Plan to cut off the nine states

When Xu Chu asked about the cause of old Chanyu's death, the eldest wife's expression changed slightly and immediately returned to normal. She even smiled and said to Zhou Yuanbin: "So this is Mr. Xu's 'clever plan'. If it fails to drive a wedge between the Shen family and the He Rong family, he Instead, it’s time to drive a wedge between the Shanyu and the kings. Second brother, be careful what you say in the future. This man can turn a piece of grass into a towering tree.”

Zhou Yuanbin glanced at Xu Chu angrily, then smiled bitterly at his cousin and said, "It's my fault. I just said that Qimei chose the strong-armed Chanyu herself. Mr. Xu actually 'calculated' such a conspiracy. Fortunately, I didn't mention it." My birth date, otherwise Mr. Xu will think that I am a 'bastard'."

Xu Chu smiled and said: "I am not a fortune teller. I can't deduce anything based on the birth date. As for the old Chanyu, I grabbed more than just a straw." Xu Chu raised his hand to make a holding gesture, "But many Grass, and maybe a sapling among them.”

The eldest wife turned back and continued to watch the children shooting arrows on the field, "Second brother, please take him back. I'm tired of it. I advise you to stop meddling in other people's business. If you don't get thanks, you will get resentful."

"I regret it now." Zhou Yuanbin was particularly unhappy. He stood up and led the way. After a few steps, he found that Xu Chu had not followed. He turned around and said, "Master Xu, don't stay here. No one wants to listen to the tree." Grass or something.”

Xu Chu stood up and said to the eldest wife's back: "Please think carefully, Zhonggong. I have no intention of participating in anything. I just want to take the princess away. As Zhonggong said, I will take her away in a dignified manner."

Xu Cugong took action and left with Zhou Yuanbin. The eldest wife laughed at the audience and never looked back.

Zhou Yuanbin remained silent all the way. When he entered the tent, he said coldly: "It's a blessing that I treat Mr. Xu as a person and a friend, but I get such a reward. You can do whatever you like. Princess Fangde can cause trouble. Mr. Xu is more capable of causing trouble, and you two are really a match. Pingshan will definitely be sent back by Yuyangli. Let’s see what method you can come up with to save yourself before dark tomorrow.”

"I have a way, but I need help from the palace, so - before sunset tomorrow, she has to..."

Zhou Yuanbin turned and left, not wanting to hear a word anymore.

Chang Yan was sent back again. His face was pale and he had not regained his original color for a long time. "What kind of trick is this? They dragged me out and neither interrogated nor tortured me. They just stood outside for a long time."

"Sorry, it's because of me."

"Master?"

"They wanted me to feel powerless."

"How does it feel to want to save me but not be able to?" Chang Yan was both angry and confused. "Who could come up with such a sinister trick? Well, Chanyu used gold and silver treasures to crush the river dragon, what else can't he do? They are indeed barbarians outside the Great Wall, and their behavior is so weird.”

"When it comes to killing people, there is no difference between Chinese and Yi."

Chang Yan murmured that he disliked He Rongren very much.

Near the second watch of the night, there was a sudden noise outside the tent. Xu Chu could not go out at will. Chang Yan was not strictly controlled. He got up and went out to check the situation. Not long after, he ran back panting, "The Shanyu is back, and the barbarian king is also here." Brought it back."

"Is there anyone else?"

"I... will ask again."

Chang Yan took a little longer to go back this time. When he came back, he was out of breath. He stood there panting for a while and then said: "There is another emperor's younger brother."

"The emperor was also brought?"

"No, the emperor's brother, so everyone goes to watch."

Xu Chu didn't know that Zhang Shiyu had a younger brother, and he must not have been born to the princess. "Sure enough, the Chanyu met the Yecheng army."

Chang Yan nodded, "There is also a field craftsman, but the little princess didn't come."

Xu Chu was both surprised and not surprised, and sighed: "I owe Tian Jiang more and more favors."

"Young Master, if there is anything else you want to know, I'll go find out more."

"No need, just rest."

Chang Yan sat for a while and said carefully: "Young Master seems... not as happy as he was during the day."

Xu Chu smiled and said: "There is indeed nothing to be happy about."

"Young Master always has a clever plan...this time too, right?"

"have."

Chang Yan took a deep breath and smiled: "I knew..."

"But it's no use."

Chang Yan opened his mouth and was speechless.

"There are too many things that I can't do anything about. Zhou Yuanbin is right. You have to meet people first before you can talk to them. But now I can only 'threaten' others to talk to me." Xu Chu shook his head, "Everything It’s all in the hands of others.”

Chang Yan closed his mouth, still not knowing what to say.

"I almost forgot how difficult it is to be a counselor." Xu Chu said with a smile, "Back then, I knew how difficult it was to persuade others, so I decided to become the king myself. But I found that it was even harder to become the king - the important thing is, I didn't The ability to be king..."

Chang Yan couldn't agree, "We, at least all the Wu people, believe that among the kings, the young master is the most talented, and he can be said to be both wise and brave."

Xu Chu shook his head, "Being a king requires consistency. As long as it is beneficial to the king's career, there is nothing that cannot be done and there is no price that should not be paid. I have not done it. Being a counselor requires... you need to live up to the world and not stick to one end. That's it. Only then can we have both sides.”

"There are also people who call themselves kings who are benevolent and righteous, and there are also counselors who always follow the old master." Chang Yan still couldn't agree.

"Benevolence and righteousness belong to the category of 'nothing cannot be done'. Of course, a king can be benevolent and righteous, and he can also be cruel and courteous to virtuous subordinates, but they must all be beneficial to the king's career. Once they become obstacles, they will become the price that must be paid."

Chang Yan remained silent. Deep in his heart, he really felt that Xu Chu was lacking in this aspect.

"A counselor who follows his old master is just like a duckweed drifting into a very comfortable pond. It will stay but will not take root. Once it takes root, it will lose its usefulness as a counselor."

"What did you say?"

"Even if you only follow one master in your life, a counselor must maintain the mentality of an 'outsider'. Only in this way can he complement the king of the 'insiders'. Otherwise, he will be no different from a sycophant who blindly obeys his superiors. Make the king sink deeper and deeper.”

"One has to be consistent, one has to be ups and downs with the world, one has to be in the game, and the other has to be outside. This is really difficult."

Xu Chu smiled and said: "So, since ancient times, there have been very few monarchs and ministers who got along with each other. Most people got along with each other at that time. If the monarch or the ministers change their minds, the getting along with each other turns into killing each other. It's difficult, it is indeed difficult."

Someone opened the curtain and came in. He took a look at both of them and said, "Master Xu is preaching and teaching? Is General Chang a disciple?"

Chang Yan stood up and said with a smile: "Master Tian came just in time. I didn't become a disciple. The young master did say some... interesting things."

Tian Jiang sat down with Chang Yan, "Didn't Mr. Xu go to the Jin army? Why did he end up here?"

"I was sent to you by an old friend."

"Hey, this old friend is quite enthusiastic."

Chang Yan said: "It's not passion, it's revenge. This person..." Realizing that Tian Jiang was speaking sarcastically, Chang Yan shut up and muttered in a low voice: "You can't speak properly."

Tian Jiang said: "The Jin army retreated nearly a hundred miles and is not a threat to Yuyang for the time being."

"The Jin army is worried that He Rongbu will form an alliance with Tiancheng?" Xu Chu guessed.

"Think of it this way. He and Rong's tribe are trying to please both sides. No one knows who they will support in the end. The King of Jin is not in the army, so the commander is unsure. When he heard that the emperor was personally conducting the expedition, and that Shan Yu was also going south in person, he was afraid at first."

Xu Chu nodded. Chang Yan was a little anxious and interjected: "Why is Zhuangshi Tian here? I heard that the young princess detained the Barbarian King. Is it true?"

Tian Jiang rarely showed a smile, "It's true. The princess persuaded the soup master in the city to lift General Tang, and then personally came out to greet He Rongpingshan and lured him to the city gate. The rest of the matter was simple."

"Ha." Chang Yan couldn't help laughing, "Little princess, no, she is the little princess now... the eldest princess. She still has the same temperament that is not afraid of heaven and earth. She dares to do things and take on responsibilities. I want to call her Heroine.”

"But the emperor and the Chanyu came and issued a decree that Yuyang must hand over the princess, so I said to He Rongpingshan, I will go with you. When you go back, bring more people and betrothal gifts, and come to pick up the princess with great fanfare. Let the princess It looks good on your face, and your face is also shining.”

"He agreed?" Chang Yan asked.

"I'm not very good at persuading people, but the knife in my hand is." Tian Jiang said.

Chang Yan was stunned for a while, then moved a little away from the blanket, "You, the young master, and the princess are the same kind of people, the kind who are so courageous that they risk their lives. You talk, and I will listen honestly."

Xu Chu was concerned about another matter, "Is this General Tang the garrison stationed in Yuyang from Yecheng?"

"Exactly."

"How did Princess Fangde persuade him?"

"It's easy to say. General Tang came from a family of generals, and his father and brother died outside the Great Wall. The princess claimed that if she was handed over, she would commit suicide, so that everyone in the world would know that Tang Shiju sent Princess Tiancheng to her enemies."

Xu Chu smiled and shook his head.

Tian Jiang said: "Everything is a delaying strategy. The emperor and Princess Huanyan are here. Tang Shiju will soon be deprived of his military power and will no longer be able to protect the princess." Tian Jiang paused and looked at Xu Chu, "The princess's full hope It’s all on Mr. Xu.”

Xu Chu was silent for a while and asked, "Are you also the person He Rongpingshan wants to win over?"

"Well, the Chanyu said that I am a good man, and I am just as talented as the young master in both civility and martial arts. He Rongpingshan won unyieldingly, but he must make you and I surrender in order to prove his ability."

Chang Yan said he was just listening, but still interrupted: "Chanyu's temper is really weird."

Tian Jiang said: "Chan Yu said a very interesting thing, probably saying, 'There are two kinds of heroes, one puts himself above others, and the other puts others below him'."

Chang Yan said in confusion: "They are all superior to others, what's the difference?"

"The difference is very big. 'To put yourself above others', you need to face difficulties. The stronger the opponent, the happier you feel. Either defeat it to show your strength, or conquer it for your own use. In short, you must work hard to improve yourself.' Let On the contrary, those who treat others as inferior to themselves will choose the smooth road, pick out weak opponents, and rely on their original identity and status to force the weaker ones to surrender. They may seem superior and heroic, but once they encounter a truly strong opponent The enemy will suffer a disastrous defeat. Shanyu did not make these explanations because I thought it was not bad. Shanyu also said that the so-called heroes in the world are mostly of the latter type, and the former type is rare. He Rongpingshan must work hard to be the former. kind."

"So the Barbarian King must make the young master and Tian Zhuangshi surrender, because you two are powerful opponents." Chang Yan couldn't help but nodded, "This statement makes some sense."

Tian Jiang said: "Chanyu also said something in He Rong language. He thought I couldn't understand it, but I happen to know a little bit."

"What did Chanyu say?" Chang Yan asked.

"He said that He Rongpingshan wanted to prove his ability by 'conquering his opponents', rather than really wanting these two people. After he succeeded, he could kill them at will."

Xu Chu suddenly smiled, "Thank you, Mr. Tian, ​​for helping me solve a problem."