Luoyang, Zhou Palace, Council Palace.

Although Zheng Gui, the king of Zhou, is the son of heaven, the land that can be controlled in his hands is only Luoyang and more than ten county towns around it, with a population of 500,000 and 40,000 soldiers and horses that can be mobilized, which is not much stronger than the original Yu Guoqiang.

Ji Zheng gradually realized that the Zhou royal family was no longer authoritative, and only by lowering his noble head and looking up to others could he maintain his honorary title of "Son of Heaven", even if it was in vain than being deposed.

So Ji Zheng and his courtiers began to change their strategy, and got close to the two great powers of Qi and Qin, but whenever a small country dared to challenge the authority of the Zhou royal family, they sent people to ask for help from the two kingdoms of Qi and Qin, so that these two giants could seek justice for themselves.

And Qi and Qin had almost the same purpose, giving some supplies to the king of Zhou from time to time, and would also send troops to teach the king of Zhou a lesson for the small country that "committed crimes".

For example, the year before last, the Qin State sent Meng Tian to lead 100,000 horses to teach the Yong State a lesson that was disrespectful to the King of Zhou, and the Qi State also sent Kuang Zhang to lead troops to attack the Cai State that refused to pay tribute to Zhou Tianzi last spring, and each of them exchanged for reciprocal political interests and improved their national status.

In recent years, Ji Zheng has used this trick "fox fake tiger might" more perfectly, adopting the strategy of currying favor with the two giants of Qi and Qin, not offending Chu, Jin, Zhao, Wei, Yan, Lu, Wu and other powerful countries, and maintaining a tough posture towards other small countries.

Regarding the rise of the Tang Kingdom, which was only a hundred miles away, Ji Zheng and his civil and military forces would naturally pay attention to it. It's just that the Tang Kingdom developed too rapidly, and Ji Zheng and his courtiers were still holding the red clay stove in the cold wind to keep warm, so Zhou Yu took Xingyang with a thunderbolt, pacified the southern region of the Kingdom of Qiu, and truly integrated the two countries of Yu and Yu into one.

There was a strong enemy rising on the side of the couch, and the monarchs and ministers of the Zhou State were deeply disturbed, but the Tang State did not offend the Zhou royal family, let alone do anything disrespectful; Ji Zheng had no choice but to wait and see what was going on, and at the same time sent envoys to Xianyang and Linzi to test the attitude of Qin Gongying Ren Hao and Qi Gong Jiang Xiaobai, how did he view the rapidly rising Tang Kingdom?

After noon on this day, Ji Zheng, who was in his forties, was in the harem and his concubine Zhai Shukui was roasting chestnuts on the stove to eat.

"Haha...... The king is really funny, you are a dignified son of heaven, you actually took risks for your concubines, in case you burn your precious palms, the princes of the world are not allowed to roast and eat your concubines? ”

Ji Zheng squinted his eyes and stared at Zhai Shukui's majestic chest, and said with a smile: "If this is the case, the princes from all walks of life will definitely rush to eat this piece of fat, haha...... Full, shapely, elastic, colorful, fragrant, and sure to leave a fragrance on your lips and teeth, and an endless aftertaste! ”

"King!"

Zhai Shukui slammed his pink fist on Ji Zheng's chest, "Woo...... The king is so cruel that he is willing to let the princes eat their concubines? The concubine is really heartbroken! ”

At this moment, the eunuch Feng Ying walked in with the dust in his arms, and said, "King Qiqi, Chen Deng, the envoy of the Tang Kingdom, asks to see you!" ”

Ji Zheng stood up suddenly, and snorted coldly: "Hmph...... Tang Guo finally remembered the widow? Immediately bring the envoy of the Tang Kingdom to the council hall to see the widow! ”

"The old slave obeys the edict!" Feng Ying agreed and turned away.

Ji Zheng turned around and said to Zhai Shukui with a smile: "Ai Concubine, I heard that the Heavenly Venerable Bi of the Trickster has fallen to the Tang Kingdom, so the widow will go to the Tang Kingdom to ask for it and give it to you as a birthday gift." ”

"The king is really good to his concubines!"

Zhai Shukui happily leaned up and kissed Ji Zheng on the cheek, and then pushed, "The king is going quickly, state affairs are important!" ”

Only then did Ji Zheng get up and reluctantly leave: "Since this is the case, the widow will deal with political affairs first!" ”

As soon as Ji Zheng left, Zhai Shukui repelled the palace and eunuchs in the left rear, and looked out of the window sneakily left and right, waiting for his sweetheart to arrive.

After a while, the door opened abruptly, and a handsome man about twenty-seven or eighteen years old, with a slender figure and a feminine appearance, hugged Zhai Shukui and kissed him frantically when he entered the door, "Little beauty, this old waste hasn't gone out for several days, and the widow wants to kill you!" ”

And Zhai Shukui frantically responded to the visitor, like dry firewood meeting fire, lingering from the window to the bed: "Take the prince, the concubine wants to kill you, think about it day and night, you have to find a way to let us stay together." I don't want to serve this useless old shit every night! ”

"Bear with it first, there is a way!"

Wang Ziji didn't care about too much idle talk, and the monkey hurriedly stripped Zhai Shukui naked, spurred the horse, and went straight to Wushan.

The Council Hall.

Seeing King Zhou, who was wearing the clothes of the Son of Heaven, walk into the main hall, Chen Deng hurriedly saluted: "Chen Yuanlong, the envoy of the Tang Kingdom, greets His Majesty the Son of Heaven!" ”

Ji Zheng didn't pay attention to Chen Deng, sat down on the dragon chair, raised his hand and stroked the hat on his head, and said to Feng Ying impatiently: "The weather is getting colder and colder, it's time to ask the inner chamberlain to make a new hat for the widow." By the way, make a green one for the widow, a new atmosphere in the new year, and the widow should make himself younger! ”

"The old slave obeys the edict!"

Feng Ying smiled and agreed, "As long as the king likes it, if one doesn't work, we'll make two!" ”

Only then did Ji Zheng set his eyes on Chen Deng, stroked the two whiskers at the corners of his mouth, and said domineeringly: "You are the envoy of the Tang Kingdom?" ”

"The minister is none other than Chen Yuanlong, the envoy of the Tang Kingdom!" Chen Deng smiled and agreed, neither humble nor arrogant.

Ji Zheng suddenly scolded angrily: "You Tang Guo are so bold, you don't report to the widow to build a country without authorization, can you have me in your eyes?" ”

Chen Deng arched his hand and said: "The Jin State sent troops to attack the Yu State, broke the capital of our country, killed my people, and kidnapped my monarch, I don't know where Your Majesty was at that time?" ”

"Ahem......"

Ji Zheng looked embarrassed, coughed, and sophistry: "Well, there must be a reason for the Jin State to beat your Yu State, otherwise why wouldn't the Jin State fight other countries?" ”

Facing Ji Zheng's almost scoundrel face, Chen Deng really couldn't imagine that the dignified Son of Heaven would say such a scoundrel in the market, and he really wanted to step forward and slap this old guy, "There must be a reason for your Lao Tzu to beat you, otherwise why doesn't Lao Tzu beat others?" ”

But Chen Deng also knew that he couldn't act rashly as an envoy, so he endured the anger in his heart and said: "The Jin State bullies the weak with the strong, and the royal authority is no longer there. ”

Ji Zheng also knew that his words could not be put on the table, and it had become a fact that Yu Yu was merged into Tang, the Tang State had risen, with a population of two million people, 100,000 male soldiers, and Xingyang was less than 200 miles away from Luoyang.

He waved his hand; "Okay, if the royal authority is not there, is it up to you to decide? What are your intentions in coming to Luoyang today? ”

Chen Deng held back his anger and said: "The minister came to Luoyang this time to pay homage to His Majesty under the command of the Lord Fang Li, and ask His Majesty to recognize the national status of our Tang State and canonize our Lord Fang Li as the Duke of Tang State. ”

"What good is it if the widow agrees?"

Ji Zheng leaned on the seat of the Son of Heaven covered with tiger skins, looking like a hanger, quietly reached out and stroked his sore back, and muttered in his heart: "Zhai Shukui, this abrasive goblin, simply wants the widow's life, and he can't ask for it all night, and he is really unable to satisfy him more and more!" If she can ask Tianzunbi to send her, she will definitely give the widow a few days off. ”

Chen Deng arched his hand and said: "If Your Majesty can agree, my Tang Kingdom is willing to offer the precious 'Tianzun Bi' and pay tribute to the royal family year after year." Moreover, Tang and Zhou are adjacent to each other, if any country dares to be disrespectful to the royal family, our Tang State will definitely send troops to defend it. ”

"!"

Ji Zheng directly uttered foul language, "The widow has the Qin State and the Qi State as backers, and needs your Tang State to send troops?" ”

"Tianzunbi is naturally indispensable, if you want the widow to recognize the status of your Tang Kingdom, you must give the widow these!" Ji Zheng stretched out five fingers as he spoke.

Chen Deng looked puzzled: "Please make it clear to Your Majesty!" ”

Ji Zheng cleared his throat and said arrogantly: "500,000 stone corn, five cities, 500,000 beautiful women, 500,000 people, 5,000 soldiers." If your Tang State agrees to these conditions of the widow, the widow will recognize the status of your Tang State and canonize Fang Li as the Duke of Tang. ”

Chen Deng couldn't help but blood gushing up, and said angrily: "Your Majesty said this, Deng Yi can't agree to it, but you can give Your Majesty fifty green hats!" ”

"!"

Ji Zheng burst into foul language again, "The green hat widow has it at home, why do you need the Tang Kingdom to pay tribute?" Send someone to inform Fang Li, if you agree to the widow's conditions, you will be allowed to Tang Kingdom, otherwise there will be no door! ”

After all, he was in the Tang Kingdom, Chen Deng pressed his heart and said angrily: "In this case, let Xiaochen go back and report to the lord!" ”

Ji Zheng waved his hand and refused: "No need, you can stay in Luoyang and give Fang Li a book." If Fang Li doesn't agree, you will never go back! ”

Chen Deng was angry and angry, he didn't expect the dignified Son of Heaven to be such a scoundrel, and said angrily: "The two countries are at war, and they don't kill the envoy, Your Majesty is the Ninety-Five, how can you detain the envoy?" ”

"You're a fart messenger?"

Ji Zheng sneered, "The people of the four seas are all the people of the widow, you are the people of the Great Zhou, and the widow has the right to dispose of it, how can the messenger say it?" ”

Ji Zheng got up and walked towards Chen Deng as he spoke: "Hand over Tianzun Bi first, so as not to suffer from flesh and skin!" ”

Chen Deng took a step back; "Tianzunbi is still in Xingyang, not on Xiaochen!"

Ji Zheng said impatiently: "What are you carrying in your arms?" Where are you left and right, give me a search! ”

"Whoa!"

Several guards in the main hall agreed, and Chen Deng was about to be searched around in the center.

Chen Deng was anxious to take out the Tianzun Bi from his arms, held it high, and shouted: "Whoever dares to step forward again, I will smash him to pieces!" ”

Ji Zheng was startled, and hurriedly waved his hand to stop: "I can't help it, I can't help it, this is a priceless treasure, there is something to say, it's easy to say!" ”