In the seventh month of the thirty-first year of Duke Xiang of Lu, Prince Chou became the crown prince. In the first month of the following year, he would be crowned king.
The matter was a foregone conclusion, although Shusun Bao ostensibly argued with the Ji family, Meng family and others in the court. He had an extremely fierce verbal exchange with them on the issue of who should be appointed as the crown prince. It seemed that
Even though he tried his best to stop it, he still failed to stop it.
These are actually just deceptions.
Just when the Ji family and the Meng family were rejoicing at their victory in the competition for the throne, Shusun Bao also seemed particularly happy after arriving at the Ji family courtyard.
His efforts were rewarded after all. The Ji family and the Meng family had no doubts about Gongzi Chou, and even offered to arrange the heaven-sacrifice ceremony themselves, and had already sent people to the Jin Kingdom again to obtain sacrificial vessels for Gongzi Chou.
"I'm afraid these two old guys, Ji Sunsu and Meng Sunjie, never imagined that Prince Chou was actually one of ours until their death."
"Hahahaha, relieve the anger, quite relieve the anger!"
Shusun Bao had already had an in-depth talk with Prince Chou, and he also received a clear answer from Prince Chou. After Prince Chou ascends the throne, he will definitely fulfill his brother's last wish. This is what Shusun Bao wants to see most.
Now that half of the success is achieved, how can he not be happy?
Li Ran also nodded and said with a smile:
"In this way, they will not take action against the new crown prince, and we can continue our plans with peace of mind."
"By the way, when the prince ascends the throne, the Marquis of Jin will definitely send people to watch the ceremony. I would like to ask Dr. Shusun to pay more attention to it then."
When the king of Lu came to the throne, the sacrificial vessels came out of Jin, and the Marquis of Jin sent people to watch the ceremony. This was also a common practice.
First of all, it was natural to openly congratulate the new king on his accession to the throne.
Secondly, it is also possible to use diplomatic opportunities to spy on the actual situation of other countries.
Therefore, how to treat this person who was sent to watch the ceremony became very important. Shusunbao could not let Ji family take the opportunity.
After all, how to check and balance the Ji family and the Meng family after the prince ascends the throne will most likely need to rely on external forces, and the Jin State is the one with the most say.
"That's natural."
"If there is an opportunity then, Ziming and I should go meet this person. This may also be an opportunity for you."
It was indeed an opportunity for Li Ran. Li Ran was recognized in the Lu State, but it could not completely eliminate the hatred of the Zhou royal family.
But if he gets the approval of the Duke of Jin, it will be equivalent to getting a protective umbrella. Even if the Zhou royal family hates him again, there will be nothing they can do.
As the saying goes, a skinny camel is bigger than a horse. How can the Jin Kingdom, which has dominated the Central Plains for hundreds of years, be compared with the Zhou royal family, which is already in danger?
"That's very good. I'll let the doctor arrange it."
While the two were chatting, Sun Su suddenly ran in again and told Li Ran that Ji Sun Yiru had come to see him.
Upon hearing that it was him who came to see him, Shusun Bao immediately frowned and said:
"Huh? What is he doing here?"
Li Ran didn't know, so he just shook his head and ordered Sun Su to invite the people in.
Although he and the Ji family are on the same page now, this is not the time for him to completely fall out with the Ji family. After all, the crown prince's accession to the throne still requires the Ji family's contribution.
Furthermore, it was not rude for Ji Sun Yiru to come and ask for a meeting. If Li Ran refused, it would appear that he was narrow-minded.
Shu Sunbao left first, and Li Ran came to the main hall of the other courtyard to see Ji Sun Yiru. Before he could ask about Ji Sun Yiru's intention, Ji Sun Yiru complimented him:
"Ah, Brother Ziming! Long time no see! Today I came here because I specially invited Brother Ziming to have a drink with me."
It turned out that when Ji Sun Yi came here this time, he actually invited him to attend a banquet. His attitude was actually very sincere.
"Inviting me to a banquet, could it be that a Hongmen banquet was prepared?"
As Li Ran was secretly thinking about whether he should go to this banquet or not, Ji Sun Yiru seemed to have noticed Li Ran's doubts, and said politely again:
"Mr. Ziming, please relax, this banquet is held in a restaurant in a busy city. I, the Ji family, are also from a well-known family, so I would not act like this in public."
Ji Sun Yiru said all that and came to invite him in person, which was a big honor. Li Ran thought it made sense, but it was hard to shirk it, so he reluctantly nodded and agreed.
"Okay then, I'll come here after Li and the people in the house take care of me."
So, after giving a few brief instructions to his servant Owl Yi, he followed Ji Sun Yiru to a wine shop in the city.
And Ji Sunyiru specially selected a cubicle, which was the so-called elegant room in later generations, and asked him to sit down.
This banquet is just for the two of them.
Li Ranzheng was secretly wondering, what kind of medicine was Ji selling in the gourd? His attitude towards him had changed so drastically?
Sure enough, after the food and wine were served, Ji Sun Yiru was the first to speak:
"Brother Ziming has been in Qufu for a while. Yi Ruduo acted rudely before and bumped into brother Ziming. Please forgive me."
"Yi Ru was born in the Ji family, and has been in the habit of being arrogant since he was a child. Now he has learned from his grandfather and knows that Brother Zi Ming's talent is unparalleled. Thinking about the past, he can't regret it."
"I'm having a banquet with Brother Ziming today because I want to apologize to Brother Ziming. The past grudges are not worth airing. I just want to punish myself with three cups of wine. Please forgive me."
These calls of "Brother Ziming" made Li Ran somewhat mentally prepared, but he still couldn't help but be slightly startled.
But in a flash, he realized that the Ji family really should not be underestimated.
The matter of offering sacrifices to heaven on behalf of the crown prince, the assassination of Prince Ye, and the confrontation in the Hantai Palace all dealt a heavy blow to the Ji family.
However, Ji Sunsu not only did not kill him, but instead chose to recruit him. With such magnanimity and scheming, it is no wonder that he became the most powerful force among the three states of Lu.
Ji Sunsu's cunning and scheming, Ji Sun Yiru's arrogance and even groveling in front of him all show the Ji family's methods in developing and strengthening themselves.
With this kind of family education, there will be ghosts if the Ji family is not prosperous.
"Oh? So, today's banquet is your apology to me?"
Li Ran sat as steady as a mountain, with no emotion or anger on his face, and his tone was calm and indifferent.
When Ji Sun Yiru heard this, he smiled with a smile on his face, nodded his head for a while, and immediately replied:
"Yes, yes, yes, Brother Ziming has a lot of people, so you won't argue with a mere mortal, right?"
"Haha, this is hard to say."
Li Ran picked up the wine cup and took a sip, then gave an ambiguous answer.
It's one thing not to forgive, but if you don't drink the wine you got for free and don't eat the food you got for free, that's a huge sin.
"It doesn't matter what your plans are today, Ji Sun Yiru. I'll just run, dance, and love whoever I want."
Li Ran said quietly in his heart.
Hearing what Li Ran said, Ji Sun Yiru was stunned for a moment, and then said in surprise:
"Oh? I dare to ask Brother Ziming, what do you mean by this?"
When it comes to understanding, there are only two possibilities: understanding or not understanding. However, Li Ran's answer was "It's hard to say", which made Ji Sun Yiru not sure what was going on.
Could it be that I am not sincere enough today? Or my attitude is not correct enough today? Or maybe I did not explain the benefits clearly?
Either we can reach an understanding, and we can work hand in hand with Heqi to seek development together. Or we can break up, and nothing will change in the future. Each of us will show off his powers and use his own methods, and no one will ask for help from the other.
"You neither understand nor refuse. What do you mean?"
Ji Sun Yiru dared not let go of his hand holding the wine cup. He was afraid that Li Ran would say something else that he couldn't understand or understand.
Unexpectedly, Li Ran didn't say anything. He only drank wine and ate meat. He was so busy that he couldn't help but make Ji Sun Yiru look confused and thought:
"This Li Ran, could it be that the Heavenly Chixing Xing descended to the earth? You really take it seriously."
What he didn't know was that if Li Ran was really polite to him, he wouldn't come with him to the wine shop to talk.
The reason why Li Ran came here was to find out what kind of medicine Ji's sold in the gourd.
At this time, he knew it in his heart, and there was no need to continue to pretend. He should eat and drink when he should, and when he was done, he would go back to his house and find his own mother to do whatever he needed to do.
"Brother Ziming, you must have seen clearly the current situation in our country of Lu. Young Master Chou has ascended the throne as the crown prince, and will soon be crowned king. In the future, when my family Ji controls the government and the public, this country of Lu will belong to my family Ji."
Forget it. What future can you have by following that uncle Sun Bao? Why not join me as a disciple of the Ji family? I, Ji Sun Yiru, have sworn to the heaven that as long as Brother Zi Ming is willing, Brother Zi Ming will be the number one head of our Ji family! How about that?
?”
Li Ran remained indifferent and only cared about eating and drinking.
"Then...if brother Ziming thinks it's not enough, then in the future, I, the Ji family, will find brother Ziming the position of high minister of the state of Lu! And we will set aside three cities from my fiefdom of the Ji family to support Zi.
Brother Ming, how are your expenses?"
The price is indeed very high.
Ji Sunyiru was also very satisfied with the conditions he offered. He thought that such conditions were impossible for Li Ran to refuse.
You must know that Li Ran is still a wanted criminal of the Zhou royal family. No matter which country he goes to, whether the monarch or the minister wants to reuse him and let him serve as an official, he must consider the attitude of the Zhou royal family to some extent.
After all, Zhou Li rules the world, and if you don't give face to the Zhou royal family, you don't give Zhou Li face, and other countries will inevitably use this to spread rumors and cause trouble.
Ji's offer of such conditions is tantamount to helping Li Ran clear his grievances and return to the elegant hall. This is a great opportunity for a person with ambitions and deep pockets.
In the era of hereditary aristocracy, the ruined aristocrats were no different from ordinary citizens. And it was not easy for ordinary people to become officials. At this time, the Ji family was willing to pave a smooth road for Li Ran. For Li Ran,
However, isn’t it a gift?
Ji Sun Yiru quietly waited for Li Ran's reply with joy in her heart.
He was very confident in the conditions he offered.
However, reality slapped him in the face again.
"belch"
After eating and drinking, Li Ran burped, raised his sleeve and wiped it on his mouth, stood up, patted his butt and left.
"Zi Liran! Don't toast me and you'll be fined if you don't eat!"
Ji Sun Yiru never expected that Li Ran wouldn't give him any face, and left immediately after finishing his meal. He had never seen anyone who dared to be so presumptuous in front of his Ji family.
"Huh? This is your fault."
"Didn't you invite me here just for a drink? I also ate the food and drank the wine, so why did I become the person who refuses to eat the toast? I mean, brother, this is wrong."
With a smile on his face, Li Ran said the last four words with deep meaning.
"Huh! Li Ran! My grandfather is so respectful to you because of your talent and learning. You'd better be wiser! If not, Tai Ziye will learn from the past!"
At this moment, Ji Sun Yiru stopped pretending. There was nothing to pretend about. They were the ones who killed Tai Ziye and they did this job. Pretending was just unnecessary.
But what he didn't know was that it was a good thing that he didn't mention Tai Ziye. As soon as he mentioned Tai Ziye, Li Ran's expression suddenly changed. He who had been greeting him with a smile suddenly became clouded, and a pair of gloomy eyes burst out with a terrifying look.
His eyes seemed to have changed into a different person in an instant, and his momentum was overwhelming and changing!
"Prince? Humph! That's fine if you don't mention the prince. How dare you mention it in front of me?"
"When you killed him, why didn't you ever think about wiping out all the grudges from the past? When you intended to kill me, how did you ever think about today?"
"I'm too lazy to pay attention to you. Saying another word to you makes me, Li Ziming, stupid!"
Li Ran asked three rhetorical questions and a taunt before turning around and leaving.
"Chun Qiu Zuo Zhuan":
When the eldest son died, if there was a mother and a younger brother, he would be established, and if there were none, he would be established. The juncture of the year selects the virtuous, and the juncture of righteousness is used for divination. This is the ancient way.
If he is not a suitable heir, why should he be the son of Di? Moreover, this is a person who lives in mourning but does not mourn, and who has a good appearance when in mourning. This is called not saving. People who do not save rarely suffer from trouble. If it is established, Ji's family will be worried.
"Wu Zi didn't listen, so he died. When he was buried, the three things were easy to decline, and the crotch was declining as before. In the 19th year of Duke Zhao's reign, he still had the innocence of a child. This is why a gentleman knows that it cannot end.
translate:
The Ji family wanted to make Gongzi Chou, the son of Qi Gui's younger sister Qi Gui, but her uncle and grandson Mu Shu objected, saying: "When the prince dies, if there is a younger brother of the same mother, he should be the younger brother of the same mother. If not, then the older one should be chosen. If they are about the same age.
You should establish virtuous people, and if they are almost virtuous, you should use divination. This is a consistent truth throughout the ages. Gongzi Chou is not a suitable successor, why should he be established? Moreover, this man does not mourn when he should be suffering, but laughs when he should be suffering. He is an unruly person.
There are almost no people who do not have good rules and will not be troubled. If he is appointed, your Ji family will be in trouble." Ji Wuzi refused to listen and finally appointed Gongzi Chou. When the funeral was held, Gongzi Chou was very shameful and acted wildly.
Playing so hard, he changed into three plain clothes at the funeral. At this time, Lu Zhaogong was already nineteen years old, and he still had a childlike heart. Everyone felt that Lu Zhaogong would not die well in the end.