Painting Doctor Jinhua

Chapter 179: The jaw-dropping peace talks

Wei Xiaokuan set up a tent in the suburbs to receive the envoys from Northern Qi instead of in the city in order to avoid exposing the military secrets in the city. Xiao Jinyu and King Lanling also understood this very well.

As soon as they entered Yubi City, Wei Xiaokuan, who received the news, immediately arranged for Yin Gongzheng to come and receive them.

Yin Gong was a refined and dignified man, about thirty years old. He came to greet the envoys with several other envoys from the Zhou State. He treated them with great courtesy and there were soldiers to greet them along the way.

When they entered the camp, there was a banquet filled with fruits, wine and meat, and the envoys had a very pleasant conversation.

Just as they were drinking and enjoying themselves, one of the Zhou envoys suddenly stood up, bowed to Xiao Jinyu and asked, "I heard that Envoy Xie had once debated with many heroes on the Fahua Mountain in the Southern Dynasty, and that he had a great talent for poetry in the test of the Qi King. I wonder if Envoy Chen is familiar with Zhou rituals. Would you dare to have a debate with Yin Gong, the doctor of my Zhou Kingdom, to see who is better?"

In this era, when envoys from two countries met, there would usually be some academic debates, which was also an opportunity for them to learn from each other's cultures and enhance the prestige of their respective countries.

Xiao Jinyu stood up and returned the greeting, saying, "It would be boring to only debate Zhou Li. I, Xie, am well versed in the Five Classics and would like to debate with your country's Five Classics Doctor!"

When she said this, all the envoys from Zhou were shocked and the envoy who asked the question couldn't help but sneered:

"You are so arrogant, you look down on everyone. At such a young age, you dare to challenge the Five Classics Doctor. What a coincidence, Doctor Yin is the Five Classics Doctor! I wonder who Envoy Xie learned from?"

Xiao Jinyu replied, "There are differences in the order of learning, and in the specialization of skills. Even Confucius said that when three people walk together, there must be one who can be my teacher. Why does the Zhou envoy want to take advantage of my young age and make a fool of myself in front of others?"

Unexpectedly, she retorted in such a sarcastic way, and the envoy from Zhou who came to provoke her suddenly blushed with shame.

"Since Doctor Yin is a doctor of the Five Classics, then Doctor Yin, please ask me a question?"

Xiao Jinyu did not argue any more with this man and turned to Yin Gongzheng. According to the information obtained by Ling Ye, Yin Gongzheng considered himself a genius in debate, and all the officials below the dukes of Zhou studied Zhou Li, and Yin Gongzheng was proficient in all the Five Classics.

Therefore, Yin Gongzheng, who was proud of his talent, asked Xiao Jinyu many questions about Zhou Li. Sometimes, before Xiao Jinyu had finished answering a question, he would ask a second question, and then a third question. He kept asking questions until Xiao Jinyu was exhausted.

Gao Yanzong was dumbfounded watching from the side. He was fond of martial arts and did not like these theories. After the debate was over, he was already feeling sleepy. At the end of the debate, he saw a look of surprise and shame in Yin Gongzheng's eyes, and he politely bowed his head to Xiao Jinyu and returned to the table without saying a word.

Gao Yanzong couldn't help but be curious and asked Gao Changgong beside him: "Who won, was it the fourth... Minister Xie?"

Gao Changgong stared at Xiao Jinyu for a long time before nodding with a smile.

"She is really amazing. Even the five classics doctors of the Zhou Kingdom..."

Before he finished speaking, a hearty laugh was heard. Everyone in the tent looked in the direction of the sound and saw an old general in his forties, wearing armor and a crane crown on his head, walking out of the tent.

This old general has a full forehead and bright eyes, and appears to be exceptionally resolute and steady. At first glance, he is an old veteran who has experienced many battles and is not afraid of danger.

It must be Wei Xiaokuan without a doubt!

"Minister Xie's talent is indeed well-deserved. I heard that the Xie family of Jiangzuo was originally from the Southern Dynasty. How could they devote themselves to the State of Qi?"

This is a very embarrassing question!

Lanling Wang was still worried about how Xiao Jinyu would answer, but he heard her say:

"General Wei, what you said is wrong. My Xie family's ancestors were also officials of the Jin Dynasty. After the Yongjia Rebellion and the Five Barbarians' Invasion, they assisted the Jin Dynasty in establishing its capital in Jiankang with Wang Dao of the Wang family of Langya, thus preserving the Han world. After that, dynasties changed and the families were in chaos. We have experienced the Song, Qi, and Liang dynasties until today, although our family has been destroyed, we have not forgotten our Han identity.

As for why he joined the State of Qi, Xie believes that the talented people in ancient times can be divided into several types. One type sought the power of the world, achieved fame and reputation, and was remembered for eternity. There were even some people like Huan Wen who would rather be remembered for eternity.

The other is for the well-being of the people, peace in the world, and freedom from the suffering of war..."

"Then which type do you belong to?" Wei Xiaokuan asked immediately.

Xiao Jinyu was silent for a moment before answering, "One is for the well-being of the people, and the other is because it's hard to find a true friend!"

"Hahaha..." Wei Xiaokuan couldn't help but burst into laughter, and then asked Xiao Jinyu, "Minister Xie is indeed a clever talker. I wonder what Minister Xie thinks of the word loyalty to the emperor?"

Xiao Jinyu replied: "I believe that before being loyal to the monarch, one must love the people. If the monarch loves the people, then one should be loyal to him. If not, then one should take the people of the world as one's responsibility!"

She said this with such eloquence and force that many people couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

Gao Changgong stared at her without blinking, as if thinking about something.

Wei Xiaokuan laughed again. At this time, a soldier came to report: "General, the Hu people in Fenzhou have captured some bandits from Guandong of Qi. General, what should we do with them?"

The soldier spoke very loudly, as if he was speaking deliberately for the Qi envoys to hear. Wei Xiaokuan also glanced at "Xie Zhen" and Lanling King from time to time. Although Lanling King had a strange look on his face, he quickly calmed down under the hint of "Xie Zhen" beside him.

Gao Yanzong, who was standing beside him, wanted to say something, but after looking at Prince Lanling and "Xie Zhen", he quickly shut his mouth.

"The envoys are so calm and composed, it seems that they don't take the lives of their own people seriously?" Wei Xiaokuan sighed again.

Xiao Jinyu laughed and said, "General, don't make such a joke. When Yan Zi was sent as an envoy to the State of Chu, the King of Chu also called a few Chu people to pretend to be Qi people and called them thieves to ridicule the bad character of the Qi people.

I know that Grand Commander Wei has no intention of humiliating the people of Qi, but in this peace talk, Grand Commander has only used such a small trick to make Qi return the mother of Grand Chancellor Yan. Isn't it too easy?"

Wei Xiaokuan's face darkened, and Yin Gongzheng, the envoy from Qi sent by Yuwen Hu, turned even paler. They had originally thought that the envoys sent by Qi this time were all children under the age of twenty, and it was their first time to visit Zhou, so they would definitely be able to deceive them. But who knew that Xie Zhen could see through the flaw at a glance?

This guy has such sharp eyes, how did he notice it?

"Then according to Envoy Xie, what conditions should our Zhou Kingdom offer to exchange for the mother of the Grand Chancellor, Yan?" Yin Gong asked politely.

Xiao Jinyu stood up, picked up a bottle of wine, and raised his head and said, "I heard that when the Zhou State released Chen Xu, the hostage of the Chen State, it asked Emperor Wen of Chen for two counties in exchange. I wonder if the value of the mother of the Grand Chancellor, Yan, can be compared with Chen Xu, the brother of Emperor Wen of Chen?"

As soon as this question was asked, several envoys from the Zhou Kingdom could not help but glare at Xiao Jinyu angrily.

How do you ask people to answer this question?

Isn't it a direct slap in the face of the Grand Chancellor to say that the life of Yan, the mother of the Grand Chancellor, is not as good as that of Chen Wendi's brother Chen Xu?

If they are comparable, does the State of Zhou also have to exchange the two counties?

Gao Yanzong's eyes widened, and he immediately felt awe for Xiao Jinyu who stood up. If she had repeatedly emphasized that the envoys of the two countries were not allowed to interrupt at will and let him watch, Gao Yanzong would have jumped up and cheered!

Gao Changgong couldn't help but smile.

The envoy who first attacked Xiao Jinyu could not help but shout, "My Zhou State releases the people of Guandong from your Qi State, and your Qi State releases Madam Yan, the mother of the Grand Chancellor. This is a very fair deal. Boy, is your request too arrogant?"

Yin Gongzheng immediately pulled him down.

Wei Xiaokuan was a veteran after all, and he soon regained his composure and started laughing again.

"I heard that Envoy Xie is very good at writing poems. Tonight is the night of the full moon. How about we, the Zhou people, beat the drums and have Envoy Xie write a poem to relieve the pressure on the envoys?"

Before Xiao Jinyu could answer, Wei Xiaokuan said in an irresistible tone,

"There is no need to waste time on the peace talks. We will discuss it tomorrow. Today, we will have a drink with the envoys!"

After he finished speaking, the whole camp became lively, with people toasting each other and some soldiers laughing and joking outside the tents.

Xiao Jinyu did not answer for a long time, as if he was thinking about something, but the soldiers outside the tent were already laughing:

"This kid from the Xie family looks gentle and frail. Could it be that he is frightened by the boldness of our Zhou people and dares not write poetry anymore?"

"Who said it wasn't true? I heard that the Xie family of Chen County was once the most powerful aristocratic family in Jiangzuo, but was decimated by Hou Jing. Damn the aristocratic family's elegance, they are just weak and vulnerable sheep. I heard that they even pant when they walk. Maybe I can scare them to death if I speak louder..."

"Although I don't know how to write poetry, I heard that the poems written by the southern tribes are all about beauties, love, and affection. They are soft and hypocritical!"

"That's right. Commander Wei actually asked him to write a poem. Isn't he afraid of being disgusted to death..."

Hearing these small and noisy laughter, Lanling Wang and Gao Yanzong stood up angrily. Gao Yanzong couldn't help but curse: "Is this how you Zhou people entertain envoys? You appear to be courteous, but secretly let these bastards humiliate you. It's a pity that you Zhou country still respects Zhou rituals. Is this your etiquette?"

"Who are you scolding?" Some Zhou soldiers also started scolding angrily!

"I will scold anyone who responds to me!"

Gao Yanzong shouted loudly, and Xiao Jinyu looked at him and signaled King Lanling to pull him down!

At this time, Xiao Jinyu had walked in front of Wei Xiaokuan, raised his head and replied with a majestic look: "General Wei, the Zhou people like to judge people by their appearance. This is the first time I have seen it. Some people are tall and strong, but they may not be as strong as gold. Some people are weak and can hardly walk, but they can face the enemy's butcher knife with dignity and unyielding. Warriors have the blood of warriors, and scholars have the character of scholars.

I have never heard that after the Guangling song was over, Ji Shuye calmly went to his death without bowing his head.

Three thousand students saw him off, and several of them cut their own throats in protest, telling the world that "crows and carrion are beautiful, but phoenixes are disdainful."

A person's character has nothing to do with appearance or family background, right?"

The torrent of words was so passionate that no one in the entire tent dared to respond, and everyone was speechless.

Yin Gongzheng, who came to supervise the peace talks, was so ashamed that he didn't know what to say. He could only ask Wei Xiaokuan to restrain his subordinates from talking nonsense, so as not to lose face for the Zhou Kingdom!

In the silence, this "Xie Zhen" suddenly said: "Since the great commander Wei is so in a good mood and wants me to compose a poem to cheer him up, then I will do my best to help him. What's the harm?"

After saying that, he looked at Gao Changgong and said very gently: "Changgong, give me a wooden sword!"

Gao Changgong smiled when he heard this, and took out a wooden sword and handed it to her.

"General Wei, have your soldiers beat the drums!"

Wei Xiaokuan was stunned for a moment, then called two loyal subordinates to beat the drum. The two men looked dejected, as if they had been greatly insulted, and were very reluctant!

"Don't you see——"

Before the drums sounded, Xiao Jinyu had already started to dance with the sword and recite poems:

"The water of the Yellow River comes from the sky,

It flows into the sea and never returns. "

After a line of poetry was spoken, the entire tent fell silent again. Yin Gongzheng, who was already well-versed in poetry and literature, opened his eyes wide and ran to the front, eager to hear the next line, and asked, "What else?"

"Don't you see the white hair in the mirror in the hall?

In the morning, the hair is black, and in the evening, it is white. "

Upon hearing this, Wei Xiaokuan fell completely silent, and even seemed to be feeling frustrated and sad about growing old.

"You must be happy in life, don't let the golden bottle face the moon.

It is my destiny that my talents will be useful, and I will come back after all my money has been spent! "

When the chant reached this point, not only were some envoys in the tent dumbfounded, but even the soldiers outside the tent who had been laughing and mocking just now also quietly gathered around.

Why does this poem sound so heart-stirring and moving?

Some soldiers even wiped away their tears quietly, and at the same time, a sense of heroism rose in their hearts!

I was born to be useful, even if I lose all my money I will get it back!

"It is fun to cook sheep and slaughter oxen, and you will have to drink three hundred cups at a time."

"Wait, wait—"

Yin Gongzheng suddenly ran to Xiao Jinyu excitedly and said with a flattering smile: "Envoy Xie, please read slowly, read slowly, and wait for me to write down this poem in its entirety! When I return to Zhou, I will present this poem to His Majesty and spread the good name of Envoy Xie!"

After saying this, he immediately called a few scholars who had followed him to bring pens, ink, paper and inkstone, and began to carefully copy down sentence after sentence.

At this moment, even Gao Changgong and Gao Yanzong were so stunned that they were speechless. In their eyes, there was nothing else except the figure of the "young man" dancing with the sword. The sounds around them seemed to have completely disappeared.

There were only bursts of drum beats and line after line of poetry that made one's blood boil!

Gradually, more and more soldiers began to beat drums to add to the fun, and more and more voices joined in the chanting!

Until the end, even Gao Yanzong joined the crowd in singing:

"The five-flowered horse and the golden fur will be exchanged for fine wine, and I will sell the eternal sorrow with you."

Lanling Wang held the wine jar in his hand, looking at the Zhou army soldiers who were already fighting outside the tent, especially the silhouette that had occupied his heart and left no room for anything else. He was afraid that such a scene would be replayed in his mind thousands of times throughout his life and would never be forgotten.

"Fourth brother, you should also sing along. In our Qi State, you are known for your beautiful voice and appearance. This poem will surely sound good when you sing it! And it will make you feel particularly happy when you sing it!

Although I don’t understand poetry very well, I think this poem is very good!

Fourth brother, don’t you agree? "

After saying this, looking at Lanling Wang who was still in a daze, Gao Yanzong suddenly felt a sense of enlightenment: No wonder fourth brother said that he loved her to the bone. A woman like this will always exude extraordinary brilliance and give people surprises no matter when and where she is. It is hard not to love her!

After an unknown amount of time, the drumbeats stopped and the soldiers fell silent again. The soldiers who had mocked "Xie Zhen" now knelt down in shame and bowed to Xiao Jinyu, saying:

"Thank you, Envoy. You are indeed more talented than Zijian and different from the other scholars of the Southern Dynasty. We were rude to you just now. For this, we are willing to accept the punishment and apologize to you!"

"It is a blessing that you can recognize your mistakes. It's okay. You don't understand me. Ignorance is not a sin!"

Xiao Jinyu replied, and then said, "However, this poem was not written by me. I saw it in the Xie family's library!"

"General Wei asked me to compose a poem to relieve the stress of the envoys and soldiers. I think this poem is good enough for everyone to remember, right?"

Yin Gongzheng quickly replied, "More than just remembering, once this poem is published, it will surely be passed down through the ages and remembered by future generations. Envoy Xie, you are indeed a descendant of the Chen County Xie family, which is famous for passing down poetry and etiquette from generation to generation!"

Amid the sighs of shock, a soldier asked loudly:

"Envoy Chen, you just said that I was born with talents that will be useful, and even if I spend all my money, I will get it back. Is that true?"

"Of course, everyone is born with a certain meaning. Even if you lose all your money, you can get it back someday."

Xiao Jinyu replied, and then looked at the soldiers outside the tent, and said with deep emotion:

"One general's meritorious service is the result of the sacrifice of thousands of men. Even a soldier of insignificant status deserves respect. The sacrifices they made on the battlefield by throwing their heads and shedding their blood are also worth remembering by the world!"

These words made the Zhou army outside the tent burst into tears!

Wei Xiaokuan and all the envoys fell silent!

Even Gao Yanzong lowered his head, as if he was thinking about something, without saying a word. He looked at Lanling King who was sitting next to him, who was also lost in deep thought.

"Hearing Envoy Xie's words today, I now understand how precious our lives are. Hearing these words, I will live my life to the fullest!"