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墨書 Inktalez
According to historical records, during Housheng's tenure as Prime Minister of Qi, he did not do a single good deed for the Qi State. It is mentioned that the downfall of Qi State was largely due to him, and he is described as a profit-driven scoundrel.
However, there is an undeniable fact: this person, along with the Queen Dowager, maintained peace in Qi State for over forty years. Given that he held the esteemed position of Chancellor of Qi State at the time, it seems somewhat far-fetched to claim that he did not contribute to this peace.
In light of such a controversial historical figure, there is no need to take time to evaluate an ancient person. Regardless of what the historical truth may be, we should focus on the matter at hand.
In that era, the world was governed by a simple rule: if you were not a friend, you were an enemy! There was never a middle ground! If this Prime Minister of Qi did not contribute much to Qi State, it is an undeniable fact that he facilitated Qin's unification of the realm. Thus, in the eyes of the Qin people, Housheng was a friend rather than an enemy of Qin State.
Back to the main point.
Housheng calmly listened to Luzi's persuasion but remained unmoved because he believed that faith was too ethereal. After all, ten thousand years is too long; it is better to clarify the present first! He insisted, "Brother, there is only one answer here, and it is also our elder sister's answer! Although I am not a warrior, I know that loyalty and righteousness cannot coexist."
Upon hearing this, Luzi felt conflicted and said, "It seems like loyalty and filial piety cannot coexist?"
"Big Shopkeeper, don't worry about that!" Housheng had no intention of correcting him and continued, "I only recognize you, Luzi, in Great Qi; I am not familiar with anyone else! As for how to honor Qin State, that is Luzi's business and has nothing to do with us Qi people! I reiterate: as long as Luzi exists, Qi State will endure. If King Zhao of Qin dares to harm Luzi, don't blame me if Qi State turns against him! If possible, it would not be impossible for Qi State to join forces with the Shandong Five Kingdoms against Qin!"
Indeed, he had grown bold!
Luzi looked at Housheng, who could speak even more eloquently than himself, and suddenly felt a sense of similarity. Was the Luzi seen by the king also like this? As this thought crossed his mind, he felt a chill run down his spine. If that were indeed the case, it would be understandable why he was not trusted.
For those few notable figures in Qi State at that time, they were neither Qin people nor part of the Prosperity Record sequence. Rather than being feudal states, they were more accurately described as large clan tribes. The relationships between individuals often directly influenced national affairs since it was once a world where one person's word could decide everything.
In light of this social phenomenon that actually existed, personal friendships were often more substantial than official dealings. This can be illustrated with an example to make things easier to understand.
For example, King Qi wanted to make territorial demands on the Yan State and began mobilizing troops to attack the fortress established by Yan at Boundary. Upon learning of the Qi Army's advance, King Yan had two options: one was to immediately gather the Yan army to counterattack and resolve the territorial dispute through force; the other was to send a negotiator to Qi State to persuade King Qi, hoping to use verbal skills to convince Qi State to withdraw its troops and cease hostilities.
The negotiator chosen for this task might not be well-liked in Yan State, and even King Yan might not necessarily favor him. The reason King Yan would still seek out this negotiator must be that he was very familiar with King Qi. In other words, this negotiator could be someone who is not an official of Yan State but must be a close friend of King Qi!
If the negotiator sent by Yan State was unfamiliar with King Qi, it would be questionable whether he could even meet him, let alone engage in persuasive dialogue. In those times, status mattered greatly; what right would one have to meet a high-ranking lord?
Of course, nothing is absolute; this is true in most cases. The point of all this is to illustrate that personal relationships at that time could influence a nation's foreign policy and even have the power to turn conflict into peace.
From this, it is clear that the attitudes of Queen Dowager and the Prime Minister of Qi were beyond doubt. These two highest authorities in Qi State agreed to support Qin State based on their personal friendship. The friendly relationship between Qi and Qin was maintained by Luzi. As Housheng just mentioned, if this connection were lost, Qi State would have no reason to care about who King Zhao of Qin was.
Do you want to take military action against Qin State? Qi State is always ready!
It was precisely because of these personal relationships that Qi State allowed the Thousand-Man Squad from Qin State to enter Qidi without interference. Also, due to the aforementioned attitude of Qi State towards Qin State, upon learning that a thousand Qin Army troops were approaching the capital Linzi, King Jian of Qi dispatched his army to demonstrate their presence.
Luzi, who was already feeling the heat from both sides, found himself helpless regarding the attitudes of both Qi and Qin. He had no power to make the Qin Army leave nor could he persuade the Qi Army to return to their posts. Both sides held firm positions, and their actions were reasonable. Being caught in between, what could he do?
Luzi looked at Housheng, who had come merely to deliver a message, and suddenly felt a sense of righteousness emerging within him. Since both parties believed they were in the right, perhaps it was best for him to temporarily stand back!
When faced with difficult problems, sometimes it can be resolved by taking such an approach. Waiting temporarily is just a way to see clearly and wait for the best moment to intervene rather than giving up entirely.
Having made up his mind, Luzi immediately changed his attitude. After expressing his deep respect for his elder sister's eloquence, he asked Housheng a crucial question: Who is currently in command of the Qi Army? Who is responsible for directing the main force of the Qi Army that will arrive at dawn? He emphasized that he urgently needed this answer.
Housheng had no intention of hiding this information; he smiled and nodded, pulling out the Troop Command Token from his pocket and waving it in his hand before bowing respectfully to Luzi as he prepared to take his leave. Since he could not persuade Luzi to pledge allegiance, there was no need for him to stay any longer.
Seeing the Troop Command Token in Housheng's hand proves that the so-called King Jian of Qi is now just a nominal title without real power. The true authority of the state still lies with King Jian of Qi's mother and his uncle. It's no wonder that Housheng just mentioned resisting Qin! The military power of Qi State is in the hands of this Prime Minister of Qi, who has already grasped the fate of the entire Qi State!
Well! Actually, this is good! It saves the trouble of having to discuss matters with King Jian of Qi!
Luzi stopped Housheng, who was about to leave, and asked if he could guarantee that the Qi Army would not take action against the Qin Army outside the city. He did not want to witness a conflict between his own people tomorrow; it would indeed become a tale for the ages!
Housheng looked at Luzi, whose gaze was resolute, and immediately stated that this request could be accommodated. However, there was a prerequisite: the Qin Army must not take any action. Let's not forget, this is outside the capital of Qi State!
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