Chapter 5 Chapter 5: Su Qin Tongue Fights Ji Xia Group, King Qi Enters the Column

Qin Guo made great efforts to conquer Yiyang, and the whole South Korea fell into panic. Zhaohou sent people to ask Su Qin for help urgently. Su Qin asked about the details, and concluded that the Qin people were repeating the same old tricks, bluffing like the previous campaign against Zhao, and immediately made up their minds, and returned a secret letter to Han Hou, boldly claiming that the marriage of the Three Jin Dynasties has been completed, as long as the Qin soldiers invaded, it would be appropriate Yang, Wei and Zhao will send troops at the same time to attack Qin from Hangu, Xihe and Jinyang.After Han Hou took reassurance, he dispatched troops and generals with full confidence, arranged Yiyang defense, and fought against the Qin people with all his strength.

At the same time, Su Qin bid farewell to the king of Wei, and then ordered Lou Huan to stand in front of him. He followed closely behind, mobilizing the four kingdoms to unite chariots and horses, and marched towards Linzi, the capital of Qi. At this time, a major event happened in Linzi, the capital of Qi: Peng Meng died of illness at Jixia Academy's sacrifice to wine. Jixia Academy was initiated by Qi Huan Gong Tian Wu (different from Jiang's Huan Gong Xiaobai) who was the first emperor of Qi.At that time, Jiang Qi, the first generation of the Tian family, had an unstable regime. Tian Wu followed the example of the Jiang family's Xiaobai and set up a separate palace in Jixia to recruit talented scholars.When Tian Yin succeeded to the throne at the beginning of Qi, Chunyu Kun, Zou Ji, and Peng Meng all lived in Jixia and were revered as Mr. Jixia.At that time, Wei Gong was obsessed with wine and sex, and ignored the government affairs. Zou Ji had an audience with his qin skills, and Chunyu Kun taught him with hidden words.Duke Wei wakes up from his dream and appoints Zou Ji as prime minister to rectify the administration of officials, promote agriculture and emphasize commerce, and the state of Qi follows.After Zou Ji entered politics, Chunyu Kun served as Qi envoy to Zhao and left Jixia.Under Zou Ji's suggestion, Wei Gong expanded Jixia, paid a lot of money to pay for the scholars, and talented people from all over the world came one after another.Minister Wei sent Mr. Peng Meng, Mr. Jixia, to sacrifice wine for the school palace, treat him with courtesy, give him a high salary, and preside over the daily affairs of Jixia; he made Tian Ying, the senior doctor, as the order of Jigong, and communicated with Jixia and Qi Palace.By the time Duke Wei became king, the scale of Ji Palace had grown unprecedentedly. There were more than a thousand scholars, and Mr. Ji Xia had more than ten people.

Peng Meng died of illness, King Wei was very sad.When Lou Huan came to court, King Wei was discussing the funeral with several important officials in the palace, and the atmosphere was very depressed.After Lou Huan's kowtow was over, he roughly explained the purpose of his visit, saying that Su Qin, the special envoy of the four countries, would come to Linzi within three days to meet the king of Qi, and at the same time submit the agreement of the four countries and the joint call to arms. King Wei took the letter of appointment and the call to action, glanced at it, and said slowly: "Louzi has worked hard from afar, and he will go back to the post house to rest for a few days. I will choose a day to ask for advice."

Lou Huan bowed again and then withdrew. Seeing the building walking away slowly, King Wei turned his gaze to Tian Ying: "Aiqing, let's talk about the matter of talent just now. The Ji Palace was established by the first emperor and the source of all kinds of strategies; scholars are the treasure of the country and the foundation of the prosperity of Qi. Ji Palace The affairs of the country are the affairs of the country. The prosperity of the Ji Palace means the prosperity of the country; If it is a big deal, you can have a generous burial according to the rites of the Shangqing. I want everyone in the world to know that in my land, life is well-fed, and death is buried with ceremonies."

When King Wei sighed, all the ministers were moved and convinced.Even Tian Ji, the general who had always held prejudices against Jixia, nodded frequently as if he had realized something. "My minister complies with the order!" Tian Ying clapped her hands in response. "Jixia must have sacrificial wine. Regarding this matter, does Ai Qing have any consideration?" "My minister thinks," said Tian Ying, "the dragon and crouching tiger are hidden in Jixia, and the world's talents are gathered together. The post of sacrifice to wine cannot be done by anyone who is not of high morals. At present, there are eleven Mr. Jixia in the Ji Palace, such as Shen Dao and Yin Wenzi. , Zou Yan, Xu Xing, Tian Pian, Jiezi, Huanyuan, Gongsun Long, etc., all have talents, but wealth and hope are not enough to convince the crowd. If I think of one person, I may be able to convince the crowd."

"Who?" "Chunyu Kun." "Well, it's him!" King Wei immediately made a decision, turned to Zou Ji, and sighed, "Oh, I used to be addicted to alcohol, thanks to Chunyuzi's clever advice, I gave up the drink of the long night." "Oh," Zou Ji asked, "this matter is new, I have never heard His Majesty mention it before." "It's all old stuff." King Wei smiled wryly, and sighed, "However, sooner or later, I will remember it, as if it was yesterday." Pijiang was very interested and begged: "Father, can you tell me about this old story?"

King Wei nodded and said slowly: "Back when I was first established, I didn't think about making progress, and indulged in lust. Since Zou Qingqin Yu, although I am committed to state affairs, I can't give up drinking and pleasure. One day, I called Chun Yuzi For a long night of drinking, he asked him with a smile, "How much can you get drunk, sir?" Chunyu Zi replied, "Your servant will also get drunk after drinking a bucket, and you will also get drunk after drinking a stone." The widow wondered, "Mr. Can you drink another stone, can you tell me the reason?" Chunyuzi said, "If the emperor gives wine, there are law enforcement by the side, and there are censors behind, Kun will drink it in fear, and he will be drunk after a fight; On the side, Kun is a junior, serving wine with his sleeves rolled up and bowed, but he can drink no more than two buckets; if friends meet again, they can drink five or six buckets; Companion, shake hands and talk happily, play endlessly, eye to eye, ear to temple together, all drinkers are happy, and it’s okay to drink eight buckets; if the sun is setting and the moon is dark, beautiful women are invited, sit on knees, the cups and plates are messy, the candles in the hall are extinguished, the host sees off the guests and stays behind , lightly untie Luosang, the body fragrance hits the nose, the heart is the softest, and you can drink a stone." The widow thought about it carefully, knowing that he was trying to remonstrate, and sighed, "Mr. Is it sad?' Chunyuzi smiled and said, 'Your Majesty, Kun thinks that everything is the same, and it will decline to the extreme.' The widow is filled with emotion, and since then he has changed his past and given up the long night's drink." After a short pause, there was some praise Jia, "Don't say anything else, just this one remonstrance, Chunyuzi is enough to serve as a sacrificial wine."

All the ministers were in admiration: "Your Majesty's holy judgment!" King Qi Wei raised his head and turned to Tian Ying, and asked with frowned eyebrows: "Ai Qing, Chunyu Zi is away at large, I don't know where he is, how can we invite him to make sacrificial wine?" "Don't worry, Your Majesty," Tian Ying said, "Now Chunyuzi is living in Handan. When Peng Jijiu was seriously ill, I urgently sent someone to invite him. When Chunyuzi heard that Peng Jijiu was in poor health, he would definitely drive here. .If there are no mistakes, Chunyuzi will arrive at noon the next day."

"It's so good!" King Wei put the matter aside, picked up the letter of agreement from several cases, and signaled his ministers to pass it to all the ministers, "My dear friends, the matter of Su Qin's co-conciliation has caused an uproar in the world. Today, the letter of agreement is here. , take a look here too." His Highness Tian Bijiang took it over, read it carefully, passed it on to Zou Ji, Zou Ji passed it on to Tian Ying, and Tian Ying passed it on to Tian Ji.All the ministers read it once, and the ministers took it back and placed it on the king's table.

King Wei glanced at all the ministers: "You have seen all of them, do you have any comments?" Tian Ji took a step forward: "Your Majesty, it is absolutely impossible to join forces!" "Why not?" "My minister thinks that the six kingdoms unite to control Qin. Although Qin is violent, it is far away from me. Even if it becomes a disaster, it has nothing to do with me. The enemy of Qin is the three Jins, not my great Qi." Pi Jiang took a step forward, and continued: "I agree with what the general said." "Why do you agree?" Wei Wang stared at him and asked.

"I think," Pi Jiang said, "the enemy of Qin is the Three Jins, and my enemy is also the Three Jins. This is one of them. I am facing the sea to the east and the Three Jins to the west. Neither can be plotted, but those who can. , only the land of Yan and the kingdoms of Sixia. If you participate in the marriage, you can’t look at Yan in the north, you can’t look at Sixia in the south, you can’t look at the Three Jins in the west, and the sea is in the east. The combination will be very harmful to me.” "Zou Aiqing," King Wei turned to Zou Ji, "What do you think?" Zou Ji cupped his hands and said: "Your Majesty's concern, I think it is true. Su Qin's resistance to Qin is false, and it is his heart to restrict Qi and Chu. When he first advocated Zong, Su Qin only mentioned the Three Jins and the Yan Kingdom, and did not have Qi and Chu. This time I was invited to join forces, and the six kingdoms joined together to fight against Qin, which is very false. Besides, the matter of uniting the six kingdoms to fight against Qin cannot stand up to consideration. With Qin's current strength, let alone six The unity of the country, just one Wei, is enough for the people of Qin to support." Seeing that Tian Ying didn't say anything, King Wei asked, "Aiqing, why didn't you say anything?" Tian Ying cupped her hands and said, "Your Majesty has already made a conclusion, so why should I say so much?" Wei Wang was startled, staring at Tian Ying, and after a while, he waved his hands to the ministers and said, "Dismiss the court." Seeing that all the ministers were leaving, King Wei said again: "Tian Ying stay." Tian Ying paused. King Wei smiled and said, "Let's go, walk with the widow." The two monarchs and ministers walked out from the side door of the main hall and walked along the path to the back garden.After walking for a while, Wei Wang stopped, tilted his head and asked, "Tell me, what is the conclusion of the widow?" Tian Ying said in one breath, "He Zong." "Oh?" Wei Wang seemed surprised, "I would like to know, you are not a widow, how do you know that the widow is such a conclusion?" "To me, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. With His Majesty's knowledge, there must be such a decision." "What are the advantages and disadvantages of being vertical to me, you can tell me." "The humble officials first talk about the disadvantages. According to His Royal Highness Cai, Xiangguo, and General Tian Ji, there are generally four disadvantages in the combination. One is to create grievances with Qin; Sixia. A low-level minister adds another disadvantage, and the alliance cannot compete for Chu." "Zhengchu?" King Wei stared at Tian Ying with his eyes wide open. "Your Majesty," Tian Ying said slowly, "compared with Qin, Chu is my strong enemy. The east of me is the sea, and I cannot pursue it; the land of Yan is remote and barren, and it is useless to attempt it; The three Jinsuo died in Guanzhong. It doesn’t matter whether it’s relatives or enemies; I only have Nantu. The countries in Sixia are lands of fish and rice, and they have always been friendly with me; the lands of Langya were originally my land in the Spring and Autumn Period, and they were later occupied by Goujian. , and now it was taken away by the Chu people. Not to mention, Chu has already conquered now, Zhaoyang is Lingyin, he knows Sixia well, covets Song and Lu, and has been gaining momentum for a long time, so he will fight with me. There must be peace with Chu, and neither Sixia nor Yuedi can compete!" "Well, what Ai Qing said is true," King Wei nodded, and walked forward again, asking as he walked, "These are the five disadvantages. What are the advantages?" Tian Ying still stood at the same place, and his voice increased a little: "My minister thinks that there are five disadvantages and only one advantage in marrying me." "Oh." King Wei stopped again and turned his head, "He Li?" "Weak Wei, the shame of Xuehuangchi!" Tian Ying paused every word. King Wei fell into deep thought, and nodded slowly for a while: "Yes, compared with this benefit, the so-called five disadvantages are all insignificant. Although Tian Ji was at fault for the humiliation of Huangchi, the big fault was on the widow. After the Hexi war, the widow thought that However, Wei Yi accidentally killed a Pang Juan, which caused the widow to dream of breaking the Yellow Pond. Now that Wei Yu’s virtuous ministers are in full bloom, and the national power is revived, the widow’s revenge can only be kept in the bottom of my heart. If the six kingdoms are united, Wei Yu will not regard me as an excuse. Take precautions, use up all of your national power to go west and restore Hexi. Qin and Wei will fight again, and tigers and wolves will fight bears. No matter who loses or who wins, it will be a great benefit for me. But... I still have one concern.” "What are your majesty's concerns?" "Beside me, there is a shortage of a person who can fight against Pang Juan. After the Battle of Hexi, the Wei family has become like a dead silkworm, and the four countries have conspired against it, but Pang Juan was able to turn the tide. With 30,000 exhausted soldiers, he won two victories in five days. Bravery. I heard that Pang Juan is very strict in governing the army, and the soldiers of the Great Wei have reappeared. I can't sleep or eat in peace!" "Your Majesty, the way of heaven seeks balance. When Pang Juan comes out, there will also be someone who controls Juan. As long as Your Majesty pursues diligently, this person will surely appear." "That's right! The widow places high hopes on the Ji Palace. This is a big event, and I have to thank you, Aiqing!" "The humble minister obeys the order!" "Having said that," Wei Wang changed the subject slightly, "We still need to be cautious about the matter of joining forces." "Your Majesty?" Tian Ying was startled. "I've been pondering over Su Qin's idea of ​​unity and verticality over and over again, such as 'five connections', 'three sameness', and 'six kingdoms governing Qin' are mostly pedantic views. I heard that Su Qin came from a humble background and was very talkative. If so, in our Ji Palace, if There are thousands of people who talk like this. However, such a talent, even Keyan, Zhao, Han, Wei Sigong, and even that old fox Wei Wei are also convinced by him, which is beyond everyone's expectations. I think it is him He swaggered all the way and used his power to overwhelm others. Today, this person is taking advantage of his streak of victories to go eastward. If I don’t care about injustice and follow blindly, if I make a mistake, won’t I be laughing at future generations like the kings of the four kingdoms?" "Your Majesty is very worried. I have a plan to prevent this danger." "What's Aiqing's plan?" King Wei asked urgently. "Leave him in the cold first, get rid of his power; then let him go to the Ji Palace to debate with the gentlemen of Jixia. If this person can pass the next level of Jixia, he must be a rare talent in the world, and His Majesty can join him. If this person Boasting, if there is no substance in the belly, it will capsize in Jixia. The dignified envoys of the four countries will be disgraceful in our Jixia, and it will be a good talk in other countries!" "Okay, okay, this plan is very good!" King Wei nodded repeatedly, "I just heard from Aiqing that Chunyuzi will arrive at noon the next day. Where are Su Qin and the others?" "I heard from Lou Huan that it will be the next day. As for when I will arrive, I am not sure." "Hey, we're all together!" King Wei laughed several times, "That's fine, you can arrange to go, the court will be closed for a few days, and all the courtiers will only do two things: 1. Greet Chunyuzi; 2. Give gifts Peng Jijiu!" "The humble minister obeys the order!" "However, since Su Qin is the special envoy of the four countries, as well as the sons and grandsons of Yan, Han, and Wei, they should not be left out in the cold. There must be someone to support them." "My minister wants to send the dog to welcome the special envoy, what do you think of it?" Tian Ying thought for a while, then softly recommended. "But Tian Wen, the eldest son of Aiqing?" Wei Wang asked. "Exactly." Tian Ying continued, "Gouzi has improved in recent years, he is quite good at socializing, and enjoys making friends—" "Well," Wei Wang nodded slightly, and stopped Tian Ying's words, "That's him." Two days later, on a post road from Handan, 30 miles west of Linzi, a luxuriously decorated four-horse caravan ran from northwest to southeast. Every now and then. A few miles ahead is the main official road leading to Linzi. Obviously, this car is about to turn into the main official road and drive towards Linzi. Yu Shou was driving his car leisurely and contentedly, when he suddenly heard a noisy noise from a distance, looked up, and saw a large group of chariots and horses on the main official road, with flags flying and dust flying, looking from a distance, he could not see the end, but he did not know How many miles long.The imperial hand estimated the distance, turned around and shouted: "My lord, my lord—" The person in the car was Chunyu Kun.At this time, he was sitting in the caravan with his eyes blurred, and his white beard was flying left and right as the car bumped up and down. Hearing the cry, Chunyu Kun asked sleepily, "What's the matter?" "There are horses and chariots ahead." "If there is, there will be, what are you calling?" "My lord," Yushou said urgently, "Open your eyes and see how many horses and chariots there are in that team. If they overtake you, how long will you have to wait?" Chunyu Kun took a look and knew that it was Su Qin's horse and horse, so he closed his eyes and said, "Then why are you so dazed? Hurry up." The imperial hand got the order, raised the whip and urged the horses, the four horses spread their hooves, and the caravan drove towards the official road like flying, just in time to catch up in front of the large group of horses and chariots.Yu Shou looked at Chunyu Kun, saw that he had fallen asleep again, smiled and raised his whip again.The official road is wide and flat, and the horses were very happy to see such a good road, and they raised their heads and hooves, and after a while, they left the large group of horses and horses far behind. After more than ten miles, the tower of the west gate of Linzi could be seen in the distance, and the imperial hand suddenly saw a group of chariots and horses approaching.Yu Shou rubbed his eyes, waited to see clearly, then turned his head and shouted: "Master! Master——" Chunyu Kun didn't lift his head: "What are you talking about?" "There are horses and chariots ahead!" "It's just beyond that!" "The villain can't surpass, those chariots and horses are coming head-on, all the official roads are blocked!" "Oh?" Chunyu Kun opened his eyes and looked ahead, there was a group of chariots and horses approaching, and he lowered his head in thought, when the imperial hand exclaimed: "Look, my lord, there is a king's banner! There is also a king's chariot!" Chunyu Kun raised his head anxiously again, and sure enough, he saw Wang Qi and Wang Ren, knowing that it was King Qi Wei coming, he frowned, and said slowly, "What is the Wang Ren? Just go your way." The royal hand responded, urged the horse to go again, and chattered as he walked: "My lord, the king of Qi must be welcoming the team of chariots and horses. The villain just saw the banner, it seems to be Su Xiangguo, tsk tsk tsk, Su Xiangguo is really amazing, yes Special envoys from the four countries, here in Qi, even the king of Qi will welcome you! Tsk tsk, tsk tsk—" Chunyu Kun closed his eyes and ignored him.Since the two sides were walking toward each other, they met together after a while.When they were more than a hundred steps away, Yu Shou stopped and looked back at Chunyu Kun: "My lord, don't sleep, we are about to meet." Chunyu Kun didn't even raise his head: "Let's go to the side of the road." Yu Shou drove the car to the side of the official road, jumped out of the car, and knelt down beside the car. When it was fifty steps away, the carriages and horses in front also stopped, and King Qi Wei stepped down from his chariot and walked slowly.Followed by His Highness, Zou Ji, Tian Ying, Tian Ji and other officials and courtiers, followed by several Mr. Jixia. Yushou glanced at the corner of his eye, rubbed his eyes quickly, saw this scene, and shouted urgently: "My lord, my lord—" Chunyu Kun scolded, "What are you calling again?" Yu Shou whispered: "It's His Majesty King Qi, walking towards us!" Chunyu Kun opened his eyes and saw that the King of Qi was approaching. He was shocked, jumped out of the car, walked forward a few steps, knelt down in front of the road, and kowtowed to the ground: "Chunyu Kun came here suddenly, and he didn't know His Majesty was coming. He offended the king. Your Majesty, please punish me!" King Wei took a few steps forward and helped Chunyu Kun up with both hands: "Sir, I am late to greet you." Chunyu Kun was startled, and looked at him in disbelief: "Your Majesty is here to welcome the grass people?" "Of course it is Master!" Wei Wang nodded and smiled, "In this world, who is worthy of being greeted by me?" Chunyu Kun cupped his hands again and again: "How can the grass-roots people dare to condescend to welcome you?" King Wei bowed his hands in return, and sighed: "Oh, my master has been away for several years, just wanting to be happy, and forgetting about the widow and Ji Xia completely. If Mr. Peng hadn't gone away this time, it would be difficult for the widow to see the master. .I heard that the master is here. I haven't slept well all night. I wanted to welcome him ten miles away, but I didn't think it would be too late!" Chunyu Kun cupped his hands again, his voice choked up: "Your Majesty—" Seeing the dust flying from a distance, King Wei stepped forward and held Chunyu Kun's hand, and said with a smile: "Okay, it's cold here, Master, please follow the widow's palace to talk." Because his hands were tied, Chunyu Kun couldn't make a salute, so he glanced at all the ministers and Jixia princes, smiled and nodded frequently as a greeting, and walked to the king's chariot with King Wei. The brigade turned over the front of the car and returned the same way. All the cohorts were dumbfounded and stopped their cars one after another.Including Su Qin, everyone thought that the king of Qi was here to greet them, but they didn't want the king of Qi to turn his horse back in full view. "The one in the car in front is He Lu Daxian, has anyone seen it?" Young Master Ang shouted loudly. After he came out of the Leng Palace, although Young Master An was the Marquis of An Guo, his position was that of a general.This time, he was ordered to be the Deputy Envoy of Hezong. At the beginning, Young Master An didn't understand, so he was very aggrieved, depressed for several days, and went to the palace to sue his mother and concubine.The mother and concubine appealed to King Hui, and after being scolded by King Hui, the son-in-law first realized that this post was actually important, and he was overjoyed to be the deputy envoy. Young Master Zhang shook his head and said, "There is a canopy on the car, so I can't see clearly!" Gongsun Kuai continued: "If you can welcome Qi Wangjiao, you must be an extraordinary person!" "It doesn't matter who he is, if we run into him later, I can't even break his neck!" the young master said angrily. Everyone laughed and turned their attention to Su Qin. Su Qin also laughed a few times, looked back and said: "What are you looking at me for? Are you going to stay here overnight?" Gong Zizhang jumped on the chariot and walked forward, and the chariot and horse squirmed again.Arriving at the parking place of King Qi, he saw a car waiting beside him, and a handsome young man in white bowed and stood in front of the car. The joint carriage stopped again. Prince Zhang recognized Tian Ying's son Tian Wen, jumped out of the car, and went to meet him. Tian Wenyi said: "I met the special envoy in Xiatian Wen!" Young Master Zhang turned around and asked, "Han Zhang has met Master Tian!" After a short pause, "Why is Master Tian waiting here?" Tian Wen bowed again and said: "I am following my father's order, and hereby respectfully cater to the envoy!" Prince Zhang then led Tian Wen to Su Qin's car. When Su Qin heard the news, he also jumped out of the car, greeted him and said, "Su Qin has met Mr. Tian!" Tian Wen bowed back and said: "Tian Wen has met Su Zi. I am following my father's order to welcome Su Zi and all the sons and grandsons!" "Thank you, my lord!" Su Qin bowed and thanked. "Where is your father?" Young Master Ang also rushed over and asked him directly without paying respects. "Responding to the general's words," Tian Wen said, cupping his hands at him and the other princes, "my father wanted to greet him in person, but when he was about to leave, he received an order from his majesty to accompany his majesty to welcome Mr. Jixia Chunyu in the suburbs. My father did not dare to resist the order, so he separated himself I have no skills, so I have to leave it to the next generation to welcome me, if I can't reach it, I ask Su Zi and all the young masters to forgive me!" "Hey, I don't know which great immortal it is, but it's that bald man." The young master teased. It's not appropriate for everyone to laugh, it's not appropriate to blame, they look at each other, and it's hard for anyone to make a sound.On the other hand, Tian Wen was free and easy, he laughed a few times, and bowed to him again: "I heard that the general's words are humorous, so I believe it today!" Young Master Ang couldn't say anything more, so he laughed, cupped his hands and said, "I'm laughing." Tian Wenzhuan said to Su Qinyi: "My father couldn't greet me. I'm very sorry. I especially entrust you to make proper arrangements for Su Zi and all the sons and grandsons. Linzi is small and can't accommodate many people, so I have to wrong them to stay in Guo for a while. Outside. As for the special envoys and entourages, I have placed them in the post house. Please forgive me for any inconvenience." Su Qin also cupped his hands and said, "It's a good arrangement, thank you sir." Tian Wen bowed his hands to Su Qin and the others and said, "Su Zi, everyone, please." After speaking, Tian Wen turned around, walked slowly to his car, and told Yu to drive forward. A large group of chariots and horses followed behind, galloping towards Linzi. It was night, and the envoys of the four countries stayed in the country post.From Daliang to Linzi, everyone walked for more than ten days, they were all exhausted, and they rested early. Su Qin summoned Lou Huan, and the meeting lasted until midnight.Lou Huan explained the details of Jigong, and Su Qin sighed: "When I was in Jixia the year before last, I had listened to Mr. Peng's teachings and benefited a lot. When I come back this time, I plan to ask Mr. Peng for advice again. He actually went one step ahead! Alas, the world is long, but life is short, time waits for no one!" Lou Huan is also sad.The two discussed for a while, Lou Huan saw that Su Qin was too tired, so he said goodbye and left. In the morning of the next day, Tian Wen returned.Su Qin asked about the matter of going to court, Tian Wendao: "Peng Jijiu passed away, and His Majesty is sad, and has a special order, not to go to court in the near future. As for when to go to court, we need to wait for His Majesty's will." Su Qin cupped his hands and said: "Since that's the case, I will ask Brother Tian about it." "Su Zi, please tell me." "Zhongni came to Qi, heard "Shao" in March, but didn't know the taste of meat. May I ask Brother Tian, ​​do you know where Zhongni heard "Shao" in the past?" Tian Wen nodded and said: "I know, it's not far from here. It used to be the residence of Grand Master Gao Zhaozi. The Gao family was defeated. This house changed hands to three families. Now it is bought by a strange old musician and turned into a music studio." "That's very good," Su Qinxi said, "Brother Tian, ​​please lead me to go, first to remember Zhongni, and second, to listen to the elegant music of your country of Qi." "I would like to do a little service." Tian Wen replied with a smile. When the two got up, Su Qin took off his official uniform and put on a clean and elegant scholar's clothes. Just as he was about to walk out of the hall, Gongsun Kui, who was strolling nearby, saw him and hurried over: "Where do you want to go?" "Where Zhongni heard about Shao." Su Qin paused. "Oh!" Gongsun Kui was overjoyed and said anxiously, "Can I take it as a piggyback?" "Since Gongsun loves the sound of Shao, let's go together!" Gongsun Kuai hurried back to his room, changed into plain clothes, and the three of them walked out of the post house talking and laughing. Gao Zhaozi's mansion is only a few hundred steps away, and the time for chatting and laughing has already arrived.Tian Wen reported past the door of the house, and the doormen went in to report, an old musician with white beard and hair came out to meet him, seeing Tian Wen, his face was slightly gloomy, and he cupped his hands slightly: "I have seen your lord." Tian Wen returned the salute, pointing to Su Qin and Gongsun Kuai, and said: "Mr., Wan Sheng introduced two distinguished guests. This is Su Qin, the special envoy of the Four Kingdoms, and this is Ji Kui, Gongsun of the State of Yan. I heard that this is where Zhong Ni heard "Shao". Come here to worship." The old musician raised his head slightly, glanced at the two of them, and cupped his hands slightly: "Two rare guests, please." Before Su Qin and Gongsun Kui could return the greeting, Gu Zi turned around and walked away. Both of them were startled, because Tian Wenqian had introduced them, so they were not surprised. The old musician led the three of them straight to the place where Confucius heard "Shao", pointing to a dilapidated music arena in front of him: "Two rare guests, this is the place where Zhong Ni heard "Shao", please worship!" Su Qin stepped forward, knelt down slowly towards the music scene, and performed three prostrations and nine prostrations.When Gongsun Kui saw it, he also walked over and bowed down. After the ceremony between the two, Su Qin turned to the old musician and bowed deeply: "Su Qin, a late student, dare to ask seniors, since this is the place where Zhongni heard "Shao", is there any sound of "Shao"?" The old musician suddenly stared at him for a moment, then looked away, and said slowly: "Since Zhongni heard "Shao", it has its own "Shao" sound." Su Qin bowed again and said, "You are born too late, can you listen to me?" The old musician hesitated for a moment, then raised his head and asked, "I dare to ask Su Zi, why do you want to listen?" "Wansheng heard that when Zhongni came to Qi, he heard this song for three months and didn't know the taste of meat. Since Wansheng came to Qidi, if he missed such a good song, wouldn't it be a lifelong regret?" The old musician cupped his hands and said, "This song is old and out of fashion. Since Zhong Ni, few people have listened to it. Since Su Zi has this elegant taste, you can come with me." The old musician walked ahead, and the three of Su and Qin followed behind. After a while, they came to a huge concert hall.The old musician pointed to the viewing seats, and the three of them, Su and Qin, sat on the floor after seeing the ceremony. The concert hall is dome-shaped, with a red carpet on the floor. There are more than ten kinds of musical instruments such as chime bells, drums, qin, se, chime, Xiao, Fangxiang, xun, yu, zither, and bone flute. The atmosphere is very elegant. What's even more peculiar is that the old musician only lightly clapped his hands, and the hall reverberated immediately.More than a dozen musicians turned out from the side, each taking his or her place.The old musician walked to the center of the group of musicians, picked up a pipe flute, slightly opened his lips, and the reverberating sound lingered in the hall.The old musician uttered another sound, and all the musicians followed up, and a grand symphony "Shao" officially started.In an instant, the eight musics of gold, stone, earth, wood, bamboo, silk, gourd, and leather sang together, and the lingering sounds echoed. The three of Su and Qin were all shocked by the huge momentum carried by this song. Su Qin closed his eyes tightly and immersed himself in "Shao" wholeheartedly, his whole body undulating with the rhythm of the music. "Shao" was written by Shun Shi, also called "Da Shao". Rhyme, neutralization, etc., Fenghuang Laiyi is its climax.Each chapter starts with the flute, showing the great achievements of the ancient kings, especially Emperor Yao. After the nine songs were played, Su Qin didn't notice when the music stopped abruptly. "Su Zi! Su Zi!" Seeing that the old musician had waved away the musicians, Gongsun Kui called out softly as he walked towards them slowly. Su Qin was still unconscious, still closed his eyes slightly, and shook his body, as if the beautiful music had merged into his body fluids and merged with his soul. Gongsun Kui became anxious and stretched out his hand to push him, but the old musician stopped and sat down opposite him. Su Qin woke up from a trance, opened his eyes and saw that the music had finished early, the old musician was sitting opposite him, clasped his hands anxiously and said: "Senior Ya Le, the late student has been taught!" "It's not old-fashioned music, Su Ziyan is too big." The old musician said slowly. As soon as the words came out, Su Qin gave a wry smile, cupped his fists in apologetic way and said, "Thank you for the teaching, senior! It's the late student who was so stupid to hear that he couldn't even speak neatly." The old musician's face was very slack, and he laughed a few times: "It can be seen that Su Zi has a bosom friend." "Bosom friend dare not, Wansheng just listens." "Since Su Zi has listened to it, how dare you ask how it is?" "Zhongni once said that a gentleman is learning, 'be prospered in poetry, established in rituals, and accomplished in music', late born and enlightened today!" The old musician clasped his hands and said: "Su Zi can say this, he can be a bosom friend! This old man has prepared a pot of thin tea, and wants to invite Su Zi to have a sip. I wonder if Su Zi can appreciate it?" Su Qin arched his hands and said, "It's a great luck to be born later if you can drink the senior's fragrant tea!" The old musician smiled, got up and took Su Qin's hand, ignoring Tian Wen and Gongsun Kuai, and walked towards the backyard. Tian Wen and Gongsun Kui were embarrassed.After a moment of embarrassment, Tian Wen shrugged and said: "It seems that the tea is not available anymore, let's go." Gongsun Kui let out a long sigh, looked at the direction where the old musician and Su Qin were going, got up slowly, and walked out of the music workshop with Tian Wen, not without regret. In the imperial study room, the senior doctor Tian Ying briefly reported Su Qin's activities in the past few days. "Oh!" Qi Wei Dynasty leaned forward, "Does Aiqing mean that Su Zi goes to that music workshop every day to talk with others?" "Yes," Tian Ying nodded, "every day for three consecutive days." "It's He Lefang?" "It's a private music studio. It used to be Gao Zhaozi's old house. The place where Zhongni heard "Shao" was already in ruins. Three years ago, it was suddenly bought by an old musician. The old musician is very rich and hired many people from various countries. Musician, perform "Shao" in Fuchu." "Oh?" King Wei was stunned, "There is such a great master, I don't even know about it!" Tian Ying replied: "According to Gouzi, the origin of the musician is unknown. At first, he lived in Yongmen, wandering the streets, playing drums and pianos for a living. He was called Yongmen Zhou. Later, Yongmen Zhou got a windfall for some reason and bought the place. The house opened a music workshop. Yongmen Zhou is a weird person. Although he opened a music workshop, he never played other songs, only "Shao" music, and only once every three days, and only played for three quarters of an hour. This song is old, It has long been outdated, and no one in Qi likes to listen to it, so his music workshop is empty, and almost no one in Linzi, except the neighbors, knows him. If Su Qin hadn't gone to listen to "Shao" this time, even the humble officials would not have known about it." "Ah," King Wei sighed, "I'm ashamed to kill you! Those who can play "Shao" will be the masters. I have been happy since I was a child, and I wish I could live with Boya. I often dream of the Great Musician to patronize me, and later I got Zou Zi." To play the qin is to make yourself a confidant and use it as a friend. Today there is a master who has been here for several years, but I don’t know anything about it, he is comparable to that good dragon Ye Gong in Chu!" He sighed again and again, shaking his head again and again. Tian Ying got up quickly, knelt down and kowtowed: "This matter is my fault, please forgive me." "Get up!" King Wei sighed again, "How can you be blamed for this matter? Linzi today is full of debauched voices, even if Boya comes back to life, it will be enough to disappear!" After a short pause, "Not to mention anything else, just this one point , Su Zi is not ordinary!" Tian Ying hesitated for a moment: "Can I inform Su Zi and let him have an audience with His Majesty?" "No, no, no," Wei Wang waved his hand, "Let him go to Jixia! When will Ji Palace send Pengzi's funeral?" "The day after tomorrow." "Just the day after tomorrow! You can hold a farewell forum for Peng Zi in Ji Palace and invite Su Zi to go with you." "The humble minister leads the decree!" At dusk the next day, Su Qin came back from listening to music at Yongmen Zhou, and suddenly felt strange in the hall, the hall was brightly lit, and everyone was sitting at the table in a serious manner, as if there was an important guest visiting. Young Master Zhang has sharp eyes, he saw Su Qin first, and said with a smile, "Look, Su Zi is back!" Everyone stood up to greet them, and Tian Wen and Tian Ying walked in front. Tian Ying took a few steps hastily, bowed deeply to Su Qin, cupped his hands repeatedly and said, "I'm late, please forgive me, Su Zi!" Su Qin also bowed back, and said with a smile: "Your doctor is polite! I'm here, everything is arranged by the doctor, and I can't thank you. How can I blame you? Doctor, please!" The two went to the hall hand in hand, and sat down according to the position of guest and host. Tian Ying let out a long sigh, shook his head and said, "Oh, Su Zi must have known it too. There have been many great events in Ji Palace these days. Busy, so tired that I can't stand up straight." "The superior doctor must be careful about his body." Su Qin said with a smile, "If the superior doctor is exhausted, I will come to Zizi again, not to mention that I won't even be able to find a place to stay." Tian Ying smiled awkwardly, bowed his hands to everyone and apologized: "Suzi and all the sons and grandsons are here, I have neglected you, and I hope Suzi and all the sons and grandsons will take care of you!" "Hehehehe!" Su Qin also bowed back, and laughed repeatedly, "The superior doctor is all about apologizing, but it seems that I can't even make a joke! Okay, let's not talk about this. May I ask the senior doctor, how is the matter of Ji Palace going? Zhongni heard "Shao" and didn't know the taste of meat, I'm not as good as Zhongni, after hearing "Shao" for several days, the smell of meat is still delicious, but I don't know anything about the outside world." Everyone laughed. Tian Ying stopped laughing, and replied: "Thank you Suzi for remembering! Peng Jijiu will be buried tomorrow, and His Majesty will issue an order to hold a special farewell ceremony for Peng Jijiu at Shenshi tomorrow. I have just made arrangements, and I hurried over to visit you." "Oh, sir, what is the special ceremony?" Young Master Ang asked. "Returning to your son," Tian Ying replied, "Peng Jijiu devoted his whole life to learning, advocated academic contention, opened up a new generation of wind, and made great contributions to today's prosperous Jixia. Your Majesty's grace, the ceremony of the above-mentioned minister is to bury Mr. Peng At the same time, an academic forum of unprecedented scale will be held in Ji Palace, and Peng Jijiu will be sent off with the insights of students from all over the world." After Tian Ying finished speaking, she scanned the crowd, and her eyes fell on Su Qin. Su Qin knew what he meant, and sighed with emotion: "It is unprecedented to say goodbye to Mr. Peng in this way. Your Majesty cherishes talents so much. You are really a virtuous monarch! Although I have little knowledge, I feel Mr. Peng's enlightenment and have a heart. I'm going to see you off, I wonder if the doctor will give me permission?" "Welcome, welcome!" Tian Ying cupped his hands again and again, "I heard that Su Zi is very knowledgeable and eloquent, if he can come to the Ji Palace, not only will the land of Ji be bright, but all the students will benefit, and Mr. Peng's heroic spirit under the Nine Springs will also be relieved. " "It's a good word from the doctor." Su Qin also cupped his hands. Tian Ying bowed his hands to everyone present, turned to Su Qin and said: "Everyone, this matter is settled like this, I will take my farewell, and see you at Ji Palace tomorrow at the application time!" Ji Palace is located in Linzi, outside the west gate of the palace city, separated from the palace city by a wall, and connected to the palace city by a dedicated tree-lined road.As long as the king of Qi walked out of the west gate, he could go directly to Ji Palace.Ximen is also called Jimen, and Ji Palace is located outside Jimen, so it is also called Jixia. Ji Palace covers an area of ​​thousands of acres, starting from the west gate and extending to the south gate, stretching for several miles. It is cut into many squares by crisscross fields, garden lawns, lotus ponds and fish ponds. Each square forms a courtyard with row upon row of pavilions and pavilions. , fruit trees and flowers form an interesting contrast, looking from a distance, it looks like a huge back garden. All the scholars who defected to Jixia, as long as they have learned something, they all have a place to live and support them.稷宫以学问为上，若是学问得到众士子的认可，即可由祭酒推荐，通过学宫令转奏齐宫，由齐王诏命为稷下先生。无论何人，只要被聘为稷下先生，就可在稷宫起盖一座院落，得到朝中大夫的薪俸，开宗立派，择徒授艺。 稷宫中心是一处大宅院，坐北面南稍偏，由祭酒居住。院门前面是一个方形广场，铺满地砖，周边大树参天，树下草坪连绵，最多可容数千人。凡大型论坛，即在此场举办。 申时，苏秦一行赶到时，丧礼行将开始，广场上一片静穆。正对院门处，摆着彭祭酒的楠木棺材，漆得乌黑油亮，棺头上是个巨大的“奠”字，奠字之上是“大宗师”三字，皆是齐王亲笔所题。棺木前面由木板新搭一个论坛，高约三尺，上面铺一层黑色麻毯。论坛两侧，摆着数十个花圈，显然是朝中诸臣及稷宫诸先生送的。 砖地上铺一层席子，席上站着稷下士子，皆着麻服。众士子分成若干队，每队前面突兀一人，无不气宇轩昂，表情静穆。无须再问，即知他们是稷下先生。身后之人，当是门下弟子。新来士子、未及拜师或不愿拜师者，则分站两侧，自成纵队。广场中央空出约一大步宽的空地，可站两行，显然是留给苏秦他们的。 果然，他们刚一抵达，就有人导引他们步入这块空场。苏秦打头，后面依序站着公子卬、公子章、公孙哙、楼缓，再后面是飞刀邹等随行诸人，在各自席位前站定。 看到客人皆到，主持丧礼的田婴在一声锣响之后步入论坛，朝棺材及众士子各鞠一躬，声音略显沙哑：“诸位先生，诸位嘉宾，诸位士子，辛丑日子时三刻，一代宗师、稷下祭酒彭蒙先生乘鹤仙去。今日申时，我们齐集此处，深切哀悼先生，缅怀先生！”顿了一下，咳嗽一声，扫视众人一眼，“诸位朋友，祭礼开始，向彭先生英灵叩拜！”转过身去，在坛上跪下，朝棺材行祭拜大礼。 场上近两千人皆屈膝而跪，行祭拜大礼。与此同时，跪在棺材两侧的乐手奏起哀乐。 有顷，哀乐停止。 田婴转过身子，泪水流出，声音哽咽，缓缓说道：“诸位朋友，彭先生仙去，陛下甚是哀伤，休朝七日，更在宫中布设灵堂，日夜为先生守灵。彭先生一生，治学严谨，为人正直，自入稷下后，即将余生献予稷下，致力于学术，首倡稷下论坛，鼓励百家争鸣，使稷下学风昌盛，领袖天下学问。为缅怀先生伟绩，承继先生遗愿，陛下颁布诏书，在先生英灵之前设立论坛，以学术争鸣为先生送行。”伸袖抹去泪水，从袖中摸出诏书，站起身子，朗声宣读。 田婴读毕，在场士子无不以袖拭泪，哽咽四起。 田婴听凭大家哽咽一阵，朝众人微微抬手，礼让道：“论坛开始，诸位请坐！” 众人原本跪着，此时也就顺势席地而坐。 田婴见大家均已坐好，接道：“诸位朋友，但凡稷宫正式论坛，皆由祭酒主持。今日论坛，是为彭祭酒送行，在下学识浅薄，不敢僭越，特奉陛下恩旨，请回彭祭酒的生前好友、闻名天下的学界泰斗暂代祭酒之职，主持今日论坛。”转过身去，朗声叫道，“有请新祭酒！” 话音落处，棺材后面转出一个光头。众人一看，见是滑稽游士淳于髡，无不面面相觑。有人早就猜出是他，此时看到光头，不免得意，朝左右连连点头。 淳于髡并不急着上坛，而是径直转至棺材前面，既不叩拜，也不揖礼，伸开两手在写着“奠”字的棺材板上“啪啪啪”连拍三下，大声叫道：“老蒙子，莫要睡了！坐起来，支起耳朵，在下为你主持论坛，你可要听得仔细些！若是有人论得好，你就拍拍巴掌；若是有人论得不好，你就放声响屁；若是有人论得既不好，也不差，你就合上眼皮，让他说去！” 在如此静穆的场合下，淳于髡陡然间晃着个光头如此说话，众人皆是一惊，欲待发笑，似觉不妥；欲待不笑，实在难忍。 场上现出难言的尴尬。 淳于髡又敲又拍，闹腾一阵，这才附耳于棺木上，煞有介事地聆听一时，皱眉摇头道：“这个老蒙子，睡得像个死人，看我拿锤子敲他！”眼睛四下一转，瞧见旁边有一盖棺敲钉用的锤子，遂朝手心不无夸张地呸呸连吐几口唾沫，拿过锤子，在棺材板上连敲数下，侧耳又听，有顷，不无惊喜地转过身来，左右晃动光头，呵呵乐道：“你个老东西，这下睡不成了，总算爬起来了！”将锤子丢在一边，朝身上拍了几拍，走入论坛。 这一连串举止简直就像是在表演一场滑稽戏，众人再也忍俊不住，不知是谁率先笑出声来，继而是哄堂大笑，有人更是涕泪滂沱，拿袖子抹眼。即使田婴，也忍禁不住，破涕为笑。场上气氛一下子活跃起来。 苏秦陡然明白了淳于髡的用意，不无佩服地连连点头。是的，举办如此规模的辩论，场上气氛凝滞如是，沉闷如是，谁能畅言？众人皆不畅言，何来争鸣？齐威王和田婴百密而一疏，而这一疏此时让淳于髡天衣无缝地补上了。久闻淳于髡多智，今日见之，方信传言不虚。 淳于髡乐呵呵地走到场上，朝众人鞠躬一圈，拱手致礼，指着田婴继续调侃：“老朽正在邯郸逍遥自在，突然接到上大夫急函，说是老蒙子有事，约老朽速来。老朽以为有何好事，乘了驷马之车，紧赶慢赶，原本三个月的途程，二十日就赶到了——” 从邯郸赶至临淄，驷马之车走二十日如同蜗牛，淳于髡却计划走三个月，且讲得一本正经，众人再笑起来。 淳于髡被打断，只好停顿一下，见笑声住了，才又接道：“老朽来了，老蒙子却睡去了。你们说说，老朽与他，好歹也有十年未见，老朽好不容易奔他来了，老蒙子倒好，撒手睡去了！老朽难受几日，后来也想明白了。人这一生，早睡晚睡，长睡短睡，好睡赖睡，都是个睡，老蒙子玩得困了，先自睡去，本也无可厚非。这样一想，心里也就不难受了，只是多少觉得，老蒙子这样做，不够仗义。老友来看他，纵使要睡觉，至少也得打声招呼才是！” 淳于髡说出这几句，既情真意切，又透彻脱俗，真正显出了他的功力。在场诸人无不敬佩，即使公子卬，也是服了，两眼眨也不眨地直盯住他，不住点头。 淳于髡看到全场静寂，所有眼睛无不盯视他，光脑袋又是一晃，转过话锋：“陛下舍不得老蒙子，甚想留住他，陡发奇想，举办这个论坛，并要老朽主持。老朽嘴碎，又受不得约束，本欲婉拒，可想起老蒙子，只好应下了。老朽从未主持过论坛，不过，老朽在想，顾名思义，论坛贵在论字，论字贵在争吵。老蒙子不说争吵，说是争鸣。鸣字就是鸟叫，这个字用得妙。一个鸟叫，叫鸣，众鸟凑到一起叫，叫争鸣。就冲这个鸣字，我就服了老蒙子。诸位佳宾，诸位鸟友，此时此刻，大家齐聚此地，在老蒙子跟前争鸣，老朽别无所请，只请大家抻长脖子，亮开喉咙，直抒胸臆，鸣所欲鸣。鸣得好，鸣得响，鸣得让人服气，就是雄的。反过来，鸣得不够响，不叫好，让人不服气，就是雌的——” “雌”字刚一落下，全场再笑起来，响起掌声。 淳于髡打了个手势，众人止住笑，听他继续说道：“在下又想，既是争鸣，就得有个主题，不然东家说驴，西家说马，扯不到一块。这场论辩是送老蒙子的。老蒙子一生，为学为人，皆以天下为己任。老朽既为主持，也就独断一次，为今日之辩确定一个主题：天下治、乱！” 场上又起一阵掌声。 “古今天下，不治则乱，因乱而治。不过，”淳于髡再次晃晃光脑袋，转过话锋，“老朽所好，不在天下治乱，只在率性逍遥。今日强论治乱，颇是难为。所幸天无绝人之路，老朽正自发愁，忽然看到一人。此人也以天下为己任，有点像老蒙子。不同的是，此人不仅鼓噪呐喊，更在身体力行，这点胜老蒙子远矣。老朽兴甚至哉，诚意让贤，隆重荐他登坛主论！诸位有何能耐，尽可与他争个雄雌！但待雄雌定下，老朽既是祭酒，就得请酒一场，不过，老朽只请雄的，不请雌的。酒是百年老陈，可飘香十里，是老朽特意从邯郸带过来的！” 淳于髡嬉笑调侃，一波三折，众人一边大笑，一边将眼珠子四下乱抡，不知他要荐的是何方高人。 淳于髡重重咳嗽一声，步下论坛，径直走向人群，在苏秦面前站定，朝他深鞠一躬：“老朽淳于髡见过四国特使苏秦先生！” 所有人皆吃一惊，所有目光齐向苏秦射来。 由于这日皆穿麻服，苏秦诸人又面生，众人均未看出来者是谁，只是从最后入场及在场心预留空位等迹象推知其身份显赫，万未料到他们竟是四国合纵特使，且领头之人，更是遐迩闻名的苏秦。 对淳于髡的突然发招，苏秦似是早有所料，起身回一大躬：“晚生见过淳于前辈！” 淳于髡拱手道：“老朽唐突，有请苏子登台赐教！” 苏秦回揖道：“前辈抬爱，晚生恭敬不如从命！” 淳于髡呵呵一乐，伸手携住苏秦：“苏子，请！” 苏秦也不推辞，跟随淳于髡走至坛上。 场上再起一阵掌声。 掌声过后，淳于髡指指台子，笑道：“此台只能站一人，苏子上来，老朽就得下去了。” 不及苏秦答话，淳于髡已自转身走至台边，挽了田婴的手，走至众士子前面，在预先留好的席位上坐下。 苏秦恭送他们坐定，方才转身，朝棺材连拜三拜，起身再朝众子深鞠一躬，朗声说道：“洛阳士子苏秦见过诸位先生、诸位学子！”略顿一下，清清嗓子，“在下一直希冀先生教诲。此番来此，在下本欲登门讨教，先生却先一步乘鹤而去，实令在下感怀。在下此来，一意只为送行先生，却蒙淳于前辈抬爱，要在下登坛主论。在座诸子皆是大方之家，尤其是淳于前辈，更是学界泰斗，在下才疏学浅，本不敢卖弄，但在彭先生英灵面前，在下也不敢轻易推辞。在下进退不得，只好勉为其难，班门弄斧，在此献丑了！” 苏秦这番开场白也算得体。所有目光尽皆盯在他身上。 苏秦陡然转过话锋：“诸位先生，诚如淳于前辈所述，一年多来，在下致力于合纵，天下为此沸沸扬扬，多有杂议。今日既议天下治乱，在下就想趁此良机，表白几句，一来明晰心迹，求教于在座方家；二来诉于先生英灵，求先生护佑！” 场上死一般的静寂。 “诸位先生，”苏秦扫视众人一眼，朗声接道，“天下合纵绝对不是在下一时之心血来潮，而是大势所趋。诸位会问，天下大势所趋何处？在下只有一个答复——天下大同。那么，天下如何方能走向大同呢？在下以为，只有两途，一是天下归一，大道一统；二是列国共治，求同存异，共和共生。若使天下归一，只有强强相并，灭国绝祠，推行帝制。在下前年赴秦，即张此说，想必诸位也都听说了。若使列国共治，天下共和，唯有合纵一途。” 接下来，苏秦详论合纵，从缘起到理念再到过程，讲他如何说秦遇挫，如何以锥刺股，更是声情并茂地讲述了琴师的故事。稷下士子衣食无忧，坐而论道者居多，何曾有过如此经历，因而人人揪心，个个唏嘘。 苏秦独论一个时辰，这才收住话头，抱拳说道：“在下胡说这些，贻笑于大方之家了！诸位中无论有谁不耻下问，欲与苏秦就天下纵亲、王霸治乱等切磋学艺，苏秦愿意受教！” 言讫，苏秦微微一笑，目光再次扫向场上诸人。 在稷下，似此重大的论辩场合往往是各宗各派彰显实力的机会，因而各门无不铆足了劲，欲在论坛一展身手，吸引更多的门徒，不料凭空杀出淳于髡和苏秦，几乎将彩头全都夺去了。 然而，此时见问，众人并没有像往常那样踊跃而出。这是因为，在场士子虽然逾千，却多是各门弟子。先生不言，弟子不敢出头。而排在前面的十几位先生，也不敢轻启战端，因为此番论辩实在重大，万一落败，在稷下的日子就不好过了。再说，苏秦能言善辩，名扬列国，此时更兼四国特使，气势如虹。淳于髡走遍天下，智慧过人，此时又是新任祭酒，在这样的前辈大师面前逞舌，言语更得掂量。 苏秦见众人仍在面面相觑，谁也不肯出头，抱拳笑道：“诸位先生，苏秦恭候了！” 话音刚落，果有一人忽地站起，前进几步，在台前站定，拱手揖道：“既论天下，在下齐人邹衍，欲就天下求问苏子。” 苏秦拱手复礼：“邹子请讲。” “不知何为天下，何谈天下治乱？在下请问苏子