One day, Peigong discussed with the generals how to capture Wuguan. Suddenly, the governor of Nanyang County, Lu Jie, sent someone to report that Mei Yuan of Hu Yang had killed the county magistrate, gathered 20,000 soldiers and horses to rebel, and threatened to annihilate Nanyang. When Pei Gong heard the news, he quickly asked Wang Ling: "Who is Mei Yi?". Wang Ling said: "This man was originally a general under Wu Rui, the magistrate of Fanyang County, but he rebelled for unknown reasons." Peigong said: "Our goal is to seize Wuguan as soon as possible. Now when we encounter this kind of thing, I'm afraid Qin is going to reinforce Wuguan?" Suddenly a man walked out of his seat and said, "I have a way to put down the rebellion and prevent the Qin people from reinforcing Wuguan!" Pei Gong looked up and saw that the speaker was named Ning. Chang is from the Wei state. When Pei Gong passed by Daliang, Ningchang defected to him. He usually did some chores, but now that he saw Zhang Cang's great achievements in sending Danshui as an envoy, he stepped forward to offer his advice.
Pei Gong said: "It turns out to be Mr. Ning Chang. I wonder if you have any good ideas?" Ning Chang said sonorously and forcefully: "Danshui is only seventy or eighty miles away from Wuguan. It is imperative to capture Wuguan. If all your troops go south now , this will definitely give the Qin people an opportunity to increase their troops. At this critical moment, you only need to divide your troops to attack Hu Yang, and you don’t have to worry about the army going south. And I am willing to send an envoy to Xianyang to prevent Zhao Gao from reinforcing Wuguan." Pei Gong saw Ning. Chang's speech was astonishing and he said happily: "Sir, what do you think?" Ning Chang said: "The second generation has been deceived by Zhao Gao for a long time. If he knew that the Chu army was approaching Wuguan, he would definitely ask Zhao Gao for the crime, so Zhao Gao would also Find ways to protect yourself, otherwise unpredictable things may happen!”
Pei Gong was such a smart man. When he heard this, he became energetic and quickly urged Ning Chang to speak thoroughly. Ning Chang said: "I will go to Xianyang now as the special envoy of the Chu State. I must find a way to see Zhao Gao and tell him my interests. First, explain to him that the Second Emperor will be angry when he knows that the Chu army has arrived at Wuguan; Second, tell Zhao Gao that his current enemy is not the Chu army, but the Second Emperor, because the Second Emperor will kill him if he knows that Zhao Gao has deceived him; third, under the current situation, persuade Zhao Gao to respond to Chu The army is equivalent to leaving a way out for himself. Judging from the Dune x incident, Zhao Gao is indeed an insidious and cunning person. Based on these three points, I conclude that Zhao Gao will definitely listen to my words and do whatever is difficult for him. Something!" Pei Gong said: "You mean Zhao Gao will kill the second generation?" Ning Chang said firmly: "Yes, in order to protect himself, Zhao Gao will definitely get rid of the second generation. Even if Zhao Gao doesn't kill the second generation, I will You can persuade him to act as an internal agent!"
After hearing what Ning Chang said, Pei Gong raised his eyebrows with joy and said: "Sir, what you said is really far-sighted! But Wuguan is very tightly defended, how can you get in?" Zhang Liang already understood Ning Chang's thoughts, so he praised: "Sir, taking the initiative to go to Xianyang to instigate rebellion against the king and ministers of the Qin State is actually the best policy. This trip will definitely succeed. I will help you enter the customs!" He immediately wrote a letter to Ningchang and said to Pei Gong: "He can enter with this letter. Wuguan." Pei Gong read the letter, nodded and handed the letter to Ning Chang. Ning Chang looked at it and said happily: "Sir, what you wrote is exactly what I want to say!" Then he packed the letter. Pei Gong told Ning Chang to act cautiously and gave him enough money. Ning Chang took his entourage, said goodbye to everyone, and ran straight to Wuguan after leaving the city.
After Ningchang left, Zifang said to Peigong: "Now that all of Nanyang has belonged to the Chu State, the Qin State must be very shocked. Fortunately, Ningchang has entered the pass to provide internal support. In order to prevent the Qin army from reinforcing Wuguan, Peigong should temporarily retreat Nanyang, and then put down the chaos in Hu Yang as soon as possible." Pei Gong named Wang Ling a Marquis of Xiang and continued to guard Danshui, while the rest of the army returned to Nanyang.
Ning Chang came to Wuguan and saw the door closing tightly, so he walked towards the pass. Wuguan is one of the four fortresses of the Qin State. It was called "Shaoxi Pass" in the Spring and Autumn Period. It was not until Qin Xiaogong that it was renamed Wuguan. The gate of Wuguan was built between the large valleys at the junction of Neishi County and Nanyang County. The gate tower was on a higher flat land in the canyon, with a surrounding area of several miles. The city wall is made of boards and is slightly square. There are two door openings made of bricks and stones on the east and west sides. The east door has the name "Wuguan" written on it, and the inner door also has the nickname "Shaoxi Pass" written on it. Chengguan is adjacent to Danshui in the south and Qinling Mountains in the north. The terrain is majestic and dangerous, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack. In 299 BC, King Zhaoxiang of Qin trapped King Huai of Chu here, so the survivors of the Chu State could never forget this humiliating scam. After the death of King Huai, people often called for his soul here. Legend has it that a commoner suddenly fell ill and said in the tone of King Huai: "I must destroy the State of Qin from here, otherwise I will never return to the State of Chu!" Although it is said that King Huai of Chu died in the State of Qin, and his unjust soul will never return, he was still powerful in the State of Chu. At that time, the state of Qin sent Zhang Yi to deceive the state of Chu many times. The kind-hearted King Huai of Chu did not listen to the advice of loyal ministers such as Zhao Sui and Qu Yuan and was repeatedly deceived. So later, Qu Yuan, in his grief and anger, wrote many poems to vent his sorrow. The most famous one is "Li Sao", which has "There is no one in the country and I don't know where I am, so why should I care about my old capital? For the sake of beautiful politics, I will live in Peng Xian's home." It means: "Since no one in the country understands me, why should I miss my old homeland; since I cannot realize the ideal politics, I will follow Peng Xian to arrange myself." There is also " There is a line in "Nine Chapters Xi Chan" that says, "If you are punished by blowing the soup, why don't you change your ambition?" It means: People who have been burned when drinking hot soup should be wary, and they should also blow when they see cold dishes and cold meat. . His poems expressed strong patriotism. After being spread to the Chu State, they aroused the deep remembrance of King Huai of Chu and the sorrow for the demise of the Chu State. Therefore, the Chu people deeply hate the Qin State to this day. In the past hundreds of years, Qin and Chu had engaged in countless treacherous overt and covert battles on this important transportation road. To this day, Pei Gong's army is also ordered by King Xiong Xin of Chu Huai to enter the pass and destroy Qin. This huge appeal is very shocking, and the historical cause and effect of this prosperity and disillusionment is also very thought-provoking. There is a poem in "Wuguan" that sighs:
Yixiao was frugal for six miles back then, leaving only regrets in Saishang Mountain.
King Huai was benevolent and short-sighted, while Qu Zili shed tears.
God's will is to destroy Qin and Hu, and it is difficult for Xiong's heart to return.
Otherwise, I would like to ask Yunjianyue, how can it shine upon Luanjian entering Wuguan?
When Ningchang came to Guanxia, someone had already reported to Guanxia. Guandu Lieutenant named Zhu Kuai was a general of the Qin State and was ordered to guard Wuguan. When he heard that the deputy captain Qi Gill had surrendered to the Chu army, he couldn't help but feel nervous, so he came to the pass to inspect the situation. When Ningchang saw Zhu Kuai, he said that he had something important to report to Xianyang. Zhu Kuai said angrily: "You are a thief of the enemy's country, how can you enter?" Ning Chang said sternly: "I am dealing with national affairs. If you delay, this will be a serious crime of beheading!" Zhu Kuai listened. After hearing this, he became confused and asked Ning Chang who sent him. Ning Chang said: "Your Majesty, the Prime Minister, has sent letters to Chu State for a long time. I followed General Liu's order to go to Xianyang to resume my duties." Zhu Kuai sent a sergeant out of the customs to check the letters. Ningchang sent Zifang's letter to the Qin army. Qin Jun took the letter and ran in to show it to Zhu Kuai. Zhu Kuai took the letter, opened it and saw it read:
Your Excellency, Prime Minister: I have read your letter and I am fully aware of your efforts to relieve Qin's worries. However, I still have doubts about your plan to stabilize Qin. Now Ning Chang is sent as a special envoy to discuss with the Prime Minister in person. I hope the Prime Minister can make a decision as soon as possible. The Chu army will not dare to enter the pass, and Qin and Chu will definitely not invade each other. Ally Liu Bang immediately bowed his head.
Zhu Kuai read the letter and was really puzzled by the two-foot-long monk, but he saw from the letter that Pei Gong and Zhao Gao had exchanged letters for a long time, so he asked Ning Chang: "What does this mean?" Ning Chang pretended to be angry and said: "Master Zhao You have done your duty for Qin and are loyal. As a foreign general, how dare you interfere with the affairs of the imperial court?" Zhu Kuai was speechless with one question. Zhu Kuai thought to himself that the power of the Qin State was indeed in the hands of Zhao Gao. If this incident was true and he offended Zhao Gao, he would not end well, so he had to let Ning Chang enter the pass. After Ning Chang and his entourage entered the customs, they ran straight to Xianyang. Zhu Kuai let Ningchang go. He couldn't figure out what Zhao Gao was doing, and he felt that he really had no right to interfere with the court's affairs, so he had no choice but to write a report about Pei Gong's capture of Nanyang County and send someone to report to the court. Send it.
In the past few days, the Second Emperor held a grand party in Jincheng, drank and had fun, and was very happy. Even his concubines were unusually happy. But there is one person who always maintains a high degree of vigilance and shuttles among the crowd all the time, like a ghost, he seems to be guarding against something. This person is the Prime Minister Zhao Gao. Although Zhao Gao has controlled the second generation, he is always worried that someone will plot against him, and he often looks uneasy.
One day, Zhao Cheng suddenly sent someone to see Zhao Gao, saying that he had something confidential and wanted to see the Prime Minister. Zhao Gao walked out. After Zhao Cheng saw Zhao Gao, he said: "Prime Minister, a secret envoy from Shandong came to report that Zhang Han has surrendered Xiang Yu!" When Zhao Gao heard the news, he was not surprised and said calmly: "Impossible." Chengdao said: "This is absolutely true!" and told the details. Zhao Gao slowly calmed down and told Zhao Cheng: "We must conceal this news and never let the emperor know it!" Zhao Cheng agreed and whispered: "Prime Minister, Liu Bang sent a special envoy, saying that there is Confidential matters need to be discussed with you alone." It turned out that Ningchang had arrived in Xianyang. He heard that Zhao Gao was in Jincheng accompanying the second emperor to have fun, so he went straight to the city gate to ask for an audience, so he met Zhao Cheng first. Zhao Cheng was also very cautious. Hearing that he was a special envoy from the enemy country, he did not dare to make it public, so he came quietly to report to Zhao Gao. When Zhao Gao heard that Liu Bang had sent a special envoy, he suddenly changed his color and said, "How dare Liu Bang's envoy come to see me? Where is he?" Zhao Chengcheng pointed with his finger and said, "It's over there." Zhao Gao still thought He got angry, but after thinking about it slowly, he calmed down again, and signaled Zhao Cheng with his eyes to lead him to see the special envoy.
Zhao Chengcheng led Zhao Gao to a secluded place and met Ning Chang. Zhao Gao wanted to give Ning Chang a blow, so he suddenly gave orders to arrest Ning Chang and behead him. Ning Chang said calmly: "I am the special envoy of Chu general Liu Bang. Now I have come to discuss matters with the prime minister openly, but you want to kill me indiscriminately. How stupid!" Zhao Gao sneered: " Liu Bang is a Chu bandit, rebel, and leader of thieves. I will kill you first today just to show him some color, hum!" Ning Chang laughed and said, "If the prime minister kills me, you will die too, but why don't you wait for me? Are you done?" Zhao Gao laughed evilly and said, "Liu Bang is trying to get something wrong from me, but there is no way out! If you have any questions, let it go! I will kill you after you let it go!" Ning Chang laughed and said, "I I came here to 'congratulate' the Prime Minister!" When Zhao Gao heard him say the words "congratulations" and "congratulations", he was stunned and asked: "Why did you say the word 'congratulations'?"
Ningchang confidently said: "As the prime minister of Qin and a close minister of the emperor, you took advantage of the emperor's relationship to kill countless people? Now you have concealed the war in Shandong. The east of Hangu Pass has not belonged to Qin for a long time. Kingdom, Zhang Han has also surrendered to Xiang Yu, and Liu Peigong has also led an army of 200,000 to Wuguan. Now the two armies of the Chu State will arrive in Xianyang at the same time soon. By then, Xianyang will be destroyed, and everything will be destroyed. It’s going to end! Don’t talk about it from afar, let’s talk about it now. If the Second Emperor knows the truth about your concealment, Prime Minister, do you still have a way to survive? Therefore, I am here to express my condolences to you! "
Zhao Gao suddenly felt horrified after hearing this. After a while, he asked how to explain the second word "He". Seeing that the time was ripe, Ning Chang went straight to the point and said: "Prime Minister, if you listen to my advice and make an extraordinary contribution first, then when Pei Gong's army enters Xianyang, you will be able to keep your wealth forever!" Zhao Gao After hearing this, the muscles on his face seemed to twitch, and it seemed that he had played into his hands. Before Zhao Gao could speak, Ning Chang continued: "Who doesn't understand the mediocre people of the second generation? If you hadn't been causing trouble for the Qin State for a long time, how could the situation have become like this? You and I are both sensible people, so don't quibble anymore. When I came here, I promised Liu Peigong that Prime Minister Zhao is indeed a rare talent, very comparable to others, and this is also the case. I have looked at the ministers of Qin State, who can compare with you in intelligence? Therefore, except The credit for the death of the second generation must be attributed to you! Since ancient times, people who have done great things know best who can accomplish great things, so Liu Peigong secretly sent me to plan things with you. Prime Minister, if you can really accomplish a great feat, you must He will be an eternal hero and a hero in the hearts of people all over the world! Isn’t this worthy of celebration?"
Zhao Gao was stunned after hearing Ning Chang's words. Ning Chang further said: "I heard that 'Those who know the current affairs are heroes, and those who adapt to the situation become heroes.' A wise man should be flexible and changeable in dealing with things. Once he misses a good opportunity, it will be too late to regret. So it is said that plants bloom in spring and bear fruit in autumn. , this is the law of nature, and objective existence determines people's subjective will and actions. Now that the opportunity has come, and the prime minister is not good at seizing it, isn't this a missed opportunity?" Zhao Gao was silent for a long time before squeezing it out from between his teeth. He said: "How dare you say such treasonous words to me? I will kill you first!" Ning Chang laughed and said: "A person who puts the cart before the horse and doesn't know where to go in the face of great right and wrong. I feel sad for him privately. , What else can I plan for the Prime Minister?"
Zhao Gao was so shocked that he almost collapsed after hearing this. He felt that these words were very familiar, as if someone had said it, but he couldn't remember who said it. He calmed down for a moment and then remembered. Yes, in the past at Sand Dune Palace, he used these words to persuade Li Si to succeed in his plan. Why is Ningchang using these words to persuade me today? After the Dune Conspiracy, although Li Si retained his position, he eventually died in my hands. If I listen to this person today, I don’t know whose hands I will die in the future? What kind of peace of mind does this person have? Was he really sent by Liu Bang to make a big deal with me? But the Chu people are really making trouble. If I kill him today, what will happen if the Chu army really comes to Xianyang? Zhao Gao hesitated when he thought of this, so he said to Ning Chang in a gentle and calm tone: "Sir, come with me!" When Ning Chang saw this, a hint of smile flashed through his heart.
Peigong's troops had just arrived at Wancheng, and Zhao Gao's envoy also arrived. Peigong and Zhang Liang were discussing matters that day. When they heard that Zhao Gao's envoy had arrived, they discussed it together and then sent an order for the envoy to come in. After Pei Gong saw the envoy, he pretended not to be surprised and deliberately shouted: "Which general sent you? I won't kill you when I get to Xianyang, don't worry. Quick! Quick! Take him out to burn." Wait!" Before the envoy could speak, the soldiers pushed Zhao Gao's envoy outside the tent. Someone had already brought a torch and started burning the envoy's whole body, and someone else had brought a potion and sprayed it on the envoy. The messenger was so embarrassed that he didn't know what to say. It turns out that the Qin State had a rule in the past: whenever envoys from the princes were sent to Xianyang, the people of Qin would treat them in this way. The purpose was to worry about the mosquitoes and fleas that spread diseases on the visitors, as well as on the horses and carriage yoke. , burning it with fire can achieve the functions of disinfection, pest control and epidemic prevention. Pei Gong used this method to deal with the envoy in order to humiliate him.
The envoy was very embarrassed and said loudly: "I am not someone else's envoy, I am sent by Prime Minister Zhao!" Someone nearby pretended to be surprised when he heard this and asked: "What? What? What did you say? You Is it sent by Prime Minister Zhao?" The envoy kept saying yes. The sergeant rushed in and reported to Pei Gong. When Pei Gong heard the report, he quickly came out and yelled at everyone to stop. Then he personally walked down the steps to welcome the envoy into the tent and said: "My lord envoy, I have offended you so much. I really didn't know that you were sent by Prime Minister Zhao. Forgive me! Forgive me!" After Pei Gong said this, he respectfully welcomed the envoy into the door. When the envoy came to the palace, Pei Gong invited him to take a seat, and then said: "I sent Ningchang to meet with the Prime Minister. I really did it out of sincerity. I wonder what your Prime Minister's opinions are?" It is difficult, and I still have doubts in my heart, so I was ordered to come and discuss with the general." Pei Gong said: "Your Prime Minister and I sincerely agree. If Prime Minister Zhao intends to make contributions, when I enter Xianyang, I will definitely share Guanzhong with him. I, Liu Bang, Keep your word and never break your promise!" Then he ordered the people around him to entertain the messenger with wine and meat. After the envoy had had enough wine and food, he said sincerely: "I will definitely convey the general's sincerity to the Prime Minister, but you must keep it a secret!" Pei Gong understood and said, "That's natural." After saying that, he immediately wrote a letter and handed it to him. He gave it to the envoy and said, "With this letter, I ask your prime minister to relax. After the matter is completed, we will divide Guanzhong equally!" The envoy packed the letter and left. Pei Gong also gave him many treasures. The envoy was overjoyed and galloped towards Xianyang after leaving the house.
The envoy came to Xianyang, met Zhao Gao, talked about Pei Gong's sincerity and benevolence, and handed the letter to Zhao Gao for review. Zhao Gao opened the letter and saw that it read:
Your Excellency, the most noble Prime Minister Zhao of the Great Qin Kingdom: I, Liu Bang, have heard that people who are good at planning must have farsightedness, and the Prime Minister is such a wise man. Now that Emperor Qin is cruel and unkind, the heroes of the six countries have agreed to march to Xianyang together, with the purpose of overthrowing the tyrannical Qin and annihilating the Qin state. Now, if Prime Minister Zhao can single-handedly get rid of the second generation and perform an unparalleled feat, then after the Chu army enters the pass, he will definitely divide the Qin territory equally with the Prime Minister and will never break his promise. I privately believe that only the Prime Minister can accomplish such extraordinary feats. I hope that Prime Minister Zhao can plan carefully and sincerely eradicate tyranny from the world. Chu general Liu Bang bowed his head.
After Zhao Gao read the letter, he asked about the situation in Wuguan. The envoy said: "The generals of Wuguan are competing with Liu Bang to surrender." Zhao Gao was shocked and asked how he could see this. The envoy told Liu Bang what he had heard when he first met Liu Bang, as well as the story of burning mosquitoes. Zhao Gao was furious. He didn't expect that there was already someone in Qin who was better at steering than him. At this time, Dongfang's urgent documents arrived one after another. At this time, Zhao Gao saw that all the land in Shandong had been lost. Once the Second Emperor knew the truth, he would indeed kill him, so he became determined and summoned Ning Chang immediately. After Ning Chang came in, Zhao Gao said to him with emotion: "I have made up my mind and decided to help you to eliminate this evil for the world!" Ning Chang was overjoyed when he heard this and said: "I knew that the Prime Minister was a great person. A big shot, it is indeed the case now!" The two of them planned the specific matter until dawn.
The next day, Zhao Gao came to Jincheng. When Zhao Cheng saw Zhao Gao coming, he said, "The emperor has been playing all night and has just fallen asleep." Zhao Gao secretly summoned all the Zhao brothers and said, "Zhang Han has surrendered Xiang Yu, and Liu Bang has also attacked Wuguan." , Xianyang is in danger. If the second generation learns of this, our whole family will be doomed! You must guard the city gates and never let outsiders enter the city. Anyone who disobeys the order will be killed!" The Zhao brothers said in unison. : "I will obey the Prime Minister's orders!"
