After Wu Zixu escaped from the Chu State, he originally planned to go to the Wu State. On the way, he heard that the prince was established in the Song State, so he diverted to the Song State.
On this day, he met Shen Baoxu, the Minister of Chu State who was on an envoy on the road. This Shen Baoxu was his good friend. As soon as the two met, Shen Baoxu saw Wu Zixu looking lost and embarrassed, so he asked him
Why did it get to this point? Wu Zixu told him about the murder of his father and brother, and his plan to find Prince Jian. When he talked about the sadness, he couldn't help but shed tears. Finally, he said: "It is difficult for me to return to my home now.
Throw in the national crisis."
Shen Baoxu asked: "Brother Wu, what are your plans for the future?"
Wu Zixu said: "Let's go to Prince Jian first, then go to Wu to borrow troops, and come back to avenge me for killing my father. I swear to destroy Chu."
Shen Baoxu said: "If you want to take revenge, I won't stop you. But your enemies are the King of Chu and Fei Wuji. You can't anger the entire Chu State. In any case, Chu State is the country of your parents. You really want to take revenge."
If the Chu State is destroyed, I will definitely restore the Chu State."
Wu Zixu said: "Everyone has his own ambitions. I will destroy mine, and you will restore yours. Let's not force it. Brother Shen, let's say goodbye." With that, Wu Zixu cupped his hands, raised his legs and left.
Shen Baoxu bowed deeply to Wu Zixu's back as a farewell to his friend. Then he got in the car and continued on his way.
When Wu Zixu arrived in the Song Dynasty, he met Prince Jian. The two hugged each other and cried, telling each other their sorrows. Prince Jian told Wu Zixu that he was temporarily staying in the Song Dynasty, and once he had the opportunity, he would return to the Chu Kingdom to fight for the throne. This was just right.
In accordance with Wu Zixu's wish, he stayed with Prince Jian to assist him.
They didn't live in the Song State for long, but civil strife broke out in the Song State. The rebels borrowed troops from the Chu State. Wu Zixu said to Prince Jian, "We can't stay in the Song State any longer. Let's go." So Wu Zixu, Prince Jian, and Prince Jian
His son Gongzi Sheng fled to the state of Zheng overnight.
The people of Zheng warmly received Prince Jian and Wu Zixu. They settled in with peace of mind. Zheng Dinggong treated them as guests and entertained them with good wine and meat every day. After a while, Zheng Dinggong said to Prince Jian: "Zheng is a small country.
, I can’t fight against the Chu State, and I can’t help you. Now, the only one in the world who can help you is the Jin State. If you want to return to the Chu State, you can only go to the Jin State for help.”
Prince Jian knew that Zheng Dinggong was telling the truth. Considering that Gongzi Sheng was still young, he asked Wu Zixu to stay and take care of Gongzi Sheng, and he took two followers to the Kingdom of Jin.
The Jin State was ruled by Duke Qing of Jin, who was the son of Duke Zhao of Jin and the grandson of Duke Ping of Jin. By his generation, the power of the Jin State had completely fallen into the hands of the six major families, and he had become a nominal king.
Jin Qinggong first arranged for Prince Jian to stay in the state guesthouse, and then summoned the heads of the six major families for a meeting. These six people were Wei Shu (son of Wei Jiang), Zhao Yang (grandson of Zhao Wu), and Fan Yang (Fan Gai).
(son of Xun Ying), Han Buxin (grandson of Han Qi), Xun Yin (son of Xun Wu), and Xun Shu (son of Xun Ying). The six of them were together, and the other courtiers were all in the background.
Xun Yin said: "Our goal is to compete with the Chu State for hegemony. To deal with the Chu State, we must first capture the Zheng State. I have a strategy that can easily capture the Zheng State."
Wei Shu said: "Zheng Guo is sandwiched between Jin and Chu. It has always been capricious. If it can be won in one fell swoop, it will certainly be the top priority."
Xun Yin said: "Since Uncle Zheng has taken in the prince of Chu, he must trust him. Now that the prince of Chu has come to ask us for help, this is an opportunity."
Han Buxin urged impatiently: "Just tell me what to do. Why bother?"
Xun Yin smiled and said: "Don't worry, listen to me. Let's ask the Prince of Chu to return to Zheng to be our internal correspondent, and then we will attack Zheng under the banner of crusade against Chu. We will definitely succeed in one fell swoop. You think this is
Not an opportunity?"
Everyone thought this was a good idea. So they called Prince Jian and said to him: "The State of Zheng is a forward position. To deal with the State of Chu, we must first capture the State of Zheng. We will provide you with some money first. You go back to the State of Zheng."
Go and recruit warriors to serve as internal agents of the Jin State. Once we capture the State of Zheng, we will help you regain the crown prince." Prince Jian only wanted to regain the crown prince, so he agreed.
Prince Jian returned to Zheng and told Wu Zixu about the Jin people's ideas. Wu Zixu immediately objected, saying: "The people of Zheng are good to us, but you have to betray them. Even if you accomplish this, it will not be morally right."
Yes, this is also a big stain. If you still want to be king in the future, how will you face the people of the world? Besides, you secretly recruited warriors under the eyes of the people of Zheng. How can you hide it from them? Once the news is leaked, the consequences will be disastrous.
.”
Prince Jian said: "I have already promised the people of Jin. Besides, who else can I rely on besides the people of Jin? As for the danger, I am not unaware of it. But what can I do? If I don't give it a try, I may only be able to do this in my life.
I'm a wandering young man. Stop trying to persuade me."
Prince Jian set out to do whatever he wanted. With the money funded by the Jin people, he soon recruited more than 20 warriors. Wu Zixu was very worried when he saw Prince Jian busy all day long.
Naturally, Prince Jian's actions could not escape the eyes of Zheng Dinggong. He was originally afraid of offending both the Chu State and Prince Jian, but at this time, he could not care so much. Zheng Dinggong arranged a banquet and asked people to bring the Prince to the throne.
Jian was invited to come. During the dinner, he said to Prince Jian: "I took you in with good intentions. Unexpectedly, you are a white-eyed wolf and want to help the people of Jin to take over Zheng. Fortunately, someone came to me to claim credit, otherwise I would have been harmed by you.
Already."
When Prince Jian saw what had happened, he lowered his head and was speechless. Zheng Dinggong ordered people to push him out and kill him. Then he sent people to capture the twenty warriors Prince Jian had recruited.
Wu Zixu knew something was wrong when Prince Jian was invited to the banquet. He packed his luggage early. As soon as he realized something was wrong, he immediately fled the state of Zheng with Prince Sheng.
Wu Zixu and Gongzi Sheng fled to the southeast, hiding in Tibet along the way. After walking for more than ten days, they arrived at the State of Chen. This was the territory of the State of Chu. Wu Zixu did not dare to show up, so he and Gongzi Sheng hid in the wild. They came out to look for them at night.
They ordered something to eat. After staying for a few days, they continued to walk eastward, reaching the vicinity of Liyang Mountain. Going further forward was Zhaoguan (northwest of Hanshan County, Anhui). If they successfully passed Zhaoguan, they would reach the Kingdom of Wu. In this way, they
Once you escape the Chu State's sphere of influence, you will be safe.
When Wu Zixu and Gong Zisheng came to Zhaoguan, they saw a notice posted at the pass with Wu Zixu's portrait painted on it. The soldiers guarding the pass compared everyone who passed the pass to the portrait. Wu Zixu did not dare
Passed.
The two hid in a mountain forest not far from Zhaoguan.
One day, Wu Zixu went out to find food. He met an old man on the way. The old man was carrying a bamboo hat, a bamboo basket slung over his shoulder, and a cane with a dragon head in his hand. It seemed that he had gone up the mountain to collect herbs.
Wu Zixu met the old man face to face. He lowered his head, stepped aside to let the old man pass, and was about to leave quickly. Unexpectedly, the old man stopped and saluted him: "Where are you going, General Wu?"
Wu Zixu was shocked and asked: "The old gentleman has recognized the wrong person. My surname is not Wu."
The old man laughed loudly and said: "General Wu, don't worry. My name is Dong Gao Gong. In this life, I only do the work of treating diseases and saving people. I am somewhat famous within a radius of dozens of miles. When people get sick and their lives are in danger, I save them."
If you are such a good person like General Wu, I will not harm you."
Wu Zixu said: "Sir, why do you think of me as General Wu?"
Duke Dong Gao said: "The day before yesterday, I went to Zhaoguan to treat General Xie. I saw a notice at the gate of Zhaoguan. There was a portrait of the general on it, so I recognized you as soon as I saw you."
Wu Zixu immediately bowed down and said, "Since you have seen through it, sir, I will not hide it. I am Wu Zixu. My father and brother were killed, and now I am running for my life with Prince Jian's son. Please, sir, for the sake of my family's loyalty for generations, please protect us."
No information should be leaked."
Duke Donggao said: "General Wu is really worried. If I were greedy for the reward, I would never reveal your identity to your face. I would have reported it in private."
Wu Zixu pays his respects again.
Duke Dong Gao said: "Now there are portraits of you at every checkpoint. As soon as you show up, you will be seen through. How dare you run out?"
Wu Zixu said: "To be honest, Gongzi Sheng and I have been in the mountains for two days. We only rely on wild fruits to satisfy our hunger. Today I want to go to a nearby farmhouse to find some food."
Duke Donggao took out some dry food from the bamboo basket, handed it to Wu Zixu, and said: "Take it, let's deal with it first. Don't go down the mountain for the next few days. Just stay on the mountain. I'll help you think of a way to get through.
.As long as you leave Zhaoguan, there will be no danger."
Wu Zixu took the rations with tears in his eyes and bowed to Duke Donggao again and again. The two said goodbye.
Wu Zixu returned to the depths of the forest and walked to the cliff where Gongzi Sheng was hiding. He saw Gongzi Sheng lying in the grass, half asleep and half awake, very weak. Wu Zixu took out the dry food, and the two of them ate it hungrily. After eating, there was something
After losing their strength, the two of them ran to the stream to drink water like wild animals.
Young Master Sheng smiled and said, "I never expected that the dry food provided by Duke Dong Gao is actually better than meat. It is so delicious."
Wu Zixu said: "The best food is what you eat when you are hungry."
Young Master Sheng said: "It's a pity that I'm half full."
Wu Zixu said: "While we have the strength, let's go find some wild fruits and vegetables. We will stay in the mountains for the next few days."
After saying that, he stood up and left. Young Master Sheng did not dare to ask any more questions and followed closely behind. The two of them walked along the stream towards the mountains, looking for something to eat along the way.
They were hiding in the dense forest. During these few days, Wu Zixu could not sleep every night. He was thinking about his revenge, his own life and death, and all the unknowns in the future. He was also always worried about whether Duke Donggao could be relied on.
.More importantly, he racked his brains over and over again, thinking about how to get through Zhaoguan. He was filled with melancholy, tortured, and completely unable to extricate himself.
A few days later, Duke Dong Gao brought a big man. Wu Zixu was shocked when he saw the man. It turned out that the man's height, body shape, and appearance were somewhat similar to Wu Zixu. When Duke Dong Gao saw Wu Zixu, he was also surprised.
Surprised, he cried out: "Oh, it's only been a few days, and General Wu has turned gray with worry."
Wu Zixu smiled miserably, and Gongzi Sheng said: "The general has been worried day and night. He has become very thin in the past few days. If he can't think of a way anymore, he may die of worry in the mountains."
Duke Dong Gao introduced the visitor and said: "This is my friend, his name is Huang Funa. Look at his appearance, does he look similar to General Wu?"
Mr. Gongzi Sheng said: "There is indeed a resemblance. The old gentleman wants to use Mr. Huang Fune to pretend to be a general, attract the attention of the soldiers guarding the border, and make us pass through the border in confusion?"
Huang Fune said: "Young Master is right. Duke Dong Gao came to me to do exactly this."
Duke Dong Gao invited everyone to sit down. Huang Fune took out the food, and the four of them sat on the ground under the cliff, discussing the details of passing the customs while eating.
Three days later, the four of them went to Zhaoguan together.
Huang Fune was the first to appear. Today, he deliberately dressed himself up according to the portrait of the pass. When he walked to the pass, he looked left and right, hesitant, thinking about crossing, but seemed to be afraid of being discovered. The officers guarding the pass quickly paid attention.
As soon as they came up to check him, they were overjoyed. The leader of the military school shouted, and the soldiers rushed forward and held Huang Funa down. The soldiers shouted excitedly: "Wu Zixu is here, take it, take it."
There was a commotion at the pass. When the soldiers and passers-by heard that Wu Zixu had been captured, they all crowded over to watch. The sentry was relaxed for a while. Some people took advantage of this opportunity to pass the pass. Among them were Wu Zixu and Gongzi Sheng.
A group of soldiers tied up Huang Funa and went to the pass. General Xie, the general guarding the pass, was overjoyed when he heard that Wu Zixu had been captured and quickly asked someone to escort him.
Huang Funa was led in front of General Xue, and he deliberately shook his head and muttered: "I am not Wu Zixu, I am not Wu Zixu."
A sergeant hit him on the back with the back of his sword and shouted: "How dare you quibble. It's exactly the same as in the portrait. How dare you say it's not." General Chuan stopped him with his hand, and then asked:
"Are you Wu Zixu?"
"General, I am really not Wu Zixu."
"You'd better tell the truth and avoid suffering."
"General, from my accent, I am a local. How could it be Wu Zixu?"
"Come on, tie him to the pillar and show him some color."
Several soldiers tied Huang Fune to a pillar in the hall in a hurry, and when they were about to torture him for questioning, they heard someone outside the door shouting: "Dong Gao, please see me."
As soon as he finished speaking, Duke Dong Gao walked into the hall. Duke Dong Gao was very familiar with General Chu, so he was not too polite after entering and said directly: "I heard that General Chu has captured Wu Zixu, so I came to see the excitement.
"
General Xue pointed to the man tied to the pillar and said, "It's right there."
When Duke Donggao saw Huang Funa, he was shocked and said, "This is not my friend Huang Funa. Hey, you got the wrong person."
General Chuan and the sergeants in the hall were all surprised, and they all gathered around to take a closer look at Huang Funa's face. Duke Dong Gao said: "Three days ago, Huang Funa and I made an appointment to meet at the pass today, and then we will go to Liyang Mountain together.
Collecting medicine. I didn’t expect to be caught by you by mistake.”
General Xue asked Huang Funa: "Are you really Huang Funa?"
Huang Fune said: "I have said before that I am not Wu Zixu. You don't even think about it. How could Wu Zixu be as arrogant as me if he wanted to pass Zhaoguan? Besides, listen to my accent. It's a full local accent.
Well."
Duke Donggao also excused himself. General Xue then believed that he had arrested the wrong person, so he apologized to Duke Donggao and Huang Funa, and asked the soldiers to send the two men off to the pass. At the same time, he ordered the soldiers to strictly guard the pass.