King Zhou Xiang's throne was due to the great help of Duke Huan of Qi. In order to express his respect and gratitude to Duke Huan of Qi, after holding a sacrificial ceremony, he specially sent Duke Kong of Zhou as a special envoy to deliver sacrificial meat to Duke Huan of Qi.
Duke Huan of Qi sensitively discovered that the emperor's gift of sacrificial meat was an opportunity to expand his influence. At the same time, he believed that the emperor's special envoy personally delivered the sacrificial meat. This was an honor. Since it was an honor, it had to be known. So he
An invitation was sent out to the princes of the allied countries to gather in Kuiqiu of the Song Dynasty to prepare for a grand reception of the emperor's meat sacrifice.
Note: Both Song and Qi had Kuiqiu. Kuiqiu of Song was in Dongren County, Henan today, and Kuiqiu of Qi was in the west of Linzi County, Shandong. At that time, Kuiqiu, guarded by Qi generals Lian Cheng and Guan Zhifu, was in the west of Linzi County.
On the way to Kuiqiu, Duke Huan of Qi and Guan Zhong talked about the most helpless problem faced by all the princes in the world.
Guan Zhong said: "I have seen that the most troublesome thing for both the emperor and the princes is to establish an heir. If it is done well, of course it is good. If it is not done well, the family will be ruined. Zheng Guo is an example."
Duke Huan of Qi sighed: "Yes, half of the chaos among the princes is the struggle for the throne."
Guan Zhong said: "My lord is getting older, so it's time to think about this issue."
Duke Huan of Qi said: "I have more than ten sons, six of whom are the most powerful. They are Gongzi Wukui, Gongzi Yuan, Gongzi Pan, Gongzi Zhao, Gongzi Shang and others. Although Gongzi Wukui is the eldest, he has several
There are brothers, such as Young Master Pan, Young Master Zhao, and Young Master Merchant, but none of them obey him. Alas, there will definitely be trouble in the future."
Guan Zhong asked: "My Lord, who do you like best among these people?"
Duke Huan of Qi said: "In terms of talents, it is natural that Gongzizhao has the highest talent. In terms of preference, I prefer the eldest son, Gongzi Wuqi."
Guan Zhong said: "Then, what are your thoughts on the matter of succession?"
Duke Huan of Qi said: "I have never established a royal wife, and naturally I have not established a prince. All my sons are considered direct descendants. I have never been able to make up my mind on who to establish. What do you think of the prime minister?"
Guan Zhong said: "Since they are not direct descendants, they are all the same. There is no need to have the eldest son. I think that if Qi wants to continue its hegemony, it must have a capable person."
Duke Huan of Qi said: "Then let's make him Zhao. But I'm worried that Wu Kui will compete with him as the eldest son in the future."
Guan Zhong said: "This meeting in Kuiqiu will be attended by all powerful princes from the Central Plains. Let's choose someone with more reliable virtues and entrust Gong Zizhao to him, so that Gong Zizhao can take care of him in the future. What do you think, my lord?"
Qi Huangong smiled and said: "This is a good idea. When the time comes, help me pay attention and choose one carefully."
The third day after Qi Huangong and Guan Zhong arrived in Kuiqiu, it was the date agreed by the princes to meet. On that day, princes from all walks of life arrived one after another. The emperor's special envoy Zhou Gong Kong also arrived. However, the new king of Song Dynasty did not arrive.
On the second day, Duke Huan of Qi convened a preparatory meeting with the princes present. As soon as the meeting started, the sound of carriages and horses could be heard outside the venue. Some soldiers came to report first, saying that the new king of the Song Dynasty had arrived. Duke Huan of Qi was calm.
He said: "Please" and then continued to host the meeting.
Not long after, a man wearing sackcloth and mourning entered the venue. Everyone was surprised when they saw the man of medium build, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, a white face and heavy beard, walking in with a humble expression. This man was none other than Song Xianggong, the new king of the Song Dynasty.
This Song Xianggong shocked the whole audience as soon as he appeared on the stage. Some of the princes whispered to each other and discussed in low voices. Of course, it was not criticism, but praise.
Ladies and gentlemen, why does Song Xianggong have such influence? Two reasons: First, Song Xianggong is a man with a good reputation. Second, of course Song Xianggong came wearing a mourning robe.
Let’s talk about the reputation of Song Xianggong first. Song Xianggong is Zifu, the son of Song Huangong. He has a brother named Gongzi Muyi. After Song Huangong Yushuo died, Zifu, who was originally the prince, could take the throne without hesitation.
But this Zifu did not. He proposed to give up the throne to his brother, Prince Muyi. Of course, Prince Muyi did not dare to accept it, so he gave it back to him. The two brothers humbly gave way back and forth. In the end, Prince Muyi did not dare to accept it.
It was only then that he came to the throne and became Duke Xiang of the Song Dynasty.
This incident became a legend all over the world for a while. Because at that time, when a monarch died, it was not uncommon for princes, young masters, and even uncles and nephews to fight and even kill each other to compete for the throne. And Duke Xianggang of Song Dynasty was not uncommon.
Instead of fighting, the brothers were humble to each other. They were quite sage-like. This made them stand out from the crowd. Praise spread all over the world. Everyone admired the brothers, especially the benevolence and righteousness of Song Xianggong. Song Xianggong also became famous in one fell swoop.
Besides, Song Xianggong appeared in mourning clothes. As soon as he came in, Guan Zhong paid attention to him. Guan Zhong observed him for a while and said to Qi Huan Gong: "Song Gong is a benevolent and righteous king. He wore mourning clothes to attend the meeting, which shows that he respects the state of Qi, even if there is filial piety.
I don't want to delay the church in Qi. I think we can entrust Gong Zizhao to him. What do you think, lord?"
In fact, Guan Zhong's thoughts were the consensus of the princes present. Everyone including Duke Huan of Qi felt this way.
Therefore, after the preparatory meeting, Duke Huan of Qi asked Guan Zhong to invite Duke Xiang of Song.
When Duke Xianggong of Song Dynasty saw Duke Huan of Qi, he behaved respectfully and spoke in a clear-cut manner. Duke Huan of Qi talked with him for a while and felt that it was really good. So he sincerely entrusted Gongzi Zhao to him and told him: "
If necessary in the future, I ask Song Gong to spare no effort to help a group of young masters. Xiaobai would like to express my thanks in advance!" He said and cupped his hands.
Song Xianggong was simply flattered, so he was naturally humble. Of course, he readily agreed.
Two days later, the Kuiqiu Conference officially opened. The emperor's seat was placed in the middle of the venue. Zhou Gongkong led the princes to salute respectfully to the emperor's seat. After the ceremony, the princes humbly bowed to each other and sat down separately.
Duke Huan of Qi held a roll of bamboo slips in his hands and rushed up to the stage excitedly. As soon as the princes saw him on stage, they all immediately became quiet and respectfully waited for him to speak. Duke Huan of Qi looked around the stage and smiled in greeting. Then he slowly unfolded the bamboo slips and spoke with sonorous force.
The alliance covenant was read out. Its content was nothing more than mutual respect for the royal family, helping the weak, and jointly defending against foreign enemies, etc. It was the same old tune. However, this high-profile tone was quite inspiring in an era when the world was in chaos and everyone was in danger. The princes heard about it.
, especially the princes of small countries, were all excited about it. Even the royal representative Zhou Gong Kong nodded frequently.
After Duke Huan of Qi finished reading, the princes applauded thunderously. Guan Zhong hurriedly came to the stage and helped Duke Huan of Qi to step down slowly. This was an icing on the cake design. If Guan Zhong didn't go, Duke Huan of Qi could still come down, but as soon as he went up, he had the effect of building momentum.
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Next, Zhou Gongkong held the sacrificial meat in his hand and slowly stepped on the platform. When he got to the platform, he first said some foreshadowing words, which was nothing more than praising Duke Huan of Qi again. Then, with a solemn face, he loudly and respectfully announced the death of King Zhou Xiang.
The edict: "Since the beginning of King Wen and King Wu of our dynasty, wars and sacrifices have been national events. Now that the king has ascended the throne, he has held a grand sacrificial ceremony. According to the orders of the king of heaven, the princes of Qi will respect the king and fight against the barbarians, help the princes, have high virtue and prestige, and have outstanding merits.
For everyone to see, he was promoted to the first rank of Duke. Considering his advanced age, he is exempt from kneeling down."
When Qi Huanzheng was about to step forward, Guan Zhong reminded him quietly: "My lord, this is a special gift from the emperor. My lord, you must be respectful."
Duke Huan of Qi smiled and said: "Xiao Bai, how dare you be disrespectful." After saying that, he walked up to the stage, spread his wide sleeves, knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times, and shouted loudly: "Thank you, Emperor, for your kindness." After the ceremony, he raised his hands
In one fell swoop, he waited for Zhou Gong Kong to put the sacrificial meat in his hand.
The princes applauded thunderously and warmly congratulated Duke Huan of Qi on his promotion to the rank of noble.
The conference ended successfully. By this time, Qi Huangong, as the first overlord in the Spring and Autumn Period, had reached its peak in achievements and reputation.
That night, Duke Huan of Qi held a banquet to entertain the attendees. Two days later, the princes returned home one after another.
Zhou Gong Kong also set out to return to Luoyi for a mission. On the way, he met a group of soldiers and horses under the banner of the Jin flag. In one of the cars, an old prince with a gray beard sat. When Zhou Gong Kong inquired, it turned out that they wanted to
Rushing to attend the Aoi Qiu Conference.
Zhou Gong Kong told them: "The Kuiqiu Conference is over and the princes have gone home. You don't need to go. Go back to Jin."
The old prince sighed and said: "I originally wanted to come out to relax, but I was disappointed again." Then he raised his voice and shouted: "The soldiers and horses obey the order and turn around and return to the Kingdom of Jin."