Ji Le was extremely angry when he heard that Ji Sun Yiru actually attacked Li Ran in broad daylight.
He was about to call the servants to find trouble for Ji Sun Yiru, but was unexpectedly stopped by Li Ran.
"Don't be impulsive. You can't deal with them with brute force alone. The Ji family has deep roots in the Lu country. If killing Ji Sun Yiru can overthrow the Ji family, then we don't have to make so many plans before."
Li Ran also sighed immediately, shook his head helplessly and said:
"Ah Chou is about to ascend the throne. At this moment, the Ji family must not dare to cause trouble again. In fact, Ji Sun Yiru was also provoked by my words today, so he became angry and took action... Don't be too impatient to sacrifice the girl, there will be more to come.
Opportunity."
When Ji Le heard Li Ran's words, he smiled knowingly and said:
"Haha, okay, your client has said so, so what else can I say? That's up to you. Really, you have the most clever ideas!"
……
In this way, several months passed by, and soon the spring season of the coming year came. Everyone in Qufu was busy organizing things inside and outside, because the new king was about to ascend the throne.
One day, Shusunbao came to the Jishi Courtyard specially. Li Ran naturally knew the purpose of his visit, and before Shusunbao could speak, he immediately stepped forward to greet him:
"Doctor Shusun, now we should consider how to meet this envoy from Jin."
The people sent by the State of Jin to watch the ceremony have arrived and are currently resting in the Guanyi in Qufu City.
This time, the Marquis of Jin sent people to watch the ceremony. On the surface, it was a sign of respect for the monarch of Lu, but in fact, he was also declaring his hegemony of Jin.
After all, all the heaven-sacrifice ritual vessels from various countries came from the Jin Dynasty. It should have been the "responsibility" of the Zhou royal family to send people to witness the king of Lu's accession to the throne.
Therefore, acting on behalf of the King of Zhou will naturally further demonstrate his dominance of the Jin Kingdom.
Obviously, how to handle the relationship with this messenger is the top priority now.
Ji Le originally wanted to go along to meet the envoy from the Jin Kingdom, but Shusun Bao declined because of her identity as a daughter. It is really not easy for girls to attend such things. Ji Le had no choice but to mutter.
There was a burst of thoughts in Xiaozui's heart.
Li Ran comforted her again, and then set off with Shusun Bao.
In the chariot, Li Ran asked about the name of the envoy. Only then did he know that the person who came to the Lu State to watch the ceremony was none other than Yang Tongue, who had secretly helped them in the Jin State.
Yangyu Ge, surnamed Ji, Yangyu clan, courtesy name Shuxiang, was a doctor of the Jin State and a famous politician. He was as famous as Zichan of the Zheng State and Yan Ying of the Qi State.
"Uncle Xiang, I have always heard that he is knowledgeable and eloquent. He has always advocated the use of rituals, music, and regulations to educate people's hearts. He is quite like the ancient sages. But for the Jin Dynasty, he is a different kind."
What Li Ran said is indeed true. If we want to say that in the Spring and Autumn Period, which country started with the chaos of order and the collapse of etiquette and music? The Jin Kingdom is second to last, and there is absolutely no one who dares to claim the first place.
Since Duke Wen of Jin came to hegemony, the Jin State has embarked on a path that is different from other vassal states, that is, "conferencing based on merit." Therefore, almost without exception, the five sages and six ministers of the Jin State are not public officials.
Direct lineage.
This is the secret weapon that allowed the Jin State to achieve hegemony in one day, and at the same time, it is also the underlying reason for the decline of the Jin State.
And Shu Xiang, as the most far-sighted politician in the Jin Kingdom, certainly saw the pros and cons clearly. However, this kind of "foresight" seemed a bit out of tune with the times.
"It seems that the Marquis of Jin sent him here this time with the intention of educating the State of Lu."
It's no wonder, after all, Ji Sunsu's previous sacrifice to heaven on behalf of the emperor was against Zhou etiquette. In addition, this incident offended the Marquis of Jin. In the eyes of the Jin State, the Lu State was no longer the little man who knew the rules and kept the rules.
Follow me.
The Marquis of Jin sent Sheep Tongue to watch the ceremony. To put it bluntly, he wanted to give this follower a good "tip" so as not to cause the State of Lu to make any more messy things that violated etiquette and laws.
Shu Sunbao is also aware of this.
"Well, today, we have to meet this envoy from Jin."
As soon as he finished speaking, the carriage had arrived at Guanyi. Shusun Bao sent someone to greet him and led Li Ran to wait outside the door.
"Hey, Dr. Shusun, I haven't seen you for many years, but you still have the same style!"
The two of them stood at attention, and saw an old man with a red face coming out from the inside. This man looked to be in his fifties, but he was still full of energy, with particularly bright red and phoenix eyes, and he was dressed in plain white clothes.
, has the flavor of immortality.
"Brother Uncle Xiang came to Qufu, but Leopard couldn't welcome him in person, so I still hope to see Haihan!"
The person in front of him was none other than Yang Tongue. After Shusun Bao greeted him, he introduced him:
"This is Li Ran and Li Ziming, the former Luoyi keeper of the archives whom Bao once mentioned."
"I'm not very talented, Li Ran. I've seen Doctor Sheeptongue."
Li Ran followed Shusun Bao and also bowed.
After all, Yang Tongue was the one who helped him, so this courtesy was necessary.
Hearing the sound, Yang Tongu immediately turned his eyes to Li Ran, looked up and down, and then said in surprise:
"What a formidable young man! My nephew is no more than the age of his hair, right? I am really impressed that such a young man can do such things and have such courage and courage! Come on, please come in and talk."
The three of them were welcomed into the house, and after they each took their seats, Shusun Bao continued what Yang Tonguei had just said:
"Unknown to my uncle, our country of Lu has been in a troubled period recently, and has been quite chaotic. Thanks to Ziming's advice, Leopard was able to avert the danger. Otherwise, it is still unclear whether Uncle Xiang will be able to see Leopard today.
”
"Well...although I am in the Jin Kingdom, I have heard a little bit about what happened in Qufu. I heard that the death of the prince was also quite strange. It was all thanks to Zi Ming's strategizing that the situation was controlled. It can be seen from this that Zi Ming's
Judgment is truly a miracle in this world!"
"I wonder what position the wise nephew Zi Ming holds in the State of Lu now?"
Regarding the news in Qufu City, Yang Yangui actually knows no less than others. This is all because he will go through various channels to find out all the news thoroughly before each mission. Therefore, he is extremely well prepared, which is considered to be
This is Sheep Tongue's consistent style of doing things.
"This junior has not yet become an official."
Li Ran answered clearly.
After hearing this, Yang Tongue's face showed a thoughtful expression, and after a moment he said:
"Oh? In the early years, I also visited Zongzhou, and I heard the late prince mention Ziming. I never thought that I would be lucky enough to see him today, but it would be like a lifetime ago. It's really a trick of fate. Since Ziming didn't
If you serve as an official in the State of Lu, what plans will you have in the future? ... In addition, I heard that Prince Chou is the candidate recommended by the Ji family as the new king. Can you be confident about handling it in the future?"
Shusun Bao was startled when he heard this. He didn't know what he meant, so he immediately declined:
"Uncle Xiang was joking. The prince's position is important and is related to the foundation of the country. How can we be disrespectful? Although Ziming has never been an official now, he will definitely shine in our country of Lu in the future. Please wait patiently, brother Shuxiang.
Watch it."
Yang Yanzhi has always been eager to seek talents for the Jin State, focusing on talents rather than appearance. This is also the way of employing people in the Jin Dynasty. Previously, Yang Yanzhi had already found out everything about what Li Ran had done in Qufu.
, naturally I want to win over you.
But Uncle Sunbao finally shared weal and woe with Li Ran and unlocked the achievement of the Forgettable Friendship. How could he easily send it to the Jin Kingdom?
"Doctor Shusun's words are obvious. People of the Ming Dynasty don't tell secrets. Since I came to Qufu today, I naturally know everything about Qufu. Now that the new king has taken the throne, you don't have many bargaining chips. Once
Fighting with the Ji family again... Haha, the outcome is unknown."
As he spoke, Sheep Tongue twirled his short beard, his face full of noncommittal expression.
Although he helped Uncle Sunbao, it was because it was beneficial to the office, and it was official business. But Shu Xiangzi would never let go of what he wanted.
The meaning of what he said is actually very obvious.
The dispute between your uncle Sun and the Ji family is a private matter. If anyone needs my uncle's help in the future, please give Li Ran to me. We will reciprocate courtesy, and I will definitely take more care of you in the future in Jin. But if you don't listen and insist on holding on to Li Ran as a treasure and never let go, then in the future we will keep the same, and I will turn a blind eye and watch, and you will cry when the time comes.
Li Ran didn't expect that he would actually become a favorite among the ministers of the Jin Kingdom. He thought that he was just a hanger-on and nothing, so why did he become a hot commodity that these big guys were competing to tout?
If this were applied to other diners and so many big shots took notice, they would probably wake up laughing in the middle of the night.
But Li Ran is different. As a person from the future, he clearly knows that he is not a thing. Is there any reason for being sent around?
So, adhering to what people in the future would call "my life is good, my life is not good", he finally spoke up. I heard him say politely and politely:
"However, when I became famous at a young age, I was framed by others, so I had to leave Luoyi. Fortunately, I was retained by Dr. Shusun, and I am content for now. As for my thoughts about other places, I can wait until I travel to various countries in the future to discuss. The Jin country is
He is the current overlord and is expected by everyone, so why not leave?"
This is true. Although I don’t go now, it doesn’t mean I won’t go in the future.
Don't be anxious, you have to eat the food one bite at a time, and walk the road step by step. There is always a process for everything, right?
As soon as Sheep Tongue heard Li Ran's statement, she understood. She immediately smiled and clapped her hands and praised:
"Oh, okay, okay, then I will wait for the good news of my nephew..."
Immediately afterwards, the three of them drank and chatted for a while. When the sky was getting dark, Li Ran and Shusun Bao came out of the hotel.
……
The next day, Prince Chou finally officially ascended the throne and became the future Duke Zhao of Lu.
(Later, Duke Zhao of Lu was known as Gongzi Chou, and Prince Chou was collectively called the Marquis of Lu)
No one objected again, and there were no more troubles. It can be said that his accession to the throne went smoothly, and the entire Lu Kingdom was filled with cheers and praises.
Needless to say, there is no need to say more in the Lu Kingdom. After all, the Ji family and the Meng family supported him to rise to power, and he was secretly supported by Li Ran and Shusun Bao, so the three parties in the country seemed quite quiet.
Outside the country, large countries such as Jin and Qi, and small countries such as Ju, Zhu, etc., actually all know something about the newly enthroned Marquis of Lu. They all also know that this is a young master who is not very smart. Of course, they
I am also happy to see its success.
As a result, Gongzi Chou's accession to the throne seemed particularly smooth...
However, what all the people of Lu did not expect was that the first decree issued by the Marquis of Lu as soon as he came to the throne was to reduce the taxes of most cities.
This was of course Li Ran’s idea.
Ji Sunsu was naturally opposed fiercely, because among the "most cities", his fiefdoms accounted for the vast majority. If taxes were really reduced, wouldn't the expenses of the Ji family be directly affected?
Lost your whereabouts?
Which aspects of the family chief, the town chief, the deceased, the retainers, and the maintenance of the relationship network are free of money? After all, it is easy to move from frugality to luxury, but it is difficult to move from luxury to frugality!
Who can bear this?!
What Li Ran wants is for him to object. Because only in this way can Li Ran's second round be carried out.
In the Jishi Villa, Li Ran told Shusun Bao part of the plan and asked him to make preparations first. Then Li Ran went to Lu Palace again.
The Marquis of Lu, who had inherited the throne, was not as free as before, let alone leaving Lu Palace every day. So when he saw Li Ran coming in, he was very happy and immediately asked what should be done next.
"Your Majesty, tomorrow in the court you will propose a pilgrimage to the Marquis of Jin. It has been an ancient tradition for a new king to visit the kings of other countries after he ascends the throne. The Ji family and the Meng family will definitely not stop you."
This is the beginning of the second game.
Marquis Lu was very surprised and said:
"Go to Jin? Continue to use Jin's help to deal with the Ji family?"
Li Ran shook his head first, then nodded and said:
"Yes, but also no."
"Huh?"
"Although Jin is the overlord today, even if the Marquis of Jin wants to interfere in Lu's internal affairs, I'm afraid the six ministers will not do their best to help."
"Nowadays, people in this world are all profit-seekers. If we can't give the Six Ministers more substantial benefits and want them to contribute, it will be difficult to reach the sky... The purpose of entering the Jin Dynasty this time is to allow the princes to temporarily
After leaving the State of Lu for some time, as for the purpose, the princes will know for themselves in the future."
Li Ran did not tell him the details of this part of the plan because he was still a little unsure at this time.
After all, this time Yang Tongue came to the State of Lu to observe the ceremony, and he did not give them the enthusiasm they imagined. On the contrary, they were more probing.