Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 428 Liu Taozi is a loyal person

Jiankang River Estuary.

The minister Yuan Xian came out again to receive guests.

The atmosphere this time was much more grand than the previous one to welcome the great monk. No boats were allowed to approach the entire river mouth. There were navy troops on the water clearing the way and patrolling, and there were also a large number of soldiers on land who were driving away the crowd and setting up alerts.

There were more than twenty captains who came to assist.

The State of Chen selected the most elite land combat troops and arranged them on both sides of the Jiangkou Wharf. These soldiers were all tall and well-armored. In order to show their military strength to the State of Han, Yuan Xian also gave it his all.

They pieced together troops from all over the place, and even temporarily seconded them, so that the armor rate of this elite force reached 70% to 80%, and many of them were brave officers.

These thousands of people really look well-organized and look very impressive.

The real big deal is still on the water. The Chen people dispatched several giant ships to guard both sides of the river mouth. There were countless golden-winged ships and the like around them. This was really a deterrent.

Yuan Xian stood at the dock, waiting anxiously.

He was ordered to come here to welcome the envoys from the Han Dynasty.

After Hua Jiao surrendered to Zhou with his ships and Wang Lin stole home with his navy, the State of Chen was eager to change such a bad diplomatic environment. Coincidentally, the State of Han also had such plans. When Chunyu Liang arrived at the front line, the State of Han had already withdrawn its troops. What Chunyu Liang did not expect was that Wang Lin took the initiative to return the prisoners and evacuate several water forts on the Huai River and return them to the Chen army.

Of course, it is impossible to return the ships, especially the Gaitian ship, which I would never give back even if I were beaten to death.

But Wang Lin showed goodwill after all. After Chunyu Liang informed his emperor of the news, Chen Xu immediately expressed his willingness to negotiate with the Han people.

Finally, it was decided that the Han State would send envoys to Jiankang to discuss with the Chen State about future cooperation between the two sides.

Chen Xu attached great importance to this matter. Fearing that the Zhou people would cause trouble, he sent many soldiers to protect the safety of the Han envoys.

If Chen and Han were to join forces, the Zhou people would certainly not remain indifferent. If they carried out an assassination and the Han envoy died in Chen, that would be a big problem.

Yuan Xian waited for a long time, but no ship came, and he became more and more anxious.

The situation is changing too quickly. Not long ago, we joined forces with the Zhou people to deal with the Han people. Now, we have to join forces with the Han people to deal with the Zhou people.

Several officials around were also a little uneasy at this moment.

"Mr. Yuan, I heard that Heavenly King Liu was the only one who went to the frontier. Can his envoys speak elegant language?"

Yuan Xian glanced at these domestic celebrities and did not answer their stupid questions.

These so-called celebrities usually talk big, but in fact they have never been to the north. They always imagine the people in the north to be Hu people who eat raw meat and drink blood. Qi State is okay because they have had exchanges with it in the past. However, because of his hometown and the style of his subordinates, Liu Taozi is regarded as a pure Hu person by these people, the kind who wears furs and holds bone clubs.

Yuan Xian didn't know why the emperor arranged for such a "famous scholar" to come with him to welcome him. However, at present, most of the people in the Ministry of Rites of the State of Chen were such famous scholars, and there was no one else available.

Many of the civil and military ministers who had served as ministers during the reigns of Chen Baxian and Chen Qian were no longer with us, and the State of Chen began to face the problem of talent shortage, especially in terms of civil servants. There were very few ministers who could serve as kings and assistants. The governance policies were still carried out according to those of the Chen Qian period, but the quality of the executors was declining, resulting in lower effectiveness.

Yuan Xian cleared his throat and said seriously: "The Han envoys are here for important matters, so you must not be rude to them."

"I will welcome the leader, and you will welcome the rest of the people. This matter concerns the future lifeblood of the State of Chen. You must not be arrogant! You must not neglect it!"

"Also, don't let them look down on you."

Yuan Xian never thought that one day he would have to explain these most basic things to the officials in charge of the reception.

Everyone listened attentively.

They waited here for a long time, and the Han ships finally appeared in the distance.

This time, the Han State sent a golden-winged ship to escort its envoys, and the warship was surrounded by the frigates of the Chen State.

When the officials on the shore saw the tattered golden-winged ship of the Han State and the tall and sturdy warships of the Chen State surrounding it, their faces were filled with joy.

We win!
Yuan Xian led his men and walked forward a few steps, showing great importance.

The ship docked and the messengers came out quickly.

There were two people taking the lead.

The chief envoy was an elderly man with gray hair and a haggard look, while the deputy envoy was much younger, strong and robust, and looked like a warrior.

The two sides greeted each other with greetings.

"Wei Gong."

Yuan Xian bowed his head and saluted. Before the other party arrived, they had sent a letter informing them of the list of envoys. The leading envoy was Wei Shou, a minister of the Han State, and the deputy envoy was Gao Daohuo, an old acquaintance of the Chen State, who had been an envoy to the Chen State on behalf of the Qi State in the past. In addition to them, there were 17 other entourages, each of whom was an extraordinary figure.

Wei took back the gift.

He was punished for the previous iron official case, and considering his old age, he was not sent to the mines to do hard labor, but was simply demoted to a civilian.

This old man has always been unable to sit still. His family members all advised him to stay at home and write books and study, and not to go to the government office anymore, but he just wouldn't listen.

When he was at home, Old Wei did a lot of creative work. He studied the various systems of the former Wei and former Qi dynasties, and wrote several outlines for students to study in the academy, targeting the former Imperial College and the current academy. He then submitted these to the government. Then, he took out his own collection of books and gave them to the government free of charge, thinking that they could be copied and distributed to help scholars all over the world.

Wei Shou expressed his ideas so urgently again and again. It happened that the Han and Chen were preparing to negotiate peace, so Liu Taozi arranged for Wei Shou to be in charge of this matter.

This is a double test of Wei Shou's ability and morality.

Seeing these envoys, the people of Chen looked at them for a moment and suddenly felt a little disappointed. Why are these people dressed like the people of Qi? They don't look like Hu people.

Yuan Xian greeted Wei Shou warmly, and then said to the people around him:
"Everyone, this is Duke Wei!! The great sage who compiled the Book of Wei, a true master of the North!"

"Back then, Wen Zisheng from Jiyin, Xing Zicai from Hejian, and Duke Wei were known as the 'Three Talents of the North'. This means that a great man has come to our country!"

After Yuan Xian's explanation, everyone was shocked, and some of them actually knew him.

Wei Shou had a great reputation, especially among these famous scholars.

He started out as a most authentic doctor of classics, and was a first-class expert in classics, history, poetry, etc.

When these people learned the identity of the visitor, some were amazed, their eyes full of admiration, while others looked at him with contempt, their eyes full of disdain.

Wei Shou has a great reputation, and great fame easily causes controversy. Those who like him call him a great sage in the north, while those who don't like him say he is a treacherous minister in the north.

When Wei Shou was compiling the Book of Wei, he even accepted bribes and then helped others rewrite the book. This immediately lowered the value of the historical materials and the historian's value, and was criticized.

Yuan Xian didn't care about these things. He warned these people with his eyes again, and then pulled Wei Shou to walk in front. These people naturally went to meet the other envoys and chat with them cordially.

Wei Shou had just gotten off the boat and was not in a very good condition.

Yuan Xian did not rush him to get on the car. The soldiers on both sides escorted him and walked towards the city on foot.

After a while, Wei Shou's condition finally got better.

He looked around and said, "I also took this road when I came here in the past. However, this place has changed a lot compared to before."

Yuan Xian nodded, "Yes, when you came as an envoy, I was just a doctor of the Imperial College. When we heard you were coming, everyone cheered and we all climbed up the wall to see you."

Wei Shou smiled and said, "Are you going to see the prince?"

When Wei Shou made his first diplomatic mission to the Southern Kingdom, it was still Liang. His reputation was not as great as it is now. He came as the deputy of the top celebrity Wang Xin.

Wang Xin was very famous at that time, and was a well-known scholar in the north. Unfortunately, due to the language problem, Gao Yang thought he was mocking him. Yang Dadu explained, but Gao Yang said that Wang Xin was in the same group with him and should not be trusted. He then killed Wang Xin and threw his body into the Zhang River. Gao Yang liked to throw things into the water. After so many years, Wei Shou came again, and his reputation was only higher than Wang Xin's at the beginning.

After Wei Shou felt better, Yuan Xian invited him into the car. Only when they were seated inside did Yuan Xian dare to say things that he dared not say outside.

"Duke Wei, we have heard a lot about the reputation of the Han Lord, and we admire him. It is a blessing for both countries to be able to negotiate peace with the Han army. However, there are still some people in the country who do not agree with the peace negotiation with the Han army. You also know that my Lord is kind, and if any of the people under his command, including many famous people, have offended him, please forgive me."

Yuan Xian said this, and hesitated for a long time. Then he gritted his teeth, took out a wooden box that he had prepared in advance, and handed it to Wei Shou.

Wei Shou took the wooden box in a daze, opened it and saw a huge piece of jade inside. The jade was crystal clear and extremely round. Wei Shou picked it up and touched it a few times. It felt very good. Wei Shou had never seen jade of such quality and color before, and he couldn't take his eyes away for a moment.

Yuan Xian's eyes were full of loss.

Yuan Xian was also a celebrity, but unlike other celebrities in China, he was a relatively upright person, honest and fair, and had never done anything dirty like bribery.

This is his first time.

He didn't want to do this at first, but the emperor had given the order, so he had to do it and just regard it as a gift from the emperor to the other party.

Chen Xu was different from Liu Taozi. When Liu Taozi said he wanted to negotiate peace, everyone in the country nodded. Even if there were some who dared to shout, they would do so behind closed doors. But when Chen Xu said he wanted to negotiate peace, there were people in the country who dared to contradict and even curse.

Although Chen Xu was ruthless towards his political enemies, he was relatively tolerant towards the famous literati in the country. This was mostly the case in normal times in the Southern Dynasties. Only when a few abnormal emperors came to power would they start a massacre. The North was always relatively strict and basically not too tolerant.

The State of Chen was eager to negotiate peace at the moment, and people on the Chen side were worried that something might go wrong.

Wei Shou widened his eyes, looked at the wooden box in his hand, pondered for a moment, and then accepted it.

He smiled and looked at Yuan Xian, "Thank you for the gift from your country."

"Don't worry, Yuan Jun. I will never leave until we can make peace!"

Yuan Xian was relieved when he saw him accept the gift.

The two of them walked all the way to the Southern Kingdom's palace.

Chen Xu had already made preparations. He brought more than ten important ministers and summoned the envoys from the Han State to a side hall.

The envoys were not questioned too much and were allowed to pass directly. Led by Yuan Xian, they came before Emperor Chen Xu. Yuan Xian nodded slightly towards the emperor, indicating that he had accepted it. Chen Xu was overjoyed.

When Chen Xu heard that the person coming was Wei Shou, he was very happy.

Firstly, Wei Shou was famous. He was a scholar, not a hot-tempered Hu person, so it was easier to deal with him. Secondly, Wei Shou was a long-tested corrupt official with a long history of bad deeds. He took money to help others rewrite history books, took money to speak well of others when he was sent as an envoy to Liang State, took money to help people pardon their crimes when he was appointed as the Minister of Justice, and took money to help people do business when he was appointed as a local official.
It can be said that he never changes his original intention and sticks to it until death!!
Since this person has received the money, things will be easy and he will definitely agree.

Sure enough, Wei Shou's attitude towards the emperor was very respectful. He didn't look like someone who came from the Hu people at all, and he behaved like a famous scholar.

Chen Xu hurriedly invited him to take a seat.

At this time, Chen Xu just noticed Gao Daohuo standing behind him.

When Chen Qian was still alive, this man had come as an envoy to the State of Chen. Chen Xu was also present at the time. Chen Xu looked at him and laughed, "I still remember that when Mr. Gao first came, he talked about the prestige of the Han Lord. I didn't expect that today he has really become a minister of the Han Lord."

Gao Daohuo was the son of Gao Aocao. Hearing Chen Xu's teasing words, he was not moved at all. He just said calmly: "When I first came here, Your Majesty was also a minister. I never thought that today you have become the king."

Chen Xu was not angry. Instead, he laughed and told his attendants to start the banquet.

Wei Shou is really suitable for this kind of southern culture!
He doesn't even need to change himself, just slightly adjust his accent, and he will be a typical southern scholar. He also loves music, likes watching dancing, and likes to discuss poetry and prose with everyone.

From the expression to the words, they are exactly the same as the people here.

The more Chen Xu communicated with him, the more surprised he was. Is there such a talented person in the North?

Chen Xu even forgot to talk about the main business and was only concerned with discussing various subjects with him. Whether it was Confucianism, Buddhism, or Taoism, Wei Shou could talk about them all. This man had written "Records of Buddhists" in the past, had specialized in studying Buddhism, and was able to write history, so naturally he knew a lot.

Seeing Wei Shou chatting so intimately with the emperor, several ministers of the State of Chen looked at each other and then suggested that in such a cheerful atmosphere, they should recite a few poems to liven up the atmosphere.

Chen Xu naturally agreed.

Several ministers of the State of Chen began to compose poems one after another. They did not compose poems casually, but set a rule and took spring, summer, autumn and winter as examples. Each person would compose one poem, and finally the best four would be selected to form a four-season poem.

Wei Shou sat in the upper seat with a smile on his face, standing still.

Sure enough, when it was his turn, it was already summer. Wei Shou didn't have to think about anything. Writing poetry was too easy for him. Without hesitation, he wrote a poem. Although it was not top-notch, it was obviously a level higher than those people's poems.

Many famous scholars attacked Wei Shou but failed to embarrass him. In the end, the four best poems of the four seasons were all written by Wei Shou alone.

Everyone was astonished, and someone suggested writing a poem and giving each other questions.

Gao Daohuo and others were sitting aside, watching Wei Shou display his skills here, speaking eloquently and making witty remarks. Chen Xu was so excited that he clapped his hands and cheered for him.

The celebrities in the south blushed and fidgeted.

They have always regarded themselves as cultured people, and called these northerners northern barbarians. Their words imply that northerners do not know etiquette, are not knowledgeable about culture, and are all barbarians.

In the end, he was hung up and beaten by a northerner over poetry and prose. How disgraceful!
Wei Shou raised his head slightly, "My talents are nothing in the north. There are many talented people in the north. If you are interested, you can travel to the north and meet the talented people in the north."

He brought the topic here, and then looked at Chen Xu, "I came here on the orders of my lord, and my purpose is to make peace between the north and the south. At present, my lord has quelled the disaster caused by the Hu people. The country is peaceful, talented people are emerging, and schools are everywhere. In the Imperial College, the sound of rituals and music is endless, and in the schools, the way of education is not blocked from the outside!"

"My Lord intends to make peace with your country. In the future, the two countries will no longer fight each other, and will open up trade without any hindrance. The talented people from the north and south can also travel to each other and study the great way. Isn't that great?"

Chen Xu smiled and nodded, "Indeed."

"The Han ruler cares about the people and puts down his weapons to talk about friendship. He is truly a kind-hearted person. This is a great merit. How can I refuse him?"

After reaching a consensus on this topic, Wei Shou immediately started talking about specific matters.

"Thank you, Master Chen!"

"Since Lord Chen agrees, we can discuss the trade."

Chen Xu smiled and didn't take it too seriously.

The purpose of Chen's alliance was more out of military considerations. It would be enough to avoid fighting with the Han people for a year or two. Nothing else mattered.

"We can talk about this later. There's no rush."

Wei Shou said "Oh" and nodded, "Okay, then I will write a letter to inform them and ask them not to send the war horses to Henan first."

Chen Xu's hand holding the wine cup suddenly trembled, and he looked at Wei Shou hurriedly.

"Warhorse??"

"Han is preparing to sell war horses?"

The banquet fell silent for a moment, and many important officials could not help but look at Wei Shou.

Wei Shou looked confused. "Didn't His Majesty just say that he was willing to trade?"

"Ah, no. Warhorse, ok, let's talk about the trade now!"

Chen Xu hurriedly looked at the banquet and announced the end of it in a hurry. He asked most people to go back and only left his trusted confidants who were really good at doing practical work to discuss important matters with Wei Shou.

Chen Xu originally thought that Liu Taozi was just like him, and that the alliance was just to temporarily withdraw troops and give each other some time to develop. Unexpectedly, this guy really wanted to trade with him? ?

The Zhou people have formed alliances with me so many times, but they have never asked to sell me war horses!
Liu Taozi is a loyal and honest person!!!
(End of this chapter)