Loyalty and Repaying Grace
(26)
"Gah! Giddyup!" The coachman kept shaking the reins with both hands, driving the carriage forward as if it was flying, quickly surpassing the teams that were advancing in the same direction. Jiao Li was still complaining that the carriage was too slow and urged the coachman," Hurry up, hurry up.”His mind was in a daze, and he kept turning his head to look at the troops that were constantly being thrown behind him, looking like he was out of his wits. At this moment, his emotions were in a mess, as if there was a ball of thread wrapped around his head. The Martial King's order, the impending decisive battle between Zhou and Shang, and all of this had happened so suddenly. " All of a sudden." Jiao Li had this feeling, but it was as if a familiar shadow had appeared in his mind. He seemed to understand. He tried his best to search his thoughts. The scenes of his two diplomatic missions to Zhou Country were clearly replayed, slowly sorting out a clearer thread. When Meng Jin first met him, King Wu bowed to him sincerely and received him warmly. On his second trip to the capital of Zhou, King Wu treated him with great hospitality. He held banquets in the palace, entertained him with songs and dances, and even gave gifts to women. He especially saw the shocking scene on the Youchi Dam. These personal feelings tugged at his heart. Also, the barren Zhou Country had to prepare a generous tribute to King Zhou of Shang and present it on time every year to please King Zhou. Lu Shang was already seventy years old, but he still personally came to the military camp to command the army…Jiao Li finally figured out a clue based on his years of experience as an envoy and touring the various vassal states. On the one hand, King Wu gave benevolent politics to strengthen the Zhou Country, accumulating strength throughout the country; On the other hand, he adopted the diplomatic strategy of bowing down to King Zhou and actively paying tribute to him, trying to please King Zhou, in order to numb King Zhou's vigilance and conceal his grand intentions. Until this time, King Zhou of Shang did not notice anything and even ordered the envoy to return to the western border without sending reinforcements. But now, King Wu had openly declared a war, and he had become the envoy of the Shang Dynasty for the Zhou army to advance eastward. Jiao Li thought, worried about King Zhou's carelessness, and felt guilty for his own carelessness.
The carriage had already far surpassed the vanguard of the Zhou army. Jiao Li's heart finally settled a little. The two of them rode in the car and rushed nervously for a while. They took advantage of the darkness to rush on again. Jiao Li's chaotic mind finally cleared up. He knew that if he returned to the country to report, it would be equivalent to throwing his life away. If he did not return, he would be accused of betraying the court and being afraid of death. After thinking about it, he finally decided that it was better to risk his life and return to deliver the news. He could fulfill his duties as a minister of the Shang Dynasty and also thank King Wu for his two gifts of hospitality. When he put his personal safety at the back of his mind, tiredness and sleepiness attacked him. He could not hold on any longer. In a daze, he instructed the coachman to stop and rest when they reached the post station in front. Before he could finish speaking, his head had already leaned against the car's bumper and he fell asleep. The coachman and the guards drove nervously.
Dawn arrived, and the carriage arrived at a relay station. Before the carriage had even stopped, the coachman shouted in a hoarse voice to the courier who had just opened the door,"Quickly tidy up the two rooms so that we can rest.”Her voice broke through the quiet morning and sounded particularly loud.
The courier raised his head and looked at the carriage that had just arrived. He thought to himself," It's already daytime. How can we not hurry?""I'll go and tidy it up immediately. It's just that I have to stay in the room so early in the morning.”
"Cut the crap. Quickly call a few people over to help. Carry the envoy in." The coachman shouted impatiently when he saw the courier's slow pace. Another soldier had already jumped down from the carriage and quickly put down the board. He then turned around and called for the guards and servants in the carriage behind him to come over quickly. The few of them surrounded the car. Two of them climbed into the car, and one of them supported the plastic lid on one side, preparing to carry it out of the car.
At this moment, the courier rushed over with a few people. The courier glanced unhappily at the carriage and was about to say something in anger when the words reached his throat and he swallowed them back. He recognized Jiao Li. This was the envoy of the Shang Dynasty who had just gone west not long ago. He quickly put on a smile and changed the topic." Ah, it's the envoy. Be gentle. Let me do it." He quickly waved his hand to signal for the two of them to come up and help carry it. He himself helped the person who was supporting him first. He carried the plastic tripod from behind and carried it out of the car with the others.
The glue tripod was sleeping soundly, allowing everyone to carry it into the house.
Under the guidance of the posthouse guard, the group carried the plastic tripod into a clean and elegantly decorated room and placed it on the bed.
Everyone left the room. The coachman, armored soldiers, guards, and servants immediately surrounded the courier and shouted at him. It took the courier some effort to figure out what they were up to. It turned out that they were hungry and tired, and asked for some food to be brought quickly.
The courier said,"There is only plain porridge for breakfast. It has just been cooked and will be delivered immediately." Please wait a moment." As he spoke, he instructed the servant to bring breakfast. When the group of people heard this, they all shouted happily to each other," The plain porridge is good too. We can't hold on much longer."”
After a while, the quiet atmosphere of the morning was restored. But soon, the road became lively. The busy day began. On the other hand, Jiao Li and the others were quietly resting at the relay station on their way back to the capital.
After waking up from his sleep, he felt much more refreshed and refreshed. After he cleared his mind, he realized that something was wrong. He remembered his mission. She opened her eyes and looked at the scenery around her. She thought in surprise, Wasn't I on the road? Why was he sleeping here? Slowly, he recalled the scene from last night. They had been rushing all night, and he was so tired that he couldn't hold on. He was old and didn't have the energy of a young man. Before he went to sleep, he had ordered his men to stop and rest when they reached the relay station. He thought that this might be the relay station now. He looked at the sky outside the window and then said," Ah!”A scream. I'm still sleeping in bed in the middle of the day. No, he had to hurry up and get on his way. He hurriedly rushed out of the room and bumped into the courier. He hurriedly asked,"Where are my followers?"
"Physician, they are resting in the room next door. Physician, you woke up.”The courier replied, not forgetting to add a fawning sentence." You've rested well.”
"Quickly wake them up, we have to hurry.”Jiao Li urged with a serious face.
"Aren't you going to rest a little longer?" The courier asked with a fawning smile, and then said,"I'll go wake them up."
Jiao Li paced in the hall of the relay station. The coachman came out of the room, rubbing his sleepy eyes as he walked. The others came out one by one, stretching and yawning. They raised their heads. Seeing the plastic tripod stand in front of him, he quickly restrained his sleepiness and forced himself to stand upright in front of the tripod to wait for instructions.
"Everyone, quickly pack up. It's more important to hurry. He had to rush a bit more so that he could have a good sleep at night. It's a pity to sleep in broad daylight." As he spoke, he called for the courier.
The courier was also busy, ordering the servants to lead the horses and prepare the rations. When he heard the call of the plastic Li, he quickly ran over and said,"Physician, have lunch before you set off. The next stop was only fifty miles away, and they could make it there by night. I won't delay your journey." He waited for the answer with a smile on his face.
"The next stop is only fifty li." Jiao Li repeated.
"Yes," answered the courier immediately, currying favor. Due to the large population of these two stations, an additional station was specially set up for the convenience of passers-by.”
Jiaoli thought for a moment and instructed the courier,""Then hurry up and prepare the food. After eating, we'll hurry on our way.”
Jiao Li and his group hurriedly drove on the main road to Shangdu. The further east they went, the more desolate the villages they passed by. The number of pedestrians on the road gradually decreased. Most of the slaves working in the fields were women. Occasionally, there were a few men. When they approached, they were all old people. They all cast a curious look at the carriage, watching it with concern. Some of the people in the fields ignored the urging and even whipping of the slave owners and looked at the carriage with anticipation.
Jiao Li looked at these slaves and felt strange about their behavior. The more they walked east, the more the slaves paid attention to the carriage from the west. He couldn't help but carefully observe. He remembered that he had just come from the Western Regions, and the countries of Zhou and Shang were so different. The main difference was in interpersonal relationships. King Wen of Zhou's benevolent politics lasted for decades. His love for the lives of slaves could not help but arouse the sympathy and yearning of the slaves. He had seen King Wu before. His son inherited his father's legacy and carried out the established policy. However, King Zhou of Shang was cruel and tyrannical. He did not even let off the ministers in the court, let alone those slaves who were regarded as worse than livestock. The Shang Dynasty had always used the lives of slaves as sacrifices and buried them with slaves. The lives of slaves were as worthless as grass. The merchants advocated the culture of valuing property and despising human lives, and they even treated the lives of slaves as ants. The slaves were already burning with anger. They were dissatisfied with King Zhou's evil system and yearned for the benevolent government of Zhou Country. Many of the fleeing slaves ran to Zhou Country. Jiao Li was sent to the Zhou Kingdom in the Western Regions and was familiar with the situation there. He silently compared the two different systems in his heart. He recalled the scene and suddenly had a new idea. If these slaves saw the troops of King Wu's Eastern Expedition coming, what would their mood be? How would they welcome the Martial King? The more they compared, the more at ease they felt. He was convinced that King Wu's attitude was not a temporary change, but an inevitable result of the long-term competition between the two systems of the two countries. Sigh, he should have noticed this earlier. As an envoy, he had personally visited Zhou Country. Compared to the ministers in the court, he was the person most familiar with the situation in Zhou Country. Jiao Li complained. He was really a big fool. His stupid head was so unenlightened. At this point, he had become a person sandwiched between two sides. Forget it. Today, he would do his last bit of loyalty and courtesy for King Zhou of Shang and also help King Wu. The old man had nothing to ask for. He hoped that Shuhua and her husband could survive in this battle between Shang and Zhou.
Jiao Li's heart calmed down. He urged the coachman to hurry to the next stop. It was a good time to rest and eliminate fatigue. He calculated the distance and arrived at Shangdu one day before the sixty-year-old. There was no problem with time. It was worth it to travel day and night and travel according to the normal schedule. Who knew that on the third day, it would rain. He was blocked for two days, and on the fifth day, he could only travel in the rain. There wasn't much time left to complete the remaining journey. He did not dare to delay any longer on the road, and continued to travel day and night. Seeing Shangdu approaching, his mood was as gloomy as the weather a few days ago, gloomy and annoying.
On the day before Jiazi Day, Jiao Li arrived at Shangdu. It was already night time. The night sky in Zhaoge City was as dark as gauze, which made it look especially gloomy. It was dark everywhere. Lights could only be seen in the tall buildings, and lamp posts shot out of the open windows into the gray night sky.
As soon as he entered the city, he ordered the coachman to rush to Hou Ban's residence.
In order to keep an eye on the situation in Shangdu, Zhou Country's emissary Hou Ban secretly rented a large courtyard house as a stronghold and stayed in Shangdu as a big merchant. Hou Ban dealt with the ministers of the Shang Dynasty and acted secretly. Not many of the ministers knew Hou Ban's true identity. Most people thought that Hou Ban was a big merchant who sold goods between the east and west.
Jiao Li only found out about Hou Ban's true background after he returned from the Zhou Capital. He often took the opportunity to get close to Hou Ban. The two of them went back and forth and gradually became close friends. Not long after, Jiao Li arrived at Hou Ban's residence. Jiao Li thought, informing Hou Ban to prepare for escape. If King Zhou of Shang knew that the Zhou Country had invaded Shangdu and that Hou Ban was in the capital, he would definitely send troops to kill Hou Ban first. Because Hou Ban had lived in Shangdu for a long time, people would inevitably associate him with the identity of the Zhou envoy. Although it was just a guess, everyone had a tacit understanding. When the Eastern Expedition of the Zhou army was imminent, there would definitely be people who would expose Hou Ban.
The plastic tripod arrived at the door and walked straight in without waiting for the announcement. Seeing that it was someone familiar, the gate slave didn't stop him.
Jiao Li walked into the hall and saw Hou Ban pacing in the hall. He said,"Brother Hou, are you home?"
"Ah, it's you." When he heard the voice, he turned around and saw that it was the plastic tripod that had already arrived in front of the hall. He was suddenly stunned and could not help but panic. After calming down, he asked,"Doctor Jiao, it's already so late. Please come to my room. I heard that Minister Jiao was sent to Zhou Country. Why…?”
Jiao Li was anxious and did not notice the panic in Hou Xiang's actions. How would he know that Hou Ban was thinking about the problems outside at this moment?
When Hou Ban saw the plastic lid, he immediately thought of how the merchant envoy had just left a few days ago. Why did he come back so soon? Could there be an accident? What kind of accident could it be? A lot of questions quickly churned in his mind.
Jiao Li went straight to the point and said to Hou Ban,"Brother Hou, your Zhou Kingdom has already started an expedition to the east. The army will arrive at Shangdu tomorrow."”At this point, he stopped and observed Hou Ban's reaction.
Upon hearing the words of the plastic Li, Hou Ban also looked at the plastic Li nervously, but he said,"Envoy, how can you say that?”At the same time, he made some adjustments in his heart and forced himself to calm down.
"Hahaha." Seeing Hou Ban's surprised expression, Jiao Li couldn't help but laugh. It seemed that I wasn't the only one who was surprised by King Wu's dispatch of troops to Shangdu. Even Hou Ban, the envoy of the Zhou Dynasty, didn't know about it beforehand. King Wu's army would arrive at Zhaoge tomorrow. Seeing that we have this friendship, I specially came to inform you first. Please prepare quickly to prevent King Zhou of Shang from making the first move.”
Hou Ban had long estimated that King Wu of Zhou would soon start his expedition, but he did not know the exact date. Faced with the plastic tripod, he still pretended not to understand and asked,"Really?"
"It's true." Seeing Hou's doubtful gaze, Jiao Li said with certainty again," I've also come to inform you on account of the deep affection and kindness that King Wu of Zhou has shown me. Tomorrow, King Wu's army will arrive at the city of Shang City.”Jiao Li stopped Hou Ban from sitting down and hurriedly said," I met King Wu and the Zhou army he led in Tunshui a few days ago. The decisive battle between the two armies was just around the corner. Brother Hou, please make the decision." As he spoke, Jiao Li turned around and walked out. As he walked, he said,"I still have to rush to the imperial court to send King Zhou of Shang the battle agreement of the Martial King.”He stretched out his hand to indicate that there was no need to send Hou Ban off, then left Hou Ban behind and hurried out.
Jiao Li stood at the entrance of Hou Ban's residence. He couldn't help but let out a long sigh at the dark night sky to relax his mood. The carriage started again, the coachman shaking the reins tightly. The night had already shrouded Shangdu City, but due to the faint reflection of the lights on the streets, one could still vaguely see some of the ghostly scenery on the streets.
After the carriage passed a crossroad, Jiao Li suddenly remembered that he had not known how King Zhou of Shang would treat him when he entered the palace to deliver the message. With King Zhou's usual grumpy nature, he might not be able to protect his life. He might as well go home now and inform Shuhua and her daughter to prepare for escape. He shouted,"Stop, stop. Let's go home first.”
The coachman reined in the horse and stopped. The guard car behind them did not have time to brake and crashed into them. The two cars turned around with great difficulty and drove back home.
Looking from afar, there was a glimmer of light in his house, and Jiao Li felt a little relieved. He forced a smile and quickly got out of the car and ran towards the courtyard. The servants had eaten dinner and were cleaning up the house.
When Shuhua saw the plastic lid that had rushed in from the door opening, she came up to him in surprise." Daddy, you're back so late." It's only been a few days, and you're already in Zhoudu?”A series of questions came out of his mouth, asking about the situation in Zhou Country while carefully examining the entire body of the plastic Li.
Jiao Li smiled and looked at Shuhua's pleading expression, saying,"Son, come to the inner room with your mother. Quick, I have something to say to you. Then, I'll tell you about the situation in Zhou Country.”With that, he let Shuhua support him as he stepped into the room.
His wife was walking out of the house with a smile. The three of them almost bumped into each other. Then, they looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh. Their laughter was filled with happiness.
When Jiao Li saw the mother and daughter, the stone in his heart was finally lifted. He smiled for a while and then said to the mother and daughter,"You guys hurry up and get ready.”
"Old man, look at what you're saying. You're really muddle-headed." His wife smiled and complained about the plastic lid.
Jiao Li continued,"The situation has changed. There is a war in the world." This time, I'm heading west on the orders of King Zhou of Shang to convey the order to King Wu of Zhou. He wants them to return to the West instead of sending troops to assist the Shang army that is attacking the Huaiyi.”At this point, he stopped and glanced at Shuhua before saying,"I didn't expect that the Martial King would openly rebel against the Shang Dynasty and lead his army straight to the Shang Capital. He met me at Tuna Water and asked me to return to Shangdu to send a message to King Zhou of Shang. The Zhou army will arrive at Zhaoge City on the day of Jiazi and fight with the Shang army.”His expression turned serious, and he couldn't help but exhale urgently." It's a joyous occasion for King Wu of Zhou to raise an army. The Shang Dynasty was already resentful of King Zhou's cruel and harsh government. However, now that his father was also involved in the battle between the two sides, it was difficult for him to protect himself.”As he spoke, he took a deep breath.
Shuhua was stunned, but she soon came back to her senses and said happily,"Father, didn't you say that it was a joyous occasion for King Wu to conquer King Zhou on behalf of the heavens? Let's take advantage of the fact that King Zhou of Shang still doesn't know. We should quickly hide and wait for the world to settle down before coming out. Why don't we join the Martial King first?"
"I just started living a happy life. Why did such a sudden change happen halfway?”His wife did not know what to do and started complaining." You old man, you have served King Zhou of Shang for a lifetime and have fulfilled your duty as a loyal subject. Let's leave as soon as possible. Let's escape to Zhou Country. Didn't you say that King Wu was benevolent and could take in people? We'll vote for him. He only wished to live a few years of quiet life in his later years. For the sake of Shuhua, the Martial King won't do anything to us, right?”
Jiao Li paced two steps and pounded his fist, saying,"It's precisely Martial King who treats us well. He even asked about Shuhua's condition with concern. Therefore, I have to risk my life to deliver a message for King Wu. To King Zhou of Shang, I will finally complete my mission as an envoy to the Zhou Country and fulfill my duty. Don't talk too much. I have my own arrangements." As he spoke, he listened attentively to the movements in the outer room and then said,"No one knows about this yet. I'll report to King Zhou of Shang now. Things are going to be chaotic. Before the chaos, you should quickly escape and find a safe place to hide. You can come out after the war has subsided. If the Martial King wins, Shuhua can go look for the Martial King and let him live a good life for a few days. "If I go and send a message, King Zhou of Shang will definitely fly into a rage. My life will be in danger, and he might even kill you. You should leave as soon as possible. Don't mind me. If I'm lucky, I'll definitely come find you. Wait for me outside the east gate first. If there is no news of me after midnight, you can hide first.”
"Oh right, the palace just rang bells and drums, and a banquet was held to celebrate the victory of the Eastern Expedition.”Shuhua remembered and said to the plastic Li.
"Ah, then I have even less hope of surviving. If I send the battle token at this festive moment, King Zhou of Shang will definitely lose his temper and kill me. The heavens are not helping me." As he spoke, he urged the mother and daughter to get ready to escape.
When his wife heard this, she burst into tears and couldn't make up her mind. Shuhua was young and sensible. She immediately said to her husband,"Mother, don't be sad. Let's quickly bring some valuable belongings with us and follow Father's instructions. The heavens would bless his father. Daddy won't be in danger."
"Quickly do as I say. I'll enter the palace now. He couldn't drag it out for too long. Shuhua, take good care of your mother." As he spoke, he smoothed his beard and tears welled up in his eyes. He stood up and walked to the door. He looked back and said,"You have to hurry. Take care of yourself and chase them out of the east gate to hide.”He couldn't help but pause and shake his head again and again, thinking that this wouldn't be the last time he saw her. Sigh, I'm old and not afraid of death, but I'm still attached to you.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。