"You actually want me to bow my head to that little Ji Run and even talk about asking for peace?!"
In the midst of his anger, Xiong Tuo, Lord of Yangcheng, ignored the identity of the person in front of him and asked angrily with his eyes wide open.
Fortunately, Huang Er was a well-educated person. Although he was glared at by Yangcheng Lord Xiong Tuo, he did not show any signs of anger. He walked past the latter with a smile and knelt down on a mattress in the hall. He straightened his clothes as if nothing had happened.
…
As the saying goes, a slap can't make a difference, and Huang Er has no intention of continuing. Therefore, although Xiong Tuo is angry in his heart, he can't get angry. After all, etiquette is particularly important among the nobles. Xiong Tuo doesn't want his rude behavior to be criticized by such people. The title was passed to his father, Xiong Xu.
Therefore, Xiong Tuo took a long breath and forced himself to calm down. Then he walked to Huang Xu and sat down, and ordered the servants in the mansion to serve tea.
After a while, the house slave served tea. Xiong Tuo, who was kneeling on the mattress, straightened his body, took the exquisite porcelain teapot, and poured a cup for Huang Er and himself.
After all, he is the local owner and should fulfill his duties as a landlord.
During this period, Huang Si sat upright, respectfully took the tea from Xiong Tuo with both hands, took a sip, and immediately put the tea cup down. Then he said with emotion: "Master Tuo is still as vigorous as ever, but compared to ten years ago. It was indeed much better before... It seems that Mr. Tuo has not slacked off in cultivating his moral character over the years."
The great aristocrat of the Chu State loved reading "Baopuzi", and was particularly enthusiastic about the "Nourishing Qi" chapter in the book.
Because the more distinguished the nobles are, the more they hope to be different from the "commoners" they call, and this difference is not limited to material conditions, they also advocate the improvement of spiritual level.
The improvement of this spiritual level is not meant to improve personal qualities. It is to cultivate an incomprehensible thing similar to "aristocratic temperament", such as speaking in a slow and steady tone, etc. To put it bluntly, using two words It can be summed up in one word and is pretentious.
But later, as more and more Chu aristocrats practiced this incomprehensible thing of "aristocratic temperament", let alone the people of Chu, they really moved towards the Taoist level of self-cultivation, so that "nourishing Qi", "Cultivation of one's nature" has gradually become a very important practice for the great nobles of Chu State to improve their own quality.
This is the same as when Zhao Hongrun was forced to meditate and recuperate in a small dark room in the clan mansion.
It is undeniable that the great aristocrats of the Chu State who appear in public are often well-dressed and elegant-speaking people. For example, the Huang Er in front of Xiong Tuo was not surprised or angry when Xiong Tuo stared at him and questioned him rudely. It can be said to be firm.
"Ten years ago?" Xiong Tuo couldn't help but be stunned after hearing Huang Er's words, because the only major event that made him angry ten years ago was that he was tricked by Wei Wang Ji Si. The two families had clearly agreed to divide the Song Dynasty equally. , as a result, Xiong Tuo lost his troops and lost his generals, spending a lot of money but getting nothing.
At that time, Xiong Tuo begged the king of Shouying bitterly, begging Chu State to send troops to attack Wei State in retaliation. However, at that time, his father Xiong Xu, King of Chu, still planned to win over Wei State, so he did not agree. Therefore, the resentful Xiong Tuo Xiong Tuo then formed his own army again and began a ten-year attack on Wei State's Fenxing Fortress.
I remember that at that time, King Xiong Xu of Chu sent a group of scholar-bureaucrats to Yangcheng. He hoped that his son would stop such stupid behavior, but unexpectedly, Xiong Tuo, who was young and energetic at the time, ordered someone to throw the scholar-bureaucrat away. Leave the house.
"You weren't the one who came then, were you?" Xiong Tuo looked at Huang Xu several times and muttered in surprise.
Huang Xu smiled slightly and said, "It's my uncle... At that time, I was just a casual follower."
Xiong Tuo frowned when he heard this. In fact, he regretted it at the time. After all, the Huang family was from the Ji Lian family, and their noble lineage was not inferior to that of the Xiong family. He could be called a solid ally of their Xiong family. Unlike the Qu family, who was not like them.
The nobles were vying for status. Therefore, his rude behavior at that time was like giving Huang's support to his other brothers in vain.
Unfortunately, Xiong Tuo had such a hot temper at that time.
"Looking back, I have prepared a generous gift and asked Lord Huang to deliver it to your uncle, Lord Huang Cheng."
Hearing this, Huang Er smiled and said: "It's been ten years, and my uncle has already looked away from him... Speaking of which, if that incident hadn't happened, my uncle would have been very optimistic about Mr. Tuo."
"Really?" Xiong Tuo sighed helplessly. In fact, he also knew very well that his bad temper over the years had offended many nobles who had no grudges against him.
"Okay, let's put this matter aside and let's talk about the reason for Huang's trip first."
"Seek peace with that Ji Run child?" Perhaps he was infected by Huang Er's calm cultivation. When Xiong Tuo mentioned the matter again, he was no longer so angry, but his words were still mixed with a bit of ridicule.
and self-deprecation.
"We are making peace with the state of Wei." Huang Xu corrected him solemnly: "Although Young Master Tuo suffered a small defeat, it did not harm our great Chu. I understand that Ji Run did not dare to use this matter to ridicule Young Master. Young Master can rest assured... Facts
I'm afraid that Ji Run is also eager to make peace with me, Da Chu, as soon as possible."
Xiong Tuo was silent after hearing this, and after thinking deeply for a long time, he asked: "Is this what the father meant? Why does the father want to make peace with the state of Wei?"
"Because Qi State intervened." Huang Er's extremely serious words made Xiong Tuo look stunned.
"Qi? King Xi of Qi?" Xiong Tuo asked in surprise. King Lu Xi of Qi was the lifelong enemy of Xiong Tuo's father, Xiong Xu. It was impossible for Xiong Tuo not to know this person.
"That's right." Huang Zu nodded and said: "According to reports hidden in Qi State, King Xi of Qi ordered Pi County to build a city. As you know, Pi County is on the west side of Junsheng Gongzi in Liyang, not far south.
Far away is the Fuli Fortress of our great Chu State. King Xi of Qi built a city in Pi County, and his intention is self-evident."
Xiong Tuo was not a fool, and he stopped talking when he heard this, because he also understood that if the Qi State intervened in this battle, the war situation would not be favorable to their Chu State.
After all, Qi and Chu had a feud that lasted for more than a hundred years, and they both wanted to attack each other. Compared with this hatred, the hatred between Wei Wang Ji Si and Yangcheng Lord Xiong Tuo seemed insignificant.
"Qi and Wei have formed an alliance?"
Huang Er smiled slightly, nodded and said: "Ji Zhao, the sixth son of King Wei, arrived in Linzi of Qi a while ago and was summoned by King Xi of Qi... Although the details of this matter were not discovered by the investigators,
It’s better to believe that it exists than to believe that it doesn’t exist.”
"Father is afraid?" Xiong Tuo said with a sneer.
In fact, he has always been puzzled. It is clear that the elite army of his Chu State is not inferior in combat effectiveness, but whenever the Qi State is mentioned, the big nobles in Shouying become as if they are talking about it. It seems that the Wei State is being conquered by South Korea in the north.
The Shangdang battle broke the spine, and the Chu people were frightened by the national war in which King Xi of Qi led the allied forces of Qi, Lu, and Song to attack and almost forced the King of Chu to move the capital.
Huang Er frowned slightly when he heard this and said in a low voice: "It's not that I don't dare to fight, it's that I can't fight." As he said that, he saw Xiong Tuo's expression of confusion, so he looked around and saw no one around. , then he knelt straight. He leaned towards Xiong Tuo with his upper body and whispered: "To the south, to the southeast, those people are making a lot of noise..."
South? Southeast? He is talking about...
Xiong Tuo looked slightly shocked when he heard this, and asked in astonishment: "Hasn't it been suppressed?"
Huang Zu sighed and shook his head, and said regretfully: "The army has been sent over, but for the time being, it seems that it cannot be suppressed in the short term..."
Hearing this, Xiong Tuo already understood something in his heart. But he couldn't help but feel unwilling to ask for peace from that fourteen-year-old Wei boy, and also in this situation where he was defeated miserably.
Perhaps seeing Xiong Tuo's scruples, Huang Xu said with a smile: "I believe that the one who is most unwilling to let this matter spread is Mr. Xiong Wu."
Xiong Tuo was stunned when he heard this, and then suddenly realized.
Thinking about it, if he reaches an agreement with the Wei State and shakes hands to make peace, then Ji Run of the Wei State will inevitably lead his army to withdraw from the territory of his Yangcheng Lord Xiong Tuo. On the other hand, he has conquered most of the territory. Xiong Wu, Lord Guling of the Song Dynasty, also had to spit out the Song Dynasty he had conquered and return it to the Wei State.
Thinking of this, Xiong Tuo felt much happier. What was even more ingenious was that he could still negotiate with Wei after being defeated, but Xiong Wu, who was clearly the victor, did not even have a chance to negotiate.
This made Xiong Tuo feel very happy.
However, it was fun to be happy, but he had to ask if he had any doubts: "Why did you choose me?"
It can be seen that Huang Er is also a thoughtful and quick-thinking person. He can understand Xiong Tuo's clueless questions. He shook his head and corrected: "It's not that Mr. Tuo was selected, but Mr. Tuo was selected. The one who is currently in Zhengyang County."
"Ji Run?" Xiong Tuo frowned, and then he burst into laughter.
What is he laughing at?
He was laughing at his brother, Gulingjun Xiong Wu.
What's the use of conquering so many cities in Song Dynasty? In the end, there won't even be a chance to negotiate with Wei State?
As for Xiong Tuo, although he was beaten so miserably by Ji Run of Wei State, what is incredible is that he was able to negotiate with Ji Run as a representative of Chu State.
What's even more incredible is that he could even use the Wei city captured by his brother Gulingjun Xiong Wu in Song Dynasty as a bargaining chip to negotiate with Ji Run.
But Gulingjun Xiong Wu is very likely to get nothing.
I have to say this is ironic, but as the world is unpredictable, sometimes, a one-in-a-million opponent is more important than the merits established!
"It just doesn't look good in terms of appearance..."
After laughing heartily, Xiong Wu said somewhat sadly.
Upon hearing this, Huang Zu asked tentatively: "Master Tuo, have you agreed?"
I saw Xiong Tuo let out a long breath and said with a somewhat complicated expression: "Besides any prejudice, Ji Run is indeed a talented person. He and I are really like our father and King Xi of Qi..." At this point, he murmured He said to himself: "Sooner or later, I will ask him to get this debt back!"
Huang Xu nodded secretly when he heard this. He said in his heart, just cut it off. This Xiong Tuo is indeed much more mature than ten years ago.
"Without further delay, please Master Tuo immediately write a letter and send it to Ji Run... It is best to reach an agreement before the beginning of spring, otherwise Qi State..."
"I understand." Xiong Tuo nodded, then frowned and said, "But there's no need to write a letter."
Obviously, Xiong Tuo remembered that he had written to Ji Run twice, but as a result, Ji Run only replied with the word "idiot" each time. He could roughly guess the meaning of this word, so if it was not necessary, he would
I don’t want to write any more letters to scold you.
"The two of us will go straight to Zhengyang County!"
"Eh?" Huang Er's eyes widened in surprise. (To be continued.)