The banquet to welcome the envoys of the Liang Kingdom ended in a large hall full of vomit, so much so that it attracted a lot of bugs, mice, wild cats, and even wild dogs barking outside the palace gates.

Li Xiaofei, Qin Shun, Xie Tan and the three of them couldn't stand anymore when they went out of the palace gate, Li Xiaofei's back was wet, Qin Shun scolded: "This envoy is really a ghost errand, the lords you meet are all unreasonable, this Qin State is still the Central Plains people, if you go to Mobei, I really don't know if you will kill us all."

Xie Tan also smiled bitterly: "Alas, the three of us are too honest and think we are smart, but we were sent out to do something that is going to kill us, if it weren't for the three of us to help us today, we would have been detained in this Qin country." ”

Li Xiaofei smiled with difficulty: "Master Xie, the three families are not helping us, they are helping themselves, they are at odds with Hu Jian, today in the main hall, drawing their swords and transferring troops, it is not at all to scare us"

Cui Ju, who was walking in front, turned his head and smiled: "It's good to have such insight at a young age, it's not bad, those guards were originally here to deal with the officials who were attached to our three families, but something happened, and I had to ask Hu Jian to change his plan and pretend to be embarrassed by Deputy Envoy Li to warn others."

Li Xiaofei asked in a low voice: "But I really want to know what situation made Hu Jian change his plan, it can't be because of the arrival of the three of us."

Cui Ju shook his head: "It doesn't matter if the three of you come or not, someone in the palace informed us in advance, so we have already mobilized the tribes outside the palace gate, if we can't leave the palace gate after two hours, our various tribes will come in." In addition, I stopped Hu Jian several times today, in fact, I told him that I was prepared, so he had to change his plan. ”

Xie Tan looked around and saw that there was no one else, so he came up: "It seems that Hu Jian of the Qin State can't monopolize power, and many things still depend on the face of your three major families."

Cui Ju replied: "Doesn't Jiangnan also want to see the face of Wang Xie Xiao and Chen's four families?" However, I hope that there is such a person who can monopolize the power to rectify this Qin State, just because our family and their generals restrain each other, so the decree basically cannot get out of Chang'an City, and the local area is even more broken into a heap, some states and counties are our people in charge, some states and counties are controlled by military generals, and some states and counties are probably still controlled by the people of your four major families in the south of the Yangtze River. But if such a person comes out, it must be that he has already defeated all our family and generals, and this is also a situation that the family and generals will never allow. However, there is an unexpected result this time, that is, Vice Envoy Li has become the guest secretary of Qin, perhaps this is a variable in the future."

Li Xiaofei smiled: "I'm a kid who doesn't go into the stream, but I'm just a false guest, what variables can I have."

Cui Ju disagreed: "You are wrong, you are behind Liang Guo, Chen Hongyi and Liu Jian, we have long found out the origin of your identity, since the Qin State has maintained a temporary balance with mutual checks and balances, then suddenly there is the intervention of external forces, there must be variables." If you don't believe me, we'll see tonight."

The four of them got into the carriage and went straight back to Jingzhao Mansion to rest. In the evening, Cui Ju instructed his entourage to make soup and sweet porridge for the three people, and at this time, several groups of people came to the doorman and said that they wanted to see the three messengers, and Cui Ju called them in one by one.

The first group of people was sent by Cui Hong, who sent some jade gems and gold beads to the three envoys, and invited the envoys to Cui Hong's mansion as guests the next day.

The second group of people was sent by Yang Hongzu, who sent some horses and fox furs to the three envoys, and invited the envoys to Yang Hongzu's mansion the day after tomorrow.

The third group of people was sent by Li Zhong, who sent spices and Fen wine and some gold leaves to the three envoys, and invited the envoys to Li Zhong's mansion as guests on the third day.

The fourth group of people was sent by Hu Jian, who sent swords and armor and pearl deer antler velvet to the three envoys, and invited the envoys to Hu Jian's mansion as guests that night.

After several groups of people went out, Li Xiaofei and the three asked Cui Ju which of the four groups of people could go and which one could not go, Cui Ju sneered: "If you want to be killed by an assassin in the middle of the night, you can decide which one not to go, you better tidy up your clothes and go to Hu Jian's mansion first, this time he didn't invite me, I won't accompany you, don't worry, this time he won't ask you to eat raw meat, he will definitely negotiate some deals with you"

Li Xiaofei looked at Cui Ju in surprise: "Master Cui is not afraid that the transaction between Hu Jian and us is not conducive to you?" ”

Cui Ju smiled: "The transaction between you can't reach the point where you can sacrifice the three of us, I think this transaction is just related to the future of their military general group, maybe it is the fake war we talked about before." It's getting late, you are about to leave, and if you don't go to the banquet again, I'm afraid that Hu Jian is going to send an assassin over."

Li Xiaofei and the three of them had no choice but to get into the carriage and follow the fourth group of people waiting outside to Hu Jian's mansion. The three of them met Hu Jian, but Hu Jian changed his demeanor in the main hall during the day, and saluted the three of them: "During the day, in the main hall, it is also forced to be rude to the little hero, and I also invite the three noble envoys Haihan, and prepare a little wine at night to make amends, and also ask the three to laugh."

Li Xiaofei smiled: "If General Hu is the same as before, could it be that if we don't get drunk, General Hu won't let us out of the house?" ”

Hu Jian hurriedly compensated: "Where does the envoy speak, the envoy comes and goes in and out of my place at will, and behaves casually, let's just talk about wine and talk, today I saw Deputy Envoy Li's young hero, resourceful and courageous, and I want to make friends very much, by the way, I should call you the king of the right valley."

Li Xiaofei smiled and waved his hand: "I'm not uncommon to see this right Guzi King, Zuo Guzi King or something, what I admire is the general's scheming and domineering, as well as this openness, since the general can afford me, call me little brother." The general invited the three of us to come tonight, but just to talk about everything, so we won't beat around the bush, let's just talk while we drink."

Hu Jianping retired from his entourage, invited Li Xiaofei and Qin Shun Xie to take a seat, picked up the wine pot and poured the wine, and asked while pouring the wine: "I heard that the little brother once followed General Chen Hongyi of the Liang State to fight in the Quartet, can you and General Chen ever talk", Li Xiaofei took the wine: "General Hu's intelligence is really good, not only has he followed the hussar general, he is also my savior, he will definitely be able to talk about private affairs, and I dare not guarantee the words of state affairs."

Hu Jian poured himself a glass of wine: "This General Chen is too serious about fighting, and last year he beat us only to escape, if we hadn't sent a lot of gold, silver and jewelry to Jinling, I'm afraid we would have moved the capital to Yecheng a long time ago." Now this General Chen stays in this Yingchuan City and refuses to leave, training soldiers and horses every day, I can't sleep well."

Qin Shun took over: "Since General Hu can talk to the Zaifu in Jinling City, why don't you continue to give gifts and find a way to get the Liang Imperial Court to transfer General Chen back?" ”

Hu Jian took a sip of wine with a painful face: "Just one Chen Hongyi can naturally be transferred back, but he also has an apprentice, Liu Jian, the king of Han, and his fief turned out to be the state and county of my Qin State, no matter how powerful the Zai Fu in Jinling City is, he can't transfer them all back to Jinling at the same time, not to mention that if they go back to Jinling City together, it will be the turn of the Zai Fu who can't sleep." A famous general who is unparalleled in the world, a prince who is wise and brave, the two of them together I am afraid that the emperor of your Liang State is also afraid, otherwise they will not let them lead their troops away from Jinling. ”

Xie Tan touched his beard: "This General Hu is very clear about the affairs in Jinling City, why can't he see his own affairs clearly?" As the old saying goes, if you lose the east, you will reap the mulberry elm. Since the king of Han has been sealed in Korea, although it is a truce now, he will definitely lead his elite soldiers to capture Luoyang, Xinzheng, Yangzhai and other places in the future. Now these three places are actually not the general's territory, and the Qin State has lost these three places, but it may not be able to gain benefits in other places."

Hu Jian sneered: "Although my Great Qin is corrupt and corrupt, it has not reached the point of ceding land and seeking peace, losing power and humiliating the country."

Li Xiaofei smiled: "But you, Daqin, will definitely not be able to hold these three places, and when the time comes, the three families will definitely accuse you of losing your division and losing your land and using your troops for incompetence." At that time, how will General Hu deal with himself? ”

Hu Jian sighed: "In this way, the head of my Hu will also follow the ancestors to the underground, but if you can't beat it, you can't drive it away, and you will have a dead end."

Qin Shun's eyes rolled: "I have an idea in the next place, don't cut the land, let's exchange the land, and the Liang State will exchange the city of Liangzhou for the Korean land."

Hu Jian was almost choked: "Lord Qin's abacus is good, this Liangzhou is still in the hands of the Green Flag Khanate, and your Liang State uses the cities of other countries to exchange for my Great Qin's territory, you can figure it out."

Li Xiaofei said slowly: "It's not impossible, as long as Liang and Qin reach a peace agreement, Liang can send troops and horses to help you capture Liangzhou."

Hu Jian shook his head: "The idea is very good, but it's not something that the three of you can decide, such a big thing, your emperor, the four great families, Chen Hongyi and Liu Jian, will agree?" ”

Xie Tan asked rhetorically: "Then General Hu has any other good way?" If not, you and I will sign a peace treaty first, and then write your country's demands on the national letter, and we will bring them back to restore our lives, and at least during the ten-year truce in the peace agreement, General Chen and King Han will not dare to openly disobey. If the rapprochement between the two countries prevails in the past decade, it is not impossible to continue for the next few decades. No matter how powerful General Hu is, he can't keep the Qin State war-free for a hundred years, right? ”

Hu Jian suddenly brightened: "Alas, I only have twenty years at most, as long as I can protect the interests of the generals during my time as a general, it is enough, I am not here, so I will go with him." In this way, this peace agreement should indeed be settled early, and it seems that tonight's drink is too worthwhile."

Li Xiaofei and the three of them looked at each other and smiled, Li Xiaofei said to Hu Jian: "In fact, this peace discussion is only good for everyone, whether the soldiers of the two countries are fighting real battles or fake wars, they have also fought for decades, and the people are also empty, you Qin people are poor and don't even have clothes, and if you continue to fight, there will be no one in this Qin country, no people, and there will be no money, food, and no soldiers and horses." It's time for everyone to live in peace for a few years. As for your worries that if you don't fight, you won't gain anything, but it's all because you're too stupid. If you use your soldiers and horses to escort the caravan out of Yangguan in the west, to the desert in the north, to the Liang Kingdom in the south, and to the sea in the east, are you still afraid that there will be no money? The profit of the merchant is a thousand times that of the common people's farming, rather than knocking the people out of the bones, it is better to open up the trade route to collect business taxes, so that you can also have a lot of money to get in your hands, wouldn't everyone be happy? ”

Hu Jian was stunned on the spot, Qin Shun and Xie Tan were also stunned, this idea, even the family of Nanliang did not expect it, it was actually thought of by Li Xiaofei. Xie Tan coughed: "It's all drunk, let's drink, if we don't get drunk, we won't return."

Qin Shun and Li Xiaofei comprehended and raised a glass to Hu Jian together, and Hu Jian responded thoughtfully: "Okay, good, don't get drunk and don't return, don't take your words seriously, drink and drink!" ”