The King of the East Sea silently prayed that the god and ghost Da Chanyu could refuse the peace talks, but the progress of the situation was unsatisfactory. The two sides communicated back and forth for several days, and the enemy actually agreed to receive the ambassador of Da Chu.
Donghai Wang had no choice but to start thinking about how to transmit the message. This was not an easy task. First of all, the language was not fluent, and three interpreters were needed to relay and cooperate so that the two sides could understand each other.
Before leaving, the East Sea King asked Zhao Ruosu, "Do you have any plans?"
Zhao Ruosu sighed heavily, "Let's do it by chance."
This is the same as never saying it. The King of the East Sea had to think for himself. Just sitting on the back of the horse, Cui Teng hurried out and said to the King of the East China Sea: "Your Majesty said that he will not see him off. I wish you all a smooth journey. It doesn't matter whether you can come back or not, the key is. It is necessary to complete the task assigned by His Majesty."
"Is this what Your Majesty said?" The King of the East Sea showed annoyance.
Cui Teng smiled and said, "Your Majesty said he would not see him off, and I said the rest. I really envy you and have the opportunity to be loyal to His Majesty."
"Then you can go with me." Donghai King said coldly.
Cui Teng shook his head again and again, "Hehe, I'm not as good as you, not as high in status, as eloquent as you, and not as lucky as you, so I won't follow you to make trouble. Remember, the priority is to complete the task, even if you can't scare the enemy. , and try to delay it for a few more days so that enough troops can be collected here."
The King of the East Sea patted his horse and left, and Cui Teng said loudly behind him: "King of the East Sea, Da Chu needs a loyal minister like you!"
A team of more than ten people rushed out of Hangu Pass, escorted by generals from various places, and passed one barrier after another. Every time they passed the East Sea King thought, how long can this pass last? The guards and soldiers are still alive now, and they will be buried in the snow soon, do these people know in their hearts? Aren't you afraid
East Sea King almost asked.
That night, the group stayed in a small military camp. The King of the East Sea invited Zhao Ruosu to have a meal together and drank a few cups of hot wine to ward off the cold. The King of the East China Sea asked, "Why did you sigh when you set out this morning?"
Zhao Ruosu is not very talkative, so the King of the East Sea smiled and said, "You are 'adding guilt', and I am 'near death', what else is there to say or dare to say?"
Zhao Ruosu finally said, "I sigh that Your Majesty still likes to use tricks and tricks, hoping to scare the enemy with two pieces of news that are both true and false."
The King of the East Sea slapped his thigh, "Yes, I also don't think this trick will work."
Zhao Ruosu squinted at Donghai King, "You don't believe this trick works?"
"Ah? Don't you mean that too?"
Zhao Ruosu shook his head, "I only said that this was a strange move and a false move, but I didn't say that it would not work. On the contrary, I think this move is likely to anger the enemy chief. As long as the Chu army can block the initial anger, these two messages will Effective, the enemy's morale dropped, and even split."
"But you still sigh?"
"I sigh that after this trick takes effect, Your Majesty prefers to use strange and imaginary. This is by no means the technique of the emperor or the blessing of the great Chu."
Donghai King blinked. He was the exact opposite of Zhao Ruosu, thinking that any trick could be used at this time, but he was only worried that this trick would be useless.
"Why did Your Majesty send you here?" The King of the East Sea asked suspiciously. He was the emperor's younger brother and the chief Sima of the Guards. At least on the surface, his status was extremely respected, but Zhao Ruosu was an idler who didn't even have a job title.
"Among the messengers, there must be someone who is not afraid of death." Zhao Ruosu said flatly.
The King of the East Sea was stunned for a while, drank the wine in the cup, and found that the wine was cold, and murmured: "Your Majesty's methods are getting more and more cruel, I finally understand why Your Majesty is always tolerant to offenders. , obviously to make the best use of everything, let us allegiance to death."
Zhao Ruosu nodded and praised: "This is the real emperor's technique. If Your Majesty insists on governing the country in this way, the world will be peaceful."
Both of them recognized the same facts, but their attitudes were diametrically opposed. The King of the East Sea laughed, not wanting to argue about who was right and who was wrong.
The next morning, the messenger group picked up speed. It was freezing cold, and the King of the East Sea was so cold that tears flowed from his eyes, but he still noticed one thing, "The Chu army is hoarding ice cubes. This is a way to stop the enemy in winter."
Zhao Ruosu snorted and said after a long while: "The enemy army has been reluctant to launch an attack. It must be well prepared. How long can the ice cubes block it?"
The King of the East Sea stopped talking, wondering in his heart, how could the emperor appreciate such a weird person, and he was always against him, and he never once was willing to speak to himself.
After three days, the Chu army could no longer escort them. From here, the King of the East Sea and his party were led by the enemy army.
"The distance is so short." Donghai King said to himself, feeling a little flustered.
The first group of enemy troops were the Huns, and they kept changing after that. The costumes of the enemy soldiers were all kinds, and they became more ornate as they went back. Some people's armors were covered with gems, and the sun was shining, making people dizzy.
The messenger bypassed the capital and continued to go north. The King of the East Sea glanced at it from a distance. The capital was still standing, but the city wall was damaged, with many scars and burns, which was shocking.
"The capital won't last long." The King of the East Sea said in a low voice, and glanced at Zhao Ruosu.
Since entering the enemy's range, Zhao Ruosu has become more reluctant to talk, but his waist has become more and more straight. Even if he rides on a horse for a whole day, he will never bend over to show his fatigue.
The King of the East Sea also stood up.
The envoy of Chu was sent to a huge military camp more than a hundred kilometers north of Beijing. The King of the East Sea was shocked. The number of enemy troops was too large, and the camps were connected one by one.
The envoy of Chu was not received immediately, but was sent to a tent, and several nobles in fancy clothes came to convey to them the rules of meeting the "righteous emperor" with the help of an interpreter:
When kneeling down, place your hands on the ground, rush your palms to the ground, kiss the ground three times, and then touch the ground with your forehead, and do not raise your head without permission.
Ask what to answer, do not speak without permission.
Every time he answers a question, he calls himself "the master of the world" and calls himself "the slave of fear".
You have to bathe and change clothes first, drink only water and do not eat for one day, and only after you have no odor on your body can you meet the "righteous emperor".
…
There are many rules and regulations of the enemy chief. After finishing speaking, he took out another roll of paper and listed each of the rules clearly in three languages, including Chu language.
The nobleman withdrew, and the King of the East Sea took a piece of paper and said to Zhao Ruosu, "If we do everything, we will have no face to go back to see Your Majesty."
"Take one step at a time."
Zhao Ruosu was assigned to another tent and turned to leave, but the King of the East Sea stepped forward to stop him, "Zhao Ruosu, tell me in advance what you want to do, tell me in advance, it's all here, I can't have any other ideas to die. Mingzhi? Yes, I can do it, just let me be prepared."
Zhao Ruosu stared at the East Sea King for a while, then spit out a few words: "Then get ready."
The King of the East Sea really wanted to kick him hard, but he barely held back and replied, "Okay, go see the enemy chief, but don't kneel?"
Zhao Ruosu nodded, "Don't kneel."
When Zhao Ruosu left, the King of the East Sea was empty in his heart, trying his best not to think about anything.
Soon several servants brought a large bucket and bathed the guests.
Taking a hot bath in the cold winter is supposed to be a very comfortable thing, but the King of the East Sea can't get rid of a thought: this is not a bath, but a cleaning similar to washing clothes. After changing the water several times, every time To add different spices, some of them quite pungent, gradually become more fragrant.
The bathing lasted for more than half a day, and no food was given except drinking water. The King of the East Sea was tired and hungry, and was about to collapse. He was lying on the bed but could not sleep. is a failure.
After noon the next day, the King of the East China Sea was called out, took a strange soft sedan chair, and went to meet the ghost Da Chanyu.
"Where are the others?" The King of the East Sea asked. He was the only one in the sedan chair, and Zhao Ruosu and the others disappeared.
The interpreter was not there, and the escort walked forward without saying a word.
Donghai King's face changed slightly. No matter what, Zhao Ruosu was a kind of supervision and a kind of encouragement. When he was not there, Donghai King was even more uncertain.
"Death to make it clear." The King of the East Sea whispered.
Almost an hour later, the King of the East Sea was frozen to the point of trembling. The sedan chair finally stopped in front of a huge tent. Several servants stepped forward, lifted the guests from the sedan chair, and sent them to another small sedan chair. This trip. It was relatively short and was carried directly into the tent.
The tent is as high as one person is padded, and the curtains are heavy, and they are all in charge of nobles in fancy clothes. The King of the East Sea gets off the sedan chair, steps on the soft carpet, and walks forward. His stomach is empty, his legs are weak, and his heart is empty, but he can still do it. to stand up.
Suddenly, at least 30 people turned their heads to look at the guests at the same time. There were men in gorgeous clothes, and women wearing veils but not shy.
The King of the East Sea was ready to fight, his eyes swept across, and soon fell on a middle-aged man. Among a group of aliens with high nose and deep eyes, this person is more like a Chu or Xiongnu, no one around him, his status should be the highest.
The King of the East Sea was about to speak, when he suddenly woke up, this man was not a ghost, and this room was not even the main hall, but the front room waiting to be summoned.
The East Sea King found himself nervous, coughed, squeezed a smile on his face, and said loudly: "Does anyone speak Chu language?"
The middle-aged man came over, and the others gave way.
"I will say a few words." The man said stiffly.
"What's your name?"
"I am the cousin of the emperor, you should call me 'His Royal Highness'."
"I am the younger brother of Emperor Da Chu, and you should also call me 'His Royal Highness'."
The man smiled, "Sure enough, he came to die."
The man's contempt made the King of the East Sea lose his fear, and said sternly: "I am here to send a letter to negotiate, and the Emperor of Chu has something to say to the god and ghost Da Chanyu."
The man's face changed, "Pay attention to your words, send the dead, there are many ways to die, do you want to try them one by one?"
Some words should have been said after seeing the god and ghost, but the King of the East Sea couldn't bear it anymore, worried that his fighting spirit and vigor in his heart would get news after a while, so he said loudly: "I only know one way to die, that is, to die. If you die unyieldingly, please tell the gods and ghosts Da Chanyu, and the emperor of Chu has made a condition: If you withdraw from Chu land immediately, Da Chu will recall the two Chu troops that have already invaded your country."
"Two?"
"One set off from Tiger City in the Western Regions, and the other attacked by sea a year ago, and has already landed at this time." The East Sea King tried his best to appear confident.
The man laughed and said a few words in another language, and everyone in the tent laughed.
Donghai King's heart tightened, these two news were obviously not unexpected to the enemy.