Chapter 52 Chapter 22 Southern Chu Envoys

The Second Part of Xiaoqiang Rebellion Chapter 22 Southern Chu Envoys In April of the first year of Tongtai in Southern Chu, the lord Long sent his envoy Dayong to pay tribute and proclaim himself a minister. - "The History of Chu in the Southern Dynasties.Biography of King Chu Yang I was sleeping soundly in the middle of the night, and was suddenly woken up by someone. When I opened my eyes angrily, I saw Xiao Shunzi happily holding a basket of hot osmanthus cakes to offer treasures. I was surprised and asked him where he got it from After all, this is the specialty of "Guixiangfang", the most famous pastry shop in Nanchu.I took a bite out of a piece, it was sweet and soft, and it melted in my mouth. I asked contentedly, "Where did you buy it? I'm going to visit it often in the future."

Xiao Shunzi's face changed, and his expression was gloomy. I asked strangely, "What's wrong?" Xiao Shunzi hesitated for a long time before telling the truth. It turned out that he thought about it for a long time, and finally decided to find Dayong’s delicious food instead. Who knew that as soon as he went out, he heard that the envoy of Southern Chu had arrived in Chang’an. He went to the post overnight to inquire. Originally, I wanted to see if there was anything harmful to me, but unexpectedly the mission brought two masters from Guixiangfang, and they happened to make two baskets of the most famous sweet-scented osmanthus cakes, and they were going to send them to Zhao Jia, the lord of the country, and Princess Changle, who were under house arrest. , Maybe they wanted to please Princess Changle in order to have a successful negotiation, but they took advantage of Xiao Shunzi. He used a trick to steal a basket of sweet-scented osmanthus cakes that had just been made.

I almost fainted. I wondered if the Southern Chu mission that had lost the sweet-scented osmanthus cake would report it to the officials. Then I thought, I should quickly destroy the evidence. I wolfed down a basket of sweet-scented osmanthus cakes with Xiao Shunzi. It was already getting brighter, and Xiao Shunzi slipped away.I just wanted to sleep for a while, when Xiao Shunzi came to report again: "My lord, the deputy envoy of Southern Chu, Lu Can, is asking to see you." My heart moved, why did this former student of mine come to see me? Shouldn't he be dismissive of me, after all, I am already a traitor of Nanchu.I asked Xiao Shunzi for advice in doubt, and Xiao Shunzi said dumbfoundedly: "My lord, now you are His Royal Highness's confidant, and His Highness can at least take charge of four parts of the peace talks. If you want to start from Your Highness, you can Isn't it the best candidate, although they are all defeated and sued for peace, but it is also beneficial to Nanchu if they can get more benefits."

I sat up, took the coat that Xiao Shunzi handed over, and was thinking about how to solve it while I was dressing. I originally thought of "meeting each other and fighting for each other", and I didn't plan to meet Lu Can, but if he wanted to talk about peace, It would be a bit too much for me not to give him a chance. Anyway, I used to be a courtier of Southern Chu, and now I am a subordinate of King Yong. He Yi, this matter can be big or small, I can't deal with it at will.After walking a few steps, I felt that I was in good health today, and there should be no problem with meeting guests, so I said, "General Lu, please meet me in the flower hall. It's still early in the morning, so ask someone to bring breakfast to the flower hall, prepare more, and just say I invite you." General Lu has dinner. His Highness should already know. You send someone to ask His Highness if you want to meet the envoys from Southern Chu. I don’t know much about the peace talks. Gou Lian should understand better. If His Highness is inconvenient to come, please Brother Gou came to accompany me, so I can test Nanchu's bottom line. Xiao Shunzi, did Lu Can come alone?"

Xiao Shunzi replied: "My lord, General Lu has brought a young man with him. That man looks good, and he should be a man of extraordinary intelligence." I smiled slightly and said: "Alright, Lu Can is young after all. If he came alone, I suspect that he just came to see me privately. Since there are people accompanying me, it's business. Okay, let's invite them in." Bar." Lu Can stood quietly in front of Prince Yong's Mansion. At the age of twenty-two, he was just at the age of youthful vigor, but his years of military service made him appear more mature than his peers. There is a faint divine light in his eyes, and his demeanor is bold and elegant, so he knows that this young general is a genius with both civil and military skills.Standing half a step behind him is a young man of twenty-six or seventeen years old, with a square scarf and a crown, handsome and elegant, with a special demeanor in his demeanor, which makes people feel that he is willing to be approached.

The young man looked at Lu Can with a calm expression, and his heart was turbulent.His name is Yang Xiu, and he was originally from the Kingdom of Shu. When the Kingdom of Shu fell, he was still studying abroad. When Southern Chu occupied the middle of Shu, he returned to his hometown. The middle of Shu was very peaceful under the rule of Marquis Lu. Although the Jinxiu League was raging, But they didn't cause any big disturbances. Yang Xiu lived a very peaceful life at home. Two and a half years ago, one of his cousins ​​was convicted for participating in the assassination of Lu Hou, and Yang Xiu was implicated and imprisoned. It was Lu Can, the only son of Marquis Lu, this young general acted quickly and decisively, and it was reasonable. Yang Xiu was acquitted in no time, and Lu Can saw that he had an extraordinary talent, so he came to invite him personally. Do your own enlistment.Yang Xiu is not a pedantic person, he has never achieved fame in the Shu Kingdom, and it is not out of integrity to serve the Southern Chu. After following Lu Can, he felt more and more that this young general is outstanding. The formation planning and military strategy are all superhuman. When King Yong raided Southern Chu, Lu Hou led his troops back to help. King Dongchuan Qing took the opportunity to suppress the border of central Shu. Lu Can led his troops to meet the enemy. The two armies clashed several times. Lu Can's hard-trained elite soldiers defeated Dayong's powerful soldiers and forced King Qing to retreat, ensuring that Southern Chu would not be attacked on both sides.Although Lu Can's achievements were not made public because of Jianye's fall, the Southern Chu army had vaguely regarded Lu Can as the successor of Prince De Zhao Jue.What surprised Yang Xiu even more was that although Lu Can came from a family of military generals and could not write poems or essays, he had quite unique insights into classics and history. I have to admire Lu Can's broad knowledge.

A few days ago, Yang Xiu couldn't help asking Lu Can, who could teach a general like Lu Can to be proficient in literature and history, but Lu Can remained silent. Unexpectedly, he just arrived in Dayong yesterday and handed over his credentials. Bring yourself to pay a visit to Jiang Zhe, who has been famous for a long time.Although Yang Xiu knew about Jiang Zhe, he didn't take him very seriously. He was just a Southern Chu talent who had surrendered to Dayong. Will you notice Jiang Zhe's existence?It wasn't until yesterday that he realized that Jiang Zhe was actually Lu Can's mentor.He still remembers that last night, under the silver lamp, Lu Can's face was hidden in the shadows, and he said lightly: "I was naughty since I was a child, and every day I either climbed walls and trees, or played with guns and sticks, or went to fight with you. Those green skins fighting on the street, my father didn't want to see me so ignorant, so he hired a teacher to teach me. I beat several teachers away with my fists, and Mr. Jiang was the fourth teacher. I originally thought Give him a big blow, but he told me as soon as he came that he was just a fool. Anyway, if I beat him away, my father will invite a new one. If I am willing to compromise with him, he will let him We're both fine."

Speaking of this, Lu Can showed a slight smile on his face, and continued: "Mr. Jiang said, as long as I stay in the study every morning and do whatever I want in the afternoon, he will not leave me too much homework, and he will give me a lot of homework." Will help me hide my father. I agreed at the time, but I regretted it within a few days. Every morning, I was bored in the study, watching Mr. Jiang read with great interest, and ignored me, but it would be too embarrassing if I regretted it. , I had no choice but to ask Mr. Jiang to think of a way to kill my time. Mr. Jiang said, in this case, you might as well give me a lecture. Although I feel bored, it is better than being bored alone. I am extremely talented, he will not let me be judged by the Four Books and Five Classics, nor will I be asked to write poems and essays. He said that I am a child of a family, and I don’t have to take the imperial examination. The boring Analects of Confucius was told very interesting by him, and then he told me the history books, and he didn't tell me the original text, but just told me the historical facts like stories, mixed with a lot of his own opinions and some Since then, I have listened to him telling stories every morning. Later, he saw that I prefer to fight with soldiers, and told me about the art of war and battle examples. I don’t know how he knows so many things. I am a few years older, but unfortunately I was too playful at the time and did not understand how precious the teachings of my husband are. It was not until I led the army in battle that I realized how important the things my teacher taught me were. Unfortunately, I no longer had the opportunity to ask my teacher for advice. Yes. Yang Xiu, I said this to let you understand what kind of person my mentor is. Now that he has surrendered to Dayong, it is inevitable that we will meet each other on the battlefield in the future. You are full of strategies and will be his opponent in the future. I You can't do it alone, you have to seize the opportunity to get to know him well, if you don't know your enemy, then you won't be sure of winning."

The more Yang Xiu thought about it, the more emotional he became. He really wanted to see what kind of person this mentor, whom he respected so much as the young general, was like.So the longer he waited, the more worried he was that Jiang Zhe would not meet them. Fortunately, after a while, a young guard came over to salute and said: "General Lu, Lord Sima is meeting the general in the Han Garden. His Excellency has just recovered from a serious injury, so it is inconvenient to go out to meet him, so Hu Yanshou is specially sent to meet him." Lu Can glanced at the young guard, and saw that this man had a simple appearance, but his eyes were cold, his hands were wide and big, his knuckles were protruding, and his tendons were tangled. It is not surprising at all, it can be seen that the fire has reached the point of perfection, and then look at this man's body with a faint murderous look and a tall and straight figure, this must be a warrior who has been in the army for a long time, King Yong asked such a person to be the guard of his teacher, it can be seen that he The respect for the teacher.Thinking in his heart, Lu Can smiled and said, "Please Huyan guards to lead the way."

The two followed Hu Yanshou for a long time before arriving at a quiet and far-reaching garden. Seeing the plaque on the garden gate, Lu Can knew that he could finally see Jiang Zhe.Hu Yanshou greeted the four colleagues guarding in front of the garden gate, and led them into the cold garden.As soon as he entered the cold garden, Lu Can felt a big shock in his heart. Although he didn't see it, he could faintly sense that there were people hiding in all the key positions in the garden. Murderous, you know that the guards here are at least as good as Hu Yanshou.It seems that King Yong's regard for his mentor is incomparable.

The two were invited into the flower hall, and the first thing they saw was Jiang Zhe sitting there and Xiao Shunzi standing beside Jiang Zhe. Yang Xiu looked boldly, and there was a thin and pale young man sitting beside the table. He was wearing a light blue robe, and his hair was only tied up with a hairpin and a snow-white silk scarf.He just sat idly like that, with a peaceful look on his face. If he hadn't seen him look haggard, he would never have thought that he had just returned from struggling to death.Yang Xiu was amazed in his heart. He thought that since Jiang Zhe escaped from the Southern Chu assassins, he would be very indifferent towards Lu Can. He didn't know that someone else succeeded in assassinating Jiang Zhe. The truth had already been hidden, and it was King Yong. It was also said that Jiang Zhe was seriously injured by the Southern Chu assassins. After all, no one wanted to expose Dayong's internal disputes to the outside world.So Jiang Zhe was not disappointed with Nan Chu, but he didn't hate him very much. I took a look at Lu Can. Compared with the last time we met, he seemed more calm. He must have matured a lot after being alone. I stood up and said with a smile: "Young Master, I haven't seen you for a long time, you are getting stronger and stronger." As soon as Lu Can saw me, he was stunned. He woke up when he heard my words. He hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, "My disciple pays homage to his teacher." His tone was choked up. I knew he was sad because of my description. Even when I look at myself in the bronze mirror, I feel a little out of shape. This is also helpless. I am lucky to be able to save my life. How dare I ask for extravagance. Anyway, I can recover my health within a year or so at most. I raised my hand and said: "Little Hou, get up quickly, no, you are now a general of Southern Chu, I should call you General Lu, Zhe is just a teacher who has been a general for a few days, how dare you call him a master and apprentice ." Lu Can's mood had calmed down, and he said lightly: "The disciple was stubborn back then, and didn't know the importance of the teacher's teaching. Now it's too late to regret it. Please don't shirk the teacher, the disciple will not ask the teacher to do extraordinary things just because of the status of master and apprentice. thing." I smiled bitterly and said: "You are still so straightforward, that's all, I don't want to argue with you, get up, I haven't eaten yet, why don't you accompany me, who is this?" I looked at Yang Xiu. Lu Can stood up and said, "This is Yang Xiu, who joined the army under my disciple's command." Yang Xiu stepped forward to salute and said, "I have heard for a long time that Mr. Jiang is famous far and wide. I will pay my respects to you." I wanted to step forward to help, but I felt a pain in my heart, so I could only frowned and said: "Please forgive me for not being inconvenient to return the courtesy. Yang Canjun, please sit down." Yang Xiu saw cold sweat on Jiang Zhe's forehead, and hurriedly said, "Your Excellency is inconvenient, so there is no need to be polite." The three of us sat down, and Xiao Shunzi personally brought three bowls of porridge. I smiled and said, "These porridges are all carefully prepared herbal diets, with nourishing medicine added in them, you two may as well try it." Lu Can stood up and took the bowl from Xiao Shunzi. He knew that this Li Shun killed the poisonous hand Xiexin at the Yangtze River ferry a few days ago. He even "successfully" assassinated in Prince Yong's mansion, moved thousands of miles away, escaped from Dayong, and his reputation skyrocketed. Unexpectedly, he was killed by this young man on the bank of the Yangtze River on a moonlit night. In one night, Li Shun's name spread all over the world. Can dare not neglect. Lin Xiu also stood up to take the porridge bowl. He couldn't help but glance at Jiang Zhe. What's so special about this thin young man that he makes such a master willingly serve as a slave and do the work of a servant? Seeing how restrained they were, I couldn't help smiling, and said, "I heard that Lu Can, you are the official envoy of Southern Chu. You must have made a comprehensive plan. I don't know how I can help you?" Lu Can's expression was a little embarrassed, but he quickly returned to normal, and said respectfully, "Although Southern Chu was defeated, a new king has been established now, everyone is united, and soldiers and horses are ready, so although he proclaims his ministers and seeks peace this time, I hope that Dayong will Don't ask for too much gold and silk, and hope to redeem the Supreme Lord and all the civil and military officials. This is only possible with the approval of Dayong's military. His Royal Highness King Yong is the most important person in it, so the disciples need to know Your Highness means, " I said lightly: "The peace talks are presided over by the ministers of the court. Who dares to speculate on His Royal Highness King Yong's intentions? Besides, His Majesty has no intention of embarrassing Nanchu. You are too worried. I don't care about these things. You are looking for the wrong way." Lu Can knew that what Jiang Zhe said was just an excuse, and was about to continue persuading him, when a hearty voice came from outside the door and said, "Why did you find the wrong way, if General Lu hadn't come to ask you first, this king would never let you go." Nan Chu is at ease." With that said, Li Zhi walked in with Gou Lian.Both Lu Can and Yang Xiu got up to salute.Li Zhi smiled and said: "General Lu, this king once met your father, Lord Lu. I heard that Lord Lu had a tiger cub, and seeing him today really deserves his reputation. My third brother wrote a letter saying that General Lu used his troops like a god. He was very impressed." Lu Can calmly said: "The young general is just a fake father, Yu Wei, and His Royal Highness King Yong is the master of the world. How dare the light of the firefly compete with the bright moon." Li Zhi sat down, and said calmly: "The two countries are reconciled, and this king knows that it is imperative, but your country proclaims itself emperor without regard to your status as a subject. It is a righteous thing for me to attack the Yongxing army. Although your country has suffered losses. It's serious, but it should be paid as compensation, as for the redemption of the captives, this king has no objection, but how much ransom does your country want to pay?" Lu Can said solemnly: "Although Southern Chu has its reasons, it is also a fact that the honorable guest King Qi Xingxing invaded the country. His Highness captured Jianye, kidnapped our monarchs and ministers, and even stole countless gold and silk. Now our country is united. If your country returns If you want to bully us, even though our country is small and weak, we must resist to the end. Although Southern Chu Dayong is a monarch and minister, he is also an in-law. Your country has long wanted to invade. Although we kneel down and ask for peace, we cannot allow your country to take whatever it wants. Our country The new monarch has already ascended the throne, and the previous lord is already a commoner, if your country wants to stay, please feel free, the former lord and Princess Changle of your country are husband and wife, and it is only natural for a son-in-law to live with his father-in-law." Li Zhi's eyes lit up, and he said with a smile: "Well said, it really is a young hero, there are so many talented people in Southern Chu. I admire you." Then he said meaningfully: "Things can also be discussed. Although this king can't make decisions, but I will not embarrass General Lu either."