Chu.

Time passed inadvertently, and in early December, the dust finally settled on the matter of Qi borrowing grain.

Except for Wei and Zhongshan, none of the other countries lent Qi a grain of grain.

When Xiong Huai heard this news, although he was in the cold winter, he suddenly felt overjoyed and proud.

After that, there was no news from the Qi State for several days, and Xiong Huai relaxed.

A few more days passed, and it was mid-December.

On this day, Xiong Huai had nothing to do, and specially summoned the prince Fu Huanyuan to explain "Lao Tzu" for himself.

In the past few years, with the continuous growth of experience and the rich gifts left by his predecessor, Xiong Huai's understanding of the book "Lao Tzu" has become more and more profound.

Every time I read this book, I have a realization.

And the crown prince Fu Huanyuan is the descendant of Lao Tzu, and even the book "Lao Tzu" in Xiong Huai's hand is engraved by Huan Yuan himself, so as soon as Xiong Huai is free, he will summon Huan Yuan into the palace to explain "Lao Tzu" to him.

Of course, with different statuses and different experiences, the perspective of looking at the problem will be different, and Huanyuan's understanding of "Lao Tzu" will naturally not be the same as Xiong Huai.

Xiong Huai was prepared for this, and did not deliberately force his understanding of "Lao Tzu" to be consistent with Lao Tzu's successor Huan Yuan, nor did he force Huan Yuan to agree with his understanding.

He just wants to look at the problem from a different angle, and if he can gain one more view, a point of view, a different way of thinking, then the world will be different.

As for who is right and who is wrong, who knows!

Anyway, Xiong Huai never argued with Huanyuan.

Maybe Huan Yuan misunderstood, or Xiong Huai misunderstood, or both of them were wrong, or maybe both of them were right, and Huan Yuan wouldn't care about this, and Xiong Huai wouldn't care.

Right or wrong doesn't matter, it's just a matter of whether it's useful or not.

Huan Yuan sat on the main seat and explained his understanding of "Lao Tzu" with emotion, very few of which were about the policy of governing the country, and more about the current situation of the world and the people, and talked about his views on the future and the Taoist concept of building the world.

Xiong Huai sat opposite Huanyuan and listened with relish.

Even, Xiong Huai didn't notice that two guests appeared outside the hall one after another.

Outside the hall, Chen Zhendou came from the two of them one after another, but found that the king of Chu was listening to Huan Yuan's lecture on "Lao Tzu", so he set his feet at the gate and did not enter the hall to disturb, but chose to listen outside the hall.

After a long time, Huan Yuan finished the volume of "Lao Tzu" in his hand, rolled up the wooden tablet in his hand, put it on the side, and arched his hand: "King, this volume has been finished." ”

Xiong Huai said unfinished when he heard the words: "I don't want time to pass so quickly, in the past, I was the king of Zhuang Wang Yan, and when I talked to the sage, I wouldn't feel hungry and tired, and it was really like this!" ”

As he spoke, he glanced at the two ministers outside the hall and said with a smile: "Not only that, but it is also easy to forget!" ”

Huan Yuan also saw Chen Zhen and the two waiting outside the hall at this time, and said with a smile: "King, where does the minister deserve the title of great sage, but the king is willing to listen to the old man's nagging, which is the honor of the minister." Now that the great sage who can truly govern the country and the country has arrived, please retire. ”

Xiong Huai replied and said to Li Qiu: "Si Gong, send Mr. for the widow." ”

"Yui!"

After Huan Yuan left, Chen Zhen and the others walked into the hall and saluted: "Meet the king!" ”

"Excuse me!"

After they sat down, Xiong Huai asked, "I don't know what is the important matter for the two virtuous people to come to see the widow?" ”

Chen Zhen and Dou You glanced at each other, Dou You smiled slightly, and signaled to Chen Zhen, come first and come first, let Chen Zhen speak first.

Chen Zhen nodded and arched his hand: "King, there are some situations on the Song side, so the minister specially came to report to the king." ”

"Song Kingdom!" Xiong Huai asked puzzledly, "What happened to Song Guo?" The widow has already sent a minister to the Song State to do business, could it be that the Qi State plans to tear his face with the widow and forcibly use troops against the Song State? ”

Chen Zhen shook his head: "Great King, the State of Qi has never used troops against the Song State, but before the Qi army in Xue Di dispersed, the Qi envoy Su Dai and the Wei envoy Zhai Qiang sent an envoy to the Song State together, and the Su Dynasty used the lack of food in the Qi State as a threat, and asked the Song State to return the 300,000 grain that the Qi State lent to the Song State a few years ago. ”

"As a result, the King of Song could not bear the pressure of Qi and Wei, and not only sold 300,000 stone of grain to the State of Qi at twice the price, but also sent the princess to be the concubine of the King of Qi."

Xiong Huai's face sank when he heard this.

The lack of food in Qi is an obvious thing, and there are still countries around that have the right to choose independently, but the Song State is the weakest, and it is reasonable for Qi State to persecute Song State, otherwise Chu State would not have to send ministers to Song State to do things.

In the case that the state of Chu was unable to send troops, the king of Song could not bear the pressure and sold some grain to the state of Qi to avoid the state of Qi being cornered, which was also reasonable, and Xiong Huai had already prepared.

Zuo Cheng's purpose in going to the Song State was to deter the Qi State, firstly, to make the Qi State dare not easily send troops to the Song State, and secondly, to let the Song State be able to pretend to be a tiger, and have enough confidence to face the Qi State and avoid suffering losses in the negotiations with the Qi State.

What really surprised Xiong Huai was that Wei intervened in the matter of Qi persecuting Song State, and second, Song State was so soft-boned, not only did he sell grain at a very low price, he did not take the opportunity to blackmail Qi State, but also took the initiative to send the princess to Qi State.

This made Xiong Huai feel very wrong!

Thinking about it, Xiong Huai opened his mouth and asked, "Chen Qing, I don't know what Qing thinks about the affairs of the Song Kingdom?" ”

Chen Zhen responded: "Great King, Song State's response should be related to Wei State's interference. Because in the past few years, the Song State has not only captured more than ten cities in the Qi State, but also captured the Teng State. ”

"Since the State of Qi ceded Zhongwu City to our State of Chu, now the Xue Land of the State of Qi has almost become an enclave of the State of Qi, with only two narrow passages, one east and one north, connecting the Qi State itself. Once there is another war between Qi and Chu, then Xue Di will be cut off by Chu and Song. ”

"And Meng Yanjun's reputation in the world is very high, and there are thousands of disciples under his door, and his strength in the Qi State should not be underestimated, so Meng Yanjun has been advocating the benefits of the Song Dynasty in the Qi State."

"Therefore, the contradictions between Qi and Song are very deep, and the minister thinks that the possibility of the Song State falling to the Qi State in a short period of time is not high, and the reason why the current situation has occurred should be related to the Wei State."

Saying that, Chen Zhen arched his hand and said: "Great King, the situation of the Song State and the Wei State is what we should pay attention to." ”

Xiong Huai nodded when he heard this, the strength of the Song State was weak, and when the State of Chu had just sent a minister to the State of Song to do something, the State of Song immediately turned against the State of Chu, this kind of thing the State of Song could not do, after all, the State of Song could not afford to offend the State of Qi, and it could not afford to offend the State of Chu.

What really upset Xiong Huai was the Wei State, and the Wei State united with the Qi State to oppress the Song State, an ally of the Chu State, which undoubtedly showed one thing, that is, the two countries of Chu and Wei had drifted apart.

Although Xiong Huai thought that the next actions of the State of Chu would definitely centrifuge the State of Wei, but now that the State of Wei took the initiative to alienate from the State of Chu, this made Xiong Huai a little annoyed.

Thinking about it, Xiong Huai asked: "Chen Qing, the affairs of the Wei State are very dissatisfied, but there is a way to restrict the Wei State?" ”

Chen Zhen thought for a while and said: "King, if the king intends to dominate the world, then the minister naturally has a way, but at this time, the minister thinks that more is better than less!" ”