He picked up the wine cup and took a sip of wine. The burning sensation when the high-concentration Shangdang wine flowed down his throat made Zhao Zhao feel uncomfortable, and he couldn't help but cough again.
In fact, when he came to Wei State on this trip, Zhao Zhao predicted that his brother Zhao Run would most likely mention this matter, so he was mentally prepared. However, he never expected that his brother Zhao Run would come up with him only a moment after meeting him. Chen, then mentioned this matter, and said it so directly.
After calming down, Zhao Zhao forced a smile on his face and said: "With the current momentum of the Wei Dynasty, what difference does it make if Brother Yu comes back or not?"
In fact, this is not true. Although Zhao Zhao is indeed a genius in governing the country, enough to hold the position of prime minister, but now, with the "inner dynasty system" implemented by the Wei State, even if Zhao Zhao returns to Daliang, he will only be in power. There is only one more talented person in the Chui Gong Hall. In fact, it will not bring any significant improvement to the Wei State.
Is there a shortage of such talents in the Chui Gong Palace? In fact, no, Lin Yuyang, Yu Ziqi, Li Liang, Xu Guan, etc., who are not veterans in the officialdom, even if they are just talking about talent, Jie Ziu, Wen Qi, Zhang Qigong and others, In fact, he is not inferior to Zhao Zhao, not to mention that there is a wizard named Kou Zheng who is still practicing in Hedong.
Rather than saying that Zhao Run values Zhao Zhao's talent and learning, it is better to say that he values brotherhood and hopes that the sixth brother can return to the country. As for the rest, it is not important.
The main hall of Yafeng Pavilion gradually became quiet.
Zhao Run, who has become the king of Wei, looked at his sixth brother Zhao Zhao, while Zhao Zhao seemed a little uneasy, holding up a wine cup and drinking silently, as if he did not dare to look directly at the eager and expectant eyes of the brother in front of him.
Of course, it was impossible for Zhao Hongrun not to notice that the sixth brother in front of him was avoiding his gaze intentionally or unintentionally, but he still smiled and said as if nothing had happened: "Over the years, my father has sometimes talked about the sixth brother, saying "if Qilin'er is here"... "
Zhao Zhao was very unhappy to hear this. After all, when he was in Daliang, he was indeed the most favored son among his brothers. He was so favored by his father that some even thought that as long as the sixth prince opened his mouth, the late king Zhao Si would most likely change his mind. Conferred the title of Prince.
"Hongrun!"
Abruptly, Zhao Zhao interrupted Zhao Hongrun, looked at the latter with pleading eyes, and whispered: "That's enough."
After hearing this, the smile on Zhao Run's face finally faded away. His silent demeanor was indeed somewhat similar to that of the late king Zhao Si, which made the eunuch Gao He who was serving the banquet subconsciously lower his head. , I dare not take a breath.
I don’t know how long it took, maybe only a dozen breaths, or maybe it was more than a stick of incense, but Zhao Hongrun finally said: "Fourteen years ago, the power of our country, Wei, was not as strong as that of Chu. I was afraid that the war with Yangcheng Lord Xiong Tuo would cause Chu's crusade, therefore, Sixth Brother resolutely went to Qi to serve as a hostage in exchange for Qi's help, and to contain Chu for Wei Dynasty... All this time, I have never dared to forget each other. I often tell myself that that scene The victory of the war is definitely not due to me alone." At this point, he took a long breath, raised his voice slightly, and said in a deep voice: "But now, I, the Great Wei, are not afraid of any country in the Central Plains! There is no need for Sixth Brother anymore. Make sacrifices for this..."
"..."
Zhao Zhao smiled bitterly upon hearing this.
The brother in front of him is right. The Wei State at this moment does not need him to make sacrifices. But the question is, is the reason why he has stayed in Qi State for many years just to sacrifice for the Wei State?
If that were the case, in fact, he could have returned to Wei before and after Wei won the "Battle of Five Parties to Defeat Wei", because at that time, Wei had already demonstrated the terrifying potential of one against five.
Fear of a joint attack from the Central Plains countries.
In the final analysis, the reason why Zhao Zhao stayed in Qi State was because he could not let go of his feelings for Qi State - although his original purpose of coming to Qi State was to persuade Qi State to assist Wei State in resisting Chu State, but as the King of Qi
Lu Xi betrothed his daughter Kui Ji to him, and the emperor of Qi took care of him before his death. All of this made Zhao Zhao unable to abandon Qi so cruelly.
If the current situation in the Central Plains is that Qi is strong and Wei is weak, he will resolutely return to Wei and fight side by side with his uncles and brothers without any regrets even if he is unable to persuade Qi to protect Wei; but the fact is
On the contrary, in today's Central Plains, the Wei State is in the limelight for a while. On the contrary, the Qi State, which was once the overlord in the era of King Qi Xi, is crumbling under the pressing pressure of the Chu State and is walking on thin ice. In this case, Zhao
How could Zhao have the heart to abandon Qi?
After a moment of silence, Zhao Zhao looked at Zhao Hongrun calmly and said: "Hongrun, Brother Yu returned to Daliang this time. Firstly, as an unfilial son, he paid homage to his father's spirit in heaven; secondly, he also hoped to take his mother to Linzi along the way.
…”
"..."
Zhao Hongrun, who was drinking, paused and looked at Zhao Zhao silently.
After a long while, he said calmly: "What if I say... no?"
"..."
Zhao Zhao's eyelids twitched, and he could faintly feel a domineering wind blowing towards him.
To be honest, his two fathers in this life, whether it was his biological father Zhao Si or his father-in-law Qi Wang Lu Xi, both loved him very much and never showed their domineering behavior as a monarch in front of him. Instead, Zhao Run, the former
The power shown by the brothers who love each other at this moment made Zhao Zhao feel what the power of a monarch is.
"Hongrun, don't be ridiculous..." Zhao Zhao forced out a smile.
However, Zhao Run looked at the Sixth Brother and said calmly: "I'm not joking, Sixth Brother."
"..."
"..."
After looking at each other for several breaths, Zhao Zhao finally discovered that although the brother in front of him still cared about brotherly love, after all, he was no longer the Eighth Prince who was known as the little bully in the palace fourteen years ago.
Nor was he "Su Wang Zhao Run" or "Wei Gongzi Run" who gradually became famous in the Central Plains in the following years, but he was truly the monarch of the Wei State, possessing the supreme power of "deciding the lives and deaths of millions of people with one word."
With this brother's current reputation and power, it would be too easy to force him to be imprisoned. Not to mention that no one in the Wei State would raise objections. Even the Qi State would dare to show any dissatisfaction.
What? - Nowadays, the Qi State is facing extremely difficult times just facing the Chu State. How dare it offend the Wei State again and provoke the powerful Wei army?
It is no exaggeration to say that if Qi offended Wei at this time, it would be tantamount to self-destruction.
Thinking of this, Zhao Zhao Gu Zuo spoke to him and changed the topic.
"... Around the New Year, Brother Yu received the bad news of his father's death in Linzi. At that time, the King of Qi and the ministers in the palace all advised Brother Yu to return home as soon as possible to attend the funeral. He had fulfilled his duty as a son of man. At that time, the State of Chu
The army is still pressing hard on our Qi army in Langya County... Brother Yu, as the left prime minister of Qi, did not dare to abolish the official position for personal reasons. After discussing with the King of Qi and the officials on the strategy to repel the Chu army, he
Leaving Linzi and returning to Daliang... On that day, Qi Wangbai and all the ministers came to see each other off and wish Brother Yu a smooth journey. No one thought that Brother Yu would take this opportunity to return to Wei. They trusted Brother Yu..."
"That's because they dare not stop him." Zhao Hongrun interrupted Zhao Zhao's words at the right time and said in a calm and arrogant tone: "My brother Zhao Run wants to return to the Kingdom of Wei. Who in the world dares to stop him?!...
The story you told, Brother Six, can only prove that those arrogant Qi people finally woke up from their sweet dreams and no longer dare to be arrogant... That's all."
"Hongrun..." Zhao Zhao frowned slightly.
Then he shook his head and said: "It's not what you think..."
"Hey." Zhao Hongrun smiled and said: "Yes or no, it doesn't matter. All in all, from now on, Sixth Brother should stay in Daliang... Although I haven't received any news about the Chu army's retreat yet, I still believe that
Liu Ge's temperament, if he hadn't been fully prepared, he would not have returned to Daliang at this time. Therefore, I can conclude that Chu State will definitely not be able to capture Qi State this time. In this way, Six Brother saved Qi State's
Destruction is enough to retire..." At this point, he picked up the jug and poured a glass of wine for Zhao Zhao, and said with a smile: "Over the years, Wu Guifei has missed Sixth Brother very much. After Sixth Brother returned home this time,
, we must fulfill our filial piety well, and don’t let Wu Gui’s concubine miss her son so much that she can’t sleep at night..."
"Hongrun!"
Zhao Zhao couldn't help shouting, and his tone increased.
Because he gradually felt that the brother in front of him seemed to have really interrupted and detained him.
"...I can't leave Qi State yet." He said hesitantly: "With your vision, Hongrun, it is absolutely impossible not to see the current situation of Qi State. Today's Chu State does not dare to offend the Wei Dynasty at all. Ruoyang
The king of the city, Xiong Tuo, has an agenda, and it must be against the three kingdoms of Qi, Lu, and Yue, among which Qi is the first to bear the brunt..."
Zhao Hongrun took a sip of wine calmly, which was obviously inversely proportional to Zhao Zhao's anxious expression.
It’s no wonder, after all, he was once the prince of Wei State, and now he is the monarch of Wei State. He only needs to be responsible for Wei State and the thousands of people of Wei State. As for the life and death of Qi State, what does that have to do with him?
?
To put it harshly, Qi's return to glory this time is quite timely. If Qi could not withstand Chu's army when Zhao Hongrun was still in Julu, then it is not certain that Qi will be defeated by then.
It is the army of the Chu State, most likely the Shangshui Army and the Yanling Army under Zhao Hongrun.
Therefore, Zhao Hongrun really doesn't care about the current difficult situation of Qi State described by Zhao Zhao.
It is undeniable that he does respect Lu Xi, the previous king of Qi, but it would be ridiculous to say that this respect would make him unconsciously protect Qi State - he is the monarch of Wei State, and what he values will always be Wei State.
benefits!
As long as it is in Wei's interests, even if he attacks Qi in the future, he will still show no mercy.
"...Qi State needs me, Hongrun." Zhao Zhao said seriously.
"..."
Playing with the wine cup in his hand, Zhao Hongrun said slowly: "We haven't seen each other for many years. Brother Six is very conceited."
"What?" Zhao Zhao asked in confusion.
I saw Zhao Hongrun chuckle and say: "Sixth Brother, you said so much, Yudi only heard one meaning, as if whether Qi State can survive the Chu State's offensive, Sixth Brother, you are crucial..."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhao blushed slightly and quickly waved his hands and said: "Brother Yu has absolutely no such intention. Whether we can repel the Chu army and defend Qi depends on the concerted efforts of all people..."
After hearing this, Zhao Hongrun said with a smile: "Oh, that means that Sixth Brother is not of much significance in Qi State. In this case, just stay in Wei with peace of mind. I can guarantee that Sixth Brother will
It is very important to me, Dawei..."
"Well……"
Zhao Zhao was speechless. After looking at the brother in front of him for a long time, he smiled bitterly and said: "Hongrun, you are more and more like my father... Brother Yu can't compare to you. However, I still hope to return to Qi...
..." Speaking of this, his expression
The situation became serious: "When the late King Xi passed away, he asked Brother Yu to guard Qi. You, Hongrun, were also there at that time. When Brother Yu went to Qi, everyone in Linzi looked down upon him, but the late King treated me favorably. This kindness, Brother Yu,
Don’t dare to forget…”
After that, he secretly glanced at Zhao Hongrun's expression and said quietly: "Brother Yu has returned to the Wei Dynasty to mourn, and everyone in Linzi has no intention of stopping him. They all treat each other with sincerity. They only hope that Brother Yu can return to Qi as soon as possible."
, shared the difficulties with them; however, after Brother Yu arrived in the Wei Dynasty, he was detained by Hongrun you. If this matter spreads, I am afraid someone will accuse you Hongrun..."
"I don't care."
Interrupting Zhao Hongzhao's words, Zhao Hongrun said lightly: "In this world, people who dislike me, Zhao Run, are like crucian carp crossing the river. Who are they?... Even if they curse every day, I can still eat and sleep.
If you want to be safe, on the contrary, if anyone makes me unhappy, I will send troops to destroy them!"
"..." Zhao Zhao didn't expect Zhao Hongrun to react like this at all, and said with a wry smile: "This is not what Lord Ming did."
"Mingjun? Hey!" Zhao Hongrun chuckled and said calmly: "Father has been in office for more than 20 years and has worked hard, but there is still a small group of people secretly accusing him of being a fool. Unless he is a saint, who can make this world better?
Everyone believes it? Anyway, I never expected to be one
What a wise king, my father passed the throne to me, then I will shoulder the responsibility of prospering the country, that's all... If future generations say that I am tyrannical, it doesn't matter to me, as long as I earnestly fulfill my duties as a king.
, then I will have a clear conscience, just like my father..."
After hearing this, the bitter smile on Zhao Zhao's face became even stronger.
Although a gentleman can be deceived, in this world, there will always be some outliers, just like the brother Zhao Run in front of him. He simply refuses to eat soft and hard, and refuses to eat oil or salt - in this world, he is already a king.
Under such circumstances, how can you deal with this kind of alternative guy who doesn't care about reputation at all?
After thinking about it, Zhao Zhao could only say: "This will not be good for Wei's reputation..."
"Sixth brother thinks too much." Zhao Hongrun said with a smile: "Now who dares to say that I, the Great Wei, am not worthy? Although I can't stop everyone in the world from talking, I, the Great Wei, don't have four or five million.
As for the army... these four to five million mouths may not be able to withstand the so-called Youyou public mouths."
"..." Zhao Zhao was speechless.
He once again discovered that it was not an easy task to convince the brother in front of him who was equally as good as him in terms of intelligence and verbal skills.
After thinking for a while, Zhao Zhao whispered: "Hongrun, think about those days, without the help of Qi State, my great Wei..."
However, just when he was about to express his feelings, he was suddenly interrupted by Zhao Hongrun: "Okay, Brother Six! In short, Brother Six, just stay in Daliang!"
Zhao Zhao was choked up by Zhao Run's words and couldn't breathe for a long time.
On that day, the two brothers seemed to have broken up on bad terms.
On the way back to Prince Rui's Mansion in the evening, Zhao Zhao's wife and concubine Kui Ji chatted with Tian Wan about the contact between their female relatives just now.
Even Tian Wan, who has a timid personality, is quite happy because Zhao Hongrun's concubines treat them very kindly, just like sisters-in-law. If there is any discomfort, it can only be said that Tian Wan cannot adapt to Empress Wei yet.
Mi Jiang's expressionless look: "... Even though I know that the Empress Wei has always been expressionless and is not targeting me, I am still slightly afraid."
Ji Ji also nodded repeatedly.
In fact, she also understood that just by looking at the Zhao Liang brothers and sisters who were tired of the Wei Queen Mi Jiang at that time, she could know that the Wei Queen was a kind person after all. After all, children are actually more sensitive in some aspects, but it has to be said that that
The empress of Wei kept a straight face all day long, which was indeed a bit scary, although she actually meant no harm.
No, before leaving, he also gave them many small gifts, including normal precious jewelry, but also things that seemed very weird to the two girls, such as voodoo dolls. In fact, Kui Ji and Tian Wan felt that it might still be
That ugly and weird voodoo doll held a greater weight in the heart of the Queen of Wei, but it was so weird that the two girls, Kui Ji and Tian Wan, did not dare to keep it with them to ward off evil spirits.
"Where's the husband?" After talking about how they got along with the female relatives, Ji Ji curiously asked her husband about the process of reuniting with her long-separated brother.
Facing his wife's inquiry, Zhao Zhao shook his head silently.
Seeing this, Zhui Ji and Tian Wan put away the smiles on their faces, and the latter said cautiously: "Could it be that... we have gradually become estranged because we haven't seen each other for many years?"
Zhao Zhao smiled bitterly and shook his head again.
He could feel that his eighth brother Zhao Run was still as close to him as before, but it was this closeness that made him feel even more stressed.
At this time, seeing her husband shaking his head again, Kui Ji also guessed the reason and whispered: "Could it be that King Wei... who wants to detain her husband?"
After hearing this, before Zhao Zhao could speak, Tian Wan's eyes widened and he asked in confusion: "Why?"
After patting his concubine Tian Dan's hand on the back, Zhao Zhao explained with a sigh: "Back then, my Wei Dynasty was weak, so I had no choice but to go to Qi State as a hostage in exchange for Qi State's assistance to contain Chu State, but over the years, my Wei Dynasty
As we become stronger and stronger, we no longer need the help of Qi State... Therefore, Hongrun hopes that I will return to Wei State."
After hearing this, both Kui Ji and Tian Wan were silent. They didn't know what to say. The reason was that it was not the new king of Wei who was dissatisfied with their husbands. On the contrary, it was the new king Gu Nian who
The old brotherly love is just that I hope he can return to Wei - in fact, this should be a good thing.
"What are your plans, husband?"
After a moment of silence, Ji Ji asked in a low voice.
Zhao Zhao sighed slightly and said: "Over the years in Linzi, I have often missed Daliang, but... now is not the time."
Of course, Kui Ji understood what her husband meant by saying "it's not the right time yet". It was nothing more than the current critical situation in her country.
If her Qi State could be as powerful as Wei State now, her husband might have taken them back to Wei State long ago.
Seeing her husband's sad face, Kui Ji felt uncomfortable and secretly blamed her father, the late king Lu Xi - if Lu Xi had not married her to Zhao Zhao and later not left her alone to the latter, her husband would not have to suffer the consequences.
Such torture.
But thinking about it on the other hand, if her father had not fought against all the odds to marry her to Zhao Zhao, she would not have met a husband as gentle and elegant as Zhao Zhao.
Therefore, Kui Ji was also in a state of confusion, not knowing whether to blame her father or thank her father.
But having said that, no matter thanking or complaining, it is of no use so far. As a wife, the only thing she can do is to support her husband's decision, whether he chooses to return to Qi or Wei.
After returning to Prince Rui's Mansion that night, Kui Ji and Tian Wan went to coax the Zhao Liang brothers and sisters to sleep, while Zhao Zhao discussed the matter with Fei Wei, Cao Liang and other Zongwei in the study.
When Zhao Zhao mentioned that his brother Zhao Hongrun was likely to detain him in the Wei Kingdom, Fei Wei, Cao Liang and other clan guards looked at each other.
If it is said that Zhao Run intends to harm their Highness, then all the sect guards will naturally be filled with anger. Even if they sacrifice themselves, they will protect their Highness and his family from the main beam. But the problem is, according to Zhao Zhao's words, it is obvious that the new monarch wants to
Re-use their highness - or simply put, as long as Zhao Zhao is willing to stay in Daliang, the new monarch will not hesitate to reward him.
Under this situation, Fei Wei, Cao Liang and other sect guards were also at a loss, scratching their heads one by one, not knowing what to say.
Do they want to accuse the new king of caring too much about brotherhood?
After thinking for a long time, Zhao Zhao made a decision: "Tomorrow I will go to see my mother and take her with me to worship my father. After this matter is settled, I will go to see Hongrun and say goodbye to him... If it doesn't work out, let's
Go away secretly."
Fei Wei, the chief of the imperial family, said with a wry smile: "Master, the situation inside and outside Daliang City today is not as good as before. According to what Wei Jiao, Lu Mu, and Mu Qing said during the banquet just now, the situation inside and outside Daliang City is now worse than before.
With one hundred thousand imperial guards, it would be as difficult as climbing to the sky if you want to sneak out of the city under the eyes of these one hundred thousand imperial guards..."
"That's not the worst."
Zongwei Caoliang took over the conversation and said with a strange expression: "The worst thing is that even if we were lucky enough to sneak back to Linzi, we would offend the new monarch. As you know, the Eighth Prince had a bad temper when he was a child.
, not to mention that you are now my big brother
The king of Wei... I guess, if we leave without saying goodbye and sneak back to Linzi, it won't be a big deal if our deeds are exposed. But if we succeed, the Eighth Prince will be angry with Qi and send troops to attack Qi in anger.
country, then Qi country is really..."
He didn't say any more, but he believed everyone present could understand what he meant.
You must know that the State of Wei is currently at odds with the State of Qi and is an ally of the State of Chu. In other words, it is not impossible for the State of Wei to send troops to attack the State of Qi.
Hearing this, Zhao Zhao had an even more headache.
At the same time, Zhao Hongrun had just returned from Fengyi Palace and headed to Ganlu Palace. Meeting Zhao Zhao today made him feel a little confused and he needed to calm down and collect his thoughts.
However, when he arrived at the Ganlu Hall, he saw a person waiting in the front hall. When he took a closer look, he turned out to be the minister of the inner dynasty, Jie Ziziu.
"Jie Zi, haven't you returned home yet?"
Zhao Hongrun said hello casually.
Jie Ziyu smiled, raised his hands and said, "I learned that your Majesty is hosting a private banquet for Prince Rui in Yafeng Pavilion today, so I am waiting here specially to help your Majesty..."
Speaking of this, Jie Ziyu took a step forward and whispered: "Actually, Prince Rui's matter can be easily solved... As long as Qi is turned into Wei, won't Prince Rui have to stay in Wei?
"
Zhao Hongrun took a deep look at Jie Zizi, then walked into the inner hall with a smile.