The person Li Ran wanted to see was none other than a doctor from the Jin Dynasty—Yang Yangui, also known as Dr. Shuxiang.
When he was in the State of Lu, he had promised Yang Tongue, and he would definitely pay a visit when he arrived in the State of Jin in the future.
Since he really came to Jin with Marquis Lu this time, it would be a bit unjustifiable not to visit him. Moreover, he also needed Yang Yangui to lend a helping hand at this meeting in Pingqiu to help him complete his plan.
Arriving at Yang Yanji's house, Li Ran successfully met Yang Yanji after being notified.
"My dear nephew has come from afar. I am sorry to welcome him from afar. I am sorry! I am sorry! Come on and take a seat!"
Yang Yanji was overjoyed to see Li Ran coming to visit, and actually came to greet him in person.
"Hey, who is this?"
Turning his eyes, he saw Ji Le beside him.
"Oh, this is the Ji family concubine of Zheng Guo, Ji Le."
"Oh! It turns out that Zheng Guo sacrificed his daughter to Zijia first! Oh, no, no respect, no respect!"
Ji Xian, whose courtesy name is Zijia, is the head of the Ji clan in the present Zheng Kingdom and the father of Ji Le.
Speaking of Zheng Guo Jishi, he is indeed a rather peculiar aristocrat. In other words, Jishi's ancestors had been doing business for generations in the Western Zhou Dynasty. Then when Zheng Wugong moved eastward with King Ping of Zhou Dynasty, Jishi's ancestors had frequent exchanges due to their advantages in trade and logistics.
Between Zongzhou and Chengzhou, he established the country in the Nanzheng enclosure for Zheng Wugong. It can be said that he made great contributions to establishing the foundation of Zheng State.
After the death of Duke Wu, Duke Zhuang of Zheng came to the throne. With the help of Ji Shi, Zheng Guo dominated the Central Plains. Before Duke Huan of Qi came out, Duke Zhuang of Zheng was the real talker in the Central Plains! And Ji Zhong, the chief minister, controlled Zheng Guo.
It has been in power for decades and three generations, and it can be said to be a prosperous period.
However, after Zheng Zhuanggong, due to the strong rise of the Chu State in the south, Zheng State was frequently harassed. The merchants of Zheng State could not bear the harassment and had to flee north one after another. As a result, the commercial civilization of Zheng State also declined significantly. As for the Ji clan,
As a family that has been doing business for generations, they gradually lost their right to speak in the Zheng Dynasty.
Now, two hundred years have passed, and thanks to the alliance of annihilation decades ago, the north and the south have ceased war and exchanged market benefits. The city where Zheng Guo sacrificed his family is located on the north-south trade route.
Therefore, the Ji clan, that is, Ji Le's grandfather, took this opportunity to revive Zheng's trade. They made a lot of money, and through various businesses, they became a popular wealthy family in Zheng and even the world.
.Has a strong voice in both political and business circles.
Even the "Qi Mu" minister of Zheng had to sell two cents of thin noodles to the sacrifice family. And his descendants could marry into the Shusunbao family of the Lu State. Although it was just a side chamber of Shusunbao, it also shows that his family was powerful.
How strong.
As a diplomat of the Jin State, Yang Yangui naturally knew something about such a Ji family, so when Li Ran told the name of Ji Le, he immediately guessed the origin of Ji Le.
"Oh? The doctor actually knows my father?"
Ji Le asked innocently.
Sheeptongue laughed when he heard the sound and said immediately:
"Who in the world doesn't know the name of the Ji clan? After the alliance of Annihilation, the north and south were connected, and the east and west were connected. The caravans of the three kingdoms of Qi, Chu and Jin all needed to rest and recycle in Zheng Guo's sacrificial city. You, the clan of the Ji clan, are profiting from it.
Having taken away all the conveniences of merchants from all over the world, it is probably not an exaggeration to say that you are as rich as any other country."
"I heard that now my son is born in the state of Zheng and is in charge of the government, and I often discuss it with your father. It can be seen that your ability is no less than that of the ancestors."
It has to be said that Yang Tongue's understanding of the current situation and history of various countries is shocking.
The Ji clan of Zheng Guo had been dormant for many years, but it had only been more than ten years since he regained his vitality and emerged. However, Yang Tongui has as many treasures as the family history of the Ji clan, which is really admirable.
"The doctor is so ridiculous. How can my father have such ability? It is even more embarrassing to be compared to our ancestors."
On the one hand, Ji Le's answer was modest, but on the other hand, Ji Le never expected that the famous Dr. Shu Xiang would actually praise his father so highly and even compare him to his ancestor Ji Zhong. p>
As his child, she couldn't feel it at all. The most intuitive feeling her father gave her was that he would always have this face and a fierce look.
"Haha, there is no need to be too modest. Since the girl can come with my nephew today, I must have a close relationship with him. I am a straight person, so I will say whatever I have to say. Please forgive me." p>
"By the way, my nephew came here today to discuss the alliance?"
When the conversation changed, Yang Tonchi looked at Li Ran.
Li Ran was still immersed in the glorious history of Zheng Guo's sacrifice. He suddenly woke up when he heard the sound of sheep's tongue beating and said immediately:
"Yes, the doctor clearly understands everything, and I admire him late."
"At this meeting in Pingqiu, Wan Sheng has an unkind invitation. I wonder if the doctor can consider it."
He also knew that he didn't have much friendship with Sheeptongue, so he could only let Sheeptongue consider this request first. As for whether he would agree or not, it would depend on whether his judgment on Sheeptongue was accurate. p>
Just listen to the sheep's tongue:
"Oh? My dear nephew, it's okay to say it."
Li Ran heard the sound and immediately said what he was thinking...
This speech was very long, but in Li Ran's mouth, it was very organized. After speaking, Yang Tonguei fell into deep thinking.
Even Ji Le on the side frowned, his face full of confusion.
After a while, Yang Tongue looked at Li Ran with confusion and asked:
"Does my nephew really want to act like this?"
Li Ran sighed:
"Other than that, there is no other way. The meeting in Pingqiu is the best opportunity for me. Once I miss it, it will be difficult to defeat the Ji family in the future. If I can't take back the power from the Ji family,
, a widowed king is no different than a puppet, and if there is no hope for the public office, the Zhou rites will be abolished!"
In the end, Li Ran bit hard at the words "Zhou rites are abolished".
Because from the time he went to Qufu to observe the ceremony, he could see that Yang Yangui was a person who paid great attention to Zhou rites.
If you help Marquis Lu, there is hope for the revival of Zhou rites.
If we don’t help, Zhou Li will be even more hopeless.
What is Zhou Rites? It is the order of the world! The emperor checks the princes, the princes check the ministers, the ministers check the family ministers, the large clans check the small clans...
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading!
Li Ran is betting that Sheep Tongue will definitely help for the "revival of rituals and music".
……
The Marquis of Lu came to visit the Kingdom of Jin, but he could not see the Marquis of Jin at the moment. At this time, the Marquis of Jin, accompanied by Zhao Wu and other ministers, had already set off for Pingqiu to participate in the alliance. So the Marquis of Lu came to Jiang and came here.
The person in power of the Jin Kingdom who greeted him was Han Qi, the assistant commander of the Central Army.
Even in terms of this identity, it is not equivalent.
After Li Ran came out of Yangshi Mansion, he got another message. It turned out that Han Qi invited Li Ran to go to the "Dengjin Platform" to talk. On the other side, Ji Sunsu accompanied Lu Hou and had already set off.
Han Qi's banquet was to represent the king of Jin and hold a regular ceremony at the "Dengjin Platform" in Jiangcheng to show the friendship between the two countries.
(Enjoyment: It means the ceremony in which envoys present gifts to the monarch of the betrothal country)
Li Ran knew that no matter what everyone had in mind, this scene would still have to go away.
During the meeting, Han Qi and the Marquis of Lu had a friendly exchange and analysis on the relations between Jin and Lu, as well as the situation in the world. They also expressed their sincere wishes with great courtesy. Those who didn't know it thought this was just an ordinary meeting.
visit.
Li Ran always thought that Han Qi was an old man in his seventies or eighty, but when he saw Han Qi, he realized that Han Qi was only in his forties at most. Although he was considered an old man in this era, Han Qi's whole spirit was
In good condition, compared to Ji Sunsu's white beard and hair, Han Qi's slightly rough appearance looks more like a powerful minister.
When the two of them were compared, Ji Sunsu immediately pales in comparison.
Due to the inconsistent identities of the two parties, this meeting will not be recorded in the history books, and no one will pay attention to it. It is as if it never happened.
But this meeting was of far-reaching significance to Li Ran.
Because from this meeting, he can basically determine what kind of person Han Qi is. And this is the most important thing in all diplomatic processes.
……
In the hotel.
After Lu Hou came back, he immediately communicated with Li Ran and asked Li Ran what he thought of today's meeting with Han Qi.
"Although the meeting between the prince and the minister is a bit out of etiquette, it is also worth it."
Li Ran replied without thinking.
Marquis Lu was surprised when he heard the sound.
Just listen to Li Ran continue to speak:
"The meeting in Pingqiu is coming soon. Do you know why Han Qi takes this opportunity to meet us alone?"
In Li Ran's mind, Marquis Lu's coming to Jin to pay homage to the Marquis of Jin was originally just part of his plan. Whether there was a meeting in Pingqiu or not, this trip to Jin was a must.
However, when the Pingqiu League met and the Marquis of Lu paid a visit to the Marquis of Jin, it became insignificant under its influence.
Han Qi is the real initiator of the Pingqiu Alliance, and the importance he attaches to this alliance is naturally unmatched by others.
But even under such circumstances, Han Qi still arranged time to have a private meeting with Marquis Lu.
You must know that the kings of other vassal states have arrived in Pingqiu one after another at this time, but Han Qi still chose to delay his departure, delaying it until now, just to receive the king of Lu and his party before setting off. Han Qi seemed to be treating Lu
In terms of issues, it is somewhat different from other vassal states.
Why is this?
"Could it be because of Ji's sacrifice to heaven?"
Marquis Lu looked thoughtful, obviously not sure about this answer.
Maybe it's just to celebrate his new king? Or maybe he wants to give Ji Sunsu a chance to repair the relationship between them? And by the way, get some benefits from the Ji family?
To know the relationship between powerful ministers and powerful ministers is particularly important in today's era.
Unexpectedly, Li Ran shook his head, with a faint smile on his face.
"This is just one of them."
"Oh? What about the second one?"
When Marquis Lu heard this, he was indeed a little puzzled.
He didn't know why Han Qi would meet him alone.
Li Ran turned his attention to Ji Le.
"When we destroyed the Ji family's sacrifice to heaven, we borrowed the power of Zheng Guo's sacrifice. If my prediction is correct, Han Qi chose to meet with the monarch this time because he thought that the relationship between the monarch and Zheng Guo's sacrifice was
Very shallow."
What benefits can the Lu State bring to Han? You can think of it with your toes.
The Lu State was sandwiched between Qi and Jin, and its geographical location was very awkward. Moreover, with the exploitation and oligarchy of the Ji family and the Meng family, the people's livelihood in the Lu State was not easy, and commercial trade was not developed.
In other words, what benefit could Lu Hou bring to Han Qi? Basically none.
What about the Ji family? In fact, they are also very few.
But what the State of Lu could not give him, the State of Zheng could offer sacrifices to his family.
These days, having money is a king.
Ji Le arrived in Jiang a month in advance. Zheng Guo Ji had previously helped Shusun Bao. This made Han Qi think that the Marquis of Lu had a close relationship with Zheng Guo Ji, so he paid special attention to the Lu mission.
, even met with Marquis Lu in person and went through the motions.
And this cutscene is either for others to see, or for the Zheng Guoji clan.
He just wanted Zheng Guoji to know that he was also very friendly to Lu Hou.
The benefits that Zheng Guo's sacrifice can bring to Han Qi are the most immediate. Moreover, this is far beyond the reach of Lu Guo's Ji family. After all, these days, who hasn't done some family business that needs to be managed up and down?<
/p>
"Huh? It's because of me?"
Ji Le stuck out his tongue, and then realized how valuable his identity was.
Li Ran smiled and continued:
"Han Qi is a man who loves justice on the outside, but has many desires on the inside."
"He knows that the prince cannot give him the benefits he wants, but the Ji family can, so he specifically asked us to bring Miss Ji Le with us in order to build a good relationship with the Ji family of Zheng Guo."
"Yesterday Ji Le and I went to see Yang Tongue, and he had the same evaluation of Han Qi. Not only that, but he also told me another story."