Three

After King Huan of Zhou succeeded to the throne, he deeply felt that the tyranny of Duke Zheng Zhuang had posed a threat to the Zhou family. In addition, King Zhou Huan knew since he was a child that his father, as the crown prince, could not serve his grandfather closely, and the reason for this was that Zheng Wugong suspected King Ping. Therefore, Zheng Guo's fate was all done by Zheng Guo, and the account of his father's death from depression in his chest must of course be recorded on the Zheng family. This Ji Lin, who has experienced state affairs, has long hated the Zheng family. After succeeding to the throne, he found that Duke Yu was a talent, easy-going, and thoughtful, unlike the Zheng father and son, who were pretending to be public and selfish, and had ghosts in their hearts, and they were exploiting the loopholes of the court everywhere. So he discussed with Duke Zhou that the position of Duke Zheng Zhuang should be removed and the Duke of Yu would be held by Duke Yu. Duke Zhou's black shoulder reminded King Zhou Huan that the Zheng family had been diligent in the Zhou royal family for the third time, so he should consider showing mercy to his subordinates. King Zhou Huan had made up his mind, so he summoned Zheng Zhuanggong and expressed his heart directly.

This time he offended Zheng Zhuanggong, Zhuang Gong walked away with his sleeves in a daze, and said in his mouth, "The minister has been thanking the government for a long time, and I will say goodbye today." When he went out, he said, "Ji Lin, this son is ungrateful, and he can't be assisted." ”

Since then, he has never faced Saint Nagong again, and sent sacrifices to provoke the Zhou royal family. This sacrificial foot patrolled to the border of Zhou and Zheng. First of all, he sent someone to send a message to the leader of the tribe in the border towns, Dr. Wen Di Shiyi, saying: "There is another disaster in Zheng Guo this year, and there is not enough food to eat, can you lend me a thousand stones of grain." ”

When the doctor of Wendi Shiyi saw that he wanted to borrow grain for the sacrificial foot, he knew that the sacrificial foot had bad intentions, so he replied: "Wendi belongs to Zhou Wangji, and you can't borrow grain at will without the order of the Son of Heaven." If it is true that Zheng Guo encounters a famine, he will ask Zheng Guojun to borrow grain from Zhou Tianzi, and I, a local official, have no right to lend Zheng Guo grain, and there is not so much food. ”

Seeing that Dr. Wendi refused to borrow food, the priest began his true assertion. This season is the time of the second wheat harvest, isn't the grain just around the corner? Why should I discuss with you, it's just a salute before the soldiers. So he ordered the army to have his sickle and to reap the ripe wheat of the warm land with open fire.

The doctor of Wendi Shiyi never thought that the sacrificial foot would be robbed like a bandit. wanted to expel the bandits, but saw that Zheng Guo's three armies were dispatched at the same time, some of the sergeants collected the wheat, and some of the sergeants protected, ready to meet the battle at any time. Where did Doctor Wendi Shiyi see this formation, and thought to himself how he could resist the strong Zheng Jun with his own Wendi family. I could only watch the sacrificial army harvest the wheat. After harvesting the wheat of Zhou, he was not willing to sacrifice his feet, and stationed troops at the border for more than three months, waiting for the early rice in Wendi to mature, and he was about to start harvesting the early rice in Wendi. saw that Zhou had sent heavy troops to Wendi to protect him. It turned out that Dr. Wendi Shiyi had already reported the matter of Zheng Guo's army harvesting wheat to the Zhou royal family, and King Zhou Huan was very annoyed, so the royal family ordered troops to defend. Seeing the border of the Zhou royal family Chen Bing, he knew that it was not as easy to harvest early rice as it was to harvest wheat. The sacrificial foot let the army disguise itself as a common people to lurk in the warm land, and take advantage of the night to harvest early rice. He personally led a large army to meet him.

The sacrificial army robbed the wheat and stole the early rice, which made the people of Wendi complain and reported to King Zhou Huan. As a result, King Huan of Zhou completely lost confidence in Zheng Guo. Whenever the princes made a pilgrimage to King Zhou Huan, they counted the crimes of Zheng Guo, although they did not rise up to deal with Zheng Guo with the same hatred and hatred of the princes of the world, but they had already expressed their strong dissatisfaction with Zheng Guo.

Zhou Hu has just ascended the throne and appointed Shi Hou as the prime minister. Shi Hou has been calling from the state since he was a child, and he is like a fish in water at this moment. Because the state called for the murder of the monarch and the mother of the country, and the tyrannical dictatorship, the patriots were silent, but they did not support him from the bottom of their hearts. It's just that the ministers of the Manchu Dynasty are afraid of its tyranny, and they dare not speak lightly for the safety of the whole family.

In the opinion of Zhou Hu, in order to win the attention of neighboring countries and really regard him as a monarch, it is necessary to be in the limelight and let the surrounding countries believe in their ability and authority, so he found Shi Hou to discuss how to test his ability to conquer other countries.

Shi Hou said: "Zheng Zhuang Gong once pursued his younger brother Ji Duan and defended the country, and now he was resigned from the throne by King Zhou Huan, he is angry with King Zhou Huan, every time he is offended, it is the right time to attack Zheng Guo, if the lord wants to crusade, he can only crusade against Zheng Guo to give a reason." ”

Zhou Hu said: "Zheng Guo first destroyed the State of Yi, and then destroyed the State of Dongyu and Hu, it is the time of strength, and then Zheng and Qi are allies, crusade against Zheng State, let Wei Guo face the two Central Plains powers, how can they win?" ”

Shi Hou said: "Now if any country wants to attack another country, it needs to unite many countries to participate in the war, and it cannot rely on the strength of one country to crusade. Moreover, the alliance of Zheng and Qi, one south and one north, and a joint attack is very dangerous for the defense of the country. If you want to attack Zheng Guo, you must create public opinion that Zheng Zhuang Gong deceived his superiors and subordinates, saw no court, killed his younger brother and imprisoned his mother, and did many evils, so that other countries could understand that crusading against Zheng Guo was to do the right thing for heaven. Relay the information to the Qi State, so that the Qi State will not move troops because of our defense of the country and the attack on Zheng. Now the country with the different surname of the Son of Heaven is the Song State, and the country with the same surname is respected by the Lu State, and the lord wants to attack the Zheng State must send someone to persuade the two countries to send troops This is one of them, in addition, the Son of Zhou and Zheng Zhuang Gong have always had friction and conflict, and the two countries of Chen and Cai must know, because the two countries of Chen and Cai have always been obedient and filial to the Son of Zhou, saying that the Zhou royal family and the Zheng State are not in harmony and crusade against the Zheng State, the two countries will send troops, if they can be the five national divisions, how can they not conquer the Zheng State. ”

Zhou Hu thought for a while and said: "It will be difficult for Song and Lu to send troops if they are big countries." ”

Shi Hou said: "I heard that Lu Yingong, the monarch of Lu State, is relatively weak and Gongzi Hui monopolizes military power, and the lord can take out the national treasure to bribe Ji Hui, if Ji Hui wants to send troops, Lu Yingong will not stop him, and it is not difficult for Lu to send troops." As for the Song State, it is enough to send one person to lobby. ”

Shi Hou recommended a person named Ning Yi to lobby Song Guo, and told him in person before leaving. The rest of the dishes are served with stone thickness.

But said that this Ning Yi, who is loyal to people, but can shake his lips and puff his tongue, can speak the Tao, and before leaving Shi Hou taught him how to grasp the fatal problem of Song Yangong, Ning Yihui County nodded.

Ning Yi went to the Song State and told the story straight to the point that the Song Alliance had attacked Zheng State.

Song Yangong was puzzled, he thought for a while and said: "Although Zheng Zhuang Gong is disrespectful to the king of Zhou, and there are some provocations on the border, but Song and Zheng have always been reconciled and have been good neighbors for many years, how can I, the Song State, attack it at will?" ”

Ning Yi waved his hand and said: "This difference is that Zheng Zhuang has no way, he killed his brother and imprisoned his mother, deceived the king, and his nephew and grandson slipped away to defend the country, and he did not let go. Now Zheng Guo should be the public enemy of my Song and Wei. ”

Song Yangong was a little puzzled, why did Zheng Guo become the enemy of my Song Kingdom and your defense of the country? “

Ning Yi asked Song Yangong to retreat from his left and right, and then leaned forward and whispered to Song Yangong: "Who is the king inherited?" It is the position of your uncle Song Mugong. According to the succession system of princes, the position of Song Mugong was inherited by Feng Lai, the son of Mugong. Although Mu Gong loves his brother and acts as a virtue, do you know what Zifeng will think? ”

This sentence did stab Song Yangong's sore spot. It turns out that the Song family has an unspeakable story.

In 729 B.C., Song Xuangong reigned for 19 years, Xuangong was seriously ill, and saw that his son and Yishang were young and his younger brother was young and resourceful, so he wanted to give way to his younger brother Gongzi He, so he said to the ministers around him: "The father dies and the son succeeds to the throne, and the elder brother dies and the younger brother succeeds to the throne, which is common in the world." Now my son is still young and difficult to manage state affairs, but my younger brother Zihe is talented and can manage state affairs, so I want to give way to my younger brother Zihe. ”

Zihe repeatedly pushed back, Song Xuangong was determined, and Zihe had no choice but to accept the throne. In the same year, after the death of Song Xuangong, Gongzi and succeeded to the throne as Song Mugong

In 720 BC, Song Mugong reigned for nine years, and Song Mugong was seriously ill, so he summoned Sima Kong's father. Song Mugong said to Confucius Father: "Brother Song Xuangong of the first monarch gave up his son and Yi to establish me as the king, I dare not forget." When I die, I must be established and made king. “

Kong Fujia shook his head and said slowly: "The current Song Kingdom is the world of your Song Mugong, the monarch and the ministers are on a blind date, although the Song Mugong let the monarch be the younger brother first, but the lord can imagine that the current ministers are more respectful to you as the monarch, if there is a change, the important ministers in the court will support your eldest son Feng." Now it is seen that Zifeng is kind and has the ability to govern the Song Kingdom, if he does not establish Zifeng, he is afraid that the court will not be stable. ”

Song Mugong said: "Listen to me, don't set up Zi Feng, it was Brother Xuan who passed the throne to the widow, and now the widow will of course pass the throne to the prince and Yi of the year." The will of the widow has been decided, and it cannot be changed. ”

Kong Fujia said: "If the lord wants to establish and Yi, then the only way to do this is to send Zifeng to another country now." Otherwise, the succession battle will be difficult for the imperial court to parry. ”

So Song Mugong adopted the advice of Kong's father and summoned his son Feng with his sick and weak body.

Seeing Zifeng, Song Mugong said to Zifeng: "Now I order you to leave Song and live in Zheng at once. There must be no mistakes. You can take your life with you and live there for the rest of your life. ”

Zifeng knew that his father wanted to pass on the throne to his uncle, but seeing that his father was seriously ill, he wanted to serve his father during his critical illness, so he was reluctant and pleaded again and again. was sternly rejected by Song Mugong. Zifeng had no choice but to take his family and a large amount of jewelry and possessions to Zheng Guo. The whole court of the Song State understood the purpose of Song Mugong's move. General Song Mugong refused to inherit the throne from Zi Feng. That is, the Zen of the ancestors has become the change of the clan.

On the fifth day of August of this year, Song Mugong really died, and his original son He Yi succeeded to the throne smoothly with the support of Kong Fujia, and was the Duke of Song Mu.

This history has become an indelible memory for the Song court.

After the two recalled this history, Ning Yi said again: "Don't you know that Zheng Guo has the intention of arguing for his son Feng as the monarch in order to get the Song State?" In order to annex Hu Guo when Zheng Wugong was in power, Zheng Wugong could marry his daughter to Hu Guojun first, and now that his son Feng is in hand, how could Zheng Guo miss this opportunity? If Wei Guo and Song Guo do not join forces to attack Zheng and wait for the powerful Zheng State to be broken one by one, then the monarch will not only lose his throne, but I am afraid that it will be difficult for the head of Xiang to protect himself. ”

A cool breeze broke out on Ning Yi's neck, and he broke out in a cold sweat. Song Yangong thought about it carefully, if it was really Zheng Guo who established his son Feng as the marquis, and the soldiers pressed the border, would he still have his own good fruits to eat? After thinking about it, Song Yangong still decided to send troops to attack Zheng. After Ning Yi and Song Yangong agreed to send troops, they returned to defend the country with the pride of the victor and reported to Shihou and Zhouhu.