The king of Chu fled from his marriage, and the palace was in chaos. The bride was a tiger girl, and she couldn't bear the grievance, so she ran out, snatched the horse, and ran back to her parents' house. She didn't know what had happened at home, but when she came back, she was shocked and hurriedly asked:
"What's going on?" The bride ran all the way back to her room with red eyes, opened the curtain and rushed in. The tears had just accumulated in her eyes but before they could flow out, she saw a piece of paper hanging on the pillow. Bring it.
When I looked at it in my hand, it read: "You are helpless, and I am helpless; you are innocent, and I am also innocent. Long-term pain is worse than short-term pain. Apologize, and apologize again and again." What's the use of apologizing? The bride cried "Wow" loudly.
stand up.
At this moment, her mother had rushed in and asked why. She looked up and saw the note, took it out and ordered someone to show it to the men. After a while, the brothers who were giving the wedding came back angrily.
Several men in the family read the note once, and they recognized the handwriting on it. It was indeed written by the King of Chu. The matter was clear. The King of Chu abandoned his son and ran away with Xiao. Everyone looked at each other, no one knew what to do.
.
The father of the bride, on the other hand, sneered and said: "If you love beauty but not the country, it's a good thing. He doesn't want it, but there are many people who want it."
Just at this time, a doorman came in and said, "There are guests outside the house who want to see you."
"Please come in. No matter who you are, please come in." The general said with his hands behind his hands, "Just remember to count and see how many can come today." Then he shook off his sleeves and went to the study to wait.
At this moment, the palace of Prince Chu was like a mess inside and outside, and the Queen Mother had already fainted. Su Tao, the magistrate of Jingzhou, said: "Since I saw it not long ago, I can't go far even if I want to, so let's look for it first." Everyone was gone.
He had an idea. After hearing this, he immediately opened up and sent people out of the south gate to chase him along the road. Many old ministers gathered in the hall to discuss matters.
After a while, an eunuch found a piece of paper in King Chu's house, which read: "I don't want to be Empress Li, Emperor Huizong of Song Dynasty." It was the handwriting of King Chu.
Su Tao looked at it and sighed: "That's fine. It's a troubled time, and it's hard to be a benevolent person." After saying that, he went out with his hands behind his back and walked away! Everyone was stunned. Wasn't he the one who reminded the prince to recover him?
Are they cold-hearted? They looked at each other for a long time and sighed.
By the afternoon, the King of Chu had not recovered it, and the Empress Dowager invited several important veterans to discuss the matter behind closed doors, but no result was reached. It was heard that the door of the home of the King of Chu's unmarried father-in-law had been broken down.
That night, an old minister was entrusted by the Queen Mother to go to the post house to see Su Tao. When he entered, he saw several baggage. Su Tao smiled and said: "I just packed everything and will leave early tomorrow morning."
The old minister hurriedly said: "When the country is in crisis, how could Mr. Su just leave like this?"
Su Tao said: "As a parent official, it is Su's duty to protect the people. Seeing that the war is about to start, I have nothing else to do but protect Jingzhou."
The old minister was shocked and held him back: "Master Su, what do you mean by this? The flames of war are about to rise?"
Su Tao said: "In my opinion, don't go looking for the prince. What if we recover him? He has no desire to be the king, and he is unable to be the master. He cannot sit on the throne at all. He still has a way to survive outside.
, you will definitely die if you come back."
The old minister said: "That's why we must do our best to help you."
Su Tao glanced at him indifferently: "Didn't we try our best to help you before?" The old minister was dumbfounded. Su Tao said, "Not everything in the world can be achieved by putting all our efforts into it. Now that the prince has lost his military morale, there is nothing he can do to restore it.
"Reply. The kings and uncles each have their own abilities. No one is willing to accept the other, and they are almost ready to fight each other. Chu's neighbors are all powerful enemies. Once the weapons are used..." He sighed, "I don't know which one will come in."
.”
The old minister said anxiously: "Master Su, please think of a way!"
Su Tao shook his head and said: "As the saying goes, when a scholar encounters a soldier, there is no reason to explain. We are all scholars, and everyone else is a soldier. No matter how sharp your words are, you can't withstand being cut with a knife. Brother Wang is young, even if he is the younger brother,
He may not agree to his brother's marriage. Besides, even if he agrees, he will not show off his face. Besides, the princes and uncles are not fools. They can give whatever the Queen Mother can give. The only thing that makes the prince better than his uncle is his background.
If the prince’s brothers can live like brothers, why can’t the brothers of the late king live like brothers?”
"This...what should I do?"
Su Tao sighed: "What should we do? Go back and dig trenches to guard against enemy attacks." He raised his head and glanced at the old minister, "If you go too slowly, you won't be able to leave." The old minister suddenly changed his face and hesitated for a while.
, hurried back to see the Queen Mother and other gentlemen.
Scholars are scholars after all. Even though Su Tao had reminded them, these people still took their time. After discussing for most of the night, the Queen Mother planned to go to the King of Chu in person the next day to apologize to her father-in-law. Su Tao rushed out of the city gate early in the morning.
He left in a flash. Little did he know that Su Tao had attracted the attention of many people because of his actions yesterday, and many people were staring at him. When those watching saw him running away, they went back to tell the masters of each house. In less than half an hour, he seemed to be running away.
Dozens of officials ran away. Some adults in the post house didn't know what had happened. When they saw others running away, they quickly packed up their things and ran away. At noon, the city gate was blocked by soldiers and no one was allowed to go in and out at will. The Queen Mother went to ask her whether
The in-laws formed an apology and were put under house arrest and have not been released.
In the next few days, what Su Tao said spread throughout the city for some reason, and everyone heard about it. The common people can endure anything, except war. The ancients said that it is better to be a dog in a prosperous age than to be a man in troubled times. That is war.
The strong men were captured, killed and set on fire. Corpses were scattered all over the fields. Men and women were dead. Life in the Chu country was originally more difficult than in other countries. Now that there is a war, why don't you run away? Those who have a family business will pay it off, and those who are poorer will be dealt with roughly.
I packed some luggage and queued up at the city gate in the middle of the night, waiting for the city gate to open the next day.
Those who escaped were originally poor people, and they were all looking forward to the chaos in the world. Not only their homes were ruined, but the news of an imminent war was immediately spread to all parts of Chu State. The people's hearts, which had not been in chaos, were actually in chaos. Since last year, some people have been in the country.
People from all over the Chu State were encouraged to go to Nanyang to open up wasteland, but because Nanyang was far away, few people went there. As soon as the news of the imminent civil war came out, many people couldn't stand still. Those without property still ran the fastest: anyway
In my hometown, I had no money and no land, so I couldn't let any uncle Wang capture a young man and die on the battlefield; I might as well try my luck in Nanyang. Suddenly, large swaths of Chu people went south, intending to go to Nanyang.
Naturally, the capital became more and more chaotic. None of the king's uncles left. They argued every day in the palace of the King of Chu about who should sit on which chair, but no one accepted the other. The Queen Mother was imprisoned, and no one was in charge of the brothers of the King of Chu.
They also started walking around separately. The King of Chu, who had escaped from marriage, didn't care anymore. The government didn't pursue him or look for him, and just regarded him as dead. All the old officials were helpless.
On this day, a man was having dinner in a small restaurant in the city. When people in the audience talked about the affairs of the country, he also said: "Now that things are going on, it is better to follow the way in the capital in the past, where the kings and uncles divide the land and rule it."
A scholar said: "If we unite, we will be strong, but if we divide it, we will be weak. Chu is not a big country. If it is divided again, wouldn't it be given to Wu and Yan to swallow?"
"Wu State and Yan State are now far-sighted, and they still look down on such a small territory as Chu State." The man said, "Aren't the kings and uncles of our Chu State at the moment similar in ability? It's hard to tell which one is the master. As the saying goes.
, it is a mule or a horse that comes out to roam. Each governs its own area, and you will know it after a few years. To say that the land is big and small, it has little to do with strength. The country of Lu is small, right? Let’s try to fight with others in the country of Chu.
Try? There are many small countries in the vicinity of Chu State, and there are also several small countries in its territory. There is no harm in dividing them. In any case, it is better than internal fighting. If these dozen masters fight, the people will go to the neighboring country of Yan - King Yan sends troops to
As foreign territories are being conquered, we will be most short of population in the next few decades."
A merchant in the restaurant said: "In my opinion, instead of fighting in a small place like Chu State, it is better to go overseas. The land that King Yan wants to fight is hundreds of times that of Chu State! King Yan
Where can a family eat?"
The man said: "The King of Yan's intention is clear, that is, to immigrate from other countries. Many people have fled outside. Once these uncles start fighting, King Yan will probably wake up from his dreams with laughter. Even if the uncles fight,
When the Chu Kingdom comes, it is useless to guard the land without anyone to cultivate it."
A scribe in the corner suddenly sighed: "There's just no way to stop them."
The man said: "Stop? The people's hearts are like a flood. How can we stop it? Even now, the uncles are holding hands in the streets and shouting, we will not fight~~ How many people heard it? How many people believed it?"
The scholar just now frowned and said, "Is there no way to calm the people's hearts?"
The man said: "Unless all the kings, uncles and brothers work together to establish a reasonable new king."
Even the waiter couldn't help but ask: "What makes a reasonable new king?"
The man said: "The prince's youngest brother is only eight years old. If he is appointed, it will obviously be just a delaying strategy. None of the families are ready yet. As soon as they are ready, they will have to start a war, and the war is afraid."
It was a severe beating."
The scribe in the corner frowned and said, "Is it possible that this little brother Wang can become a great person?"
The man chuckled and said: "Sir, you are a scholar, and I am a reckless man. You don't even believe me, will you? Since the prince loves that Empress Xiao, he would rather run away from marriage than elope with her, why not make her his wife?"
Princess? Isn’t he the lord of Chu? Empress Xiao is also the daughter of a great Confucian. In previous years, her status would have been higher than that of the one who has not become a concubine now."
The whole hall was silent. In the prosperous times, martial arts was not as good as literature, and in troubled times, literature was not as good as martial arts. If the eight-year-old little prince could ascend the throne safely and be supported by all the kings and uncles, why would the King of Chu have to run away from marriage?
The merchant sighed: "If the Chu State adopts such self-deceptive tactics, I think it will not be able to fool the people."
The man said: "This policy has not been able to coax the people since ancient times, but it is just that the people in ancient times were helpless. Today is different from the past. You can't afford to offend, and you can afford to hide. All other countries are safe. Go to Yan State and endure some wandering days, and wait.
When the King of Yan pacified the outer seas, it was good to open up wasteland and gain land."
The scribe said with emotion: "Since ancient times, the Chu State has many strong men. Now that the country is in great danger, do the people just want to escape?"
The merchant laughed and said: "How can the ancient Chu State and the present Chu State be the same thing? It has only been a few years since the world was enfeoffed? When I travel across the country, I often cannot remember which piece of land belongs to which prince now, and I only remember the province.
"
The scribes were dumbfounded. Well, the Chu State has been in existence for less than eight years and has not yet experienced a generation of Ming Dynasty. Moreover, the neighboring countries are all as powerful as our own. How can the people die for the King of Chu? Why don't you run away faster when you hear that there is going to be a war?
The merchant added: "I heard that after the spring this year, many people from all over the Chu Kingdom will move to Nanyang."
Another person who had been silent said: "We have already left for a long time. At the beginning of the year, the cocoa tea business in Beijing was on fire. It was so expensive that anyone who could get the supply could make a lot of money. Java in Southeast Asia
Both China and Malay produce cocoa tea, and they were all conquered by pirates in recent years. The place is huge and has a small population, so it is most in need of people."
The man said: "I heard that the weather there is extremely hot. I'm annoyed by that. If I immigrate overseas, I'll just wait for King Yan to conquer North America and buy some Kunlun slaves to open gold mines."
The scholar asked: "Kunlun slave? Is it the Kunlun slave in the legend of the Tang Dynasty? Is it still alive today?"
The man said: "I don't know what the legend is. I heard it from others. Westerners have occupied South and North America for 150 years. How can they open up so many wastelands if they have so few people? The population of the West, regardless of
No matter what status you have in the West, whether you are a slave or a criminal, when you arrive in America, you will be cleared as a free citizen and not a slave. Those who usually work in the fields or mine are all Kunlun slaves who were bought. Since there were Kunlun slaves in the Tang Dynasty, later on
No, I guess the Westerners want more of them, so I sold all my teeth to them."
The merchant suddenly became more energetic: "If King Yan conquers North America, who will own those Kunlun slaves?"
The man smiled and said, "Of course he belongs to the King of Yan. Is it possible that his generals and soldiers fought a battle for nothing?" He sighed, "It is really refreshing to be a soldier in the Yan Kingdom. Last year, a general from the Jin Kingdom actually led the army.
Tou Yan."
The merchant asked: "How come I heard that the Jin general was ordered to go to Yan to rob, and he went too far to the vicinity of the capital, and was captured alive by the Yan general Gan Lei?"
The man waved his hand: "How can such a fool become a general? That man only led people there when he heard that there was a war in Yan State."
Another person said: "Nowadays, when these princes send troops overseas, they kill people, set fire to them and steal things."
The waiter said: "I heard from customers from the north that the people of the King of Liao bribed the Russian ruler and went to the West to rob, and they made a lot of money!"
Everyone looked away and stopped talking about Chu State. The scribes in the corner had uncertain eyes. After eating more food and wine, he put down his chopsticks and shouted: "Check out." and walked away quickly.
This person is an important staff member of an uncle of the Chu Kingdom. After listening to these words on the street today, my heart suddenly became a mess. The people's hearts have been scattered. Even the capital is like this, let alone the outside. Today's Chu Kingdom is really in a state of chaos.
It was difficult to leave any people behind, so he told Uncle Wang what he had heard in the restaurant.
Uncle Wang walked in the house for half a day with his hands behind his back and said, "I'm afraid we have to build a wall at the border and not allow people to cross."
The staff smiled bitterly and said: "The border is long. The kings of Yan and Wu both have plans for Chu's population, and they are both stronger than Chu. It seems that there is still internal fighting in Chu. It is easy for Yan and Wu to tear down the wall, and the Chu people's hearts become more and more unstable.
"Yes." He paused, "Besides, I am afraid that some soldiers will defect to Yan and Wu, and there is no doubt that some will defect to Lu."
Uncle Wang sighed: "What should we do? It seems that the appointment of the little brat that we discussed yesterday cannot be done temporarily."
The staff member said: "I'm afraid it won't be possible to establish him. Even the common people on the street can't be coaxed." After a long time, he said slowly, "My lord, I think what that common man said has some truth to it."
Uncle Wang asked: "Which commoner said it?"
The staff member came closer to him and whispered slowly: "Divide the territory and rule it." (. Just Love Network)