A side hall in the Chu Palace.

Xiong Huai sat quietly on a throne, silent.

There are four seats in the hall, and a group of waiters are placing wine, flesh and fruit on the table.

Not long after, a very steady young man who exuded elegance walked in, saw Xiong Huai sitting on it, and immediately saluted: "Erchen greets my father." ”

Xiong Huai glanced at the person who came, it was the third son Ziqing, and a smile immediately appeared on his face: "The widow's Ziqing is here!" ”

As he spoke, Xiong Huai pointed to the position of the first place on his left hand and said, "Sit down and talk." ”

"Thank you, Father!" Ziqing looked at the four seats around him, and a trace of doubt suddenly flashed in his heart.

Originally, he was summoned by his father early in the morning, thinking that his father was going to talk to him. But now, Father didn't just summon him.

It's just that there are four seats here, and he can't figure out what his father is looking for him.

After Xiong Huai saw Ziqing sitting down, he smiled and said, "Ziqing, you are also sixteen years old this year!" ”

When Ziqing heard this, he immediately responded, "Yes, Father." ”

"It's not too young." Xiong Huai bowed slightly, paused, and said, "The widow summoned you today because he has three things to tell you. ”

"Father, please!" When Ziqing heard this, he immediately bowed his hand.

Xiong Huai looked at Ziqing's delicate face, couldn't help but think of his mother, thought, sighed and said: "This first thing, the widow plans to make you the king of Huaiyin, and the fief is Huaiyin City and the White Horse Lake in the south. ”

When Ziqing heard this, he was stunned.

At this time, he had not yet performed the crown ceremony, and according to the rules, when his father was still alive, he should not be divided until he became an adult. Only when the father is absent and the elder brother ascends the throne, in order to show the benevolence and righteousness of the new king, will the minor brother be crowned king.

At this time, Xiong Huai's decision was unreasonable.

Moreover, once the feud is divided, the feudal monarch cannot stay in the capital for no reason.

Father, is this trying to drive me away?

Thinking of this, a bad thought suddenly appeared in Ziqing's heart: Could it be the queen? Or the prince?

Thinking about it, Ziqing immediately looked sad, and hurriedly bowed and said: "Father, the son is still young, and he still wants to serve his father in front of his father, so please postpone the separation." ”

Xiong Huai shook his head, and said: "Ziqing, this time you are named the king of Huaiyin, not because the widow favors you and divides the seal in advance, but that the time has come for you to share your worries for the country." ”

Ziqing was stunned, looked at Xiong Huai suspiciously, and saluted: "I don't know what my father means?" ”

Xiong Huai explained: "Presumably, you have heard about the threat of the three kingdoms of Qi, Wei and Song yesterday. ”

Ziqing nodded, and then remembered the controversy over the war against the Song Dynasty that was rumored yesterday that the entire Yingdu was boiling, his face suddenly changed, and then he hurriedly spoke: "Father wants to use troops against the Song State, so let his sons go to guard Huaiyin to guard the Qi State?" ”

Saying that, Ziqing hesitated for a moment, then plucked up his courage and saluted: "Father, the son has a word, please listen to it." ”

Xiong Huai saw that Ziqing suddenly showed a determined look, and put on a fearless look, and after being slightly stunned, he said: "But it's okay to talk about it!" ”

Ziqing immediately bowed and said: "Father, the son hears Lao Ziyun: Where the teacher is, thorns are born." After the great army, there will be a fierce year. In the previous war, in order to resist the offensive of the six countries, our Chu State mobilized a million troops, hundreds of thousands of soldiers were killed and wounded, countless money and food were consumed, and the people of the country were exhausted. Therefore, at this time, Erchen thought that it was not appropriate to use troops against Song. ”

Xiong Huai was slightly stunned, staring at him tightly, trying to see from his eyes whether this was really for the sake of the country, or because he was afraid in his heart, he didn't dare to go to Huaiyin and seal it.

After three breaths, Xiong Huai saw that Ziqing had no different color under his gaze, so he smiled and said, "Then in your opinion, what should happen to my Chu State?" ”

Ziqing responded: "Father, the Song Kingdom is just a small country, with a land of less than 1,000 miles and a population of less than 3 million. With the strength of the Song Kingdom, if you want to obtain the land, manpower and material resources of Huaibei, it must be decades.

Therefore, Erchen thought that this was not the time to use troops against the Song State, as long as he waited a few years until the strength of my Chu State recovered, at that time, it would be easy to attack the Song State and recover Huaibei. ”

After saying that, Ziqing immediately arched his hand and said, "Please think twice, father!" ”

Xiong Huai looked at Ziqing curiously when he heard this, although what he said just now was far from what he was planning, but in its current form, it was indeed very stable.

Thinking about it, Xiong Huai smiled and asked, "Ziqing, what Fang just said, is what you think?" ”

Ziqing nodded and said: "Don't dare to deceive my father, what the son just said, it is when I listen to the minister's discussion at these times, I find it by myself." But if there is anything inappropriate, please atone for your sins. ”

Xiong Huai bowed slightly, and he did not have any doubts about what Ziqing said.

Because he has not yet performed the crown salute at the moment, and he is not qualified to participate in politics, if Xiong Huai had not been summoned temporarily, his voice would not have reached his ears. Therefore, no one will deliberately teach him this.

At this time, Xiong Huai looked at Ziqing and sighed secretly: This Ziqing has lost his mother since he was a child, and the mother and son do not see each other, but he is a young man and an old man, and he is more stable than the prince who is eager for quick success.

After a pause, Xiong Huai spoke: "Yes, Ziqing, what you just said is exactly what the widow wants, and the second thing that the widow summoned you here today is to stabilize the Song Kingdom and keep the Song Kingdom neutral." ”

Ziqing was slightly stunned, then couldn't help but look at Xiong Huai in horror, and said secretly: Could it be that my father wants to send me to the Song Kingdom as a hostage, and Huaiyin and Baima are compensation?

It's just that going to the Song State to be a hostage is an extremely dangerous thing, once the two countries of Chu and Song go to war at some time in the future, then he, as a hostage and just an ordinary son of the King of Chu, is very likely to be killed by the Song State to vent his anger.

Thinking about it, Ziqing's face changed, and then there was a look of determination in his eyes.

At this time, Xiong Huai saw this Ziqing's face change, until there was a resolute look in his eyes, and he knew that he had made up his mind.

Sure enough, Xiong Huai didn't wait long, and Ziqing bowed and said: "Father, in order to stabilize the Song Kingdom, the sons are willing to go to the Song Kingdom as hostages!" ”

Seeing this, Xiong Huai nodded, and praised slightly in his heart again.

Although Zi Young Ji is young, he does not shirk in the face of national disasters, and he can stand up and take the initiative to take the lead, which is much more responsible than Zilan of the same size back then.

Thinking about it, Xiong Huai sighed, then shook his head with a smile and said: "Because of Huaibei, the contradictions between Chu and Song cannot be reconciled in a short time. Therefore, if you want to win over the Song State and show the sincerity of the Chu State, you have to need another country to mediate. And this country is the state of Zhao.

The second thing is the marriage of Chu and Zhao, and the widow wants to ask the king of Zhao for the princess as his wife for you, and exchange hostages with the state of Zhao. ”

"Zhao Guo? Not Song Guo? Ziqing was stunned for a moment, and didn't react for a while.

"Of course it's Zhao Guo!" Xiong Huai nodded with a smile and said, "With the mere Song Kingdom, I am not qualified to exchange hostages with the widows. ”

At this time, Ziqing breathed a sigh of relief, Chu and Zhao had no stakes, and it was far safer to go to Zhao than Song.

Thinking about it, he immediately saluted and said, "My son is willing to respect the order of his father." ”

Xiong Huai nodded, and then asked: "This time I went to Zhao State, in addition to being a hostage, the widow also specially found a great sage for you as a teacher, I hope that you will not be willing to fall and waste your studies in Zhao Kingdom." When I return to China in the future, I will share my worries for my father! ”

Ziqing nodded vigorously, and then asked expectantly, "Father, I don't know which great sage it is?" ”

Xiong Huai smiled: "It's my Chu country's famous man Guanzi." ”

"Quaycland?" Ziqing was stunned, he hadn't heard of this person.