The Sixteen Kingdoms of the Eastern Jin Dynasty: The Competition in the Central Plains

After breakfast the next day, a covered carriage stopped outside the tent. Not far from the carriage, there were a hundred cavalrymen. Fifty of these cavalrymen held swords and fifty men held bows and arrows. Shi Hu, Duan Pixi, Duan Wenyang, Shao Ji and others walked out of the tent. Another person also came out, that is Wang Yang. Shi Hu said with a smile:"Brothers, please get in the car. We will set off immediately to the Kingdom of Xiang to meet His Royal Highness King Zhao!"

Shao Bo didn't mention him when he heard it, but he was too embarrassed to ask, so he had to follow Duan Pizhen. Wang Yang added:"Master Shao Xu has been living in the post house these past few months."

Obviously this sentence was meant for Shao Ji. Shao Ji nodded, with a happy look on his face. Shi Hu and Wang Yang watched Duan Pixi and others get on the carriage. Shi Hu winked and Wang Yang understood. A soldier sat in front of the carriage with a riding whip. Shi Hu said:"Let's go!"

The carriage was in front, followed by a hundred cavalry. Shi Hu and Wang Yang rode on horseback, and the group drove quickly towards Xiangguo. Two days later, at noon,The carriage of Duan Pixi and others passed through the Zhengyang Gate of Xiangguo and arrived outside the main hall. The guards at the door saw that Shi Hu and Wang Yang were coming, and quickly went in to report:"King Zhao is a thousand years old, and Duke Zhongshan is back!"

"Please invite Mr. Zhongshan into the palace! Shi Le ordered. All the civil and military ministers in the court looked towards the entrance of Jiande Hall. Shi Hu and Wang Yang came to the hall and nodded with others as a greeting. When they came to Shi Le, Shi Hu and Wang Yang knelt down and saluted. :"See King Zhao is a thousand years old!"

"The two dear ladies are exempted from the ceremony! When Duke Zhongshan returned to Xiangguo from Fuping, did the war in Yanci take shape? Shi Le asked. Shi Hu and Wang Yang stood up, and Shi Hu said:"Yanci and Fuping City have been captured, and Duan Pixi, Duan Wenyang, Shao Ji, Shao Zhu, and Shao Bo have been captured and escorted to Xiangguo.". I left General Kong Chang to garrison Fuping, and other generals also garrisoned at different places in Yanci, waiting for Zhao Wang Qiansui's edict before further action."

"Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Zhongshan and all the generals! Give me a seat!" Shi Le said.

Shi Hu and Wang Yang sat down, and Shi Le asked:"Where are Duan Pizhen and others?"

"Back to Zhao Wang Qiansui, just outside the Jiande Hall."Shi Hu said. Shi Le smiled and said:"Shao Xu has been in Xiangguo for more than half a year. If brothers Duan Pixi and Shao Xu's other generals can be used by Gu, it will be much easier to govern these places and win over people's hearts."

"Please quickly invite Duan Pixi and others to come to the palace! Shi Le said happily. Not long after, Duan Pixi and others came to Jiande Hall. When they came to Shi Le, Duan Pixi, Duan Wenyang, Shao Ji, Shao Zhu and others bowed their hands to Shi Le and saluted:"See His Highness King Zhao!""

Duan Pizhen and others did not bow down to Shi Le, and Shi Le had no intention of blaming him. Only Shao Bo knelt down with a bang and said:"I, Shao Bo, see King Zhao live a thousand years!"

Duan Pixi and others looked at Shao Bo with disdain, and dozens of Shi Le's civil and military ministers also cast strange looks. When Duan Pixi and others came, they all wore the court uniforms of the Jin Dynasty. Shi Le ordered:" Mr. Duan and others came to our Kingdom of Zhao for the first time, and each of them was given a court uniform!"

After a while, five guards were carrying wooden trays, and in the wooden tray were five sets of Zhao Kingdom's court uniforms. Shao Bo looked at it and said with a smile:"Thank you, King Zhao, for giving me the court uniforms!"

Shao Bo said, he came over to pick one and put it on without hesitation. Shao Bo pointed to the original Jin Dynasty court dress on the ground and said:"Throw away this worn-out court dress quickly!"

A guard picked up the court clothes that Shao Bo took off and went out. In addition to Shao Bo, Duan Pizhen and others also took the court clothes of Zhao State, but they did not wear them.

Including Zhang Bin, many civil and military officials The ministers shook their heads when they looked at Duan Pixi and others who were wearing Jin Dynasty court clothes and were unwilling to change into Zhao Kingdom's court clothes. Especially Duan Pixi, who was not only wearing Jin Dynasty's court clothes, but also holding the Jin Dynasty's scepter. Civil and military affairs Of course Shi Le saw all the expressions on the minister's face, but he remained calm and did not show any signs of attack.

"All my dear friends, please take your seats!" Shi Le said, and Duan Pizhen and others sat down. Shi Le added:"Master Shao Xu has been in Xiangguo for half a year. Master Duan is here, and his son and nephew are here. To be able to reunite in the court, Master Shao Xu will definitely very happy"

"Go to the post house to invite Lord Shao Xu to meet you. Today I am going to have a banquet with all the ministers to bear witness to this rare gathering!"Shi Le said. A guard bowed his hands in salute and went out.

Shao Xu followed the guards to the court, walked to the front and bowed his hands in greeting to Shi Le, and then stepped aside. When Shao Ji saw his father, whom he had not seen for more than half a year, he quickly knelt down and kowtowed. Shao Ji Tears flowed down involuntarily. Shao Ji said:"The child is unfilial and has lost Fu Ping! Shao

Xu stroked Shao Ji's head and said,"My child, the loss of Fuping and Yanci cannot be blamed on you, nor on Sir Duan, the brothers and other generals." King Zhao is too powerful, and General Ji Long’s soldiers are too powerful. We are no match."

"Father, are you suffering here? Shao Ji asked. Shao Xu said with a smile:"King Zhao has treated me well for a thousand years. I know it well and will always remember it in my heart." I didn’t suffer, and I had everything I needed to eat and use. I'm just worried about Yanci and the people in Fuping City"

"General Ji Long has promised to treat the people of Fuping and Yanci kindly. Shao Ji said. Shao Xu nodded with satisfaction and said,"That's good, that's good. I'm relieved.""

The civil and military ministers listened to the conversation between father and son and looked at Shao Xu's dress, which was almost exactly the same as Duan Pixi, Duan Wenyang, etc. Zhi Xiong couldn't help it, so he walked up to Shao Xu and said,"Master Shao Xu. , you have been in Xiangguo for more than half a year. How does King Zhao treat you? How do people treat you? How do you feel in your heart?"

"Returning to General Zhixiong, the King of Zhao treats me like a distinguished guest. Living in a post house, he is cared for by servants and maids every day, and he has a carriage for traveling. I can also plant flowers and vegetables in the vegetable garden. The ministers and generals are also very kind to me and get along well with me. I am very satisfied."Shao Xu said.

Zhi Xiong continued to ask:"Since Master Shao Xu is a minister of Zhao State, he should wear corresponding court clothes. But the court robes given to you by King Zhao thousands of years old have been put away in the post house, and you have never been seen wearing them. Is it that Zhao's court clothes don't fit well, or are Zhao's court clothes shoddy? Have you considered the feelings of King Zhao and the civil and military ministers?"

Shao Xu wanted to say something, but he hesitated and did not say it. Wang Yang, who had just returned to Xiangguo, said to Duan Pizhen:"Since Lord Duan and his brothers surrendered out of the city, from Fuping to Xiangguo, all the way Above, Lord Duan and General Duan are both in Jin Dynasty court attire. Xu Shu is in the camp of Cao and his heart is in the Han Dynasty. I think Mr. Duan and the two brothers are in the state of Zhao and his heart is in the Jin Dynasty!"