liu Qi also went to the temple to offer incense to Sun Ce.
Wu Guotai sat on the futon to the right of the Buddha statue, chanting sutras and praying with the monks. The top of the hall was covered with yellow brocade tents, and the eyes of the solemn Buddha statue were slightly closed, creating a peaceful scene.
After Liu Qi offered the incense, he sighed with emotion: "It is a shame for the Han Dynasty that the traitor Cao becomes the king! If my brother is resurrected, he will definitely attack the Central Plains. The two of us have joined forces in the east and west, and have already worked hard to prosper the Han Dynasty. How can we allow the traitor Cao to monopolize power?" ?”
Wu Guotai was meditating with his eyes closed. After hearing this, he opened his eyes and said displeasedly: "Bo Wei means that the defeat of Huainan in Soochow was due to Zhongmou's incompetence?"
Liu Qi shook his head and said: "I have no intention of belittling the two brothers. Everyone has his or her own strengths. Just as the deceased brother said: The decisive moment lies between the two Chens and competing with the world is his strength; appoint talents and ensure security. The rear is what the second brother is capable of! We have repeatedly lost battles in Jiangdong and Huainan. Although it is not a fault of war, there is actually a lack of good generals to lead the army. If his dead brother had commanded the army, would Zhang Liaoan be able to succeed? How could Sima Yi dare to flood Shouchun City twice?"
Wu Guotai looked calm, but did not blame Liu Qi. He said calmly: "It's a pity that people can't be resurrected. Otherwise, with the power of Bo Fu, he would have conquered the Central Plains and rescued King Qin. There would be no need for Bo Wei to bear the humiliation and compromise."
"What Guotai said is absolutely true!" Liu Qi didn't seem to hear Guotai's sarcastic words. He clasped his hands and said, "May the soul of my deceased brother protect me and restore the Han Dynasty as soon as possible."
Wu Guotai slowly closed his eyes, and a cold light disappeared instantly. Liu Qi despised Sun Quan so much, which was really too much.
At this time, Sun Quan was personally arranging the banquet in the east Zen room. After all, Liu Qi was the lord of Jingzhou and had the same status as him. He had to make it grand and decent so as not to lose Jiangdong's face.
Although he had guessed that there would be an assassin today, he did not know when he would appear. Liu Qi did not dare to move around casually. He went back to the Zen room to rest first, and Zhuge Jin also came to accompany him.
At this time, Ganlu Temple seems to be peaceful, with faint tones of bells and bursts of Sanskrit sounds, but in fact, there is an undercurrent, and there are already swords and swords, and murderous intent.
In the evening, a bonfire has been set up in the square in front of the temple. Eight candles as thick as arms are lit in the incense burner in the atrium. Lanterns are decorated, making the atmosphere even more lively.
The sky was high and the clouds were clear, and the weather in Jiangnan was refreshing at night. As the bright moon rose over Dongshan, all civil and military officials and celebrities from Jiangdong were present and took their seats according to their seats.
Amidst a burst of cheerful drum music, Liu Qi and Sun Quan accompanied Wu Guotai on the stage. Everyone stood up and saluted. Sun Quan ordered a banquet. Tonight, they would only talk about romance, not state affairs, and they would rest after getting drunk.
Of course, singing and dancing were inevitable during the banquet. To Liu Qi's surprise, the dancers team of Fengxiang also had the opportunity to perform. A dance with Indian style was an eye-opener for everyone present and they cheered endlessly.
Liu Qi smiled and said: "The Fengxiang number is indeed well-deserved, and it can actually get in touch with Wuhou's mansion."
Ma Liang whispered from the side: "Actually, it all depends on my lord's foresight. It was precisely because of our good relationship with Lu Yi that we were able to win this honor. Without the help of this person, it would be difficult for our people to sneak into the mansion to assist Tai Shixiang."
Liu Qi nodded slightly, indicating that there was no need to say anything. At this time, Lu Yi was standing behind Sun Quan. Seeing everyone's fascinated expressions, Sun Quan also nodded frequently, looking very satisfied. His face could not help but glow, and his pride was beyond words.
Not long after, two more groups of soldiers came forward to dance swords. Zhao Yun next to him suddenly became vigilant and secretly held the hilt of the sword. Although Sun Quan did not dare to kill Liu Qi, the sword had no eyes. If he missed it, the hatred of losing Liu Bei would be staged again. .
But this was not the Hongmen Banquet, and Sun Quan would not be so stupid. After the soldiers retreated, Zhang Wen and other Jiangdong celebrities drank and composed a poem. After the two came on stage, they asked Liu Qi to compose a poem as well.
Although Liu Qi's prestige in Shilin was far inferior to that of Liu Biao, his five-character poems were unique and loved by everyone. Cao Cao rated him as comparable to Cao Zijian, and Kong Rong also praised Liu Qi's talent.
Liu Qi knew that this part of the grand event was inevitable tonight. Looking at the bright moon in the sky, it looked like a jade plate hanging on the Qinhuai River, and the long river fell to the ground like the Milky Way.
As if thinking for a moment, he raised his finger to the moon and chanted loudly:
“The bright moon rises on the sea, and the world is at this moment together.
Lovers complain about the distant night, but they miss each other at night.
When the candle is extinguished, the compassionate light is full, and when I put on my clothes, I feel the dew.
I can't bear to give it away, but I still have a good night's sleep. "
"What a poem! What a poem!" The first person to stand up and applaud was Zhang Zhao. He raised his glass and laughed and said, "General Liu is indeed a quick thinker. This poem is full of emotions, but it is also full of tenderness for children. It should come to light!"
Everyone nodded in agreement, and even Zhang Wen, who always thought highly of himself, sighed that he was not as good as him. Although he knew that Liu Qi had come prepared, he was impressed by it and picked up the cup and drank a glass of wine silently.
"There is a bright moon on the sea, and the world is at this moment..." Wu Guotai was sitting on the main seat, feeling a little lost. He looked at the bright moon in the sky with blurred eyes, and a layer of mist formed in his eyes.
While everyone was changing cups and discussing the meaning of Liu Qi's poem, the soldier pouring wine in front of Liu Qi suddenly raised the wine jar and hit Liu Qi on the head.
Bang——
The wine jar was knocked away before it fell, and the wine spilled on the table. The soldier took advantage of the chaos and roared, took out the dagger from his arms, and threw it at Liu Qi.
boom--
The soldier just jumped up, and while he was still in the air, he was hit by a bench in front of him, hitting him on the chest, and his whole body flew backwards like a sandbag.
It turned out that Zhao Yun had been prepared. He first raised his sword and knocked the wine jar away. When he drew his sword again, it was too late, so he picked up the stool under his butt and slapped it at it.
"No, there are assassins!" Zhang Cheng was keeping company at the side. Only then did he react, wiped the drink from his face and shouted: "Protect Wu Hou and General Liu, and catch the assassins!"
Zhang Zhao and others were shocked, threw away their wine glasses and ran to the meditation room, shouting: "Guard me, guard me!"
