Chapter 39: Luo Yan's Mission to Chu
After the battle reports from Ying and Xu states reached Luoyi, Luo Cheng was silent for a long time, his hands were shaking, but in the end he put away the battle reports with an expressionless face.
Ji Zhao has been keeping an eye on him, because Luo Cheng no longer has the blessing of his ancestors, and losing the blessing of his ancestors will make a person unstable.
You may make fatal mistakes, but you may also break through the limits of your talent and suddenly come up with a magical decision that comes as a flash of inspiration.
As for what kind of situation will arise, it depends on one's personality.
And Luo Cheng is just that kind of tenacious person. Amidst the overwhelming pressure, he found a way to break the impasse!
Ji clothing and the State of Chu!
In the chaotic world now, the Rong people, the Di people, and the Yi people are all fighting to the death with the Zhou Dynasty.
Only Chu was among the various states. Although there were unpleasantness between the two sides, they fundamentally had common interests.
If we can reach an alliance with the State of Chu, we can free up the manpower of the States of Shen, Sui and Tang.
By then, if the power of all the princesses in Hanyang is unified, they will be able to defeat Huaiyi and become one, and then the State of Xu will be on the verge of defeat.
The key to the problem lies in the attitude of the State of Chu, so Luo Cheng sent his second son Luo Yan, who was originally going to be sent to Hangu Pass, to the State of Chu.
Chu State, Yingdu.
When the King of Chu saw the list of envoys, he asked, "My Lords, who is Luo Yan?"
A minister said, "Your Majesty, Luo Yan is the prince of Luo State, the second son of Luo Houcheng, and is said to be the best speaker in Luo State."
The news that Luo Cheng had become the ruler of Bang Zhou had spread far and wide. At this time, he sent his second son, which was a sign of sincerity.
When the King of Chu heard that it was the prince of Luo, he became interested and said with satisfaction: "Lord Luo sent the prince to Chu with great sincerity. Chu is a big country among the Xia people, and we should welcome the envoy with etiquette."
Sure enough, when Luo Yan set foot on the territory of Chu, a grand team came to greet him and the king sent his own doctor, which made Luo Yan feel very surprised.
The King of Chu's attitude was unexpectedly good.
When you step into the capital of Chu, it is hard to imagine that this is a country built in the southern barbarian land. It is almost the same as the countries in the Central Plains.
Luo Yan entered the palace of the State of Chu. Luo Yan was known as the most handsome man in Luo State, and there were countless young girls falling in love with him. The King of Chu liked him very much when he saw him for the first time.
So he asked in a gentle voice: "Prince Yan from Luo State, are you satisfied with the etiquette of Chu State towards its envoys?"
Luo Yan bowed and said, "Lord Chu, I am just a prince of Luo State. I am deeply terrified that you treat me with such courtesy."
The King of Chu smiled and said, “Because you are the prince of Luo State, I allowed you to enter through the main gate.
If you were the son of another Central Plains prince, even if you were a prince, I would make him crawl through a dog hole into the palace."
It not only expressed goodwill towards the State of Luo, but also blatantly expressed malice towards the princes of the Central Plains and the Zhou royal family. The nobles of the State of Chu also laughed.
"Gong Ziyan, how does the scenery of Chu compare to that of Luo?"
Luo Yan sincerely praised: "Lord Chu, your country is a great country with etiquette and fine clothes. The population in the capital is really huge. I walked along the way and people were close to each other. It was even a bit crowded. It was not inferior to Luo State at all. It must be your governance that made Chu prosperous."
Hearing Luo Yan's praise, the King of Chu was very happy and could not help laughing. The ministers of Chu who were kneeling on both sides of the hall also laughed proudly.
"Young Master Yan, I heard that your father has become the ruler. He must have sent an envoy for some important matter. How important is it to be an envoy to a country?
You are still young, even if you have quick wits, how can you take on such a heavy responsibility?"
The King of Chu said this deliberately. Ever since Luo Yan entered the hall, he liked him very much, so he wanted to see what Luo Yan would say.
Luo Yan was seen kneeling on the table, and said to the King of Chu in a graceful manner: "Luo State sent envoys to different targets.
Duke Chu, you are the monarch of a great country. When I came, my father asked me to treat you with the etiquette I would treat a duke or marquis.
Therefore, the status of an envoy should be noble, and ability is secondary.
Although I am young, I am the legitimate son of the Luo family, so I am probably suitable to be the envoy.
King Su said that a wise monarch is easy to persuade and advise, as long as the benefits and disadvantages are made clear, the monarch will act on them.
I believe that being an envoy is like giving advice. You are a wise monarch. I believe that as long as I explain the interests involved to you, you will adopt it directly.
Why do you need people with sharp words who try their best to take advantage of you?
This is disrespectful to you and the State of Chu."
"Hahaha."
The King of Chu burst into laughter. He was very satisfied with Luo Yan's response.
"Young Master Yan, you are indeed worthy of being the legitimate son of the Luo family. With such demeanor, you look like a doctor in my palace!"
Thanks to Luo's reputation, the King of Chu's praise did not cause dissatisfaction among the ministers in the palace. On the contrary, many people felt honored to be related to Luo's legitimate son.
"You are going to Chu State, presumably for the war between Chu State and Shen State? How are you going to convince me and the ministers of my Chu State?"
“Mr. Chu, I am not here to persuade you, but to help you solve your problems.
If attacking the states of Shen and Sui and Tang would really benefit you and the State of Chu, how dare I trouble you?
Huaiyi, although they have human faces, they are nothing more than beasts.
But you are a noble among the Chinese. How can it be possible that the Chinese attack each other and allow the beasts to benefit?
Humans know etiquette, but the greed of animals is endless.
They conquered the State of Xi and made all its people slaves. What a cruel thing it was.
They also wanted to attack the states of Ying and Xu. If these beasts succeeded, the north of Chu would be inhabited by Rong people, the east by Yi people, and the south by barbarians.
Just like people, if the skin no longer exists, where can the hair attach to?
The various countries in the Xia Dynasty were conquered by them one by one. What should the State of Chu do then?
The ancestors of the Chu State overcame numerous difficulties and dangers to open up the uninhabited areas. Even when they could not feed themselves, they would not forget to offer sacrifices to their ancestors.
This is what all the countries in the Xia Dynasty jointly uphold. You allowed the Huaiyi to become powerful.
I think this is disadvantageous to you, and I hope you can consider this matter carefully."
The King of Chu thought Luo Yan was right and said with a smile, "You are right, but I cannot agree to this.
The royal family and the princes of the Central Plains have always been disdainful of the State of Chu. This is not the attitude to treat a powerful country among the Xia people, so they should be punished.
I think this is in line with the way of heaven."
Luo Yan knew that this was a negotiation, so he said, "Chu is a great country among the Chinese. For more than two hundred years, the barbarians in the south have never invaded the Central Plains. This is all thanks to the people of Chu.
Without the sacrifices of the Chu people, the Central Plains would not be so peaceful.
It is unjust to rely on the sacrifice of the Chu people but not to give them honor but to humiliate them instead.
It was unwise to lose the allies of the Xia and push him towards the barbarians.
When my lord came, he asked me to tell you: Only the title of Marquis can highlight the arduous journey of the State of Chu, and this is what you deserve.
The lord also said that he was willing to reward you with wealth and people.
If you are willing, the royal family is also willing to form an alliance with the State of Chu to form a marriage between the Ji and Mi families. This will surely express the royal family's sincerity."
A title bestowed by the royal family!
This made the king and his ministers of Chu somewhat tempted. Although the King of Chu now called himself the king, this was just an act of self-enclosed territory.
The State of Chu will eventually return to the system of the Xia Dynasty, and by then the title of Zi will really not sound good.
As for wealth and population, these are all necessary things for negotiations. After all, the emperor is rich, so it should be no problem for him to satisfy the appetite of a vassal of the Chu State.
"Marriage?" The King of Chu asked curiously, "Isn't the emperor going to form an alliance with Qi? This doesn't make sense!"
No wonder the King of Chu asked this question. The marriage between the royal family and Qi began since the establishment of Zhou. Although there had been twists and turns in the middle, they finally reconciled.
But the embarrassing thing is that the current Duke of Qi no longer has a legitimate daughter!
The legitimate daughters of other royal families are not qualified to be queen.
As for the concubine's daughter, it goes without saying that it would be fine for her to be a concubine, but marrying her and becoming the queen is a deliberate humiliation of the royal family. Are they trying to start a war?
After much consideration, the only big country that could help the royal family was Chu. Moreover, since they needed Chu's support so much now, Luo Cheng made the decision to marry the princess of Chu for Emperor Ji Fu.
“Father heard that you have a princess named Yiguang, whom you regard as a treasure.
He sighed and said: "The Duke of Chu is a talented hero. The woman he regards as a treasure must be someone loved by God. Such a woman should become the queen."
If you are willing, this is the beautiful jade that my father selected for the princess from the treasury of Luo State. I am willing to give it to you as a betrothal gift."
As he said this, he asked his servant to take out a package. When the cloth was opened, a flawless jade appeared in front of everyone.
It was so beautiful that even the King of Chu had never seen it before. He stared at it and was attracted by it in an instant.
However, Yi Guang was indeed his most beloved princess, and he was reluctant to let Yi Guang leave him so far, but the royal family's marriage request was too exciting for him.
When the next emperor has Chu blood, we will see who can still say that Chu is a barbarian country in the south.
There was hesitation on his face. Qu Lin, a doctor of the State of Chu, was from a royal family and was also the confidant of the King of Chu. He knew what the King of Chu was thinking just by looking at his expression.
After thinking about it, a smile of understanding appeared on his face.
He bowed to Luo Yan and said, "Master Yan, you don't know that Princess Yi Guang is not the king's eldest daughter. There is another unmarried princess named Yi Xuan above Princess Yi Guang.
According to Zhou Li, it is wrong for a younger sister to marry before an older sister. If the royal family is willing to form an alliance, they should ask the king to marry Princess Yixuan."
When the King of Chu heard this, his eyes lit up instantly, and he quickly said, "Lin is right, Prince Yan, I also have Princess Yixuan, who is also well-known in Chu and has excellent moral character. She is a noble lady worthy of being the queen."
Upon hearing these words from the King and his ministers of Chu, Luo Yan understood that the King of Chu really doted on Yi Guang, and it would be difficult to get him to agree to a political marriage.
Anyway, the goal is to form a marriage alliance, so it doesn't matter who you marry.
The descendants of the Luo family not only have flexible moral bottom lines, but also flexible negotiation bottom lines.
Wanting this, Luo Yan stood up from his seat and walked to the center of the hall, bowing and saluting, "The Ji and Mi families, and the Zhou and Chu countries will have a hundred-year friendship from now on. This is an unprecedented event, and your name, Lord Chu, will be sung forever."
Luo Yan was just about to present the gifts he brought this time to the King of Chu first. He certainly couldn't bring the subsequent betrothal gifts at once. After all, the marriage between a princess and an emperor was not that simple.
Unexpectedly, the King of Chu suddenly said, "Prince Yan, the monarchs of the Luo family have never regarded our Chu as southern barbarians. Our ancestor, Duke Wu of Chu, once said that if any of his descendants could go to the Central Plains, they should pay homage to the tomb of Duke Wen of Luo. For hundreds of years, the ancestors of the Chu State have never dared to forget it.
This is why I agreed to the marriage with Lord Luo. The founding of our Chu State was the most difficult. We know that we have to rely on ourselves for everything and we disdain to get the approval of the princes in the Central Plains. "
Although he was a little stubborn, Luo Yan certainly would not expose him, but flattered him: "It was difficult for the Chu State to establish itself, and the hardships of building a country from scratch were well known to the ancestors of the Luo State. Therefore, we have tried to confer the title of Marquis on the ancestors of the Chu State several times, but it has not been realized. This is a great pity. Fortunately, God blesses us, and now the Chu State has finally got what it deserves.
My father asked me to celebrate for Duke Chu on behalf of the ancestors of Luo State!
Congratulations to the State of Chu!"
Now all the ministers and officials of the Chu State looked at Luo Yan with kindness in their eyes. This young master of the Luo State was really good.
"I have heard that Luo State has always stood together with the royal family. The emperor married my princess. Should Luo State also marry my Yi Guang?
Prince Yan, I am willing to marry Yi Guang to you, but you must stay in Chu and assist me, so that the alliance between the two countries can be concluded."
The King of Chu finally revealed his true colors. Ever since Luo Yan entered the palace, he had become more and more satisfied with Luo Yan.
He was of noble birth, the legitimate son of the Luo State. Among all the nations of the Xia Dynasty, there were no more than five people with nobler status than him.
He had a handsome face. The King of Chu had seen countless young talents, but none of them could be compared with Luo Yan.
He was even more satisfied with his speech and behavior. He was calm in the face of things, and all his words were flawless. He could also answer sudden questions immediately. He was a rare talent.
If you don't take advantage of this special opportunity, you will never find such an opportunity in the future.
“Lord Chu, this…” For the first time since Luo Yan came to the palace, he didn’t know what to say. Why did he have to stay in Chu during the negotiations?
The King of Chu even said to the waiter, "Go and call Princess Yi Guang."
Luo Yan immediately knew that if Princess Yi Guang came to the palace, there would be no room for maneuver in this matter.
It seems that the King of Chu is determined to make him his son-in-law. It is too dangerous if he is too handsome.
Thinking of this, Luo Yan said helplessly: "Mr. Chu, you should at least ask my father about marriage. I dare not make the decision on my own."
When the King of Chu saw that Luo Yan had surrendered, he laughed and said, "You can stay in Chu for a while and let the deputy envoy take the news back. I think Lord Luo will not refuse."
Luo Yan knew that his father would definitely not refuse, so he gave in so easily.
Just as Luo Yan had expected, Luo Cheng agreed to the King of Chu's request without much hesitation.
The royal family sent a massive wedding procession, with rows of palace maids and boxes of gifts heading towards the State of Chu.
At the same time, a betrothal gift from Luo Yan also came to the State of Chu along with the royal gifts.
He also brought the Marquis's Golden Book and a full set of supplies, all of which had been prepared long ago.
The Chu army that had been stationed near the states of Shen and Sui also retreated, and the two sides had just signed a ceasefire agreement. Of course, the agreement was impossible to sign.
Although it was actually an alliance between Zhou and Chu, legally speaking, how could there be an alliance between the emperor and his subjects?
As a vassal state, it was only natural for the State of Chu to accept the emperor's dispatches to fight.
…
The impact of this marriage between the Zhou royal family and the State of Chu in the early Eastern Zhou Dynasty on the entire East Asian order is simply inestimable.
From a small perspective, the State of Chu got rid of its identity as a southern barbarian and once again participated in the alliance organized by the princes of the Central Plains as one of the various countries in the Xia Dynasty.
Generally speaking, when the decisive power of the Chu State fell to the Zhou royal family, the various Xia states achieved a decisive success in the war with the Yi people. The entire East Asian history eventually moved forward from the perspective of the various Xia states, and the Yi people disappeared in the long river of history.
Although there are no assumptions in history, it still makes people curious. If the Chu State had not sided with the Zhou royal family, would the fragile Zhou State have been submerged in the tide of barbarians, just as Rome was submerged by barbarians. - "Global History of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty Volume 1"
I didn't find out what the daughters of princes were called. The daughters of the emperor are called Wang Ji, and the daughters of princes can just be called Princess.
(End of this chapter)
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