In the spring of 680 BC, February was about to pass, and the first day of March was getting closer and closer. The meeting place in Beixing was ready. All the princes who needed to be notified had been notified. Duke Huan of Qi and Guan Zhong were preparing to set off early, and went to Beixing first.
Waiting for the princes to arrive. This is the first time Duke Huan of Qi has met with the princes. For him, it is quite new and exciting and he feels cautious.
Duke Huan of Qi asked Guan Zhong: "How many troops and horses should we bring when we go back to the meeting?"
Guan Zhong said: "This meeting is called the 'Meeting of Clothes', and there should be no troops."
Qi Huangong said: "If we don't bring troops and horses, what if something goes wrong?"
Guan Zhong said: "Don't worry, my lord, nothing will go wrong. I have already made arrangements."
Duke Huan of Qi had already been very relieved about Guan Zhong. Since Guan Zhong said that the arrangements were made, he didn't worry about it anymore. After preparations were made, they took only a hundred guards on the road.
After arriving in Beixing, we didn't stay for two days. The princes came one after another.
The first prince to come was Gongzi Yushuo of Song State. Since this meeting was to establish the throne of Song State, he was naturally the most active one. After meeting Duke Huan of Qi, Gongzi Yushuo initiated this meeting first.
He expressed his gratitude and then gave him a big gift. His intention was very obvious, that is, he wanted to ask Duke Huan of Qi to speak for him at the meeting.
Next, the three princes of Chen, Cai, and Zhu arrived one after another. These small princes all brought troops and horses. When they saw that Duke Huan of Qi did not bring troops and horses, they felt embarrassed, so they all retreated their troops twenty miles.
Settlement.
Duke Huan of Qi notified eight princes, but only four came. He felt it was shameful and wanted to postpone the meeting and wait for the princes who did not come. Guan Zhong advised him: "If the date is changed, it seems that our words will not count. It should be
Those who come will naturally come as scheduled. Those who don’t come will not come. There are already five countries here, which is not a small number. I think the meeting will be held as scheduled."
Duke Huan of Qi then decided to hold the meeting as planned.
On the first day of March, the ice and snow in the Central Plains had melted, the spring breeze had greened the mountains, forests and grasslands, wild flowers in the river valleys bloomed quietly, and birds chirped in the distance. In the peaceful spring scenery, the alliance was officially held. Qi, Song, Chen,
The five princes, Cai and Zhu, walked into the meeting place dressed in the early spring sunshine, talking and laughing.
After sitting down, everyone noticed that the chairman's seat in the middle was empty. There was a table, a seat, and a chair, and no one was there. There was a wooden sign on the table, with a few words neatly written on it: The seat of the King of Zhou.
.It turned out that this was Guan Zhong's idea. He knew that King Xi of Zhou was not coming, but he deliberately set up this position to tell everyone that Duke Huan of Qi had followed the emperor's order and convened a meeting on his behalf. The princes saw it.
Understood.
The ancients regarded the right as top, so Duke Huan of Qi sat in the first seat on the right. A seat was specially arranged behind him, and Guan Zhong sat there.
The title of the Song Dynasty is Duke, so the prince Yushuo also sits on the right. His seat is next to Duke Huan of Qi and at the head. The rows on the left are occupied by the princes of Chen, Cai and Zhu. The left and right sides face each other.
Forming a ring, everyone knelt and sat on the mat - this was the formal sitting posture at that time.
Duke Huan of Qi was full of joy and made the opening speech first. He said: "Nowadays, the royal family is depressed and the world is in chaos. The princes of all countries are doing their own affairs. When big things happen, no one cares about it. There are often civil strife in each country. There have been melee wars among the countries for years. The whole world is full of chaos.
The people below are terrified. It can be said that every prince is not afraid."
The princes nodded in agreement. Duke Huan of Qi continued: "This conference has two main tasks: Last year, something happened in the Song Dynasty. Everyone must have heard about it. This incident caused an uproar in the world. I am ordered by the emperor.
, gather all the princes and invite you to determine the throne of the Song Dynasty. This is one of them."
Gongzi Yu said that he quickly bowed his hands to everyone, not only expressing his gratitude, but also hoping that you would take care of him. Duke Huan of Qi smiled and approved, and then said: "Secondly, before this meeting, Mr. Guan Zhong, the prime minister of Qi, made a suggestion
, he said, this meeting should be a peaceful meeting, a meeting of unity. Everyone has also seen that Xiaobai, I did not bring any troops, I only wore these clothes. So we called this meeting the 'Meeting of Clothes'
.I agree with this proposal. I hope that through this meeting, we can form a consensus: support the royal family together, coexist peacefully, and help each other, especially those weak countries. Also, if there is an attack by barbarians
, we must resist together."
The three small princes of Chen, Cai, and Zhu all wanted to unite, so when they heard this, they were all very enthusiastic. The atmosphere in the meeting suddenly became lively. Qi Huangong finished his opening remarks, and after everyone was quiet, he continued: "To do these things, you have to
Nominate a leader. Only in this way can it be mobilized."
As soon as these words came out, the three princes on the left began to whisper among themselves. Who should be recommended? According to the title, Song is a Duke and Qi is a Marquis. The status of Duke Song should be higher than that of Marquis of Qi. But what about the actual situation? Duke Song's
The throne has to be decided by the Marquis of Qi, so how can the Duke of Song be elected?
Amidst the buzz, Chen Xuangong first said: "The emperor entrusted the Marquis of Qi to form an alliance with the princes, so the Marquis of Qi should be the leader of the alliance."
The princes of Cai and Zhu nodded and agreed one after another. The young master sitting on the right, Yusui, opened his mouth as if he wanted to speak, but in the end he said nothing. Seeing that no one objected, Duke Huan of Qi pretended to be polite and did his part.
Became an ally.
Then, as the leader of the alliance, Duke Huan of Qi led the princes to bow down to the emperor's seat. After the ceremony, he began to preside over the meeting.
The first thing was naturally to discuss the throne of the Song Dynasty. In fact, this was a topic that did not require much trouble. Young Master Yu said that he was the biological brother of Song Mingong, and it was a common thing at that time for brothers to succeed each other. Moreover,
Young Master Yu said that he has already sat on the throne, but this title lacks a little bit of fairness.
Before the meeting, Gongzi Yushuo had already criticized Duke Huan of Qi. Therefore, as soon as the discussion began, Qi Huangong expressed his support for Gongzi Yushuo. This set the tone. The three princes Chen, Cai, and Zhu expressed their stance when they saw Duke Huan of Qi.
Everyone expressed their support. As a result, Gongzi Yushuo's throne suddenly became legal.
The second item discussed in the conference was the alliance. The three small princes Chen, Cai, and Zhu were extremely active. Because they were all kings of small countries, they were eager to unite, and they hoped to have the support of a big country like Qi. So they
All expressed their opinions and responded positively. Only Gongzi Yushuo seemed a little negative.
Guan Zhong had noticed him a long time ago, but Guan Zhong didn't know why the Duke of Song, who had just corrected his status, was in a low mood.
After a brief discussion, the terms of the alliance were negotiated. Guan Zhong, as the master of ceremonies, read out the terms on the spot. The general idea was:
On a certain day of a certain month of a certain year, Qi Xiaobai, Song Yushuo, Chen Chujiu, Cai Xianwu, Zhu Ke, etc., under the order of the emperor, met in the land of Beixing. They discussed together and worked together to assist the royal family and foreign affairs.
Defend the barbarian enemies, support the weak from within, and live and prosper together. Those who have an alliance with Chongqing will attack them in groups.
The last item of the meeting was to make an alliance with blood. A young general from Qi State brought a basin of cow's blood. Duke Huan of Qi stepped forward first, dipped his hand in the blood and smeared it on his lips. Then the four princes of Song, Chen, Cai, and Zhu followed in turn.
He stepped forward and smeared cow blood on his lips. Finally, everyone knelt down and swore an oath to heaven.
At this point in the meeting, all the procedures were completed. It should have ended. However, Duke Huan of Qi wanted to do one more thing. He gave Guan Zhong a look. Guan Zhong cleared his throat and said: "This alliance was supposed to be between the eight countries.
, Qi, Song, Chen, Cai, and Zhu all arrived, but Lu, Wei, and Cao did not come. This is clearly contempt for the emperor and disobedience to orders. This is the reason why the world is in chaos. It should be punished."
Duke Huan of Qi said: "We should protect the emperor's law. This matter is related to the order of the world and must be done. The troops of Qi State are limited, so Xiaobai would like to ask you to send troops to assist."
Chen Xuangong said: "Since we have formed an alliance, everyone should have a share."
Cai and Zhu, the princes of the two countries, hesitated a little, looked at each other, and said, "It should be, it should be."
Song Gongyu said he would not express his position. When everyone looked at him, he was staring at a small insect on the table. Suddenly, he slapped it with his palm. Everyone was shocked. They saw Song Gongyu said lightly.
He gently pinched the little bug that he killed, looked at it again and again, and said to himself: "You dare to serve this little reptile on the table?"
Duke Huan of Qi's face darkened, and the three princes Chen, Cai, and Zhu showed embarrassment. The atmosphere in the venue suddenly became solemn. During the silence, it seemed that the sound of flags being stirred by the breeze outside the venue could be heard. Everyone looked at Duke Huan of Qi.
Suddenly, Guan Zhong laughed and said: "Song Gong's hands are really fast, your insect-swatting skills are really beyond the reach of Guan Zhong."
Guan Zhong's joke broke the embarrassment, and everyone laughed. Duke Huan of Qi didn't want to ask questions about who wanted to send troops and who didn't. Taking advantage of the atmosphere to relax, he quickly announced the adjournment of the meeting.
Young Master Yu said that he returned to his residence with a sullen face and complained as soon as he came back: "Xiao Bai is in the limelight today. A second-class marquis, he behaves like a king. He is so self-righteous. He looks so complacent that I get angry just looking at him.
.I am a Duke, why should I listen to him?"
His ministers said: "Yes, the Marquis of Qi finally became the leader of the alliance. Of course he wants to be famous."
Gongzi Yu said: "The alliance is over and our throne has been established. Xiaobai also wants us to accompany him to fight. I am too lazy to play with them. I think, let's go back."
That night, the Song people took advantage of the darkness and sneaked away.
At dawn, Duke Huan of Qi heard that Gongzi Yushuo had left without saying goodbye, so he wanted to lead his troops to pursue him. Guan Zhong advised: "Even if you want to punish Gong Yushuo of Song, you shouldn't choose this time."
Qi Huangong said: "I have figured it out. Only by fighting can we establish our authority. If I don't give them some color, they really don't take me seriously."
Guan Zhong said: "My lord, how about this? The State of Song is far away from here, and the State of Lu is close. Let's go to the State of Lu to question the crime first. What do you think?"
Duke Huan of Qi said: "How should we dispatch the princes of Chen, Cai, and Zhu? Should we also ask them to send troops?"
Guan Zhong said: "The prestige of Qi is not high enough. If we ask them to send troops, they may be reluctant. It is better to ask them to go back."
When the three princes Chen, Cai, and Zhu heard that there was no need for them to send troops, they all smiled happily and left with their troops that day.
After the princes left, Guan Zhong said to Duke Huan: "My lord, I have left a force of troops in the valley near Beixing. They can be put to use now."
Duke Huan of Qi said with a smile: "I knew you would be prepared. Very good. We will lead this group of troops to fight against the State of Lu."
As soon as the news that the Qi army arrived at the border of Lu reached Qufu, Duke Zhuang of Lu regretted it. He did not expect that Duke Huan of Qi would take an alliance meeting so seriously. If he had known that, he would have gone to the meeting anyway. But
It's useless to regret, the people of Qi have already come to the door, so we can only fight.
Adviser Shi Bo said to Duke Zhuang of Lu: "The Beixing Alliance is under the banner of the emperor. We are wrong if we don't go to the meeting. Now that the Marquis of Qi has come to ask questions, it is justified. I suggest that we make peace with them."
Duke Zhuang of Lu said: "If we can make peace, I also want to make peace. I'm afraid we can't make peace."
Shi Bo said: "If you can't make peace, you can't fight. The Qi State today is no longer the Qi State at the time of the Battle of Changshao. They have strong national strength and strong soldiers and horses. Once it is opened, how can the Lu State hold on?"
Duke Zhuang of Lu shook his head and sighed, "Let me think about it again." Then he waved his hand and announced that the court had dispersed.
In the evening, Duke Zhuang of Lu went to his mother's palace to pay his respects. When Wen Jiang heard about this, she immediately persuaded Duke Zhuang of Lu to make peace with Qi. She said: "How can we fight against Qi with our little family background? As a leader, Wen Jiang
The king of the country should put the overall situation first and never act on his own initiative. Let's make peace."
Duke Zhuang of Lu finally made up his mind to make peace. He wrote a letter to Duke Huan of Qi, stating that as long as the people of Qi retreated, he would come and admit his mistake to Qi Huan. Duke Huan of Qi retreated. Then he sent an envoy to invite Duke Zhuang of Lu to Qi.
He came to Kedi (now A County, Shandong Province) to form an alliance.
Ten days later, Duke Zhuang of Lu led General Cao Mo and others to the land of Ke.
As soon as he entered the venue, he felt that the atmosphere was not right. There were soldiers holding weapons at the entrance and around the venue. He regretted not bringing more of his men in, but it was already too late, so he could only go in. Cao Mo used his hand to
Press the sword and follow closely.
Duke Zhuang of Lu got on the platform, walked forward, and saluted Duke Huan of Qi. Duke Huan of Qi returned the courtesy and invited him to take a seat. As soon as Duke Zhuang of Lu took his seat, he saw a minister of Qi State coming up with a basin of cow's blood.
The man came to Duke Huan of Qi and Duke Zhuang of Lu and asked the two monarchs to pledge their blood to become an alliance. Duke Zhuang of Lu was surprised and thought, "We didn't talk about anything, so why did we commit blood?" Just when he wanted to ask what happened
At that moment, Cao Mo, the general of the Lu State, suddenly ran up to him. Cao Mo grabbed Duke Huan of Qi's sleeve, and with a cry, he pulled out his sword. Guan Zhong's sharp eyes took a step forward, blocking in front of Duke Huan of Qi. Then he asked sharply:
"What does the general want to do?"
Cao Mo had a fierce look in his eyes, but said calmly: "Don't worry, Prime Minister, I have something to say. The State of Lu has been bullied many times and its country is in decline. Didn't you say it when we were at the Beixing Alliance, you want to help the weak? Why not?"
How about helping the State of Lu?"
Guan Zhong waved his palms and said: "General, please be patient and speak slowly."
Cao Mo said, "You still occupy our Wenyang. If you really want to make an alliance, you should return this land first."
Guan Zhong said to Qi Huan Gong: "My lord, please agree."
Duke Huan of Qi's nose was soaked with sweat, and he said: "General Cao, don't worry, I will just agree."
Cao Mo let go of Duke Huan of Qi, turned around and took the basin of cow's blood from the hands of the minister of Qi. He raised his hands and said to Duke Huan of Qi, "I ask the two monarchs to pledge their blood to form an alliance."
Duke Huan of Qi and Duke Zhuang of Lu stood up without saying a word. Each of them stretched out a finger, dipped it in cow's blood, and smeared it on his lips. Then they both knelt down and swore an oath to the heavenly alliance.
As soon as the ceremony ended, Cao Mo said to Guan Zhong, "Guan Xiangguo, can we also make a blood oath?"
Guan Zhong said: "No need. I promise you that I will return it to Wenyang."
Cao Mo then took two steps back, put away his sword, and stood behind Duke Zhuang of Lu...
After the people of Lu left, Duke Huan of Qi was very angry, and the ministers also shouted, demanding that Duke Zhuang of Lu and Cao Mo be detained for questioning.
Guan Zhong said: "Wenyang is a small city. If you surrender to them, you can win the trust of the world. If you don't retreat, you will lose the trust of the world. Which one is more cost-effective?"
Duke Huan of Qi waved his hand and said, "Stop shouting, give it back to them, give it back to them."
On the second day, Duke Huan of Qi happily signed a document and returned Wenyang to the state of Lu. His expression showed no trace of the anger from yesterday. After the handover, Duke Huan of Qi ordered a banquet to be held in honor of Lu.
Zhuang Gong. Then he sent him away politely.
Someone was puzzled and asked Qi Huangong: "My lord was angry yesterday, why is he calm and happy today?"
Duke Huan of Qi said with a smile: "Since I promised to give him Wenyang, why not give it readily?"
This incident spread quickly. The princes of all countries said that Duke Huan of Qi was benevolent and righteous. When the monarchs of Wei and Cao heard the news, they were worried that they would become the next target of attack, but also admired Duke Huan of Qi's courage, so they
They sent envoys to Qi one after another to admit their mistake to Qi Huan and made an alliance with Qi.
So far, the Beixing Alliance was initiated by the State of Qi and invited the eight countries of Song, Lu, Wei, Zheng, Chen, Cai, Cao, and Zhu to participate. Except for the State of Zheng, everyone else has entered the "Beixing Alliance" camp.