Half an hour later, the welcoming staff headed by Prince Hongli of the East Palace and Du You, the Minister of Rites, welcomed Xiong Tuo, the Lord of Yangcheng, Xiong Wu, the Lord of Guling, Huang Er, the scholar-bureaucrat, and other envoys from the Chu State to the Zichen Hall.
Although something unpleasant happened just now in front of the main south gate of the palace, as the host, Hongli, the crown prince of the East Palace, hated Gu Lingjun Xiong Wu for treating him as nothing, so he could only pretend to be hospitable and entertain him. These are foreign envoys from Chu State.
But as Xiong Tuo, Lord of Yangcheng, said, this time Xiong Wu, Lord of Guling, came to Daliang, the royal capital of Wei, not so much that he accepted the order of his father, Xiong Xu, to make peace with Wei, but that he came purely to vent his anger. Angry in heart.
"Crack!"
In full view of everyone, Guling Lord Xiong Wu casually threw away the wine bottle in his hand, and immediately spat the wine in his mouth onto the bluestone tile floor of the bright hall with a look of disgust on his face.
"Bah! Is this considered wine?" Wiping the wine stains on his mouth, Lord Guling Xiong Wu said coldly: "Do you, the Wei State, drink this kind of wine that is even worse than horse urine?"
Originally, the Crown Prince of the East Palace, Hongli, planned to reveal what happened just now, but after hearing this, he couldn't help but feel a little confused.
As for Du You, the Minister of Rites, his face turned gloomy again, and he mocked, neither arrogant nor humble: "The wine at the banquet is the best tribute wine in the Wei Dynasty. Lord Gu Ling thinks it tastes like Horse urine, or maybe there is some aftertaste left in your mouth!"
Some aftertaste...
After hearing this, Prince Hongli, his staff Luo Yao, and other officials of the Ministry of Rites present all looked at him with suspicion.
After all, Du You, the Minister of Rites, was usually a well-educated, humble and courteous Confucian scholar. Unexpectedly, he became angry and cursed people without using curse words.
Upon hearing Du You's sarcasm, Lord Guling Xiong Wu's face turned a bit angry, and he sneered a few times. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly heard the deputy envoy Huang Xu sighing beside him: "Master Xiong Wu, we are here to fight with Wei. The country signed the armistice and peace agreement."
Obviously, he had already seen that Guling Lord Xiong Wu was deliberately stirring up trouble.
Therefore, with the intention of not wanting to cause trouble, Huang Er apologized to Prince Hongli and Minister of Rites Du Youyan and said: "Your Highness, Mr. Du, Huang would like to thank you for your warm hospitality. However, let me wait as soon as possible." Let’s get to the point.”
…
Du You, the Minister of Rites, glanced at Huang Er, then glanced at Xiong Wu, stroking his beard and said humbly: "Deputy Ambassador Huang, please clarify."
Seeing this, Huang Xu cupped his hands and said seriously: "I came here this time just hoping to continue the harmony between our country and your country twenty years ago." As he said that, he pointed to Jun Xiong of Yangcheng. Tuo, added: "As a sign of sincerity, Mr. Xiong Tuo is willing to recognize your country's governance of the Song Dynasty."
Upon hearing this, Xiong Tuo raised the wine bottle in his hand towards Du You, the Minister of Rites, and immediately nodded to express his agreement with Huang As.
Anyway, in his opinion, he and Zhao Hongrun had a relationship like Mi Jiang, and they would probably not be able to fight in the future. What's more, he also hoped to get the secret support of Wei State, so he recognized Wei State's possession of Song State. , it seems insignificant.
Is there such a good thing?
Du You looked at Xiong Tuo in surprise.
After all, in the eyes of many people in Wei, Xiong Tuo, Lord of Yangcheng, is simply a mad dog that holds a grudge. He has been biting Fenxing for the past ten years. Not long ago, he led an army of 160,000 to attack their Wei state. But now Xiong Tuo, Lord of Yangcheng, personally recognized Wei's possession of the Song Dynasty. Doesn't this mean that the grievances between the Wei people and Xiong Tuo, Lord of Yangcheng, will be temporarily shelved even if they cannot be resolved?
This is good news!
Du You also nodded at Xiong Tuo kindly, although he still had no good impression of Xiong Tuo in his heart.
At this moment, Guling Lord Xiong Wu suddenly interrupted: "Xiong Tuo's recognition of your Wei State's occupation of Song Dynasty does not represent my master... If you want me to approve this matter, I will send Suiyang to the throne."
, Yitai, Dangxian, Xiangxian and Xiaoxian are ceded to me. I can guarantee that I will not do any harm to your country in the future!"
Xiong Wu interrupted hastily, causing both Huang Er and Xiong Tuo to frown.
At this time, such a harsh request to cede land is made?
Huang Er frowned and glanced at Xiong Wu. Although he knew very well that Xiong Wu wanted Suiyang County very much, the problem was that Suiyang was an important city where Nangong, the general of the Song Dynasty, stationed troops. How could the Wei people give it up so easily?
What's more, now that Wei has not been defeated, what qualifications does Chu have to seize Wei's cities?
Just as Huang Xu guessed, Du You, the Minister of Rites, flatly refused after hearing this: "Last year, I, the Wei Dynasty, confirmed the national motto: no compensation, no tribute, no marriage, no cession of territory! ... Therefore, I, the Wei Dynasty, are required to secede.
Five cities, absolutely impossible!"
Hearing this, Lord Guling Xiong Wu curled his lips and said sarcastically: "If Xiong Tuo hadn't ruined my master's affairs, besides Suiyang, how many of the above four cities would have been in the hands of you Wei people at that time?...My master
If you don't listen to my good words, do you want me to go get it myself?"
"What do you mean by Lord Gu Ling?" Du You, the Minister of Rites, his face changed slightly when he heard this.
"This is what I have said...I want the five cities of Suiyang, Yitai, Dangxian, Xiangxian, and Xiaoxian. If your Wei State is unwilling to hand it over, then I will go and get it myself in the future!"
When Du You heard this, his face became even more ugly, and he asked in a deep voice: "Is Lord Gu Ling provoking me, the Wei Dynasty? Are you declaring war on me, the Wei Dynasty!"
"Provocation? No, no, no." Guling Lord Xiong Wu shook his head and said coldly: "I am just stating a fact... Since I was able to conquer most of the Song Dynasty in your Wei Kingdom last time, I can naturally do the same in the future.
Done.”
This sentence is no longer just a provocation, but almost a declaration of war!
No, the expressions of the Wei people in the palace suddenly changed, and they stared at Guling Lord Xiong Wu with gloomy expressions, but Xiong Wu did not take the threats in the eyes of these Wei people to heart at all. Thinking about it, he was also sure that the Wei people did not dare to
Kill him as the envoy of the Lord.
After all, it is an unwritten rule between two countries not to kill the envoys when the two countries go to war. What's more, Xiong Wu is the son of Xiong Xu, the king of Chu, and the real king of the city in charge of an army of more than 100,000 people.
At this moment, a chuckle came from outside the hall.
"Then when will Lord Guling plan to declare war on the Wei Dynasty?"
Many Wei people in the hall turned to look at the entrance of the hall, and happened to see Zhao Hongrun leading a group of clan guards in.
"His Royal Highness King Su!"
"His Royal Highness King Su!"
In an instant, many officials from the Ministry of Etiquette in the palace stood up and saluted Zhao Hongrun, as if they had taken a reassurance.
"Prince Su?" Gulingjun Xiong Wu also turned to look at Zhao Hongrun who walked in from outside the palace. After thinking about it, his eyes filled with resentment and asked coldly: "Are you Ji Run?
"
I saw Zhao Hongrun leading Shen Yu and other clan guards directly to the front of Guling Lord Xiong Wu, looking condescendingly at the latter sitting in the banquet, and said with a faint smile: "It is this king!"
"Okay!" Xiong Wu, the Lord of Guling, stood up after hearing this. Because he was much taller than Zhao Hongrun, this time he looked down at Zhao Hongrun: "You finally dare to show your face!... Earlier you and Xiong Tuo left your own country behind.
Young Master, I signed a peace treaty privately, but I haven’t settled the account with you yet!”
However, Zhao Hongrun did not take Xiong Wu's resentful threat to heart at all, and said with a smile: "Don't change the subject. I just want to know when will you declare war on me, the Wei Dynasty?"
What?
Guling Lord Xiong Wu was stunned. In fact, in the final analysis, he was just threatening the Wei State. How could he really declare war with the Wei State.
Therefore, when Zhao Hongrun delved into the matter, Xiong Wu was stunned.
At this time, an envoy accompanying Xiong Wu stood up from the seat next to Xiong Wu. This person quickly smoothed things over and said: "Su...His Royal Highness Prince Su has misunderstood. Young Master Xiong Wu is just..."
However, just when the man was eager to explain, he saw Zhao Hongrun glance at him and said in a nonchalant manner: "This king is asking about Mr. Xiong Wu, the Lord of Guling in your country, not about me... Therefore...
,please shut up!"
…
The accompanying envoy obviously noticed Zhao Hongrun's cold eyes, and his face turned pale when he heard this. He didn't dare to say any more and just stood there stupidly.
Seeing this, Zhao Hongrun was too lazy to pay attention to the Chu man. He raised his head and looked at Guling Lord Xiong Wu. A bit of smile returned to his face and asked: "Tell me, Lord Guling, when do you plan to declare war on the Wei Dynasty?"
?...I think the declaration of war at this time has a strong meaning, is it now?"
Hey hey hey, are you serious?
Yangcheng Jun Xiong Tuo, who was watching quietly from the side, looked at the faint smile on Zhao Hongrun's face, and seemed to have goosebumps all over his body.
You must know that after many contacts, he gradually understood the temper of King Su of Wei.
However, he had no intention of interfering at all. After all, in his opinion, this was a good show not to be missed.
To this end, Xiong Tuo even privately pulled the sleeve of scholar-official Huang Su, signaling him not to interfere.
Obviously, Guling Lord Xiong Wu was not in the same good mood as Yangcheng Lord Xiong Tuo for watching the show. Facing Zhao Hongrun's questioning, the pride in his heart prompted him to resolutely refuse to admit defeat in terms of momentum.
"Yes...so what?!"
But at this moment, the smile on Zhao Hongrun's face suddenly disappeared, and he shouted in a deep voice: "Kill!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Zongwei Shen Yu behind him suddenly pulled out the sharp sword from the sheath on his waist and slashed at Xiong Wu head-on.
Fortunately, there was a guard next to Guling Lord Xiong Wu who had sensed something was wrong in the atmosphere before. He stared at Shen Yu and the other clan guards. Only then did he have time to draw out the sword from his waist and push Guling Lord Xiong Wu away.
, and immediately blocked Shen Yu's sword for him.
Suddenly, there was a commotion in the Zichen Palace. Prince Hongli of the East Palace, staff Luo Yao, Minister of Rites Du You and many other officials of the Ministry of Rites were stunned. It was unimaginable that Zhao Hongrun actually tried to attack Guling Lord Xiong Wu at the banquet to welcome guests.
The chief envoy of Chu State.
As for the relatively weak Chu people, everyone was in danger. The armed guards even subconsciously drew out the swords at their waists and looked at Zhao Hongrun and his group with uncertain expressions.
At this time, Huang Xu, a scholar-official of the Chu State as the deputy envoy, ignored Yangcheng Lord Xiong Tuo's suggestion that he wanted to interfere. He stood up and exclaimed: "Run... Mr. Run, Mr. Xiong Wu is sent from our country.
Lord envoys, even if they disagree with each other, they will not draw their swords against each other."
"Envoy?" Zhao Hongrun glanced at Guling Lord Xiong Wu who fell to the ground with a look of horror on his face, and said with a faint smile: "But I didn't hear the slightest hint from this envoy of your country that he wanted to fight with me.
What I, the Great Wei, mean by saying peace... You have also heard that just now, Lord Guling of your country personally admitted that he has declared war on our Great Wei! In this case, according to my understanding, this Lord Guling
You are no longer the chief envoy of your country, but the enemy of our great Wei in the future... Even if you are an enemy, how can you not kill him?"
After hearing this, a Chu envoy said angrily: "Are you going to provoke another war between Chu and Wei?!"
"No!" Zhao Hongrun shook his finger and corrected: "It is not the battle between Chu and Wei, but the three kingdoms of Qi, Lu and Wei attacking Chu!"
…
Many Chu people in the palace became stagnant when they heard this. After all, they were not afraid of Wei alone. They were afraid that Qi, Lu, and Wei would jointly attack Chu, which would be a disaster.
"Don't look at me with this look. I have no choice but to do it." Zhao Hongrun glanced at the confused Guling Lord Xiong Wu and said lightly: "There is no way, who can let Guling from your country
Are you declaring war on the Wei Dynasty at this moment? I, the King, always like to strike first and gain the upper hand..."
Huang Su, a scholar-official of the Chu State, was originally shocked and angry, but after hearing these words, he immediately understood, and the shock and anger in his heart subsided a little, and he quickly tried to smooth things over and said: "Master Run has misunderstood, Xiong
What my young master just said was just nonsense, and he did not really mean to declare war with your country and start another war."
"Oh? Really?" Zhao Hongrun glanced at Guling Lord Xiong Wu and waited for his answer with a half-smile.
At this time, Guling Lord Xiong Wu had already come to his senses, and he was extremely angry. He really didn't expect that Zhao Hongrun would take action as soon as he said so.
If the guards around him hadn't rescued him in time, wouldn't he have been killed by the guards surrounding King Su of Wei?
This guy...he, he really dares to kill me?
Guling Lord Xiong Wu looked at Zhao Hongrun in disbelief, struggling constantly in his heart.
Although he absolutely did not want to bow to the guy in front of him, the atmosphere in the palace at this moment really made him a little nervous.
"yes……"
"Yes? What is it?"
"..." Guling Lord Xiong Wu gritted his teeth, suppressed his unwillingness, and said in a low voice: "Xiong is just... just talking nonsense for a moment."
"Haha." Zhao Hongrun chuckled twice, and immediately waved his hand to signal Zongwei Shen Yu to take back the sword in his hand. Immediately, he looked down at Xiong Wu and said: "Don't worry, I have no intention of killing you. I have already guessed it.
The guards around you will block this sword for you... I am just joking with you."
joke?!
Guling Lord Xiong Wu's face turned full of anger when he heard this, and he was about to speak when he saw Zhao Hongrun adding with a cold expression.
"Although it is a joke, I also want you to understand a truth... I, the Wei Dynasty, will never be afraid of war! Anyone, including you, can launch a war against me, the Wei Dynasty, but when the war starts, why
When this war ends, it will be up to me, the Great Wei, to have the final say!"
…
Upon hearing this domineering declaration, the expressions of all the Chu people in the palace changed.
"Hey!" Yangcheng Jun Xiong Tuo also looked a little embarrassed.
After all, as Zhao Hongrun said, the previous war was indeed started by him, Xiong Tuo, but it was Zhao Hongrun who ended the war as the winner!
Only the winner is qualified to decide when to end the current war! (To be continued.)