The Grandmaster Strategist

In October of the first year of Zhihua, Li Zhi raided Jianye. With the help of spies, he destroyed Jianye that night and arrested all officials. On the same day, Princess Changle returned to the palace, and all the escorts who accompanied her died. At night, Li Zhi went to Zangyun Village incognito. Xu Zhe offered him a generous salary from a high-ranking official, but Zhe refused. The next day, the king of the country returned captive, and Li Zhi plundered Jianye with military orders. A few days ago, King Qin's army was about to approach Jianye. Li Zhi had already retreated. In the march with him, he captured all the royal family and civil and military officials of Southern Chu, including Zhe. At that time, Zhe had already become an official.

--"History of Chu in the Southern Dynasties Biography of Jiang Suiyun"

After settling Princess Changle, Li Zhi arrived incognito at Zangyun Village in the northern suburbs of Jianye with a lot of questions. The march was in a hurry and he didn't bring any counselors with him. The pain of having no one to discuss made him even more anxious to negotiate with his beloved. The ovary meets. When he arrived at Zangyun Village, Li Zhi calmed down. He carefully thought about how to take Jiang Zhe under his account. He was thinking about this problem all the way. He just thought about it over and over again. No matter what method he used, he was not sure. Zhe was a rare person who had no opportunity to take advantage of him. In the end, Li Zhi made up his mind to take Jiang Zhe away no matter what, otherwise he would not have come to Jianye in vain.

After calming down, Li Zhi walked into Zangyun Villa. According to his instructions, Yong Jun did not disturb the owner of Zangyun Villa, but had already controlled the entire village. Under the leadership of Sima Xiong, Li Zhi went to Wanxiang Garden in the back garden. Walking there, it was the place where Jiang Zhe hung out every day. Li Zhi could see the Yong Army warriors hidden throughout the garden. Li Zhi glanced at Sima Xiong with some worry and asked, "Aren't Mr. Jiang dissatisfied?" Sima Xiong whispered: "Mr. Jiang seems to be turning a blind eye to us. There are very few servants in Zhuangzi. Except for one Li Shun, there are only four He was a little servant, but his name was very strange. He was called Chiji, Pirates, Hualiu, and Luer. These servants were very obedient and did not cause any trouble. However, the last general Li Shun found it strange anyway. He was a eunuch. .”

Li Zhi paused for a moment and said: "Chi Ji or something is the name of King Mu Bajun. It seems that Mr. Jiang is really talented in literature. As for that Li Shun, I vaguely know this person. We are in the Southern Chu Army." The secret agent once said that there is a eunuch under the supervision army who has a very close relationship with Jiang Zhe. I originally thought it was just a personal friendship, but now it seems that the relationship between this man and Mr. Jiang is extraordinary, but forget it, an insider Huan, we don’t need to embarrass him, lest we offend sir.”

Sima Xiong whispered: "That Li Shun, I always feel that he is unusual. When I see him, I feel cold in my heart." Li Zhi glanced at him and said lightly: "Oh, in that case, just pay more attention. ." With that said, the two of them had arrived at Wanxiang Garden. Outside the gate of the garden, Chi Ji and Taian Li were sitting on the corridor in front of the door, chatting and laughing in a low voice. When they saw Li Zhi and the others coming over, the two of them stood up and shook their hands. And stand.

Li Zhi smiled and asked, "Is Mr. Jiang inside?" Chi Ji said respectfully, "Young Master is not feeling well today. He will rest after dinner."

When Sima Xiong heard this, his anger rose and he whispered: "Your Highness, the general has already informed that Your Highness will come to visit tonight. This person is really rude."

Li Zhi waved his hand to stop him from continuing to speak, and said with a smile: "It turns out that your husband is resting. Why is he not feeling well?"

Chi Ji respectfully replied: "The young master has been bedridden since he came back from Shu. He had been getting better a few days ago, but Prince De suddenly passed away, and the young master was reprimanded again. Therefore, the old illness has relapsed. If your highness has any instructions, If you are young, please ask Mr. Li to come over and ask His Highness for instructions."

Sima Xiong held his sword in his hand and looked at Chi Ji angrily, but Chi Ji was respectful and polite, with a smile on his face and no fear.

Li Zhi thought for a while and said, "That's fine. I'll just meet Mr. Li." After that, Li Zhi sat down in a small pavilion not far from the Xuan. He looked at the garden full of green bamboos, feeling content and contented. Tao Li and Chi Ji presented refreshments, which happened to be very thoughtful. Not long after, Xiao Shunzi, dressed in Tsing Yi, came over and respectfully made an audience with the prince.

He said: "Slave Li Shun, I'm going to see Your Highness. The master of the house is ill and cannot come to serve you. Please forgive me."

Li Zhi looked up and saw that Li Shun's appearance and demeanor were indeed extraordinary. Li Zhi had not seen many eunuchs in Dayong, but no matter their status, no matter whether they were arrogant and tame, they all had the same characteristic, that is, inferiority in their eyes. But this Li Shun's eyes were cold and indifferent. Although his behavior was humble, Li Zhi could feel his pride, which was a kind of pride that dominated life and death. Li Zhi remembered clearly that he had seen such eyes before, That was the first time he met the master of Fengyi Sect. During that time, he accompanied his father to the north and south. During the march, the master of Fengyi Sect came over and talked with Li Yuan overnight. They were very speculative. Soon after, they Yong received the support of Baidao Wulin, and his father also had Concubine Ji beside him. Li Zhi will always remember the eyes of Master Fengyi, which were a pair of gentle and compassionate eyes that sympathized with all living beings. But Li Zhi will also always remember that when he led the way When the army attacked Yang Laosheng, after assisting him in assassinating the general beside Yang Laosheng, the master of Fengyi Sect exuded a monstrous and arrogant attitude in an instant. At that moment, Li Zhi became wary of Fengyi Sect. Seeing Li Shun's temperament, Li Zhi suddenly understood that this person must be a top master and the kind of person who is expected to become the opponent of Fengyi Sect Master.

Thinking of this, Li Zhi said gently: "I have heard something about General Manager Li. If I am not wrong, General Manager Li also participated in the Great War in Shu, right?"

Li Shun glanced at Li Zhi in surprise and said: "His Highness actually knows about the villain. The servant has known the young master for many years, and thanks to the young master, he often takes care of him. Now that Jianye is in chaos, he simply abandons the false glory and eats by the young master's side." A bowl of free food, if His Highness wants to offend me, a person in the palace, I will naturally not dare to resist."

Li Zhi waved his hand and said with a smile: "When the two countries are at war, what are you doing to the poor people like you? Besides, Mr. Jiang is with General Manager Li now. In the future, I will ask General Manager Li to say more kind words. It seems that Mr. Jiang is very angry?"

A trace of goodwill flashed in Li Shun's eyes and he said: "Although the young master was forced to become an official, he has served Nanchu for many years. Now that the country is in danger, if the young master is happy, it will not be justified no matter where he goes. Moreover, His Highness is fighting this time. The intention is unknown, and my young master is puzzled. If His Highness is willing to talk to the villain, and if the villain tells the young master, maybe he can make him smile."

Li Zhi thought that Jiang Zhe was not very repulsive to him, so he said calmly: "This attack on Jianye, Mr. Jiang may think that Li Zhi is fooling around, but it is really the fault of Xiao Qiang. Li Zhi is walking on thin ice every day. If he cannot get Jiang Mr. Jiang is assisting me. I am afraid that Li Zhi’s life will not be long, so I would like to ask Mr. Li to pass on his feelings to Li Zhi. No matter what happens this time, I will ask Mr. Jiang to accompany him back to Dayong. If Mr. Jiang refuses to take care of him, I am afraid that Li Zhi will not be blessed and will never see him again. I can’t listen to my advice respectfully.”

Li Shun saluted and said: "Your Highness thinks so highly of the young master, I would like to thank you on your behalf. Please tell me, Your Highness, my young master only loves the beauty of mountains and rivers. He has no intention of helping the world and the people, nor does he have any thoughts of making contributions. I don't know why your highness wants my young master to work hard, but I'm afraid It can only end in a situation where all the birds are gone and the rabbits die and the dogs are cooked."

Li Zhi stood up and said sincerely: "I dare not say that the king and his ministers will live in harmony, but Li Zhi is by no means jealous of the virtuous, nor is he the king of Yue who can only share adversity but not wealth. I know that Mr. Jiang does not love wealth and glory. , I don’t like to make achievements, but if the world is in chaos, I am afraid that Mr. Jiang will not be able to live in peace. Now that I, Yong, are facing internal troubles, and the Southern Chu people are leaderless, I am afraid that they will soon fall into chaos. Although the Northern Han Dynasty is still relatively stable, However, there is emphasis on force but no respect for scholars. If the people in Shu hear the name of Mr. Jiang, I am afraid that their desire for revenge will be stronger than their respect. This is not a threat from my king. If I, Dayong, cannot unify the world, I am afraid that In these troubled times, there is no pure land. If Mr. Jiang is willing to give me a helping hand, I can guarantee that in the future, Mr. Jiang will be able to live and work in peace and contentment in Dayong, and Zhi and Mr. Zhi will share the prosperity."

Li Shun thought for a while and said: "Your Highness is sincere and sincere, and I will report it to you verbatim." After that, Li Shun bowed and bowed, and then withdrew. Li Zhi sat in the pavilion, his heart full of expectations. From Li Shun's words, Li Zhi could sense that Jiang Zhe did not completely refuse, but just had many concerns.

After a while, Li Shun came back and said: "Young Master, please ask your servant to tell His Highness that the matter of service is related to the honor and disgrace of Your Majesty's life and cannot be decided at will. Your Highness is busy with military affairs now. Please return to the camp quickly. Your Highness said that Your Highness has captured Shang." Prime Minister Wei Jun, Prime Minister Shang is the biological father of Concubine Shang, so we should not wait too long. Now the Crown Prince and Concubine Shang are still on the run. If His Highness hopes that it will be easier to pacify Nanchu in the future, it is better not to pursue them too much. The king of the country has escaped, and if His Highness has caught It’s best if you kill them.”

Speaking of this, Li Shun glanced at King Yong, and Li Zhi nodded and said: "Zhao Jia will be sent to Jianye tomorrow."

Li Shun continued: "The king of the country is mediocre and ignorant of slander. Now he is in prison. The country is not safe and the world is in contempt. There is no use even if he stays in Nanchu. If he is brought back to Dayong, his life will only be a few years. I'm afraid it will be difficult." If he survives, I am afraid that the people of Southern Chu will hate Dayong deeply because of this. In the past, King Huai of Chu died in Qin, and the people of Chu were very resentful. There was a saying that 'although Chu has three households, if Qin is destroyed, Chu will definitely die'. In the future, Great Qin will indeed die at the hands of Chu people."

Li Zhi said worriedly: "But if I can't capture Zhao Jia and hundreds of officials when I build up the army this time, how can I return my life to my father?"

Li Shun said calmly: "Young Master also knows that His Highness is in trouble, so he also said that if it is absolutely necessary, the king must be brought back to Dayong. He should not be harmed easily. He should immediately withdraw his troops and make a truce, negotiate peace with Nanchu, and let the new king cede the territory to the loser. Sincerely, by redeeming the plundered monarchs and ministers, firstly, it can reduce the national power of Nanchu, and secondly, it can avoid forming a deep hatred with Nanchu."

Li Zhi thought for a long time and then said: "Thank you very much, Mr. Jiang, for your kind words. Regardless of whether you agree to serve Li Zhi or not, Li Zhi will be grateful to you."

Looking at Li Zhi's back, Li Shun showed a smile. This is because I specially asked him to receive King Yong on my behalf, and asked him to use his own eyes to see whether Li Zhi was worth following. His answer was, yes.

Listening to Xiao Shunzi's detailed reply, I put down the book in my hand and said calmly: "It seems that Li Zhi is destined to win over me."

Xiao Shunzi said: "Master, what's your opinion?"

I said calmly: "His Royal Highness King Yong said something that really moved me. If the world is in chaos, where can I find a place to stay?"

Xiao Shunzi said: "What's more, there is also Prince Li An. If that person is really Li An, the prince will inevitably have to rely on King Yong's power to take revenge."

I sighed: "Yes, it may not be difficult to kill Li An, but the aftermath will be troublesome. But I don't want to follow Li Zhi so easily. At first, I wanted to do my best for Prince De, but Rong Yuan asked me to give up. Li Zhi is a wise king, and I still want to see if there are good ministers around him. Well, I won't agree to serve him, so I'm just putting it off for the time being. I think we can go to Dayong as prisoners."

Xiao Shunzi said with a bitter face: "This is too humiliating. The young master actually wants to be a prisoner. Instead of being a guest here, he will be a prisoner."

I smiled and said, "I'm afraid that if I'm a guest now, I won't be able to be a prisoner in the future?"

The next day, Zhao Jia was brought back to Jianye by Yong's army. When he saw King Yong, Zhao Jia begged repeatedly: "I have never had any intention of rebelling against Yong. I hope that for the sake of the queen, your highness will give me a way out." .”

Li Zhi only tried to persuade them with gentle words, saying that his father missed his daughter and son-in-law and wanted to take them to Yongdu for a family reunion. Zhao Jia begged hard, but finally agreed with tears. Finally, he asked to see the queen, Princess Changle, but Li Zhi said that Princess Changle was frightened, so it was inconvenient to meet.

A few days later, Li Zhi searched Jianye all over, and left Jianye with the king, royal family, concubines, and officials. That day, the monarchs and ministers of Southern Chu burst into tears, and the people who saw each other off also shed tears. However, under the Yong army, In front of the cavalry, I could only hold back tears. Li Zhi sat on the horse, looked at the cold eyes on both sides, and said with a wry smile: "It seems that the people of Southern Chu have not lost their hearts."

Sima Xiong, who was accompanying him, said: "Yes, but they don't have the courage to resist. Otherwise, we only have 20,000 people, and if one of them comes to chop one person, we will be finished."

Li Zhi said calmly: "The southerners are feminine, but we should not underestimate their strength. If we threaten them too hard, I'm afraid they will risk their lives to embarrass us. They are good at conspiracy, and we will be in trouble everywhere."

When Sima Xiong heard the words "Southerners are feminine", he couldn't help snorting coldly: "Southerners are really thoughtful. His Highness was so courteous and virtuous to the number one scholar Jiang Zhe, but he still refused to surrender. Your Highness is now taking him back as a prisoner. , why is he so proud?"

Li Zhi couldn't help but smile bitterly. He never expected that from that day on, he would go to see Jiang Zhe several times. Jiang Zhe either excused himself for illness or left in a hurry and refused to talk to him in depth. He repeatedly asked Li Shun about Jiang Zhe. Li Shun was also vague about his thoughts. He just vaguely said that Jiang Zhe did not want to serve as an official in Dayong. In the end, Li Zhi had no choice but to forcibly include Jiang Zhe in the list of prisoners and take him back to Dayong. He went to confess to Jiang Zhe in person, but Jiang Zhe just smiled faintly and didn't seem angry. When he set off on the road, Jiang Zhe only brought Li Shun was alone, and several other boys were sent away by him with money. He went directly to the prisoner camp. He was familiar with many officials. Although their friendship was not deep, they could still be discussed. He was calm and composed. It made many worried officials feel much better. Li Zhi was very worried about completely offending Jiang Zhe. He had been restless these days, but King Qin's troops from all sides of Southern Chu were desperately attacking Jianye. Yong's army was already unable to resist, and he had to leave Jianye as soon as possible.

Princess Changle also returned north with the army. Although she was frightened, Princess Changle became much more cheerful when she thought of returning to Dayong. However, as she was about to leave Dayong in the past few days, Li Zhi felt that Princess Changle was always hesitant to speak, and her expression changed. Somewhat stunned, Li Zhi asked several times, but Princess Du Changle ignored her. However, Li Zhi saw that Princess Changle did not care about Zhao Jia, so he did not care too much. Anyway, after he returned, his eldest grandson, the noble concubine, persuaded her. As for the crazy Liang Wan, she seemed like a toddler, crying or playing every day. Li Zhi didn't have any masters from the Fengyi Sect in his army, so he had to be kept under strict supervision and some palace maids were sent to take care of her.

Li Zhi thought about the things he had encountered, and felt really bitter. Did he make a wrong move in his attack on Jianye? At least the gains he saw before him might become the incompetence he personally suffered in the future. Antidote.

Among the crowd watching Yong Jun leave Jianye, Chen Zhen and Han Wuji looked at the Yong Jun cavalry coldly. Han Wuji whispered: "Actually, it would not be difficult to rescue the young master, but the young master just doesn't Ken.”

Chen Zhen said lightly: "You don't know, the young master and King Yong have always been in contact. Although it is for the sake of the majority of Southern Chu, I think the young master still values ​​​​the king of Yong very much. This time, the king of Yong is thirsty for talents. Hear the biography of Chi Ji The news that he came here is clearly for the young master, how can the young master not be grateful for his regard, but the young master still remembers Prince De and still has some friendship with Nanchu, so he would rather join the army as a prisoner."

Han Wuji said coldly: "Actually, the young master is too soft-hearted. Back then, the young master worked hard for Southern Chu. Without the young master, our Shu Kingdom would not have been defeated so easily. That Prince De did not rely on the young master wholeheartedly. But the young master I just couldn't let it go, so I went to Xiangyang to rescue Prince De in person that day. Unfortunately, the leader of Southern Chu was so mediocre and incompetent that he forced Prince De to death, leaving the young master sad and disappointed."

Chen Zhen sighed: "Yes, when I came back from Xiangyang, the young master almost relapsed. It was only Mr. Li who comforted me in every possible way that made the young master no longer sad."

Han Wuji said bitterly: "Young Master is in Nanchu, and we are just as sad as we are in Shu. Although you always claim to be cold and ruthless, I don't believe that you have no attachment to Shu."

Chen Zhen was silent for a while and said: "Shu treated me harshly and unkindly. Now that I think about it, I feel a little nostalgic. Nanchu treated the young master quite kindly. It's no wonder that the young master can't bear to give up."