Chapter 22 Infighting among the six princes, a precursor to the split of Jin

In the autumn of 501 BC, Duke Jing of Qi personally led an army to march westward and surrounded Yiyi (now Xingtai, Hebei Province) in Jin State. This year was the forty-seventh year of Qi Jinggong's accession to the throne, exactly fifty years since Qi Zhuanggong's crusade against Jin. The reason why Qi Jinggong chose this time to attack Jin was not to commemorate his brother Qi Zhuanggong's illustrious martial arts, but because not long ago, Shi Yang, the marshal of the Jin army, died suddenly, and Xun Li succeeded him as the number one minister. If it is not stable, there is an opportunity to take advantage of it.

The description of this war in "Zuo Zhuan" is very interesting. There are no grand scenes, no flashes of swords and swords, and even no close-ups of the coaches of both sides. There was a scholar named Pai Wucun who was about to join the war. His father tried to arrange a marriage for him in the village, and wanted him to get married before leaving.That girl is very dignified, and her family background is not bad. More importantly, her father's uncle is a local doctor. If she is a relative, my family will be honored, and maybe it can help my poor official career. help.A marriage that seemed ideal to outsiders, but was flatly rejected by me.His father said: "You are crazy, the girl will come to the door tomorrow, if you dare to send her back, it will be strange if her family doesn't fight with us?" We Wucun said: "Why don't you keep it?" Gave him a scratch.I was not angry, and said with a playful smile: "I'm just kidding you, I thought about it a long time ago, and you don't have to go back, just marry my brother!" His father said: "What's wrong with this girl? Let me tell you, as far as your virtue is concerned, you can still climb up to other people." We Wucun said: "Great to climb? It seems a little bit now. But after I finish this battle, if I can come back alive, I am not a country, Don’t marry Gao’s daughter!” His father’s eyes widened, he shook his head repeatedly and said, “You child, you are too arrogant, really too arrogant.”

The Guo and Gao families have been ministers for generations, and they are nobles among the nobles in Qi.There is no such thing as a scholar who wants to marry the daughter of Guo and Gao, which is tantamount to a toad wanting to eat swan meat.But if you can make extraordinary achievements in the war, that's a different story - under Qi Jinggong's rule, the Qi State highly advocated force, and those who have made great achievements in battle will be rewarded and favored.It is not completely impossible for diaosi to get close to Bai Fumei. It was with this purpose that we participated in the Battle of Yiyi.Holding the banner of the Qi army in one hand and the shield in the other, he crossed the battlefield like a dazzling star, and was the first to climb the city wall of Yiyi.He understands that he has done well enough, but he is still a little short of meeting Guo and Gao's daughter.So he made a bold decision, put the battle flag on the gate tower, turned around and rushed down the gate, trying to kill all the enemy soldiers there, open the city gate, and let the army enter the city.

As a result, he was hacked to death by the enemy. My Wucun's heroic performance boosted the morale of the entire Qi army.Doctor Dong Guoshu and Li (li) Mi met to visit the city.Li Mi is a native of the State of Lu. He was exiled to the State of Qi with Duke Zhao of Lu and settled down in the State of Qi.He said to Dong Guoshu: "I will follow you. After climbing the city wall, you will charge to the left, and I will charge to the right. We will not go down until all our men have climbed the wall." Dong Guoshu said: "Okay, let's do it like this! "When Dong Guoshu boarded the city wall and rushed to the left as promised, Li Mi jumped into the city first.During the battle, the two sat together to rest, and Li Mi smiled and said, "I entered the city before you!" Dong Guoshu immediately stood up, put on his armor, picked up his weapon, and said, "First you give me a problem. , you didn’t abide by the agreement, and now you are teasing me again. Hurry up and pick up your weapon, and I will fight you!” Li Mi laughed and said, “I follow you, just like a can horse follows a horse. First?"

There are four horses in a chariot, the middle two are clothes, and the outer two are horses.There is a ring on the back of the service horse, and the bridle of the horse passes through the ring from the outside, and then is controlled by the driver, so the horse always follows the horse.Dong Guoshu couldn't help laughing when he heard this metaphor. After the war, Qi Jinggong rewarded Li Wucun for his meritorious service, but I was dead, so Limi was the first to be rewarded.Li Mi declined and said: "Actually, there was someone who was ahead of me, and I followed him. This man is wearing a white turban and a fox fur cloak. He walks like flying and is invincible. He is the hero of this battle." Qi Jinggong said: " Then find him quickly!" Li Mi brought Dong Guoshu to Duke Jing of Qi, and said, "This is the man. I solemnly give him the king's reward." Dong Guo Shu humbly said, "It's better to reward Li Mi Well, he is the minister of guests and travellers, I should give him three points." Qi Jinggong was very happy, and finally decided to record the first victory in this battle to Li Mitou.

As for the poor man who wanted to be the son-in-law of riding the dragon, after his death, it can be said that he will be mourned and honored.The army of the State of Qi was stationed in Yiyi, and Qi Jinggong issued an order: "Whoever finds a dead body that has not survived will be rewarded to five households and not used for service." Bitter, the price is a bit high.Even more dizzying is yet to come.After the body was found, Qi Jinggong wore a shroud three times for him, and gave him a car decorated with rhinoceros leather and a long-handled Luogai as a funeral.On the day of the funeral, the whole army mourned each other in silence. The person carrying the hearse did not walk standing but kneeling, and Qi Jinggong personally pushed the hearse three times.

When Qi State attacked Yiyi, Wei Linggong also cooperated in the battle and surrounded the Han family of Jin State (now in Handan, Hebei Province).Zhao Wu, a doctor in Handan of Jin State, led troops to resist.Zhao Wu is a descendant of Zhao Chuan, and he is of the same clan as Zhao Yang, so he can be regarded as Zhao Yang's younger brother in terms of seniority.The guards broke through the northwest corner of Han's City and defended it.Zhao Wu's troops were unable to fight well and fled overnight. After the Yiyi War, Qi Jinggong stepped up his diplomatic offensive.In the summer of 500 BC, the two countries of Qi and Lu held a Jiagu meeting, and the two countries achieved peace.In the winter of the same year, Qi Jinggong, Wei Linggong and Zheng Guo's Yousu held a meeting in Anfu (place name, unknown today).In the winter of 499 BC, the State of Lu also signed a peace treaty with the State of Zheng.In this way, the alliance of Qi, Zheng, Wei, and Lu was gradually formed, and Qi Jinggong's long-planned anti-Jin cause developed by leaps and bounds.

Faced with Qi's aggressive offensive, Jin also took corresponding countermeasures.In the summer of 500 BC, the state of Jin sent Zhao Yang to lead troops to surround Diqiu, the capital of the state of Wei.Zhao Wu was eager to avenge the Han clan last year, so he led seventy infantry soldiers into the west gate of Emperor Qiu, calling for a fight.The Wei people opened the city gates and fought with them, regardless of the outcome. After Zhao Wu came back, Man Ying boasted of his wounds.The doctor Shetuo, who was the man who grabbed Wei Linggong's wrist and soaked the basin with blood, said disapprovingly: "You are considered brave, but the people of Weiguo are not afraid of you. If I go, they will fight against you." They didn’t even dare to open it.” He also led seventy infantry soldiers to the gate of Diqiu early in the morning, and ordered them to stand in front of the gate, motionless like trees.At noon, the Wei people still did not dare to open their doors to fight, so She Tuo retreated to the camp.

However, with the bravery of Zhao Wu and She Tuo, Diqiu was still difficult to capture.Zhao Yang had no choice but to retreat back to the country, but he was not reconciled, so he sent someone to Wei Linggong to send a letter, asking him why he betrayed the state of Jin.Wei Linggong replied: "Ask your Shetuo and Chenghe!" After Zhao Yang investigated, he found out what Shetuo and Chenghe had done to Wei Linggong.He arrested Shetuo, and then sent someone to apologize to Wei Linggong, asking to rebuild the alliance, but Wei Linggong refused.Zhao Yang was anxious and angry, so he simply killed Shetuo.When Cheng He got the news, he fled to the country of Yan.

However, this still can't save Wei Linggong's heart.He sent five hundred households of slaves to Zhao Yang, which means that I appreciate your kindness. These slaves are my personal gift to you, as an apology for invading the Han clan, and have nothing to do with the country.Zhao Yang handed over the five hundred slave households to Zhao Wu, saying: "The situation is not clear at present, so let these people be resettled in Handan for the time being." Soon after, Zhao Yang ordered Zhao Wu to transfer these slaves to Jinyang, his residence.Zhao Wu himself had no objections, but his retainers thought it was inappropriate, saying: "Weiguo's gift was originally intended to compensate us for our losses in the Battle of the Han Clan. If they were transferred to Jinyang, wouldn't it be Didn’t it mean that Marquis Wei’s good intentions were ignored? It will not be so easy for us to deal with Wei Guo in the future. How about this, if we send troops to attack Qi State, Qi State will definitely retaliate. At that time, if we send people to Jinyang, there will be a The people of the state of Wei will not have any opinion." The logic of this group of retainers is so chaotic that later generations who study history have never understood it. In short, Zhao Wu followed their advice and sent troops to invade the border of Qi state. Those slaves were sent to Jinyang.

Qi Guo sent troops to retaliate.Wei Guo didn't seem to understand Zhao Wu's painstaking efforts, and actively responded to Qi Guo's call and sent troops to help.So in February 497 BC, the Qi and Wei allied forces crossed the Yellow River and looted the Hanoi area of ​​Jin.According to the pre-war predictions of the people of Qi, Hanoi is far away from Xintian, and it will take at least a few days for the head of Jin to receive the war warning; Freedom of movement for a considerable period of time. One day Qi Jinggong invited Wei Linggong to a banquet, halfway through the meal, suddenly Qi army spies came to report: "The Jin army is coming!" Wei Linggong was a little nervous, but Qi Jinggong said calmly: "Good time!" Please Wei Linggong He boarded his chariot, drove out of the camp gate, and went to meet the Jin army.Duke Ling of Wei was so frightened that his face turned blue, and he made a false alarm—it turned out that the spies had made a mistake. Of course the spies don't know how to judge, and Qi Jinggong is not so brave.All of this was arranged by the people of Qi, just to entertain Wei Linggong and let him experience Qi Jinggong's spirit of "the mountain collapses in front of him, but the color does not change".According to the information they have, they know that not only will the Jin army not be able to reach Hanoi in March, but it is very likely that they will never be able to catch up with this war. Because of the internal chaos in Jin. "Zuo Zhuan" records that Zhao Yang was furious when he heard that the Qi and Wei allied forces had invaded. He called Zhao Wu to Jinyang and imprisoned him. He also sent someone to tell his retainers: "This is a personal grudge between me and Zhao Wu. In Handan, you are your own masters, and establish a new master!" Zhao Wu was then executed.Zhao Wu's son Zhao Ji and his retainer Shebin raised the flag of rebellion in Handan, announcing their separation from Zhao Yang's leadership.Under such circumstances, how could the state of Jin care about dealing with the harassment of Hanoi by the states of Qi and Wei? In June of the same year, Zhao Yang sent the general Sima Ji Qin to besiege Handan.Zhao Wu is the Xiao Zong of the Zhao family. Zhao Yang killed Zhao Wu and besieged Handan, which was an internal matter of the family and had nothing to do with outsiders.But the problem is that Zhao Wu is Xun Yin's nephew, and Xun Yin and Shi Yang have always been friends.After Shi Yang's death, Shi Jishe became the suzerain of the Fan family, and Xun Yin married Shi Jishe. They were very dissatisfied with Zhao Yang's behavior and secretly discussed how to deal with Zhao Yang. Zhao Yang's retainer Dong Anyu heard the news and suggested that Zhao Yang make early preparations and strike first.Zhao Yang disagreed, saying: "The laws of Jin state, the death penalty for the rioters is first, and those who are forced to fight back are exempt." Dong Anyu said: "You are so indecisive, you will only harm your own people, why don't you let me One person is the commander in chief. When the time comes to investigate the responsibility, just say it was my idea and let me take the blame!" Zhao Yang still disagreed. In July of the same year, Shi Jishe and Xun Yin really launched an attack and besieged Zhao Yang's mansion in Xintian.Zhao Yang fled to Jinyang in a hurry and closed the city to defend himself.Shi Jishe and Xun Yin attacked Zhao Yang in the name of Jin Dinggong and declared him a traitor. At that time, the situation in Jin State was very complicated, and it could be called a mess—— Fan family: After Shi Jishe became the patriarch, he left out his younger brother Shi Gaoyi in the cold. The Zhi Family: Xun Li is now the Marshal of the Central Army of the Jin State, and he especially favors the doctor Liang Yingfu, and the two are very affectionate.Xun Li even wanted Liang Ying's father to become Qing, but the number of Qing is limited, only six, and they have been controlled by the six families for a long time.This means that Xun Li must get rid of one of them in order to achieve his goal. The Han family: Han Buxin and Xun Yin have never had the same pot of urine. Wei Family: The current patriarch is Wei Manduo, the grandson of Wei Shu, who is in the same position as Shiji Sheshi. The Zhongxing family: Xun Yin and Shi Jishe worked in collusion and were dissatisfied with Xun Li's leadership. After Zhao Yang fled, Xun Li summoned Han Buxin, Wei Manduo, Shi Gaoyi, and Liang Yingfu to discuss, plotting to expel Xun Yin and take him with Liang Yingfu; expel Shi Jishe and replace him with Shi Gaoyi.In short, the three major families are going to attack the Fan family and the Zhongxing family. Do it for a reason.Xun Li said to Jin Dinggong: "The first king has an order, and the ministers will be executed for the rebellion. Now the Fan family, Zhongxing family and Zhao family are in rebellion, and it is unfair to only attack the Zhao family. Please order to expel the scholars Ji She And Xun Yin." Jin Dinggong yawned, said "yes" lazily, and thought to himself: If you like to fight, go fight, what's the matter with you? In November of the same year, Xun Li, Han Buxin, and Wei Manduo attacked Xun Yin and Shi Jishe in the name of Jin Dinggong.The latter rose up to resist and directly aimed at Jin Dinggong. During the chaos between Luan and Gao in the state of Qi, Gao Qiang fled to the state of Lu, and then fled to the state of Jin, where he joined the family of the Fan family for more than 30 years.Gao Qiang said to Shi Jishe: "As the old saying goes, a person who breaks a bone three times can be a good doctor. Back then, I was kicked out of Qi State because I pointed the finger at Qihou. The only thing that cannot be done is to crusade against the monarch, because that would easily arouse public indignation. The three families of Zhi, Han, and Wei are united on the surface, but in fact they have their own ghosts. As long as you and the Zhonghang family work together, it is not difficult to defeat them. Wait until you defeat them , Your Majesty still listens to you?" Shi Jishe refused to listen. In his opinion, it is the kingly way to capture Duke Ding of Jin in his own hands first, so he and Xun Yin concentrated their forces to attack Xintian.Before Zhi, Han, and Wei made their move, people from all over the country rose up to attack them, and Shi Jishe and Xun Yin fell into the vast ocean of people's war.The three families took the opportunity to launch a general attack, and the two were beaten to the ground, so they had to flee to Chaoge for refuge. Xun Li also wanted to take the opportunity to eliminate the Zhao family, but Han Buxin and Wei Manduo firmly opposed it.One is that the Han and Zhao families have been friendly for generations; the other is that Xun Li has benefited the most from the crusade against the Bank of China and the Fan family. Both Han and Wei are worried that the Xun Li family will dominate and do not want to see the Zhao family perish.So they pleaded with Jin Dinggong, and of course Jin Dinggong had no objection and agreed to their request.In December of the same year, Zhao Yang returned to Xintian and held an oath of alliance with Jin Dinggong in the palace.But Xun Li still didn't want to let Zhao Yang go easily, and Liang Ying's father also suggested to Xun Li: "Dong An under Zhao Yang is a talented person. As long as he is under Zhao Yang, Zhao Yang will be strong, and sooner or later he will dominate the state of Jin. ...Why don't you cut off his wings first, put the responsibility for this turmoil on Dong Anyu, and ask him to die?" Xun Li sent someone to say to Zhao Yang: "According to what I have learned, although the Zhonghang family and the Fan family took the initiative to make troubles in this civil turmoil, Dong Anyu is also responsible for it. He deliberately teased them, and this happened! You have a life, and you will die for the rebellion. Now that those two people have escaped from the state of Jin, how to deal with Dong Anyu, you can figure it out." Zhao Yang was very distressed by this.This time the Zhao family could be said to be in jeopardy, if it wasn't for the help of the old Han family and the old Wei family, they might not be spared.Things had just calmed down when Xun Li made another move.If I had known this before, I might as well have followed Dong Anyu's suggestion, maybe the overall situation had been settled long ago, and the Zhongxing and Fan clans had been annexed, so I didn't have to be subjected to Xun Bi's birdishness. Dong Anyu is over seventy years old.This old minister who followed the Zhao family since he was a child saw Zhao Yang's troubles, and offered to propose: "If my death can make the Jin country stable and the Zhao family safe, then I am willing. Since ancient times, no one in life will die, and I will live to the end of my life." This age is enough!" Hanged himself. Zhao Yang burst into tears when he heard the news.After crying, he did what he should do, dragged Dong Anyu's body to the public on the street, and sent someone to tell Xun Li: "The master (he respectfully calls Xun Li his master) ordered the sinner Dong Anyu to be punished, and now he has committed crimes. Yes, please give me instructions." Only then did Xun Bi express his satisfaction.Soon after, the Zhi family and the Zhao family also held an oath.Because of Dong Anyu's sacrifice and Zhao Yang's forbearance, the Zhao family was preserved. For Qi Jinggong, the civil strife in Jin is undoubtedly an excellent subject.In the summer of 496 BC, the Jin army besieged Chaoge.Qi Jinggong watched the fire from the other side, and invited Lu Dinggong and Wei Linggong to hold a meeting in Liangshang, a famous scenic spot, to discuss the rescue of Zhongxing and Fan.Xun Yin, Shi Jishe's party feather Shi Yu, and Xiao Wang Taojia (surnamed Xiao Wang) led the wolf into the house and led the Di people to attack Xintian, but they were defeated by Xintian soldiers and civilians.Shi Yu fled to Luoyi, and Xiao Wang Taojia fled back to Chaoge. In the autumn of the same year, Qi Jinggong and Song Jinggong met again in Taodi, Cao State, and the topic was still to discuss the rescue of Zhongxing and Fan.This means that Song State was also drawn into Qi Jinggong's alliance, and Jin State completely lost control of the eastern countries. In the winter of the same year, Zheng Guo sent troops to help the Zhongxing and Fan clans attack Xintian under the instruction of Qi Jinggong.The Jin army defeated the Zhongxing and Fan clans in Lucheng (in today's Shanxi Province), and then defeated Zheng Guo's intervention army in Baiquan (in today's Henan Province). In 494 BC, the Jin army besieged Handan, where Zhao Ji was entrenched, and the Qi and Wei allied forces surrounded Wulu of Jin State to rescue Handan.Soon after, the State of Lu joined, and the Allied Forces of the Three Kingdoms captured Jipu (in present-day Hebei Province). At this time, some changes also occurred within the alliance of Qi. One is that Duke Ding of Lu died of illness and Duke Ai of Lu ascended the throne.Confucius left the state of Lu and began to travel around the world.I will talk about this matter later, so I won’t say much here. The second is that Kuai Kui, the eldest son of the state of Wei, fled. "Zuo Zhuan" records that Wei Linggong's wife, Nanzi, is an extremely coquettish woman.Nanzi was originally the princess of the Song Dynasty. When she was still in the Song Dynasty, she had a fierce fight with the doctor and son.Gong Zichao was a well-known handsome man at that time, and he was very good at dealing with women.Nanzi has been in Weiguo for a long time, and he misses the benefits of Gongzi Dynasty.Duke Ling of Wei is also different, not only is he not jealous, but he also specially sent someone to invite the young master to come to Weiguo to meet Nanzi.The eldest son Kuai Kui found out about this, and Kuai Kui felt so ashamed that he ordered his subordinate Xi Yangsu to assassinate Nan Zi.Xi Yangsu promised well, but did not act at the critical moment, which caused Kuai Kui to vent his anger and had to flee to the State of Song, and later to the State of Jin, where he joined Zhao Yang's sect. In the summer of 493 B.C., Duke Ling of Wei passed away, leaving his last words ordering his concubine son Ying to ascend the throne.Nanzi also wanted to establish his son Ying, but the son Ying refused, and said, "Although Kuaikui is away, his son is still in Weiguo!" The son Gongsun Zhe is the king, that is, Wei Chugong. In the autumn of the same year, Qi Jinggong sent people to deliver grain to Chaoge. Handa and Sihong of Zheng State led troops to escort them, and Shiji shot out of the city to meet them.The state of Jin sent Zhao Yang to attack the food transport troops, and the two sides met in Qidi. Yang Hu said to Zhao Yang: "We have few chariots. Please lure Zheng Jun to go deep, and I will intercept him head-on. Han and Si must be afraid when they see me. At that time, if the whole army fights together, they will be defeated. Zheng Jun." Zhao Yang accepted this suggestion. Why Yang Hu has such confidence in his appearance, no one in history can understand.However, some people speculated that Yang Hu was indeed so powerful when he was in power in the State of Lu that the people of Qi State and Zheng State were a little scared when they saw him.This book will not delve into it, just let it go. Before the war, Zhao Yang ordered people to use the tortoise shell for divination. The scorched tortoise shell was an ominous sign.Zhao Yang encouraged everyone, saying: "The Fan family and the Zhongxing family violated the mandate of heaven, harmed the people, and wanted to kill the king and rule the state of Jin. Now the state of Zheng has no way, helping the rebels and abandoning the king. We obey the mandate of heaven, Ordered by the emperor, carry out righteousness, wash away the shame, in this battle. Whoever defeats the enemy will be rewarded with the county, the doctor will be rewarded with the county (the county is larger than the county in the Spring and Autumn Period), the scholar will be rewarded with the field, and the farmers, workers, merchants, etc. will be promoted to scholars , slaves are given freedom. If I, Zhao Yang, are lucky enough to lead you to victory in this war, I will definitely demand the above reward from the king, and I will never break my promise! If unfortunately I fail, I will have no face to go back. Please kill me by hanging. After death Use a three-inch thick paulownia coffin, without lining boards and outer coffins, and transport it in an undecorated carriage, and you are not allowed to be buried in the Zhao family's cemetery." For people at that time, the most feared thing was death without a burial landed.The soldiers were very excited when they heard the commander swear such a poisonous oath, and they all expressed that they would fight to the death with the Zheng Guoren, and never let the commander suffer such humiliation. On the day of the battle, the doctor You Wuxie drove Zhao Yang's car, and Kuai Kui acted as the guard on the right side of the car, and drove up to Tieqiu (the local hill name).I saw Zheng Guo people densely packed, lined up in a neat battle formation, pressing down like a forest.When had Kuai Kui seen such a big scene, he was so frightened that he jumped out of the car on the spot.You Wuxie took off his belt, handed one end to Kuai Kui, and shouted softly, "Get in the car!" Kuai Kui grabbed the belt and came up, his feet still trembling.You Wuxie was both angry and funny, scolded: "Why do you look like a woman?", making him blush. Zhao Yang inspected the troops and delivered a speech before the battle: "The first doctor Bi Wan was an ordinary person. He captured the enemy seven times in battle. Later, he was rewarded with a hundred chariots and died well. Please work hard to kill the enemy, and you may not die at the hands of the enemy." Li!" Bi Wan was a general in Jin Xiangong's time, that is, the ancestor of the Wei family. His story is well known in Jin, so Zhao Yang said this. Doctor Zhao Luo, Zhao Yang's nephew, was young at the time and it was his first time participating in a war, so he was very scared.His coachman Fan Yu had to tie him to the car.The military discipline officer saw it and asked what was going on.Fan Yu said: "He has a malaria attack, and he is shaking!" By this time, Kuai Kui could no longer be stage frightened.Holding the sword in his hand, he solemnly prayed: "The ancestors are above, because Zheng Sheng (Zheng Shenggong's scenic spot) disturbed Gangchang, and Jin Wu (Jin Dinggong's name Wu) was in danger, so he sent Zhao Yang to crusade. Dare to covet ease, but also rank in the team with spears, please protect my ancestors, don't let me break my tendons, don't let me break my bones, don't let my face be hurt, don't let my ancestors bring shame." What are these prayers? , It’s simply a strange text. What is surprising is that after the battle started, Kuai Kui's performance was completely different.In the beginning, Zheng Jun had the upper hand because of the large number of people.Zhao Yang was hit on the shoulder and fainted in the car. Even the commander's banner was taken away by Zheng Guoren.Zhao Luo also became a prisoner.On the contrary, Kuai Kui was brave and invincible. First, he fought fiercely and rescued Zhao Yang from the dangerous situation;In this way, a thousand carts of food from the Qi State fell into the hands of the people of the Jin State. When Shi Jishe fled to Chaoge, his retainer Gongsun Jie (mang) was still collecting taxes for him in Fan's territory, but Zhao Yang's subordinates captured him and were about to execute him.Zhao Yang said: "Every man is his master, what crime is he?" So he released Gongsun Yu and gave him land.During the Battle of Tieqiu, Gongsun Kuo led 500 men under his command to attack Zheng's army at night, and took back Zhao Yang's commander-in-chief banner, saying: "I would like to repay my master's kindness with this!" After the battle, Zhao Yang counted the troops and found that most of the elite vanguard troops died in battle. He said with emotion: "Although Zheng Guo is a small country, it should not be underestimated." As everyone knows, after Zheng Zhuanggong's death, although the country's situation has deteriorated, the combat effectiveness of the army But it has never fallen, and there are more victories than defeats in wars.If Kuai Kui and others hadn't exerted their strength this time, it would be hard to say who would win or lose. After the battle, Zhao Yang was very proud of the merits and rewards, saying: "I was hit by the enemy, and I fell on the bow bag and vomited blood, but I still kept beating the drums, and the sound of the drums did not fade. I have contributed the most to this battle." Kuai Kui Said unceremoniously: "I rescued you in the car, and led the troops to pursue the enemy. I contributed the most to the right side of the car." Post Wuxie laughed and said: "I drive the car for you, and the horse's girth is almost strangled. It’s broken, but I can still control it, and I’m the one who deserves the most credit.” Well, the three people in the commander’s car got all the credit, so what else do others get?Of course, others still have rewards.It's just that the performance of these three people in the war was indeed remarkable, and they won the first prize, and the others had nothing to say. That night, Zhao Yang got very drunk and said: "That's enough, this is enough." It means that if the enemy's food is taken away, Chaoge's strength will be exhausted, and the Zhongxing and Fan clans will no longer be a worry.The retainer Fu Sou said coldly at the side: "Although Zheng Guo has been defeated, there is still Zhi Shi there. I am afraid it is too early to be happy now." Woke up immediately. Fu Sou is right. The turmoil in the past few years has changed the structure of the Jin State, from the original dictatorship of the six ministers to the coexistence of four heroes, and the Zhi family under the leadership of Xun Li took advantage of the chaos and became the most powerful and powerful. The strongest, has already surpassed Zhao, Wei, and Han, and has the potential to dominate Jin.In comparison, what are the Zhongxing and Fan clans who have become dogs in the water? In October 492 BC, Zhao Yang attacked Chaoge.Due to the lack of relief food from Qi State, Chaoge has long been in famine. How can he resist Zhao Yang's army?Xun Yin was calm in the face of danger, pretending to launch a counterattack in the south of the city, and attracted Zhao Yang's main force, and then led a small group of elite troops to break out at the north gate with Shi Jishe, and fled to Handan. In July 491 B.C., the Qi and Wei allied forces surrounded Wulu again, seeking the savior Jishe.In the ninth month, Zhao Yang besieged Handan.In November, the city of Handan was broken, Xun Yin and Shi Jishe fled to the Xianyu tribe, and Zhao Ji fled to Lindi (in today's Hebei Province).In December, King Jinggong of Qi sent Guoxia to crusade against the state of Jin, took Xing, Ren, Luan, Gao, Niyi, Yinren, Yu, Hukou and other places in one go, joined forces with the Xianyu people, and took Xunyin and Shiji He was escorted to Bairen (in today's Hebei Province). In the spring of 490 BC, the Jin army attacked the Bo people.Bairen is the old territory of the Fan family.Although Wang Sheng, Shijishe's retainer, hated Zhang Liushuo very much, he suggested that Shijishe arrange Zhang Liushuo to be the magistrate of the Bai people.Shi Jishe wondered: "Didn't you have an enmity with Zhang Liushuo?" Wang Sheng said: "It's a personal enmity, and it doesn't affect business affairs. If you like someone, you must see his shortcomings; if you hate someone, you can't ignore his advantages. This is the basic principle of being a minister, how dare I violate it?" When the Jin army besieged the Bai people, Xun Yin and Shi Jishe couldn't hold on, and wanted to flee to the state of Qi. Zhang Liushuo said to his son: "Young man, follow the master and live well. Do it! I came to cover your breakout, and I died here. This is the mission Wang Sheng entrusted to me, and I have to complete it!" So he led his troops to fight the Jin army to the death.Xun Yin and Shi Jishe took the opportunity to break through and fled to the state of Qi. Just when Qi Jinggong was full of ambition and wanted to invade the hinterland of Jin with Xun Yin and Shi Jishe as the forerunners, an irresistible factor stopped his ambition forever, and also cut off the revival of Zhongxing and Fan's dreams. In September 490 BC, Qi Jinggong, who had reigned for fifty-eight years, passed away.