In mid-July, Zhao's father took Li Shi, the envoy of the Song State, as well as Meng Zhong, Meng Hu, Meng Sui and others, to the Zhongshan capital "Lingshou", which had been captured by the Zhao State.

The father of Zhao, who was very happy about this, ordered the three armies to be rewarded, and invited the generals of Zhao in the palace of the king of Zhongshan, and called the destruction of Zhongshan the final victory of "the five defeats".

Counting the meritorious people of this war, Meng Zhong also learned about it recently, and learned that the heroes who attacked Zhongshan Country included Gongzi Zhang, Zhao Yuan, Niu Qian, Zhao Xi, Li Wei and others.

Among them, Gongzi Zhang is Zhao Zhang, the eldest son of Zhao's father, and Tian Buyu, who Hui Ang told Meng Zhong to visit after arriving in Zhao State, served as a staff member by this person's side; As for the rest of the generals, Zhao Yuan is the general who sits in the "house", Niu Jian is the general who commands the cavalry of the Zhao State, Zhao Xi is the general who sits in the "Daijun" and commands the Hu people and the Rongdi soldiers of the Daijun, and Li Jian is the general who sits in the "Quyang".

These people, plus Xu Jun, who is still stationed in the area of the Dune Palace at this moment, that is, all the leading generals of Zhao State since the second crusade against Zhongshan State, the troops they are in charge of have accounted for about sixty percent of the total strength of Zhao State, and the army that Zhao State has not yet dispatched at this time is only stationed in the Handan area, led by Zhao's uncle "Gongzi Cheng" and Zhao general "Li Dui", and he is stationed on the border of Zhao and Wei to prevent Wei from taking advantage of the situation.

In addition, there is only the "letter period" of Zhao General of Weirong Handan.

At the banquet where Lord Zhao's father invited all the meritorious people, Meng Zhong met his son Zhao Zhang and his staff Tian Buyu.

Based on his eyes and feelings, Meng Zhong thought that Gongzi Zhao Zhang was a very brave person, very similar to Zhao's father-the resemblance here does not only refer to appearance, but to Gongzi Zhao Zhang, who was as brave as Zhao's father when he was young.

It is worth mentioning that Zhao's father ascended the throne as Zhao Jun at the age of fifteen, and Zhao Zhang was also taken to the battlefield by his father Zhao at the age of fifteen to participate in Zhao's second crusade against Zhongshan.

At that time, Zhao Zhang, who was only fifteen years old, commanded more than 10,000 Chinese troops, and in a battle, he successively captured the four cities of Shancheng, Shiyi, Fenglong, and Dongyuan in Zhongshan, and was really a young tiger general.

And now, Zhao Zhang is twenty-four years old, but his bravery has not diminished at all.

To be honest, Zhao Zhang, who is as brave and capable as this, Meng Zhong really couldn't figure out why Master Zhao's father didn't pass on the throne to him, but passed on the throne to the seemingly weak Zhao Wang He.

As for Tian Buyu, the staff member next to Zhao Zhang, Meng Zhong also took a closer look, and he gave Meng Zhong the deepest impression, that is, the two small whiskers on this person's lips, coupled with the appearance of this person when he smiled, which was quite in line with the image of "flattering and traitorous" in Meng Zhong's heart.

Of course, people can't be good-looking, if Tian Buyu is really just a "flattering and traitorous minister", how can he be qualified to become a minister of the Song State, and his righteous brother Hui Ang also asked Meng Zhong to visit after coming to Zhao State?

After the feast was dispersed, Meng Zhong helped the drunken Zhao master to rest in the depths of the palace, and entrusted Wu Ying, Meng Sui and the rest of the Zhao guards to take care of Zhao master and father, while he himself took the letter of his righteous brother Hui Ang to the military camp in the city, and invited his son Zhao Zhang and his staff Tian Buyu.

At this time, the prince Zhao Zhang and Tian Buyu had just returned to the military camp tent in the city, and the former was talking with the latter about the "reward" with great interest, because in today's celebration feast, it could be heard from the words of Zhao's father, that he seemed to be rewarding Zhao Zhang, which made Zhao Zhang very happy.

The two were chatting, and suddenly a soldier came to report: "There is a guard Meng Zhong of the master's father, please see Gongzi and Lord Tian." ”

Zhao Zhang and Tian Buyu glanced at each other, and they both felt a little incredible.

"This Meng Zhong ...... Who is it? Zhao Zhang felt that he had never heard of this name.

Hearing this, Tian Buyu also shook his head and said that he didn't know.

But in the end, Zhao Zhang still summoned Meng Zhong in the tent, and when he saw Meng Zhong, he and Tian Buyu recalled that the young guard who seemed to be only fifteen or sixteen years old was the guard who sat on the small case behind Lord Zhao's father during the banquet - I remember that Zhao Zhang and Tian Buyu were still very surprised at that time, and wondered what the origin of this guard was, and he could be given a seat by Lord Zhao's father on such an occasion.

"You are the guard Meng Zhong next to the master father?"

After looking Meng Zhong up and down a few times, Zhao Zhang asked with a bit of arrogance: "You came to me, why did you do it?" ”

Meng Zhong clenched his fists when he heard this: "Returning to Gongzi, in fact, it is Dr. Tian Buyu who is looking for him. ”

"Looking for me?"

Tian Buyu was a little surprised, touching his beard and pondering Meng Zhong's title of "Doctor Tian", because he did not have a title in Zhao State, he suddenly moved in his heart, and guessed curiously: "Isn't it a ...... Song people? ”

"This Tian Buyu is very sharp."

Meng Zhong commented in his heart, and immediately took out the letter from his brother-in-law Hui'an, handed it to Tian Buyu with both hands, and said: "Before coming to Zhao State on this trip, my brother-in-law gave me this letter, asking me to come to visit Dr. Tian after coming to Zhao State. ”

“……”

Tian Buyu glanced at Meng Zhong in surprise a few times, stepped forward to take the bamboo slip in Meng Zhong's hand, spread it out and took a closer look, and immediately, he said in surprise and joy: "Your brother-in-law turned out to be Dr. Hui Anhui, hahaha, this is really ......" Saying, he patted Meng Zhong's arm affectionately, and then turned his head to Zhao Zhang and said: "Childe, this young man is trustworthy." ”

Hearing this, the arrogance and suspicion in Zhao Zhang's eyes gradually faded, because in Tian Buyu's introduction, this young man named Meng Zhong was the righteous brother of Hui An, an important minister of the Song State, which meant that the other party was his own person, of course, there was no need to take too many precautions.

No, Zhao Zhang immediately ordered the soldiers to prepare wine and food to entertain Meng Zhong.

During this period, Tian Buyu said to Meng Zhong: "When Tian was still in the Song Kingdom, thanks to the care of Doctor Hui, there is nothing to repay, since you are the righteous brother of Doctor Hui, Tian is the eldest child, so I will call you Ah Zhong......" Saying, he asked curiously: "Ah Zhong, why did you serve as a guard by the side of the master father?" ”

Meng Zhong said truthfully when he heard this: "This time, the junior brother and others came to Zhao State, initially because the righteous brother wanted me to go to Zhao State to gain some knowledge, but the sect master of my Meng clan hopes to let the clansmen gain a foothold in Zhao State......

Since Tian Buyu was a vassal of the Song State and had gained the trust of Hui Ang to a certain extent, Meng Zhong did not mean to conceal it, and truthfully told Tian Buyu the purpose of this trip, which was nothing more than "increasing knowledge" and "enabling the Meng clan to obtain a knighthood in Zhao State", and by the way, strengthening the alliance between Zhao and Song.

Hearing these words, Zhao Zhang and Tian Buyu glanced at each other: This is indeed his own person.

The reason is very simple, because although Zhao Zhang is the eldest son of Lord Zhao's father, the position of the monarch did not come to him, but was passed to his younger brother Zhao He, which made Zhao Zhang's status in Zhao neither high nor low, which was very embarrassing.

Therefore, Zhao Zhang hit it off with Tian Buyu, a retainer sent by the Song State, hoping that the latter would assist him in regaining the throne that should have belonged to him, and if this could be successful, Zhao Zhang would appoint Tian Buyu as Zhao's minister in return—for this alone, Zhao Zhang would be able to get the support of Tian Buyu, and even the entire Song State behind Tian Buyu.

And in this case, Meng Zhong, who came with the purpose of "increasing knowledge", "making the Mengshi clan out of the Zhao Kingdom", and "strengthening the Zhao and Song Alliances", isn't it his own people?

Since the interests are the same, Zhao Zhang and Tian Buyu chatted with Meng Zhong more and more speculatively, and it didn't take long for even Zhao Zhang to call Meng Zhong Ah Zhong - who made Meng Zhong the righteous brother of Hui An, an important minister of the Song State.

While chatting, Zhao Zhang suddenly asked, "Ah Zhong, since you have followed the envoy of your country, Master Li Shi, to Handan, you must have also seen the current monarch of my Zhao country, right?" What do you think of him? ”

Meng Zhong truthfully told Zhao Zhang and Tian Buyu about his meeting with Zhao Wanghe, and then shook his head and said, "Although we have met once, Zhao Jun is silent...... It's hard for me to judge for the time being. ”

Zhao Zhang nodded, and then asked, "Then according to your feelings, me or Zhao He, who is better?" ”

"Asking such a question when we just met?"

Meng Zhong frowned slightly, and after thinking about it, he said objectively: "From the current point of view, Zhao Jun is immature and not as brave as Gongzi. ”

Zhao Zhang was very happy to hear this, laughed and drank a bowl of wine, and then said with a little resentment: "The throne of the monarch should have been inherited by me, but the hateful "Wu Wa" provoked it, causing my mother to die early, and even more so that I lost the position of the crown prince......"

"Childe, you're drunk." Tian Buyu persuaded calmly, but he didn't care very much that Zhao Zhang's words were heard by Meng Zhong, after all, from Fang Cai's conversation, he gradually found that Meng Zhong's thoughts were very mature, and people who knew the benefits and disadvantages like this would naturally not reveal Zhao Zhang's words at will.

"Doctor Tian, I don't know who the "Wu Wa" in Gongzi's mouth refers to?" Meng Zhong asked curiously.

"You are the righteous brother of Doctor Hui, if you don't dislike it, just call me brother." Tian Buyu stroked his two small beards with a smile, and then explained in a low voice: "Wu Wa, that is, Zhao He's biological mother. ”

After Tian Buyu's explanation, Meng Zhong learned that Gongzi Zhang was born to the daughter of the Han Wangzong "Han" after Zhao's father's canonization, and was the eldest son of the righteous Yan, at that time Zhao and Han were still in the intimate period, and after the Han family left Gongzi Zhang, Zhao's father immediately established Han as the queen, and Gongzi Zhang became the crown prince of Zhao.

However, it wasn't until Master Zhao's father got a new favorite concubine "Wu Wa" that all that changed.

Wu Wa's daughter, is the eldest daughter of Zhao Chen Wu Guang, it is said that one day when Zhao's father visited the tomb, he dreamed that there was a beautiful girl playing the piano and singing, and this woman was very nostalgic.

Later, Zhao's father told his courtiers about this incident and the appearance of the woman in his dream, and when Zhao Chen Wu Guang heard it, he felt that the woman described by Zhao's father resembled his daughter, so he dedicated his daughter "Meng Yao" to Zhao's father—"Meng" refers to the eldest daughter, and Yao refers to Wu Guang's surname Wu.

As for why Meng Yao is called "Wu Wa", it is just because Lord Zhao's father dotes on this girl and uses the word baby to describe the beauty of this woman.

Later, a few years later, Wu Wa gave birth to Zhao He, she relied on the favor of Zhao's father, and repeatedly said bad things about the queen of Han and the prince Zhao Zhang behind her back, and after a few times, Zhao's father was unhappy with the queen Han and the prince Zhao Zhang, so he abolished the queen Han and the prince Zhao Zhang, and set up Wu Wa as the queen, and Zhao He as the prince - afterwards, the relationship between Zhao and Han deteriorated, and South Korea returned to the camp of Wei and Qi again.

About three years ago, Wu Wa passed away, and on her deathbed, she begged Lord Zhao's father to pass the throne to her son Zhao He, so that she could see her son inherit Zhao before the end of her life.

Lord Zhao's father favored Wu Wa, so he agreed to her plea, and passed the throne to Zhao He while he was still in good health.

Therefore, Zhao He's crown prince and throne were won for him by his mother Wu Wa.

And the son Zhao Zhang lost the position of the crown prince without committing any death, and even lost the opportunity to inherit the position of the monarch.