warring states careerist

Chapter 403 Time is ruthless and heaven and earth are glowing ([-])
When the servant led the old friend in, Wu Qi knelt down on the ground with his sword across his knee.

Instead of getting up to greet him, Sheng Chuo also knelt and sat directly opposite Wu Qi after entering, naturally divided into guest and host.

The servant stood aside, but Sheng Chuo ignored the etiquette and shouted: "We meet each other, how can we have no wine? Pour the wine quickly."

The servant glanced at Wu Qi, saw that Wu Qi did not object, and was overwhelmed by Sheng Chuo's demeanor, turned around and went out to get wine.

After a while, the wine arrives.

The two people who fought in Lu State 20 years ago and those who fought in Luoyin a few years ago met each other, but they didn't mention those old things.

Wu Qi just asked indifferently when he drank it all.

"Although you rebelled against Mo, the Mohists argue for profit. Now that you have come, will you benefit me?"

Sheng Chuo put down the wine cup, and the servant came to fill it up.

He looked at Wu Qi, and asked lightly: "A hundred people gain a thousand benefits, and a thousand people gain a thousand benefits. There are merchants who treasure jewels and jade, and there are ink from Surabaya, which treasure benevolence and righteousness. I don't know what the benefits are in your eyes. How can I say anything that is good for you?"

Sheng Chuo changed the subject, and suddenly said: "There is a person who has such merits: he led the three armies, made the soldiers happy to die, and the enemy country did not dare to plot; Don't dare to go east, Han Zhaobin will follow. Fighting against the beams and beheading Chu's four rulers, one court Yin, and twenty cities."

"Do you know who this person is?"

Wu Qi smiled and said, "This is me."

Sheng Chuo said with emotion: "Although such a contribution is not comparable to that of Duke Zhou, it is almost the same as that of Guan Zhong. Then is your power in Wei State comparable to that of Guan Yiwu?"

He didn't ask about ability, but directly asked about power, Wu Qi shook his head, this is a question that doesn't need to be answered.

Because Guan Zhong was called "Father Zhong" by Duke Huan of Qi.Bo Zhong Shu Ji, Zhong Fu is the father's eldest brother, his own oldest uncle, in other words called "second father".

Because Guan Zhong has always been trusted and has never been suspected, and because Qi Huan died hiding his face when he died, because he felt ashamed to see Guan Zhong under Jiuquan.

More importantly... Guan Zhong shot Duke Huan of Qi and almost killed him.

Sheng Chuo asked again: "If there is no Guan Zhong, when you were in Qi Huan, you made such meritorious deeds and had such talents, wouldn't you be able to become "Zhong's father"?"

These words are provocative.

Wu Qi had been depressed for the past three years, but at this moment he just sighed and said: "This is the reason why Qi Huan became the hegemony, joined the feudal lords, and took over the Xia."

Sheng Chuo picked up the wine cup and drank it down, then laughed and said: "The rules have changed, and the world is in chaos. It's not that there are no people like Qi Huan in the world, but that Qi Huan doesn't dare to be Qi Huan anymore!"

This is the first time Wu Qi heard this statement. He knew that although Sheng Chuo rebelled against Mo, he was originally a figure in the Mo family.He was able to draw with him, and he was able to stick to Luoyin and force him to retreat when he passed through Luoshui when the Qin people were in a panic, so he naturally gave him enough respect.

So I asked for advice: "I would like to hear the details."

Sheng Chuo said leisurely: "At that time when I was a Mohist, Kai Zhishi once said that all the world is for the benefit. He always likes to speculate about the nobles and princes and ministers with the darkest thoughts. This point... I Not against it."

"You learned from Zeng Shen, and Zeng Shen learned from Zuo Qiuming. You know history."

"People's hearts are unpredictable, I'm just making a hypothesis. If Guan Zhong had the intention to usurp the throne at that time, could it be done?"

Wu Qi thought for a while and said, "Impossible. Duke Huan of Qi's family is powerful, and he has Gao and Guo clans."

Sheng Chuo nodded and said: "There is one more thing. Before Qi Huan, was there anyone who was not from the public family but took the country?"

Wu Qi shook his head, and Sheng Chuo said again: "Yes, the rules still existed at that time. Non-public clans are not allowed to seek the position of monarch. The princes are also resolutely opposed to such things happening in the world for their own benefit. They protect the rules of superiority and inferiority. , is to protect their own position."

"But... Bi Wan is just a common man, and now his descendants win Wei. Chen Tian destroyed the country and died in Qi, and now Qi people only know Tian's family but not Qihou... They did this by themselves, breaking the rules of the world, but no one came out stop."

"Zhong Ni I was actually running around to prevent such a thing from happening, and now the world is indeed in chaos."

"Young man... no, Mo Di traveled all over the world because he knew that the chaos in the world was irreversible, and he couldn't go back to the past. He could only think about the future under the current situation."

"The two people's goals are both for the stability of the world, but they are taking different paths. But things have come to this point, Zhongni's path is already impossible to succeed."

"The matter of taking the country, Han Zhao and Wei Tian, ​​they can do it, why can't others do it? Even if Guan Zhong is resurrected, if he has the same momentum as before, there will be a world where there are no rules now... It's a matter of taking the country and seeking the country. It's one thing, whether it can be done is another thing."

"Just like I spread rumors everywhere now, saying that you like to eat people and want to eat everyone in the world, will people be afraid?"

Wu Qi shook his head.

Sheng Chuo said again: "But I just spread the rumor that you might seize the country and usurp it, but some people believed it. But the same rumor, 200 years ago when the rules and rites still existed, no one would believe it, because at that time You can't. It's the same thing."

"Because it is impossible for you to eat all the people in the world. It is possible for you to take over the country and usurp it. People will not be wary of impossible things, but have to be wary of possible things. "

"You are a fierce tiger. If you tell people that I don't eat people, even if you are telling the truth, will people be defenseless?"

Sheng Chuo did not shy away from spreading rumors about Wu Qi. Wu Qi also knew that Sheng Chuo had spread rumors about himself, so those who slandered and were slandered can look at each other with a smile and don't care.

Sheng Chuo asked the servant to refill the wine again, and said with a big laugh, "Although Young Master Chi is stubborn and arrogant and untrustworthy, he is not a stupid person. Therefore, he will not believe some rumors. Therefore, I made up two more sounding rumors. Believable...or rumors that you can make if you want to."

Amidst the laughter, under the glare of the servant, Sheng Chuo proudly stretched out two fingers.

"First, you said that you want to attack Qin wholeheartedly, so that you will be sealed in the Qin land in the future, or after you enter Qin, you will support the young Qin Jun for a year, follow Zhong Qi Huan's affairs, lead the government of Qin, and be the second father of Qin."

"Secondly, after you defeated the state of Chu in Daliang City, the two kings of Chu will see your talent. At that time, they will worship you as their prime minister and change their minds. The things I praised you before...such as generals and soldiers Happy to die, the enemy country does not dare to conspire; govern hundreds of officials, be close to all people, have full treasury and prepare for war; guard the West River while Qin soldiers dare not go east, and Han and Zhao Bin follow. Fighting the beams and beheading the four rulers of Chu, one of the court Yin, and the next Twenty cities...these are threats to Young Master Ji."

"You know these two rumors, why are they credible? Why don't I bother to spread the rumor that you might seek power in Wei Guo?"

Wu Qi still smiled, bowed and asked, "Ask for advice."

Sheng Chuo didn't answer directly, but asked, "Can Wei be considered powerful now?"

Wu Qi said yes, and said: "Han Zhao Bincong, Qin people dare not go east, Qi people tear down the Great Wall and dare not repair it, Chu is divided into two and the situation is difficult. It can be called powerful. This is the foundation of the overlord."

Sheng Chuo said with a smile: "So it is impossible for you to be prime minister in Wei State. You have reached the peak of Xihe Shou now, and you can't go any further."

Wu Qi was puzzled, and Sheng Chuo asked, "If you were prime minister, wouldn't you do nothing?"

Wu Qi said slightly annoyed: "If I am prime minister, I will naturally want to enrich the country and strengthen the army. How can I do nothing?"

Sheng Chuo clapped his hands and said: "So if you want to make the country rich and the army strong, you can't be a prime minister. What Wei needs now is not change and strength, but stability. If you are a prime minister, you must reform again, weaken the monarch, and gather the power of the monarch and the prime minister. , reforming land rights, honoring talents, rewarding farming, expanding soldiers, lowering the salary of the king and the power of the world... Isn't this Wei State going to chaos?"

"Great chaos can lead to great governance, but for the state of Wei... As you said, the state of Wei has already ruled Qin in the west and forced Qi in the east, and suppressed Chu in the south while Han and Zhao Fu. Would the Marquis of Wei prefer to maintain stability? Or do we have to change? "

"It's already so powerful, so what's the point of changing it? If it doesn't change well, the flames of war will rise everywhere, and the clan's resentment and anger will bring disaster to Xiao Qiang. So the more you want to do things, the more you can't be a minister."

"If you are a waste, you will do nothing, but you don't have the blood of the noble family, so you still have no chance to be a chancellor."

"On the contrary, you are talented and capable. You know how to control the army and govern the government. You want to restore the country and strengthen the army, but you still can't be a prime minister."

It was the first time Wu Qi heard such an analysis, but he didn't laugh at it as nonsense, but remained silent for a long time, took a sip of strong wine, and instead asked: "As you said, it makes sense. This is like a dying person Mr. Changsang saw it personally, and thought that he needed to break his limbs to heal, and this person would probably accept it. But if someone told him that he had a hidden disease and urgently needed treatment, he might not believe it if he was a strong person?"

"As you said, where can I be a minister?"

Sheng Chuo laughed loudly when he heard the words, and after laughing for a long time, he said: "You have heard the two rumors just now. Why did those two rumors attract others' belief? Because those two rumors are possible, so Others will believe it."

"The Three-Jin Alliance has not yet been broken, and Han and Zhaobin submit to Wei. Then, even if Han and Zhao know your talent, how can they let you be their prime minister? They dare not."

"The Marquis of Qi is still alive, and Tian He is just a prime minister. If you become a prime minister, how will Tian He deal with himself? That's why we can't."

"The Mohists are in Sishang, with a wealth of talents, their own theories, and their own reasons. Moreover, the internal organization is tight, and you can't convince the crowd in Surabaya. It's delusional."

Sheng Chuo first mentioned four places where Wu Qi could not display his ambitions. Here he did not mention Yan State, nor did he mention Yue State. Except for Wei State itself and Qin Chu, who spread rumors, there was an extra Sishui Mohist.

In Sheng Chuo's eyes, the Mo family has become one of the Seven Heroes of the Troubled Times.And the country of Yan... at this time is not qualified to participate in the disputes in the Central Plains.

The rise of Yan State is thanks to Qi State swallowing Yan, which broke the ancient system of Yan State. After the restoration of the country, King Yan completed the reform of the centralization system with prestige and military power. Qi State helped Yan State clean up the domestic nobles.But now, Yan State is just a soy sauce to the countries of the Central Plains.

The surname of Yan State is Ji, and it is really a country like a living fossil. Without Qi State's invasion of Yan, Yan State would not have the chance to be reborn from the ashes.

Now replacing the original Qixiong is the Mohism of Surabaya, and even South Korea is not counted at this time, because South Korea has not yet annexed Zheng Guo, and it is still a country that can be separated from Zheng Guo before the split.

(End of this chapter)