Chapter 58 Chong'er ascends the throne and the iron curtain falls (Part 1)
When Gongzi Wu besieged Yicheng.
Prince Chong'er stayed in his fiefdom, surrounded by some nobles who supported him, as well as envoys from Qi and Luo.
These people were advising him not to act rashly, because he was the only one among the five young masters who could guarantee a stable income regardless of drought or flood, and wading into muddy water was not a good choice.
Young Master Lin was the most anxious.
He paced anxiously in his fiefdom, and could not help but say to his retainers many times, "Prince Wu is so powerful in the country, and all the royal families are on his side.
If he is too arrogant and kills Young Master Wuzhi directly, how will the situation be resolved?
Qi and Luo have another will from their ancestors that is known to the world. They will certainly send troops to help Prince Chong'er. What should I do?"
He was still unhappy when he heard the news that Gongzi Wu finally retreated from Yicheng.
He then said to his attendants, "Gong Zi Wu's power is the greatest among my five brothers. If he fails to win, will Gong Zi Wuzhi's throne be secure?
The nobles around Prince Wuzhi are all people who tampered with the last emperor's will. Can they sit in Yicheng with impunity?
How can a disloyal minister run the country? This is not right!
The ancestors of the Jin State would also be ashamed of such a thing.
My power is not as good as Gongzi Wu's, so I can only rely on the power of Song State to uncover the truth of the will.
Otherwise, my Father in heaven would not be at peace either.
Zhongqing, please go on a diplomatic mission to the State of Song on my behalf and borrow an army from the Duke of Song so that we can uncover the truth about the will together.
If successful, Jin and Song could form an alliance, and the Duke of Song would get what he had always wanted.
Mr. Qi, please go to Gongzi Wu’s fiefdom for me.
I said I was willing to go to Yicheng with him to find out the truth about my father's will, but Gongzi Wuzhi is our brother and should not be killed. "
Prince Lin sent an envoy to the State of Song to borrow troops because his mother was a noble lady of Song.
At that time, Duke Huan of Qi sent Duke Zhuang of Song back to his country and helped him kill his uncle Kuangfu. Song State followed Qi State and gained many benefits and began to prosper.
However, after Duke Zhuang of Song passed away, Song State never had another powerful ruler, so it began to decline again. The political situation in the country has been unclear in recent years. However, due to the size of Song State, it is still one of the major powers in the Central Plains.
The State of Luo had always been wary of the State of Song while trying to win it over, because the strength of the State of Song could not be underestimated and had the potential to grow bigger.
After Qi's national power gradually declined, Song took back some of the 200 li of land that was originally ceded by Qi, and also gained some from the old land of Xu and Huai in the east.
Among the countries of Song, Chen, Zheng and Yan, he is known as a little hegemon.
The State of Song has always been very supportive of Prince Lin.
After the decline of Qi's hegemony, Song once believed that it had been the second in command among the princes in the alliance, but now that the leader was no longer capable, it was Song's turn to dominate.
But he did not think about the fact that the State of Chu was granted by King Su, and the State of Qin was granted by Duke Xuan, and even these two Luo families were not allowed to dominate.
A descendant of the Shang Dynasty in the State of Song wants to dominate the world. Is this a joke?
After Song State expressed this idea, Luo State greatly strengthened its surveillance on Song State.
The State of Song was in great distress. They hoped to support a Duke of Jin who had Song blood and thus form an alliance with the State of Jin.
This will alleviate the huge pressure brought by the two countries of Qi and Luo.
So after Prince Lin issued the invitation, the Song army readily agreed to Prince Lin's request, and a large number of Song troops entered the territory of Jin through the Southern Yan State.
The incident between Marquis Jin and Princess Jin made the entire Southern Yan Kingdom lose face among the various Xia countries, but the gap in strength between the two sides was too great, which made the monarch and his ministers of Southern Yan feel uneasy.
Now that they saw that the State of Song wanted to take action against the State of Jin, they were naturally happy to watch the fun.
In the State of Jin, the succession war between Prince Wuzhi and Prince Wu, which lasted for two years, was a matter of concern to many countries.
This was yet another challenge from a small clan to a large clan. They were no longer surprised by the traditional skills of the Jin State.
However, the Song army openly entered the Jin state to interfere with the succession to the throne, which was explosive news to all the countries!
Sending troops to escort a foreign prince back to his country to ascend the throne is nothing, it can even be considered benevolence and righteousness.
Luo State escorted Prince Xiaobai back to the country and eventually achieved hegemony.
Duke Huan of Qi escorted Prince Fuyi back to his country, whereupon the State of Song surrendered and its strength was enhanced.
But whether it was Prince Xiaobai or Prince Fuyi, both returned to China legally.
Although it is actually for future benefits, no one can find fault with repaying a favor with benefits.
What about the State of Song this time?
Nakedly helping a prince to launch a rebellion against the monarch?
Armed interference in the throne of a normal vassal state without any justification is even more excessive than a big country bullying the weak.
If this is possible, then big countries like Jin, Qin, Qi and Chu will be able to interfere in other countries' affairs at will in the future, right?
When Luo Yan got the news, he was about to explode.
Will the man who first created clay figures for burials have no descendants?
You, Prince Lin, are not the only one who has a maternal clan. Prince Yin can also borrow troops from the Qin State.
Prince Chong'er did not do such a thing even though he had the support of Qi and Luo. But he dared to be so arrogant with only the support of Song.
I really don't know how to write the word death.
He hurried to the Luo Palace to meet his father.
"Father, Prince Lin asked Song for help, and the Song army entered Jin.
He has broken the bottom line of political struggle. Gongzi Yin will certainly invite the Qin army to enter Jin State, and things will get out of control!"
Luo State's defense against Qin State is now much more serious than that against Chu State. This matter has to start with the nearly hundred years of development between Qin State and Jin State.
The rise of the Qin State was when King Yi moved eastward and Duke Xuan of Luo confined the Qin State to the western frontier, forcing them to fight against the Rong people and confront other powerful princes with the surname Ying.
Then, in order to prevent accidents, he built twelve connected cities in Hangu Pass, a strategic pass that was already impenetrable to ten thousand men. Duke Xuan of Luo made this place an enclave for the royal family and sent his trusted generals to guard it.
Later, when the royal family was in chaos, the State of Jin sent a general to garrison here.
It can be said that it is very cautious, and facts have proved that there is nothing wrong with being cautious.
The Qin State actually became more and more courageous as the war went on. Since the Qin State started to rebel, successive Qin monarchs actually managed to quell the rebellion in Fenghao.
More than a hundred years ago, Guan Zhong assisted Duke Huan of Qi in honoring the king and repelling the barbarians, uniting the nine states, and bringing peace to the world.
In particular, he led the princes of the Central Plains to defeat the State of Chu in Yanling, which caused great damage to the vitality of the State of Chu and made it no longer able to move north.
After the Chu State returned to the Han River Plain, it faced harassment from the Shen and Ying States, and fought a bloody battle with the Wu State in the east, leaving the country exhausted.
So they colluded with the State of Qin, which was also excluded by the Central Plains, and even used the Qin army to attack the State of Shen, which made the already strong national strength of Qin take off directly.
After the marriage with the State of Chu, the State of Qin received help from the resources of the Han River Plain and the geographical advantages of the Wei River Plain. Now the State of Qin has completely dominated the western frontier.
Even though the State of Jin was guarding the Qiao-Han Pass, the State of Qin was now eager to learn from the State of Chu and enter the Central Plains.
Wasn’t it through the two eastern expeditions led by King Wu and King Su that the Zhou royal family laid the foundation for the five hundred years of the Zhou Dynasty?
The Ying clan has been aristocratic since ancient times, and its status during the Shang Dynasty was even higher than that of the Zhou Dynasty. Who says that the Mandate of Heaven will not descend upon Qin?
The states of Chu and Qin would never have imagined that during the honeymoon period between Zhou, Chu, Luo and Qin during the reign of King Yi, the State of Luo was considering parting ways.
After the Wangji Incident, Qin and Chu became thorns in Luo Gong's side.
Because they were foreign princes who were not very obedient to the rule, and they occupied terrain that was conducive to development and possessed great potential.
The only foreign vassal that could make Luo State feel a little at ease was Qi. After all, even during the reign of Lu Wujiu, Qi still maintained the tacit understanding of the Ji-Jiang alliance.
The development of the matter did not go beyond Luo Guo's expectations. As expected, Chu State coveted the Nine Cauldrons and wanted to go north to the Central Plains.
The State of Luo had already prepared a plan for him to come, and joined forces with the State of Qi to defeat the State of Chu in Yanling. However, the development of the State of Qin made the State of Luo increasingly worried.
No one knows the development potential of Fenghao better than Luo Guo. It is truly a fertile land that can rule the world.
Forty years ago, the Western Zhou Kingdom was annexed by the Qin State. The news from the Qin State was that it was conquered by the Rong people and that the Qin State had already expelled the Rong people.
However, the Qin State later rejected the royal family's attempt to restore the Western Zhou Dynasty. This was not in line with the tradition of survival after the extinction, and it also indirectly confirmed that the demise of the Western Zhou Dynasty was dominated by the Qin State.
When the land of Western Zhou Dynasty fell into the hands of Qin State, Luo State knew that Qin State was much more aggressive than Chu State and it was a real tiger and wolf country.
However, the distance between Luo State and Qin State was so far that it was unrealistic to suppress the development of Qin State in the western border.
Moreover, even if Luo State could defeat Qin State with the power it had, the price it would pay would not be less than the bloody battle it had promised.
The only thing Luo State could rely on was the power of Jin State.
The State of Jin occupied all the important roads that the State of Qin wanted to use to go east, the most important of which were Hangu Pass and the Xiaoshan Pass.
As long as this checkpoint is still in their hands, the Qin State will be in a critical position.
The State of Jin could attack the State of Qin at will, and if the State of Qin wanted to counterattack, it would suffer heavy casualties.
Therefore, as the State of Qin grew stronger, a chaotic State of Jin was no longer in the interests of the State of Luo in balancing the princes and ensuring the safety of the royal family.
If the State of Qin suddenly marched eastwards and occupied Hangu Pass when Jin was caught in civil strife and then directly blocked the Xiaohan Pass with its large army, it would be hard to say how much blood would be shed before the city could be recaptured.
Or if the prince follows the example of his elder brother Prince Lin and directly cedes the Qiao-Han Pass in order to fight for the throne, it will be too late to regret.
The situation between Jin and Qin is now too critical. Thinking for a moment longer may lead to unexpected changes.
"Father, Luo State must intervene immediately in the fight for the throne among the five princes of Jin State. This is what we have to do now.
Otherwise, if something unexpected happens and Qin gets the Qiao-Han Pass, things will get out of control.”
Having received the same education and having similar talents, how could Luo Ci not know what Luo Yan was thinking?
He sighed slightly and said, "Yan'er, you have to know that once the Luo Kingdom begins to wantonly interfere with the throne of another country, the reputation of the Luo family will be in jeopardy."
The most precious thing for the royal family of Luo State is the reputation it has cultivated over the past five hundred years. Roughly interfering in the throne of another country will destroy everything.
Luo Yan certainly understood, he was silent for a moment, and said: "Father, why don't we follow the example of our ancestor Ming Gong?
After a great destruction comes a great restoration. Jin has been in chaos for more than a hundred years. Now is the time for drastic reforms. "
"Ancient story of our ancestors?"
A hundred years ago, the State of Luo interfered with the succession of the throne of Qi by assassinating Lü Wujiu and supported the overlord Duke Huan of Qi.
After Guan Zhong's death, Qi's national strength gradually declined, but it lasted for more than a hundred years.
Until now, it is still considered a first-class power.
At first, Luo State supported Qi State blatantly, but its interference in the succession to the throne was very covert. Until now, no one knew that Lü Wujiu died at the hands of Luo State, and everyone thought that he was killed by Doctor An Ning.
Luo Yan's intention was to quietly kill Prince Wuzhi so that Prince Chong'er could take the throne.
Luo Ci shook his head and said, “When you killed Lü Wujiu, it was because Lü Wujiu killed the king and came to power, and many people were dissatisfied.
Moreover, Lu Wujiu acted perversely in the country, and everyone from the ministers to the people of Qi were dissatisfied with him.
It was because you followed the trend that things went so smoothly.
But although Gongzi Wuzhi ascended to the throne in a tortuous way, it was legal and in accordance with procedures after all, and those ministers all supported him. If Gongzi Wuzhi died unexpectedly as a monarch, it would not be a good thing. "
What Luo Ci said made sense. Luo Yan rubbed his head with some pain and sighed, "Why does Jin like internal fighting so much?"
After the death of Guan Zhong, Qi's national strength declined rapidly. The reason why it was able to maintain its hegemony for decades was mainly because Jin, the traditional power in the Central Plains, had always focused its main energy on internal strife.
The State of Luo had always believed that the State of Jin was the most suitable country to dominate.
The Qiao-Han Passage can control the princes in the west. The roads leading to Zheng and Wei are smooth. There are large plains suitable for farming in the country and the population is large. With a little development, it can become the dominant prince.
However, the royal family of Jin seemed to have put all their talents into internal fighting.
Two hundred years ago, during the reign of Duke Xuan of Luo, in addition to the capital Yi, the State of Jin also had a center in Quwo. After the death of the Duke of Jin, Quwo had been challenging the Marquis of Jin who lived in Yi.
Duke Xuan of Luo did not sit idly by and watch the smaller clans provoke the larger clans. Instead, he led the princes to intervene in the war between the smaller and larger clans in Jin State. He dealt a heavy blow to Quwo's misconduct and maintained the status of the larger clans in Jin State. Only then did the state finally calm down.
As a result, after Duke Xuan of Luo died, the Duke of Jin in Yicheng made one stupid move after another. Now, more than a hundred years have passed, and the State of Jin has once again fallen into a quagmire with frequent internal strife.
The previous Duke of Jin had finally maintained stability for several decades, but because he had no legitimate son and became senile in his later years, all of his illegitimate sons had their supporters and were unwilling to submit to others.
After his death, infighting among the five princes of Jin State began again.
The war between Prince Wuzhi and Prince Wu lasted for more than two years, and the outcome was still undecided. This had already had a great impact on the national strength of Jin. As a result, Prince Lin got involved again and brought the army from Song. The situation in Jin suddenly became more complicated.
Once Prince Yin brings the Qin army again, the Chu State will inevitably send troops as well, and the entire Central Plains may be thrown into chaos because of a succession war.
That's why Luo Yan proposed such a radical plan, wanting to directly settle the affairs of Jin State.
Luo Minggong's method didn't work, so Luo Yan quickly thought of his ancestor Luo Xuangong, who initially supported Prince Yi, but later abandoned Prince Yi and turned to support Prince Fu.
"Father, since we cannot follow the example of our ancestor Ming Gong, we might as well follow the example of our ancestor Xuan Gong.
He gave up letting Prince Chong'er ascend the throne. The promise made to the Duke of Jin was to guarantee Prince Chong'er's safety, not to force him to ascend the throne.
Prince Wuzhi has the last will of the Marquis of Jin, so he is the legitimate Marquis of Jin. He relies on the nobles of Jin, and his political goal is to prosper Jin, which is also a goal we can strive for.
As long as we quickly put down the civil unrest in Jin, we can concentrate our efforts on developing Jin and fight against Qin, which wants to move eastward, and Chu, which has gradually recovered its strength in recent years. "
This is very similar to the current situation. Back then, the orthodox morality was transferred from Prince Yi to Prince Fu, so Duke Xuan of Luo chose Prince Fu, who had higher orthodoxy, and finally achieved the great situation of King Yi's revival.
Although the Duke of Jin's actions are eye-catching, it is indisputable that the legitimacy of the throne of Jin has shifted from Prince Chong'er to Prince Wuzhi.
Then, as a defender of the clan system, it was absolutely correct for Luo State to support Prince Wuzhi, and no one could find fault with it.
I have to say that Luo Yan's idea is very clever. This is the advantage of having many ancestors and historical records. While you are still racking your brains to figure out how to solve this problem, I will just copy the answer.
“Good idea!”
Luo Ci also thought it was feasible and said excitedly: "Yan'er, you should immediately send someone to Jin State to let Prince Chong'er speak out in support of Prince Wuzhi and acknowledge Prince Wuzhi's throne. In this way, Prince Wu and Prince Lin will definitely be in a dilemma.
In addition, people were sent to Luoyi to ask the emperor to issue an edict to confer a title to Prince Wuzhi and to let the royal family determine Prince Wuzhi's status.
At this time, Prince Wuzhi could use the alliance between Luo and Jin and his status as the Marquis of Jin to invite the armies of Luo and Qi to join.
Whether it is suppressing a rebellion or conducting military exercises between two countries, it is all fine.”
In the later period of Duke Huan of Qi, as the hundred-year vow of not paying tribute to Zhou came to an end, the relationship between Luo State and the Zhou royal family gradually recovered.
Although Luo State no longer served as a minister of the dynasty, all kinds of tributes had been resumed. Now, there was no problem in asking the emperor to confer a title to Prince Wuzhi for the sake of Luo State's face.
This solved the moral issue of Luo State sending troops.
In fact, all the nations who were watching the fun knew that there must be something fishy behind Prince Wuzhi's accession to the throne, but it was impossible that the will was forged. It was most likely that the Duke of Jin was fooled when he was old and confused.
There are many such things, but no matter how confused he was, the Duke of Jin was neither held hostage nor forced. He wrote down his will, and that was what he meant.
Now that a solution had been found, Luo State's execution ability had always been strong, and soon several teams of troops headed towards Luoyi, Jin State, and Qi State.
Luo Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, looking towards the direction of the Qin State in the west with a gloomy look in his eyes. When the strength of the Jin State recovers a little, he will bring the Central Plains army to beat you.
The vassal states of the Ji clan are not something you can annex at will.
There is a coherent chapter below. I will revise it and post it in the afternoon.
(End of this chapter)
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