Fan Li couldn't help but laugh when he saw Gong Lianyang still struggling pointlessly.
"Sir, if you want to be loyal to Qi, I'm afraid... you will make a mistake. In the past, Kong Sikou and the Marquis of Qi made an oath in Jiagu, but now it has only lasted a hundred days. Now the Marquis of Qi actually wants to take advantage of it.
We, Lu, are in civil strife, so we can take advantage of the opportunity to go back on our word and send troops to attack Lu. So... Your Excellency, you think that even if Chengyi has the protection of Qi, how much weight does it have?"
""Poetry" says: At the banquet of the chief minister, Yan Yan spoke and laughed. He made a vow and did not think about the opposite. But if he did not think about it, that's it! Now the Marquis of Qi is unclear, which makes Li dizzy. I am afraid that he will betray his trust later and return it.
They will come one after another. If you still don’t understand it thoroughly, I’m afraid you will suffer a big loss in the future!”
(Note: I think back to the time when I was young and had so much joy, and the tenderness between talking and laughing. The vows made to each other are still in my ears, but I never expected that you would break your vows.)
When Gong Lianyang heard this, he couldn't help but think deeply.
Yes, Qi's behavior is just as Fan Li said, it is too capricious.
However, in an era like that, betrayal of alliances was too common. One moment, countries were having peace talks with each other, but the next, they were still fighting as they should.
It has long been an established fact that rituals have collapsed, music has collapsed, and people’s hearts have become outdated.
Gong Lianyang's eyes were rolling, his brain was racing, and his tone was much gentler:
"Could it be that...you want to persuade me to hold my troops here while you deal with the Qi army? After you win, you can then turn around and deal with me, Chengyi? By then, how can I still be there?
A chance to turn around?"
"What's more, how can you defeat the Qi army? Lu is small but powerful. Even if you fight hard, you may not be Qi's opponent!"
After Fan Li heard this, he replied slowly:
"Although what your Excellency says is reasonable, there are three things that are unclear about it."
"First, the move to seize the three capitals is a national policy. In addition, the Ji family and the Shusun family have all lost their cities, and now only Chengyi is left. They must be determined to fight against this matter. In the past, the weakness of the Lu country was due to the three Huan
You cannot respect the emperor and seek common ground. But now that Sanhuan has his heart set on one thing, his momentum is unstoppable!"
Fan Li's words made Gong Lianyang hesitate for a moment, and then he ordered:
"Come here, prepare a cup!"
Afterwards, I saw someone immediately bringing a case of food and drink, as well as clear fruits.
At this time, Fan Li happened to be a little thirsty, so he was not polite to him at this moment, and just drank all the wine.
Fan Li wiped his mouth with his sleeve and continued:
"Secondly, I'm afraid you don't know something! The Qi State sent only 30,000 troops this time! How can you think that these 30,000 troops can shake the Lu State?"
Hearing this, Gong Lianyang was startled again and asked hurriedly:
"Oh? The Marquis of Qi...really only sent 30,000 troops?"
Just because Fan Li did not lie about this matter, he responded confidently:
"Thirty thousand horses and five hundred vehicles are absolutely true! So, sir, do you think our division has any chance of winning?"
Hearing this, Gong Lianyang still pretended to be calm and composed, but in fact Fan Li could see a hint of panic on his face.
At this time, Fan Li continued to speak:
"And this third one is the most critical!"
"Since you are a minister of Lu, if you rebel against Lu and help Qi, this would be a great injustice! As the saying goes, 'Brothers are jealous of each other and will not be disgraced to outsiders.' Your Majesty and the State of Lu are at odds with each other. But if your Majesty helps Qi, it is a great injustice!"
Qi, no matter whether you succeed or fail, you will not be tolerated by the people of the world!"
"Therefore, if there are these three evils, how should you deal with them?"
Hearing this, Gong Lianyang suddenly stood up!
Obviously, he was moved by Fan Li's words.
After he stood up, he suddenly realized that he had lost his composure. In order to hide his inner feelings, he couldn't help but look to the side.
Immediately, he took the water jug from the servant next to him and filled it up for Fan Li himself. Then he laughed again and ordered:
"Come here! Prepare a banquet. I want to give this distinguished guest... a cleansing of the wind and dust!"
Gong Lianyang's sudden change of attitude caused a smile to appear on Fan Li's lips.
Fan Li also very wisely drank the water in the cup in one gulp and returned the cup to Gong Lianyang.
So, the two of them entered the official residence in Chengyi and saw that a banquet had been prepared in the inner room of the official residence.
The reason why Gong Lianyang wanted to entertain him was just to get more words out of him, even if he didn't believe them all.
After the banquet and some drinks, Gong Lianyang also got straight to the point and said directly:
"My father-in-law is not a man of low intelligence. I know that although your words are just rhetoric, they are not unreasonable."
Fan Li heard the words and knew what they meant, so he couldn't help but smile and said:
"Haha, it is indeed the luck of the State of Lu that your Excellency can understand this truth! In fact, whether Chengyi will fall or not is an internal matter of the State of Lu, and it is not non-negotiable."
"Because both Li Yi and Fei Yi have brought great disaster to our country of Lu. So no matter who it is, they will be wary of Cheng Yi!"
After Gong Lianyang heard this, he couldn't help but sigh:
"So...according to Sir's wishes...after you have dealt with the entire army, then it's time to liquidate my city, right?"
After hearing this, Fan Li knew that this matter was ultimately a matter of concern for Gong Lianyang, but it could not be avoided. Therefore, he simply replied frankly and calmly:
"Haha, sir, you don't have to worry. As the saying goes, 'a house that accumulates good deeds will always be happy'! As long as you act with justice and propriety, are you still afraid that this matter will not be rectified in the end?"
When Gong Lianyang heard this, he snorted coldly:
"Huh, this matter... I'm afraid it's out of control! Even if Kong Zhongni is willing, I'm afraid the Ji family and the Shusun family won't give up easily!"
Fan Li only waved his hand and continued:
"Haha, although what your Excellency said is reasonable, even if this matter cannot end in the end, I can just walk away. However, if your Excellency helps Qi State, then I will inevitably be suspected of being unjust.
It’s over!”
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! "Your Excellency is not a stupid person. What is more important and which is less important? Can't you still weigh it?"
Gong Lianyang was thoughtful, and after a long time, he finally nodded:
"Haha, if that's the case, then I'll just sit back and watch. I won't be too late to make a decision after you and Qi decide the outcome!"
After the banquet, Fan Li was sent directly to the city gate by Gong Lianyang before he stopped. Gong Lianyang excitedly held Fan Li's hand and said:
"Sir, please give me a few kind words for me when you return this time. In fact, my Lord Lianyang has no objection. I just hope to preserve the cities of Lu and Meng."
"This time we have gathered our troops to plan the territory, it shows the importance of our city. Therefore, after you go back, sir, you can clearly explain the advantages and disadvantages to everyone. Don't lose the big because of the small, so that we will no longer have a stronghold in the northern border of the Lu State!"
"
Gong Lianyang's words seemed quite sincere thanks to the strength of his wine.
However, even he himself may not be able to explain how many sentences are true and how many are false.
——
Chapter 716_Ran Qiu meets Gao Zhang
Fan Li, on the other hand, would not take his words seriously, so he only replied sincerely:
"Please rest assured, sir! Fan Li will definitely bring all your words to me."
Afterwards, Gong Lianyang ordered people to open the city gate and let Fan Li's carriage drive away...
Gong Lianyang waited until Fan Li left the city gate, and immediately sent scouts to find out how many people from Qi Division had come.
Afterwards, he climbed onto the city tower again, looked at the carriage leaving, and couldn't help but think:
"If the State of Qi really only sent 30,000 troops, it shows that the Marquis of Qi does not pay attention to me! In that case... why should I, my Lord Lianyang, sacrifice my life for him?"
"Hey... God is so unkind to me! How unkind to me!"
Gong Lianyang shook his head while thinking about how he should deal with it next.
…
But he said that Fan Li returned to the military camp and recounted his conversation with Gong Lianyang in detail.
After hearing this, Li Ran and Kong Qiu looked at each other and nodded involuntarily.
Confucius was obviously relieved:
"Haha, it seems that Gong Lianyang will not act rashly again when we are dealing with Master Qi!"
Li Ran, after thinking for a while, further analyzed and said:
"Now Gong Lianyang has been appeased for the time being, and then we can start dealing with Master Qi."
"Now Qi Division has sent 30,000 troops to confront our army. Obviously their intention is not to embarrass our Lu State!"
Afterwards, Li Ran made another plan:
"Let us withdraw all the soldiers and horses from Chengyi and march northward to meet the enemy! Since the Qi division is not in good fighting spirit, it is up to us to take the initiative to respond to the enemy!"
Li Ran's intention was to remove all the siege from Chengyi, pretending to fight Qi Shi to the death, and with such momentum, he could give Qi Shi a head start!
On the other hand, it can be regarded as fulfilling the promise to Gong Li Yang.
Confucius was also convinced of this, so he immediately acted according to the plan and passed the order to the three armies.
And when Sanhuan learned about this plan, he learned that the enemy in front of him now turned into the Qi State. Although he had doubts in his heart, he could only do so.
Of course, among them, the happiest person is none other than Meng Sunheji.
After he learned the news, he secretly ordered someone to send a letter to Gong Lianyang, telling him to wait and see first and not to act rashly.
After Gong Lianyang received Meng Sun Heji's letter, he read it over and over again for a long time. When he learned that all the Lu troops had indeed withdrawn as promised, he couldn't help but feel determined.
Immediately afterwards, Gong Lianyang gave a slight sigh and decided to write another letter to Qi State.
It can be said that it is not a big deal to watch the excitement. On the one hand, he certainly wanted Qi to send more troops, and on the other hand, he also found a way for himself to show that Chengyi now had few soldiers and food.
If you dare to move lightly, you can only wait for Qi State to come to the rescue.
Of course, this Gong Lianyang is indeed a chicken thief.
He had actually determined that Qi would never come to send more troops.
And the reason why he did this was just to leave a way out for himself.
A way out that allows him to choose a way out to Qi even if he fails in the future.
…
Not long after, Lu Division started a confrontation with Qi Division led by Gao Zhang. The two armies were only fifty miles apart, and the front camp was only ten miles apart.
The war is about to break out.
Confucius wrote a letter in the camp, and used his disciple Ran Qiu as his envoy to go to Qi Shi's camp to meet Gao Zhang.
Ran Qiu had followed Confucius for many years. When Confucius went to Qi and entered the Gao family, the young Ran Qiu was among them.
Therefore, Gao Zhang naturally recognized Ran Qiu.
This Ran Qiu is actually a man with great talent.
When Ji Sunsi was seeking a talent, he asked Confucius how he was. Confucius replied that if Ran Qiu had a family with a thousand houses and a hundred chariots, he would be enough to be the head of the family!
Therefore, Ji Sunsi has always been secretly paying attention to this person. In addition to appointing Zilu as the family minister, he has always taken good care of Ran Qiu.
It is said that Ran Qiu followed his master's orders and went to Qi Division's camp with documents, but was directly held back by several soldiers with spears.
However, the two armies fought without killing the envoy, so they did not do anything inappropriate towards Ran Qiu.
Just listen to Ran Qiushi's rather indifferent words:
"I'm Ran Qiu. My master is a military commander of the State of Lu. I'm here to see General Gao on my orders."
Not long after, after Ran Qiu was searched, it was found that he had nothing else except a tube of writing slips with him.
So, he masked his face and took him into a large tent.
When he opened the curtain, he saw that there was nothing inside the tent.
Ran Qiu felt strange, and heard someone walking straight in and saying with a smile:
"Hey, isn't this Ran Qiu Ranzi? I haven't seen you for many years, but you and your master have done great things!"
When Ran Qiu saw Gao Zhang, he also bowed respectfully and said:
"Ran Qiu has met the general. Today Qiu is entrusted by his master to come to say hello to the general!"
Gao Zhang took the main seat and sat down, still smiling:
"Back then, I followed my respected master Kong Zhongni and entered the Gao family. At that time, I was in a state of desolation. But I never thought that now my respected master Kong Zhongni has become the great military commander of the Lu State!
You are an extremely human minister! This is really unexpected and unexpected!"
Ran Qiu knew that this was a compliment, so he lowered his attitude and said:
"Haha, it was thanks to the general's shelter that year, otherwise my master would never have been able to meet the Marquis of Qi. Therefore, my master also asks me to thank you in person!"
Gao Zhang was silent for a long time and did not speak again. Ran Qiu felt that the atmosphere was a little awkward, so he said again:
"General, my master today led the army of the Lu State to confront the entire army led by your Excellency. In fact, it was out of necessity. Therefore, my master hopes to meet the general alone and have a detailed discussion!"
As Ran Qiu spoke, he handed over Confucius' letter. Gao Zhang took the brief letter and unfolded it to read.
It turned out that Confucius also wanted to avoid a military encounter with Gao Zhang, so he hoped to have a detailed face-to-face discussion to resolve the military issue.
Gao Zhang looked at the letter and immediately made calculations in his mind.
After all, before he set off, Prince Tu had told him that large-scale friction with the Lu State should be avoided as much as possible in this battle.
Although Tian Qi also came to Gao Zhang and told him to do something, the Gao family had long disliked the Tian family, so how could they really listen to him?
However, if we really don't fight, we will lose the face of Qi State and ourselves.
This inevitably put him in a dilemma.
Gao Zhang slowly put down the letter and said with a frown:
"Now that the two armies are facing each other, and you respect your master and regard him as a great commander, why would you invite me to take the risk of meeting him?"
When Ran Qiu heard this, he bowed his hands and said respectfully:
"This disciple is unknown. When the general meets the master, everything will become clear!"
After hearing this, Gao Zhang couldn't help but burst out laughing three times:
"Hahaha! The Master's mouth is so eloquent, how can I be his opponent? If we meet him in person, I'm afraid he will be speechless again!"
After hearing this, Ran Qiu smiled slightly and said disapprovingly:
"Haha, what the general said is wrong! What can convince others is reason. If it is reasonable, how can it be said between the lips? If the general really feels that what my master says is unreasonable, then it is fine not to listen."
"But if the general feels that what my master said is indeed reasonable, how can he not understand the pros and cons based on his wisdom?"
After hearing these words, Gao Zhang was speechless and only sighed secretly:
"In this case, I don't know how your respected master is going to invite me to meet you?"