After saying too much, Sima Xi looked sleepy, supported his jaw with one hand, and fell into a deep sleep. When the attendant saw this, he bowed his hand and withdrew. Sima Ziqi hurriedly ordered someone to take a coat made of tiger skin and put it on Sima Xi himself.

Sima Xi opened his eyes and asked, "Everyone is gone." ”

"The ministers see that Sima Xiang is sleepy, and it is inconvenient to disturb him." Sima Ziqi hurriedly said: "Sima Xiang is also tired from entering the palace, so rest for a while." ”

Sima Xi rubbed his tired eyes and said, "There are no outsiders present, so you don't have to call me Sima Xiang." ”

"Yes, father." Seeing that there were only his father and son in the house, Sima Ziqi said all the questions that he had just buried in his heart, "Father, Zhao Jun does not accept the conditions offered by the king. We have not completed our mission, how will we explain to the king when we return home? ”

Sima Xi saw that the other party was standing respectfully, and raised his hand to signal the other party to sit down, "Don't worry!" When the king saw that Zhao Jun did not accept a hundred miles of territory and double the compensation, he might not know how happy he would be. ”

Sima Ziqi was puzzled: "My father did not promote the alliance between Zhao and China, how can the king be happy." ”

Sima Xi's cheeks showed a meaningful smile, "If we don't tell the king exactly what happened in the court of Zhao State, the king won't know what we said to Zhao Jun." How could the king know that it was Zhao Jun who did not want our country's hundred-mile territory and double the compensation. ”

Sima Ziqi pondered for a moment, comprehended the meaning of his words, and said with a smile: "The king will definitely think that his father is fighting against the monarchs and ministers of Zhao State, forcing Zhao Jun to negotiate peace with our country without a hundred miles of territory and double compensation. The king would have thought it was his father's work. Father, what a clever! ”

Sima said kindly: "It doesn't matter how things turn out, the most important thing is how you say it." The greatest wisdom of our ancestors was the invention of writing and language. Language is a profound and profound knowledge, and you have to learn it well. ”

Sima Ziqi hurriedly said: "Father, the child has been taught. ”

Sima Xi saw that the child was smart and strategic. But even if the city government is not deep enough, it can't hold its breath.

Sima Ziqi saw his father's expectant eyes looking at him and asked, "Father, will there still be a place for us in Zhongshan Kingdom?" ”

"In this battle, we lost badly. The king was suspicious all day long, and many loyal ministers were also in different places because of the king's suspicions. Nowadays, people in Zhongshan are panicking. Sima sighed: "Zhongshan is no longer the country we are familiar with. The king is not the high-spirited king. The court of Zhongshan Kingdom is treacherous, whether there is a place for us to stand, it's hard to say! Perhaps, if the king is not pleased, he will spare me all titles. ”

"My father is Lan Chujun, and he is also the minister of Zhongshan, who has gone through two dynasties. The father's status is one person below ten thousand people, and his status is noble. Sima Ziqi's eyes were bright and his tone was firm, "No matter how confused the king is, he won't dare to do anything to our Sima family!" ”

"One time, another time." Sima Xi also felt uneasy in his heart, "He is the king of a country. You can make me a picture, or you can abolish me. Wang Shang is young, and he relies on passion and willfulness to do things. The king's personality is not as calm as the king's predecessor. There is nothing he can't do in order to achieve his goals. Don't say that he abolished the position of prime minister of our country, even if he killed me, why not. ”

"Our Sima family has a superior status, and my grandfather has made great contributions to Zhongshan State. If it weren't for my grandfather assisting the first king, how could there be today's Zhongshan Kingdom. Sima Ziqi said indignantly: "Grandfather led the army to capture the Jicheng of the Yan Kingdom, and moved the heavy weapons of the Yan Kingdom back to the national capital. The first king cast the heavy weapon of the Yan country into the treasure of the town, and engraved the exploits of the first king and his grandfather on it. The first king also said, unless we are guilty of rebellion, collaborating with the enemy and betraying the country. Otherwise, as long as Zhongshan exists, our position in Zhongshan will be unbreakable. We share the peace of Zhongshan with the descendants of the previous kings. Your Majesty, no matter what, Hu Lai will not dare to touch our Sima family. ”

"There is a saying in the Central Plains that the birds are exhausted, and the good bow is hidden; The cunning rabbit dies, and the lackeys cook. Kings may share in their suffering, but not in their blessings. Sima Xi said again: "The domestic situation is unclear, and the king is suspicious. Anything can happen. If the king wants to deal with us, why should he be charged? ”

Sima Ziqi comprehended the meaning and hurriedly said: "It turns out that my father took the initiative to ask for an order to send Zhao Guo to avoid trouble. ”

"The king's temperament has changed greatly, and his suspicion is too strong. If you are not careful in the court, you will anger the king and bring disaster to yourself. In this defeat, there are also many people in China who oppose us. So! We might as well leave the complex and changeable court and come to the Zhao Kingdom. Sima Xi softened his tone, "We are far away from the court, away from the king, and away from strife." Sending Zhao Guo to his father is also to protect Mingzhe's life. ”

Sima Ziqi asked, "The child did not expect that the king would allow his father to envoy to Zhao State. ”

"For his father, he has cut the king's lifeline, and he has to agree if he doesn't agree." Sima Xi smiled: "As long as you are good at figuring out the king's intentions, you can speak powerfully." It is not an easy thing to manipulate the king's heart and achieve the goal we want. ”

"How did my father say that the king was king?"

"We lost to Zhao Guo. Although we have concluded an alliance with Zhao in Dongyuan. But what the king feared most in his heart. ”

"What the king is most afraid of is whether Zhao Guo will abide by the promise."

"Not bad. If the king wants to sit firmly, he wants to know whether Zhao Jun intends to sincerely seek peace. Zhao will not attack Zhongshan again. So, his father followed the king's heart, and asked him to send an envoy to Zhao on the grounds of understanding Zhao State. ”

"Father cut to the king's lifeline, and the king will naturally agree to his father's request to envoy Zhao." Sima Ziqi asked in a low voice: "In order to make peace with the Zhao State, the king would rather give more than a hundred miles of territory and double the compensation. If the father can't broker an alliance between the two countries. The father's position is in jeopardy. ”

Sima Xi patiently replied: "The gift of a hundred miles of territory and double the compensation is also recommended by my father to the king. ”

"Why did my father do it? Fragmentation of territory will not only leave a lasting reputation, but also weaken one's national power. Giving Zhao twice as much compensation is also self-inflicting damage on national strength and enhancing the strength of the enemy country. Sima Ziqi asked: "If Zhao Jun accepts the territory of 100 miles, he accepts double compensation from our country. Zhao Jun can use our compensation to buy war horses, and then threaten our country. Father's actions, are you not afraid of the criticism of the ministers of the DPRK and the central government and cause trouble? ”

"Fathers don't know this." Sima Xi looked at Sima Ziqi with a faint expression, "If I don't do this, how can we ensure that our status will not be shaken by others." Since I dare to ask the king to cut off the territory of a hundred miles and compensate Zhao more. I'm sure I'll be able to do it well. ”

Sima Xi saw that his child was stunned for a while, but he still didn't understand the meaning of his words, and said: "I will definitely not take risks when things are not good for me." My father also knew that Zhao Jun was plotting the entire Zhongshan Kingdom, not the hundred miles of Zhongshan Country. Zhao Jun is a virtuous monarch, so naturally he will not lose a big one because of a small one. If Zhao accepted my country's hundred-mile territory, wouldn't it just implement Zhao Jun's ambitions? Zhao Jun obviously had the chance to win, but he chose to negotiate peace with us. It is enough to show that Zhao Jun does not want to expose his ambition to annex Zhongshan prematurely. ”

"Dongyuan, Quyang, and Shiyi all fell into the hands of Zhao Jun. Zhao Guojian refers to Lingshou, and the level of Zhongshan is also just around the corner. Zhao Jun actually agreed to negotiate peace with us. I can't figure this out. Sima Ziqi asked: "Father, the monarchs and ministers of Zhao State are not foolish people, why don't you give Zhongshan the final blow and destroy Zhongshan." Zhao Jun can open up the territory and establish immortal feats. ”

"This is Zhao Jun's cleverness." Sima Xi paused for a moment and continued: "Zhao Jun chose to negotiate peace with our country, which not only preserved the fruits of victory, but also eliminated the living forces of our country. At the same time, he concealed the princes, and did not expose the strength of Zhao prematurely. Zhongshan State sits on 800 li, if it is annexed by Zhao State. What do you think, the princes will be. ”

"The princes will feel the threat of the Zhao State, so they will keep their eyes on the Zhao State. Especially the State of Qi, ten years ago, the State of Zhao gave the State of Qi a fatal sword. Qi will definitely return Zhao Guo's sword. ”

"Not to mention the grievances between Qi and Zhao." Sima Xi said: "The State of Qi annexed the State of Yan and was jointly attacked by the princes. The state of Chu destroyed the state of Yue, and the princes jointly attacked Chu. If Zhao destroyed Zhongshan alone, the princes of the Central Plains would unite to attack Zhao. Wei and the princes fought and fell ill. The state of Qi fought with the princes, and the national strength also retreated for several years. What would happen if Zhao Guo went to war with the princes. ”

"With the containment of the princes, Zhao Jun can't carry out Hufu cavalry and carry out the next step." Sima Ziqi hurriedly said: "It turns out that everything is in my father's hands. The child admires. Father, will Zhao Jun attack Zhongshan Kingdom? ”

"Yes." Sima Xi blurted out, "Zhao Jun doesn't want a hundred miles of territory, which means that Zhao Jun wants the entire Zhongshan Kingdom." Zhongshan is also a problem in the heart of Zhao State, and it must be eliminated. If Zhao Jun wants to revitalize the Zhao State, he can't let the Zhongshan State divide Handan and Daijun. ”

"Zhao Jun has signed an alliance with my country. Zhao Jun rebelled and violated the covenant, so he was not afraid of the princes' ridicule. ”

"In the world of great contention, how can we believe in righteousness." Sima Xi said: "The real peace between the two countries depends on strength, how can they rely on an alliance that is worthless. How can you be so naïve. ”

"Father, what are we going to do?"

"Sun Tzu's Art of War once said that heroes are sad to pass the beauty pass." Sima Xi had already thought of a countermeasure, "Let's use the beauty strategy among the thirty-six strategies to confuse Zhao Jun." We let Zhao Jun indulge in gentleness and consume his mind. Perhaps, in this way, we can eliminate the trouble brought by the Zhao State. ”

At night, Sima Xi entered the palace for a banquet to further test whether Zhao Jun had the intention of attacking Zhongshan.

Between the banquets, Zhao Junyong and Sima Xi tested each other, you come and go.

Zhao Junyong wanted to know the internal situation in Zhongshan after the war. In particular, how many cities and territories are there in Zhongshan Kingdom, how many soldiers are capable of fighting, who can command the soldiers of the whole country in Zhongshan Kingdom, and how well the generals govern the army. the distribution of these soldiers, and so on.

Sima Xi was unwilling to divulge state secrets, nor was he willing to betray the interests of Zhongshan. Zhao Jun attacked violently, and Sima Xi would always divert these problems and move to other places. Zhao Junyong saw that he couldn't break through Sima Xi's mental defense, and he couldn't get reliable information from the other party. Zhao Jun didn't bother either, concentrating on drinking.

While Sima Xi responded to Zhao Junyong's attack, he also knocked on the side of Zhao Guo's movements.

Zhao Junyong knew what he wanted, but he just didn't give him what he wanted. Between the two masters, there was a competition on this seemingly happy palace banquet.

After a song and dance, the dancing queen retired.

Sima Xi said with the intention of drinking: "Zhao Guo's long-sleeved waist dance is indeed beautiful. But the Hu people's singing and dancing also have a unique flavor. Zhao Jun promoted Hu Fu cavalry shooting, and Hu Feng and Hu Wu also spread to Zhao State. Can Zhao Jun make people dance to relieve my lovesickness. ”

"What's so hard about that?" Zhao Yong high-fived, and Hu Ji walked in.

Hu Dance and Huaxia Dance are two very different styles.

Hu Wu is chic, unrestrained, and bright, without too many etiquette constraints. Hu Wu also shows the most authentic self of the grassland people, and it is also a love for nature. Because of the restraint of etiquette, the style of the dance of the Central Plains is reflected in Yong and Ya. The purpose of music and dance is to highlight the atmosphere of the monarch and the people enjoying together and the world being peaceful.

After Hu Wu finished, Sima Xi high-fived and said: "It's a good dance, but it's a little flawed." ”

Zhao Jun asked, "What's the flaw?" ”

"It would be even better if the dance of the Central Plains and the dance of Hu were combined." Sima Xi said: "Zhao Jun, can you let the minister's dancing girl offer a dance." ”

Zhao Jun said: "The widow also wants to see the dance that Sima Xiang said." ”

Sima Xi high-fived, and eight dancing girls walked in.

The dancing girls danced with the music, including the elegance and Yong of the dance of the Central Plains, and the chic of the Hu dance. This dance made Zhao Guojunchen fascinated. Zhao Yong watched the singing and dancing, and said in his heart: "The dance style can be integrated, and Huaxia and Hu people can also be integrated." ”

Sima Xi asked, "Zhao Jun, how is this dance?" ”

"Wonderful, so wonderful."

Sima Xi burped and said, "Zhao Jun, my king is willing to make peace with Zhao State." It is better for Zhao and Zhongshan to conclude a marriage. ”

"The marriage between the two countries is a big deal. This matter will be discussed later. Zhao Yong asked again: "I heard that there are two beauties around King Zhongshan, who are graceful and graceful, and their dancing posture is also fascinating. The widow is not as blessed as the king of Zhongshan! ”

"What Zhao Jun said is my king's Jiang Ji and Yin Ji." Sima Xi heard the meaning of Zhao Jun's words, and replied: "They not only dance beautifully, but also look charming. My monarch was fascinated by the two fairy beauties and was unwilling to deal with the government. ”

At that moment, Sima Xi depicted the faces of Jiang Ji and Yin Ji in words. For example, the eyebrows, eyes, nose, face, forehead, neck, dance steps, graceful and so on of the two beauties were all said. Sima Xi also said: "These two beauties have the appearance of an emperor and queen. ”

Sima Xi said as he observed Zhao Yong.

Zhao Yong saw that there were such beauties in the world, and asked with interest: "Sima Xiang said this, but the widow wants to see it." ”

Sima Xi saw that Zhao Jun walked into the trap he had set, and fell to the ground drunk, unconscious. Sima Xi deliberately pretended to be drunk, but heard Zhao Jun ask him about his beauty.

"How nice it would be to be able to see such a beautiful woman." When Sima Xi heard Zhao Jun say this, he already knew that his plan had succeeded.

Sima Xi was carried back to the official post. Fei Yi asked, "Your Majesty, how can you behave..."

Zhao Yong said for him: "You said that the widow is lustful. ”

Fei Yi said: "Your Excellency, how can you be used as a pawn by Sima Xi in a daze, and be involved in the game of the harem of Zhongshan Kingdom." The lustful name of the king will also spread to the princes. ”

"There is Meng Yao by the widow's side, no matter how beautiful the world is, the widow will not put it in his heart." Zhao Yong smiled calmly: "Feiyi, don't you know about widows." ”

"Your Majesty, why would you..."

"The widow is just to cooperate with Sima Xi. Sima Xi wants to use beauty tricks to tempt widows. How can a widow not know? Zhao Yong sneered: "The widow cooperated with him in order to make a plan and disturb Zhongshan Kingdom." The two concubines around the king of Zhongshan are fighting, and the country of Zhongshan will not be peaceful. ”

"But the king's reputation will be ruined. Is it worth it? ”

"The Zhongshan Kingdom can be destroyed, but what about the reputation of the widows." Zhao Yong asked: "If the widow sends a letter to the King of Zhongshan, ask him to send someone to escort Jiang Ji and Yin Ji to my Zhao Kingdom." You say, there will be a storm in the Zhongshan Parliament. ”