Chapter 71 6. Sun Quan showed great hospitality

Sun Quan, the overlord of Jiangdong, actually sent envoys into Luoyang to pay tribute to Cao Pi, the son of Cao Cao, his number one rival back then. This made Sima Yi secretly admire: Sun Quan is not only a man of great talent and a broad mind, but also able to bend and stretch, strong and soft, good at adapting to the times and adapting to changes, he is worthy of being a generation of heroes!The courage of a common man, even if it comes happily for a while, is nothing more than a martyrdom; the emperor's courage, although sometimes it seems shameful and humiliating, is actually the foundation of Goujian's karma.It seems that what Confucius said, "When three people walk together, there must be my teacher" is indeed the most reasonable saying, and I have to carefully "choose the good one and learn it" from this Sun Quan.Only by constantly absorbing strengths from these heroes will he become stronger and stronger.

It is the ins and outs of why Sun Quan bowed his head and paid tribute to the Cao family. Sima Yi actually saw everything clearly: it turned out that in the 24th year of Jian'an in the previous dynasty, Guan Yu, the famous general of Western Shu, "borrowed" Jingzhou If they don’t pay back, they will try their best to practice Zhuge Liang’s "Longzhong Opposition" strategy set by Zhuge Liang in the Nanyang thatched cottage, and lead an 80,000-strong army to set off from Jiangling City, breaking through Dangyang, sinking Xiangyang, crossing the Han River, submerging the Seven Armies, capturing in the ban, beheading all the way. Pang De went straight to Fancheng of Wei State.At that time, his sharpness was unstoppable, and even the court of Xudu was shocked by it, and the discussion of moving the capital followed.However, in the end, when Cao Cao was in crisis, he still listened to Sima Yi, who was the Sima of the Prime Minister's Army at the time, who offered the words of "knowing the truth for benefit, metaphorizing it for harm, uniting with grandson to control the pass, using strength to fight, and attacking from both sides". He planned to send someone to secretly contact Sun Quan to eliminate Guan Yu.However, Sun Quan was originally worried about Liu Bei and Guan Yu's borrowing of Jingzhou, and seeing that Guan Yu was so popular that even the hinterland of the Central Plains might be captured by him, which obviously broke the balance of the "three-legged confrontation". Potential, the bottom of my heart is also very unwilling.Therefore, he immediately replied to Cao Cao, "resigned as a minister, and begged to serve himself by sniping Guan Yu." Under the premise that the Cao-Sun alliance was formed tacitly, Sun Quan immediately sent Lu Meng and Lu Xun to cross the river in "white clothes." "The strategy took away Guan Yu's rear base - Jiangling City in one fell swoop, forcing Guan Yu to flee to Maicheng in a hurry, and eventually died at the hands of Wu general Pan Zhang!

After Guan Yu's death, Sun Quan also knew that he had formed a great enmity with Liu Bei from Western Shu, so he firmly guarded Jiangling, gathered troops and did not dare to go north to invade Xiangyang and Fancheng, so he bowed his knees to Cao Wei and served as a minister to the north. Later, he wrote a letter to persuade Cao Cao to stand on his own For the emperor. When Cao Cao was about to lead his army south to completely surrender Sun Quan, he suddenly suffered an emergency and died in Xudu.After his death, Sun Quan immediately hibernated and became silent again, and severed ties with the Cao family.It was not until after more than a year of "rest period" that he suddenly sent someone to Luoyang to pay tribute today. I really don't know what kind of medicine Sun Quan was selling in his gourd at this time?

Sima Yi was thinking about it in his head, until the emissary of Sun Quan came to the palace, he finally collected his thoughts and looked over there slowly. However, Zhao Zi, the envoy from Jiangdong, was born with a short stature. From a distance, he looked like a short winter melon rolled in, and even the corners of his clothes and sleeves were dragged on the floor of the hall.Upon seeing it, all the ministers of Wei State couldn't help smiling and laughing. As if nothing had happened, Zhao Zi went forward to kowtow and salute Cao Pi frankly.Cao Pi asked him to stand up flat, and said with a smile: "Zhao Aiqing——you are going to court today, which seems to be similar to Yan Zi's mission to Chu, but I don't know if you are worthy of Yan Zi?"

Zhao Zi glanced at the ridicule of the Wei ministers around him, and replied neither humble nor overbearing: "Qizou Your Majesty: I am not as good as Yan Zi, but I was met by Yan Zi when I was envoy to Chu - this is my humble minister." It is not as good as Yanzi. In the heavenly kingdom, the princes judge people by their appearance, and do not treat them with courtesy and courtesy; Ugliness does not give a mission. Which is better and which is worse, is at the heart of the mind." As soon as he said this, all the ministers of Wei Guoman's court were shocked: this Zhao Zihao was so eloquent, and he scolded everyone in a flash of words!

Cao Pi didn't want his subordinates to waste time arguing with him, so he asked directly, "Since you have come to pay tribute, what do you have to offer?" As soon as Zhao Zi heard this, he realized that Cao Pi was a person who valued things and despised virtue, and was a flashy person. He sighed secretly, took out a red sandalwood box from the sleeve of his robe, held it in his hand respectfully, and said: " Sun Quan, the general who sought captives, sent his ministers to go deep into the coast of the South China Sea, and searched for a golden conch cup with tiger skin pattern, which is rare in a thousand years. It is not respectful, please appreciate it."

As he said that, he was about to open the lid of the box, but Cao Pi stopped him with a wave of his hand: "The golden conch cup with tiger skin pattern? Forget it, Xin Aiqing, please accept it for me. Hehehe! It can still compare to My rhino horn cup, agate bowl? Zhao Aiqing! My palace is already full of such rare treasures as you and others. Your Jiangdong is a barren land, how can it compare to Hua Tianbao, the treasure of my Central Plains? " Zhao Zi thought to himself: You Cao Pi, while selfishly coveting Jiangdong's "Golden Conch Cup with Tiger Skin Pattern", at the same time pretending to be arrogant and belittle my Jiangdong's products.What an outrageous villain!But of course he didn't dare to expose his feelings to the outside world, so he had to bow his head and answer: "Your Majesty is a sage—the Central Plains Shenzhou has outstanding people, rich resources, and prosperity. compare to?"

Cao Pi blushed slightly, and hurriedly changed the topic: "Uh...Zhao Aiqing, besides bringing these rare treasures to pay tribute, do you have any other tributes? You Jiangdong can offer something comparable to my Central Plains Shenzhou Did the poems and songs of the 'Seven Sons of Jian'an' make me pleasing to the eye?" "This...don't hide your majesty, we really don't have such a tribute in Jiangdong." Zhao Zigong bowed his sleeves and answered respectfully. He said, "It's just because all the scholars in Jiangdong have a heart for the common people, have a mind to be economical, and do their best to save the world, so I have no time to imitate the vulgar scholars' excerpts and words!"

After hearing this, Cao Pi and the officials of Wei State couldn't help but looked at each other in blank dismay.Sima Yi also secretly nodded at the side: Jiang Donglai's response was so subtle, ingenious and energetic, it really has the atmosphere of a great country standing on top of each other.It seems that Sun Quan and his ministers are not willing to be inferior to others! Zhao Zi wrote again: "I would like to report to your majesty: the rebel Guan Yu was so pretentious that he flooded the seven armies and captured General Yujin alive. Later, Sun Chaolu raised his troops and drove them out of the Wei Dynasty. He killed Guan Yu in one fell swoop and rescued the army. General Yu Jin. My minister followed Sun’s intention to seek captives, and has already accompanied General Yu Jin back to the capital of Luoyang. Right now, General Yu Jin is holding the axe, waiting for his crime outside the Meridian Gate.”

After Cao Pi heard this, his face turned red immediately: "What face does the defeated general have when he comes to see me? Xinpi, convey my order: order him to go to the cemetery of the first emperor to guard the tomb, and he will not be allowed to set foot in Luoyang Capital for life!" As soon as he said this, there was a silent commotion in the court hall.Sima Yi felt that Cao Pi's move was really narrow-minded and mean. He was just about to speak out, when he raised his eyes and saw Cao Pi's ferocious wolf-like gaze sweeping towards the ministers—his heart moved secretly, and he closed his mouth. Say no more.At the same time, his eyes flicked, and he met the eyes of Taiwei Jia Xu: from Jia Xu's pupils that were as deep as an abyss, he faintly saw a trace of inexplicable tremor and worry hidden deep in the depths.

Zhao Zi, on the other hand, was indifferent to all this like a complete outsider. He bowed his body and continued to clap his hands and said: "Qizou Your Majesty: Sun Chaolu is here to express his surrender and concern for the country. We specially sent 500,000 stones and grains in twenty-five large ships, and made a special trip to pay tribute to His Majesty, so as to show that the north and the south are one and share weal and woe!" Five hundred thousand stones of grain? !Sun Quan is really generous!In this world of confrontation and strife, he actually sent 500,000 shi of grain to Cao Pi in Luoyang with a wave of his sleeve!This time, the common people in Yuzhou Hedong, Yelin, Quyang and other counties suffering from the locust plague will get another relief.Sun Quan's move can be said to have made a remarkable contribution to the great cause of the people's livelihood of the Great Wei Dynasty.Immediately, almost everyone in the Changle Hall, from the Wei Emperor Cao Pi down, was moved by Sun Quan's generous gift of food. However, Sima Yi frowned secretly. There is a saying in the proverb: "If you don't have anything to show courteousness, you will be a thief." This Sun Quan did not hesitate to spend all his money, what is his intention?Is he really ready to surrender to Wei?Are you really going to be a vassal of Wei? "Very good, very good. In view of the fact that Sun Shulu looked at the wind and shadow and called him a vassal, he was loyal to the inside but his money was clear outside, and he believed in gold and stone and his righteousness covered mountains and rivers. I am very proud." Cao Pi's eyes were shining brightly, He was so excited that even the tone of his voice trembled slightly, "I will now confer the title of Duke of Wu on the Jin Dynasty, and bestow upon him a policy book with a purple ribbon and a gold-sealed tiger talisman!" As soon as he finished speaking, Sima Yi shouted in a high voice: "Your Majesty Qi Zuo: I think that although General Sun Quan has an act of loyalty and service, and the intention of integrating the north and the south, it seems a bit too kind to confer the title of Duke of Wu at this moment." There is a saying in ancient books: Gentlemen are not rewarded in vain. Your Majesty can hang the Duke of Wu under the blue sky and white sun. After General Sun Quan and the kings of the Celestial Dynasty work together to pacify Western Shu, he will set up an altar to give practical teachings. In this way, General Sun Quan will "You have both the name and the truth, and you are worthy of the reward." The scholars and people of the world will be convinced and admired sincerely. Zhao Jun, do you think so?" Zhao Zi didn't expect that Sima Yi would come out halfway to disrupt the situation, but after careful consideration, this Sima Yi's words were high-sounding and upright, and he had nothing to say for a while, so he could only look at Cao Pi, and silently responded. As soon as Cao Pi heard what Sima Yi said, he immediately realized that he was dazzled by the agitation for a moment, and he actually lost his words!He wanted to take back his words according to Sima Yi's remonstrance, but he couldn't let go of his face; he wanted to wait for Zhao Zi to resign politely, but he didn't expect that Zhao Zi would pretend to be stupid at this time, and just kept silent No, it was clearly forcing me to fulfill my promise.For a moment, he felt his head was as big as a bucket, his face turned red and pale, and he hesitated to speak. At this moment, outside the gate of the hall, Han Jian, a military officer on duty and Lieutenant of the Yulin Military Academy, suddenly heard a summons, which broke the dullness in the hall: "His Majesty: General Cao Ren has urgent military information from Jingzhou." Present!" As a veteran of the clan, Cao Ren is located in Xiangyang, Jingzhou, bordering Shuhan in the west and Wuyue in the east, which is exactly at the center of the East-West conflict.He suddenly sent an urgent military intelligence report, it must be that there is another war on the front line of Jingzhou! Hearing Han Jian's report, Cao Pi's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but glared at Zhao Zi sideways, thinking to himself: Could it be that this Sun Quan is playing the deceitful trick of "Yang gives yin, first courtesy and then soldiers" again?Just sent envoys in the front to show weakness and surrender, and immediately secretly kill them in the back? At this time, beads of sweat as big as soybeans dripped from Zhao Zi's forehead: he is naturally quite familiar with the ups and downs and unpredictable strategies of his lord Sun Quan - who would have expected what he would do at this juncture What about the sword going slanted? With a sullen face, Cao Pi waved his hand to Simpi, and said, "Tell me the military information!" Xin Pi also panicked, ran down Danchi in a hurry, quickly took the silk message from Han Jian from the gate of the hall, and presented it to Cao Pi.With his left hand, Cao Pi lifted the bead hanging from the Xuanmian in front of him, and picked up the silk letter with his right hand to look at it quickly, and then his eyes widened. It turned out that Cao Ren wrote this in the silk letter: False Liu Bei, the lord of Shu, personally led an army of 200,000. In the name of avenging Guan Yu's murder, he drove across the mountains and ridges from Wu Gorge in Yizhou, and came straight to Yiling, the west-line fan of the Sun family in the east of the Yangtze River! "I didn't expect it—it turned out that it was Liu Bei's old thief who suddenly launched a surprise attack on General Sun Quan..." Cao Pi's eyes flickered coldly, and he stared at Zhao Zi, "Zhao Aiqing, before General Sun Quan sent you to Luoyang to deliver food and tribute, I'm afraid you have already Guess what happened?" When Zhao Zi heard this, a big stone in his heart suddenly fell down, and he bowed and said: "Qizou Your Majesty: This is the pseudo-Shu Liu Bei who saw that my six counties in the east of the Yangtze River surrendered to Wei, and also killed his right-hand man Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and Zhang Fei are self-serving, that's why he harbored hatred and revenge, intending to invade Jiangdong. I hope that Your Majesty will show your kindness and make decisions for my elders in Jiangdong!" "This..." Cao Pi couldn't help murmuring: No wonder Sun Quan sent another rare treasure today, and returned it to General Ban, and also paid 500,000 stones and grains as a tribute.In the end, it was to stabilize his own side that he could get away and deal with Liu Bei!On a second thought, he had a plan in his mind: Why didn't he take the opportunity to let Sun Quan and Liu Bei "snipe and clam fight"?So, he straightened his face and said solemnly: "Yes! General Sun's loyalty to the Great Wei is a lesson to the world. How can I sit idly by? Let's let you feel at ease against the pseudo-Shu and Liu thieves. , I immediately sent an edict to General Cao Ren, asking him to withdraw the soldiers stationed in Dangyang County to the area of ​​Xiangyang City - to leave room for you to maneuver, let you Jiangdong ministers fight with the puppet Shu Liu in the Jiangnan area of ​​Jingzhou Thieves give it a go!" As soon as he said this, Taiwei Jia Xu, Shangshu Pushe Sima Yi, the leader Xia Houshang, and the general Cao Xiu who guarded the army were all shocked: Now Sun Quan has occupied Jiangling City in Jingzhou Jiangbei, and Dangyang County is Xiangyang The buffer barrier between the important town and the Jiangling fortress, how can this be easily given away?What's more, General Cao Ren deployed elite troops to the Dangyang area, and right now he is guarding the strategic position of "advance can be attacked, retreat can be defended, and two-way monitoring"-absolutely do not return to the north at this juncture!So, they all went out to play and said: "The ministers and others will tell your Majesty: Please think twice about vacating Dangyang and returning troops to the north!" As soon as Cao Pi said this, he felt that it was inappropriate, and he couldn't help being extremely annoyed!When he was hesitating, Zhao Zi kowtowed and bowed down with a "boom": "On behalf of General Sun Quan, I would like to thank Your Majesty for your great grace! Long live Your Majesty! Long live! Long live!" Cao Pi stared straight at him, gasped heavily, and couldn't say anything for a moment.