Chapter 2 Qi Jinggong openly challenged the bottom line of Jin

In 536 BC, Xintian, the capital of the Jin State, welcomed a distinguished guest—Qi Jinggong, the monarch of the Qi State.The purpose of Duke Jing of Qi's trip was to make a pilgrimage to Duke Ping of Jin, and to ask the State of Jin to agree to the use of troops by the State of Qi against the State of Yan. It turned out that a coup took place in Yan State three years ago, and Duke Jian of Yan was attacked by doctors and fled to Qi State.Duke Jing of Qi wanted to help Lord Yan Jian restore the country, but he was worried about the interference of Jin State, so he took the initiative to ask for instructions and report.

Jin Pinggong agreed to Qi Jinggong's request.The officials of the Yan State chased the king with their ministers, which is a great rebellion. The State of Qi took the initiative to attack the rebellious officials and thieves, and the State of Jin had no reason to object.So in the winter of the same year, Qi State declared war on Yan State, but the result of the war was unexpected: the two countries made peace without fighting, and an alliance was held in Rushang (place name).The State of Yan bribed the State of Qi with the ritual vessels passed down from his ancestors, and married the princess to Duke Jing of Qi as his concubine.Duke Jing of Qi received both money and sex, so he pushed the boat along and brought Duke Yan Jian back to Linzi.

There is no doubt that Qi Jinggong has ideas. As the son of Duke Ling of a generation of faint kings and the younger brother of Duke Zhuang, a hero in troubled times, Duke Jing of Qi spent his childhood in many court coups.Cui Zhu's rebellion pushed him to the throne of the monarch and became a puppet.Less than a year after he came to the throne, he encountered the Qingfeng Rebellion.It was not until Qingfeng was expelled in 545 BC that Qi Jinggong was relieved. Since ancient times, there have been many hardships for Xiongcai.Qi Jinggong's talent is far from being a great talent, but years of humiliation have tempered his mind and strengthened his courage. The story of his ancestor Qi Huangong inspired him to revive the glory of the great eastern country.

Qi Jinggong's trip to Jin should be rewarding. Anyone with a certain amount of political insight can easily see that Jin has gone downhill.Qi Jinggong returned home full of ambitions, which strengthened his confidence in leading the rise of Qi.But before that, he had to wait for the opportunity to strengthen himself. And that opportunity will come soon. In July 534 BC, the doctor Ziwei died of illness, and his son Gao Qiang inherited the family business.Doctor Luan Shi wanted to take the opportunity to intervene in Gao Qiang's housekeeping, and sent someone to kill Ziwei's housekeeper (chief retainer) Liang Ying.In August of the same year, Luan Shi made his own decision and appointed Gao Qiang a new housekeeper.

Luan Shi's actions aroused the hatred of Gao Qiang's family.They secretly issued weapons, armed the clansmen, and prepared to attack Luan Shi.Ziwei's former friend Chen Wuyu is also actively preparing for the battle, intending to help Gao Qiang. Who is Chen Wuyu?He is a person who fears that the world will not be chaotic.Every time there is a turmoil in the Qi State, the first thought of the Chen family is "what can I get from it", and they can get huge benefits from it.This time Gao Qiang was going to attack Luan Shi, how could he not add fuel to the flames and fan the flames?

Someone told Luan Shi about the changes in Gao Qiang's family, and reminded him to take extra precautions.Luan Shi didn't believe it at first, but after many people talked about it, he became suspicious, took a few followers, and wanted to go to Gao Qiang's house to see what happened. Not far from the door, he was stopped by a group of retainers at the intersection. "My lord, please don't go. I have just observed that Gao Qiang's warriors are gathered and ready to go. If you go, you will die!" "Impossible! I don't believe Gao Qiang dares to act so boldly!" Luan Shi grabbed the coachman's whip, pushed the coachman aside, and swung the whip to advance.

The retainers held the reins tightly, and some even knelt in the middle of the road to prevent the carriage from passing. Seeing the retainer's posture, Luan Shi knew in his heart that this matter was probably true.This incomprehensible conspirator panicked. He thought about it, thought of various countermeasures, and finally thought of it: Chen Wuyu is Ziwei's former friend, Gao Qiang respects Chen Wuyu very much, why not ask Chen Wuyu for advice, Hear what he has to say!So he turned the car around and went straight to Chen's house. This is really just leaving the wolf's den and rushing to the tiger's mouth.Chen Wuyu's side had already made preparations. Thousands of strong and strong soldiers were fully armed and were waiting in the yard for orders. They only waited for Gao Qiang's side to make a move, and then rushed out to cooperate.It's just that Chen Wuyu's secrecy work is much better than Gao Qiang's. On the surface, the Chen family is the same as usual, and the people who come in and out all have a calm expression, and they can't see any problems.

Perhaps because of his overly cautious nature, Luan Shi's door-to-door delivery made Chen Wuyu feel guilty: Could it be that Luan Shi came prepared when the news leaked out? When he heard that Luan Shi didn't even bring his guards, but only a few entourages, he confirmed this idea even more.Luan Shi has a plan in mind, he may have secretly contacted other family forces, and even won the support of Qi Jinggong!The more Chen Wuyu thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong, he thought for a moment, and ordered all the soldiers to retreat to the backyard to hide, he also took off his armor, put on casual clothes, and came to the door to meet Luan Shi himself.

Luan Shi was completely kept in the dark, and when he saw Chen Wuyu, he held his hand tightly: "There is something important, I must listen to your opinion." Chen Wuyu had a guilty conscience, but after Luan Shi grasped it like this, he immediately believed that his judgment was correct: this is trying to test me!I can't let people lead me by the nose, I have to turn my back on the customer.He also held Luan Shi's hand firmly, and said, "You came just in time, and I just happened to have something important to report to you. I was just about to go to your house, and the carriage is ready!"

"Oh?" Luan Shi was confused. "I just received the news that Ziliang's (Gao Qiang's name is Ziliang) family is distributing weapons and preparing to attack you. They are mobilizing before the battle right now. You must be careful!" "Ah, there is such a thing?" Luan Shi pretended to be surprised, thinking to himself: Chen Wuyu knew about this, the situation is not that simple, he may have been involved in it!Just when Luan Shi's mind was spinning rapidly, Chen Wuyu said another sentence: "You do it now, go back and arm your retainers immediately, and attack the people first, and you will definitely catch Gao Qiang by surprise. There is no shortage of talents, and I am willing to help you!" "

This sentence completely awakened Luan Shi: Chen Wuyu was fanning the wind, lighting will-o'-the-wisps, and wanted Luan and Gao to kill each other, so that he could profit from it! "What are you talking about?" Luan Shi said, "Ziliang is still a child. I was entrusted by Ziwei to support him, so I took the trouble to choose a housekeeper for him. I love him too late. How could I send troops to the house?" How about attacking him? Will I still have the face to meet my ancestors in the future? You and Ziwei are best friends. If you want to help me, why don’t you go to Ziliang’s house and ask him to give up the idea of ​​attacking me? Peace is the most important thing in the world. If it is done well, it will be a blessing to the Chen family." Chen Wuyu reacted quickly, blushed a little, immediately bowed to Luan Shi, and said: "Your lord has a lot, and Wuyu admires him deeply. I will go to Ziliang's house and persuade him to give up his stupid thoughts and not to be your enemy." .” Because of Luan Shi's blunders in this simmering battle, in the end, peace is the most important thing, and it turned hostility into friendship. But wait until "eventually". After two years, in the summer of 532 BC, there was another commotion in the city of Linzi: Luan and Gao joined forces to attack Chen and Bao. The Bao family is the descendant of Bao Shuya, and the patriarch at this time is Bao Guo, who is the great-grandson of Bao Shuya. Two years ago, Luan and Gao were still at odds. How could they unite to fight against Chen and Bao two years later?Regarding this point, the historical materials have no explanation, and cannot explain it, because it is completely fictional. The thing is like this: One day someone came to tell Chen Wuyu that Luan and Gao Ershi had armed themselves and were about to launch an attack on Chen and Bao Ershi.Chen Wuyu was taken aback, while mobilizing the clan soldiers, he ran to contact Bao Guo.When I came to Bao's house, I found that Bao's house was fully armed and ready for battle.The two made up their minds and sent spies to inquire about Luan Shi and Gao Qiang's family. The information they got was: Luan Shi and Gao Qiang were in their own homes, setting up a banquet and preparing to drink. The facts are very clear, Luan Shi and Gao Qiang did not intend to attack Chen and Bao Ershi at all, it was completely rumored by someone.But Chen Wuyu was not relieved when he heard the report from the spies, but said to Bao Guo: "Although the information is not accurate, if they know that we once wanted to go to war with them, they will definitely deal with us. Why don't we take advantage of their preparations to drink? attack them?" Bao Guo said: "It makes sense, let's do it like this!" This is really a crime of wanting to add, why is there no excuse?The two men took the clan soldiers and took the initiative to attack Luan and Gao's family. Luan Shi and Gao Qiang were indeed drinking, and they drank a lot.Hearing that Chen and Bao were coming to attack, Gao Qiang made a foolish move: "Let's catch the monarch first, and see what they can do?" Luan Shi also agreed.So the two sent troops to attack Qi Jinggong's bedroom, intending to kidnap Qi Jinggong. Amid all the commotion, the dwarf named Yan Ying once again showed the demeanor of a wise man.He was dressed in neat court clothes and stood outside the palace.The Luan, Gao, Chen, and Bao families all sent people to win him over, but he ignored them all. The retainer asked, "Are you planning to help Chen and Bao Er?" "Help them?" Yan Ying asked back, "What's the benefit?" "There's no benefit." The retainer thought for a while and said, "Then let's help Luan and Gao Ershi?" Yan Ying said, "Do you think they can beat Chen and Bao Ershi?" The retainer breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Then let's go back quickly!" "Where are you going?" Yan Ying said, "The monarch is being attacked now, how can I go away?" The Luan and Gao Er clans attack the monarch. Since Yan Ying doesn't want to join them, he should take up arms and resist; if he dare not resist, he should hide away.But Yan Ying neither resisted nor ran away, just stood by and watched, instead, he spoke plausibly and made others justified.It can be seen that in many cases, watching is also a gesture. Qi Jinggong's performance in this incident is impressive.He sent his doctor Wang Hei to hold the dragon flag that King Wu of Zhou had bestowed on Jiang Taigong, repel the attack of Luan and Gao Ershi, and won a complete victory at Jimen (Ximen) in Linzi. place names in the city) won again.The residents of Linzi were encouraged and took action to help attack the rebels, and finally defeated Luan and Gao Ershi at Lumen (southeast gate). Luan Shi and Gao Qiang fled in a hurry and took refuge in the State of Lu.Their family property was divided up by Chen and Bao. Yan Ying said to Chen Wuyu: "The land you got from Luan and Gao Er must be returned to the monarch! Comity is the main body of virtue and the highest virtue. People have flesh and blood, and they all have the heart to fight for profit. You blatantly Taking other people's property as their own is not only the king's opinion, but other ministers also have opinions. Can you bear it? Benefits cannot be taken by force, and they can be obtained in a proper way. Only by following the moral can you grow the Chen family What a blessing!" There was no need for Yan Ying to do too much ideological work, Chen Wuyu said straightforwardly: "Okay, I will listen to you." Not only did he dedicate all the newly occupied land to Qi Jinggong, but he also offered to resign his old man and return to his hometown, returning to Judi (Chen's Fengyi) to spend the rest of his life in peace.Qi Jinggong got these lands, and his confidence in speaking became much stronger. In the spring of 530 BC, Qi Jinggong sent Shangqing Gaoyan to send Yan Jiangong to Tangdi (the place name of Yanguo) and let him settle down in Tangdi.In the summer of the same year, Duke Jing of Qi, Duke Ling of Wei, and Duke Zheng Ding went to the State of Jin hand in hand, and made a pilgrimage to Duke Zhao of Jin who had just ascended the throne. Zheng Dinggong is the son of Zheng Jiangong.In the spring of this year, Zheng Jiangong, who had been on the throne for thirty-six years, passed away.According to the rules, the princes were buried in May, Zheng Dinggong endured his grief without waiting for the funeral of Zheng Jiangong, and accompanied by Zichan, he came to pay homage to Jin Zhaogong. Lu Zhaogong also wanted to join in the excitement, but when he walked to the Yellow River, he was stopped by the Jin people.It turns out that in the autumn of 532 B.C., people from the state of Lu invaded the state of Ju, captured the land of geng (the place name of the state of Ju, in present-day Shandong Province), and used the prisoners of war as sacrifices to sacrifice to the god of the country, which opened a precedent for the sacrifice of living people .The people of Ju State went to the State of Jin to sue. It happened that Duke Ping of Jin died at that time.Not being held accountable at the time didn't mean that Qiuhou would not be counted. When Lu Zhaogong took the initiative to come to show his hospitality, the Jin people shut him down. Qi Jinggong received a warm welcome.Jin Zhaogong specially hosted a banquet for him, accompanied by princes from all walks of life, and held a game of throwing pots. The so-called throwing pot was a very popular entertainment among the aristocratic circles of the Zhou Dynasty.The guest and the host sit facing each other, and there is a copper pot in the middle. The body of the pot is large and round, the neck of the pot is long and narrow, and the mouth of the pot is wide. There are beans in the pot. , each person is limited to four shots, and the one who hits more wins.Tossing pots pays attention to grace and elegance, the movements should not be rude, and the expressions should not be exaggerated. There are musicians playing music beside them. Jin Zhaogong voted first, and Xun Wu offered a congratulatory speech at the side, saying: "There is wine like Huai water, and meat like hills. If you are a widow, if you vote, you can command the princes." They are all happy. The speaker has the heart, and the listener has the heart.Holding the "arrow" in his hand, Qi Jinggong also said a congratulatory speech for himself: "There is wine like a pool of mian (mian) and meat like a hill. If the widow hits the target, I will rise up instead of you." This is completely against Jin Zhaogong. When it came, Xun Wu's complexion changed drastically, but Qi Jinggong casually threw a shot as if nothing had happened, and he was also hit. The Jin people did not expect Qi Jinggong to do such a trick at all, and felt very surprised.At that time, Shi Boxia, a doctor of Jin State, secretly reprimanded Xun Wu: "You have made a mistake. Jin State is the overlord in the first place. It has nothing to do with the throwing pot. It is not worth making a fuss if it hits the pot. It is better now, but Qihou has taken over our monarch's place." Shangfeng, if he goes back this time, he will definitely not come again." Xun Wu also regretted a little, but he still insisted: "Our army commander is strong and powerful, not worse than before, what dare Qi do?" The conversation between the two was accidentally overheard by Gongsun Xun (sou), the official of the State of Qi.Gongsun Xun walked quickly to the hall, and said to Qi Jinggong, "It's getting late, and you are tired, so you can leave the table!" Qi Jinggong said: "I have exactly this intention." He got up and bid farewell to Jin Zhao, and left the banquet under the guard of Gongsun Xun, regardless of the Jin's monarch and ministers' repeated attempts to stay. Qi Jinggong said no to Jin this time, which to a large extent represented the aspirations of all countries.As mentioned earlier, in 534 BC, the Jin (si) Qi Palace was completed, and the princes went to congratulate it. After visiting the Si Qi Palace, the princes "all have different hearts" towards the Jin State.Why?The palace was built so extravagantly, every brick and every tile, all of which aroused the pain in the hearts of the princes - this is squandering with our tribute money!But everyone dared to be angry but did not dare to speak out. Now Qi Jinggong openly challenged Jin Zhaogong's authority, which made the princes present feel a long-lost pleasure. The Jin people also felt this sentiment. After the "Pitching Pot Meeting", how to rebuild the authority of the Jin State has become the top priority of the Jin State's monarchs and ministers.For this reason, countless seminars have been held, discussions have been discussed, and the conclusion is finally reached: "You must demonstrate to the princes." That is to use force to deter the princes. A teacher must be famous.Over the years, Chu State has challenged Jin State’s bottom line many times, destroying Chen and Cai, but Jin State just stood by and watched. Even if it sent troops, it would be a bluff. .The state of Chu is obviously not in the consideration of the state of Jin. If the persimmons have to be picked softly, then let's bring up the old story again and use the state of Lu as the knife! In 529 B.C., Duke Zhao of Jin sent an alliance invitation to the vassal states: "The Marquis of Lu used the big to bully the small and occupied the land of Ju, but he has not returned it. As the leader of the alliance, how can I sit idly by? Please join me. Crack down on such unrighteous people." In July of the same year, the allied forces of the princes gathered in Pingqiu (in today's Henan Province) - it is no exaggeration to say "gathering"; according to reliable records, this time only the Jin State alone dispatched a total of 4,000 chariots!Back then, when Jin and Chu fought against Pu, Jin only mobilized 700 chariots.Now, in order to deal with a mere Lu country, four thousand chariots were dispatched. Even if the economic growth factor is excluded, this figure is very impressive. It is not so much a crusade as a ostentation. In order to strengthen the momentum, Jin Zhaogong also sent an invitation to Wu Wang Yimei, asking Wu to send troops to participate in the operation.Under the traffic conditions at that time, Shanxi people went to Shandong to show off their power, and even called Jiangsu people to help them. What a toss!What's even more frustrating is that, in order to show the importance he attaches to the state of Wu, Duke Zhao of Jin went to Liangdi (in today's Jiangsu Province) to meet the barbarian in person. As a result, he waited for more than ten days, but the envoys of the state of Wu and a letter from Qian came. Baba's letter.The letter said: "Autumn is here, the river is dry, and the widow's boat can't sail anymore. The state of Wu will not participate in this alliance." If you can't go by water, you can go by land!Jin Zhaogong almost jumped up, but in the end he held back and didn't lose his temper on the spot. In July of the same year, the armies of the princes set out from Pingqiu and moved to Weiguo.Jin Zhaogong sent someone to send a letter to Qi Jinggong, asking him to come to defend the National Council, but Qi Jinggong flatly refused. The current state of Jin is no longer comparable to what it is today.If such a thing happened in the era of Jin Jinggong and Jin Pinggong, it must be swords and soldiers facing each other.Jin Zhaogong obviously didn't have such confidence, so he sent his uncle Xiang quietly to ask Liu Xiangong for advice. Liu Xiangong was a royal minister sent by the emperor Zhou Jingwang to support Jin Zhaogong. He was a high official and had a lot of ink, but he was usually useless.When Duke Zhao of Jin asked him about major international affairs, Duke Liu Xian was flattered and immediately replied: "The so-called alliance is used to express mutual trust. The princes are faithful to their words, and the princes are not half-hearted. What is there to worry about? Qihou If you are confused for a while, you can use words to persuade him, and use force to supervise him. As the emperor's official, I request to lead the emperor's army... Ten chariots, as your vanguard, will obey orders sooner or later." After receiving Liu Xiangong's political guarantee, Jin Zhaogong sent his uncle Xiang to Qi Jinggong again, saying: "The princes have asked for an alliance, and everyone has already come here. Only you don't think it is a good thing, so I sent my servants to ask you agree." "Is everyone willing to form an alliance?" Qi Jinggong asked. "Of course, everyone is united." "The princes have made alliances long ago, and they are already allies. If there is a half-hearted country among the allies, it is necessary to review the oath. Now that you say that everyone is very united, is it necessary to review the oath?" Qi Jinggong said slowly. Shu Xiang said: "The reason why a country declines is because there are people doing things, but no one supervises, and things are often abandoned; if there is supervision but no etiquette, there will be no distinction between high and low, and the order will be chaotic; if there is etiquette but no majesty, the order will appear to be orderly." In fact, they are not respectful in their hearts; if they have majesty but do not show it through specific ceremonies, most people still don’t understand it, and they don’t understand it. It's over. Therefore, the sage master should order the princes to visit every year, so that they can remember their duties; the pilgrimage once every three years is for proper etiquette; the centralized meeting once every six years is to show the majesty of the leader; Meeting again is to show faith. This has been the rule since ancient times. The state of Jin presides over the alliance of princes according to the etiquette of the former kings. For fear of dereliction of duty, I am ready to sacrifice and dedicate to the princes. I ask you to start well and end well. But you said, no It is necessary to form an alliance again, according to the views of my subordinates, it is really unnecessary. Please think carefully, no matter what kind of answer, the widow is already mentally prepared." Duke Jing of Qi smiled: "I heard that the Marquis of Jin mobilized four thousand chariots for this expedition. Is this true?" Uncle Xiang said, "It's absolutely true." Qi Jinggong said: "With four thousand military vehicles as the backing, who dares not to follow? The widow is just offering opinions, and the decision is still in the hands of the Marquis of Jin!" Uncle Xiang blushed and said, "Thank you for your understanding. We also have no choice. The princes are a bit alienated from Jin now, so we have to show them our strength." Duke Jing of Qi smiled and said, "That's also necessary." Qi Jinggong said no to Jin for the second time, and ended with a compromise.Later generations commented on Qi Jinggong, and believed that his greatest advantage was that he was neither arrogant nor humble, and he was not blindly reckless, and he had a certain degree of advance and retreat.Duke Jing of Qi knew that the weakness of Jin was not in its overall strength, but in the fact that its dominance was threatened by the Six Ministers.In the current situation, the people of Jin State are obviously unanimous, and Qi State has not yet been able to compete with it.