The swordsmith watched them leave one after another. Xiang Guo's ants stood aside and asked: "Military advisor, what do you think they are talking about?" The swordsmith shook his head and said: "They are just thinking about the king's thoughts. So they must be talking, the king is in my It can be said that the annihilation of the Slippery Ant Kingdom and the Termite Tribe with his assistance is an outstanding achievement and should be rewarded. Why was he removed from the position of general because he deliberately let the enemy army escape in Langshan? The more the king's thoughts are unclear, the more confused he becomes. The more these ministers are frightened and uneasy, this may be the topic they are talking about." Xiangguo Xuant said: "There is no need to think about the king's thoughts, as long as you stay in peace, be loyal to your duties, be loyal to the entire ant tribe, and be loyal to the king. Okay. Isn't that what Xiao Yi did when he was Prime Minister?" The swordsmith and Prime Minister Xu Yi slowly walked down the steps. The swordsmith said: "Today is different from the past. At that time, the ant tribe was still weak. It was the time when the ant tribe used insects and needed to rely on the little ants' country-governing strategies. Now the ant tribe is beginning to become stronger and is about to unify the south. Looking at Buzhou, the king after the war will not need our capable ministers and generals. They will be cut off one by one. If you don't know how to advance or retreat, you will be killed. Throughout human history, isn't this the case with Zhang Yi, Su Qin, and Gongsun Yang? You can only share adversity with the king, but you cannot share wealth and honor with him. These are bloody lessons that should be learned." The Prime Minister nodded in agreement and said: "The military advisor's words are reasonable." The two insects stood in front of the chariot and bowed to each other. Get in the car and leave.
The swordsmith returned to the mansion. The swordsmith's son was very dissatisfied with what the ant king did today. He broke into the swordsmith's study despite his wife's obstruction, and said angrily: "Father, why did the king remove you from the position of general?" The swordsmith laughed. Looking up, he said: "The king has his own opinions, so there is no need for my son to question it." The swordsmith's son said: "If my father hadn't made suggestions for the king, would it have achieved what it does today? Isn't it just to let the enemy have a way out? As for removing the position of general, it's just that it is cowardly. It is clearly jealous of its father's talent." The swordsmith stood up and said angrily, "You are so bold and dare to speak so lightly. You are committing a capital crime. I How could I give birth to a son like you?" He sat down again to take a breath and said, "The current king was born in poverty. He lived a precarious life when he was young. He almost died several times. He developed a man with strong self-esteem, suspicion and change. Personality. In addition, the young king has experienced the trauma of war and lacks a sense of security. Since Xiao Yi recommended it as king, it cherishes its throne even more. Although it has few opinions, the city is very deep, and no minister can figure out its thoughts. , Just like the sharp sword hanging above the head, the same is true for a father. I don’t know when this sharp sword will fall down, and his head will be in a different place. Do you understand?” The son of the swordsmith said with some confusion: “ My father is the king's favorite, why can't the king kill you?" The swordsmith said: "Any king is taboo with such words, great achievements will shock the master. For example, Bai Qi of Qin State, the Battle of Yique, A total of 240,000 Wei and Han coalition forces were defeated. In the Battle of Yanying, the Chu army was severely damaged and was forced to move its capital to Chen. In the Battle of Changping, more than 400,000 Zhao Jiang soldiers were killed, which severely damaged the strength of the military power. Wu'an, who had such outstanding military exploits, You were granted death by the King of Qin in Duyou. It has only been a few years since these things happened. How does my father compare with Wu Anjun? How can you just conclude that the king has no murderous intention towards my father?" There is no emotion in the king's heart. There is no family affection, only the supreme royal power. Let’s open the Spring and Autumn Annals and take a look. There are many recorded examples of brothers killing each other, fathers killing their sons, and sons killing their fathers. Why should we care about a minister? The son of the swordsmith seemed to understand the profound meaning of his father's words, and he had no resentment whatsoever and could only withdraw from his father's study. The swordsmith sat down and continued to write to the ant king, asking for real estate.
One day, the ant king summoned Xiangguo's ant into the palace. Xiangguo's ant entered the back courtyard of the palace and saw the ant king sitting by the lake fishing, looking leisurely and contented. The Xiangguo Bearded Ant stepped forward and knelt down and said, "Your Majesty." The Ant King looked to his side and said, "Prime Minister, you don't have to be polite, just come up and sit next to me." The Xiangguo Bearded Ant bowed and said: " I dare not." The ant king said: "There is no relationship between monarch and minister here, so the prime minister does not need to be restrained." The ant, the prime minister, then sat aside. The ant king ordered the eunuch waiting beside him to bring a fishing rod and fish with him. The King of Ants asked: "The military advisor has repeatedly written to the widowed ants asking for land and property. What do you mean by the military advisors? In the minds of the widowed ants, the military advisors are not that kind of worm." The Prime Minister responded: "Then what does your Majesty think? What kind of insect should a military advisor be?" The Ant King said: "A military advisor should be an insect with the world in mind, full of strategies, and lofty ambitions. Now, the ant doesn't think so. Its peace of mind far outweighs its strategies, and it has become a short-sighted insect. It's a bug." Xiang Guoxu said: "Your Majesty is right to think so. The military advisor's actions reassure your Majesty that it is an insect with no ambitions, and it will give your Majesty a reassurance. If before attacking the Lulu Nanzhou At that time, Ruluo Nanzhou sent envoys to the ant tribe to alienate the relationship between the king and the military advisor, and hinder the progress of the attack on Ruluo Nanzhou. Maybe this is what the military advisor said, consider it for future generations." The Ant King pondered. After a while, he said: "The Prime Minister's words are reasonable." After another pause, he said: "The Prime Minister may have a clue when selecting outstanding generals who are proficient in water warfare." The Prime Minister said: "I am stupid, but I don't have a clue yet." The king said: "The Prime Minister can post a notice and spread it throughout the city of the ants. This is much better than just meditating like an insect." After hearing this, the Prime Minister praised: "The king is still wise and wise." The fish took the bait, and the ant king seemed to be blooming with joy. As if, he said: "The big fish has taken the bait." What was caught was indeed a big fish, but the Prime Minister said discouraged: "Your Majesty is still very patient. During this period, I caught several big fish, but I didn't catch any of them." ." The Ant King just replied, "That's because the Prime Minister's heart is not at peace."
Xiangguo Xuyi returned to the Xiangguo Mansion and issued a notice to select generals who were proficient in water warfare and train a powerful navy army to fight.
On this day, Xiao Yi happened to go down the mountain to buy rice. I saw this notice when I entered the city, and then quietly exited the insect swarm. Entering a shop, the owner of the shop came forward and said, "You are here to buy rice, right." Today, Xiao Yi is dressed as an ordinary person, and no one can tell that he is the Prime Minister of the past. The shop owner of this shop is also a snobbery. When he sees the powerful, he bows his head and smiles, like a slave. However, the shop owner is dismissive of ordinary people like him. He straightens his back and says coldly: "A dou of rice costs ten cents." The little ant said, "I have thirty cents here, and I can buy you three dou of rice." Then he took out thirty cents from his pocket. The shop owner just took it and put it on the counter aside. He called the waiter to lean into his ear and said: "First give it a big bucket, and then secretly change it to two buckets...
…. "These profiteers! They actually added some tidal rice to the rice, and it looked like three big buckets of rice. Little Yi didn't care, he picked up a bag of rice and put it on his shoulders, and headed out of the city to Wuzhi Mountain.
After the house ants left the termite clan, they lived in seclusion in Wuzhi Mountain with the little ants and did not care about political affairs. Yan Sangzi went out to greet the ants together. When the ants came forward, the shepherd boy took the half bag of rice and carried it in. Then he ran out angrily and said, "Sir, why is there wet rice in the half bag of rice?" Yan Sangzi said happily: "This is no business without treachery." The house ant asked by the side: "Little ant, didn't you realize it?" The little ant smiled and said: "A gentleman does not fight with the common people." Yan Sangzi stroked his beard, nodded slowly, with a natural expression, and said: "It's still Xiaoyi Kuoda, let's go up the back mountain together."
The three ants walked out of Chaimen together, went up the back hill and sat in the pavilion. Yaoyao brought the rice cake, put it on the stone table, and said, "Sir, please have a taste." Here, Yan Sangzi is the elder, and they are all juniors. They faced Yan Sangzi and said, "Sir, please." Yan Sangzi He picked up the rice cake, tasted it carefully, and said: "It's very good, you guys should try it too." The little ant and the house ant picked up one and tasted it carefully. The little ant was full of praise and said: "Yao Yao's craftsmanship is good. It's a pity, it's a pity." Then he shook his head. The house ant looked at the little ant and said, "What are you pity for?" The little ant smiled and said: "It's a pity. There is no wine!" The shepherd boy brought a pot of sake, poured it into a bamboo cup, filled it with ice from the mountains, and soaked it in the wine. It was particularly refreshing to take a sip, and a coolness went straight into the throat. Yan Sangzi sat aside and said: "I heard that Yaoyao is proficient in music, how about playing a song?" Yaoyao looked at the house ants, and the house ants said: "They are interested, so let's play a song." Yao walked out and sat down, with the green mountains and green water at her back, and the shepherd boy brought the piano. Yaoyao sat in front of them and said: "I will play "Yunyi Gongyu" for you." The three ants shouted in unison: "Okay." The song "Yunyi Gongyu" intoxicated their hearts, like Flowing clouds and flowing water. While enjoying the soft sound, they drank wine, ate rice cakes, and discussed some things. The little ant said: "When I entered the city, I saw the notice posted by the government. The king is selecting generals who are proficient in water warfare. It seems that the unification war has already begun." The ant said: "The king wants to use troops, breast snails Xizhou, Ruluo Zhongzhou and Ruluo Nanzhou are not yet unified. Little Yi, which continent do you think the king will attack first?" Little Yi said: "Ruluo Nanzhou, among the three continents, only Ruluo Nanzhou is the most powerful. , captured the Ruluo Nanzhou, and the two continents will surrender." The house ants nodded and said: "Yes, General Tongyi of my termite tribe belongs to General Bai Feng's old department. I will convince General Tongyi to serve the country. Effectiveness." Xiao Yi looked at the house ants and said with a teasing smile: "With the intervention of the former prime minister, the country's reunification is expected."
The next day, the house ants went down to Wuzhi Mountain and went to Duyou to enter the house of Zhou Muxian termite. Xian termite came out and knelt down to greet him, saying: "The big ant of the Prime Minister." The house ant immediately helped Xian termite and said: "Don't call me that, I am no longer the prime minister. I only hope that the country will be unified so that the people can live and work in peace and contentment and avoid the war." Bitter, so I am here to convince General Tongyi, where is General Tongyi?" Xiantermite said: "Sir, please come with me, I will take you up the mountain to see General Tongyi." Xiantermite walked out of the mansion. , then the ants got in the car and left Duyou.
Since General Bai Feng died in the battle, General Tong Yi has lived in seclusion in the mountains and forests, not caring about the war, only seeking to rest. The chariot stopped outside the city, entered the mountain forest, and stood outside Chaimen. Dogs kept barking outside the firewood gate. General Tongyi heard the sound of barking dogs, and then walked out. He saw two insects wearing bamboo hats standing outside the firewood gate. He hesitated and asked: "What kind of insects are you?" Holding a bamboo hat, Jiayi stepped forward and said: "General Tongyi." General Tongyi was immediately dumbfounded. He stood there, knelt down and looked up at him, and said: "Xiangguo, the great ant."
