Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Two Peaches Kill Three Scholars and Great Wisdom Cooks Small Fresh

One morning in midsummer May.Outside the north gate of Linzi City. Accompanied by two guards carrying weapons, Xianzhang was standing by the door, looking up to the north. "My lord, you have been waiting here for two full days, and you still haven't got Yan Xiangguo. Do you think Yan Xiangguo can come back today?" asked the older of the two guards. "Alas! Yan Xiangguo told me when he went out that he would be back within ten days or as long as half a month. As of today, he has been gone for half a month!" Xianzhang lowered his head and sighed , did not answer the older guard directly.

At this moment, the younger of the two guards pointed to the north and reported loudly to Xianzhang: "My lord, look! A carriage is coming from a distance!" When Xianzhang heard this, he quickly looked up. "That's Yan Xiangguo's carriage!" Xianzhang couldn't help shouting happily when he saw Yan Ying's carriage appearing in the distance. Under the escort of four guards carrying weapons and riding on horseback, Yan Ying's carriage gradually approached. When Yan Ying's carriage approached, Xianzhang rushed to meet him. "Hoo!" Seeing Xianzhang's arrival, Li Yao quickly reined in the reins, stopped the car, and shouted to Yan Ying who was in the car, "My lord, Lord Xian is here!"

Li Yao jumped off the carriage, and then helped Yan Ying get off the carriage. "Yan Xiangguo, I am looking forward to your return!" Xianzhang approached Yan Ying and bowed his hands in salute. "Doctor Xian, why are you here? Did something happen in court?" Yan Ying was very surprised when he saw Xianzhang, and asked eagerly while bowing his hands in return. "Xiangguo, something happened in the imperial court. The thing is like this: Three days ago, the lord's favorite Mrs. Yingji died of sudden illness. The lord was very sad. He sat by the corpse of Mrs. Yingji, neither eating nor drinking. Weeping. The weather is already hot, how can the corpse be kept for a long time? Beizhi, Sui Ying, Bao Jian and other doctors saw this situation, worried that the body of the lord would not wear down, and that Mrs. Yingji's body would not rot and stink. So I persuaded the lord again and again to mourn and bury Mrs. Yingji as soon as possible. However, the lord didn't listen to anyone. I pin my only hope on Xiangguo. I have been waiting here for two days, and I finally got you back today! Please persuade the lord!" After finishing his speech, Xianzhang bowed his hands to Yan Ying again.

"Okay, okay, I'll persuade my lord! But how should I persuade?" Yan Ying agreed while thinking, "Doctor Xian, I don't think it's better than this: you get in my car too, and the two of us I'm walking all the way, discussing all the way, to see if I can come up with a good solution. Do you like it?" "That's great!" Xianzhang replied. In the inner courtyard of Qi Palace. Sui Ying, Bao Mu, Tian Qi, Liang Qiuju, Yi Qian and other court ministers, as well as more than a dozen envoys from the surrounding vassal states holding talismans were present, discussing something in a low voice.

"Yan Xiangguo is here!" Someone in the crowd shouted. Hearing the shout, everyone looked towards the gate of the courtyard in unison.I saw that Yan Ying had entered the courtyard and was walking towards the crowd. "Yan Xiangguo, you are back! Hurry up and persuade the lord!" Bao Mu went up to greet Yan Ying, saluted Yan Ying, and said eagerly. "Dear-in-law, everyone is looking forward to you coming back!" Sui Ying bowed her hands to Yan Ying and saluted. Yan Ying didn't have time to answer everyone one by one, and while bowing his hand to everyone, he said to a servant who was standing next to him: "Take me to see the lord!"

"Obey!" The servant bowed to Yan Ying, then turned around and led Yan Ying to the living room. In the living room of the Qi Palace Inner Palace. What used to be a singing and dancing hall is now a morgue. Yingji's body was laid on a large mat spread out on the spot, except for a suit of clothes, it was not covered with cloth. Jinggong sat beside Yingji's body, weeping in a low voice, and murmured: "Ai Ji, Ai Ji, you are young, beautiful, smart, and have brought so much joy to the widows! Now, you Nian Fang Huaxin, you can't just leave the widow like this! Woooooo! Woooooo!"

Yan Ying walked in under the leadership of the servant. As soon as he entered the room, he smelled a foul smell. He couldn't help but wrinkled his nose and frowned. The servant quickly approached Duke Jing, cupped his hands and saluted, and reported softly: "My lord..." "Who told you to come again? Get out of here quickly!" Duke Jing waved his hand and shouted sharply when he heard someone coming, but he didn't look up to see who was coming. Hearing Jing Gong's reprimand, the servant was trembling with fright, and stood aside, not daring to make a sound. "My lord, my minister Yan Ying has returned from inspection, come to greet the lord!" Yan Ying walked up to Duke Jing, knelt and kowtowed, and said loudly.

"Oh, so it's Mr.!" Hearing Yan Ying's voice, Jing Gong raised his head, with a tired face, opened his red and swollen eyes, and looked at Yan Ying. In the inner courtyard of Qi Palace. Xianzhang led four guards to bring in a coffin from outside and put it beside the crowd. Everyone present looked at the strings and then at the coffin, but no one could understand. In the living room of the Qi Palace Inner Palace. Yan Ying was still kneeling and talking to Duke Jing. "As soon as I came back, I heard that Mrs. Yingji was ill, so I hurried over to greet her. I wonder how Mrs. Yingji's condition is now?" Yan Ying asked knowingly.

"That's not it," Jing Gong pointed to Ying Ji's body, and said in a tearful voice, "It's already the fourth day today, but she hasn't even breathed a sigh of relief!" "My lord, don't worry! When I entered the palace just now, I saw a wizard and a doctor coming outside the door. They all said: 'I heard that Mrs. Yingji is critically ill, so I voluntarily ask for permission to treat her.'" "What? Sir, are you saying that Yingji's illness can still be cured?" Duke Jing asked quickly after hearing the words. "The guests claim that they are good doctors! My lord, why don't you let them have a try?" Yan Ying asked tentatively.

"Okay, okay! Let them come in and have a try!" Jing Gong replied happily, while standing up, seeing Yan Ying still kneeling on the ground, he said hastily, "Sir, please get up!" "Thank you, my lord!" Yan Ying kowtowed again, stood up, and said to Jing Gong with a serious expression, "My lord, wait a while for the wizard and the doctor to come in to treat Mrs. Ying Ji, and there will be things like offering sacrifices to ghosts and gods." , I'm afraid it will be bad for you. You'd better get out of here, avoid it for a while, go to have a bath and eat something. How do you like it?"

"Okay, okay, I'm going to take a bath and eat now!" Jinggong replied with a smile, and turned to leave. Seeing Jinggong leaving happily, Yan Ying hurriedly walked to the servant who was standing aside, and said in a low voice: "Go to the courtyard quickly, and ask Doctor Xianzhang to bring someone in!" "Obey!" The servant agreed, bowed his hands to Yan Ying, then turned around and walked out quickly. After a while, the servant came in with Xianzhang and four guards carrying the coffin.Xianzhang and the others frowned, as if they couldn't bear the stench in the house. "Xiangguo..." Xianzhang bowed his hands to Yan Ying, as if he wanted to say something. "Hush—" Yan Ying raised his right hand and waved it, signaling Xianzhang and others not to speak. The four guards were very nimble, and within a short while put Yingji's body together with the pillows into the coffin, and then closed the coffin lid. Seeing that the coffin had been retracted, Yan Ying didn't speak, but raised his right hand, and made a gesture of "Hurry up and carry it away" to Xianzhang and others. Seeing Yan Ying's gesture, Xianzhang hurriedly saluted Yan Ying, and then walked out with four guards carrying the coffin. "Go and see if the lord has finished taking a bath and eating. After the lord has finished washing and eating, you will inform me immediately so that I can report to the lord!" Yan Ying whispered to the servant who was standing by the side commanded. "Obey!" Qi Palace Inner Palace.In Jinggong's study. Jing Gong had just finished taking a bath and eating, and his complexion had improved. He was sitting behind the desk, talking with Yan Ying who was sitting on the right seat. "Sir, tell me about how the wizard and the doctor treated Yingji!" Jing Gong smiled, his eyes full of anticipation and hope. "My lord, the wizards and doctors tried all kinds of means and tried their best, but they still couldn't save Mrs. Yingji. According to them, Mrs. Yingji has been dead for three or four days, and the body has already started to rot and smell. , It is indeed impossible to save her life. Therefore, I sent someone to put Mrs. Yingji's body into a coffin for funeral. This is a big matter, and I dare not report it to the lord!" After Yan Ying finished speaking, she respectfully addressed Duke Jing He bowed his hands and gave a salute. Jinggong was furious when he heard the words, and said to Yan Ying with a serious expression: "Sir! You used the excuse of wizards and doctors to treat patients and asked the widow to leave instead of letting the widow watch on the spot. Later, you put the widow Ai Ji into the coffin for funeral Lian, but don't let the widow know. Doesn't the widow, who is the king of the country, have a false name?!" "My lord, calm down!" Yan Ying bowed his hands to Duke Jing again, and then replied solemnly and calmly, "My minister bluntly said that it is a truth that people can't be resurrected after death. Why is it that only my lord doesn't understand this truth?" What? The minister once heard: "The ruler is righteous and the minister is obedient, and the ruler is rebellious and the minister is rebellious." Now, the lord is doing something wrong. If you follow the lord's will, you will follow the lord to do evil. What a mistake! In the past, our former emperor, Duke Huan, became dominant because he appointed Guan Zhong, and died because of his favor and trust. Now, my lord, you are less than the courtesy of the ministers and more than the sorrow of the concubine. The body of Mrs. Yingji has begun to rot It stinks, but refuses to be buried in the coffin, and cries all day long, ignoring the government. Is it right? As a minister, if you respect the king, you can't guide the people; if you follow the king's desire, then You can't hold the country. What's more, I have heard that if the corpse is rotten and not restrained, it is called humiliating the corpse; if the corpse is stinky and not buried, it is called carrion. My lord, you have violated the nature of a sage king, Doing something that the common people criticize, and putting Mrs. Yingji in the position of being humiliated, it is very unreasonable!" When Yan Ying was speaking, Duke Jing listened attentively, his face turned red and pale for a while.It wasn't until Yan Ying finished speaking that he stammered: "Sir, I really don't understand so many truths! If that's the case, let's do it according to Mr.'s opinion!" Yan Ying saw that Jinggong seemed to have realized something, so he stopped blaming Jinggong, but encouraged him: "Since the lord has understood these principles, it's good! Now, the ministers of the Qi State and all the people around you The envoys sent by the princes to express their condolences are waiting for you in the courtyard. Go out and meet them! However, you cry, but you must mourn!" "Okay, okay." Jing Gong agreed and stood up. One morning in midsummer in June. Under the eaves outside the main hall of Qi Palace.Tian Kaijiang, Gu Yezi, and Gongsun Jie sat on the ground, chatting and laughing. Inside the main hall of Qi Palace.Jinggong sits on the throne.Civil and military officials are divided into left and right classes.The monarch and his ministers are discussing matters. Suddenly, a servant hurried into the hall. The servant walked straight up to Duke Jing, cupped his hands and saluted, and reported in a low voice: "My lord, Jin Shang, one of the envoys of the State of Chu, is asking to see you outside the palace!" "What? The envoy of Chu State is asking to see you?" Duke Jing was taken aback when he heard the news of the arrival of the envoy of Chu, but immediately recovered his composure. "Hurry up, invite the envoy of Chu into the palace!" "Obey!" The servant agreed, bowed his hands and saluted, then turned around and walked quickly outside the hall. Under the eaves outside the main hall of Qi Palace.Tian Kaijiang and the other three were still sitting there talking and laughing. Led by the servants of the Qi Palace, Jin Shang, the envoy of Chu holding a talisman, was hurriedly walking towards the entrance of the main hall of the Qi Palace. "Who are you? How dare you break into my Qi Palace!" Seeing a stranger approaching, Tian Kaijiang stood up abruptly. Gu Yezi and Gongsun Jie also stopped talking and laughing, and stood up abruptly. "To the three generals, this is Dr. Jin Shangjin, the envoy of Chu State. The villain is ordered by the lord to bring him into the palace to meet the lord!" The servant clasped his hands and saluted, while explaining to Tian Kaijiang and the other three. "Doctor Chu? Then why did you come to our country of Qi?" Gu Yezi asked sharply while looking Jin Shang up and down. "Jin Shang came here for the friendship between Chu and Qi." Jin Shang replied while bowing his hands to Tian Kaijiang and the other three. "Chu is a country of barbarians, so is it worthy of friendship with our Qi?" Gongsun Jie said loudly with his eyes wide open. "The general doesn't know something." Hearing the harsh words, Jin Shang didn't get angry, but smiled and replied calmly, "Our state of Chu has three rivers and five lakes, a place of thousands of miles, and millet branches for several years. Foot soldiers are a big country. If we have good relations with Chu, Qi will gain fame and profit..." "Beep! Shut up!" Before Jin Shang could finish his sentence, Tian Kaijiang pointed at Jin Shang's nose and shouted angrily, "It's just a mere Chu country! The three of us personally raised the heroic soldiers. Raze your country of Chu to the ground, everyone will die, and no one will be left behind!" "Come here!" Gu Yezi shouted to the warriors guarding the entrance of the hall, "Push this outspoken Chu man out of the palace and chop him off!" Inside the main hall of Qi Palace. "Why hasn't the envoy of Chu entered the palace yet?" Duke Jing, who was waiting for the envoy of Chu, looked impatient. Yan Ying heard the noise of people outside the main hall, and knew something was different, so he bowed his hands to Duke Jing and said: "My lord, wait for me to go out and have a look!" "Okay!" Jing Gong seemed a little helpless. Yan Ying turned around and walked towards the entrance of the main hall. Outside the main hall of Qi Palace. As soon as Yan Ying walked out of the gate of the main hall, he saw two warriors holding weapons, escorting a man holding a talisman towards the gate of the palace. "Stop! Stop! Stop for me!" Seeing this, Yan Ying was extremely surprised, and shouted loudly while running to chase after him. Hearing Yan Ying's shout behind them, the two warriors stopped. One of them let go of Jin Shang's arm, turned around, saluted Yan Ying, and asked, "Yan Xiangguo, are you here?" Are you called a villain?" "Exactly!" Yan Ying responded, and shouted at another warrior, "You don't want to let go!" Seeing Yan Ying's arrival, the warrior was already angry, so he let go of Jin Shang's other arm. When Jin Shang heard the warrior calling "Yan Xiangguo", he knew that it was Yan Ying who was coming, so he turned around. "Chu envoy Jin Shang pays homage to Yan Xiangguo!" The pale Jin Shang regained his composure for a while, and then saluted Yan Ying. "Ambassador Jin, Yan Ying is discussing matters in the court, and the ambassador was surprised before he was able to welcome the ambassador into the palace. I hope the ambassador will forgive me!" Yan Ying bowed his hand and saluted Jin Shang as he spoke. The palace attendant of Qi who was ordered to bring Jin Shang into the palace, just now was scared by Tian Kaijiang and the other three and hid aside tremblingly, now seeing Yan Ying coming, he quickly walked in front of Yan Ying. "What's going on here?" Yan Ying asked the servant. "Xiangguo, the thing is like this..." The servant bowed his hands to Yan Ying, then looked in the direction where Tian Kaijiang and the other three were standing, put his mouth next to Yan Ying's ear, and reported in a low voice Looking at everything that happened here just now. After listening to the servant's report, Yan Ying said to Jin Shang: "Ambassador Jin, do you think this is good: I will send someone to take the ambassador to the post to rest for a while, and after a while, I will go to the post to visit the ambassador. , to put wine on the ambassador's face." "It's so good, thank you Yan Xiangguo!" Jin Shang's expression had returned to normal, and when he saw what Yan Ying said, he readily agreed.After speaking, he bowed his hands to Yan Ying and saluted. Inside the main hall of Qi Palace. Jinggong sits on the throne. Yan Ying was standing in front of Duke Jing, reporting to him what happened just now outside the gate of the main hall. "My lord, what happened just now is just like this." Yan Ying finished his report and bowed his hands to Duke Jing. At this moment, Tian Kaijiang and the other three strode towards Yan Ying angrily.They turned a blind eye to Jinggong sitting on the throne, let alone performing the courtesy of the emperor and his ministers. "Our brothers have already decided to kill that Chu man, why did you let him go? Tell me!" Tian Kaijiang asked, pointing at Yan Ying's nose with angry eyes. "The three generals, calm down!" Yan Ying looked around at Tian Kaijiang and the other three standing beside him, smiled, and replied calmly, "The three generals must have heard this sentence: 'The two countries should not fight each other. What's more, Chu State sent Dr. Jin to our Qi State, not to declare war on us, but to make peace with us and make friends with us. The three generals may wish to think about it, the envoy of Chu came alone When we arrive in Qi State, we Qi State has many people and powerful forces. Isn’t it easy to catch him and kill him? However, in this way, not only will Chu State be offended, but if other vassal states find out, You will be the laughing stock of all ages!" Tian Kaijiang and the other three were at a loss for words when they heard Yan Ying's words, but they still stood beside Yan Ying angrily. Seeing that Tian Kaijiang and the other three were silent, Yan Ying turned to face Jing Gong, bowed his hands and saluted, "My lord, although Chu is far away from the barbarians, it is also a descendant of the Yellow Emperor! In recent years, Chu has grown stronger and stronger. Since the successive annihilation of Chen and Cai, they have become our close neighbors to Qi, and soldiers from Chu have frequently harassed our borders. This time, the envoys of Chu came to Qi and said that they were on good terms with me. I think that for the sake of the people of Qi and the revitalization of Qi, we must not make such a strong enemy, but should put good neighborliness first. I would like to go to Chu in person to tell the king and minister of Chu the benefits and disadvantages so that they will give up disturbing Qi. , Mie Qi’s heart, truly make peace with me and make friends with me. I ask the lord for permission!” Before Jinggong could speak, Tian Kaijiang and the other three roared. "Why do you build up other people's aspirations and destroy your own prestige?" Gu Yezi asked, pointing at Yan Ying's nose. "My lord! You give me 10,000 elite soldiers, and the three of us will go out in person and swear to wipe out Chu State!" Tian Kaijiang shouted at Duke Jing, not even being polite. "The people of Qi are blind, how could they find such a bastard like you!" Gongsun Jie also pointed at Yan Ying's nose and shouted. Yan Ying's face remained unchanged, and he stood proudly. Liang Qiuju and Yi Qian covered their mouths with their sleeves, seeming to be tittering. The rest of the ministers had never seen such a scene before, they all looked at each other in blank dismay, silent as if chilling. Seeing this, Duke Jing couldn't hold his breath any longer, so he shouted loudly: "You three don't make noise here! I think that since Xiangguo said this, he must have a well-thought-out plan. I want to discuss with Xiangguo about the matter of envoy to Chu. You three go back first!" "Huh!" Tian Kaijiang and the other three were very unhappy when they saw Duke Jing ordering them to go down, and they didn't salute or say goodbye to Duke Jing, but just "hummed" with their noses, then turned and walked out of the hall. "If this son of a bitch is envoy to Chu this time, if we break the spirit of our country, we will chop him up as soon as he comes back!" Gu Yezi walked out, holding the scabbard in his left hand and the sword in his right. He angrily spoke cruel words to Tian Kaijiang and Gongsun Jie. one morning. A small village in Chu State. On the main road beside the village, Yan Ying and his party were parked. Although it is mid-autumn, the climate in the southern country is still very hot.Pedestrians on the road were still wearing summer unlined clothes or shirtless. Seeing an old man in his sixties approaching with a basket of oranges, Li Yao quickly jumped out of the carriage, stepped forward to salute, and asked with a smile, "Old man, let me ask you, how far is it to Yingcheng?" far?" The old man stopped, looked at Li Yao and Yan Ying's horses and horses, and replied loudly, "To Ying City? It's not far away! There are still a hundred miles to go, and you can arrive by this time tomorrow!" "Thank you, old man!" Li Yao saluted the old man again. at the same time. In the main hall of Chu Palace. King Ling of Chu Jun sits on the throne.Civil and military officials are divided into left and right classes. "My dear friends," King Ling said to the ministers, "According to reports from the detectives, the envoy of Qi State will arrive tomorrow. The widow heard that Yan Ying, the envoy of Qi State, is the Prime Minister of Qi State. Although he is less than five feet tall, he is worthy Famous among the lords. However, among all the countries in the sea today, our country of Chu is the strongest. The widow wants to humiliate Yan Ying, in order to show the prestige of our country of Chu. What is your plan?" Jin Shang, the doctor of Zhongzhong, bowed his hands to King Ling and said: "My lord, that Yan Ying is a wise man. He is knowledgeable, knowledgeable, smart and decent, and his eloquence is unmatched. This time he made Chu, It is specially for the peace and friendship between the two countries. Our state of Chu is a big country, and we should treat him with the demeanor and courtesy of a big country, and we must not humiliate him, so as not to get ourselves humiliated!" "The widow's decision has been made, the doctor doesn't need to say anything!" King Ling dismissed Jin Shang, and then asked the officials, "What clever plan do you have?" Dazai Xie Qijiang bowed his hands to King Ling, and said: "My lord, in my opinion, it is precisely because Yan Ying is quick-witted and good at dealing with things, so it is difficult for us to humiliate him with just one word and one thing. To achieve The purpose of humiliating him must be one step at a time, one trap at a time, one trap at a time, and one trap at every step, making it difficult for him to deal with them properly even if he has great abilities." "I would like to hear the details!" King Ling seemed very excited after hearing Xie Qijiang's words. "My lord, please forgive me!" Xie Qijiang gave another salute to King Ling, then lowered his voice, and said mysteriously, "The first step: I will send someone tonight to the east gate of Ying City, where Yan Ying must pass, and go to the other side of the gate. Dig a small hole five feet high and two feet wide. When Yan Ying arrives tomorrow, he will close the city gate and let him enter through the small hole..." "Wonderful! Wonderful! It's really wonderful! Hahahaha!" Before Xie Qijiang could finish speaking, King Ling declared "Wonderful" and burst into applause and laughter. the next morning. The east gate of Ying City in Chudu. The city gates are closed.Only four tall Chu soldiers with weapons stood guard on both sides of the city gate. Yan Ying and his party stopped not far from the city gate. "My lord, Ying City has arrived, but the city gate is closed!" A Qi soldier on horseback who was walking in front of Yan Ying's carriage returned from the city gate, saluted and reported to Yan Ying who was sitting in the carriage. "What? The city gate is closed?" Yan Ying was puzzled when he heard this, "Li Yao, let's go and have a look!" With Li Yao's support, Yan Ying got out of the carriage.Then, Li Yao followed Yan Ying and walked towards the gate of the city. When they reached the gate of the city, Li Yao stepped forward, bowed his hands to a Chu soldier guarding the gate, and then said, "Little brother, we are envoys sent by Qi State, and this is our Xiangguo Yan, please close the gate quickly." Open it so we can go in!" The Chu soldier bowed in return, looked at Yan Ying and his party, and said, "You are the envoys of the Qi State? I am so sorry, but the city gate cannot be opened! My lord has ordered that the envoys of the Qi State come to Ying City. Enter through the small door on the side!" Yan Ying and Li Yao walked a few steps in the direction pointed by the Chu soldier, and they saw a "small gate" about five feet high and two feet wide opening on the city wall. "My mother! What kind of 'small gate' is this? It's just a dog's hole!" Li Yao squatted at the entrance of the "small gate" and looked inside, and couldn't help shouting. "Hahahaha! Hahahaha!" Faced with this situation, Yan Ying smiled instead of being annoyed. "My lord, what should we do?" Li Yao asked eagerly. "I have my own way to get them to open the city gate!" Yan Ying replied while walking towards the city gate. Yan Ying walked up to the Chu soldier just now, bowed his hands and gave a salute, then smiled and said in a calm tone: "Little brother, please go and tell your lord quickly, and say: Our envoy from the State of Qi is here All nations, if they come to a human country, they enter through the human gate; only when they arrive at a dog country, do they enter through the dog gate. I wonder if Chu is a human country or a dog country?" "Please wait a moment, I will report right away!" The Chu soldier bowed to Yan Ying, and then walked quickly towards the "small gate" next to the city gate. "Hahahaha!" Yan Ying and Li Yao laughed at the sight of the Chu soldier crawling through the "small door". After a while, with a "creak" and "creak", the two city gates finally opened from the inside.The door opened, and several Chu soldiers walked out.One of the leaders, a Chu soldier who looked like an officer, walked straight towards Yan Ying. "Are you the envoy of Qi State, Mr. Yan Xiangguo?" The Chu soldier who looked like an officer walked up to Yan Ying, bowed his hands, and asked respectfully. "Exactly." Yan Ying clapped his hands back and replied. "The villain was ordered by my lord to open the city gate and welcome Lord Yan and his party to Yingcheng. Please!" The Chu soldier who looked like a military officer made a gesture of "please come in" while speaking. "It seems that the state of Chu is still a state of people, not a state of dogs! Hahahaha!" After laughing, Yan Ying said to the Chu soldier who looked like an officer, "Then, little brother Lao will lead the way, and we will go straight to Chu Palace to meet your monarch!" "Little man, obey!" The Chu soldier who looked like an officer bowed his hands to Yan Ying, then turned and walked towards the city gate. With Li Yao's support, Yan Ying boarded the carriage. Yan Ying and his party drove slowly into the east gate of Ying City. Inside the city of Ying. The streets are wide and smooth, the road surface is flat, the market is dense, merchants gather, people come and go, bustling.Compared with Linzi, the capital of Qi, it has a different scene. "It's such a great place with outstanding people!" Yan Ying sat in the carriage, looked out from the open window beside him, looked left, looked right, the more he looked, the happier he was, and he couldn't help admiring. At this moment, the sound of chariots and horses approaching suddenly came from the front. "My lord, a large chariot is approaching, what should we do?" Seeing this, Li Yao turned sideways to ask Yan Ying for instructions. "Get over to the side and stop for now!" Yan Ying ordered decisively. "Stop!" Li Yao loudly conveyed Yan Ying's order to the entourage. Yan Ying and his party stopped on the right side of the street. The oncoming large chariot continued to drive to a place less than ten steps away from Yan Ying and his party, and then stopped.At this time, Yan Ying and his entourage saw clearly that what came was not one chariot, but two chariots at the front and back, and four warriors stood on each chariot, each of them was tall and burly, with neat and distinctive armor, holding a big bow The long halberd, with both eyes looking straight ahead, looks like a god, very mighty. After the chariot came to a complete stop, a warrior jumped off the chariot in front and walked straight towards the chariot with the talisman on which Yan Ying was riding. "Excuse me, is the Qi State envoy Yan Xiangguo Lord Yan sitting in the carriage?" The warrior stopped about three steps away from Yan Ying's carriage, and bowed to Li Yao who was sitting on the driver's seat. Ask loudly. "Exactly." Seeing the question, Li Yao quickly jumped out of the carriage, bowed his hands in return, answered, and asked, "Excuse me, what can I do?" "The villain was ordered by my lord to welcome Master Yan into the palace!" The warrior saluted Li Yao again and replied respectfully. Yan Ying had already heard and seen everything outside the carriage in the carriage, so he raised the curtain of the carriage door and got out of the carriage with Li Yao's support. Seeing Yan Ying get off the carriage, the warrior hurriedly took a step forward, bowed and said, "Master Yan, the villain is here to welcome you into the palace by the order of my monarch, please get on the chariot of the villain!" "Thank you, your lord!" Yan Ying bowed his hands back, followed the direction the warrior pointed, looked at the two chariots parked in front of him, and then said to the warrior with a serious expression: "This Yingcheng is the capital of your country, so there must be no robbers or bandits, right? Yan Ying came here today for the friendship between the two countries, and it’s not a war. What are you doing with so many chariots and warriors? We already have someone to lead the way, general please Get back quickly!" "This..." The samurai seemed to be about to say something, with an embarrassed expression on his face. "Li Yao, let's go!" Yan Ying ignored the warrior, and got into the carriage with Li Yao's support as he spoke. "Drive!" With Li Yao's yell, Yan Ying and his team moved forward again. The main hall of the Chu Palace is tall and majestic, extremely magnificent. There were two people standing on the steps at the entrance of the main hall, one was the Dazai of the Chu State, Sao Qijiang, and the other was the Chinese doctor Jin Shang.Seeing that Yan Ying, who was holding a talisman, had approached the main hall, the two hurried down the steps to greet him. "Yan Xiangguo, Mr. Jin Shang welcomes you to Chu!" Jin Shang stepped forward, saluted Yan Ying, and introduced to Yan Ying, "This is Mr. Kao Qijiang, the Taizai of Chu!" "Thank you, Doctor Jin!" Yan Ying first bowed his hand to Jin Shang, and then bowed his hand to Kao Qijiang, "I have heard about Kao Dazai for a long time, it's a pleasure to meet you, it's a pleasure to meet you!" Xie Qijiang bowed his hand to return the gift, and said: "Yan Xiangguo is well-known in all countries, and Xie is able to meet today. It is really a lucky three lives! My lord is very happy to hear that Xiangguo is coming, and I will send Xie here to meet you. Please! " "Thank you Kao Dazai!" Yan Ying cupped his hands and saluted again, then followed Kao and Jin into the hall. In the main hall of Chu Palace. King Ling of Chu sits on the throne.Civil and military officials are divided into left and right classes. "The foreign minister, Yan Ying, was ordered by the widow to come to pay homage to the king!" Yan Ying approached the Ling king, knelt down and kowtowed. "Qi Envoy, please get up!" Ling Wang said. "Thank you, Your Majesty!" Yan Ying kowtowed again, stood up, held a talisman, and stood awe-inspiring. "Emissary of Qi, I ask you: Is there no talent in Qi?" King Ling asked. Yan Ying bowed his hands to King Ling, and then calmly replied: "My lord, Qi is a big country between Haidai and the sound of chickens and dogs stretches for thousands of miles. There are 30,000 households in Linzi alone. The walkers rub shoulders, and the standing ones follow. If people spread out their sleeves, they can cover the sun; if everyone sweats, it will be like a heavy rain. How can it be said that Qi has no talents?" "If that's the case, then why did you send someone like you as an envoy to Chu?" King Ling asked again. "Your Majesty, please," Yan Ying bowed his hands to King Ling when he heard the words, then smiled and answered eloquently, "Your Majesty doesn't know, there are rules for our Qi State to send envoys to other countries. Which country's If the king is virtuous, he will send a wise envoy to that country; if the king of that country is unworthy, he will send an unworthy envoy to that country. Yan Ying is the most unworthy, so I sent Yan Ying to the state of Chu." "Sir, please stop talking!" Hearing Yan Ying's answer, King Ling felt a little ashamed and uneasy, so he had to change his tone and said to Yan Ying, "Mr. !" "Thank you, my lord!" Yan Ying bowed his hands to King Ling, and then sat down at the designated seat. King Ling and Yan Ying were talking. Suddenly, a servant hurried into the hall. The servant approached Ling Wang, saluted first, and then reported in a low voice: "My lord, the oranges in the suburbs of Ying are yellow, and several people from the suburbs have come to offer new oranges!" King Ling was very happy when he heard this: "Okay! You pick the best ones and bring them in. I will just quench my thirst with Mr. Yan!" "Obey!" The servant bowed his hands and turned around to leave the hall. Not long after, the waiter brought in a large plate of oranges, and gently placed them on the long table in front of King Ling. "Mr. Yan, please taste it first!" King Ling said to Yan Ying with a smile. Hearing this, the servant hurriedly took out an orange, a knife and a cloth towel from the plate, and put them together on the table in front of Yan Ying. "Thank you, Your Majesty!" Yan Ying was also very happy to see the King of Ling who was condescending first and then respectful. He thanked him and bowed his hands to salute. Then he picked up the oranges on the table, wiped them with a cloth towel, and then sent them to his mouth. Seeing Yan Ying eating the orange with relish, King Ling smiled and remained silent, and most of the ministers in the court also snickered. After Yan Ying finished eating the oranges, King Ling smiled and said, "Sir, have the people of Qi never eaten oranges? Why don't you use a knife to cut open the orange peel, sir, and eat the peel?" Upon seeing the question, Yan Ying gave a salute to King Ling, and then calmly replied: "Reporting to Your Majesty, the foreign ministers have heard that: 'Blessed by the King, melons and peaches are not cut, and oranges and pomelo are not cut open." Gifting is the same as receiving a gift from a widow! The king didn't order the orange peel to be cut open, so how dare the foreign minister not eat the peel? It's not that the foreign minister is ignorant!" "Oh, that's how it is!" After hearing Yan Ying's words, King Ling couldn't help admiring him, "I've heard for a long time that Mr. Li is well-educated and knowledgeable, and seeing him today is really extraordinary! It's almost noon, and I want to set up a Banquet, drinking and talking with Mr. I don't know what Mr. will do?" "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness!" Yan Ying hurriedly cupped his hands in salute and thanked him. Lingwang Junchen and Yan Ying are drinking. King Ling and Yan Ying respected each other and drank together, talking while drinking, the atmosphere was very harmonious. Suddenly, four warriors from the Chu Kingdom hurried into the hall, surrounded by a man who was tied up, and walked straight to King Ling. One of the warriors bowed his hands and saluted to the King Ling, and reported loudly: "Report to the King, the villain has caught a thief and is here to report to the King, and wait for the King to deal with it!" "The villain is wronged!" The man who was tied up shouted. Hearing the shout, Yan Ying looked up and saw that the kidnapped person was not someone else but Li Yao, and was secretly surprised. "What crime did this thief commit?" King Ling put down the wine glass in his hand and asked the warrior sharply. "Report to Your Majesty, he stole a gold pot from the palace, and the villain and others got it all!" The warrior replied while pointing to a golden pot held in the hand of another warrior beside him. "The villain was dragged to drink by them, and he really didn't steal the pot! They planted it to frame him! Your Majesty, please be careful!" Li Yao shouted towards King Ling. "Where is this thief from?" Ling Wang ignored Li Yao's shout, but continued to ask the warrior. "Report to Your Majesty, he is from Qi!" The warrior replied loudly. "A native of Qi?" King Ling turned to Yan Ying with a look of embarrassment on his face, "Sir, how do you think you should deal with it?" "The villain is wronged! The adults must decide for the villain!" Li Yao shouted towards Yan Ying. Yan Ying ignored Li Yao's cry, but bowed his hands to King Ling, and replied calmly: "Reporting to the King, it is both 'stealing the gold pot' and 'getting dirty from people', that is really dirty."正犯，理应推出宫门斩首！” “大人！小人跟随大人多年，怎么连大人也不相信小人啊！”李垚闻听晏婴之言，绝望地大声喊道。 “唉，”灵王叹了一口气，对晏婴说道，“先生出使列国，应带诚实之人才是。若先生所带之人作贼，则先生脸上也不光彩啊！” 晏婴向灵王拱手施了一礼，然后从容言道：“大王容禀，刚才大王赐外臣一桔，现在外臣就以桔论事。外臣曾经听说过，桔树生长在淮南就结出桔，而生长在淮北就结出枳。桔和枳二者之间，仅仅叶子相似罢了，而它们的果实味道却不同。之所以会有这么大的区别，原因是什么呢？就是因为淮南、淮北的水土不同啊！” 灵王很专心地听着晏婴说话，却没有听出个所以然来，脸上一片茫然。 晏婴指了指面前的李垚，然后话锋一转：“不错，此人是外臣从齐国带来的。他自幼跟随晏婴，至今已经十多年了。在齐国，他不仅是个'诚实之人'，而且是个至诚君子，从未有过盗窃行为。为什么他在齐国不盗窃，而今天到了楚国却盗窃呢？是不是就像南桔北枳那样，因齐楚两国水土不同，是楚国的水土使一个原本诚实的人变得善于盗窃了呢？还请大王明鉴！” “先生，请不要再说下去了！”听罢晏婴一席话，灵王这才如梦初醒，满脸通红地苦笑着自我解嘲道，“寡人只是想和先生开个玩笑而已，先生何必当真呢？看来，对于像先生这样的圣人，是不能开玩笑的啊！寡人与先生开玩笑，实在是自讨没趣啊！” “哦，原来大王是和外臣开玩笑啊！外臣不知这是玩笑，言辞未免激烈，如有冒犯之处，还望大王宽恕！”晏婴见灵王自设台阶，便不为已甚，送了灵王一个“顺水人情”。言毕，又向灵王拱手施了一礼。 “哪里、哪里！”灵王连连摇头、摆手，然后朝面前那几名武士喝道，“还不快快松绑！”那几名武士见灵王有令，那敢怠慢，连忙为李垚松了绑。 “李垚，还不快谢过大王！”晏婴见状，连忙提醒李垚。 “小民多谢大王！”李垚迟疑了一下，虽然很不情愿，但还是遵从晏婴的话，向灵王拱手施了一礼，然后随着那几名武士一起退出殿去。 灵王面带微笑，对晏婴说道：“先生，刚才饮酒时先生向寡人所言之事，寡人完全赞同。请先生回到齐国后，向齐君转达寡人的问候，并请齐君放心：两国不睦，苍生受苦，楚国愿与齐国世代交好，互致岁贡，互不侵扰，若有敌国加兵，两国互相救应。寡人欢迎齐君在方便时来楚作客，并愿在适当时候亲到齐国拜会齐君。先生，如此可好？” 晏婴闻言，连忙向灵王拱手施礼道：“大王英明！外臣代寡君谢过大王，并期盼大王早日驾临齐国，与寡君共议两国交好大事！此乃两国之幸，苍生之幸也！” “好，好，好啊！哈哈哈哈！”灵王连声称好，并放声大笑。 晏婴如释重负，也随着灵王一起大笑起来。 深秋季节的一个白天。 齐宫院内的大树纷纷落叶。 大殿内。Jinggong sits on the throne.文武百官分立左右两班，田开疆、古冶子、公孙捷三人也在其中。晏婴正站在景公面前，汇报使楚的经过和成果。 “最后，在臣临行之前，那楚王备了一车当地珍稀特产，让臣带回献给主公。这是礼品清单，呈请主公过目！”晏婴将捆好的一卷竹简双手捧起。 景公身边的一名内侍上前接过竹简，交到景公手中。 景公打开竹简，粗略地看了一遍，然后抬起头来。 “相国此番使楚，果然不负寡人所望，不费一兵一将，就为寡人解除了来自南方的威胁，并建立了齐楚联盟，真是大功一件啊！”景公按捺不住内心的喜悦，对晏婴使楚之行大加赞扬。 晏婴闻言，连忙向景公拱手施礼道：“主公，晏婴何才何德，岂敢冒此大功？臣此番使楚，之所以能不辱使命，使我们齐国得名获利，主要原因有三：第一，我们齐国国大力强，楚国素来不敢小看于齐；第二，楚国欲与晋、吴争霸，担心我们齐国乘机攻之，也需要与齐结盟；第三，也是最主要的原因，主公多年来施行对内强国富民、对外睦邻友好的新政，贤名早已闻于诸侯，主公派臣使楚，正好给了楚王一个向主公表达仰慕之情的机会，所以那楚王仅敢与臣开个小小的'玩笑'，却不敢得罪于主公啊！” “话虽如此简单，但那楚王的步步圈套、处处陷阱，若非相国处事机敏、应对得体，则必受其辱矣！而相国受辱，不就是寡人受辱、齐国受辱吗？”说到这里，景公忽然想起了什么，“刚才相国说到车夫李垚的事情，他为了齐国的尊严而临危不惧，实在令人感佩！寡人想见见他，不知他现在何处？” 晏婴见问，连忙拱手施礼、答话：“回禀主公，李垚现在宫门之外。” “去，派人传李垚来见寡人！”景公对身边的一名内侍吩咐道。 “遵命！”那名内侍向景公拱手施了一礼，然后快步向大殿门外走去。 不大一会儿，李垚跟在那名内侍身后走进大殿。 “小民李垚叩见国君！”李垚走近景公，跪地叩头。 “起来吧，起来吧！”景公面带微笑，作了个“请起”的手势。 “多谢国君！”李垚又叩一头，才站起身来。 景公一边上下打量着李垚，一边说道：“寡人见过你，并且知道你是晏相国家里的人，只是不知你叫李垚。寡人听相国说，在这次随相国出使楚国期间，你被楚人诬为盗贼，受了委屈，而你临危不惧，维护了齐国的尊严，真是我齐国的好子民啊！你要跟着相国好好干、好好学，将来会成大器的！” “多谢国君勉励！”李垚听到景公夸奖，连忙向景公拱手施礼、道谢。 “好啦，你下去吧！”景公仍是面带微笑。 “遵命！”李垚向景公拱手再施一礼，然后才转身走出大殿。 景公显得非常兴奋，对群臣高声说道：“诸位爱卿！晏相国此番使楚，为我们齐国立了大功，寡人欲设酒宴为相国洗尘、庆功，你们大家说好不好啊！” “好！”多数大臣随声附和。 “哼！”田开疆、古冶子、公孙捷三人不约而同地“哼”了一声，然后也不向景公施礼、禀报，便愤然离去。 望着田开疆等三人离去的背影，景公摇了摇头，叹了口气，脸色一下子变得非常难看。 景公的一切都被在场的梁丘据看在眼里。 that night. 梁丘据家客厅里。The lights are brilliant. 梁丘据坐在主位。右首依次坐着裔款、古冶子。左首依次坐着田开疆、公孙捷。五人正在饮酒、议事。 “算……算这个矬子精明，此番使楚未折我……我们齐国气概，否……否则的话，我真把……把他砍作肉泥！”古冶子的口齿已经有些不清。 “我们弟兄乃齐邦三杰，论身手，论胆量，哪个不在他晏某人之上，却偏偏还得受他制约！”田开疆说道。 “国人无眼，致令一个矬子为相，而我等却无用武之地。唉！”公孙捷端起桌上的酒杯一饮而尽，然后把空杯“啪”地一声重重地蹾到桌上。 “主公真是偏心！上一次，梁丘大人不远千里送他女儿到晋国去，可回来之后，连个'谢'字也没听他说过。而这一次，晏某人从楚国回来，却又是'洗尘'，又是'庆功'。为何差别如此之大呀！”裔款在为梁丘据鸣不平。 “裔大人、三位将军，咱们不谈这些！来、来、来，大家都满上，梁丘敬大家一杯！”梁丘据一边笑着，一边说道。 站在旁边的梁丘据家仆人遵照主人之命，分别为五人斟满酒杯。 “干！”梁丘据带头一饮而尽。 “干！”裔款等四人也跟着一饮而尽。 “依我看，咱们总得想个办法把晏某人扳倒才行，否则大家永无出头之日！”公孙捷说道。 “是啊！梁丘大人乃齐国老臣，德高望重，当个相国也绰绰有余。扳倒晏某人，拥戴梁丘大人为相国，咱们大家才有福可享啊！”裔款说道。 “既然大家非要谈论这个话题，那梁丘就提醒大家一句：成大事者，须有耐心。大家不妨把眼睛睁得大大的，死死盯住晏某人，耐心地等待时机。待到抓住晏某人的把柄，方可将其置于死地。”说到这里，梁丘据看了看田开疆、古冶子、公孙捷三人，然后继续说道，“在抓住把柄之前，最好不要同晏某人发生正面冲突。三位将军上次指着晏某人的鼻子质问，今天又拒不参加主公为晏某人举办的庆功酒宴，都是缺乏耐心、不够冷静啊！你们知道吗？今天，你们三位愤然离朝，主公看了很不高兴，又是摇头，又是叹气，脸色非常难看啊！” “我……我早就看够了他的脸色了！”古冶子说道。 “他凭什么给我们脸色看？就凭他是国君吗？”半天没有开口的田开疆，一开口就是重话，“常言道：'得民心者得天下，失民心者失天下。'他姓姜的早已'失民心'，'失天下'也只是早晚的事！如果不信，可以去问问齐国百姓，看看说我们田家好的有多少，说他姜家好的又有几个……” “田将军，你喝多了！”梁丘据见田开疆已是口无遮拦，连忙打断了他的话，并吩咐自家仆人，“快去叫人来，扶田将军到客房歇息，他喝多了！” “是！”梁丘据家仆人答应一声，跑了出去。 不一会儿，进来三四个彪形大汉，架起田开疆的胳膊就往外走。 “我没喝多！我没喝多……”田开疆挣扎着，喊叫着。 次日下午。 Qi Palace Inner Palace.In Jinggong's study. 景公独自一人坐在那里，两眼直勾勾地盯着门口，似是正在等待什么人的到来。 一名内侍匆匆走进门来，向景公拱手施礼，低声禀报：“启禀主公，晏相国到！” “快，快请相国进来！”听到晏婴到来的消息，景公两眼一亮，显得非常兴奋。 “晏相国请进！”那名内侍转身走到门口，朝已在门外等候的晏婴拱手施了一礼，并轻声转达景公的命令。 “臣晏婴拜见主公！”晏婴匆匆走进门来，走到景公面前，跪地叩头。 “先生免礼，请坐下说话！”景公指了指身边的一个座位。 “多谢主公！”晏婴再叩一头，然后站起身来，在指定座位坐下，刚一坐稳，便急切地问道，“主公急召晏婴来见，不知所为何事？” “你把门关好，退下吧！”景公对那名内侍说道。 “遵命！”那名内侍朝景公拱手施了一礼，然后走出房门，并从外面将门掩上了。 “寡人请先生来，是想和先生商议一件大事。”景公神情严肃地说道。 “是何大事？”晏婴忙问。 “除掉田开疆、古冶子、公孙捷三人！”景公以斩钉截铁的语气答道。 “这……”晏婴闻言，大惊失色，张了张嘴巴，却说不出话来。 “先生可能毫无思想准备吧？对此，寡人虽已思虑多日，但也是经过昨夜整整一夜再三考虑之后，才下定决心的。”看到晏婴神情错愕的样子，景公连忙解释道。 “主公为何心生此念？是因为他们横行闾里，或简慢公卿吗？臣愿闻其详。”晏婴回过神来后，迫不及待地问道。 “如果仅仅是简慢公卿、横行闾里，倒也罢了。寡人最不能容忍的是：他们目中无君，不但常逆寡人之意行事，而且稍不如意便朝寡人吹胡瞪眼，甚至按剑欲拔。说不定哪一天，他们真的会拔剑弑君啊！每思及此，寡人便如芒刺在背，甚至不寒而慄。因此，寡人才决意除掉他们！”景公答道。 “是啊！”晏婴接过景公的话题，不疾不徐地说道，“臣曾经听说过，圣明的国君所养的勇士，应该是对上有君臣大义，对下有长幼伦常，在国内可以禁止暴力，对国外可以威慑敌军，国家因他们的功绩而获利，臣下也敬服他们的勇力，所以国君给他们以令人尊崇的地位，并增加他们的俸禄。但是，现在主公所养的这三名勇士，对上没有君臣之义，对下不讲长幼伦常，在国内不能禁止暴力，对国外不能威慑敌军，横行闾里，简慢公卿，傲视国君，不尊君命，确实已经成了国家的隐患。所以，主公决意除掉他们，是非常正确的啊！” “寡人感到忧虑的是：这三个人，个个都有万夫莫当之勇。派人拘捕他们，恐怕不能成功；派人刺杀他们，恐怕也难以刺中。怎样才能除掉他们呢？寡人实在想不出好办法，所以才把先生请来商议啊！” “主公勿忧！”晏婴略一思索，便从容答道，“既然主公之意已决，那么臣当尽力为君图之。臣以为，欲除此三人，不可以力胜，而应以智取。臣将选择适当的时机，采取适当的方式，为君设计除掉心头之患。” “如此甚好，寡人无忧，亦无虑矣！”景公闻言，转忧为喜。 “不过，臣还有两件事要禀明主公。”晏婴说道。 “何事？”景公连忙问道。 “第一件事，主公与臣今日所议之事，君臣二人知道就是，切不可让第三人知道。”晏婴说道。 “对，对！”景公点头称是。 “第二件事，在时机到来之前，主公一定要如常对待田开疆等三人，切不可走露一点儿风声，更不可打草惊蛇。”晏婴说道。 “那是自然，那是自然！”景公笑着答道。 Day and day. 临淄城内一条大街上。 晏婴的马车停靠在大街一侧。 田开疆等三人的车马迎面飞驰而来，呼啸而过。车马过处，烟尘滚滚，鸡飞狗跳，遍地狼藉。 “你们算什么'齐邦三杰'？简直是'齐国三害'呀！”刚才被撞倒在路边的一名中年男子，从地上爬起来，顾不得拍打身上的尘土，就指着远去的车马，跺着脚大声骂道。 “老弟，小一点儿声吧！你不想活啦？”一名老者在旁低声劝道。 “唉！”那名中年男子听从老者的劝说，摇了摇头，叹了口气，压低了声音，“'三害'不除，国无宁日啊！” “大人，您都看见、听见了吧？”李垚侧着身子，对车内的晏婴说道。 “我们走我们的吧！”晏婴没有回答李垚的问话，而是对李垚下达了继续前进的命令。 一日深夜。 晏婴在一名宫中内侍的带领下，匆匆走进齐宫内宫。到了景公书房门口，二人停下脚步。 “请相国稍候，待小人先禀报一下。”那名内侍说完，就推门进去了。 不一会儿，那名内侍就出来了。 “请！”那名内侍朝晏婴作了个“请进”的手势。 晏婴进门后，径直朝着端坐在书案后面的景公走去。 “臣晏婴拜见主公！”晏婴走近景公，跪地叩头。 “先生请起，请坐！”景公嗓音沙哑，一边说着话，一边用手指了指书案旁边的一个座位。 “多谢主公！”晏婴再叩一头，然后起身、就座，刚一坐稳，便神情严肃地问道，“主公深夜召臣进宫，可是朝中出了什么大事？” “先生，小女莲莲病故了！”景公只说出一句话，便已泪流满面。 晏婴闻言，简直有些不相信自己的耳朵，连忙问道：“什么？主公是说莲莲女公子么？” “正是啊！”景公强忍着内心的悲痛，缓缓地答道，“数月前，晋国曾派人来，说是莲莲很受晋君宠爱，已被封为'少姜夫人'，只是因为年幼想家，终日抑郁寡欢，而且经常啼哭。谁想到，牒报今晚送来密信，竟说小女已故，而且晋国派来报丧的使者明后天就会到达临淄。这样大的变故骤然而至，寡人实在想不出应对之策，所以才请先生前来商议啊！” 晏婴一边专注地听着景公说话，一边留意观察着景公的面部表情，此时才发现：景公双眼红肿，似是已经哭了许久；满脸皱纹，似是一下子苍老了许多。 “万望主公节哀！”晏婴朝景公拱手施了一礼，然后语调沉重地说道，“爱女不幸夭亡，慈父不胜哀伤，听到、看到这些，晏婴心里也很难过！臣以为，主公目下所虑者，必是担心齐晋关系受到影响。不知臣言是否？” “先生所言极是！”景公点了点头。 “既是如此，臣便直言建议：待明后天晋使前来报丧时，主公当依礼数善待之；待晋使走后，主公当派一得力大臣，带上厚礼，速往晋国吊唁，并对晋君言道：'少姜夫人早夭，寡君与君王同悲，所幸寡君尚有宗亲之女若干，希望君王不要抛弃敝邑，尽速派人来敝邑挑选一名宗亲女子，为嫔为嫱，继续侍奉君王。'若晋君应允，则齐晋关系可固；若晋君不允，则齐当谨防晋国来犯也。” “先生，难道就没有一条万全之策吗？” “主公，两国之事，非一国所能左右。更何况，当今晋强齐弱，左右两国关系的主动权在晋而不在齐啊！” “是啊！如今也只能是走一步、看一步了。”景公点了点头，又问道，