When it was almost dawn, Marquis Li woke up. This is the darkest hour of the day, the indoor lights have been turned off, and nothing can be seen.The sound of cock crowing can be faintly heard, singing one after another in the distant Liyuan. over slept. Marquis Li coughed and asked, "Who is outside the door?" The eunuch kneeling outside the wall responded: "My lord, Mr. Jibang, who will be the young supervisor, has been guarding outside the door." Another person followed and said, "Chen Jibang is here." "You... haven't returned all night."

"yes……" "Have you figured out a way?" "I'm not an assistant of the state, so I can't think of a way." The person outside the door said wearily, "However, I thought of someone, and he must have a way." "Who?" "Chengzai asks your lord." Marquis Li covered his face with his hands, rubbed them vigorously, and after a while he let out a breath, saying: "Pass." There was a slight rustling sound in the corridor, and many retainers and servants walked back and forth quietly. After a while, the sound of horseshoes came from outside the wall, and they ran away.

After an unknown amount of time, footsteps were heard again in the corridor, and another person knelt outside the door, gasping for breath, and said in a low voice, "Old minister Ce asked to see the lord." "Come in." The door slid open gently, the light from the porch shone in, and the light and shadow danced on the wall.Cheng Zai Cewen knelt outside the door in court attire, kowtowed respectfully, put his hands on the ground, and walked into the house on his knees. The door closed silently behind him, and the room fell into darkness again. Li Hou turned over and sat up, but he didn't get down on the couch, he just dragged the deerskin over his shoulders and draped it over his shoulders, and sat cross-legged on the couch.

Ce Wen knelt down in front of his couch, poured a jug full of cold water from the jug on the small table, held it to Marquis Li with both hands, and stepped aside respectfully. "I'm looking for you, I have something to do." Marquis Li took a sip of water, thought it was cold, and threw it away, Jue fell to the ground with a muffled sound, "This is urgent, I have to do it today." Li Hou's voice was muffled and hoarse, not quite like his usual tone. Ce Wen bowed slightly, and said, "Old minister, please show me your lord." "It's been more than two years since the late emperor passed away, and I feel sad in my heart, and I haven't performed the ritual of shooting. If this continues, it's not good, and it's against the old ways."

He paused, looked at the policy question, and continued: "I heard that last year, His Royal Highness issued a decree that all countries should perform shooting salutes from time to time, in case the imperial court needs it—is there such a thing?" "Yes." Ce asked, "Within the big Friday service, the country of Hou and Bo, every year in the Spring and Autumn Township shooting, since last year, it is considered a regular order. However, because the new funeral in our country has not been three years old, Lord Bo of Jinbei There is an order, just remember—” "So I plan to hold a shooting ceremony in this city on the 15th day of the first lunar month next year, calling for the participation of nobles from all over the country." Marquis Li interrupted him unhurriedly, and said, "What do you want to say?"

Urgently summoned people early in the morning to ask about this matter?Ce Wen was thinking about it in his heart, but he said: "My lord Rong said: Today is the 20th day of the Gui month, only half a month away from the 15th day of the first month, and it is the time of the Chinese New Year. You, officials, and scholars have all returned home. Less than a third of the people living in the city are in such a hurry, I'm afraid..." "I knew you would say that, so I called you here overnight, and I had to plan ahead." In the darkness, Li Hou seemed to be smiling, and suddenly stood up.

"This big shooting ceremony is different from the past. I want you to call all the ministers, officials, scholars, and even people from the countryside. As long as you can shoot and defend, you must gather. My... I want to open the North Cang, take out two thousand stones of grain as a reward for this big shooting ceremony, no matter who it is, as long as they can get the upper, middle and lower three grades, they will all be rewarded. Do you understand?" "The old minister doesn't understand..." "You don't understand." Li Hou looked up at the brighter and brighter courtyard, finally stepped down to the bed, walked slowly on the hard and cold floor, and said coldly as he walked, "This place in Jibei , no one is as smart as you... If you were not smart, how could you grow from a small clerk to become the number one city governor in Jibei?"

He walked up to Ce Wen and stood there for a moment, seeming to be thinking about how to word it.Ce Wen's heart was getting tighter and tighter, but he didn't dare to speak. Finally, Li Hou spoke hoarsely. "Jiang Zuo is a young prisoner... last night he watched outside the widow's door all night. He has found out clearly that the sulfur copper mine that our grandparents and grandchildren have been looking for for three generations has been found... found it... in the country of Su Near the capital... It is said that it happens to be under Su's Zhaoyu... After searching for sixty-five years, I finally found it!"

"Lord……" "The rumors are true..." Marquis Li closed his eyes, looked up to the sky and let out a long breath, "The Su Kingdom was one of the seventy-seven countries that provided sulfur and copper to Shang in the former Shang Dynasty!" Ce Wen patted his knee lightly, but didn't answer his words. "You are the elder of the two dynasties of our country. You also know that the ancestors and the ancestors have searched for a whole life, so bitter...since the king was exiled to this ghost place, just...just to find this mine. More than 3,000 monarchs and ministers were exiled here, and now there are more than 10,000 people...Grandfather, father, and so many people, all died here... Tell me, what should we do now?"

"Have you made a request to Su?" "Jiang Zuo hinted at it, but Su Jun resolutely refused." Ce Wen seemed to know such an answer, pondered for a moment, and said, "It really is like the legend..." Marquis Li nodded, and after a long time, he said: "Before Shang was destroyed, Emperor Xin issued an order to destroy mines. Among the seventy-seven countries, forty-six countries obeyed this order, and seventeen countries were destroyed. From this point of view, Su is one of the remaining fourteen countries." Ce Wen nodded and said, "The determination to build the big shrine and the cemetery on the mine is not insignificant, and I'm afraid it will be hard to shake."

A loud rooster crowed outside the house, Li Hou looked up, and saw the first ray of sunshine this morning cast in the courtyard. The room slowly lit up. Ce Wen sat still, his gray hair was very eye-catching in the morning light, and after a long time, he said slowly, "Please show me, my lord." A look of disappointment flashed across Li Hou's face, but he immediately concealed his expression, stroked his sparse beard, and said, "The widow called you here to ask for your advice." Ce asked: "Yes! Since the lord asked, the old minister dared to dare - back then, our ancestor was entrusted with the title of Shaoqing, and the king of Xiankang sent the ancestor to Jibei. It was indeed to find the legendary sulfur copper. In order to prepare for the royal family to build large ships, so our country is independent from the vassal states, and we also have the post of general as a young prisoner. However, for more than 60 years since the founding of the country, sulfur copper has not even seen a shadow, and we have not been able to return The capital of the kingdom... Now, the royal family has long regarded our country as a country of barriers to the southwest, and no longer demand so much sulfur and copper..." He finally raised his eyes to look at Marquis Li, his face could not be seen clearly in the dimness, and continued: "So I think that things have changed, and everything will not be the same as before. Copper, but I think, firstly, the imperial court is not urgently needed now; secondly, we can report to the imperial court and ask Su to be responsible for the mining, and our country can just be exempted from labor labor for mining..." "Exemption from hard labor?" "Yes. In the past three years, Jibei has been hit by disasters, floods and droughts, and our country has suffered greatly. At this time, if the imperial court orders the mining of sulfur copper, at least thousands of people will be mobilized. How can our country supply it now? Besides , Although Su State and our country are neighboring countries, they are attached to Chu State as their vassals, and they are inseparable from the Great Zhou Dynasty. They have been proud of being loyal to the former Shang Dynasty for generations. Since the mine has been closed, how can they agree to our country to mine?" "I know. That's why I called you here." Marquis Li said coldly, "I... I want to destroy Su." Ce Wen seemed to have known that Marquis Li would say this for a long time, so he was not surprised, and said: "My lord, please think twice. Since the "Forbidden Gathering Order" was promulgated during the reign of King Kang, vassal states without the status of Fang Bo are prohibited from attacking each other. Furthermore , His Royal Highness Duke Zhou, who is in power now, handles the conflicts between the vassal states with an iron fist, and whoever provokes the war will be severely punished. Therefore, I believe that the matter of destroying the Soviet Union is absolutely unacceptable. Please think twice, my lord." "Su State," Lihou said with difficulty, "is a vassal of Chu. It has been disobedient to the imperial court's control and tribute to Baomao for many years. If it is destroyed, the imperial court can make great progress in the southwest. Wouldn't it be a good thing? item?" "The imperial court is using troops in the north at the moment, and it is temporarily unable to look south. Therefore, in the past few years, it has ordered our country to make good relations with Chu to stabilize the southwest." There was no one else in the room, and Li Hou's forced breathing became heavier and heavier, Ce Wen remained unmoved, and said: "At this time, suddenly using troops against Chu's vassal states, how can Chu be willing to let it go? With the war in the Southwest, the Ten Kingdoms in the North will be To fully mobilize, our country will bear the brunt, when the time comes—” With a muffled sound, Li Hou sat down beside him.He approached Ce Wen's head, and asked softly: "Ce Wen, have you—have you ever been to the capital?" "When the first emperor was here, the minister participated in the court appointment three times and went there." "I've never been there." Marquis Li said coldly, "I heard that Wangji is thousands of miles away, surrounded by rivers and mountains, and rich in people... It's a great city that is rarely seen in a thousand years, isn't it?" "The grandeur of the royal capital and the richness of the king's body cannot be described in words—the old minister wonders why the lord asked such a question?" Li Hou let out a long sigh, stood up straight, seemed extremely tired, walked to the window, and looked out through the narrow window slit. Days, not yet bright.The sun hadn't really penetrated the thick, cottony clouds overhead, perhaps as usual, until sunset.In the distant Liyuan, the heavy morning fog separates the forests into isolated islands. The moist rain sprayed over Li Yuan, some places showed bright colors, but some places were shrouded in gray rain. Li State is located in the southwest, and it is a remote country further south than Zhou Feng's Sishang Zhuji. Sixty years ago, when the first Marquis of Li established his country in Liyuan, it was still a barren forest and swamp, full of the barking and howling of wild animals.The ancestors of the Li Kingdom drained water and cultivated fields here, and it took a full sixty years to barely build a small city, named Li City—in Lihou’s own words—compared with all the vassal states in the Central Plains, it is just like a rural village . When they first settled here, wild beasts ran rampant here and disturbed the people. The ancestors of the Li Kingdom had to build their houses like prisons, with low doors and narrow doors, and small and dense windows on all sides, which hardly let in any light. They could only rely on the patio for lighting.However, Liyuan is very rainy, so the courtyard is always humid, and the people who live in it will suffer from many diseases at a very young age. The population of Liguo has always been only a pitiful few thousand people. Su State and Li State are only separated by a Yangshan Mountain, Su State is on the sunny side of the mountain, and Li State is on the yin side of the mountain.Su is also a small country with a much smaller population than Li. Because the state of Li is a country entrusted by the emperor of Zhou, it has a higher status than the hereditary Fang state in the original land. For many years, the state of Su has always treated each other with courtesies. The direction Li Hou looked out from the small window was exactly Su's direction. At this moment, Li Yuan is covered with rain and fog, while Su State, without a doubt, is already sunny. The villages inherited from generation to generation are beating drums, ready to start a new day of life... Li Hou closed his eyes, and the corners of his mouth twitched a few times . "My lord... the matter my lord mentioned today, my minister..." "Ce Wen," Li Hou interrupted him, "How many years have you been looking at this wilderness like a widow?" "The veteran has lived here for fifty-five years." "My widow... It's been nearly thirty years. Thirty years... How many thirty years can one live? In a flash, in a flash, this life will be the same as the first king, dying in this rainy and misty place. " He stared out of the window for a while, finally coughed, turned around with determination, and said, "Ce Wen, I'm leaving here. I want to get sulfur copper. Therefore, I must destroy Su!" Ce Wen sighed deeply, sat up straight, and closed his eyes in silence. Marquis Li waited quietly for a long while before Ce Wen opened his eyes and said: "To destroy Su, judging from the current strength, there are three things that cannot be achieved. Su Jun is virtuous, and the people of Su have been attached to him for a long time. The country is free from chaos, and there is one that cannot be achieved; The Crown Prince of Su, Wusu, and the second son, Yousu, are brothers and cannot be shaken, especially the second son, Yousu, who is rumored in the countryside to be brave enough to be unworthy of an army, so it is impossible to have two..." "The widow..." "Su is not to blame, but if I attack it, the imperial court will definitely be furious, so there is no way to get three!" Ce Wen said coldly, "If there are these three, we should attack them rashly, for fear that our country will not benefit from attacking Su. be harmed by it.” "I don't care about this! I have confidence in your intelligence!" "Destroying a country and exterminating heirs requires not confidence," Ce Wen said coldly, "it's determination." "The widow is determined." "Excuse me, old minister, I'm afraid I won't see it." Ce asked, "In a peaceful year, the lord doesn't know how much it will cost to conquer the country and wipe out the species." Marquis Li stared at Ce Wen, and gradually, his head and neck became red. Ce Wen sighed slightly, and said softly: "Nevertheless, the minister can also make one or two plans for the lord. To attack the Soviet Union, there must be an excuse and a reason. To provoke the relationship between Chu and Zhou, and create a situation of conquest by the princes, it will take five years to do this. Years, it takes two years to build a military chariot, and it takes seven years before you can take Su in righteousness, will your lord wait?" "The widow is unwilling." "Then you have to be prepared and premeditated. It will take three years to provoke the relationship between Su and the northern states. It will take three years and one year for the military vehicles to go back and forth. It will take a total of four years before we can outwit it. Will the lord wait?" Li Hou knelt down in front of him and said with difficulty: "My widow... I would like to use the power of the whole country to entrust it to you... Can you... be faster?" Ce Wen sat still and said: "My lord, everything has its limits. It is not impossible to overstep, but once you overstep, you must have the courage to bear the consequences. From the perspective of the veteran, the lord is still young enough to bear the burden." as a result of." Marquis Li said: "You...you...you are too rude!" Ce Wen stood up calmly, the jade huang on his body made a pleasant knocking sound, and said: "Yes, I am rude. I can't see the determination of my lord. With hesitation, I do extraordinary things, and I am not invincible. I dare not act The foundation of the three generations of Li Guo's ancestors and grandchildren will go to waste. Please suspend this thought, my lord. The old minister will retire." He saluted slightly to the stunned Li Hou, then turned and left.The eunuch outside the door opened the door, Ce Wen went out, and told everyone coldly: "You are good at serving the lord, if you dare to instigate the lord to do wasteful things, I will punish you severely." The eunuchs prostrated themselves on the ground, and Qi claimed it was. Ce Wen went downstairs, at this moment Li Guo's ministers had already heard the news, when they saw him coming downstairs, all the courtiers and doctors in the courtyard knelt down immediately, no one dared to move. Ce Wen looked back upstairs, the window was open, he couldn't see Marquis Li, and he couldn't hear any movement in the room, so he couldn't help but sighed secretly, flicked his sleeves, and walked towards the door. There was a sound of "咻" somewhere behind him, and Ce Wen didn't have time to react, something flew by his ear, and it hit the gate with a "Duo" sound, and the black arrow body trembled for a long time. Ce Wen's ears were buzzing, his whole body was stiff, and he stood still. Only Marquis Li's anxious voice came from upstairs: "Ce Wen! I have made up my mind! Ce Wen, you can take one more step. Within three steps, I will definitely kill you!" "Lord." "Say!" "Your determination is not strong enough. If you really have determination, why not shoot the veteran?" "Policy question!" With an unpredictable smile on his face, Ce Wen slowly turned around, and walked back from the crowd of courtiers who were looking at each other. After a while, a roar suddenly erupted upstairs: "What! Hegu's field!" The voice was that of Marquis Li.Everyone's heart tightened, but after a long time, there was no movement from above. The sky is really bright.The sun didn't end up breaking through the clouds.Li Yuan in the daytime is like a box caged in smoke, it is so hazy that one cannot see clearly.