Meeting the Merchant Envoy Again and Sending a Letter of Challenge
（23）
King Wu stopped on the east bank of the river. He propped himself up with his hands and leaned against the wooden plank. He looked at the army on the other side of the river. A large area of soldiers was pouring into the river bank. The beach on both sides of the river was filled with people and vehicles. Under the silver light of the river, the black spots of the horses and carriages that were crossing the river could be seen even more clearly. It was truly a god-sent success. Since winter, the Tuna River had been lacking in rain, and it was almost dry. The knee-high water only reached the thighs at the deepest part, filling the bottom of the chariot.
Lu Shang's carriage had also reached the bank, leaving two wet tracks behind it. He stopped beside King Wu's carriage and the two carriages lined up side by side.
King Wu turned around and said to Lu Shang,"Father Shang, we really have the right time and place. The Yellow River and Tuna River have been successfully crossed. It's unexpected." The natural moat of the eastern expedition had been overcome, and there was only one last step left on the road ahead.”
Lu Shang looked at the people squirming in the river and said,""To be able to smoothly cross the Yellow River, Tuna River, and Tuna River, other than the fact that the heavens are watching over us, the main reason is that our army has undergone strict training. The more sweat one sweated during training, the less blood one shed during wartime.”As he spoke, Lu Shang looked up at the distant mountains in the west." The old boatman's son sacrificed his blood for the east. Many excellent soldiers turned themselves into gravel and paved the road to the east. Our army has crossed the Yellow River three times in order to advance eastward. After crossing the Yellow River, this Tuna Water River would be easy to deal with. Also, we should pay close attention to the training of the square formation. It will be extremely powerful on the battlefield. The real Shang Kingdom was just ahead of them. The army should be ready for battle at all times."
Lei Zhen also drove up and said to King Wu,""Big Brother, Father Shang, it will take a few days to get to Shangdu from here.”
"Little Lei Zhen, I heard that King Wen picked you up by the Tuna River. This should be your birthplace." Lu Shang smiled and traced Lei Zhen's identity, saying,""It was said that it was raining heavily at that time. King Wen and his party hid in a hole in a big tree to hide from the rain and met you. Just as they carried you out of the tree hole, this big tree was struck down by lightning, so they named you Lei Zhen.”
"I also know a little. When my father was alive, he personally told me about this matter. However, this place was still under the jurisdiction of the Shang Kingdom, so he couldn't come here personally. Now I'm here. As time passed, the situation changed beyond recognition. I might not be able to find the place that my father described to me.”Lei Zhen did not feel embarrassed at all. He even told his story excitedly and sighed. He was angry that his parents had abandoned him, but he was also proud that he had been nurtured by King Wen and had grown into a general.
"In the blink of an eye, more than thirty years have passed. King Wen is no longer alive. King Wen freed you from your prison and brought you back to the west. Now you are coming east.”Lu Shang said to Lei Zhen,"Heaven wants you to take revenge for King Wen." You must work hard to live up to King Wen's trust in you.”
The three cars had just turned around and were about to drive onto the main road.
King Wu suddenly said to Lü Shang," Father Shang, look. There's an express train coming from the front. There might be a new situation."”
Lu Shang and Lei Zhen looked in the direction that King Wu was pointing at. There was indeed a carriage rushing in the opposite direction. The driver shook the reins with all his might, and four horses galloped forward bravely. The chariot shook violently as it staggered toward them.
So it was Uncle Guan. He came before the Martial King and reported,""Shang's physician Jiao Li is here to deliver the order.”
King Wu couldn't help but say,"This old man is here again. Why did he wait until now to get here?" The operation this time is too late." He thought of the situation when he welcomed the plastic tripod in the capital and found it funny. He restrained himself and said to Lu Shang,"Father Shang, the Shang envoy is here. It was still this old man who had a plastic lid. Last time, it was just as you said. He didn't say much in front of King Zhou of Shang. This time, I'm going to embarrass him." The Martial King smiled confidently.
"He won't do anything. I'm not wrong. This old man has some humanity.”Lu Shang laughed jokingly. Then, he changed the topic and said in a deep tone,"We acted according to the plan, but Brother Hou Ban is in danger. If he didn't do so, it would easily arouse King Zhou's suspicion and ruin the plan. It would be too late to wait until the overall situation was settled. Cough, let's put King Wen's career first.”Lu Shang looked around and said,"Let's go to a wider place over there and wait.”
King Wu drove to a relatively wide and flat area. The group of people lined up in several cars and waited.
Not long after, the merchant's car arrived. Filled with interest, he alighted from the carriage and looked in the direction of the Martial King. He thought that King Wu would also get out of the carriage to welcome him, so he quickly walked up to King Wu's carriage. He saw that King Wu was still sitting in the carriage and had no intention of getting out of the carriage, nor did he show any enthusiasm to welcome him. He froze, and a hint of annoyance flashed across his face. After all, he was an old messenger who had encountered all kinds of situations. He immediately calmed down and walked straight to King Wu's carriage with a calm smile. He said loudly, word by word,"Under the orders of King Zhou of Shang, I have come to convey the order that your army should guard the western border and not go to help the army that is attacking Dongyi. Reinforcements had already been sent out, and on the same day, they defeated the enemy and returned to the capital in triumph. You are responsible for the safety of West Earth. I, King Zhou, am blessed by the heavens and my might is above the world…”
"Wait!" King Wu suddenly interrupted the order and retorted,""King Zhou of Shang is cruel and tyrannical. It's just that he used his power to harm the people of the world. Jiao Li, as a minister of the Shang Dynasty, you often act as a merchant envoy. Don't you know the crimes that King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty committed against the people of the world?”Martial King raised his voice and continued,""Our Zhou Country's King Wu defeated the Shang Dynasty on behalf of the heavens. As the alliance leader, I am now leading the various marquises and armies to the eastern expedition to save the people from the cruel oppression of King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty and spread blessings to the people. Today, the army is here to attack King Zhou of Shang Dynasty to eliminate the evil for the people and eliminate the disaster for you.”
"Ah!" Hearing this, Jiao Li was shocked and could not help but cry out. This time, he was really stunned. The anger that was originally rising was suddenly scared out of his mind. He looked up at the Martial King in fear and confusion. He saw that the Martial King's face was stern, and there was no sign that he was joking. Then, he looked at the Imperial Advisor Lu Shang, who was also stern and expressionless. He was even more serious than the Martial King. His usual craftiness had run out of the Nine Heavens Cloud. He looked around at the armored soldiers on the war chariots on the Martial King's left and right. Each of them held their bronze halberds in a mighty manner, revealing waves of killing intent. He was infected by the tense atmosphere, and his heart was filled with fear. In order to calm himself down, he pretended to look up at the sky. The clouds in the sky were blown by the wind into the shape of fish scales, and they moved slowly. The cloudy sky gave people a sign that the weather was about to change. A gust of wind blew past his face, and his eyes were almost blinded by the sand. He rubbed his eyelids with his hand, forced his eyes open, and looked around again. At this moment, he was surrounded by a circle of armored soldiers, and there were even soldiers behind him, all of them filled with killing intent. He believed the Martial King's words and knew that his life would be in danger if he was surrounded today. He was at a loss as he tried his best to shout at King Wu,"This…" It was not easy for her to suppress her panic and spit out the words," This…This…Isn't this going against the heavens?”
"Heavens, King Wu is a benevolent ruler and has been elected as the alliance leader by the marquises. Now that he led the army to attack Shang Zhou, he was obeying God's will and obtaining the people's feelings. How could he be rebelling against God? This is the implementation of justice." Chen Zhuhou, who had just caught up, said," King Wu is the true Son of Heaven. Martial King, kill this dog messenger and march quickly."”
"Right, kill this dog messenger first. He's about to die, yet he still wants to speak up for the fatuous ruler.”The marquises on the side all started to shout.
Jiao Li stood in the middle of the field and saw the surrounding chariots, soldiers, and disciples glaring at him. He wanted to see his own chariot, but he couldn't see it. His car had long been squeezed out of the ring. In the center of the circle, he was clearly in a sorry state, alone and helpless. He felt bitter in his heart. He wanted to laugh, but he couldn't. He could only focus on the Martial King.
King Wu raised his right hand to stop everyone's cries. Then, he said to the plastic Li,""The reason why the two armies didn't kill the envoys is to show our benevolence and mercy, to pardon the prisoners, and to let them send back information. Today, I want you to go back and tell King Zhou of Shang that our West Earth army will fight with your Shang army in Muye, Zhaoge City, to fight for the title of Son of Heaven. The winner was supported by the heavens, and he was the true Son of Heaven.”
"Ah!" Jiaoli was stunned for a moment. She stammered for a while, but still did not say a word. She just slowly turned around and walked towards her car outside the circle.
The soldiers opened up a narrow path in front of him, glaring at him with hatred.
Jiao Li staggered through the human wall path and walked to his car. He stopped and thought for a moment before turning back. He quickly walked through the human wall and walked straight to the front of Wu Wang's car. He bowed and said calmly,"As a merchant envoy, Jiao Li has long disregarded life and death. The last time he came to the Zhou Country from the west, he received the warm hospitality of King Wu. He still could not forget it, so he expressed his deep gratitude here.”As he spoke, he bowed again." As a minister of the Shang Dynasty, I will do my best to serve the Shang King. Although I know that King Zhou is muddle-headed and the court is deserted, I have been working for a long time and am willing to repay the kindness of food and salary. Now that King Wu has led his army to attack King Zhou, the victory of the benevolent army is in sight. I am grateful that King Wu's benevolence and political blessings have extended to me. I am willing to return to the capital to report King Wu's battle agreement, so as to fulfill the last duty of the minister of Shang Dynasty, and to repay King Wu's love.”He turned to look at Lu Shang." Thank you for your hospitality and generous gifts, King Wu. You have brought splendor to my life in my later years and brought endless happiness to my family. I thank you again. Here, on behalf of my daughter Shuhua, I greet King Wu and the Queen.”
"Little daughter Shu Hua?" When Martial King heard the name and the way it was mentioned, he was surprised. He immediately remembered and asked,""How's Shuhua? You didn't abuse her, did you?”
"Shit? Maltreatment, ah, haha." Jiao Li guessed what King Wu meant and couldn't help but laugh. He said happily,""I haven't returned to Shangdu yet, but I've already taken her as my adopted daughter. She is really a good girl, a good woman. She is smart and knows how to be human. She coaxed my crazy woman to be happy all day long and took good care of her.”As he said this, he thought of the happiness of his family. Jiao Li had long forgotten that he was still in a dangerous situation in the middle of a military struggle. He happily thanked King Wu again,"Thank you for giving me Shu Hua last year. Let me have such a period of life in my later years and enjoy the warmth of the world. Shuhua was really a good daughter. How could I mistreat her?"
"It's good that you didn't mistreat me. There was a chance to bring her back this time.”King Wu was not moved by Jiao Li's expression. He said with a dark face,""I need her in the palace. Without her, the queen is like missing an arm. Back then, he had no choice. If you hadn't been staring at her and taken a fancy to her, if I hadn't had those suspicious flaws, I wouldn't have given her to you. I originally thought you were an old lecher, a fellow of King Zhou of Shang.”
"Old pervert, no, I am still the body of my parents, with flesh and blood and a soul. Although he had the seven emotions and six desires, he still understood the ethics of loyalty, benevolence, filial piety, and righteousness. He could also keep himself clean and self-love. Shuhua looks like my daughter. If I hadn't seen my daughter pass away with my own eyes, I would have suspected that you stole my daughter.”As he spoke, Jiao Li started blaming King Wu.
King Wu regained his composure and smiled. He pointed at the plastic tripod and said to Lu Shang,""Father Shang, look, this old man is still stubborn even at the brink of death. Who knows how King Zhou of Shang will deal with him?”
"I know." Jiao Li also answered bluntly,"King Zhou killed loyal officials." The current courtiers were useless people who did not dare to speak, and even the commoners were complaining. As long as there was a bit of disagreement, they would be killed. If I go back to send the message today, I'll still die. I'm not afraid of death. I won't send a message. I can't fulfill my last duty as an envoy of Shang, nor can I repay the courtesy given by King Wu. If I don't go back, I'll be letting down my family.”Jiao Li said to Lu Shang with a sigh," I have no regrets in my death. However, there are two women behind me. When King Wu and the Imperial Advisor saw them in the chaotic army, they kept them and took care of them."”
Lu Shang sympathized with the situation that Jiao Li would face and said,""If Physician Jiao can escape from King Zhou of Shang, I advise you to come to Zhou Country on account that I am also a person who has lost the Shang Dynasty. There will be a place for you to settle down in the vast land of Zhou Country.”
"Thank you, thank you. I'll go and report to King Wu and the state preceptor. It was just that the army moved slowly and the road to Shangdu was far. Can you make it in time?" Jiao Li was now concerned about the timing of the King Wu's invasion.
"You don't have to worry about that. Although the time is short, our morale is high and we are advancing quickly. We will definitely reach Zhaoge in the appointed time. Please hurry up and send a message to King Zhou of Shang to prepare for the battle.”King Wu said confidently. "My army is walking the path of justice, so we have the help of the Heavenly Dao. I will definitely arrive on time to see the emperor.”
Jiao Li had already put his own life and death aside, and his mood was relaxed. At this time, his thoughts had also calmed down. He said to King Wu,"I will try to report to Shangdu before the 60th day, neither too early nor too late. How is it?"
"It won't affect our army much if they arrive early. If they can arrive one day before the sixty-year-old, it will be more beneficial to our army. Thank you for your kindness. I welcome you to come to Zhou Country alive." As the Martial King spoke, his attitude became much gentler.
"I've long known that the Zhou Country's De Sheng Heaven's Favorite. Since King Wen ascended the throne, the country's power has flourished day by day. King Wu had great ambitions and worked hard. It was only a matter of time before he attacked the Shang Kingdom. If King Zhou of Shang had the heroic virtue of King Wu, then there would be no conflict between Shang and Zhou. Heaven is powerful, people are virtuous, and those who are benevolent are kings. I would like to congratulate King Wu on his victory in the east.”Jiao Li said to King Wu. He turned around and boarded the carriage. Accompanied by Uncle Guan, he took two carriages with him and rushed east.
As he watched the figure of the glue tripod leave, King Wu said to Lü Shang,""I didn't expect this old man to have such good eyesight. Why didn't you report it to King Zhou of Shang when you saw the flaw?”
Lu Shang smiled and said,"It's precisely because you have good eyesight that you didn't report it." Jiao Li was a cautious person and would not report it without concrete evidence. He still had some loyalty and filial piety. He also knew the consequences of reporting King Zhou of Shang. The situation had already been decided when they reported it back then, so it wouldn't be of much use. It would only lead to a massacre between the East and the West.”
"In that case, the plastic Li has made a contribution to the Zhou Country.”Martial King said with a smile.
Lü Shang continued," The emissary has a heavy responsibility on his shoulders. He is tied to the fate of both sides. It is not wise to do so. The best strategy lies in the general, and the best strategy lies in the general. This is the truth.”
"Big brother, why didn't you kill the merchant envoy just now? A person who could serve King Zhou of Shang for a lifetime was definitely not a good person. He must have done all kinds of bad things. Helping a tyrant." At some point, Lei Zhen had already walked to the front of the Martial King's carriage and interrupted.
"Not killing the emissary is to let him send a message, which will weaken the morale of the army and prevent the other party from uniting when they are in danger.”King Wu said to Lei Zhen,"There are some things that you can't understand without using your brain." For example, he sent us a message the day before the sixty-year-old, which was a great help to us. Our army is full of benevolence and righteousness, and there is a name for the army. It was too late for the Shang army to prepare, so they could only rush into battle. With both benefits in our hands, our army will have the initiative on the battlefield and increase our chances of victory. Father Shang, is this analysis correct?"
"Yes, that's true. However, they still had to fight for the last time. This will depend on the strength of our army. " Lei Zhen, and you," Lu Shang replied, pointing at Chen Zhuhou." When the time comes, you young people should use all your strength."”He looked back at the army that had almost crossed the Tuna River and said,""We'll set up camp at Jiao Shan tonight, and we'll be able to turn into a small path tomorrow. Song Li said that chariots could be used on this road, but the mountain road was harder to walk on. The weather was about to change. If it rained, it would cause a lot of trouble and difficulties.”
"Send someone to inform Hou Ban to withdraw as soon as possible."”
"I know Hou Ban's temperament. He will persist until the last moment before retreating, but it will be too late by then. He had already placed his life on the great cause of King Wen. He's doomed." Lu Shang sighed." If anything goes wrong, come back and take good care of his family in the future.”As he spoke, he sighed again. "Thirty years have passed in the blink of an eye. For this day, many people had sacrificed their blood, sweat, and sweat to accumulate merit. To those who have made contributions, they must be rewarded. Some had already given their lives to reward their descendants for their contributions. This was a symbol to convey to future generations to assist the country. After he defeated King Zhou of Shang, he would have to consider this problem carefully.”
King Wu said thoughtfully,"Because of the rush, we didn't inform his son and son-in-law to come in time. Is it…"”
When Lu Shang heard King Wu mention this, he immediately comforted him,""I know that Martial King did this to take care of Brother Hou's descendants. Originally, they needed manpower to go out to battle, but they also needed people to guard the rear. Otherwise, if the Quan Rong tribe knows that our main force is going to Shang Capital, they might come to attack us. That would be like the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the sparrow behind. Martial King is really thoughtful."
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