On the last day of April, the weather was rarely sunny, and Zhang Xun and Ji Zheng were training their soldiers in a hurry. Now that the new method of training has achieved initial results, and the soldiers' combat effectiveness and spirit have been well improved, Ji Zheng was deeply gratified and said to Zhang Xun: "The soldiers have improved a lot during this time. ”

Zhang Xun also nodded and said: "Yes, General Sun Wu said that the victorious soldiers first win and then seek battle, and the defeated soldiers first fight and then seek victory, and it is better to train troops than to fight without martial arts." ”

"It seems that you haven't read the art of war in vain."

"That is, although I haven't read as much as you, I haven't read less. Besides, I can't stop you from persuading you to learn every day, if I don't read some art of war, I will be annoyed to death by you. ”

"I'm doing it for your good, and people have to be diligent."

"Okay, okay, I know, it's really long-winded, how do you feel about your mother-in-law now? Hey, I can't imagine that I'm going to get married, and my temperament has changed. ”

Ji Zheng's eyebrows widened, "Nonsense!" ”

Zhang Xun said with a smile: "Originally, you used to have a tense face all day long, but now you are happy every day, especially when you see Sister Hana, it is called a heart blooming, full of peach blossoms!" Ha ha! ”

"you, don't talk about children in the barracks."

"Tell me, what are your plans? When I was in the New Year, I said that I would do it in the spring, and tomorrow will be May, so you are not in a hurry? You're not in a hurry, Sister Hana is also in a hurry. ”

"Hey, I've been busy with training lately, and I haven't been able to take care of it. Marriage is a big deal, and I can't wronged Hana, so even if it is delayed, I can't do it hastily. I have to follow the traditional rituals of the Central Plains, there are a lot of things that need to be prepared, and I have to customize the household in advance, so busy in the barracks, how can I have time to do it? ”

"Don't, act as if I won't let you do it, you just do it, just do what you have to do, don't pestle here, I'm still waiting to drink your wine!"

"How's that going to work? Although I am a cloth artist, I have to take the money of the strategist, how can there be a reason to abolish the public for private reasons? ”

"Go! Go! There's nothing big about it here, the formation and drill classes have been taught, and the rest is a lot of drills, you can't help here, hurry up and get married! ”

"No, no."

"You're really, I don't know where Sister Hana has taken a fancy to you...... You think, every day you go home, it's dark, the carpenter's shop is closed, and you'll never get a chance to customize your belongings. In this way, you go now, I will give you leave in the name of Da Sima, but hurry up! ”

Ji Zheng smiled and said, "Okay...... Thank you, Lord Sima! ”

"Hey, hey! Go for it! ”

After that, Ji Zheng left the barracks and went to the market, which was bustling with people. Ji Zheng came to the door of a carpenter's shop and looked at the samples placed outside.

This carpenter's shop has good craftsmanship, several cases, beds, and cabinets are all very exquisite, but just when Ji Zheng was carefully selecting his belongings, he suddenly felt a trace of abnormality, and there seemed to be a pair of eyes secretly staring at him in this frolicking market.

Ji Zheng pretended not to notice, still while selecting, while asking the carpenter shop guy for the price, at this time, he walked around a large cabinet more than one person tall for half a circle, and when the cabinet blocked his figure, he suddenly quickened his pace and quickly left the carpenter shop.

After turning two streets, Ji Zheng got into a small alley and hid behind a tree. Sure enough, in the blink of an eye, a figure also flashed into the alley.

The figure stopped in the alley, and he said with a smile: "Hehe, it is worthy of Mr. Ji, I was found after only two streets." ”

Ji Zheng slowly walked out from behind the tree and said to the figure: "Who should I be, it turns out to be the Qingmen of the Double Swordsman." ”

Qingmen saluted and said, "Mr. Ji, I haven't seen you for two years." ”

Ji Zheng didn't return the salute, but said: "Yes, I haven't seen you for two years, but I don't want to see you at all, while I haven't killed yet, you can leave quickly." ”

"Mr. Ji, there is no malice in coming this time."

"If there's no malice, why are you sneaking me up?"

"I had some holidays with Mr. before, and I was ashamed of Mr., and I knew that Mr. was disgusted, so I could only follow Mr. first and find an opportunity to say a few words to Mr."

Ji Zheng shook his head and said contemptuously: "Hey, you can't change this kind of behavior, just say it, find me something." ”

Qingmen saluted again and said respectfully: "I don't know if Mr. Ji can still remember that after you and Miss Hana escaped from Xingyue Hall, you once saved a person at the Wuyue border. ”

"I remember, but I don't know who that person is."

"Sir, you don't know who he is, but for the past two years, he has been asking me to look for sir, and today I finally found you."

"Oh? Who is he? ”

"He's my king!"

Ji Zheng was taken aback and said, "King Yue? Goujian? ”

"Exactly!"

At this time, Ji Zheng thought about the events of two years ago, and suddenly realized: "I see, I see." ”

"Mr. Ji, the king is grateful for Mr. for saving his life, after hearing about Mr. escaping from Xingyue Hall, he admires Mr. for his talent very much, I heard that Mr. has no official position in Wu State, I wonder if Mr. can abandon his previous suspicions and follow me to Yue Kingdom to establish a career? The king is willing to confer the post of general on the gentleman. ”

Ji Zheng shook his head and said, "No, I have decided to stay in Wu State, and I won't think about it anymore." ”

"Sir! Please think twice, sir! With Mr.'s martial arts talent, but he didn't get an official position in Wu State, the people of Wu State are so snub to Mr.! I am sorry for Mr. below! ”

"Hmph, whether the people of Wu have neglected me, I know in my heart, but what you Yue people have done has disgusted me to this day!"

"Sir! The previous mistakes, in the next wish to bear alone, as long as Mr. is willing to go to the country with me, as a cow and a horse, Qingmen will not give up! ”

"Forget it, you go, I won't go to Yueguo."

"Sir! Please come with me to Yue Guo! Otherwise I wouldn't have left! Aoto fell to his knees and pleaded.

"Then you can kneel."

Ji Zheng glanced at Qingmen coldly, then turned around and left.

The next day, the first day of the fifth month, which was the third day of the purchase of the state of Chen, the king of Wu summoned important ministers and dignitaries to hold a high-level council in the palace.

At this time, the news of the flood and food shortage in Chen Guo had spread, and people finally understood Gongwanran's plan to buy Chen Guo.

As soon as Gong Wanran arrived at the palace, the officials celebrated with their crowns and greeted Gong Wanran. After Bo Yao arrived, he even pulled Gong Hui Ran to praise him, and even Wu Xiangguo, who has always been high, also showed an approving look when he passed by Gong Hui Ran's side.

Soon after, King Wu came to the palace and the ministers saluted.

King Wu was in a very good mood, and waved his hand and said, "All Aiqing is exempt from courtesy." ”

"King Xie."

King Wu looked at Bo Yao and asked with a smile: "Lord Dazai, three months ago, Gonghui Simin said that he wanted to buy Chen Guo, and now it is the March period, what is the effect?" ”

Bo Yao got up and said: "Thanks to the great king Hongfu, now that the flood in Chen has broken out, there is a shortage of food, the people are in turmoil, the economy is collapsing, and the public is buying the country, which can be said to have a remarkable effect. ”

King Wu nodded and said, "Well, I've heard about this, I don't know how Gonghui Simin did it?" ”

"King, why don't you let Gonghui Simin talk about it himself?"

"Good! Gonghui Simin, tell me, how did you buy Chen Guo? ”

Gong Wan stood up and saluted, and said: "The king, the so-called buying the country is not buying the national body, the national body is the country and the country, and it is definitely not something that can be bought and sold, what the minister bought is only an inconspicuous vine grass that grows by the river, but even this insignificant vine grass is enough to destroy the five hundred years of the Chen country. ”

"Well......" King Chen nodded, and said thoughtfully: "The size of the country depends on the smallness of the vines and grasses, and the weight of the royal power also depends on the people of Li......"

"King Shengming!"

"Three months ago, this king really couldn't imagine that he could force Chen Guo to such a field without spending a single soldier, and the people of Gonghui are indeed impressive. Next, we just need to take advantage of the situation and step all the way to Chen Guo! Good! Who can lead troops? ”

As soon as King Wu's words fell, Gong Wanran suddenly said, "King! The minister has something to say. ”

"The people of Gonghui have many high opinions, but it doesn't hurt to say it!"

"The king, the minister thinks that it is not appropriate to destroy the country."

After Gong Wanran said this, everyone looked at him with surprised eyes, didn't he spend so much effort just to destroy Chen Guo, why was it wrong at this time?

"Wrong? What's wrong? King Wu asked suspiciously.

"King, what happened to the destruction of Chen Guosuo? It is nothing more than to clear the obstacles to the northward struggle for hegemony, if you occupy the Chen State, you will have to invest a lot of troops to defend, the Chen State is located in the Central Plains, the great powers look around, it has always been a place for soldiers to fight, I am afraid that we occupy the Chen State, but it is trapped by it. ”

King Wu nodded and motioned for Gong Wanran to continue.

"In addition, in the war with Chen State last year, the people of the world have a lot of sympathy for Chen Guo, but they have a lot of criticism for us, if after a year, we raise an army to destroy Chen State again, we will inevitably be blamed by the people of the world, and may even attract a joint attack by the princes and countries, and the people of Chen State will count all the national hatred and family hatred on our heads, and I am afraid that the assassins and dead soldiers will be harassed endlessly."

"It makes sense, but you can't leave Chen Guo alone, right?"

"Manage, someone will."

"Oh? Who? ”

"Chu State."

"Chu State? What do you mean? ”

"King, we only need to garrison troops on the border and make a gesture of attacking Chen State, and Chen State will inevitably ask Chu State for help, and it is even possible that they will already ask Chu State for help now."

"Well, it makes sense, Chu Guo won't see me eat Chen Guo's."

"Exactly, the State of Chu has always coveted the State of Chen, but because of the prestige of the great powers, it has not dared to start, but if we want to monopolize the State of Chen, the State of Chu will definitely not sit idly by, in this way, the State of Chu will definitely send troops to help."

"Well, what's next?"

"For Chen Guo, the competition between the two tigers is the situation it wants to see the most, so Chen Guo will definitely try his best to balance the strength of us and Chu State, and strive to find a place in the cracks, so Chen Guo will definitely turn to us after getting the help of Chu State, so that a really pro-Wu Chen State is the most beneficial to us."

"Well, that's good! What you say makes a lot of sense. King Wu praised him, and then asked, "Dazai-sama, what do you think?" ”

Bo Yao hurriedly replied: "The minister thinks that this is very good! So much better! ”

"Wu Xiangguo, what do you think?"

Wu Zixu also nodded and said: "It's better than using soldiers against Chen." ”

"Haha! Then do what the people say, order all the soldiers, and send troops next month! ”

"King Shengming!" The ministers saluted.

"Gonghui Simin, this king wants to promote you to the secretary of the court, and he will reward you heavily! Say, what do you want? ”

"The minister has nothing else to ask for, but only hopes to lead the troops in person."

"Oh? Are you leading the troops? Do you still know how to march and fight? ”

"Although the minister has never been on the battlefield, he knows a thing or two about the march. In addition, this battle is not about conquest, but about trade-offs, so the ministers are confident. ”

"Haha, okay, this king is approved! The widow ordered you to be the general of the expedition, and ordered Zhang Xun to be the deputy general, and the two of you can order 20,000 elite soldiers to go on the expedition next month. ”

"Whoa!" Gong Wanran and Zhang Xun said in unison.