"Since the foreign envoy came to Pingcheng in your country, he has asked to see His Majesty in your country for many days, and your country has a department that strictly refuses to hang the Empress Dowager on the pretext of not hanging ......."

"Pei Yuanjun's words are inappropriate, this matter is succumbed to your country, and he entered his country in ancient times and mourned him. Now that the Queen Mother is driving west, your envoy is not hanging? In the past, the funeral of the ancestors of your country, my country sent envoys to mourn, and today your country does not return the salute, so that my majesty is lost

Later, he swept the sacrifice in front of the Yonggu Mausoleum and was ridiculed by the small countries of the Quartet. ”

"And in the past, when the envoy came to Pingcheng, he must first go to worship the Queen Mother, and now the Queen Mother mourns less than three months, and the Queen Mother will lose to the Queen Mother, and ask to worship Your Majesty, my Majesty to filial piety, the domain is known, the Queen Mother does not worship the Queen Mother first, and Your Majesty does not dare to meet the Queen Mother before the Queen Mother. This matter is not unreasonable to me, but it is really a loss for you. ”

Seeing that Pei Zhaoming wanted to put the responsibility for this matter on the head of the imperial court, Li Daoyuan hurriedly spoke out to stop him.

Pei Zhaoming picked up the tea on the side and took a sip, and said: "The foreign envoy came to the north to discuss other matters, and when he learned of the funeral of the queen mother of your country, he passed through Yanjin and traveled to the middle half, how dare he return to the country to ask for an edict?" Forgive me for the end of your country, and my Majesty will only know it now. The envoy was responsible for the country's order, but did not receive the funeral edict. How dare you make your own decisions? If your country is tolerant, my Majesty's edict should be on the way, and it will not be too late for the envoys to receive His Majesty's edict. ”

Tuoba cautiously did not wait for Li Daoyuan to refute, stood up and said: "Entering the country to mourn is a common etiquette, don't you know." Your gentleman is responsible for the public service, and the responsibility of paying the public is not shallow. If everything is done according to the king's orders, who is not allowed to be an envoy? And the lone duke is here. ”

"The diplomatic relations between the two countries often have been mutually reinstated and delayed. If the envoy can't make a decision on the spot, it will be time-consuming and labor-intensive, so it is better to send a paper book. What is the position of an envoy? ”

"I heard in the palace that Pei Gongshi passed on the Confucian classics, Gongzu Youzhi "Analects", "Book of Songs", and later received Liu Yilong's order to note the book of Chen Shou. The father-in-law was involved in the history of the scriptures, and also annotated the "Taishi Gongshu". It can be described as a family heirloom, how can you not know the ancient rites? ”

"Moreover, the road between Pingcheng and your country is far away, from Jiankang to Pingcheng, there is a period of several small March, if you are willing to spend three months in Pingcheng, you can wait."

Pei Zhaoming frowned when he heard this, and asked him to sit and wait for three months, of course. He came here to discuss a few urgent matters to discuss, among which the Northern Dynasties' secret support for Jingyong Mountain Barbarians, the construction of border defenses and garrisons, and the mutual market of goods between the two countries, these things are all major matters that cannot be delayed for any longer, and now there has been no progress in the past ten days, he is already very anxious, how can he wait another three months. Just to come to Pingcheng, it took two months along the way, and if you wait for another three months, it will take eight months before you can return to Jianjian to recover, and maybe unexpected things will happen during this time.

"The matter of mourning, the envoy does not dare to refuse, but he can do it according to the ancient rites, but it happened suddenly, and he did not prepare mourning clothes before coming, please hang him in official clothes."

"Governing official affairs, serving public clothes, and treating funerals has its own mourning dress. The southern envoy does not have mourning clothes, we have prepared for you, and it can be delivered before sunset today. ”

"The funeral ceremony, ancient and modern, three generations of different ceremonies, five emperors different laws, why do you have to wear plain clothes?"

"How strange is that? The etiquette is divided into five classes, and the fierce etiquette is the second. Since the Zhou Gong Jianli, ancient and modern peers, living in the Qin and Han dynasties have not changed to the present, it is the importance of folk customs, even three-foot children understand. It is really difficult to convince the public with the excuse of the reform of etiquette and the refusal to wear mourning clothes. If the public insists on not changing, it is not only not in line with the Chinese courtesy, but also contempt for me. ”

As soon as Pei Zhaoming finished saying those words, he felt a little remorse in his heart, secretly blaming himself for being speechless for a while, I was afraid that his reputation would be affected. After listening to Tuobashen's rebuttal, he didn't dare to dwell on this issue anymore. He lowered his head and thought for a while, and said, "Your and my two countries have been reconciled for a long time, and the gifts of engagement should be based on the same standards. In the past, at the funeral of Emperor Gao, your country sent Li Biao to pay respects, and the imperial court was not dissatisfied with him because he did not wear mourning clothes. Now that the envoys have come to your country, they have encountered such an unexpected loss, and they have not been able to have the feelings of the king's life, why is your country so hard that they can't see each other? ”

Seeing that Pei Zhaoming played a tragic tactic, Tuoba Shen was disdainful in his heart, and he didn't think there was anything to sympathize with. Then he said: "Before the envoy came to our country, didn't he read the old files of the old envoys in the past? Li Biao was ordered to send a mourning service to your country, and before leaving, the dynasty ordered him to bring mourning clothes for simple use. It's just that your country can't abide by the ancient rites, and the mourning period of your country's ancestors will be released up and down for the end of the mourning after not exceeding the month. The sound of music fills the halls, and there is no dimension. Li Biao didn't get the master's order, could he wear plain mourning clothes independent of the palace clothes? ”

"My emperor grew up on the side of the Queen Mother since he was a child, and he was deeply grateful for the grace of nurturing. The queen mother died, did not eat for five days, mourned and ruined, and is still eating porridge in the house according to the system. It is very different from what Li Biao saw in your country, how can it be the same day. ”

"If a foreign envoy is persecuted by your country today, hanged in plain clothes, and changes his clothes without permission against the will of the evil king, he will be punished if he is still healthy in the south of the country."

Tuoba Shen saw that Pei Zhaoming's tone was greatly relaxed, and he planned to make persistent efforts, and said, "The public can act according to etiquette, what is the crime?" If there is a gentleman in your country, you will be able to discourage it, so that you deserve to be rewarded, and if there is no gentleman, the king's trip will also increase the reputation of the country, even if the sin is inflicted on the body, what resentment. The way of a gentleman, keeping the right and evil, and the way of a gentleman, has the reputation of Dong Hu's pen. ”

After Tuoba Shen finished speaking, he looked at Pei Zhaoming, sat down again and said: "Gong to Pingcheng, it has been ten days, and nothing has been done by the king's order, so are you in a hurry?" If you can worship the Queen Mother early, you can see the Supreme, but it is difficult to release Xiao Huai trapped in the hotel for this reason. Is it the way of a minister to abandon righteousness for this small section? ”

After saying this long string of words, Tuoba Shen felt that his lips were a little dry, picked up the tea that was placed on the side, looked at the ginger inside, and put it down again. Sit and wait for Pei Zhaoming to see what he has to say.

Pei Zhaoming thought for a long time, and was bombarded by Tuoba Shen's reasonable words, and gradually carefully analyzed the current situation. The mourning was originally acceptable without an order, and it was not agreed to because it was feared that someone would use it to slander him. Although the matter of mourning is reasonable and irreproachable, the king has always substituted affection for the law, and it can be said that it is his instinct to blame his subordinates for their likes and dislikes for a moment, and it can be said that he thinks that you are a gentleman in the morning, and he may throw you into prison at night for the crime of adultery. Although the current emperor is not such a person, but what about the future? He Pei Zhaoming is not alone, he also has family relatives, how can he not think about it. That's why I finally found a procrastination reply.

Now that Liu Chang is chasing behind, the king is in a hurry, and it is not better than when he first entered Pingcheng. Now the will of the northern lord is resolute, he will never see him if he is not mourned, if he can't reconcile friendship with the north because of this trivial matter, he is afraid that the day he returns to Jiankang will be the time when he is imprisoned.

The lesser of two evils, the crime of losing to the king is heavier than mourning a trivial matter. Now that the second prince of the Northern Dynasty has personally lobbied, and what he said is in line with the ancient etiquette, it is better to agree to it, and block the construction of Kang Shishu with the words of the prince on another day, which should be no hindrance.

Pei Zhaoming, who had made a decision, raised his head, the wrinkles between his eyebrows were much lighter, looking at Tuoba Shen, he originally thought that this time he invited the prince of the Northern Dynasty into the hall in order to convey their difficulties through his mouth, but he didn't expect to be persuaded by this immature boy in the end. Just those reasonable words, it can be seen that the prince of the Northern Dynasty is not only erudite and classical, but also quick in thought, wise and kind to speak.

It's very human, too!

This man is so young, and he has so much wisdom. I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse for the court, but fortunately, he is only the second son, and the eldest son of the northern kingdom will be the prince if nothing else.

Pei Zhaoming stood up and said: "Your Highness's words are like thunder in your ears, and the foreign envoy is taught, and he is willing to do what your country wants, and hang him in plain clothes, and ask His Highness to give him plain clothes and full courtesy." After saying that, he made a big salute.

Although Tuoba Shen guessed that Pei Zhaoming might have intended to accept it, he was also worried that he would drill the horns of the bull and be stubborn to the end. Now when I see Pei Zhaoming expressing his willingness to accept the court's intentions, I am also very happy. stood up and said with a big salute: "Pei Gongneng can take the two countries seriously, get relieved, and realize the blessings of the two countries." ”

"Li Qing, since Duke Pei has accepted the court's kindness, you can report to Lord Zhang's order after returning to the host and guest Cao, and send plain clothes to the southern envoy."

"His Royal Highness Jun ordered, the lower officials should serve in person" Li Daoyuan was excited and happy for a while, and his speech became abnormal, Tuoba Shen is a prince, no official and no position, where can the minister of the state serve the reason.

Tuoba Shen ignored Li Daoyuan's momentary gaffe. said to Pei Zhaoming: "Since Pei Gong has agreed, when I return to the palace, I will reinstate the decree and play the supreme in person." Pei Gong don't worry. ”