At the end of February, Xiong Huai returned to Yingdu from outside Hangu Pass, and after listening to Qu Yuan's report, he saw that there was nothing to do in the country, so he rested with peace of mind to wait for the return of Jingcui Zhaoju and others.

The next morning, when Xiong Huai was resting in the palace, a waiter came to Xiong Huai's approach: "King, Zuo Tu and Thorn Shiling ask to meet." ”

Xiong Huai was stunned, when he returned to the capital yesterday, Qu Yuan had already reported to him the recent situation in the country, why did he come to see him again today when he was resting?

"Invite them in." Xiong Huai straightened his clothes and answered.

Soon, Qu Yuan and Chen Zhen came to the palace.

After the ceremony.

Qu Yuan arched his hand and said: "The king, Huizi, the heavy secretary of the Song Kingdom, has just come to Chu, and has been arranged by the minister in the Yingdu Hotel, and is waiting for the king to summon him. ”

"Come to Chu!?" Xiong Huai was stunned.

Coming to Chu and visiting are two completely different meanings.

If he visited, it meant that Huizi came on behalf of the king of Song, and when he came to Chu, it meant that he only came on behalf of himself.

When the two countries of Chu and Song were still on good terms, Huizi, as a close minister of Song Wang, was a close minister of Song Wang, but he only came on his own behalf, which means very much.

Thinking about it, Xiong Huai turned his gaze to Chen Zhen: "Chen Qing, during the time when the widow went to Hanguguan to meet the King of Qin, what happened to Song Guoke?" ”

Chen Zhen replied: "Back to the king, the minister is about to report to the king, since this period of time, the internal disputes in the Song Kingdom have intensified, and the contradictions between Tian Buli and the crown prince have intensified. More than a month ago, not long after Gongzi An came to visit the Chu State, one of the Song generals Zang Xin's disciples reported to the Song King that Zang Xin had fornicated with the Chu State and betrayed the interests of the Song State during the Chu and Song Wars.

Then, the king of Song was furious, took back Zang Xin's military power, put him under house arrest, and asked Tian Buli to thoroughly investigate the fornication. As a result, Tian Buli took the opportunity to set off a bloody storm among the Song State, and attacked the pro-Chu ministers of the Song State one after another. First of all, in the name of using the treasury money to bribe our Chu State doctor Zuo Cheng, Hui Ang was impeached for using the public for personal gain and fornicating with the Chu State.

After Keiko was relieved of his position by the Song king and placed under house arrest in the palace, Tian Buli began purging the pro-Chu ministers and the henchmen of the Song prince's true true faction in the Song state.

As a result, in just one month, by the time the news of the peace between Qin and Chu reached the Song State, Tian Buli had impeached a total of 47 ministers, resulting in the dismissal of 41 ministers, the killing of 23 ministers, and the extermination of seven nobles, and the loss of most of the prince's henchmen. ”

Speaking of this, Chen Zhen showed a palpitating look, shook his head and sighed: "If it weren't for the Song State to learn the news of the peace between Qin and Chu, I'm afraid that Prince Zizhen's henchmen would have been purged by Tian Buru, and even Prince Zhen would be more than lucky."

According to the news from the Song Kingdom, when the crown prince Zhen purged his henchmen in Tian Buli, he asked to see the king of Song one after another, but was refused. Since then, Wang Zizhen has been closed until yesterday's news, Wang Zizhen has not been out of the house for nearly two months. ”

Xiong Huai gasped when he heard this, and said in a daze: "King Song let Tian Buli act so recklessly, isn't he afraid that Prince Zizhen will be forced to be in a hurry, take risks, and directly turn the opposite?" ”

Chen Zhen thought for a while and guessed: "Maybe King Song has been prepared." ”

"Good one, already prepared!" Xiong Huai sneered: "As soon as King Song heard that my Chu State asked for help from Yan State, and Yan State sent a large amount of military funds, he must have thought that my Chu State could not hold on, and he wanted to cut off relations with my Chu State." ”

When Chen Zhen and Qu Yuan heard this, they were all silent.

The actions of the King of Song are obvious, they are aimed at the pro-Chu ministers.

Then, Xiong Huai pondered for a while and said: "Fortunately, this time my Chu State and Qin State made peace in time, otherwise, King Song might be moved by Qi and Wei to join the Qi and Wei alliance to attack Chu together." ”

As he spoke, he frowned again and said: "However, although King Song did not take the last step, the Song State also had to guard against it, and besides, Tian Buli, this guy, it is really a disaster to stay in the Song Kingdom, and he has to find an opportunity to drive him back to the Qi Kingdom." ”

Chen Zhen arched his hand and said: "King, Tian Buli is not difficult to deal with. This time, he wantonly killed the ministers in the Song State, causing everyone in the Song State to endanger themselves, even the pro-Qi ministers of the Song State could not look directly at him. Therefore, the minister thought that perhaps without my Chu State's action, Tian Buli would be expelled by the Song State. ”

"Perhaps." Xiong Huai sighed: "It's just that the Song State is estranged from my Chu State, how should it be resolved?" ”

Chen Zhen and the others were silent for a while, and then, Qu Yuan arched his hand and said: "King, now the King of Song is over the age of Jiazi, and the crown prince is in the prime of life, the prince is different from the king of Song, not only close to my Chu country, but also does not have the great ambition of the king of Song. Therefore, the minister thought that my Chu State only needed to protect the crown prince, so that the Song State would not completely fall to the Qi State. ”

Xiong Huai thought about it, after the strength of the ministers of the pro-Chu faction of the Song State was greatly reduced, it seemed that there was no other way.

"Okay, let's do it for the time being, do your best to keep the crown prince of the crown prince, if there is a disagreement, ensure that the crown prince is true, let him come to Chu to avoid the limelight, and after the king of Song, find a way to help him ascend the throne."

"Yui"

Qu Yuan and Chen Zhen glanced at each other and sighed at the same time.

In the current situation of the Song Kingdom, whether the crown prince can keep the position of the crown prince is only in the thought of King Song.

After a pause, Xiong Huai said to Qu Yuan: "Xianqing, there is Lao Qing to meet Huizi, let him have a good rest, and the widow will see him again tomorrow." ”

"Yui."

Next.

Because Hui Ang came in the name of a private person this time, Xiong Huai only met him in a side hall and asked Qu Yuan to greet him.

In the side hall.

Xiong Huai sat on the throne and saw Qu Yuan guiding Hui Ang in.

After the ceremony, Xiong Huai saw that his face was tired and gradually looked old, and he couldn't help but be shocked: "Keiko, I haven't seen him for just a few years, why is Qing here?" ”

Seeing that the King of Chu looked at him again and again, Hui Ang couldn't help but sigh: "The lord is suspicious of the country's grievances, and his heart is exhausted, so much so." ”

Saying that, Hui Ang took a closer look at the King of Chu and saw that he was still radiant, so he couldn't help but smile and said: "It's the king, when I saw it today, it was like yesterday more than 20 years ago." ”

When Xiong Huai heard this, he immediately remembered the time when Hui Ang followed Hui Shi to the Chu State in the past, if it wasn't for Hui Shi being sent to the Song State by the Chu State, I am afraid that Hui Ang would already be his old minister at this moment.

Then, the two talked about the old things.

Long.

After the old story, Xiong Huai looked at Hui An, who had been with him for a long time, and asked, "Huizi, I don't know what difficulties Qing has in coming to Chu this time?" As long as you open your mouth, the widow will definitely help. ”

Hui Ang shook his head and arched his hand: "The king, in the next time I came to Chu, in fact, I was not talented enough, and it was difficult to continue to serve the king of Song, so I thought of the feelings of the past, and hoped that the king would not be stupid as a minister, and could take in the ministers, so that the ministers could do their best to the king." ”

Xiong Huai was stunned, and then his heart was overjoyed.

Hui Ang served in the Song State for many years, witnessed the various changes of the Song State, witnessed the Song State gradually become strong from a weakening country, and presided over the Song Dynasty for many years after Hui Shi's death.

Such a person who is proficient in changing the rule of law came to Chu State not long after the beginning of Chu State's reform of the law, which is definitely a blessing for Chu State.

Thinking about it, Xiong Huai was overjoyed and said: "Huizi is here, how fortunate the widow is!" ”