Noble son JiaoShi''s heart to assassinate King Xuan was not dead, General Fei of Wei identified three assassins for him, they were Wei Bo, Wei Zhong, and Wei Shu. The three Wei brothers had different images and were of different heights. Noble son JiaoShi was not too satisfied, and he frowned at General Fei and said, “General Fei, the assassins you found this time seem to be not as good as the last time.”


    General Fei laughed and said, “The Duke will draw conclusions after he tries them.”


    Noble son JiaoShi walked up to Wei Bo first and sized him up: a robust man with almost no extra flesh on his body. Noble son JiaoShi asked, “Strong man, what are you best at?”


    Wei Bo said, “Killing people.”


    “I am asking by what means you are best at killing.”


    “Both hands.”


    “Can you show us?”


    “Can.” Wei Bo said, suddenly stretching out a hand and lifting Noble son JiaoShi easily above his head like an eagle catching a chicken.


    Noble son JiaoShi asked in panic above his head, “What ...... do you want to do?”


    Wei Bo laughed loudly and said, “This is my best killing method.”


    Noble son JiaoShi quickly said, “Put me down, I appreciate ...... it.”


    Wei Bo gently placed Noble son JiaoShi on the ground.


    Noble son JiaoShi calmed down for a moment and asked Wei Bo, “Tell me, what do you want?”


    Wei Bo said, “Gold.”


    The Noble son JiaoShi asked again, “How much do you want?”


    “As much as I can take with both hands.”


    Noble son JiaoShi promised him.


    Noble son JiaoShi came to Wei Zhong again, and he looked at this small but solidly built man and asked, “How about you, what means are you most skillful at killing people with?”


    Wei Zhong replied, “Stones.”


    Gongzi Suburb Master nodded and said, “Give it a try. However, don''t come at me.”


    Wei Zhong smiled and said, “Of course.” He said as he casually picked up a stone from the ground and tossed it out again as if casually.


    A man dozens of paces away who was hiding behind a tree and poking his head out to peer this way was hit by the stone and fell headfirst to the ground.


    A soldier beside Gongzi Jiaoji ran over quickly, bent down and reached out to try, then straightened up and said in a loud voice, “Gongzi, he''s dead.”


    Wei Zhong spat and said, “Nonsense, there''s no one I''ve hit that isn''t dead.”


    Noble son JiaoShi nodded in satisfaction and asked Wei Zhong, “What do you want?”


    Wei Zhong said, “Beautiful women.”


    “How many?”


    Wei Zhong smiled and said, “The Duke is also too stingy, how can a few?”


    “You tell me, how many do you want?”


    “A hundred, any?”


    Gongzi Suburb Master laughed lightly, “Give you so many women, you can''t handle it.”


    Wei Zhong said in a decent manner, “I have raised a thousand horses and ten thousand sheep, women are the same as horses and sheep, as long as you can raise them, there is no such thing as not being able to cope with them.”


    Noble son JiaoShi also promised him.


    At last, Noble son JiaoShi came to Wei Shu. Wei Shu was dressed as a scribe, with a strange appearance, and a pair of small eyes with a bit of cunning. The Noble son JiaoShi asked Wei Shu, “What about you, how do you kill people?”


    Wei Shu said, “With my tongue.”


    Noble son JiaoShi was puzzled and curious at the same time, and asked, “How does the tongue kill?”


    “Upside down black and white, confuse right and wrong, make something out of nothing, create rumors ...... and kill people with a three inch tongue, which can''t be defended against.”


    “Can I try?”


    “Of course.”


    “How do you plan to try?”


    Wei Shu pointed to General Fei, who was standing not far away, and whispered, “Let the Duke kill General Fei.”


    Noble son JiaoShi sneered, “You simply can''t do it.”


    Wei Shu lightly scratched his nose and laughed, “If Gongzi is a fool who can''t distinguish between black and white, I''ll admit that I can''t do it.”


    “I am not a fool!”


    “If Gongzi is not a fool, there are no fools in the world.”


    Noble son JiaoShi had never been so verbally humiliated before, and he pointed at Wei Shu and angrily rebuked, “You are too unbridled! How dare you humiliate the Duke of Qi in public.” He ordered the soldiers around him, “Arrest him and cut out his tongue.”


    The soldiers surrounded Wei Shu with their weapons in hand.


    Wei Shu said slowly and methodically, “Duke, hear me out, if my words don''t make sense, I don''t need you to arrest me, I''ll bite my own tongue off.”


    The Noble son JiaoShi looked at him and said in a nonchalant manner, “Speak.”


    Wei Shu said, “It''s not convenient here, I want to talk to the Duke alone.”


    Noble son JiaoShi didn''t want to hear any more of Wei Shu''s nonsense, but he wanted to know what Wei Shu was going to say, so he took Wei Shu to a secluded place.


    Wei Shu said to Noble son JiaoShi, “Do you know why General Fei asked us to help you kill the King of Qi?”


    Noble son JiaoShi said, “After I become the king of Qi, I can make peace with Wei for eternity.”


    “And?”


    “Nothing.”


    Wei Shu laughed, “Duke, you only know one thing but not the other. General Fei''s purpose is not only this ......”


    “I know,” interrupted the Noble son JiaoShi, ”They have another purpose, which is to use me to hold Qi back, even if I don''t become the King of Qi, I can still drag Qi down so that it is incapable of competing with Wei for supremacy.”


    “I really didn''t expect that Your Excellency turned out to be such a smart person!” Wei Shu pretended to be surprised.


    Noble son JiaoShi sneered condescendingly, “Anything under the sun, don''t think you can hide it from me!”


    Wei Shu nodded his head and flattered, “That''s, that''s ......” He suddenly knelt down in front of Noble son JiaoShi, kowtowing as he said, “Gongzi, I deserve to die, I shouldn''t have deceived Gongzi... ...”


    Noble son JiaoShi was stunned, then asked, “What are you hiding from me?”


    Wei Shu said, “I can''t hide anything from Your Excellency, Your Excellency is such an intelligent person, sooner or later you will find out the truth, I am deceiving myself by deceiving Your Excellency.”


    Noble son JiaoShi division can''t help but be pleased, his mood is also much better, said, “You are right, you can''t hide it from me, say it yourself, it''s better than me finding out. Speak up, what exactly are you hiding from me?”


    Wei Shu stood up, moved forward, and said in a low voice, “My lord, what I''m telling you, you must not tell anyone, especially General Fei.”


    “I can guarantee that.”


    “Marshal Pang''s battle with the Qin army is not holding, Country of Han intends to help the Qin army, if Country of Han sends troops to help the Qin, Marshal Pang will definitely be defeated, Wei hopes to get help from Qi as soon as possible, Marshal Pang for this reason secretly ordered General Fei to immediately make a move to kill the King of Qi, so that the Duke will succeed to the throne as soon as possible ......”


    Noble son JiaoShi division laughed: “I thought there was something remarkable, you said this thing, I already know.”


    “Duke, hear me out, the key point is at the back.” Wei Shu paused for a moment and continued, “General Fei thinks that if he kills the King of Qi to make the Duke succeed to the throne, time is short and there is no certainty, he wants to capture the Duke and give him to Qi in exchange for the King of Qi to send his troops to help him.”


    The Noble son JiaoShi sneered, “You lie, if General Fei did not intend to kill the King of Qi, what did he seek you for?”


    Wei Shu said, “He came to the three of us brothers, not for the King of Qi, but for the Duke.”


    The Noble son JiaoShi was stunned, “What do you mean by that?”


    Wei Shu said, “He asked us to come and arrest you.”


    “He dares?” Noble son JiaoShi colored.


    Wei Shu said contemptuously, “Why wouldn''t he dare? Those two elder brothers of mine have already seen the skill of Gongzi, my elder brother is of great strength and is specially here to catch you; my second brother is invincible in flying stones and is specially here to deal with your guards; my three-inch tongue is here to persuade you to tie your hands and don''t ask for trouble.”


    Noble son JiaoShi division looked frightened and asked, “Then ...... why haven t you guys done it yet?”


    Wei Shu laughed and said, “Just now, the Duke made such a generous move, the three of us brothers are very impressed, and General Fei''s move is too petty, we do not intend to follow his orders.”


    “What are you guys going to do?”


    “As long as the remuneration that the Gongzi gives us remains the same, we will listen to the Gongzi.”


    “Fine, the reward remains the same, you guys kill General Fei!”


    “Your Excellency, General Fei can''t be killed, we should capture him and have him presented to the King of Qi by us, after exchanging the King of Qi''s trust, then killing the King of Qi will be much easier.”


    With Wei Shu saying this, Noble son JiaoShi was even more convinced of what he had just said, he angrily walked back to his original position, pointed a finger at General Fei, and said to the soldiers, “Arrest General Fei.”


    The soldiers looked at Noble son JiaoShi in disbelief.


    General Fei was even more in a fog as he asked Noble son JiaoShi, “Gongzi, what do you want?”


    “You know in your heart.” Noble son JiaoShi sneered, then scolded the soldiers in a stern voice, “What are you all waiting for? Arrest him!”


    The soldiers immediately swarmed up and pressed General Fei to the ground.


    General Fei looked at Noble son JiaoShi in confusion, struggling and asking, “Gongzi, what are you doing?”


    Noble son JiaoShi laughed, “Not doing anything, giving you to the King of Qi as a meeting gift for the Wei brothers, it will be easier for them to kill Pi Jiang again.”


    General Fei was furious to the core and cursed, “Noble son JiaoShi, you ungrateful villain! Despicable and shameless villain!”


    Noble son JiaoShi said angrily, “You''re the one who''s a despicable and ungrateful villain! If I don''t arrest you, you will arrest me!”


    “Haha ......” A wild laugh came from the back, and Wei Shu walked up to Noble son JiaoShi and said, ”Duke, you''ve been fooled.”


    Noble son JiaoShi was stunned.


    Wei Shu said, “I created something out of nothing, General Fei is innocent of being wronged.”


    Noble son JiaoShi immediately understood, he drew his sword and pointed it at Wei Shu, “How dare you tease me!”


    Wei Shu laughed, “Don''t be angry, Duke, didn''t you want to test me? I did it to show you my ability to kill with my tongue.”


    Noble son JiaoShi said unhappily, “You ...... joke is too big!”


    The angry General Fei got up from the ground, went forward and grabbed Wei Shu, raising his hand to hit, Wei Bo stretched out a hand and grabbed General Fei s wrist, coldly saying, “General Fei, if you want to hit you should hit the Duke of Qi, it is he who wants to see Lao San s tongue!”


    Wei Shu said, “General Fei, you shouldn''t be angry but should celebrate for this, with the skills of our three brothers, we will surely stir up the state of Qi.”


    General Fei ignored him with a grunt and drew back his hand and stepped aside.


    Wei Shu walked right up to Noble son JiaoShi and said, “Duke, it''s time for you to ask me what I want.”


    Noble son JiaoShi''s anger had not subsided, he did not want to ask, but had to ask, coldly asked, “What do you want?”


    “Official position.”


    “What official?”


    “Sage.”


    Noble son JiaoShi sneered and flirted, “A phase state can''t create rumors out of nothing.”


    “Speak of people when you see people, speak of ghosts when you see ghosts, and naturally speak of a phase state when you become a phase state.”


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.“If you are incompetent, I will have to dismiss you.”


    “It is only natural.”


    Noble son JiaoShi agreed to his request.


    As King Xuan of Qi''s wounds were getting better, Tian Ji and Sun Bin asked for troops to attack Wei''s border cities and get rid of Noble son JiaoShi. King Xuan didn''t agree, he told Sun Bin that if he got rid of Noble son JiaoShi, the Empress Dowager would give him no peace. Tian Ji thought he could capture Jiao Shi alive so that the Empress Dowager would have nothing to say. King Xuan of Qi still disagreed, he said he knew the temper of Noble son JiaoShi best, he would rather commit suicide than to be captured alive. Just when the king and ministers were silent, Sun Bin spoke up and said he has a way to capture Noble son JiaoShi alive.


    Since Zou Ji returned from Qin, although he was highly regarded by King Xuan of Qi, he has not yet joined the court because he has not been offered a suitable position. Sun Bin''s plan was to ask Zou Ji to go to the Wei border city of Li Du to lure Noble son JiaoShi back to his country. Zou Ji agreed to do so in order to further gain King Xuan''s appreciation.


    Zou Ji came to Li Du and said to Gong Zi Jiao Shi: “Since the king was stabbed, he has not left the harem for a step, when the court Dafus asked about the king''s injuries, the queen always said that his injuries were getting better and better, and then a few of our old ministers found out that Tian Ji and Sun Bin''s behaviors were furtive, and then we bought through the palace Dafus, who said that not only was the king''s injuries not getting better and better but they were getting worse and worse, and that the Dafus were already unable to do anything about it. ”


    “Good, the news brought by Xiang Guo is too good!” Noble son JiaoShi was overjoyed and high-fived.


    Zou Ji, however, shook his head and said, “Duke, don''t say good first, I haven''t finished my words yet ...... A few of our old ministers estimated that there must be a conspiracy in Tian Ji and Sun Bin''s blocking of the news of the Great King''s injuries, so they sent their men to secretly monitor the situation, and it was not as we expected that Tian Ji and Sun Bin were secretly searching for a successor to the throne. ”


    “Pi Jiang has no queen, I am the rightful successor to the throne.”


    “I heard that Tian Ji found a man named Jie Jiang in Gaomi, saying that he''s the son of the late king who was born to a courtesan, and that they want to use this man to prevent Noble son JiaoShi from succeeding to the throne.”


    Noble son JiaoShi’s face suddenly changed, and he said indignantly, “We can''t let their plot succeed!”


    Zou Ji nodded his head and said, “Yes, if we let their plot succed, the Duke will have no day to return to his country, much less get the throne again. We, the few old ministers who have offended them, will also die without a burial place ...... “ He glanced at the Noble son JiaoShi, ”In order to stop their plot, I have been commissioned by these old ministers to risk my life to see the Duke.”


    “I will immediately send someone to get rid of Tian Ji and Sun Bin.”


    “No, Tian Ji and Sun Bin have the protection of the army, one or two assassins can''t help them ...... Besides, there is also a queen with great sword skills, Cao Yang was killed by her ......”


    “Then according to the opinion of Xiangguo, how can we stop Jijian from succeeding the throne?”


    “Gongzi immediately sneak back to Qi.”


    The Noble son JiaoShi froze: “Go back to the country ...... Once they find out, won''t it be a death sentence?”


    Zou Ji laughed: “With the Empress Dowager, even if they find out, they can''t do anything about the Duke.”


    Noble son JiaoShi remembered the last time almost fell into the hands of Tian Ji on the fear, he said to Zou Ji: “No, there is the Empress Dowager also can not, go back too dangerous!”


    Zou Ji said, “If you go back to your country, you can inherit the throne logically; if you don''t go back to your country, the one who will inherit the throne will be the so-called Jijian.”


    What Zou Ji said is also the truth, there is no shortage of such successors to the throne in the past generations who have faked their way to the throne, and the Noble son JiaoShi hesitates.


    “Duke, I have contacted dozens of the former king''s old officials in the court, and all of them are willing to embrace the Duke''s succession for the sake of the state of Qi,” Zou Ji said as he pulled out a piece of silk from his pocket, ”This is a letter that dozens of our old officials have jointly written to the Duke.” Zou Ji handed the letter to Noble son JiaoShi and continued, “If the Duke returns to his country, with the support of the Empress Dowager and the adherence of us veteran ministers, the throne will not be the Duke''s....... If the Duke does not return to his country, there will be nothing we can do.”


    Noble son JiaoShi and his strategists discussed it again and again, they didn''t want to miss the opportunity, but also worried about falling into Sun Bin''s trap. Thinking about it, the Duke decided to send General Gao to sneak back to Linzi first, try to see the Empress Dowager, let the Empress Dowager find out the truth of what Zou Ji said, and then make a decision.


    General Gao came to Linzi, dressed up as a craftsman into the palace, after seeing the Queen Dowager, first on behalf of the Duke of suburbia division of the salute, and then asked the Queen Dowager to see how the King of Xuan injuries. Cao Yang''s death, the Empress Dowager felt sorry for herself, has not been out of the bedchamber half a step, she also wanted to know the King Xuan injury, so she agreed to General Gao''s request.


    The Empress Dowager was assisted by two court ladies to King Xuan''s bedchamber, and Zhong Li Chun brought her to King Xuan''s sleeping couch. The Empress Dowager saw that King Xuan''s eyes were slightly closed and his face was pale, she could not help but feel sad, after all, King Xuan was also the one she watched grow up.


    Zhong Li Chun softly called out, “Great King, Great King, the Empress Dowager has come to see you ......”


    King Qi Xuan feebly opened his eyes.


    The Empress Dowager bent down and asked softly, “Wang''er, are you better?”


    A teardrop rolled down from the corner of King Qi Xuan''s eye.


    The Empress Dowager reached out and gently wiped away the teardrop from the corner of King Qi Xuan''s eyes, comforting, “Wang''er, don''t be sad, you''ll be better ......”


    King Qi Xuan shook his head feebly as another teardrop rolled down from the corner of his eye.


    Zhong Li Chun could not help but let out a soft sob, and then tried his best to hold it back.


    The Empress Dowager could no longer hold back her muddy old tears.


    King Qi Xuan murmured, “Mother, my son is not worth your tears, not worth ...... it.”


    The empress dowager could not help but be moved and said, “Wang Er, how can you say this ...... Although you are not the old woman''s own son, but the old woman has watched you grow up, the old woman to you, like a dear son ......”


    King Xuan of Qi said, “No, son is not this meaning ...... son means that ...... son if early to give the throne to the suburban division ...... we two brothers ...... wouldn''t ...... have made such a mess ......”


    The empress dowager wiped her tears and sincerely said, “Wang''er, it is the suburban division that did wrong ...... When he returns, I must punish him, punish him heavily.”


    “Mother ...... with your words ...... I am ...... relieved ...... “King Xuan of Qi seemed tired and slowly closed his eyes.


    “Wang''er, Wang''er what''s wrong with you ......” the Empress Dowager anxiously called out.


    King Xuan of Qi closed his eyes and murmured, “Mother ...... son is tired ...... want to be quiet ......”


    Tears once again flowed from the Empress Dowager''s eyes.


    When the Empress Dowager returned to her chambers, her face was still streaked with tears as she complained to General Gao, “The Suburban Division has gone too far, too far!”


    General Gao explained, “If the Duke didn''t do this, he wouldn''t have gotten the throne ......”


    The Empress Dowager was furious: “Is it possible to kill one''s elder brother for the sake of the throne? Killing one''s elder brother is unkind and unfaithful!”


    General Gao, seeing the Empress Dowager''s anger, quickly corrected, “Empress Dowager, it is the Prince who is wrong ......”


    The Empress Dowager instructed General Gao, “Go back and tell the Suburban Master that he should come back immediately, kneel before his elder brother, and ask for his forgiveness, or else the old woman will not be able to spare him!”


    General Gao immediately returned to Liudu, the capital of Wei, and relayed the Empress Dowager''s words to Noble son JiaoShi. Only then did Noble son JiaoShi become convinced of what Zou Ji had said, and he immediately returned secretly to Linzi with the three Wei brothers and General Gao. Noble son JiaoShi first put General Gao and others in the guest house, and then he himself went into the palace to see the Empress Dowager. Suburban division kneeled in front of the empress dowager to ask the empress dowager for forgiveness, the empress dowager''s eyes glittered with tears, stretched out a trembling hand to stroke his face, murmured, “Suburban division ...... you make the mother want to die ......”


    Noble son JiaoShi hugged the Empress Dowager and cried, “Mother, in the future, son will never leave you again!”


    The empress dowager stroked Gongzi Jiaoji''s head and said, “You can be true to your word ......”


    Gongzi jiaoshi swore: “I keep my word, never leave mother!”


    The Empress Dowager remembered the dying King Xuan lying on the sleeping couch, wiped her tears, and said to Gongzi Jiaoji, “You quickly go to see your elder brother, who is no longer able to do so, and kneel in front of him, begging him for forgiveness until he dies ...... This way, the father and king in the ancestral temple will not blame you, and the Dafus in the court will forgive you. ”


    Noble son JiaoShi cried and walked into the bedchamber of King Xuan, and while walking, he said, “Brother, brother, brother, brother is sorry ...... for you.”


    Noble son JiaoShi couldn''t help but freeze when he walked to King Xuan of Qi''s sleeping couch.


    King Xuan was not in his sleeping couch.


    “Jiao Shi, wipe away your tears!” A majestic voice came from behind him.


    Noble son JiaoShi turned back with a puzzled look on his face.


    He only saw King Xuan of Qi and Zhong Li Chun standing behind him.


    King Xuan of Qi said disdainfully, “I detest false tears!”


    The Noble son JiaoShi then realized, and exasperatedly said, “So ...... you are deceiving me!”


    King Xuan of Qi said, “It''s not a deception, it''s a ploy, and this ploy is called Tuning the Tiger away from the Mountain.” King Xuan of Qi said and clapped his hands.


    A dozen palace guards came out from behind the curtain and surrounded Noble son JiaoShi.


    Noble son JiaoShi pointed at King Xuan of Qi in horror and said, “You ...... If you kill me, mother will not spare you!”


    King Xuan of Qi smiled coldly: “I won''t kill you, I''ll let you never see the light of day.”


    Note: “Transferring the tiger away from the mountain” is the fifteenth of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, which means: to lure the enemy away from a favorable place, and then make them fall into line. Sun Bin used this plan to lure Noble son JiaoShi out of Wei''s protection and returned to Qi alone, easily capturing him. To know what happened next, please read next time: “Want to catch the enemy and then indulge him”.