Four

The envoys who went to various countries to defend the country really worked, and soon the soldiers of the five countries marched mightily to Xingyang. The capital of Zheng Guo was surrounded by the army of the Five Routes. The state called for a specific division of labor among the armies of the five countries, Wei Guo and Lu Guo took charge alone, Wei Guo attacked the east gate, Lu Guo attacked the west gate, and Song Guo and Chen and Cai formed a company to attack the south gate. The forces of the Five Nations Coalition took their own orders.

Zheng Zhuanggong did not expect that there would be an army of five countries to jointly attack Zheng State. The ministers gathered to discuss with the palace how to face the battle. Most of the ministers panicked. Some talk about peace, some say to fight, poor Zheng Guo harassed Zhou Tianzi's sacrificial army is still at the border pass, and the capital is not strong enough to meet the city, how can the army of the five countries attack the city. When the ministers were talking about it, Zheng Zhuanggong's mind was very calm. He carefully considered the current situation. Although the five-nation alliance is led by Wei Guo, this state is completely for the sake of showmanship, because Wei Guo originally had no reason with Zheng Guo; Lu Guo is the son of the prince, and he must be bribed heavily and send troops, and his Lu Jun does not necessarily agree, and he definitely does not want to lose his troops and return home; Song Guo offended me because of his son Feng Keju Zheng Guo; Cai and Chen have no grudges against Zheng, and they will not send much strength to participate in the ....... Thinking of this, Zheng Zhuanggong decisively ordered that the troops be divided into four routes: send people all the way to send Zifeng to Changge and return to the Song Dynasty to Zheng Guo without the intention of establishing a son, Zifeng, and lead the forces of the Song State to Changge; privately told the Song State to withdraw his troops, and Zi Feng sneaked back to Xingyang by himself; The second way is to urgently tell the sacrificial foot who is patrolling outside to kill a horse pistol; The son of the Three Roads faction, Lu, led part of the chariots to fight the guards of the state at the east gate; The fourth way is to send some secret agents to the armies of Chen and Cai to tell that Zheng Guo and the two countries have no previous enmity, and there is no intention of opposing them, and Zheng sent troops to fight only the guards. These four people went out of the city, and immediately there was a commotion in the coalition army.

The allied forces of the Five Nations were assigned according to the state call, and each of them gathered around the capital of Zheng State, and their respective places were allocated according to the allocation. Wei Guo Tun lived at the east gate, Youzhou called for the army to storm the east gate, Lu Guotun lived in the west, led the army to besiege the west gate by the opportunity, and Song Guo and Chen and Cai attacked the tun at the south gate, doing the siege. The state called for a north gate, thinking that he Zheng Zhuang had to flee out of the city and take the north gate.

Who knew that the battle of the coalition army had begun, but there was silence in the capital of Zheng Guo. The west gate and the south gate were closed, and the soldiers defending the city were all waiting on the city wall, and they couldn't go out to meet the battle. Only the east gate was opened, and Gongzi Lu led a very small number of soldiers and horses to meet the battle. Seeing this, the state called for Shi Hou to lead troops to meet the battle.

After a few rounds of fighting, Gongzi Lu retreated to the second line of defense, and Shi Hou took advantage of the victory to pursue. Zhou Hu was proud, and received a report that Song Guo, Chen Guo, and Cai Guo had withdrawn their troops, and Lu Guo did not dare to attack when he saw that Ximen was not moving. The state is wondering: Why did the armies of the three countries withdraw their troops without orders? There was also a report that the sacrificial army stationed in other places was hurrying back to the capital to rescue them, and they would arrive soon. The state did not dare to fall in love with the war, so it had to withdraw its troops. He did not let Shi Hou pursue, and captured some booty near the east gate and hastily withdrew his troops. As everyone knows, Song Guo withdrew his troops to attack Changge City, and Chen Guo and Cai Guo were persuaded by Zheng Guo's lobbyists and bribed by Zheng Guo, and returned without a fight. The state and Lu general Ji Hui each shared some of the spoils of the suburbs and celebrated the victory together, and the armies of the two countries hurriedly withdrew their troops after drinking and meat.

Zhou Hu led his army back to China, claiming to have won the battle, thinking that the court had increased his prestige and temporarily consolidated his monarchy. However, the state is still panicked and intends to make great progress, but it is still a big problem for the people to be dissatisfied and the Son of Heaven to recognize it. Let the state call a lot of brains.

The state asked Shi Hou how to further convince the people. Shi Hou said that if the old ministers of the previous dynasty could come forward to maintain the throne, the people would be able to recognize the monarch's position. The state called for Shi Hou to ask Shi Jie to go out of the mountain to support, and Shi Jie claimed that he was too old and infirm to go out of the mountain. Shi Hou couldn't invite his father Shi Jie, and he also wanted to ask his father for a job, if there was any way to stabilize the throne of Zhouhu.

Shi Hou asked his father Shi Jie, "How can I make the state call stable and the throne?" ”

Shi Jie said: "The pilgrimage to Zhou Tianzi can obtain legal status. ”

Shi Hou asked again: "Zhou Hu is still suspected of killing the king, how can the Zhou royal family trust and receive it?" ”

Shi Jie pondered for a moment and said, "Marquis Chen Huan is favored by Zhou Tianzi. Now that Chen and Wei are in harmony with each other, and the joint conquest of Zheng Guo is victorious, there is no barrier between them, if they meet Chen Huan Hou and ask him to intercede with Zhou Tianzi first, he will definitely succeed. ”

Shi Hou was like a treasure, so he quickly reported the method he got from his father to Zhou Hu. The result of the discussion between the two men was indeed a worthy idea.

The two also said that they would do it, and Zhou Hu took Shi Hou and others to really prepare to go to Chen Guo. Where did the two know that they had embarked on their own road to Huangquan as soon as they went.

Shi Jie's relationship with Chen Guoda's doctor Zi Lian was very close, and when Wei Guo's life and death were at stake, he couldn't be indifferent, so Shi Jie's fingers were cut off to repair a blood book, hoping to transfer it to Chen Huan Hou through Zi Lian.

Shi Jie's blood book reads:

Foreign minister Shi Jiebai bowed to His Royal Highness Chen Xianhou, the defense of the country is small, the sky is in trouble, unfortunately there is a murder of the king, although it is the rebellion of the Duke of Huan at this time, there are also the rebels of the ministers who are greedy and greedy. If the two rebellions are not punished, the rebellious ministers and thieves will follow one after another. The old minister is old and can't control it, and he is guilty of the first father. Today, the two reverse cars into the country are really the old man's scheme, fortunately the country is committed to the crime, with the outline of the courtiers. It is not the luck of the only vassal country, but the luck of the world.

The old minister knocked

Shi Jie's blood letter really alarmed Chen Guojun and his ministers. Chen Guodafu Zi Lian and Shi Jie's friendship have always been known, and they understand each other's way of being a person, dealing with things and being a minister, and they are honest and honest, and they have always admired Shi Jie's wit and sincerity.

Chen Huanhou read the letter and pondered for a long time, Chen Huanhou knew that his father married his two sisters to Wei Hou, one was his sibling sister from the lineage, and the other was not born to the same mother but was the same father and sister, and the one who gave birth to Wei Huan was Dai Fei, and the one who was killed was his nephew Ji Wan. Ji Wan's death Chen Huanhou suspected that it was related to Zhou Hu, but he could not get accurate information, and recently learned that Zhou Hu not only killed the monarch, but also killed the mother of the country, Yu Jiang. The true face of this tyrant has been fully exposed. Seeing the blood book, Chen Huanhou already hated from his heart, and evil was born from his guts, and not killing was not enough to calm the indignation in his heart.

But Chen Huanhou was a cultivated person after all, and he still calmly asked the eldest master: "What should I do about this?" ”

Zi Lian said, "The state calls for the killing of the monarch, the killing of the mother of the country, and the deception of the world, and heaven does not tolerate it." It can harm Wei Guo today, and it can also harm our Chen Guo in the future, if you don't get rid of such a violent and faint monarch, there will be troubles, and after all, Wei Huan Gong is also Chen Guo's concubine, we can't turn a blind eye. ”

Chen Huanhou made a decision and said, "Okay, just do it!" ”

However, they said that Zhou Hu and Shi Hou relied on the Zheng Alliance the day before yesterday, and thought that they had earned enough face in Chen State, and Chen Guo would be able to treat them ceremoniously. I prepared some more gifts and rushed to Chen Guo. Sure enough, the prince of Chen Guo came out of Guo to greet him, treated him with etiquette, and arranged him to stay in the post house, saying that he would come to meet Chen Huanhou in the Taimiao. Zhou Huzi was very proud, waiting to discuss with Chen Huanhou about meeting the king of Zhou. Chen Huanhou calmly and kindly treated Zhou Hu and his party, and had stabilized the Zhou Hu and his men, and the escort army of the country was stationed on the outskirts of the city, and only Shi Hou, Zhou Hu and his personal retinue lived in the post house. The next day, when he saw Chen Huanhou, his personal entourage was also blocked out of the Taimiao, and only Zhou Hu and Shi Hou could step into the Taimiao.

Shi Hou first stepped into the temple and saw a plaque set up by the door, which read: "If you are disloyal to your ministers, you will not enter if you are not filial to your son!" Shi Hou was taken aback, and his steps were a little heavy.

Seeing Shi Hou's impassivity, the eldest doctor said to Shi Hou: "This is the last instruction of the ancestor of Chen Guo, and the current monarch cannot forget it, so it is hung here to encourage the monarch to see the plaque every day." ”

When Shi Hou stepped into the second gate with Zhou Hu, he saw a plaque standing next to the door, which read: "If you have no ambition and are in the extreme, the disaster of your family and country will be punished by the people" Zhou Hu was stunned and felt his heart beating.

The eldest doctor said to the state: "This is the last instruction of the ancestor of Chen Guo, and the current monarch cannot forget it, so it is hung here to see the plaque for the monarch every day." ”

The two iron gates "clanged" twice and then were confined behind Zhou Hu and Shi Hou. Chen Huanhou sat upright in the main hall, the two rows of He Jian's guards were majestic and majestic, and the two of them already felt that the atmosphere was wrong.

Chen Huanhou saw that the two of them were already standing alone in the middle of the hall, so he shouted: "Take down the two villains Zhou Hu and Shi Hou for me!" ”

Zhou Hu's face was as frightened as earth, and Shi Hou stepped forward to distinguish and said: "There is no estrangement between Wei and Chen, why do you treat my two monarchs and ministers like this?" ”

Chen Huanhou's voice was stern and indistinguishable. A guard next to him rushed up and pressed the two to the ground and tied them up.

In the state that was pulled up, the corners of his mouth were bleeding, he sprayed a mouthful of blood foam in his mouth at Chen Huanhou, and scolded: "I think you Chen Huanhou is the king of a country, you look like a dog, but you are so insidious and cunning, you promise to be summoned but you are so vicious, you will not be rewarded for your unkindness and injustice, and you will be punished by heaven!" ”

Chen Huanhou sneered a few times and said, "Zhou Hu, the widow asked you, who killed Duke Wei Huan?" Who killed Zhuang Jiang, the mother of the country? You are so murderous and usurpative, rebellious, and confronted the widow with the face! ”

The state shouted: "What do you have to do with my defense of the country!" ”

Chen Huanhou told the two of them in a righteous and awe-inspiring manner: "You two have done evil, killed the king and usurped rebellion, risked the condemnation of the world, and defended the country with the same hatred and hatred." The widow understands the righteousness, does the right thing for heaven, and should be entrusted by the old ministers to help the country eliminate traitors and return the country to a bright future. Escort the two thieves to the widow! ”

However, Marquis Chen Huan did not immediately execute the two, but imprisoned Zhou Hu and Shi Hou in Puyi and Chen Du respectively. Then he wrote a letter, and sent someone to rush to the country to defend the country and report to Shi Jie.

Shi Jie received a letter from Marquis Chen Huan, and hurriedly summoned the important ministers of the imperial court to tell the truth, and read the handwritten letter of Marquis Chen Huan to the ministers to discuss how to deal with Zhou Hu and Shi Hou. In the past three years, the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty have long held a grudge against Zhouhu, but they dare not speak out in anger. Hearing Shi Jie's old minister say that Zhou Hu was detained by Chen Guo, he felt very happy. The civil and military officials knew the elders of the three dynasties of Shijie, and they were highly respected among the ministers of the country, and unanimously said: "The major affairs of the Weiguo Society are all up to Dr. Shi to take the idea and preside over it impartially." We will obey Doctor Shi. ”

Shi Jie saw that all the doctors wanted to make their own decisions, so he said: "The two traitors are unforgivable, and they must be punished in order to thank the spirits of the ancestors and ancestors." Comfort Duke Huan and Mrs. Yu Jiang. Who is willing to do this? ”

Ji Chou, the right ruler of the country, said: "Rebellious ministers and thieves, not killing is not enough to make the people angry." Ji Chou is not talented, with public anger, the matter of killing Zhou Hu can be handed over to me. ”

Counting it up, Ji Chou can also be regarded as a foreign branch of the Gong family, and it is just right for Ji Chou to kill the state, and the important ministers present have no objections. It's just that someone suggested that Shi Hou was an entourage and should be treated lightly.

Shi Jie was very angry when he heard this, and he said to everyone: "The evil of the state is all caused by the help of the rebels!" Killing Shi Hou and apologizing for the crime of defending the country is a family matter of my Shi family, and the old man should personally kill this thief, otherwise, he will have no shame to face his ancestors. ”

After the old doctor Shi Jie returned home, he arranged for the housekeeper to rush to Chen Guo to kill Shi Hou.

According to Shi Jie's intentions, the ministers set up the palace and sent people to Xingguo to welcome Ji Jin back to the throne.

In 718 BC, Wei Guo Ji Jin succeeded to the throne as Wei Xuangong.