Chapter 7 Chapter 7: Su Qin exposes the fake immortals, and the king of Chu enters

On the street in Yingdu, Chu State, a middle-aged man dressed strangely was sitting on the ground, and he was yelling loudly: "Pillion, elixir, miraculous elixir, one pill can cure minor illnesses, and ten pills can cure serious illnesses." , if you eat hundreds of pills, all diseases will be cured..." The middle-aged man has white eyebrows, long ears and eagle nose, and has a very strange face. There is a piece of silk beside him, and on the silk is a pill bottle, and beside the bottle is a honey pill the size of a jujube.The middle-aged people kept hawking, and because they were full of energy and their voices were full of music, a small group of people began to gather around them.Qin Guo Shangqing Chen Zhen was strolling in the street, and when he heard the excitement here, he also came over.

The middle-aged man saw more and more people gathering, and began to report his family name: "My surname is Unnamed Er, a native of Jingshan, born in the first year of King Zhuang of Chu, met a stranger when I was young, and moved to Nuji Mountain with him, practiced the magic of immortals, and gained longevity Zhishu is now three hundred and seven years old, and he came to Ying this time, following the order of his master, to choose a predestined disciple..." A man suffering from dental disease squeezed forward, pointed to his cheek and asked, "Excuse me, Shangxian, can the toothache be cured?"

"Toothache is a minor illness, one pill is enough." The man said happily, "Excuse me, Shangxian, how much is a grain?" "Three gold coins." Hearing that it was so expensive, the man let out a long sigh, turned his head and walked away, and all the onlookers around him shook their heads. People from Ying seem to have seen a lot of strangers like him. Someone said with a smile: "I said that the gods should make up lies more roundly. Look at your age, but you are not more than forty, but you say you are three years old." One hundred and seven years old, you are a liar!"

Everyone laughed, and many turned their heads away.The middle-aged man did not show the slightest disappointment either, he was still sitting on the ground, shouting at passers-by. Chen Zhen watched for a while, and saw that all the crowd had dispersed, then he came to the front, took out three gold coins and threw them to him, saying: "Mo Shangxian, I will buy one." The middle-aged man glanced at him, took Yuan Jin, poured out a pill from the bottle, and handed it to Chen Zhen. Chen Zhen smiled, pointed at the pill bottle and said, "How much is there in the pill bottle?"

"Eighty grains." "Excuse me, Shangxian, does this medicine cure all diseases?" "Well," the middle-aged man was slightly taken aback, looked Chen Zhen up and down, and said slowly, "It depends on what kind of disease. The symptoms are different, and the medicines are also different." "Well," Chen Zhen nodded and said, "That's reasonable. I'm suffering from all kinds of diseases, and if I want to invite the Immortal to go to the humble house for diagnosis and treatment, I wonder if the Immortal will condescend?" The middle-aged man cupped his hands and said, "Just follow the officials."

On the huge gate tower of Zhao's mansion, the original "Zhaofu" has been replaced by "Lingyinfu". Hearing Chen Zhen's visit, the housekeeper Xingcai greeted him personally, and after seeing the ceremony, he whispered: "Master Chen, the old lady's condition has worsened recently, there may be something unexpected, my lord is not in a good mood, I specially remind my lord, when you see the lord, you should not talk. There is a measure." Chen Zhen smiled and said, "The Xie family is getting old." Xing Cai led Chen Zhen to sit down in the hall, then bowed and left.After a while, Zhaoyang came in, really in a bad mood, with a gloomy complexion.

Chen Zhen got up and bowed, "Chen Zhen has met Master Ling Yin!" Zhaoyang waved him to sit down, and sat down at the main seat himself. Chen Zhen cupped his hands and said, "I heard that the old lady's body is not in good condition, so I'm here to pay a special visit." The corners of Zhaoyang's eyes were wet, and his voice was choked up: "To tell you the truth, my mother was frightened by the incident with He Shibi, and her condition worsened several times. This time, I'm afraid... I can't stand it anymore. Your Majesty sent the imperial doctor to treat her. What about my mother? I have taken all the medicine, but it is useless. The imperial doctor can't do it, so I have to use needles. My mother is already skinny, and sooner or later I see her body covered with silver needles, next... next..." I couldn't make a sound, and after a while, I took out the silk from my sleeve , wiped a handful of tears.

"Lord Ling Yin," Chen Zhen said after seeing him wipe away his tears, "I am here because of the old lady's illness." "Oh?" Zhaoyang stepped forward, his eyes widened, and he looked straight at Chen Zhen. Chen Zhen said slowly: "I am also worried about the old lady's illness. I have been looking around for a while now, and finally I visited a Taoist immortal. I have told you about the old lady's illness in detail, but the immortal didn't say anything, just handed it over to me. For the next pill," he took out a small bottle from his sleeve and poured out a elixir, "this is the pill, whether it works or not, my lord may ask the old lady to try it."

Zhaoyang took the elixir, inspected it carefully, closed his eyes for a while, called two maidservants, and ordered them to crush the pill, add honey, and feed it to the old lady.About half an hour later, the servant girl rushed to report, saying that the old lady's face was flushed, her condition had improved greatly, and she was able to stand up and sit up. Zhaoyang was pleasantly surprised, and hurriedly followed the maidservant to check it out, and half an hour later, he cheerfully returned to the hall and asked Chen Zhen where the Shangxian was. Chen Zhen smiled and said: "My lord, don't worry, if this medicine is really effective, the old lady's illness can be covered by Chen Zhen."

Zhaoyang bowed his hands to thank him again and again, and sighed sincerely: "Hey, whenever I encounter a big hurdle, Brother Chen always comes to help. Brother Chen is so kind, it's really difficult to let me down—oh, let's not talk about it!" Chen Zhen bowed back, and said solemnly: "My lord doesn't say anything, it's right. I have been in Chu for several years, thanks to my lord's care, I can live like a human being. My lord has such a great kindness to me, and I have never said a word." The words of repayment are only engraved bit by bit in my heart. In this world, I have no relatives for a long time. The old lady is the mother of an adult, and I am also my mother. This action is just a filial piety for my mother."

When Chen Zhen said this, Zhaoyang was moved with all his heart, and immediately shouted to set up the incense table, and made a blood alliance with Chen Zhen, and became a friend of eight worshippers.Zhaoyang is the older brother, and Chen Zhen is the younger brother. After the vows were completed, the servants set up a banquet, and the two drank to their heart's content. Zhao Yang poured the wine with his own hands, and handed it to Chen Zhen with both hands: "Come, come, brother, brother, I respect you!" After taking it, Chen Zhen put it down, poured a jug for Zhaoyang, and handed it over with both hands. The two raised their titles, Zhaoyang was about to drink, Chen Zhen waved his hand and said, "Wait a minute, elder brother, brother Zhen has something to say, and he can't say it quickly." Zhaoyang put down his jue, and said with a straight face: "My dear brother, please tell me!" Chen Zhen also put down his title, let out a long sigh, and tears came out of his eyes: "Brother, I have been in the Wei Ying camp for more than ten years. I have nothing else to do. I just want to help the Wei family and achieve a brilliant life. How could I offend Pang Juan for a trivial matter? I was chased and killed by him, and I was almost executed by him. This hatred, this hatred, I think about it sooner or later, and my heart feels like a knife-" Zhaoyang's eyes popped up, and he punched the case with a "dong", knocking the two wine cups into the air, spilling the wine all over the floor, and said angrily: "Pang Juan, to bully my virtuous brother is to bully my elder brother, and it can be a family feud! I, Xingshan, beheaded tens of thousands of my officers and soldiers, which is the hatred of the country! If Zhaoyang does not report the hatred of the family, he will be a father-in-law in vain!" Chen Zhen picked up the wine bar that was lying on the ground, refilled it, and said slowly, "Brother, have you ever thought about how to take revenge?" "What's so difficult about this?" Zhaoyang said without hesitation, "Brother, I'm going to play His Majesty Ming, and send troops to attack Wei!" "Alas," Chen Zhen shook his head and sighed, "Even if elder brother wants to attack, His Majesty will not." "Oh?" Zhaoyang was taken aback, "Why doesn't Your Majesty agree?" "Because the three Jin years ago, Su Qin went to Qi State to lobby. If it is not as expected, Qi will definitely join the party. All the countries in the Central Plains have joined the party. How can your majesty promote it? Besides, your majesty has swallowed Wu and Yue , Expanding land for thousands of miles, such a feat far exceeds that of the previous kings. Your Majesty just wants to keep it, and has no enterprising heart. Even if my elder brother wants to make contributions, make Da Chu dominate the world, and make his name known to all generations, it is still difficult." Hearing what Chen Zhen said, Zhao Yang also seemed to calm down, pondered for a moment, nodded and said: "Well, what my brother said is true. According to my opinion, what should I do?" Chen Zhen whispered softly like this, Zhaoyang nodded frequently, and said with a jubilee: "Okay, just as my brother said! Come, for the successful defeat of Wei, avenge your shame, do it!" "Dry!" In the morning of the next day, Zhaoyang invited Xianweng to the mansion to see Mrs. Guo Jiangjun's condition, and prepared some pills.After the old lady served, her energy improved, she was able to talk and laugh, and even walked a few steps on the ground.Zhaoyang deeply believed in the immortal's magic, so he got up the next morning and took the immortal to Zhanghuatai according to Chen Zhen's plan. Although King Wei is old, he is still indulging in sensuality in Zhanghuatai, and sometimes he even has a few women.Despite being nourished and recuperated by the imperial doctor, King Wei couldn't do what he wanted, and the dragon's body was getting worse and worse.In recent days, King Wei felt that his limbs were tired, his spirit was depressed, and he was in distress. His inner ministers reported to Zhaoyang to see him.Wei Wang Xuanzhao, the two have seen the emperor and his ministers, and Zhaoyang reported all the affairs of the court in accordance with the routine.King Wei yawned when he heard that it was all trivial matters. Zhaoyang heard clearly, stopped talking, leaned forward to examine the King for a while, and said in a low voice, not irrelevant: "Your Majesty's complexion seems to be not as bright as when the former minister came." This sentence really scratched the itch, Wei Wang let out a long sigh, shook his head and said: "Oh, I am old, I am old, I am old!" Zhaoyang hurriedly changed from sitting to kneeling, and kowtowed: "My minister made a mistake, please forgive me!" "Alas," Wei Wang sighed again, "Get up! A widow is old when she is old. If you don't love Qing, what crime do you have?" Zhaoyang still knelt on the ground, and asked in a low voice: "I have the guts to ask Your Majesty what's wrong with you?" "Don't hide it from Aiqing," Wei Wang began to count his illnesses with relish, like all old people, "chest tightness, limbs are tired, not thinking about food and drink, there seems to be a scream in both ears, sometimes My back is sore and my back hurts, ah, Aiqing, I’m old when I say I’m old, I didn’t feel any feeling in the past few years, now I’m sick everywhere, and there’s no comfortable place up and down. Hey, speaking of this, my widow I almost forgot, how is Mrs. Jiang Jun's jade body?" "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your love," Zhaoyang nodded again, "I am about to report this matter. My mother was seriously ill a few days ago, and she was dying. Two days ago, I had to meet a man of God, and she suddenly got well. I got up this morning, before I left. Visiting my mother, I saw her radiant face, she seemed to be several years younger. Knowing that I am coming to Zhanghua to meet His Majesty, my mother asked me to pay my respects to Your Majesty!" "Oh?" Wei Wang was overjoyed, "Which god or man has this supernatural power?" "The fairy from Cangwu Mountain is called Cangwuzi." "Cangwu son?" King Wei pondered for a while, "It is rumored that Cangwu Mountain is in the east of Chishui, where Emperor Shun ascended to immortality." "That's right." Zhaoyang reported, "According to my minister's research, the "Hainai Nanjing" clearly records, 'The mountain of Cangwu. Emperor Shun was buried in Yang, and Emperor Danzhu was buried in Yin.'" "Well," Wei Wang nodded and said, "The strange way has such supernatural powers! Where is this person?" "It's just outside the hall." "Oh?" King Wei was overjoyed, and turned to his courtiers, "Hurry up, please Cang Wuzi!" The minister walked out, and after a while, he led the middle-aged man forward. Under Chen Zhen's careful dressing and rehearsal, the middle-aged man is completely different from what he saw on the street, and his clothes are completely new.The name Cang Wuzi was also given by Chen Zhen temporarily for him. Cang Wuzi stood in the hall with his head held high. When he saw King Wei, he did not worship him. Zhaoyang said anxiously: "Immortal, hurry up, kowtow to Your Majesty!" Cang Wuzi cupped his hands symbolically, and a strong voice came out of his mouth: "The old man Cang Wuzi has seen His Majesty!" "Old man?" King Wei was startled, looked Cang Wuzi up and down a few times, "Excuse me, what is the longevity?" "Reporting to Your Majesty," Cang Wuzi said loudly, "As of yesterday, there are no more old people, no less old, just turned 307 years old, so I dare not claim longevity." "Three hundred and seven years old?" Wei Wang was dumbfounded, looked him up again, took a long breath, "Excuse me, Shangxian, but you have been living in Cangwu Mountain?" Cang Wuzi shook his head slightly, and said slowly: "Reporting to Your Majesty, this old man was born in Jingshan. The year he was born, King Zhuang was newly established, and five years later, both parents died. The old man was so sad that he cried for three days, and the sound was loud. The wilderness. The crying alarmed a strange person, that is the old master. The master took the old man all the way westward to Nvji Mountain, where he practiced the method of cultivating immortals. Our master and apprentice lived in Nvji Mountain for two years, one hundred and twenty In the Spring and Autumn Period, the former teacher flew up and went away with the wind. The old man was unable to fly, so he had no choice but to follow the immortal energy on the ground, chasing all the way to the Cangwu Mountain. Thirty years after two Jiazi years, this old man suddenly had a dream, the former teacher appeared, and asked this old man to go to Yingdu to pick up a few predestined disciples and go to the immortal way together!" "Oh?" Wei Wang asked in surprise, "Has the Shangxian ever received a disciple?" Cang Wuzi shook his head again: "This old man has just arrived in Yingdu, and the predestined disciples have not met yet." King Wei urgently asked: "I am a widow without talent, can I have the fate to follow the immortal to practice the way of immortality?" Cang Wuzi looked at King Wei, shook his head for a while, and said, "If you want to learn the way of immortality, you must cultivate the body of immortality first. Watching your majesty's dragon body may be possible in the future, but not now." "Immortal body?" Wei Wang was overjoyed, "How can I cultivate the immortal body?" "It's not difficult," Cang Wuzi said frankly, "Old man can make alchemy, as long as His Majesty takes it, he will not die." King Wei hurriedly asked, "Oh, when will this pill be ready?" "Seven to seven can be achieved." "Qiqi?" "That's forty-nine days." King Wei hurriedly got up, took a step forward, and said, "Wansheng Xiong Shang begs the immortal to refine this pill for Wansheng!" Cang Wuzi also bowed: "I can refine it, but according to my calculations, Your Majesty's fate is not over yet. Although you will not die after taking this medicine, it is difficult to achieve immortality." "Oh?" King Wei was shocked and asked anxiously, "Dare to ask the fairy, what is the fate of the bear merchant?" "According to the deduction of the way of heaven, His Majesty still has a great achievement yet to be accomplished, so the fate of the world is not yet done." "Great achievement?" Wei Wang was stunned, "Isn't it a great achievement for the widow to conquer Yue?" "Your Majesty descended from the sky, there are two merits of being a tree, and cutting down the Yue is one merit, and there is another merit, which still needs to be completed by Your Majesty." King Wei pondered for a while, then helped Cang Wuzi to sit on the guest seat with his own hands, sat down on the table, cupped his hands and asked, "May I ask the fairy, where can this skill be accomplished?" Cang Wuzi cupped his hands and responded: "According to the old man's theory, your majesty's merit should be attributed to the north." King Wei bowed his head and thought for a while, and told his courtiers: "The fairy came from afar, and the journey was tiring. You lead the fairy to the harem to rest first, and then you can have fun with the fairy after the widow handles the court affairs." Cang Wuzi thanked him, stood up and took his leave, and walked out with his ministers. King Wei watched the two go away, and slowly turned his head to Zhaoyang: "Zhao Aiqing, in your opinion, what is the merit of this?" "Keep the beam!" Zhaoyang clasped his hands in response, "The humiliation of Xingshan, the humble minister will not be snowed, and death will not be in peace!" "Da Liang?" Wei Wang closed his eyes and thought for a while, "I heard that the three Jins have entered into a marriage relationship. If I attack Wei, Han and Zhao will come to rescue, what should I do?" "The Three Jins have always been at odds. Even if we indulge in relatives, we are at odds with each other. We may not do our best to rescue. This is one of them. I have the people of Wu and Yue, and I have enough soldiers and food. I can raise an army of 300,000. Even if the Three Jins Unity, there is also a sure victory, the second is also. The three Jins have a close relationship, which is not good for Qin. Last year, I heard that Qin wanted to attack Han Yiyang. If I attack Wei, I can form an alliance with Qin, so that Qin people can send troops to attack Yiyang. Han has no time to take care of himself and cannot rescue him. With Qin behind him, Zhao also dare not act rashly. With Qin in Hexi, Wei will not dare to fight me with all his strength. This is the third thing. With these three advantages, I think that Wei can be defeated .” "Wei has Pang Juan, can Ai Qing respond?" "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I have already found out that it was Sun Bin's plot to conquer Xingshan in the previous Wei Dynasty. Now that Sun Bin has become a useless person, Pang Juan has nothing to fear." "Pang Juan wins more with less, and loses Qi and Zhao in a row within five days. Aiqing should not be underestimated!" "Throughout the battle of Huangchi, Tian Ji loses because of pride and carelessness. Pang Juan wins because of mourning soldiers, and wins because of luck. In the battle of Chaoge, Lord Fengyang was caught off guard, and he was not Pang Juan's opponent. This is not what it used to be. Wei fights, Wei is a proud soldier, and I am a mourning soldier. There is a saying in the art of war: Resisting soldiers are similar, and mourning wins." King Wei bowed his head again, and after a while, he raised his head and asked again: "If Wei is attacked, does Aiqing think about it?" "Xiangling is a good choice." Zhaoyang seemed to have a plan in mind, "Wei took Xingshan as the key, and heavily guarded it, but Xiangling was empty. Xiangling is stuck between Daliang and Suiyang. There is Sui Shui in front and Sui Shui in the back. A place of strategic victory. I can send troops out of Kuxian County and attack Xiangling long-distance. We will cut off the connection between Wei and Song Dynasty with one fell swoop, and then build fortifications along the line of Xiangling. Thousands of miles of fertile fields." After hearing Zhaoyang's plan, King Wei closed his eyes for a moment, nodded and said: "Okay, I will follow Aiqing's plan! Send 200,000 soldiers to attack Wei, Aiqing will be the main general, Qu Aiqing and Jing Aiqing will be the deputy generals, and Jing Aiqing will be the deputy general. Qing also served as the governor of Nanyang County, led 50,000 troops out of Fangcheng, pretended to attack Xingshan, and contained Pang Juan. How to implement it, Ai Qing can go to draw up the Taoist order!" "The humble minister obeys the order!" Cutting Wei is no small matter.Zhaoyang got the decree and frequently summoned the generals to recruit the three armies, food, grass, supplies, etc. After working for more than a month, they were finally deployed properly.Chen Zhen also edited the book urgently, and asked the Duke of Qin to conquer Yiyang and contain Han and Zhao.Cang Wuzi watched the sky at night and set an auspicious day for sending troops.Yingdu and Wuqianli Chudi all took action, and for a while, there was the sound of horseshoes, and the sound of sharpening knives. However, it happened.On the eve of the auspicious day before Zhaoyang Sacrificial Flag went to war, Mrs. Jiang Jun, who had been blushing after taking dozens of pills in a row, suddenly yelled several times, vomited blood and died. Zhaoyang was shocked and cried to the ground, making Yin's house full of mourning. When Chen Zhen heard the news, he was in a hurry, crying even more sadly than Zhaoyang.Zhaoyang was sad for a while, and resolutely decided to put the country first and then the family, bit his finger, wrote a blood letter to report to King Wei, and claimed to go to the war with mourning. In the morning of the next day, the general Zhaoyang, dressed in sackcloth, drove to the Yuanmen of the Chinese Army to sacrifice the flag.Seeing this, the soldiers of the three armies all wept and their morale was excited.At the time of Mao, Zhaoyang was about to sacrifice the flag and go out to fight. Prince Huai flew there and read out the imperial edict of Wei Wang. Just at this time, the combined vehicles and horses came rattling up, and they were stationed thirty miles away from Yingdu. The next day, Jin Shang, Prince Huai, who was in charge of the dynasty, went out of the city to greet him with Lou Huan at Daqian Station. Su Qin drove into the east gate of Yingdu with several sons, Gongsun Hetian Wen and other five deputy envoys and personal entourage. Go straight to the post of the pavilion of various countries next to the king's city. As we were walking, there was a sudden crowd of people in front of us, followed by the beeping of bells and drums, the sound of mourning and music, and the crowds of spectators gave way to both sides of the street.Jin Shang took the lead to avoid the side of the road, and everyone from Su and Qin also avoided. In a short while, one hundred and eight guards in sackcloth opened the way, followed by sixty-four musicians, blowing or knocking, with the sound of mourning; behind them were twenty-four witches in strange clothes, surrounded by a four-horse cart. Standing on it is a witch with white eyebrows and red hair; behind the witch are thirty-two boys and girls aged 6 to 13, divided into 16 pairs according to age, all sitting cross-legged, sitting in pairs On the platform made of sackcloth, each pair was carried by two strong men in sackcloth; these children were not wearing sackcloth, and all of them were well-dressed, staring around with curious eyes, and some of them were still eating snacks, thinking All this was very amusing, and the younger ones were still pointing and laughing.Behind the children, there were another twenty-four witches. Seeing the children's innocence, many viewers couldn't bear to witness and wiped their tears with their sleeves.A little girl stared eagerly, pointed at the child being carried and shouted at a young woman next to her: "Mom, mother, I want to sit on it too!" The woman picked up her daughter, turned around fearfully, completely ignoring the little girl's crying, and flew into the side path, as if she was a step too late, and her daughter would really be carried away. Jin Shang looked at the group of people coldly, with no expression on his face. Su Qin, Gongzi Ang, Lou Suan, Gongzi Zhang and Tian Wen all knew what was going on, and they all looked sad and lowered their heads.Among the few people, only Gongsun Kui didn't know why, and asked Tian Wen beside him softly: "Why are they carrying those children?" Tian Wen turned his face away without answering. Gongsun Kui was stunned, his curiosity became stronger, he asked Lou Huan and Gongzi Zhang again, but both of them turned their faces away, no one paid him any attention.Gongsun Kui didn't want to ask any more questions, so he just fixed his eyes on the children. In a short while, the sackcloth team walked away, and everyone dispersed.Gongsun Kui couldn't hold back any longer, so he went to Su Qin's side and asked softly, "Su Zi, what's the matter with those children?" Su Qin sighed softly, and pointed at Jin Shang: "This is a matter of Chu State. If Gongsun wants to know, you can ask Dr. Jin." Gongsun Kui hurriedly turned to Jin Shang, cupped his hands and said, "Excuse me, Doctor Jin, what's going on?" "Reporting to Gongsun," Jin Shang bowed back, "Mrs. Jiang Jun traveled to Xianyou, those children are here to take care of her." "What?" Gongsun Kui was stunned, and asked after a long time, "You mean, they were killed by human beings?" Jin Shang sighed softly and lowered his head. Gongsun Kui was stunned for a moment, came back to his senses, and said angrily: "What age is it, and you still die?" Ignorance!" Flying Dao Zou's face was distorted, his eyes were fixed on the line of hemp clothes that was drifting away, and after a while, he turned to Jin Shang, and said, "Excuse me, Mr. Jin, are they going to be buried now?" Jin Shang shook his head and said: "According to the customs of Chu, the martyrdom is done after the funeral, and it will take seven days at the earliest. The witches just selected boys and girls, and today they are just patrolling the streets. In the next few days, the children will have to learn etiquette, and then martyrdom." Feidao Zou let out a long breath, and thanked him. Gongsun Kui also seemed to understand the intention of Feidao Zou, and pulled at his skirt. It was night, although there was moonlight, there were many dark clouds in the sky, and the ground was sometimes bright and sometimes dark. At the end of the hour, a courtyard door in the Posthouse of the Kingdoms opened slightly, and a few black shadows flashed out of the door without a sound, and were about to fly away, when a stern voice suddenly came out from behind: "Everyone stay!" A few black shadows were startled, but when they heard that it was Su Qin, they had no choice but to stop. "Where are you going?" Su Qin hurried forward and asked in a deep voice. Gongsun Kuai muttered, "No...not going anywhere, just...just walking around." Su Qin walked up to Fei Dao Zou in a few steps, found dozens of flying knives from him, and glanced at everyone, seeing that they all had sharp knives in their hands and hidden weapons in their bodies, he smiled coldly: "Walk casually, take them with you." What are these things for?" Knowing that Gongsun Kui couldn't hide it, he had no choice but to say: "If we go back to Suzi, we want to go to Lingyin's mansion." "Steal someone?" Gongsun Kuai nodded and said: "It's to save people. Those children, they don't deserve to die!" "Hmph!" Su Qin snorted and scolded, "Just you guys, if you want to go to Zhaoyang Mansion to save people, you are going to die! The dignified Yan family nobles, with sharp knives in hand, sneaked into Chu State Ling Yin in the middle of the night. Mansion, if this matter is spread, how can we end it, and the history of Chu will write it down. Taking a step back, even if you are not discovered, how can you save so many ignorant children? They can't fly, they can't walk Let's go, not to mention the food, drink and clothes, so you may not be willing to go?" None of the crowd had thought of these questions, especially Gongsun Kui, who was so stupid that he was stunned for a long time before he murmured, "But...Suzi, we can't just sit and watch the children die unexpectedly, can we?" "Okay," Su Qin said smoothly, "even if you can rescue them, is everything over? Zhaoyang still has to bury his mother, and the witches will still go looking for people. If you don't let them die unexpectedly, there will be another three." Twelve boys and girls go to die again. As for you, you have to save them, and they have to find them again. Gongsun, the bad habits of the state of Chu are hard to return!" All the people present were dumbfounded, squatting on the ground one after another, and no one said anything. When Lou Huan heard the voice, he also came out and stood behind Su Qin. Su Qin let out a long sigh, and turned to Lou Huan: "Brother Lou, get up tomorrow morning, buy generous gifts, and send a post to order Yin's mansion, saying that Su Qin, the special envoy of the five countries, together with the deputy envoys of other countries, will go to the mansion to pay tribute to Mrs. Jiang. !" "The next officer obeys the order!" At Shenshi the next day, Su Qin and the deputy envoys of the five countries went to Lingyin's mansion to mourn Mrs. Jiang Jun.All the five kingdoms prepared generous gifts, and people carrying gift boxes came in one after another, Xing Cai was so busy that he couldn't handle it. Before going to court, the special envoys of the five countries first went to the gate of the mansion to pay tribute, and among the five deputy envoys, except for Lou Sui, the other four were all nobles in the public office, which really gave Zhaoyang enough face.Zhao Yang and a dozen or so dignitaries from the Zhao family who came to guard the spirit greeted him out of the mansion. After seeing the ceremony, they directly welcomed Su Qin and others into the old lady's mourning hall. After mourning, Zhaoyang led everyone from Su and Qin to the living room, passed by a courtyard, and faintly heard the voices of a group of children coming from inside.Everyone's hearts were filled with anxiety, Su Qin walked to the door as if nothing had happened, glanced at the courtyard, turned to Zhaoyang and said, "Lord Ling Yin, are these children from the mansion?" "No, no, I bought it on purpose." Zhaoyang replied. "Oh?" Su Qin pretended not to know, "What is the use of adults buying so many children?" "Su Zi doesn't know something," Zhaoyang explained in a low voice, "They are all human sacrifices. After staying for a few days, they will go there to serve their late mother." Su Qin nodded and said: "I have heard for a long time that the adults are very filial to their relatives, so I can see you today! Can I go and visit them?" Zhaoyang stretched out his hand and said, "Please!" Su Qin and the others walked into the courtyard and saw two witches teaching the children how to practice rituals.Seeing so many strangers coming in, the children were all surprised and looked at them timidly.The witch went up to meet them, bowed to them, and told the children to pay respects to the adults.The children all knelt down and kowtowed.Su Qin felt sore, turned and walked out. Walking to the living room, everyone sat down as guests and hosts, and a few maidservants brought tea, then bowed and retreated. Zhaoyang raised his glass and said, "Everyone, please enjoy tea!" Several people were thinking about those children, but no one responded. Su Qin picked it up first, took a few sips, put down the cup, and sighed softly: "Oh, when I was young, I heard about the great achievements of Mr. Zhao Xixie, and also heard that Mrs. Jiang Jun is virtuous, virtuous, kind, and compassionate. Mr. Zhao Xixie has already Xianyou, this time I come to Ying, I want to see Mrs. Jiang Jun's beauty, listen to her teachings, I don't want my wife to... let go!" Sobbing softly, wiping tears with his sleeves. Seeing that Su Qin's affection was sincere and not artificial, Zhaoyang was very moved. He cupped his hands and said, "I will thank Su Zi for your kind words on behalf of my father and mother! My mother's departure was so sudden that even I didn't expect it. Alas, my mother, she ——” Covering his face with his sleeves, he choked up. Su Qin accompanied him to shed tears for a while, cupped his hands and said, "May I ask my lord, how long will the old lady live?" "Seventy one." Su Qin nodded slightly: "In this way, the old lady has reached the age of seventy, and it is a joy and a funeral." Zhaoyang cupped his hands again: "Thank you, Su Zi, for your good words!" Su Qin bowed back and turned the subject, feeling a little bit emotional: "I heard that the customs in Jingchu and the Central Plains are different, and now I see the adults attending the funeral for the old lady, and I feel a lot of emotion!" "Oh?" Zhaoyang's heart moved, "May I ask Su Zi how he feels?" "In the past, Zhong Ni advocated that the end should be pursued cautiously, that life should be nourished, and that there should be burial in the end. Therefore, the countries of the Central Plains not only pay attention to the support before birth, but also pay attention to the burial after death. However, you Jing people seem to pay more attention to the life before death and not the death." Hearing these words, Zhaoyang was stunned for a moment, and when he realized it, he stretched his face and said coldly, "Why did Su Zi say that?" "May I ask my lord, who served the old lady before she was alive?" "There are many servants, and the ones who are close to me are maidservants." "Ask my lord again, are these servants adults or boys?" "Of course it's an adult. How can a boy serve?" "That's it." Su Qin said slowly, "Before the old lady was alive, the adults served her, but behind the old lady, there was a group of boys around. Sweeping the floor, making clothes and cooking, not to mention the poor service of the old lady, but to cause trouble for the old man. Besides, the old man is quiet by nature, but the boy is by nature frolicking. How can the old lady rest when it is quiet? Only for this matter, I think , you Jing people only reborn before, not after." Several other people also began to understand Su Qin's intentions, and nodded in agreement.Although Zhaoyang couldn't hold back, he couldn't make sense either. After a while, he said: "What Su Zi said is not without reason. It's just that Jing people are immortals, and it's customary to sacrifice virgins. This is the ancestral system. Zhaoyang dare not do it." Violation." "The ancestral system is the law," Su Qin said smoothly, "the law is established by the sage. The sage's legislation follows the way of heaven, conforms to the reason, conforms to the customs of the people, and follows the customs of the country. There is a small wind in a corner, and there is also a strong wind in the world; There are small customs in one side, but there are also big customs in the world. The sage follows the customs, not the wind of one corner, not the customs of one side. What is harmonious is the strong wind of the world, but the great customs of the world. The way of heaven changes, and the customs change. Therefore, The law of the holy world is never rigid. The ancient sages used music as their law. The Yellow Emperor wrote "Cloud Gate", Yao wrote "Xianchi", Shun wrote "Da Shao", Xia Qi wrote "Great Xia", Shang Tang wrote " "Da Lu", the era is different, the music and dance are different, and the method is naturally different. The customs of the world have changed, the world has changed, and the central plains are not allowed to be martyred by human beings, but in Jingchu, a boy was martyred. I am so moved!" "This—" Zhaoyang was tongue-tied and speechless. "Besides," Su Qin continued, "the Chu system is not static. As far as I know, the nobles of the Chu state are hereditary, and once they become kings, they can enjoy thousands of generations. Make Wuzi change the law, damage more than enough and make up for what is not enough. The hereditary nobles only last for three generations. Even the martyrdom is not static. In the ancient times, most of the martyrs were stone tools, in the middle ages, they were mostly pottery, in modern times, they were mostly bronze, and in modern times, they were mostly iron. The different martyrs indicate that the world is changing; the world has changed, and the burial customs are naturally different. different." What Su Qin said was well-founded, Zhaoyang pondered for a while, then nodded slightly, obviously listening. Su Qin clasped his fists and said again: "I heard that the old lady not only had all four virtues, but also was kind, kind and peaceful. She never killed a chicken and avoided ants when she saw them. I wonder if there is such a thing?" Zhaoyang nodded again and again, sobbing, "Mother is indeed like that." Su Qin strikes while the iron is hot: "My subordinates believe that the most important thing is to pursue the distant relatives. The so-called chasing the distant is to cherish the memory of relatives and to be filial to the end. The greatest filial piety in the world is to think about what relatives think and do for relatives. Today, the old lady is immortal. Go, I think that if you are filial, you should think of what the old lady thinks, and do what the old lady does. If the old lady is kind, but the adult dies with a living person, the old lady will not be willing to learn about it. by!" Su Qin said so far, and every sentence made sense, Zhaoyang couldn't refute it at all, so he had to bury his head, and after a while, as if after careful consideration, he raised his head and said: "If you don't die, how can I express my condolences to my late mother?" Feelings?" "My lord, have you heard of Zou Zi, a native of Qi?" "Zou Zi?" Zhaoyang asked, "Which Zou Zi?" "It's Zou Yan, who proposed that all things in the world are metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, and the five elements are born and changed according to the principle of yin and yang." Zhaoyang nodded and said, "I've heard of him. I heard that this person is also said to be overseas in Kyushu." "What your lord said is true!" Su Qin praised, "This person should be a person who has attained the Tao in this life. He has big ears, eyes like torches, and is about two feet tall. , and also married Jinlan with the king of the underworld, who is an invincible friend. Su Qin was fortunate to meet this person, and heard him talk about the situation in the underworld in detail, which is almost the same as that of the yang world. Death has a yin life. Those who accumulate yang virtue can increase yang life, and those who accumulate yin skills can increase yin life. Chariots, horses and servants are used in the yang world, and utensils and figurines are sacrificed to pass in the yin world. Sacrifice is a person, yang virtue at the top, and yin kung fu at the bottom. All kinds of harm but no benefit. It is precisely because of Zou Zi’s words that the burial customs of the countries in the Central Plains have been completely changed. The Qin people were sacrificed with chariots and horses, and the three Jin, Yan, and Qi were sacrificed with cattle and sheep. As far as the old lady is concerned, she can have a rare life , which shows that she had great virtues during her lifetime. If an adult dies as a boy, I secretly think that it may damage the old lady's yin skills and lose the old lady's yin life." Zhaoyang was surprised: "Is this really true?" "Things in the underworld," Su Qin said, "I haven't experienced it, so I can't say it. However, based on reasoning, I think that what Zou Zi said is not unreasonable. The ancient saints, from Fuxi, Huangdi to Yao , Shun, and Yu did not perform human sacrifices. It is because people lived longer in ancient times. Human sacrifices began in the Xia Dynasty and became popular in Shang Dynasty. It is because people in the Central Plains believe in Zou Zi’s words, and human sacrifices are abolished. " Zhaoyang took a deep breath and buried himself in thought. Su Qin cupped his hands and prayed: "My lord, why don't you adapt to the changes of the times and take the lead in changing customs in the land of Jingchu?" "This—" Zhaoyang hesitated. "This move may kill two birds with one stone!" "Two birds with one stone?" Zhaoyang's eyes widened. "Think about it, my lord. If you don't die for others, you can gain tranquility and accumulate vigor for the old lady; you can show the name of benevolence and good life for your lord, and you will be the first to change the customs. You will be famous in the history of Chu, and your virtue will last forever!" "Well," Zhaoyang nodded in his heart and said, "What Su Zi said is true. However, this matter is not trivial, and I will discuss it with the tribe!" "Oh, that's right!" Su Qin nodded slightly, glanced at everyone, and clasped his fists at Zhaoyang with understanding, "It seems that your Chu people are more powerful than your country. It stands to reason that your lord is under one person in Chu." If there are more than 10,000 people, it is also a family matter, even if His Majesty the King of Chu is beyond his reach, he cannot manage it here, and if he does not want difficulties, it is within the clan." Su Qin was obviously using aggressive tactics, and all the deputy envoys understood it, and all stared at Zhaoyang in surprise. Zhaoyang obviously couldn't hold back his face, and yelled out, "Come on!" Xing Cai rushed in, bent down and looked at Zhaoyang. Zhaoyang said every word, firmly: "Send the boys and girls back to their homes, and each family will give a piece of money to appease them!" Xing Cai was stunned, and looked at Zhao Yang anxiously, seeing that his face was resolute and there was no room for maneuver, so he had no choice but to accept it with a nod, and quickly backed out.After a while, Su Qin faintly heard Xing Cai's orders and the running of the servants from afar. For safety's sake, he sat down for a while. It was estimated that all the children had been sent away, so Fang and the deputy envoys got up and said goodbye. On the way back, Gongsun Kui admired him from the bottom of his heart, clasped his fists and said, "Su Zi, you are so iron-tongued and quick-spoken, you actually rescued those children from the tiger's mouth in an instant!" “唉，”苏秦长叹一声，“救童子易，救楚却是难哪！” 众人皆惊：“此是为何？” “积重难返！” 翌日晨起，宫中宣见列国合纵特使，苏秦与五国副使入宫觐见殿下。由于令尹昭阳府中正在为江君夫人举丧，昭氏一门皆未上朝。自昭阳任令尹之后，属下各府多用昭氏一门，因而，昭氏一不上朝，朝堂上顿时空落许多。 苏秦等叩见礼毕，呈上中原五国的国书及求请合纵的约书。 太子槐拿起约书，细细看过，吩咐道：“诸位使臣，中原列国皆已纵亲，楚国自当入纵。不过，本宫年幼，如此邦交大事，尚要与众臣议过，禀明父王，三日之后，或有决断。诸位远道而来，正好趁这几日歇息一下，顺便品味荆楚风情。”转向靳尚，“靳爱卿，苏子及列国公子、公孙由你款待，不可怠慢！” 靳尚叩道：“微臣领旨！” 苏秦与众副使叩恩后退下，径回馆驿。 处理完朝事，太子槐袖了约书，摆驾直趋章华台，向威王禀报纵亲之事。威王接过约书，粗粗扫过一眼，不及太子槐禀完，十分不耐地摆手打断，大声责道：“此等小事，也来禀报！”“啪”的一声扔下约书，起身径自去了。 中原五国特使同时入朝，此事谓之小，何事谓之大？威王作此反应实在出人意料，太子槐一下子怔了。 愣怔有顷，太子槐瞥见内臣仍旧站在此处，似在等着送他出殿，遂移过眼去，望向内臣。 内臣望一眼威王的背影，从地上捡起约书，趋前一步，小声奏道：“殿下有所不知，再过几日，苍梧仙翁的不死之丹就要出炉，陛下心中只存此事，顾不上别的。殿下可先回郢，待过几日，陛下的仙丹炼出来了，再禀此事不迟。”言讫，双手捧上约书。 苍梧子之事太子槐早有所闻，此时被内臣点破，就不好再说什么，微微点头，接过约书，轻轻纳入袖中，拱手别过内臣，怏怏走出，下台而去。 回至宫中，太子槐闭口不提合纵之事。苏秦诸人在馆驿候过三日，仍然不见殿下宣召，亦不见靳尚露面。几位副使无心游玩，正自烦闷，隐约听到苏秦在弹琴，不约而同地来到苏秦院中。 见众人进来，苏秦顿住，拱手道：“坐坐坐！” 公子卬仍是火暴子脾气，辟口叫道：“特使大人，这是在哪儿，你竟有闲心弹琴！” “请问公子，不让弹琴，你让在下做什么？”苏秦笑问。 “上殿寻他们去！”公子卬气呼呼地一拍大腿，“熊槐亲口答应我们，三日后给个决断。今日已是第四日，非但音讯皆无，连靳尚那厮也不露头，这不是成心耍我们吗？” 众人皆将目光盯向苏秦。 “我们是来结亲的，不是来结仇的。”苏秦微微摊开两手，做出无奈的样子，“人家不宣，我们若是厚着脸皮硬闯宫门，惹恼楚人，万一被他们轰出宫去，面子岂不丢大了？” 众人皆笑起来，公子卬也扑哧笑出，拱手道：“那……苏子爱弹琴，让我们做什么？” “听琴啊。”苏秦指指耳朵。 众人复笑起来。 “不过，”苏秦想了一下，缓缓起身，“诸位听惯了高雅之曲，在下学艺不精，或不入耳。这样吧，若是大家闲得无聊，在下可领你们前往一处地方，听听楚风楚乐如何？” 众人皆是振奋，叫上车驾，跟随苏秦驰至一处巨大宅院。 众人抬头一看匾额，竟是左司马府。苏秦递上名帖，不一会儿，左司马屈武携其长子屈丐拱手迎出，见过礼，迎入厅中，分宾主坐下。 婢女端上茶水，众人品啜一时，屈武扫视众人一眼，拱手说道：“诸位特使大人光临寒舍，在下不胜荣幸。在下一介武夫，见识浅薄，还请诸位教诲。” “司马大人客气了！”苏秦拱手还过一揖，“在下与几位公子初来楚地，一切皆是新鲜。至郢之后，在下本欲领略楚地风采，却又人地两生，不敢蛮行，每日只在馆中憋屈，甚是烦闷。在下好乐，听闻楚地歌舞迥异于中原，又闻司马大人深谙楚乐，心痒难熬，今日冒昧登门，特此求教。几位公子、公孙闻听此事，皆欲同行。我等率性而来，甚是唐突，失礼之处，还望司马大人宽谅！” “苏子说笑了。”屈武笑道，“在下是粗人，只知舞枪弄棒，何能知乐？不过，诸位大人既然特意登门赏乐，在下亦难推诿。也是巧了，在下有个堂侄，新从家乡来，年纪虽幼，却是聪颖，颇知乐舞，亦善辞赋，在乡里是个才人。诸位大人皆是中原雅士，正可指点于他！”转向屈丐，“丐儿，去请屈平来！” 屈丐应声出门，不一会儿，引了一个年轻后生急步趋入。 后生进门，纵使心里有所准备，陡然见到这么多人，仍是吃了一惊，先对屈武揖道：“不肖侄见过伯父！”而后转向苏秦诸人，逐个躬身揖过，声音极轻，显得有些木讷，“晚生屈平见过诸位大人。” 众人齐将目光盯在这个名叫屈平的小伙子身上。 屈平面容清秀，细看起来，却是稚气未脱，头上尚未着冠，个头与公子章不相上下，看那又细又瘦的身条，似是仍在向高处蹿长。 苏秦诸人将屈平上下打量一遍，面面相觑。在常人眼里，未行冠礼之人，皆是孩子。似此乳臭未干之人，屈武竟说他“颇知乐舞，亦善辞赋”，且公然向苏秦等中原高士推荐，实让众人吃惊。 见是孩子，苏秦并未起身，稍稍拱拱手，以长辈的口吻笑问：“小伙子，今年多大了？” “回禀大人，”屈平揖道，“待桂花再开时，晚生可历一十六秋。” 听到这一妙答，众人皆笑起来。 “好说辞，果是才子！”苏秦微微点头，再不敢怠慢，起身回过一揖，“洛阳人苏秦见过屈子！” “晚生年幼，子不敢当！谢苏大人美言了！”屈平再次揖过，接道，“晚生久闻苏大人盛名，今日得见，不胜荣幸！” 屈武呵呵笑出几声，接过话头，将几位公子、公孙逐一引见，各个见礼。 礼毕，屈武话入正题：“小平，苏大人与诸位公子、公孙俱是中原高人，今日登门，前来赏鉴荆楚俗乐。伯父不通音律，特请你来演奏一曲，让诸位大人指点。” 屈平允过，转向苏秦诸人揖道：“晚生可奏楚乐，亦可奏巴乐，请问诸位大人，欲听何乐？” 苏秦略一思忖：“请奏楚乐。” 屈平点点头，大步走出。 不消一刻，外面走进十几个乐手，搬来一堆乐器，有钟、鼓、磬、竽、瑟、琴、箫等。众人挪开席位，让出一片空场地。众乐手一一摆好，目光尽皆望向屈平。 屈平朝众人深鞠一躬，朗声道：“晚生不才，就为诸位大人表演一曲自创的《橘颂》。”健步走至一排编磬前，屏息站定，拿起敲磬用的铜棒。 听他说出曲子是自己所谱，又见他亲手击磬，苏秦等又是一惊，目不转睛地望着这个小伙子。 屈平扬手敲磬，数声之后，众乐手跟着齐奏，音声不仅悦耳，且亦激奋。 奏有一时，屈平陡然出声，半吟半唱： 〖后皇嘉树，橘徕服兮 受命不迁，生南国兮 深固难徙，更壹志兮 绿叶素荣，纷其可喜兮 曾枝剡棘，圆果抟兮 青黄杂糅，文章烂兮 精色内白，类任道兮 纷缊宜修，姱而不丑兮 嗟尔幼志，有以异兮 独立不迁，岂不可喜兮 深固难徙，廓其无求兮 苏世独立，横而不流兮 闭心自慎，终不失过兮 秉德无私，参天地兮 愿岁并谢，与长友兮 淑离不淫，梗其有理兮 年岁虽少，可师长兮 行比伯夷，置以为像兮〗 屈平连吟三遍，个别句子重复多次，终于在一声清脆的磬声中，音律戛然而止。 苏秦正襟端坐，闭目凝神，竟是听得呆了。听到音乐止住，众人喝彩，苏秦方才回过神来，由衷叹道：“好一个'苏世独立，横而不流兮''秉德无私，参天地兮'，真是好辞啊！”起身走向屈平，将他又是一番打量，不无感慨地连连点头，“嗯，听到此乐此辞，你完全可以称子了！请问屈子，曲辞何来？” “回禀苏大人，”屈平亦站起来，回过一揖，“曲辞乃晚生三年前所作，成于家乡寒舍附近的橘园。” “三年前，屈子年仅十三，即能做出此等好辞，且又行比伯夷，可见屈子少年壮志，将来必有大成！” “谢大人褒奖！” “听司马大人说，屈子新从家乡来。敢问屈子，家乡何在？” “丹阳①屈邑，乐平里。” “丹阳？”苏秦点头道，“丹阳是楚国先祖封地，屈子所作，当是真正的楚风了！楚地东扩，丹阳之西，该是巴国了！” 屈平生父屈文与屈武出自同一个祖父屈宜臼，因而当是隔代堂兄弟。屈宜臼反对吴起变法，在吴起伏王尸被害后，受株连而死，屈氏受到削弱，其子屈厘回到祖地丹阳，生子屈文，屈文生子屈平，后取字原。屈平少有壮志，年十二时，屈文病故，年十三时作《橘颂》，自述心志。此番屈平因巴国而奔郢，投奔屈武，也不全为巴、蜀，更在寻找机会，施展自己的鸿鹄之志。 此时遇到苏秦，又听他提到巴国，屈平自然不肯放过近在眼前的机缘，忙点头道：“大人所言甚是，晚生此来，为的正是巴、蜀之事。” “哦？”苏秦一怔，“巴、蜀何事？” “巴蜀出大事了，”屈平拧起秀眉，侃侃言道，“近年来，蜀国内讧，屡次交兵，苴侯不敌，向东联合巴国，向北结好秦国，欲与蜀王争雄。” “呵呵呵，”苏秦笑出几声，盯住他道，“小伙子，小邦图存，图存则须睦邻，苴人结好秦人，当是明智之举，你为何忧心忡忡呢？” “大人有所不知，”屈平回视苏秦，“苴人正举倾国之力，与巴人一道辟山开路，欲打通秦塞。另据巴人所言，秦人亦在终南山里沿水脉架设栈道。由秦川至苴地，长约千五百里，睦邻有必要架设如此之长的栈道吗？” 闻听此言，众人皆是一震。 苏秦两眼眨也不眨地盯在屈平身上。小小年纪，竟然用词准确，条理清楚，且能透过现象看到更远的视野，实非寻常。 不过，苏秦眼下更感兴趣的显然不是屈平，而是巴蜀，拧眉问道：“苴人既已击退蜀兵，这又辟山开路，总该有个因由吧？” “据巴人所说，秦公赠予苴人石牛五头，皆重千钧，苴人通塞，是要运回石牛。” “石牛？”公子卬来兴致了，探身问道，“苴人要石牛何用？” “回公子的话，”屈平转向公子卬，“巴、蜀贵金，据苴人所说，这些石牛皆能便金，一便一坨，苴国太子通国使秦睦邻，秦公赐予石牛，苴人欲运回便金。” 听到如此不可思议之事，众人皆是愣了，待回过神来，无不哄笑。 苏秦陷入深思。直觉告诉他，这个孩子讲到的正是问题的实质。石牛定是秦人图谋巴蜀之计，且依他所断，行此计之人，必是张仪。再细一想，秦图巴、蜀，避实就虚，既可避开山东列国合纵之锋，又可蓄势养锐，以待后举，就眼下而论，无疑是切实可行的明智之策。且从客观上说，张仪此举，反过来也是成全他的合纵大业。不过，以便金石牛来哄骗苴人，也亏张仪想得出来。苴人竟然听之信之，且还劳民伤财地开山辟路，引狼入室，真也是匪夷所思。 想至此处，苏秦心中笃定，猛然想起屈平，有意试其才具，遂微微一笑，转向他问道：“屈子可信此事？” “晚生不信，”屈平重重摇头，“晚生以为，秦人此举别有用心。” “哦？”苏秦盯牢屈平，“请问屈子，秦人是何用心？” “吞并巴、蜀。”屈原和盘托出自己对局势的理解，吐字清晰，几乎是一字一顿，目光里不含半点犹疑，与他十六岁的年龄甚不相符。 屈平小小年纪竟有如此敏锐的大局眼光，苏秦大为震惊，凝视他许久，方才点点头，踱回原处，端坐下来，转对屈武，抱拳揖道：“屈子之见，司马大人意下如何？” “稚子之见，苏子就当是笑谈了。”屈武微微抱拳，呵呵笑道。 “不不不，”苏秦连连摇头，不无赞赏地看一眼屈平，转向屈武，“司马大人，在下以为，屈子之见绝非笑谈。巴、蜀为楚国上水，秦若图楚，必灭巴、蜀。换言之，秦灭巴、蜀，必为图楚。别的不说，在下只请司马大人设想一事——由楚入巴、蜀，逆水行舟，难矣哉。由巴、蜀入楚，可就是顺流而下，千里飞舟啊！” As soon as this statement came out, everyone was shocked. “正是，正是，”得到苏秦这般肯定，屈平不无感动，连连点头，“大人所言，正是屈平心中所想啊！” 屈武不由自主地打个寒噤，细细一想，真也后怕，拱手道：“果真如此，我当如何应对？” “合纵摒秦，使秦不能两顾。” 屈武闭目又思一时，抬头道：“邦交事务，原本不归司马府管辖，不过，眼下