Duke Zhuang of Zheng prepared gifts and planned to choose a good day to meet the Emperor of Zhou. At this time, the envoy of Wei State arrived. The envoy reported two things: first, to report the national mourning of Wei State. It turned out that Duke Huan of Wei was dead.
, Prince Zhouxu, brother of Duke Huan of Wei, succeeded to the throne. Secondly, he wrote a letter of war to Zheng Guo, which said to the effect:
"When Zheng Bohuan was born, it was unjust to kill his brothers; to drive his mother away was unfilial; to send soldiers to steal the emperor's wheat and millet was unfaithful. For such unfaithful, unfilial and unjust people, heaven and earth will be indignant. Duke Wei
There is justice in the world, unite the armies of the five countries and fight against the rebellion together. The army is about to move, and it will arrive in great force. I send envoys to inform your country, and they will pay homage first and then attack. Hereby."
Zheng Zhuanggong summoned the court ceremony, and most of the ministers advocated fighting, but Jizu remained silent. Zhengzhuanggong asked: "Why doesn't Jizu speak?"
He pointed his finger at the war letter on Zheng Zhuanggong's table and said: "Judging from the war letter, Wei Guo's reason for starting the war is very far-fetched. I am wondering what Wei Guo's intention is."
Duke Zhuang of Zheng said: "I also feel something is strange. In this case, Master Lu, you go and mobilize the troops and horses to prepare for the battle. Doctor Ji, please quickly send someone to inquire and see what Weiguo wants to do."
Jizu sent out several spies to sneak into Weiguo on a starry night. A few days later, several spies reported back one after another, and the truth was finally clear. It turned out that there was a coup in Weiguo.
Let’s start from the beginning.
The Kingdom of Wei was located in today's Qi County, Henan Province. The first monarch was called Uncle Kang, the brother of Duke Zhou. He was originally an earl and was later promoted to a marquis. By the time of Duke Huan of Wei, there had been thirteen generations of monarchs.
Duke Huan of Wei was a kind and honest man. He had two brothers, one named Gongzi Jin and the other named Zhou Xu. Gongzi Jin, like his brother, was also honest and honest. But Zhou Xu was different. Zhou Xu was tall and strong.
, a talented man with some martial arts skills, but because of these, he is very arrogant. Zhou Xu is not only competitive, but also likes to fight. He looks down on Duke Huan of Wei. In his opinion, his eldest brother is weak and incompetent and cannot achieve great things at all. He privately
Li often said that if he were in power, he would definitely do a better job than his brother.
Zhou Xu had a confidant named Shi Hou, who was also an ambitious man. The two of them often discussed government affairs, and when they talked too much, they began to have ulterior motives. They agreed that it was not difficult to seize the throne of Duke Huan of Wei, as long as
The opportunity is right.
With this evil heart, there will always be opportunities.
In 719 BC, King Ping of Zhou died and King Huan of Zhou ascended the throne. All the princes in the world went to Luoyi to attend the coronation ceremony of the new emperor. Duke Huan of Wei was also preparing to go to Luoyi. Zhou Xu and Shi Hou felt that the opportunity had come, and prepared to go to Luoyi.
Take action halfway.
That day, not long after Duke Huan of Wei's convoy left the city, after only ten miles, they had already reached the ancient road. They saw that the road was rugged, with towering ancient trees beside the road, and a scene of beautiful mountains and clear waters all around. After walking a hundred meters, there was a pavilion with a pavilion under it.
There was a banquet on the table. Young Master Zhouxu led two or three of his entourages to wait outside the pavilion.
When Duke Huan of Wei saw that it was Zhou Xu here, he got out of the car without warning. The two brothers walked into the pavilion chatting and laughing. Zhou Xu picked up the wine glass and said respectfully: "Brother is traveling far today, and I am here to give you a farewell."
Okay. Brother, please drink this cup to the full."
Duke Huan of Wei picked up the wine and said, "I'm going to Luoyi and I won't be delayed for a few days. Why bother, brother?" After saying that, he drank it all in one gulp. Then he poured a glass himself and handed it to Zhou Xu. Zhou Xu made a gesture.
He went to pick it up, but deliberately missed it. The wine bottle clinked on the ground. Duke Huan of Wei was startled. Zhou Xu took advantage of the situation and bent down, pretending to pick it up. However, he turned around and ducked behind Duke Huan of Wei. He took out a dagger and stabbed it into Duke Huan of Wei's hand.
Back. Before Wei Huangong had time to shout, Zhou Xu had already covered his mouth and nose and pushed him to the ground...
Shi Hou led his ambush troops out of the woods, and in a blink of an eye he surrounded Duke Huan Wei's guards. Without any explanation, he surrendered their weapons. Zhou Xu came out with his sword in hand and announced to the crowd: "My lord drank too much and suddenly fainted.
He is unconscious. All sergeants, be patient and follow me back to the palace."
All the sergeants knew that Zhou Xu was brave and brave, and that Shi Hou had disarmed him, so they all obeyed him.
Zhouxu killed Duke Huan of Wei, worshiped Shi Hou as his official, and then announced his funeral to other countries. He only said to the outside world that Duke Huan of Wei had died of a sudden illness.
The usurpation of the throne was successful, but Zhou Xu's heart was uneasy from then on. There were rumors in Wei State that Duke Huan of Wei was murdered by Zhou Xu. For a time, the people's sentiments fluctuated and undercurrents surged. Zhou Xu felt that the throne was unstable.
Shi Hou came up with an idea: "It is best to fight a war. Once the war starts, the people's attention will be diverted. As long as we win, the people's hearts will naturally surrender."
Zhou Xu said: "Yes, a battle is indeed needed at this time."
So, who should they beat? They picked out the faults of all the princes in the world, and finally picked out Duke Zhuang of Zheng.
Shi Hou said: "I have heard that Uncle Zheng was unjust and killed his younger brother and drove his mother away. This kind of person should be taught a lesson. I also heard that he secretly cut the wheat of the King of Heaven. This is the crime of disloyalty."
Zhou Xu said: "Yes! Just beat him."
One Wei State alone could not defeat Zheng State. So they thought of uniting the princes. They pushed and pulled, and finally selected four princes.
The first one is Chen State. This was a small vassal state located east of Kaifeng, Henan Province. It was granted by King Wu of Zhou to Hu Gong, a descendant of Yu Shun.
The second one is Cai State, which is also a small vassal state in the Shangcai area of Henan Province. It was granted by King Wu of Zhou Dynasty to his brother's uncle.
The third country is the Song Kingdom, which is a medium-sized vassal state. It is located in the Shangqiu area of Henan. It was granted by King Wu of Zhou to the descendants of Wei Zi, the brother of King Zhou of Shang. During King Wu's conquest of Zhou, Wei Zi, the brother of King Zhou of Shang, led his clan members
He fled to Datong, Shanxi Province. After King Wu of Zhou destroyed the Shang Dynasty, he moved Weizi's descendants south to Shangqiu and granted them the title of Duke. This is the origin of the Song Dynasty.
The fourth one is the State of Lu, a medium-sized vassal state located in the Qufu area of Shandong Province. This was granted by King Wu of Zhou to his famous brother Zhou Gongdan.
Zhou Xu said: "Both Chen Hou and Cai Bo are flatterers. They have always been very good at pleasing the emperor. Now that Zheng Bo has offended the emperor, as long as I promise these two people some benefits, they will definitely send troops. That is the Song Dynasty.
It’s hard to say with Lu.”
Shi Hou said: "My lord, there is no need to worry, these two countries will also send troops."
Zhouxu asked: "How can we see it?"
Shi Hou said: "After the death of Song Mugong, the throne was passed to his nephew. However, Song Mugong's own son, Gongzi Feng, was sent to Zheng State by Song Mugong early. Song Gong was always worried that Uncle Zheng would one day help him.
Feng fought back to seize power. We only need to promise Song Gong to help him kill Young Master Feng, and Song Gong will definitely come. As for the State of Lu, there is no need to worry. The power of the State of Lu is in the hands of Prince Hui. This man is greedy for money, so just give him more.
If there are benefits, he will send troops."
After making the decision, Shi Hou sent envoys to various countries to lobby. Things went smoothly. On the agreed date, the troops of Song, Lu, Chen, and Cai arrived as scheduled. Zhou Xu gathered the troops of the five countries and attacked Zheng Guo with great force.
Come.
Zhouxu was skilled in martial arts and liked to fight. The soldiers and horses of the Wei Kingdom followed him and bravely took the lead. Seeing how brave the Wei Kingdom was, the other four kingdoms also followed suit. In this way, in less than half a month, they defeated the capital of Zheng Kingdom.
Under Xingyang City, the east gate of Xingyang City was blocked.
The government and the public of Zheng were shocked. The ministers were divided into two groups, and they were noisily discussing the issue of war and peace.
Duke Zhuang of Zheng thought for a while and said with a smile: "Among the five kingdoms, the Song Kingdom came here for Young Master Feng, which has some reasons. Chen, Cai, and Lu have no enmity with us, but they are just following us for a small profit. Wei Guo is the one who took the lead.
, I already know why he came."
Jizu asked: "My lord, it seems that you have a strategy to retreat from the enemy?"
Duke Zhuang of Zheng said: "As long as the alliance of the five countries is disintegrated, they will collapse without a fight." Then, he assigned the task: first, let the young master Feng leave Xingyang and go to Changge in Zheng State to take shelter. The second was to compile a letter and pass it on.
Yu Song Gong wrote:
"Young Master Feng fled to Zheng, claiming to be avoiding trouble. He was pitiful for him, so he stayed with him. Now that he heard that Song Gong's soldiers were coming, Young Master Feng fled to Changge. Whether he should be killed or not has nothing to do with anyone. Let Song Gong make his own decision."
After Song Gong read the letter, he immediately led his troops to leave the ranks of the princes and ran to Changge to find Prince Feng.
The five princes just walked all the way. When the princes of Chen, Cai, and Lu saw the soldiers and horses of Song leaving, they began to waver. Zhou Xu had to bow to them one by one and beg them to stay.
When Duke Zhuang of Zheng saw that Duke Song had left, he ordered his general, Prince Lu, to go out to fight. He warned: "We should only fight to defend the country, but only in moderation. I saw that Zhou Xu came here just to win the battle, so that he can go back and appease the people. Let's just do it."
Give him this face."
After Gongzi Lu left the city, he sent his troops forward and went straight to the Weiguo camp. Shi Hou led his men to fight. The two armies fought together in front of the stronghold. The princes of Chen, Cai, and Lu watched from a distance, but they did not move. Gongzi Lu and Shi Hou
After fighting for a while, they pretended to be defeated and retreated towards the west gate of Xingyang. Shi Hou pursued the west gate. Young Master Lu retreated into the city and never came out again.
When Shi Hou saw that the young master Lu was retreating without defeat and could not hold on, he understood that this was clearly done by Duke Zhuang of Zheng in order to make the Weiguo retreat. He stopped his troops outside the city, raised his eyes and looked around, and saw that the wheat was ripening outside Xingyang City.
, the fields were golden. He thought in his mind: "After winning the battle, you can't go back empty-handed. If you, Uncle Zheng, cut the wheat of Emperor Zhou, then I will cut yours too." So he ordered the soldiers to go.
Harvesting the wheat of Zheng.
The Zheng soldiers neither fired arrows nor shouted curses, but just watched the excitement on the city wall. Shi Hou harvested several carts of wheat and felt that he had gained face, so he took the wheat and returned home in triumph.
At this point, Zhouxu's purpose of sending troops has been achieved. He is a smart man, and he will stop when he sees good. The next day, the soldiers and horses of the four countries withdrew noisily like the ebbing tide.
I just don't see Duke Shang of Song, so I don't know if he captured Prince Feng.