Master Kong Zhongni

Chapter 191 Tongqi or Tongjin? (4K2)

The rooster crows three times in the morning.

Jae Yu woke up from his sleep and opened his eyes, only to see bloodshot eyes.

To live or to perish, that is the question.

- Shakespeare.

Tongqi or Tongjin, this is also a question.

—— Zai Yu.

In the library last night, Zai Yu sorted out the causes and consequences of the Qi-Jin struggle for hegemony from beginning to end, and carefully weighed the feasibility of being a fence-sitter based on the current situation in Lu State.

Now, Zheng, Wei and other countries have fully turned to Qi.

Song Guo also harbored resentment towards Jin Guo because of the Le Qi incident.

The general situation of the world can only change in an instant, and Zaiyu feels that the day when Lu Guo will be hit by an iron fist is not far away.

And according to the information he got from the business traveler of Qi State yesterday, the time for Qi State to use force will not exceed autumn at the latest.

The reason why Zaiyu dared to make this judgment was because the business traveler told him that the Qi State suddenly announced in February this year that it would increase the customs tax rate to [-]%.

As we all know, the customs and city tax of Qi State has been used as a war tax since Duke Huan of Qi.

And [-] percent is also the top tax rate that Duke Huan set for future generations.

Qihou suddenly raised the customs and city tax by a large amount. What he wants to do, the meaning is self-evident.

And the business travelers under Tu Qiuyi also suggested to Zaiyu that it is best to cut off business contacts with Qi during this period, because they have no way to ensure the safety of the Luqi trade route.

Some people even said that even if the trade route is safe, they should not go to Qi to do business.

Because every knife and coin earned by the Qi State from the customs and market tax will be turned into an arrow and shot at our great Lu State.

Of course, Zai Yu would not pay attention to such remarks.

Because the conflict between Qi and Lu is not a life-and-death enmity, Qihou's strategy against Lu is also to win over and intimidate.

This can be seen from the order of Qihou at the beginning of the year to return the old land of the State of Lu.

After all, Marquis Qi just wanted to get the support of Lu State in the struggle for hegemony between Qi and Jin, but it was obvious that Yang Hu didn't accept Marquis Qi's affection.

The territory returned by the Qi State was accepted by Yang Hu.

But it is impossible for him to let go and support Qi.

Qi Hou's hot face was put on his cold butt, so he was naturally furious, which is why he raised the business tax in February and prepared to use troops against Lu.

And once Qi State sends troops to Lu State, whether Jin State will send troops to assist it is also a difficult problem.

There is a lot of turmoil in Jin State right now because of Le Qi's matter.

Fan's and Zhao's pointed needles confronted Maimang, neither of them would bow their heads first.

Before the two of them reached a settlement, none of Liuqing's troops dared to move around, for fear of being tripped by the other side.

The doctors of the state of Jin were busy rescuing the royal family of Zhou. They were fighting with Shanzi and Liu Zi's troops in Chengzhou to fight against Dan Pian's party members, the remnant party of Wang Zichao, and the people of Zheng.

Judging from the current situation of the confrontation between the two sides, it is estimated that the problem will not be solved for a while.

In this case, if the Jin people said that they would come to rescue Lu, Zaiyu would just think that these grandsons were joking.

But if he directly abandons Jin State, even though Qi State doesn't need to suffer this beating.

But when Liuqing finished handling the housework, he had to settle accounts after Qiuhou if he was not sure, and was severely tortured by the state of Jin.

Although Zaiyu could rely on his relationship with the Zhao family, Tian family, and even with the Marquis of Qi, Tu Qiu could be saved from this disaster.

But no matter what, he is also from Lu, and he is also a doctor of Lu.

After receiving the state's salary, when it is time to contribute your talents, you should naturally contribute your talents.

He can't just watch the people of Lu country fall into the fire of swords and soldiers, can he?

After thinking about it, Zaiyu decided to learn from the old style of Zheng Guo, an old walled man, and swayed at both ends!

Now that it has been decided to communicate with foreign countries, what is the difference between connecting one and connecting two?
Zaiyu turned over and got up, walked to a few desks and sat down, picked up the Langhao pen and finished it with a swipe.

……

State of Jin, Xinjiang, the lower palace of the Zhao family.

In front of Zhao Yang was the secret letter from Tuqiu. After reading it, he frowned as if thinking deeply.

Just as he was thinking, a person suddenly walked in quickly outside the main hall, it was Dong Anyu, the head of the Zhao family.

Seeing Zhao Yang's expression, Dong Anyu asked without waiting for him to speak.

"I just saw that little gentleman Wuji came back, did something happen to the country of Lu?"

Zhao Yang sighed, got up and said, "Zaizi sent me a letter saying that the people of Qi were going to attack Lu. He was worried that it would be unsafe for Wuji to stay in Lu, so he sent someone to send him back."

"Is the country of Lu safe?"

Zhao Yang's words were very concise, but Dong Anyu could hear the undertones in Zhao Yang's words.

"What do you mean to say, Zaizi thinks that Lu State cannot resist Qi State's army, and Jin State will not send troops to help. Therefore, Lu State may break its oath with our country and turn to the camp of Qi people?"

Zhao Yang neither said yes nor no, but nodded slightly.

Fan Yang, the ruling minister of the Jin Kingdom, is now in his eighties, but despite his age, his desire for power is still the same as before.

In other words, it was precisely because he felt that his time was approaching that Fan Yang would do everything he could to maximize the benefits for Fan in the last days of his life.

Le Qi and Zhao Yang drank in private, which was not a big fault at all.

However, in order to suppress the powerful Zhao family, Fan Yang did not hesitate to sacrifice Jin's reputation among the princes, and he did not hesitate to lose such a powerful ally as Song, but also imprisoned Le Qi in Jin.

And use this to emphasize that he is the ruling minister of Jin, and that his power as the ruling minister is unlimited.

It is reasonable to send troops to help the State of Lu resist the State of Qi, although it is reasonable from the perspective of morality and maintaining the majesty of the State of Jin.

But this approach is of no benefit to Fan.

The only thought in Fan Yang's head right now is to grab as much profit as possible for the Fan family and pave the way for Fan's next successor, and he doesn't care about other things at all.

When the Lu State Mission visited last time, Fan Yang didn't even make a verbal promise to Yang Hu. Can he still be expected to help the Lu State with real swords and spears?
This is obviously unrealistic.

Dong Anyu saw it, pondered for a while and said: "My humble opinion, if Qi really sends troops to attack Lu, you should try your best to ask the king to send troops to help Lu.

Now because of Le Qi's incident, the state of Song has been in harmony with our country.If Song State was not worried about Le Qi's safety, he might have betrayed Jin State early in the morning and turned to Qi State.

Now Song State no longer intends to obey the command of Jin State. If our country loses an ally like Lu State again, there will be no country in the world that supports Jin State.

What's more, now that Fan Yang is perverse and greedy, the princes of the world have long hated him.

If you can persuade the monarch to send troops to rescue Lu, then the Lu people will be grateful to you, and your reputation in the country and among the princes of the world will also be improved.

If Fan Yang really dares to obstruct your rescue of the allies, then it is tantamount to giving you the state of Lu with his own hands! "

Zhao Yang replied with a wry smile: "Why don't I know such a truth?

However, I have worked so hard to persuade the monarch to release Le Qi, so how easy is it to persuade him to rescue Lu?
Well, that's all, anyway, this old jackal Fan Yang won't live for a few more years, so let's bear with him for now.

There is no need to persuade Le Bo about the matter. Since Fan Yang wants to detain Le Bo, let him go. "

Dong Anyu suddenly felt a little confused when he heard this.

In his impression, Zhao Yang is not a person who backs down easily!

Why did he become so abnormal today?
Dong Anyu felt that something was wrong, but he didn't have time to think about it, so he just bowed to Zhao Yang and bid farewell.

After Zhao Yang saw that Dong Anyu had left, he slowly opened the letter and read the words on it slowly.

"Heaven wants it to die, it will make it crazy. Benefits will make it stupid and short-sighted. The villain's tricks will not last long. Harming others and oneself will cause disaster everywhere.

This passage is very apt to describe Fan Yang. "

After reading, Zhao Yang put down the letter in his hand, rubbed his temples slightly, and muttered.

"Oh! Zai Zi! Zai Zi! You clearly know that you can threaten me as a hostage by keeping Wu Shih in Tuqiu, but you still choose to let him back.

You speak to me with such benevolence and integrity, how dare I not believe what you say? "

He stood up leisurely, his deep eyes seemed to gaze at the east through time and space.

"Now Zheng Guo has rebelled. If Le Bo's matter cannot be properly resolved, Song State will rebel. And if Zai Zi's news is correct, Wei State will rebel. If Lu State rebels..."

Zhao Yang sneered and said, "In one year, we lost four important allies with a national power of a thousand times.

Fan Yang, old jackal, I'd like to see what you, Fan, are going to use to explain to the monarch, the ministers, and the doctor by then! "

……

Qi State, Linzi, Gonggong.

At the meeting, Qi Hou straightened his back and looked solemn.

Today's him does not look like he was indulging in wine and sex in the past at all, but looks like a qualified sage monarch.

The doctors of Qi State gathered together, and everyone present did not say a word, preparing to wait for the Marquis of Qi to issue orders.

They have already understood Qihou Falu's firm will, and know that this matter cannot be changed.

Standing in the hall, the short Yan Zi sighed slightly, some things he could persuade Qi Hou, but some things he couldn't persuade no matter what.

This includes Qi Hou's ideal of reviving Duke Huan's hegemony.

Qi Hou glanced down the hall, and asked loudly: "The widow is under the order of the Grand Duke, thanks to the help of all the senior officials, since he succeeded to the throne, he has always followed the policy of Duke Huan to be kind to others and be friendly to the Xia.

In order to resolve the conflict with the State of Lu, the widow returned Yangguan and other places to the State of Lu.

However, instead of seeking repayment, Lu Zhixiao formed an alliance with the Jin people and repeatedly attacked our ally Zheng Guo.

Doctors, what do you think should be done? "

When Tian Heng heard this, he suddenly found his father Tian Qi winking at him.

He squeezed the envelope hidden in his sleeve, recalled what he saw yesterday, walked to the hall, and worshiped respectfully.

"My servant, Tian Heng, please play."

Qihou glanced at him and said, "Speak!"

Tian Hengdao: "My subordinates only heard that wars are used to fight against injustice and promote justice.

It has never been heard that the war is to express bad breath for the allies and seek benefits from other countries.

Soldiers are the most vicious things in the world.Do not punish unrighteousness, do not move lightly.

How can you sacrifice the lives of soldiers to satisfy your own temporary likes and dislikes? "

As soon as Tian Heng said this, the atmosphere in the courtroom instantly dropped to freezing point. Everyone looked at Tian Heng in surprise, wondering why he would suddenly throw out such an argument.

In the state of Qi, the Tian family seldom opposed Qihou's opinions, and most of the time he absolutely supported his decisions.

Why did Tian Heng suddenly go out of his way today and take the lead in singing against Qi Hou?
More importantly, if Tian Heng opposed the war, wouldn't he be in the same pit as Yan Zi?

Tian and Yanzi fighting side by side?
The doctors of Qi State suddenly suspected that today's sun came out from the west.

Qihou frowned and said, "Do you disagree with my decision to use troops against the Lu State? Do you want me to abandon the matter of attack?"

Tian Heng just smiled when he heard the words: "Of course not. The history of war is quite long, so how can the attack be abandoned as soon as it is said?
Even the ancient sage kings only advocated just wars, but never abolished wars.

Huangdi and Yandi have fought with water and fire, the Gonggong family has launched a reckless attack, and the five emperors have fought with each other. This is a clear proof!

If someone proposes to ban attack, it is to abandon virtue and punish justice.

It is to hinder the careers of Shang Tang and King Wu, and to encourage the crimes of Xia Jie and Shang Zhou! "

Having said this, Qi Hou's complexion finally improved, but Yan Zi who was beside him narrowed his eyes slightly.

Tian Heng didn't take the changes in their expressions to heart, but continued to speak.

"It's just that the attack must be used to attack the innocent and punish the unrighteous.

Attacking injustice and attacking injustice, it can be said that there is no greater benefit for oneself, and no greater benefit for the people.

If war is indeed in line with justice, it is used to kill tyrants and save suffering people.

Then the people's joy for it is like a filial son seeing a loving parent, like a hungry man seeing delicious food.

The people shouted and ran towards it, like a crossbow shooting into a deep valley, or like a flood that had accumulated to break down a dam.

Now, Yang Hu, the accomplice of the State of Lu, imprisoned his master and usurped the power of the Ji family, thereby controlling the monarch, blackmailing the ministers, arrogating his status, surpassing the rules of etiquette, and taking charge of the political power of the State of Lu.

The people of Lu State complained about him, and the people's talk about him changed color.

In the whole world, there is nothing more unrighteous than accompanying ministers to carry out the state's orders.

In the world, there is no more cruel speech than "being rich is not benevolent".

Now, the people of Lu State have been suppressed for a long time under Yang Hu's rule.

If you can raise up rebels, help the state of Lu put down the chaos, cut off Yanghu for them, and return the power to Lord Lu.

Then presumably the people of Lu State will follow you like flowing water, and the people of Lu State will also remember your kindness.

In this way, your hegemony will be able to achieve.

In the past, Duke Huan asked Guan Zhong how to achieve supremacy.

Guan Yiwu said: If you want to establish hegemony among the vassal states, you must first get close to the neighboring states.

Duke Huan asked again: "How do you get close?"
Guan Yiwu replied: To review the borders of our country, return the land taken from neighboring countries, and recognize the legitimacy of the borders of neighboring countries, do not take advantage of neighboring countries.We should also give gifts to neighboring countries and send envoys to make goodwill visits to neighboring countries to make them feel stable, so that neighboring countries will get close to us.

Now that you have done all this, but the State of Lu is still not close to you, is it Guan Yiwu's fault?

All of this was caused by Yang Hu, a villain.

It can be seen from this that whether one wants to achieve hegemony or wage a just war, one must eradicate this villain, Yang Hu.

That being the case, why don't you change your banner, and in the name of righteousness, denounce Yang Hu of Lu State, so as to win the love of the people in the world? "

　In the whole world, there is nothing crueler than the author not getting a monthly pass.

　　Within the four seas, there is no more cruel behavior than prostitution.

　　That being the case, why don't readers open the ticket box and cast monthly tickets in exchange for the author's love and affection?
　　——Excerpt from "Zaiyu's Diary"

　　
　
(End of this chapter)