The Grandmaster Strategist - Chapter 51

[Chapter 22 The Envoy of Southern Chu]

In the April of the first year of Tongtai in Southern Chu, the lord Long sent the envoy Dayong, paid tribute and declared himself a minister, turned around to seek peace, and asked for redemption with a lot of money.

— “The History of Chu in the Southern Dynasties: The Biography of King Yang of Chu”

I slept soundly in the middle of the night, but was suddenly woken up by someone. When I opened my eyes angrily, I saw Xiao Shunzi happily holding a basket of hot sweet-scented osmanthus cakes as a gift. I was surprised and asked him where he got it. , after all, this is the specialty of the most famous bakery in Southern Chu, ‘Guixiangfang’.

I took a bite and took a bite. It was sweet and soft, and melted in my mouth. I asked contentedly: ‘Where did you buy it?

Will visit often in the future.

‘

Xiao Shunzi’s complexion changed, with a bleak expression on his face, I asked strangely: ‘What’s wrong?

‘

Xiao Shunzi hesitated for a long time before telling the truth. It turned out that he thought about it for a long time, and finally decided to find a delicious food from Dayong. Who knew that as soon as he went out, he heard that the envoy of Nan Chu had arrived in Chang’an, and he went to the post house overnight to check. Originally wanted to see if there was anything against me, but who knew that the mission brought two masters from Guixiangfang over, and happened to make two baskets of the most famous sweet-scented osmanthus cakes, ready to be sent to the state lord Zhao Jia and Princess Changle who were under house arrest. , Maybe they wanted to please Princess Changle in order to negotiate and succeed, but they were cheap for Xiao Shunzi. He used the trick of stealing a basket of sweet-scented osmanthus cakes that had just been made.

I almost fainted. I wonder if the Southern Chu embassy who lost the sweet-scented osmanthus cake would report to the official. After thinking about it, I should eliminate the evidence as soon as possible. It was getting brighter, and Xiao Shunzi slipped away.

I was just about to sleep a little longer when Xiao Shunzi came to report again: ‘Young Master, Nan Chu is sending Lu Can to see him.

‘

In my heart, why did this former student of mine come to see me? Shouldn’t he be dismissive of me, after all, I’m already a rebel of Nan Chu.

I asked Xiao Shunzi suspiciously for advice, but Xiao Shunzi said, laughing and crying: ‘Young Master, now you are a close friend of His Royal Highness King Yong, and this matter of peace, His Highness can at least be the master of four points. If you want to start from His Highness, you will It is not the best candidate. Although they are all defeated and seeking peace, it is also beneficial to Nan Chu to gain an extra point.

‘

I sat up, took the coat that Xiao Shunzi handed over, and thought about how to solve the problem while putting on the clothes. Originally, I thought ‘seeing each other as if not seeing each other’, so I wasn’t going to meet Lu Can, but if he wanted to talk and make peace with him It would be a bit too much if I didn’t give him a chance. In any case, I used to be a servant of Southern Chu, but now I am a subordinate of King Yong. If I politely declined, then outsiders would think that His Royal Highness King Yong was unintentional. Peace Conference, this matter can be big or small, so I can’t handle it at will.

After walking a few steps, I felt that I was in good health today and there should be no problem with meeting guests, so I said: ‘General Lu, please come to the flower hall to meet me, it’s still early, ask someone to bring breakfast to the flower hall, prepare more, just say I invite General Lu’s meal.

Your Highness should already know, you send someone to ask your Highness’s intention, whether you want to receive the envoy of Nanchu, I don’t know much about the negotiation, Gou Lian should understand it better, if it is inconvenient for Your Highness to come, please ask Brother Gou to come. To accompany, it is also good to explore the bottom line of Nan Chu.

Xiao Shunzi, did Lu Can come alone?

‘

Xiao Shunzi replied: ‘Young master, General Lu brought a young man with a handsome appearance, and he should be a man of extraordinary intelligence.

‘

I smiled slightly and said: ‘Alright, Lu Can is young after all, if he came alone, I suspect that he just came to see me privately, and if someone is with me, then it’s business. Okay, go and invite them in Bar.

‘

Lu Can stood quietly in front of Prince Yong’s Mansion. At the age of twenty-two, he was full of vigor, but many years of military service made him look more mature than his peers. The divine light in his eyes is faint, and his temperament is heroic and elegant, and he knows that this young general is a genius with both civil and military skills.

Standing half a step behind him was a twenty-six or seven-year-old young man with a square scarf and a Confucian crown.

The young man looked at Lu Can with an indifferent expression,

The heart is turbulent.

His name is Yang Xiu. He was originally from the Kingdom of Shu. When the Kingdom of Shu was destroyed, he was still studying abroad. When Southern Chu occupied Shuzhong, he returned to his hometown. Shuzhong was very peaceful under the rule of Luhou. Although the Splendid Alliance was raging, But they didn’t make any big waves. Yang Xiu lived very peacefully at home. Two and a half years ago, one of his cousins was convicted for participating in the assassination of Lu Hou, and Yang Xiu was also implicated in jail. It was Lu Hou’s only son, Lu Can. This young general handled things brightly, decisively, and rationally. Yang Xiu was soon acquitted, and when Lu Can saw that he was so talented, he personally invited him to the door. Be your own enlistment.

Yang Xiu is not a pedantic person. He has never made a name for himself in Shu Kingdom, and it is not a disobedience to serve in Southern Chu. After following Lu Can, he has become more and more aware of this young general’s extraordinary qualities. The planning of the formation and the tactics of war are all superhuman. When King Yong raided Southern Chu, Luhou led troops to return to the rescue, King Qing of Dongchuan took the opportunity to suppress the border in the middle of Shu, Lu Can led his troops to meet the enemy, and the two armies confronted several times. Lu Can’s hard-trained elite soldiers actually defeated Dayong’s heroic soldiers, forcing King Qing to retreat, ensuring that Southern Chu would not be attacked on both sides.

Although Lu Can’s exploits were not made public because of Jianye’s fall, the Southern Chu army has vaguely regarded Lu Can as the heir of Prince Zhao Jue of Germany.

What impressed Yang Xiu even more was that although Lu Can came from a family of military generals and did not know how to write poetry and composition, he had unique insights into classics and history. I have to admire Lu Can’s extensive knowledge.

A few days ago, Yang Xiu couldn’t help asking Lu Can who could teach the children of military generals like Lu Can to be proficient in literature and history. Bring yourself to visit Jiang Zhe, who has heard his name for a long time.

Although Yang Xiu knew about Jiang Zhe, he didn’t take him seriously. He was just a genius of Southern Chu who had surrendered to Dayong. If it wasn’t for the high-profile assassination a few days ago that made him pay attention, he wouldn’t have thought about it. Will notice the existence of Jiang Zhe.

Only yesterday did he know that Jiang Zhe was actually Lu Can’s mentor.

He still remembers last night, under the silver light, Lu Can’s face was hidden in the shadows, and he said lightly: ‘I was naughty since I was a child. Those green skins were fighting on the street. My father didn’t want to see me being so ignorant, so he invited Xi Xi to teach me. I used my fist to beat several Xi Xi. Mr. Jiang was the fourth Xi Xi. I originally thought Give him a slap in the face, but as soon as he came, he told me that he was just a mess. Anyway, if I beat him away, my father would have to invite a new one. If I was willing to compromise with him, he would let him. Both of us are doing better.

‘

Having said this, Lu Can showed a faint smile on his face, and then said: ‘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 Will help me lie to my father.

I agreed at the time, but I regretted it within a few days. Every morning I was bored in the study, watching Mr. Jiang read with relish and ignoring me, but it would be a shame to go back on it, so I had to ask Mr. Jiang Find a way to pass the time.

Mr. Jiang said, in this case, why don’t you teach me about books. Although I feel bored, it’s better than being bored alone, but I didn’t expect that Mr. Jiang is really talented. He would ask me to write poems and essays. He said that I was a child of an aristocratic family, and I didn’t have to participate in the imperial examinations. It was useless to learn those things. He first taught me the Analects of Confucius, a book that others said was boring. He told me the history books, but he didn’t tell me the original text, he just told me the historical facts like a story, mixed with a lot of his own opinions and some wild history things. Since then, I have been listening to it every morning. He told stories, and later he saw that I prefer to fight with soldiers, and he taught me the art of war and battle examples. I don’t know how he knew so many things. How precious is the teacher’s teaching. It was not until I led the army that I realized how important what the teacher taught me was. Unfortunately, I no longer had the opportunity to ask him for advice.

Yang Xiu, I said this because I want you to understand what kind of person my mentor is. Now that he has surrendered to Dayong, it is inevitable that we will meet in battle in the future. You are full of strategies and will be his opponent in the future. I am alone. Of course not, you have to seize the opportunity to get to know him well, if you don’t understand your own enemy, then there is no certainty of victory.

‘

The more Yang Xiu thought about it, the more emotional he became. He really wanted to see what kind of a teacher he respected and respected like the young general he respected very much.

So the longer he waited, the more worried he became that Jiang Zhe would not meet them.

Fortunately, after a period of time, a young guard came over and saluted: ‘General Lu, Lord Sima received the general in Hanyuan, the Lord is recovering from serious injuries, and it is inconvenient to go out to greet him, so Huyanshou was dispatched to meet him.

‘

Lu Can glanced at the young guard and saw that this man had a simple appearance, but his eyes were cold, his palms were wide and large, his knuckles were protruding, and his tendons were tangled. It’s not surprising, it can be seen that the fire has reached the point of perfection. Looking at this person’s body and body, he is full of murderous aura, and his body is tall and straight. This must be a warrior who has been in the army for a long time. King Yong asked such a person to be the bodyguard of his mentor, it can be seen that he Respect for the teacher.

Thinking in his heart, Lu Can smiled and said: ‘Please Huyan guards lead the way.

‘

The two followed Huyanshou 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.

Huyanshou greeted the four colleagues who were guarding in front of the garden gate and led them into the cold garden.

As soon as he walked into the cold garden, Lu Can felt a big shock in his heart. Although he didn’t see it, he could vaguely perceive that there were people hiding in all key positions in the garden. Murderous, you know that the guards here are at least on the same level as Huyanshou.

It seems that King Yong’s respect for his teacher 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 looked boldly and saw a thin and pale young man sitting at the table. He was wearing a light blue robe, and his hair was tied with only a hairpin and a snow-white silk scarf.

He just sat idle like that, with a peaceful expression. If he hadn’t seen him described as haggard, he would never have thought that he had just come back from the death line.

Yang Xiu was in awe. He thought that since Jiang Zhe escaped from the Nanchu assassin just now, he would inevitably be very indifferent to Lu Can. He did not know that someone else had succeeded in assassinating Jiang Zhe. The truth had already been hidden, that is, King Yong. It is also said to the outside world that Jiang Zhe was seriously injured by the assassination of the Southern Chu assassin. After all, no one wants to expose Dayong’s internal disputes to the outside world.

Therefore, Jiang Zhe did not feel discouraged and disappointed with Nan Chu, but he did not hate him very much.

I glanced at Lu Can. He seemed more calm 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 have become more and more magnificent.

‘

Lu Can was stunned when he saw me, and only woke up when he heard my words, and quickly stepped forward and bowed: ‘The disciple pays respects to the teacher.

‘ His tone was choked. I know he was sad when he saw me describe it like this. Even when I looked at myself in the bronze mirror, I felt a little out of shape. This is also a helpless thing. I am lucky to be able to save my life. How dare I ask for it, anyway, I can recover my health in a year or a half at most.

I raised my hand and said: ‘Little Marquis, get up quickly, no, you are now the general of Southern Chu, I should call you General Lu, but Zhe has been a general for a few days on the west seat, how dare you be called a master and a disciple .

‘

Lu Can’s mood has calmed down, and he said lightly: ‘The disciple was stubborn and didn’t know the importance of the teacher’s teaching. Now it’s too late to regret it. I also ask the teacher to not shirk the blame. thing.

‘

I smiled bitterly and said: ‘You’re still so straightforward, that’s all, I don’t want to argue with you, get up, I haven’t eaten yet, please accompany me, this is?

‘I looked at Yang Xiu.

Lu Can stood up and said: ‘This is Yang Xiu, who joined the army under the disciple’s command.

‘

Yang Xiu stepped forward and saluted: ‘I have heard for a long time that Mr. Jiang is well-known, and I will meet you with a lower official.

‘

I wanted to step forward to help, but I felt a pain in my heart, so I could only frown and say: ‘Please forgive me for the inconvenience of returning the courtesy.

Yang Canjun is also invited to be seated.

‘

Yang Xiu saw that Jiang Zhe had a cold sweat on his forehead, and quickly said: ‘Your body is inconvenient, you don’t need to be polite.

‘

The three of us sat down, and Xiao Shunzi brought three bowls of porridge in person. I smiled and said, ‘These porridges are carefully made medicinal meals with nourishing medicines added. You two may try it.

‘

Lu Can stood up and took the bowl that Xiao Shunzi handed over. He knew that Li Shun killed the poisonous hand Xiexin at the Yangtze River Ferry a few days ago. The poisonous hand Xiexin was a master in Southern Chu before he took refuge in Prince De and went incognito. He was even more successful in assassinating Prince Yong’s mansion, and he fought for thousands of miles, escaped from Dayong, and his reputation soared. Unexpectedly, he was killed by this young man on the bank of the Yangtze River in the moonlit night. Overnight, Li Shun’s name spread all over the world, so Lu Lu Can dare not neglect.

Lin Xiu also stood up to take the porridge bowl. He couldn’t help but glance at Jiang Zhe. What was so peculiar about this thin young man that he actually made such masters willing to be slaves and do the things of servants?

When I saw them being so restrained, I couldn’t help but smile and said: ‘I heard that Lu Can, you are the official envoy of Nan Chu, I must have made a comprehensive plan. I don’t know how I can help you?

‘

Lu Can looked a little embarrassed, but soon returned to normal, respectfully said: ‘Although Nan Chu was defeated, the new monarch has now established, the top and bottom are united, and the troops and horses are ready, so this time, although he is a minister to seek peace, I hope Dayong Don’t ask too much for gold and silk, and hope to redeem the emperor of Taishang and the civil and military officials. It is only possible that this matter is false with the approval of the military of Dayong. His Royal Highness is the most important person among them, so the disciple knows that Your Highness means,’

I said lightly: ‘The matter of peace is presided over by the ministers in the court and the middle, and who would dare to speculate on the intention of His Royal Highness King Yong? Besides, His Majesty has no intention of embarrassing Nan Chu, you are overthinking it, and I don’t care about these matters. You have found the wrong way.

‘

Lu Can knew that what Jiang Zhe said was just an excuse, and was about to continue to persuade, when a hearty voice came from outside the door: ‘How do you find the wrong way, UU reading www.sonicmtl.

com If General Lu hadn’t come to see you first, this king would never have made Nan Chu feel at ease.

‘

With that, Li Zhi walked in with Gou Lian.

Both Lu Can and Yang Xiu stood up to give their salutes.

Li Zhi smiled and said: ‘General Lu, this king once had a relationship with Duke Lu, and I had heard that Duke Lu had a tiger under his knees. When I saw it today, it really lived up to its reputation. My third brother wrote a letter saying that General Lu used his troops like a god. He was very impressed.

‘

Lu Can said calmly: ‘The young general is just a fake father Yu Wei, His Royal Highness King Yong is the world’s soldier, how dare Yinghuoguang compete with Haoyue for glory.

‘

Li Zhi sat down and said calmly: ‘The two countries are repaired, and this king also knows that it is imperative, but your country proclaimed the emperor without authorization, regardless of the status of the vassals, my great Yongxing troops to crusade, is the righteousness, although your country loses It is heavy, but the land should be ceded and the compensation should be paid. As for the redemption of the captives, this king has no opinion, but how much ransom does your country want to pay?

‘

Lu Can Zhengrong said: ‘Although Nan Chu also has its own faults, it is also a fact that the distinguished guest King Qi first invaded the territory. His Highness captured Jianye, kidnapped our country’s monarchs and ministers, and even took away countless gold and silk. If we want to bully, even though our country is small and weak, we must resist to the end. Although Dayong of Nanchu is a monarch and a relative by marriage, your country has long wanted to invade and occupy. The new monarch has ascended the throne, and the former lord is already a commoner. If your country wants to stay, please do so. The former lord and your princess Changle are husband and wife, and it is natural for the son-in-law to live by his father-in-law.

‘

Li Zhi’s eyes lit up, and he smiled and said: ‘Well said, it really is a young Yingjie, and there are so many geniuses in Nanchu.

The king admires it.

‘Then said meaningfully: ‘The matter is also negotiable. Although this king cannot make the decision, he will not embarrass General Lu.

‘

[End of this Chapter]