In the twelfth year of King Qingji of Wu, that is, in the spring of 502 BC, Zheng sent troops south to attack Jing.

The Zheng army successively captured the two cities of Yuling and Chengfu in the north of Jing State, and further south to Yeyi, which had the momentum of destroying Jing State.

However, Jing Guo ordered Yin Wu Zixu to lead his army to garrison the line from Yeyi to Fangcheng to confront Zheng Jun......

The report of the battle was transmitted back to Jinling, and Qingji immediately summoned Shi Fan Li, Dasima Sun Wu, Dazai Jiran, and Tingwei Bo Que to Zide Hall to discuss matters.

Qingji sat on his own throne, looked around, looked at Sun Wu and the other four who were sitting under the throne, and said slowly: "Zheng Guo has taken Yuling and Chengfu Eryi. ”

"Zheng Ren is menacing this time, the second and third sons think, should my Wu Kingdom fight this battle?"

Hearing this, Sun Wu, Fan Li and the others couldn't help but look at each other, and immediately lowered their heads and pondered.

Ji Ran got up first and said, "King, the minister thinks you can't make a big move. ”

"Although my Wu State has enough soldiers, however, in the last battle of Chu, there were many losses, and if I rashly enter the Central Plains, I am afraid that I will not be able to do it."

"Please think twice!"

Qingji bowed his head slightly and did not speak.

Sun Wu followed and said, "Great King, what Dazai said is extremely true. ”

"Zheng Ren's attack on Jing this time must have been instructed by the Jin State to deliberately provoke my Wu State."

"Husband and fighter, the soldiers and horses have not moved, and the grain and grass go first. If you are not well prepared, you will not be able to win the battle. ”

After a pause, Sun Wu said again: "Besides, the soldiers and horses stationed in Jing State are enough to resist the attack of the Zheng army, and the king really has no need to send troops to help, or go further and attack Zheng!" ”

"The minister seconded the proposal!"

Fan Li and Bo Yan both said in unison.

It's not that Wu Guo can't afford to fight a big war, and even if he destroys Zheng Guo in a war, he can do it.

It's just that this is not conducive to Wu Guo's next recuperation.

Just a Zheng Guo, and Wu Guo, who dares to provoke the overlord, how can there be no Jin people instigated behind this?

The year before last, the Chu army attacked Zheng, which can be said to have pressed the Zheng people to the ground and rubbed them.

The Chu army has already arrived at the city of Xinzheng, if it is not for the timely rescue of the Jin State, I am afraid that the Zheng State has been declared extinct.

Taking advantage of the Wu-Chu War, the Zheng people also regained the lost territory almost effortlessly, which can be said to have taken advantage of it.

However, Zheng Ren's appetite seems to be more than that.

Wu Guo is divided, and Zheng Guo also wants to come to get a piece of the pie.

How could Qingji agree?

Rao is like this, and Qingji can't be rash.

Just as Sun Wu, Ji Ran and others said, at this stage, Wu still has to continue to develop in a peaceful environment, and it is not good to make a big move.

It's just that a local war is no problem, but a full-scale war will affect all aspects of the Wu State.

Domino effect!

At this time, the army in the Central Plains is not yet in Qingji's planning.

Just like the last time the princes joined forces to attack Chu, Wu was fully prepared.

Before the war, Wu Guo spent half a year just by being a strong soldier and hoarding grain and heavy loads.

It can be seen that fighting a national war is not so simple.

"That's fine. The widow ordered Wu Zixu to defend to the death, and did not allow Zheng's army to go further south and invade Jing. ”

……

Jinling, the gate of the city.

At this time, there was a special team, coming all the way from the flat and wide official road.

There were more than 200 people in the procession, all of them wagons or horses.

Most of them were soldiers wearing black robes, helmets and armor, and big shoulders and round waists.

This is clearly not the army of the state of Wu.

At the front of the team, the windward hunt is a banner with the word "Qin" written on it.

There are also rectangular flags on the left and right sides, with the words "Qin Shang Dafu Zihu" written on them.

This allows people of insight to know that this is an embassy from the Qin State.

Qin State!

For the vassal states of the Central Plains, they can be regarded as a relatively mysterious country.

For the state of Wu, it only exists in legends.

Because Wu and Qin are thousands of miles apart, and there are many countries in between, there are really few people who travel thousands of miles away.

This was also the first time that the state of Wu was in contact with the state of Qin.

"Wu country, there is a big country atmosphere!"

On the top of the car, Zihu, as the envoy of the Qin State, couldn't help but feel the feeling.

"The people of the country live and work in peace and contentment, the people are prosperous, the Haiyan River is clear, the soldiers are strong and the horses are strong, and the country of Wu can be seen from this, and it is indeed the atmosphere of a great country."

It was the old man on an ox cart next to him who spoke.

This old man's beard and hair are all white, and he is about a rare age, but there are not many wrinkles on his face.

The face was full of red light, and he didn't see the old state of Long Zhong, but the appearance of a fairy wind bone.

He was wearing a green robe, tied his hair with a wooden hairpin, and his forehead was high and bulging, which was quite broad, which was different from ordinary people.

Zihu sighed and said: "I heard that the rise of the Wu Kingdom since the Shoumeng generation has not been a hundred years so far, and it has gone through countless ups and downs during this period. ”

"I never thought that in the generation of Wu Wang Qingji, the Wu Kingdom would be so strong."

"The blood of the Wu people is strong, and the martial style is not inferior to my Qin State and Jin State."

"Now there is a male lord, who is working hard, enriching the country and strengthening the army, I am afraid that the overlord Jin State will not be able to prevent the Wu State from winning the Central Plains at the moment."

To observe whether a country is really strong, it is necessary to understand its customs.

Since Zihu and his entourage entered Wu, they have occasionally visited the people of Wu, and what they have seen and heard has made Zihu breathtaking.

Li Shu of Wu State, especially the men, are happy when they hear the war, but they are brave in public battles and are afraid of private fights and vendettas.

Moreover, every household is basically self-sufficient, and they can eat meat dishes every once in a while.

This is not the common fish in the Jiangnan area, such as mutton, chicken, pork, etc., you name it.

What does this mean?

The country of Wu is very rich!

Not only is the treasury abundant, but also rich to the people.

Hearing this, the old man smiled and shook his head and said, "Doctor Shang, with the current state of Wu State, it is not difficult to become the overlord. ”

"It's just that if King Wu blindly covets the false name of Uncle Fang and is reckless, I'm afraid it will only be strong for a while, and it won't last long."

A short-lived hegemony?

In this regard, Zihu deeply agreed.

The identity of the old man who followed Zihu was not simple.

He, surnamed Li Ming'er and Dan, served as the historian of the Zhou Dynasty's Tibetan Office and was known for his erudition.

Li Er, that is, the famous "Lao Tzu".

More than ten years ago, there was a civil strife in the Zhou royal family, and Wang Zichao led his troops to capture the city of Liu Gong.

At that time, the Jin State was strong and sent troops to rescue Zhou Tianzi.

The prince was lonely and fled to Chu with his old officials with the classics of the Zhou royal family.

And Lao Dan suffered the responsibility of dereliction of duty, was implicated and resigned from his old position, so he left the palace and went into seclusion, rode a green ox, sent a letter to Guguan, and traveled west to Qin.

For more than ten years, Li Er has not heard from him.

Many people thought that he died in the wild land outside the Saiwai, but they never thought that Li Er would finally return safely from the Western Regions.

When he heard that the rise of Wu in the south, and the Jixia School Palace, which gathered the world's talents and celebrities, Li Er took the initiative to invite Ying and followed Zihu to make Wu ......