The day finally came to meet the King of Chu. Dong Shang had always been curious about what kind of person Sun Ce was, who was 5 years older than him but had already dominated the country with his own strength and became the king by tearing apart the earth.
Dong Shang was deeply shocked by what he saw and heard along the way since entering Chu. Compared with the Qin State, which was either filled with wine and meat, or starved to death, the Chu State exuded vitality everywhere.
Young scholars walked on the streets, sat in wine shops and teahouses, discussed politics and spoke freely.
There is an endless stream of business travelers at the docks and city gates, and the workers are in full swing.
There are schools everywhere, and you can hear the sound of children reading and see them playing with a small bow amusingly on the shooting range.
Dong Shang also heard that Chu State General Gan Ning led 50,000 troops to defeat the 100,000 Shanyue army and regained Jian'an County. Facing twice as many enemies, the Chu army achieved an impressive record of losing 10,000 troops, killing 40,000 enemies, and capturing more than 50,000 people.
In addition to the brilliance of some young generals, Dong Shang was also wary of the Chu army's fighting ships. This was also the fundamental reason why the Chu army was able to calmly deploy tactics and win quickly in this battle.
Now, Gan Ning had selected 30,000 elite soldiers from the prisoners, and Chu State's military strength was equal to that of Qin State. This made Dong Shang feel a little frustrated. Except for the world-famous cavalry, Qin had nothing that could overwhelm Chu.
After gathering his emotions, Dong Shang walked into the hall with Jia Xu and Zhang Ji.
Chimes and copper lamps are placed at the edge of the hall, and famous quotes passed down by sages are written on calligraphy and paintings and hung on both sides. The decoration of the entire hall exudes a simple and simple atmosphere, and is as clean as a wash, as if it can sweep away the dust in the heart.
Different from the splendor and splendor of the Qin Palace, the decoration of the Chu Palace was pitifully sparse. The only things that could attract Dong Shang's attention were the benches and carpets. Zhang Ji's eyes showed contempt, while Jia Xu's eyes showed solemnity.
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Hu stool was introduced to the Central Plains. However, due to the habits of the gentry, Hu Shi had little influence on the Han people. Just because it is much easier than kneeling, it is more popular among older people, and it is occasionally seen in many aristocratic families.
In Chu State, Hu stools had become so popular, and they were more exquisitely made than anything Dong Shang had ever seen. They could even be placed in the royal palace. Through this, Dong Shang saw the rapid changes in Chu State.
Sichuan brocade is mostly woven with dyed cooked silk threads. It is embroidered with warp threads and decorated with color strips or embellished with color strips. It is woven with a combination of complex pattern organization and decoration. It is a specialty of Sichuan. This was a luxury item only available to a few aristocratic families in Qin. Being able to buy a piece of Shu brocade was enough to brag to other aristocratic families at the banquet.
But in the main hall of Chu State, Shu brocade was used as carpet. Without the dazzling beauty of the Qin Palace, this simplicity made Dong Shang marvel at the wealth of Chu State.
There were only a few important ministers sitting on one side of the hall, including the military advisor Zhou Yu, the Yangzhou pastor Zhuge Jin, the military advisor general Zhang Hong, the general Gan Ning, and the generals Zhao Yun and Huang Zhong. Dong Shang frowned slightly. This could only be regarded as a small-scale reception, and the portion was sufficient. However, with this number of people, he probably had no intention of talking to them from the beginning.
It seems that the future is worrying. He sighed deeply and glanced across the crowd, landing on the slightly higher throne in the middle. Sun Ce, the king of Chu, was sitting there. Unlike Zhou Yu's handsomeness and elegance, Sun Ce's face revealed fortitude and majesty.
Dong Shang bowed sincerely and deeply.
"Dong Shang of the State of Qin, see the King of Chu."
Sun Ce looked at the three people who were bowing in front of him and touched his chin and joked.
"Oh? Mr. Dong, can you salute me? You must know that your father is the emperor, and I am just a prince. Is it inappropriate for you to salute a prince because you are the prince?"
Dong Shang had already expected that Sun Ce would not be so friendly to him. In response to this mild sarcasm, Dong Shang bowed his hands and replied.
"In ancient times, those who were respected as kings by the world were all heroes. The king swept away the princes with weak troops, dominated one area, established a strong Chu, and was respected by all people. He deserves the word 'hero'. Dong Shang was born by the blessing of heaven. How can I dare to be rude in front of the king if I have no merit in the royal family? Besides, my father is the king of Qin and the king is the king of Chu, so what's wrong with me saluting the king?"
Sun Ce burst into laughter upon hearing this.
Who doesn’t like to hear good words? Very few of the ministers of the Chu State would say such things to Sun Ce. Of course, it doesn't mean that he just likes hearing the ministers singing their praises, but he still gets a little excited when he hears them occasionally. Sun Ce also secretly gave Zhou Yu a look, but unfortunately he only received indifference.
After coughing slightly, Sun Ce said.
"I didn't expect that Dong Zhuo would give birth to such a gentle and gentle son. Mr. Dong, please sit down."
After hearing this, Dong Shang took Jia Xu and Zhang Ji and sat down on the other side of the hall.
The maids began to place wine, side dishes, and fruit plates, and the musicians began to play ancient music.
After a few glasses of wine, Dong Shang stopped being polite and said calmly.
"To be honest with you, Your Majesty, Dong Shang has two purposes here. One is to propose marriage to Princess Xiangxiang, and the other is to establish an alliance with the Chu State."
"As we all know, the State of Qin and the State of Chu are both powerful countries in the world, one in the north and the other in the south. There is no interest in the two countries being separated from each other. Now the world is divided into six parts. Qin State has the strongest cavalry in the world, and Chu State has the strongest naval force in the world. , if our two countries join forces, who in the world can be our enemy?"
"As long as the king agrees to the alliance, our Qin State will only need Wei State's territory, and Xu Han, Shu State, and Lu State will all be given to Chu State. How about you and I sharing the world equally?"
Divide the world into two!
Good calculation.
Qin had powerful cavalry, but its ability to attack fortresses was extremely weak. Hanzhong and Shuchuan are both lofty mountains and lined with majestic passes. The Qin State did not have the ability to conquer Lu and Shu. Otherwise, I am afraid they would not have been attacking Cao Cao, but would have already occupied Hanzhong and Shuchuan.
Wei State is very ambitious and is now attacking Xu Han. This is an opportunity!
The grievances between Qin and Wei have been going on for a long time, and it is not a feud that is better than a feud between them. If you form an alliance with Qin, the first enemy you will face is naturally Wei. However, the Qin State wanted to take away the entire Wei State's territory after victory, and only promised the Chu State a mere Xuzhou.
Zhou Yu's heart was like a mirror. He dared to conclude that once Wei and Xu Han were destroyed, their alliance would come to an end, and Qin would not help Chu in attacking Shu and Lu. Even if the Chu State shows weakness, they will open their fangs and bite the Chu State.
After listening to Dong Shang's words, Zhang Hong smiled coldly.
"Master Dong Shang is joking."
"The general trend of the world is irreversible. Although the remaining power of the Han Dynasty has been exhausted, justice is still in the hearts of the people. Dong Zhuo is a usurper and traitor, and everyone despises it. If our great Chu forms an alliance with Qin, won't we be ridiculed by the world and destroy the Great Wall?"
Compared with tangible benefits, the first thing Zhang Hong saw was the illusory reputation and righteousness. However, it is these illusory things that affect the people's support.
Dong Shang looked embarrassed and remained silent for a long time. It's not that he has no excuses, it's just that lies can't cover up the truth. This is the most fatal flaw of the Qin State. The more we try to cover it up, the more ridiculous it will appear in the eyes of discerning people.
"Zigang must not be rude."
In the end, Sun Ce saved some face for Dong Shang and pretended to scold Zhang Hong. Sun Ce changed the subject.
"I'm afraid Mr. Dong will be disappointed if he wants to propose marriage. My father loves my sister very much and has already told Xiangxiang to choose her own husband in the future. I dare not go against my father's orders. As the eldest brother, I cannot be her master. "
Dong Shang hesitated, knowing that this was just Sun Ce's excuse, but he couldn't give up so easily.
"This is Dong Shang Meng Lang. Could you please ask the king to invite the princess over so that Dong Shang can get to know the princess first?"
I am afraid that Dong Shang was also used to being arrogant and indulgent in the Qin State. Did he really think that the women in Chu State would be like the women around him, and would stick to him when they saw him? Or does he think he is as charming and suave as Zhou Yu?
Sun Ce agreed without thinking, snickering in his heart.
"No problem! Someone, go and ask the princess to come over."
