In April of the first year of Tongtai in the Southern Chu Dynasty, the leader of the country Long sent Dayong to pay tribute and become a minister. He then asked for peace and offered a large sum of money for ransom.
"History of Chu in the Southern Dynasties: Biography of King Chu Yang"
I was sleeping soundly in the middle of the night when I was suddenly woken up by someone. When I opened my eyes angrily, I saw Xiao Shunzi happily holding a basket of hot osmanthus cakes as a treasure. I was surprised and asked him where he got it.
, after all, this is the specialty of Guixiangfang, the most famous pastry shop in Nanchu. I took a piece and took a bite. It was sweet and soft, melting in my mouth. I asked with satisfaction: "Where did you buy it? I'll have to make it more often in the future."
I'm going to visit you.'
Xiao Shunzi's face changed and he looked gloomy. I asked strangely: 'What's wrong?'
Xiao Shunzi hesitated for a long time before telling the truth. It turned out that he had thought about it for a long time and finally decided to find a delicious food from Dayong instead. Who knew that as soon as he left the house, he heard that the envoy from Nanchu had arrived in Chang'an. He went to the posthouse all night to inquire.
I originally wanted to see if there was anything detrimental to me, but unexpectedly the mission brought two masters from Guixiangfang over, and they happened to make two baskets of the most famous osmanthus cakes, ready to be sent to the under house arrest of the king Zhao Jia and Princess Changle.
, maybe they wanted to please Princess Changle in order to achieve peace talks, but they took advantage of Xiao Shunzi, who used a trick of scheming to steal a basket of freshly made osmanthus cakes.
I almost fainted. I didn’t know if the Nanchu mission that lost the osmanthus cake would report it to the official. Then I thought about it and decided to eliminate the evidence as soon as possible. I wolfed down a basket of osmanthus cakes equally with Xiao Shunzi. At this time, the sky turned dark.
It was getting brighter, and Xiao Shunzi slipped away. Just as I was about to sleep a little longer, Xiao Shunzi came again to report: 'Sir, Lu Can, the envoy of Southern Chu, is asking for an audience.'
My heart moved, why did this former student of mine come to ask to see me? Shouldn't he be dismissive of me? After all, I am already a rebel in Nanchu. I asked Xiao Shunzi for advice in doubt, and Xiao Shunzi said in a dumbfounded voice:
'Young Master, now that you are a close confidant of His Highness King Yong, Your Highness can at least be the master of the four points in the matter of peace talks. If you want to start from His Highness, you are the best candidate, Master. Although they are all defeated and suing for peace, but
It will also be beneficial to Nanchu if we can get one more benefit.'
I sat up and took the coat handed over by Xiao Shunzi. While dressing, I thought about how to solve the problem. Originally, I was thinking of "seeing each other but not seeing each other" and was not prepared to meet Lu Can, but if he wanted to negotiate peace,
He was lobbying everywhere, so it would be a bit excessive if he didn't give him a chance. In any case, he was once a minister of Southern Chu, and now he is a subordinate of King Yong. If he politely declined, then outsiders would think that His Highness King Yong was unintentional.
Peace talks, this matter is big or small, I can't deal with it casually. After walking a few steps, I felt that I was in good health today, and there should be no problem in receiving guests, so I said: "Please come to the flower hall to see me, General Lu. It's still early."
, ask someone to send breakfast to the flower hall, prepare more, and say that I will treat General Lu to dinner. His Highness should already know, you send someone to ask His Highness what he wants, whether he wants to receive the envoy from Nan Chu, and I will not discuss peace matters.
Clearly, Gou Lian should understand better. If it is inconvenient for His Highness to come, please invite Brother Gou to accompany you so that you can explore Nan Chu's bottom line. Xiao Shunzi, is Lu Can here alone?'
Xiao Shunzi replied: 'Sir, General Lu has brought a young man with him. He has a good appearance and must be a man of extraordinary intelligence.'
I smiled slightly and said, "That's fine. Lu Can is young after all. If he came alone, I suspect he just came to see me privately. Since there are people to accompany me, it's official business. Okay, go and invite them in."
Bar.'
Lu Can stood quietly in front of the gate of Prince Yong's Mansion. At the age of twenty-two, he was in the prime of life, but his many years of military service made him appear more mature than his peers. His appearance was rugged and somewhat unlike the Jiangnan characters, but he was the only one who could see him.
There was a faint divine light in his eyes, and a heroic and elegant temperament. You knew that this young general was a genius with both civil and military skills. Standing half a step behind him was a young man in his twenties and seventies. He had a square scarf and a Confucian crown, and was handsome.
He is elegant and has a unique demeanor in his manners, which makes people feel like they are close to him.
The young man looked at the indifferent Lu Can, and his heart was filled with turmoil. His name was Yang Xiu, and he was originally from the Shu Kingdom. When the Shu Kingdom fell, he was still studying abroad. When Nanchu occupied the middle of Shu, he returned to his hometown.
It was very peaceful under the rule of Marquis Lu. Although the Jinxiu Alliance was raging, they did not cause any big disturbances. Yang Xiu lived a very peaceful life at home. Two and a half years ago, one of his cousins was accused of participating in the assassination of Marquis Lu.
After being convicted, Yang Xiu was also implicated and imprisoned. The person in charge of the trial was Lu Can, the only son of Marquis Lu. This young general handled things quickly and decisively, and in a reasonable manner. Yang Xiu was soon acquitted, and Lu Can saw him
His temperament and talent were outstanding, so he personally came to ask him to join the army. Yang Xiu was not a pedantic person. He had never achieved any fame in the Shu Kingdom, and it was not considered out of character to serve Nan Chu. After following Lu Can, he became more and more
I feel that this young general is outstanding. Although Lu Can is young, his battle planning and military strategy are all superhuman. When King Yong raided Nanchu, Lu Hou led his troops to return to reinforce him. King Qing of Dongchuan took the opportunity to send troops.
Pressing the border in central Shu, Lu Can led his troops to meet the enemy. The two armies clashed several times. Lu Can's hard-trained elite troops actually defeated Dayong's powerful troops, forcing King Qing to retreat, ensuring that Southern Chu would not be attacked on both sides. Although because of Jianye
After the fall, Lu Can's achievements were not made public, but the Southern Chu army had vaguely regarded Lu Can as the heir of Prince Zhao Jue of De. What impressed Yang Xiu even more was that although Lu Can came from a family of military generals, he could not write poetry or composition.
, but he has unique insights into classics and history. Whenever he talks about the victory or defeat of generals in history, he has many treasures. Even I have to admire Lu Can's broad knowledge sometimes.
A few days ago, Yang Xiu couldn't help but ask Lu Can who could teach a military general like Lu Can to be proficient in literature and history, but Lu Can remained silent. Unexpectedly, he just arrived in Dayong yesterday and handed over his credentials. Today Lu Can
He brought himself to visit Jiang Zhe, whose name he had heard for a long time. Although Yang Xiu knew Jiang Zhe, he did not take him seriously. He was just a talented man from Southern Chu who surrendered to Dayong. If it hadn't been for him a few days ago,
The news of the assassination made him wary. He had not noticed Jiang Zhe's existence yet. Only yesterday did he know that Jiang Zhe was actually Lu Can's mentor. He still remembers yesterday night, under the silver lamp,
Lu Can's face was hidden in the shadows and he said calmly: "I have been naughty since I was a child. Every day I would climb trees on the wall, play with guns and sticks, or fight with those green men on the street. My father didn't want to see me."
I was so ignorant that I invited teachers to teach me. I beat away several teachers with my fists. Mr. Jiang was the fourth teacher. I originally wanted to give him a blow, but he attacked me as soon as he came.
He said, he is just a mess. Anyway, if I beat him away, my father will hire a new one. If I am willing to compromise with him, he will make things easier for both of us.'
Speaking of this, Lu Can showed a faint smile on his face and continued: "Mr. Jiang said that as long as I stay in the study every morning and do whatever I want in the afternoon, he will not leave me too much homework, and he will also
He would help me hide it from my father. I agreed at the time, but I regretted it within a few days. Every morning, I would sit in the study room and watch Mr. Jiang read with gusto and ignore me. However, it would be too embarrassing if I regretted it.
, then I had to ask Mr. Jiang to find a way for me to kill time. Mr. Jiang said, in this case, you might as well give me a lecture. Although I feel bored, it is better than being bored alone, but I didn’t expect that Mr. Jiang is really
My talent is unparalleled. He will not let me read the Four Books and Five Classics, nor will he ask me to write poems and compositions. He said that I am a child of a noble family and do not need to take part in the imperial examination. It is useless to learn those things. He first taught me the Analects of Confucius and a book written by others.
The Analects of Confucius, which seemed boring to me, was made very interesting by him, and then he told me the history books. He did not tell me the original text, but just told me the historical facts like a story, and mixed in a lot of his own opinions and some
From then on, I listened to him telling stories every morning. Later, he saw that I preferred to fight with soldiers, so he told me about the art of war and battle examples. I don’t know how he knows so many things. He is obviously not as good as
I'm a few years older. Unfortunately, I was too playful at that time and didn't understand how valuable my husband's teachings were. It wasn't until I led the army in combat that I realized how important the things my husband taught me were. Unfortunately, I no longer had the opportunity to ask my husband for advice.
Yang Xiu, I say this to let you understand what kind of person my mentor is. Now that he has surrendered to Dayong, it is inevitable that we will meet him on the battlefield in the future. You are rich in strategy and will be his opponent in the future. I
One person is bound to fail. You have to seize the opportunity to understand him well. If you don't understand your enemy, then you will not be sure of victory.'
The more Yang Xiu thought about it, the more excited he became. He really wanted to see what kind of person this young general he respected so much and his mentor was. So the longer he waited, the more worried he became that Jiang Zhe would not meet them.
Fortunately, after some time, a young guard came over and saluted: 'General Lu, Lord Sima is meeting the general in Hanyuan. The Lord has just recovered from his serious injury and it is inconvenient to go out to greet him. He has specially sent Hu Yanshou to greet him.'
Lu Can glanced at the young guard and saw that this man had a simple appearance, but his eyes were gleaming with coldness, and his hands were wide and big, with protruding knuckles and tangled tendons. He must be a practitioner of external martial arts, but there was no trace of his actions.
Even if he is not shocked at all, it can be seen that the fire has reached the level of perfection. Looking at the murderous look all over this man's body and his tall and straight posture, he must be a warrior who has been in the army for a long time. King Yong asked such a person to be his mentor's bodyguard, which shows that he
He valued his mentor. Thinking in his mind, Lu Can smiled and said, "Please lead the way, Guard Huyan."
The two followed Hu Yanshou for a long time before arriving at a quiet and far-reaching garden. Seeing the plaque on the garden gate, Lu Can knew that he could finally see Jiang Zhe. Hu Yanshou and the four colleagues guarding the garden gate fought.
He gave a greeting and led the two of them into the Han Garden. As soon as he entered the Han Garden, Lu Can felt his heart shake. Although he didn't see it, he could vaguely sense that there were people hiding in all key positions in the garden. Although he saw
There are not many people, but just by the thick murderous aura, you can tell that the guards here are at least as good as Hu Yanshou. It seems that King Yong's respect for his mentor is unparalleled.
The two were invited into the flower hall, and the first thing they saw was Jiang Zhe sitting there and Xiao Shunzi standing behind Jiang Zhe.
Yang Xiu took a bold look and saw a thin and pale young man sitting at the table. He was wearing a light blue robe, and his hair was only tied up with a hairpin and a white silk scarf. He just sat there casually.
He stood there with a peaceful expression. If he hadn't seen him look haggard, he would never have thought that he had just struggled back from death. Yang Xiu was amazed in his heart. He thought that since Jiang Zhe had just escaped from the Nanchu assassins, he would inevitably treat Lu Can.
He was very indifferent. He didn't know that there was another person who successfully assassinated Jiang Zhe. The truth had been hidden for a long time. Even King Yong said to the outside world that Jiang Zhe was seriously injured by the Nanchu assassin. After all, no one wanted to expose Dayong's internal affairs.
The dispute was exposed to the outside world. Therefore, although Jiang Zhe was discouraged and disappointed with Nan Chu, he did not hate him very much.
I glanced at Lu Can. He looked calmer than the last time we met. He must have matured a lot after being on his own. I stood up and said with a smile: 'Little Marquis, I haven't seen you for a long time, you are getting more and more majestic.'
Lu Can was stunned as soon as he saw me. He woke up when he heard me speak. He quickly stepped forward and bowed down and said: "Disciple pays homage to my mentor." His tone was choked with sobs. I knew he was sad to see me describe it like this.
Even when I look at myself in the bronze mirror, I feel a little out of shape. There is nothing I can do about it. I am lucky to be able to save my life. How dare I ask for more? Anyway, I can recover in a year and a half at most.
I raised my hand and said: "Little Marquis, get up quickly. No, you are now the general of Nanchu. I should call you General Lu. Zhe has only been a general's teacher for a few days. How dare he be called master and apprentice?"
.'
Lu Can's mood had calmed down and he said calmly: "The disciple was naughty and didn't know the importance of the teacher's teachings. Now he regrets it too much. Please don't shirk the teacher. The disciple will not ask the teacher to do extraordinary things based on his status as master and disciple."
thing.'
I smiled slightly and said: "You are still so straightforward, that's all. I don't want to argue with you. Get up. I haven't eaten yet. Please accompany me for a while. Who is this?" I looked at Yang Xiu.
Lu Can stood up and said: 'This is Yang Xiu, who is joining the army under my disciple.'
Yang Xiu stepped forward and saluted: "I have heard for a long time that Mr. Jiang is famous far and wide, so I would like to pay my respects to you."
I wanted to step forward to help, but I only felt a pain in my heart, so I could only frown and said: 'Please forgive me for the inconvenience and return the courtesy. Yang Canjun, please also take a seat.'
Yang Xiu saw cold sweat on Jiang Zhe's forehead, and quickly said: 'Your Majesty is inconvenienced, so there is no need to be polite.'
The three of us sat down, and Xiao Shunzi personally brought three bowls of porridge. I smiled and said: 'These porridges are carefully made with medicinal ingredients, and nourishing medicines are added to them. You two might as well try them.'
Lu Can stood up and took the bowl handed over by Xiao Shunzi. He knew that Li Shun killed the poisonous hand Xiexin at the Yangtze River ferry a few days ago. The poisonous hand Xiexin was one of the top masters in Nanchu before he took refuge with Prince De incognito. This time
He even "successfully" assassinated Li Shun in Prince Yong's Mansion, fought thousands of miles away, escaped from Dayong, and his reputation skyrocketed. Unexpectedly, he was killed by this young man on the bank of the Yangtze River on a moonlit night. Overnight, Li Shun's name spread throughout the world, so Lu Shun became famous all over the world.
Chan didn't dare to neglect.
Lin Xiu also stood up and took the bowl of porridge. He couldn't help but glance at Jiang Zhe. What was so strange about this thin young man that he allowed such a master to be willing to be a slave and do the things of a servant?
Seeing how restrained they were, I couldn't help but smile and said: 'I heard that you are the envoy of Nanchu this time, Lu Can. You must have made a comprehensive plan. I wonder how I can help?'
Lu Can looked a little startled, but soon returned to normal, and said respectfully: "Although Nanchu was defeated, a new king has been established, and everyone is united, with troops and horses ready. Therefore, although he will surrender and seek peace this time, he hopes that Dayong will
Don't ask for excessive amounts of gold and silk, and hope to redeem the Supreme King and all the civil and military officials. This is only possible with the approval of the Yong Army. His Royal Highness King Yong is the most important figure among them, so I have to know.
Your Highness means,'
I said calmly: "The peace talks will be presided over by the ministers of the court. Who dares to guess the thoughts of His Highness King Yong? Besides, His Majesty has no intention of embarrassing Nan Chu. You are overly worried. I don't pay much attention to these things."
You've come to the wrong place.'
Lu Can knew that Jiang Zhe's words were just an excuse, and was about to continue persuading him when a cheerful voice came from outside the door and said: "Why are you looking for the wrong way? If General Lu hadn't come to see you first, I would never have let you go."
Nanchu is relaxed and at ease.'
With that said, Li Zhi came in with Gou Lian. Lu Can and Yang Xiu both stood up and saluted. Li Zhi smiled and said: "General Lu, I once had a relationship with your father, Duke Lu. I have long heard that Duke Lu has a tiger under his knees."
, When I saw him today, his reputation was indeed well-deserved. My third brother wrote a letter saying that General Lu used his troops like a god, and he admired him very much.'
Lu Can said calmly: 'The young general is just a fake father, Yu Wei. His Highness King Yong is the most powerful soldier in the world. How can the light of a firefly dare to compete with the bright moon?'
Li Zhi sat down and said calmly: "I, the king, know that it is imperative for the two countries to reconcile. However, your country has claimed to be emperor without regard to the status of its vassals. I, the Great Yong, raised troops to attack because of the great righteousness. Although your country suffered losses,
It's a heavy loss, but the land should be ceded and compensation should be paid. As for the ransom of the captives, I have no objection, but how much ransom does your country want to pay?'
Lu Can said calmly: "Although Southern Chu has its faults, it is also true that your distinguished guest, King Qi, first invaded the country. Your Highness captured Jianye, kidnapped our kings and ministers, and even took away countless gold and silk. Now our country is united. If your country returns,
If you want to bully us, even though our country is small and weak, we must resist to the end. Although Dayong of Southern Chu is a monarch and a minister, he is also an in-law, and your country has long had the intention of occupying it. Now, although we kneel down and seek peace, we cannot allow your country to take whatever you want. Our country
The new monarch has ascended the throne, and the former monarch is a commoner. If your country wants to stay, please do so. The former monarch and Princess Changle of your country are husband and wife, and it is natural for the son-in-law to live dependent on his father-in-law.'
Li Zhi's eyes lit up and he said with a smile: "Well said, you are indeed a young hero. There are so many wizards in Southern Chu. I admire you." Then he said meaningfully: "Things can be discussed. Although I cannot make the decision,