Plan to cut off the nine states

(Please collect and recommend)

Ma Wei was well-connected and well-informed. What he said before was correct. There was indeed a group of women secretly selecting students' articles. The leader was a mystery, and the purpose was even more divergent. But it was definitely not to select a husband - many were quite old and had already married. Students who are getting married are also included in the selection.

Rumors are inevitable. Each one is more attractive than the other. More people are excited about it, but fewer people take it seriously. Zhou Lu is one of the few people.

Therefore, when a fragrant invitation arrived, Zhou Lu jumped several feet into the air and without even thinking about it, he immediately sent back a name tag, saying that he would definitely attend the appointment on time.

The invitation is actually a bit strange. It says "One Step" at the beginning, but there is no signature at the end. The content is very simple, with only a few lines of words: "You are a talented person, we admire you. I invite you to have a chat. Do you agree?" The book is incomplete and is entrusted to the servants.

Zhou Lu had already heard the rumors, but he didn't expect that he would be the one invited. He grabbed the servant who delivered the letter with both hands and asked a series of questions.

The servant in green clothes and a small hat had a rather bookish tone and a very strict tone. He only said that someone appreciated the article Mr. Zhou had written a few days ago and hoped to meet and discuss it in detail. He smiled and asked Mr. Zhou to be ready. He would come to greet him at noon the next day.

The servant didn't say "how are you, master", but said "someone appreciates it". Zhou Lu should have been alert at this time, but he had already lost his mind. He studied the letter paper and the handwriting on it repeatedly, and concluded that it must be a boudoir thing. I couldn't help but feel ecstatic, and immediately came to Lou Chi for help. After being rejected, I asked others for advice, and even bought a few poems, planning to recite them casually to please the lady.

"Are you married?" Lou Chu couldn't help but ask.

Zhou Lu pointed to the scar on the left side of his face, "The one on the right was beaten by them, and the left was left by my tigress."

"Go on." Lou Chu was glad that he didn't help before.

The other party's servant arrived as promised. Zhou Lu dressed up carefully, put powder on his face, and brought seven or eight sachets with him. He fully expected that there would be a romantic affair, but he did not expect that he received a good beating.

Zhou Lu took one of his servants out on horseback and followed the servant to a temple outside Nancheng. He was right. He must be a noble lady, so naturally he could not see him at home.

The temple was large and desolate. Zhou Lu went in from the side door and saw no monk. A young man came out and asked: "Did you write the article 'Utilize the people to take advantage of the time'?"

"That's right." Zhou Lu hadn't smelled the danger yet. He just looked at the other party carefully. He felt that it didn't look like a woman disguised as a man, so he looked around and asked, "Where is your master?"

The other party did not answer and continued to ask: "Your article has five strategies. The first strategy is 'Utilize the people according to the time', followed by 'Select ministers with merit', 'Choose generals with merit', 'Punishment with justice', 'Sacrifice according to time'?"

"That's right, I wrote all five strategies. I can not only write current strategies, but also occasionally write poems..."

"Hmm, let's talk about poetry or not later. I just want to ask you one thing: Why is 'employing the people at the right time' the first policy?"

"Ah?" Zhou Lu asked someone to prepare a lot of answers, but he didn't expect this question, "Um... where is your master? I won't talk to you."

"I am the master."

Zhou Lu was greatly disappointed, "Why do you, a grown man, use such fragrant letterhead?"

"You've even applied powder."

"Oh, it's boring. I have nothing to talk about." Zhou Lu turned to leave.

The man coughed, and the servant leading the way stopped at the door and said with a smile: "Since you are here, why bother to leave in a hurry?"

"Bah, I didn't say anything when I asked you yesterday. If I had known that your master was a man, I wouldn't have come at all. Get out of the way. I want to go home."

The servant who led the way clapped his hands, and several healthy servants walked out from the next room, lined up in a row, and blocked the door.

Zhou Lu's face turned pale, so he brought a young boy, who was trembling with fear and absolutely unable to protect the Lord.

"Hey, we are all literati, why are you here?" Zhou Lu turned around and handed over to the master, "I haven't asked you for your name yet."

"My surname is Zhang, and my bow is Zhang."

"Oh, there are quite a few people named Zhang."

"My 'Zhang' has a family in the world."

Zhou Lu was shocked. This Zhang family was the only member of the royal family. However, he looked at the other person’s clothes and looked at them for a long time. He smiled and said, “You don’t even want to say your name... don’t do this.” , kidnapping, right? Okay, I have money, you give me a price, I..."

Mr. Zhang shook his head, "I originally suspected that the article was not written by you, but now it seems that it was not the case."

"Why didn't I write it?" Zhou Lu defended with a blushing face.

"Sacrifice, selection of ministers, selection of generals, employment of the people, and punishment, the five policies should be arranged in order. The appointment of the people and punishment may not be in any order, but they cannot precede the first three. Were these five policies not written by the same person? You compiled it into a random article without even distinguishing the priority. Also, 'Utilizing the people and taking advantage of the time' is the best one, and the other four strategies are completely redundant..."

What Mr. Zhang said later was the same as that of the building foundation. Zhou Lu was already prepared for this and hurriedly said: "Yes, just because this strategy is the best, I want to be in the front. The other four strategies... are considered as additions. The original intention is to hope The East Palace chooses the good ones..."

Mr. Zhang was furious, "How dare you quibble? People like you have to use force."

Several healthy servants at the door got the hint and started beating Zhou Lv while holding him down. Zhou Lv jumped up with his head in his arms. He couldn't stand it anymore and said loudly: "Don't hit, don't hit, I'm telling the truth."

Jian Pu stopped, Zhou Lu hummed a few times, told the truth, and gave the name of the building foundation.

"Is this what happens when I send you the article?" Hearing this, Lou Chu regretted even more.

"There is nothing we can do, they beat people very hard."

"It's not the first time you've been beaten, and didn't you find someone to avenge you? Let him avenge you again."

"Don't mention that incident. That man has the same temper as Mr. Lou. He doesn't want money, doesn't make friends, and in the end just shuts himself up. So I haven't avenged the last time I was beaten, and I got beaten again this time... not to mention this time. My man is not a unruly man, he is... a prince."

"prince?"

"Zhang Sheduan, the eldest son of Prince Guangling, is the younger brother of the current emperor. He grew up in the palace since he was a child and is highly favored. Mr. Lou has not heard of it, right?"

Of course Lou Chu knew Zhang Sheduan's name, and even more so the words "King Guangling". He was a crucial figure in the assassination plan, and if everything went well, he would be the future emperor.

"He said his name?" Lou Chu asked.

"Yes, when he drove me away, he said his name was Zhang Sheduan, and... also said that I must bring you to him, otherwise... otherwise he would put me in jail, charge me with serious crimes, and impose "

"The prince of Guangling has no official position, so why should you be imprisoned?"

"Oh, my Grandpa Lou, stop being childish at this time. Who is Prince Guangling? The emperor must listen to the prince's words. This time... wuwu, it was your article that caused this. This is a disaster, and you must help me solve it.”

After learning the identity of Prince Guangling, Lou Chu became really interested in this matter. After thinking for a while, he said, "Since he sent someone to invite you, why didn't he just come to invite me?"

"He didn't trust me and said that if I lied once, I could lie twice, so he asked me to bring the real author of 'Use the People to the Times'. If there is another lie, he will arrest me immediately." Zhou Lu was eager to persuade Lou He came over and whispered: "And I have inquired carefully. There are really women here, they are princesses, princesses, etc. Zhang Shoutuan was pushed out by them as a visitor. If Mr. Lou is..."

"If that's the case, I won't go."

"No." Zhou Lu was self-defeating and hurriedly changed his words, "I just heard that Zhang Shiduan is really interested in your article from the look on his face."

Lou Chu thought for a while, "I have to wait for news from the government these days, so I can't go out."

"It's just one night. Let's go and come back together. I won't delay your business."

Lou Chu shook his head, "I didn't write that article to seek wealth and glory, nor to attract comrades. If someone likes it, let them come to see me."

Zhou Lu smiled bitterly and said: "I can call you 'Grandpa', but others can't. That is the Crown Prince of Guangling..."

"Even if it were King Guangling himself, I wouldn't go."

Zhou Lu was stunned for a while and gave a thumbs up, "As expected of the general's son, why did I forget it? Your father has a much higher status than mine, so what can King Guangling do? He was not sent to Jiangdong to govern Diao People? The person who remains in power in the court is still General Lou."

"I can't borrow the power of the general. Anyway, go and tell Prince Guangling: If he cares about the article, he has already read it, and it is up to him to comment on whether it is good or bad. If he cares about people, then invite him to visit himself. He wants to try it. I also want to see if he is worthy of commenting on my article.”

Zhou Lu was speechless for a long time and then said: "Okay, I admire your courage, but I won't say these words. Just ask Zhang Shiduan to come to your house. If he agrees, everyone will be happy. If he doesn't agree, I have to beg you... …”

Lou Chu waved his hand, "Go ahead."

Zhou Lu had never been afraid of anyone in the Yuxue Hall, but he lost his momentum with Zhang Shiduan, and he has not regained it now. He was shocked by the foundation of the building, got up and walked out, and couldn't help but ask at the door: "Why did Zhang Shiduan stop? Can you tell that the article was not written by me? Is the order of the five strategies so important?”

"The name is not worthy of the name. It is clear at a glance. He has made it very clear."

Zhou Lu half-understood, "It's just an article. To be honest, I haven't seen anything special... Forget it, I'm going to see Zhang Sheduan. Alas, I've been having a bad year recently and everything I do is not going well. I have to find someone. Do the math for me."

Lou Chu was very puzzled. Did Zhang Shiduan know about his father's plan? He wanted to ask Ma Wei, but quickly changed his mind and decided to stay at home and wait for the situation to change.

The night was already dark, and the man who had slept during the day was not sleepy at all. He was holding a candle and reading a book, but the old servant was sleeping soundly. He was snoring constantly, coming cautiously through the wall from another room, and the knock on the door from outside could not be heard. Wake him up.

He went to open the door by himself and asked before bolting: "Who is it?"

"It's me, Guo Shifeng."

Lou Chu was quite surprised. The two hadn't seen each other for several days, and according to the plan, they didn't need to meet.