Duke Mu of Qin felt that he should take care of things that Duke Huan of Qi didn't want to take care of. One was that Duke Mu of Qin was the son-in-law of Duke Xian of Jin, and the other was that his wife Mu Ji often mentioned Jin affairs in front of him.
As mentioned before, this Mu Ji was the daughter of Duke Xian of Jin and the sister of Prince Shensheng. Although she was in Qin, she still regarded the affairs of Jin as a family matter. So when she saw the troubles in Jin one after another, she became anxious and went to
He repeatedly asked Qin Mugong for help.
Mu Ji said: "The Kingdom of Jin cannot live without a king. There are still Chong'er and Yiwu outside now. You have to think of a way."
Duke Mu of Qin said: "Madam, don't be in a hurry. I will go and help Jin after I finish the important matter at hand."
The most important thing Duke Mu of Qin said was to recruit a talented person, his name was Baili Xi.
Baili Xi was a native of Yu State. He had been working and studying at home and lived a poor life. When he was thirty years old, he married Du. Du gave birth to a son named Shi and Meng Ming. This man later became very famous.
, so people call him Meng Mingshi, but no one calls him his real name Baili Shi.
Bailixi and his wife loved each other and lived in poverty for several years in the countryside.
One night, the couple came back from working in the fields. Mrs. Du rolled up her sleeves and was busy making dinner. Young Meng Mingshi was playing outside the door. Bailixi sat in front of the stove, rolling up the straw and handfuls of it.
was put into the furnace. The fire was burning brightly, and the firelight illuminated half of the room, reflecting the couple's figures, flickering in and out.
When Mrs. Du saw Bailixi in a daze, she said, "You always say you have great ambitions, but I have never seen you go out to do anything. When will you wait until you want to go out?"
Baili Xi sighed and said, "I have wanted to leave for a long time, but I just can't bear to leave you and my son."
Du Shi said: "As a man, you are ambitious in all directions and can't bear to love your children. You can only stay in this wilderness all the time, and your ambitions can only be empty. You don't need to worry too much. I am at home, and I am hardworking.
He is capable enough to support himself and his son."
Bailixi was silent for a moment, then exhaled and said, "I'll go out tomorrow. I will definitely make my way into the world."
The next morning, Baili Xi got up energetically and suddenly smelled the tempting aroma of meat in the air. He quickly jumped out of bed and walked to the kitchen. It turned out that Mrs. Du had killed the only old hen in the house.
, preparing to stew a pot of delicious food for Baili Xi so that he can go on the road after eating.
Bailixi could see clearly, but said nothing. He walked up to his wife, hugged her waist, put his face on Du's back, and said affectionately: "This is the only chicken in our family. Kill this chicken and treat it as a crime."
I don’t have any eggs to eat.”
Du Shi turned around and smiled and said, "Don't worry. It will happen in the future. Shi'er has been suffering from hardship since he was a child. Even without this chicken, he will still be a good man in the future. You hurry up and pack your bags. I'll stew the chicken and you can eat it."
It’s a good journey.”
Baili Xi said: "The family is surrounded by walls, how can there be anything to deal with?"
Du said: "You can't go out empty-handed. Go quickly."
Bailixi turned around and went to the back room. After a while, something went wrong on Du's side. It turned out that the straw was burned, but the meat was not cooked. Du picked up the ax and went to the front door, and without hesitation removed the door latch.
Come down and chop it up for firewood.
Bailixi saw all this in the house and did not step forward to stop him. He just shed tears silently. He secretly swore that he would never come back if he didn't make a difference when he went out this time.
This meal was very sad for both the couple. Baili Xi felt mixed emotions in his heart. Du Shi Ninja was so sad about parting that he forced a smile on his face. Only Xiao Meng Mingshi ate happily.
Before leaving, Mrs. Du held the child in one hand and held onto Baili Xi's sleeve with the other. She said with tears in her eyes: "In the future, if you become rich, don't forget us."
Baili Xi said with tears: "Once I become rich, I will come back to pick you up. Then the whole family will be together and enjoy the wealth together."
After saying that, the couple left with tears in their eyes.
Bailixi arrived in Qi first, and Qi Xianggong was in power at that time. He wanted to seek an audience, but could not find anyone to recommend him. He wandered in Linzi for a while, and all his money was spent, so he had to beg everywhere.
When he was forty years old, Baili Xi wandered to the Song Dynasty. Here, he met a hermit named Uncle Jian. As soon as the two chatted, they felt like they had met each other late, and they became close friends. Jian
His uncle was also very poor, so Baili Xi took a job as a herder in a nearby village.
Later, the two went out to look for work together, but neither met a suitable master. One day Uncle Jian complained: "A good bird chooses a tree to roost, and a wise man chooses a master to do his work. A real man would rather have nothing to do than do nothing."
If you lose your reputation and choose the wrong master, you will find yourself in a position of disloyalty and unwiseness. It would be unfaithful to abandon it, and it would be unwise not to abandon it. Since we can't find the wise master, let's go back."
Baili Xi was also disheartened. Thinking that he had been away from home for many years and had no news about his wife and children, he wanted to go back to Yu State to have a look. Uncle Jian also agreed. He said: "I have a friend who is a doctor in Yu State. His name is
Gong Zhiqi. I'll go with you and pay him a visit."
They left Luming Village and went to the State of Yu together. After arriving in the State of Yu, Uncle Jian went to visit Gong Zhiqi, and Baili Xi returned to the countryside to visit his wife and children.
Bailixi had been away from home for ten years and this was the first time he came back. He saw that the thatched cottage at home was already dilapidated, the door was locked, and the yard was overgrown with weeds. His wife and son were missing. He stood in front of the house blankly.
I was guessing for a while: dead? Married? Or running away?
He went to the village to ask around, but no one could explain clearly. In desperation, he went back to find Uncle Jian. Uncle Jian introduced him to Gong Zhiqi. Gong Zhiqi chatted with Baili Xi and felt that he was a rare person.
He was a talented person, so he strongly encouraged him to become an official in the imperial court. Baili Xi agreed wholeheartedly.
Uncle Jian said to Baili Xi in private: "According to my observation, Mr. Yu is short-sighted and greedy for small profits. He is not like a monarch at all. You can't achieve anything by following him. If you don't do it well, there will be danger."
Bailixi said: "I have been running around for many years without achieving anything. Now that I have such an opportunity, I think I should give it a try."
When Uncle Jian saw that Baili Xi had made up his mind, he stopped trying to persuade him and sighed, "I plan to go back to Luming Village. Just take care of yourself and be careful not to get yourself involved."
Uncle Jian returned to the Song Dynasty, and Baili Xi stayed and became the official of the Yu Kingdom. His destiny seemed to have really changed, and he was living more comfortably for a time.
But things are unpredictable. Two years later, Uncle Jian's words came true.
In 655 BC, which was the year when Duke Huan of Qi held his first meeting, Xun Xi, an official of the Jin State, came to the State of Yu with a thousand horses, gold, silver, white jade and other valuables. He said to Duke Yu: "
We are going to attack the Guo Kingdom, and we would like to borrow a road from your country to let us pass through your territory. These thousand horses, as well as these gold, silver and jade articles, are our thank you gifts. Please accept it with your smile."
Duke Yu accepted the gift and was so happy that he agreed without even thinking about it.
After Xun Xi left, Gong Zhiqi stopped him and said: "My lord, it is absolutely impossible to borrow the road. The Guo State is our neighbor. If the Guo State is destroyed, we will be in danger. It is said that the lips are dead and the teeth are cold. As long as the Guo State is here, we will
Two small countries can still take care of each other. If the Guo country is destroyed, how can the small Yu country be independent?"
Duke Yu said: "The Jin State has sent so many priceless treasures. This is obviously a good intention. How can we refuse? Isn't it just an excuse? Just let them pass. Besides, the Jin State is much more powerful than the Guo State. Even if
Wouldn't it be better to lose a small neighboring country and gain a big country? Don't say more, just do what I want."
Gong Zhiqi wanted to speak again, but Baili Xi quietly pulled him back and stopped.
After retreating from the court, Gong Zhiqi said to Baili Xi: "It's okay if you don't speak next to me, why don't you let me speak?"
Baili Xi said: "If you say nice things to a confused person, he won't understand it at all. It's like dropping pearls on the road."
Gong Zhiqi knew that the danger in the Yu Kingdom was approaching. He had no choice but to take his family and fled secretly.
A month later, the Jin general Rick led his army into the Yu State in a mighty manner. All the obstacles in the Yu State were cleared along the way. The Jin army passed through the Yu State without making any mistakes.
Duke Yu breathed a sigh of relief. He said to Baili Xi: "The wonder of Gong is that he has many intentions. You see, Jin people keep their word. If you say borrow the road, you will borrow the road. Wherever you go, Qiu will not do anything wrong."
Baili Xi said: "This time, that time. Aren't they going to come back?"
Mr. Yu snorted and said, "No wonder Gong Zhiqi recommends you. You are all the same."
Sure enough, after Rick destroyed the Guo State, he led his troops back to the Yu State. The Duke of Yu also opened the pass and let the Jin army in. Unexpectedly, Rick suddenly surrounded the capital of the Yu State and easily destroyed the Yu State.
.
At this time, the thousand horses and gold, silver and jewelry that Xun Xi had given to Duke Yu were all returned to the hands of Jin. Duke Yu and Baili Xi were captured. The Jin army put them into prison cars and took them to
On the way to the Kingdom of Jin, Duke Yu complained on the prison carriage: "Why didn't you remind me?"
Baili Xi said: "You couldn't even listen to what Gong Zhiqi said, how could you listen to me? I didn't say anything at the beginning so that I can still be with you now."
Mr. Yu was so angry that he couldn't say a word and just rolled his eyes.
Duke Xiang of Jin did not kill Duke Yu. Not only did he not kill him, he also gave him a house, a carriage, and a pair of white jade stones. He said to Duke Yu, "I borrowed your teachings, so I must give you some thanks."
.”
Duke Yu felt that this was the greatest ridicule in the world, but what could he say? With tears in his eyes, he held the pair of white jade and thanked him repeatedly, but he did not dare to say a single unnecessary word.
Duke Xian of Jin finally got to know Baili Xi. Duke Xian of Jin knew that he was quite capable and wanted to ask him to be the official of Jin State. At this time, Baili Xi remembered Uncle Jian's words about loyalty and wisdom, so he shook his head and said
: "I'd rather be a prisoner."
Baili Xi was a prisoner for two months. Prince Ju, an envoy of Duke Mu of Qin, arrived in Jin. He came to propose marriage to Duke Mu of Qin. Duke Xian of Jin agreed to marry the daughter of the deceased principal wife, the sister of Prince Shensheng.
To Duke Mu of Qin.
When preparing the dowry, someone suggested to Duke Xiang of Jin that if Baili Xi was unwilling to surrender, such people should be driven out of Jin to avoid being an eyesore. Duke Xiang of Jin also thought this was the case, so he decided to take Baili Xi as a dowry.
The servant was sent to Qin.
Bailixi complained repeatedly in his heart, thinking that he would never get ahead in this life. He began to think about ways to save himself.
When Gongzi Jie's motorcade left the Kingdom of Jin, Baili Xi looked for an opportunity to chat with the groom. It didn't take long before he became acquainted with a groom. The groom rubbed his red eyes and complained that he had to get up every night to feed the horses. Baili Xi
Li Xi said: "I'm old and can't sleep well every night. How about I help you feed the horse?" The groom was very grateful.
So Baili Xi got up at midnight every day to help the grooms feed the horses. The soldiers who were watching the night gradually became accustomed to him. One night, the night was dark and windy. Baili Xi got up to feed the horses again. While the soldiers watching the night were dozing off, Baili Xi quietly
He slipped out of the campsite and disappeared into the night, never to return.
After Bailixi escaped, he wandered around aimlessly and finally wandered to Chu State. The people of Chu State thought he was a spy and tied him up.
The soldiers asked: "Who are you and why did you come to Chu?"
Baili Xi said: "I am from the Yu State. Our country was destroyed by the Jin State. I fled here. I am either a spy or a common person."
When the soldiers saw that he was dressed in rags, had white hair, and was honest, they asked him, "What is your profession?"
Bailixi said: "I help others herd cattle."
The people of Chu State saw that although he was old, he was still energetic, so they asked him to herd cattle. Bailixi was indeed different, and his level of herding cattle was higher than others. The cattle he raised always looked better than others. Many people
Everyone praised him. Gradually, his reputation for herding cattle became more and more popular, and finally even King Chu Cheng heard about it. King Chu Cheng felt strange and ordered him to go to the South China Sea to herd horses. Baili Xi came from
The cattle herdsman became the horse herdsman.
Let’s talk about Young Master Jie. When he found out that a slave had escaped, he didn’t take it seriously at all. He scolded the soldiers who were watching the night and the remaining slaves, and then continued on the road with the convoy. Along the way, he enjoyed the scenery along the way.
A few days later, Gongzi Jie and his entourage arrived in Qin. He finished the handover and was about to leave. Qin Mugong, who was reading the dowry list, stopped him: "Gongzi Jie, why is there one person missing from your list?"
Prince Jie said: "On the way back to my lord, a slave ran away, named Baili Xi."
Duke Mu of Qin asked, "Who is this?"
Gongzijie said: "I heard that he was from the Yu State. He was originally a senior official of the Yu State. When the Yu State was destroyed, he was captured together with the Duke of Yu. The Marquis of Jin wanted to ask him to be an official, but he refused to do so. So he was regarded as an official.
The dowry slave was given to us. Unexpectedly, he escaped while feeding the horses at night."
Duke Mu of Qin said, "I seem to have heard of this man, and he is quite capable. In this case, you can send someone to check and see where he has gone."
Prince Jue accepted the promise and withdrew. He immediately sent people to inquire around. More than a month later, the news came back that Baili Xi was riding horses in Chu State. Prince Jue hurriedly reported the news to Duke Mu of Qin.
Duke Mu of Qin said, "Prepare a generous gift and ask the King of Chu to release him and invite Baili Xi to come to Qin."
Gongzi Jie thought about it and said, "My lord, this won't work. The people of Chu asked Baili Xi to let go of his horse, which shows that the people of Chu don't know his ability. If my lord sends generous gifts to Chu to ask for people, they will definitely not let Baili Xi go."
Let’s go. I have a suggestion.”
Duke Mu of Qin nodded and said, "Say."
Gongzi Jie said: "According to the current market price, a slave is worth five sheepskins. Let's send someone to redeem him with five sheepskins. The people of Chu will definitely agree readily." Duke Mu of Qin laughed and said, "What a good idea.
Just do it.”
So the Qin envoy went to Chu with five sheepskins. The envoy said to King Cheng of Chu: "We ran away a slave, and I came to take him back. I brought five sheepskins as a gift for us to Chu."
The king’s ransom.”
As expected, King Chu Cheng let Baili Xi go happily.