Chapter 502: But how can he solve the problem of his commoner background?
In Daliang and the Wei Palace, traces of flooding were everywhere.
This magnificent and majestic palace, once the dream of all scholars in the world, has long lost its former glory.
The blue bricks and jade stones are still there, but the great scholar is no longer there, only the common man.
Wei Bao sat on the throne, waiting for Chen Yu and Zhang Er to arrive.
Meeting Chen Ping on the city wall of Daliang was because Chen Ping was of humble origin, and this could bring the two closer together.
When meeting the two sages of noble birth who had enjoyed great reputation when the State of Wei still existed, the Wei Palace would remind the two people who had always been arrogant that he, Wei Bao, was the king.
Different people have different management styles.
This was not a principle taught to Wei Bao by his uncle, the king of a fallen country; it was something Wei Bao figured out on his own.
To restore Wei and for revenge.
In order to truly sit on the throne of the lord of the world, instead of being the King of Wei who is in charge of only one city, sitting on a piece of tattered animal skin in this waterlogged palace, always worried about the sound of Qin army's horses' hooves, Wei Bao realized many things.
The chef who sent the food to Chen Ping's residence last night cooked very well and had great knife skills.
A knife that can cut vegetables, chop meat and split bones can also kill people quickly.
The chef who serves delicious meals to the Prime Minister of Wei will, if necessary, bring death to him.
Two hurried, light footsteps were heard from outside the hall.
Chen Yu and Zhang Er, with dark eyes and weak waists and knees, walked in from outside the hall and bowed.
"Zhang Er pays respect to His Majesty."
"Chen Yu pays respect to His Majesty."
Wei Bao raised the corners of his mouth and said jokingly:
“No need to be polite.
"You two have worked hard all night. I see it's hard for you to bend down. Please sit down quickly."
Zhang Er and Chen Yu thanked him and sat down.
"There is no one in Zhao State raising an uprising right now. I want you two to go to Zhao State and support one person, establish Zhao State, destroy Zhao State, and repeat the Han State incident. Is that okay?"
Both Zhang Er and Chen Yu were truly well-educated people, not people who had gained fame for nothing. They understood the key points after just a little thought.
The two looked at each other and nodded imperceptibly.
Zhang Er bowed slightly to Wei Bao and said:
"If someone wants to restore Zhao, he should not be a Zhao citizen. That is fine."
Wei Bao laughed out loud.
"The one who understands me is the second wise man!"
After Wei Bao had laughed enough, Chen Yu said with a tired look:
“The plan is a good one, but the person is not a good one.
“Your Majesty, you can see clearly that we have been fleeing from Chen County to here, and we have encountered countless assassinations and dangers along the way. Dozens of our servants have died, and we almost died on the road several times.
"Now I am frightened and exhausted, and I don't even have the strength to hide my fatigue in front of the king.
"If we go a long way to Zhao, losing our lives is a minor matter. The major problem is that we will hinder the king's plan and the prosperity of Wei. Please choose another outstanding person to go to Zhao."
The two of them bowed deeply together, their movements as if they were cast in the same mold.
Wei Bao stepped down from the throne, helped the two men up, and sighed deeply.
"Don't you know that you two are tired from traveling so far? It's time to rest.
"It's just that I really don't have anyone to use, how can anyone compare to the two sages?
"Everywhere in the world there are two wise brothers, and three thousand followers are all working for them.
"Since Erxian is not feeling well, please take a few days off to recover and then visit Zhao State again, okay?"
Zhang Er smiled bitterly.
"It's not that we two are trying to fool the king. It's just that we have the will but not the strength."
Chen Yu then said:
"Prime Minister Chen Ping is more than ten times more talented than the two of us. Leaving Korea was Chen Ping's plan. The two of us hosted a banquet for Chen Ping yesterday. We saw that he had a ruddy complexion and ate ten kilograms of meat. He walked like thunderbolts, and it was obvious that he had great martial arts skills. He is much younger than us. Why did the king choose a mediocre person instead of the Prime Minister?"
Wei Bao held Chen Yu's hand with a sincere look on his face.
"Although the plan to leave Han came from Chen Ping, it was carried out by two wise men and one strong man.
"Everyone can think of something, but only a few can do it. Everyone in the world wants to fight against the tyranny of Qin, but Wei State only has two wise men to assist Leopard in the uprising.
"Chen Ping was just a man who distributed meat between the old and the young in the village. How could he know how to divide the State of Zhao? Only the two sages of noble birth could do this."
Zhang Er shook his head like a rattle.
"Your Majesty, please do not deceive us for our sake. Not as good as others is not as good as others. It has nothing to do with one's origin."
Wei Bao's face became more sincere.
"What Leopard said was from the bottom of his heart. How could he deceive the two sages?"
Chen Yu had two slightly dark circles under his eyes and said seriously:
"Chen Ping is the prime minister, Chen Yu and Zhang Er are senior ministers.
“Since ancient times, the capable have been in high positions, and the incapable have been in low positions. I have never heard of the wisdom of the high position being inferior to that of the low position.
"From this we can see that Chen Ping's wisdom far exceeds ours."
"Chen Zi misunderstood."
Wei Bao looked bitter, but he was very happy in his heart.
The more Chen Yu and Zhang Er disagreed with Chen Ping, the happier he was, and the more secure his throne became.
If these smart people stood on the same side, he was worried that they would plot against him, the King of Wei.
Wei Bao was very self-aware and thought he was just good at commanding people. As for wisdom and strategy, he did not think he was much better than Chen Sheng, who established Zhang Chu.
"Leopard heard that Mengchangjun had 3,000 retainers in the past. One of them was good at imitating the crowing of a rooster, and could make it look real. One of them was good at stealing people's property and money. There was nothing he couldn't steal."
Zhang Er and Chen Yu's faces darkened at the same time, and they were filled with anger.
The two men thought that Wei Bao mentioned these two guests in order to compare them with these two men.
Those common people who roam around in the underworld would be proud of it, but Zhang Er and Chen Yu, who were of noble birth, would not.
"Mengchangjun was detained by King Zhaoxiang of Qin when he was on a diplomatic mission to Qin. A thieving retainer disguised himself as a dog and sneaked into the Qin camp. He stole a fox fur coat and presented it to King Zhaoxiang's beautiful concubine. The concubine interceded for Mengchangjun, and King Zhaoxiang released him.
"When Mengchangjun fled to Hangu Pass, King Zhaoxiang of Qin changed his mind and ordered a manhunt. Another retainer who was good at imitating the crowing of roosters pretended to crow like a rooster and tricked the other roosters into crowing together, tricking the city gate open, and Mengchangjun was able to escape back to Qi."
Zhang Er, who had been a retainer of Lord Xinling, one of the four nobles of the Warring States Period along with Lord Mengchang, suppressed his anger and said:
"Your Majesty, do you think that what Zhang Er and Chen Yu did for you is the same as what the chicken-stealing and dog-thieves did for Lord Mengchang?"
Wei Bao was not angry at being interrupted, and said patiently:
"Just now Chen Zi misunderstood, and now Zhang Zi also misunderstood.
"What I mean is that Lord Mengchang needs chicken-stealing and dog-thieves, and I need them too. Only chicken-stealing and dog-thieves can do such things as imitating the crowing of a chicken and pretending to be a dog-thief, but they can only imitate the crowing of a chicken and pretending to be a dog-thief.
"When it comes to governing a country, they know nothing. How can they compare with the two great sages?
"Don't you know that Chen Ping is incompetent and far inferior to the two sages? The reason why I appointed Chen Ping as prime minister is because I have no one under my command and need talents.
"If two wise men are appointed as prime ministers, all the wise and capable people will think that they are not as good as the two wise men, and that they will not come to Daliang if they cannot make a name for themselves in Wei.
"When Chen Ping was appointed as prime minister, others saw that a petty thief like Chen Ping could be prime minister in Wei, so why wouldn't they come to Wei?
"I really didn't realize that this caused the two sages to misunderstand me. I will give the position of Chen Ping to them. I can lose everyone except the two sages."
Zhang Er and Chen Yu felt relieved. Wei Bao's words made them feel refreshed from the tips of their hair to their toes.
The two men, who had always been resentful of Chen Ping, a lowly person of humble origin, for holding a high position and suppressing them, temporarily let go of their resentment today.
They stopped Wei Bao who was about to give orders and apologized repeatedly.
Zhang Er grabbed Wei Bao's left hand.
"It's just a title. What's the harm in giving it to him? We are not petty people."
Chen Yu took small steps and stood in front of Wei Bao.
"I didn't know the king had foresight and almost messed up the plan. Damn it, damn it."
Wei Bao struggled hard and insisted on appointing Zhang Er and Chen Yu as the left and right prime ministers, saying that the two should not be allowed to harbor any grudges.
The two men used all their strength to stop Wei Bao for half a minute before they forced him to give up the idea of deposing him.
The two men patted their chests and promised that they would go to Zhao State after one more day of rest. They would definitely hand Zhao State over to the King of Wei and unite the Three Jin States.
Two days later, King Bao of Wei personally greeted Zhang Er and Chen Yu in the Wei Palace. After the two left the palace laughing, he left behind Prime Minister Chen Ping, who had the highest official position and spoke the least at the banquet, alone.
"Why don't you speak today, sir?"
Chen Ping wiped his mouth, his sleeves greasy, and said:
"The food in the palace is so delicious that it fills Ping's mouth."
"The food I sent to you by the kitchen is not to your liking?"
"Not at all."
Chen Ping responded to the King of Wei, his eyes still greedily looking at the food on the table.
"The food prepared by the chef Your Majesty has given me is very delicious. After just two days, my waistline has grown thicker.
"I guess I am the reincarnation of a glutton. I can't control myself when it comes to delicious food."
King Bao of Wei laughed loudly and waved his hand to tell Chen Ping not to be so restrained and to sit down and talk while eating.
Chen Ping happily followed his instructions, picking up meat with chopsticks and drinking wine from the cup, enjoying himself greatly.
"Leopard wants to conquer the world. Is there any limit to your plan, sir?"
"For the king's sake, I dare not be short of money!"
Wei Bao raised his cup to toast, and Chen Ping quickly filled the cup with wine, and the two of them drank from the cup together.
Wei Bao, with wine still in his mouth, thought about how Chen Ping wanted Lanling to become a dead city while chatting and joking, and then caused a plague in Lanling and massacred another city, ruining the reputation of Qin in Qi and the rise of the three brothers of the Zitian family.
Then he thought of Chen Ping's suggestion that Zhang Er and Chen Yu should go to Han to help Chen Sheng build the Zhang Chu Tower, and then drain the foundation to collapse the tower as a gift to the Wei State.
Zhang Er and Chen Yu did not return for a few days before being sent to Zhao State by Chen Ping to carry out Han State affairs again.
We all know that the wrath of Qin in the first battle will burn anyone who stands in its way into ashes.
However, in order to expand the State of Wei, he did not hesitate to sacrifice Zhao and Han, which were also part of the Three Jins.
Even Wei Bao, who had a deep hatred for the destruction of his family and country by the Qin State, always thought of such means as too unscrupulous.
If these were not so bad, then the understatement of Chen Ping, who was born in a commoner family, when he said that Zhao State had no royal family the day before really made Wei Bao want to kill him.
The royal families of the six kingdoms, which were once so noble, have now fallen to the point where they are slaughtered and divided like pigs by a pariah? Even the tyrannical Qin that destroyed the six kingdoms did not dare to destroy all the royal families of the six kingdoms!
"Sir, I have learned your plan."
Wei Bao tried his best to act casual.
"If Mr. Bao's plan doesn't kill all the people in the city and cause great suffering, how many more will it be?"
Chen Ping chewed and swallowed the mutton in his mouth.
"It doesn't matter. There are still a hundred ways to deal with it."
"If you can't poison or spread the plague, you can't help Leopard achieve his great cause, right?"
"Don't panic, Your Majesty. Even though there are only fifty strategies left, there is still great hope if the deer dies in Wei's hands."
"What if Ruobao wants to leave a good reputation?"
Chen Ping has not stopped since he sat down. He is either picking up meat or putting meat into his mouth. The chopsticks are gently placed on the table.
"I'm sorry, I'm incompetent and have no idea what to do."
Are you sick, King Wei?
You want to be a saint!
"Haha, please don't be offended, sir. I was just joking."
"Your Majesty, if you have something to say, please speak frankly. Don't tease me like this."
The King of Wei was silent for a moment.
"In that case, I won't hide it from you, sir. I do have some concerns.
"Sir, you were born a commoner, but every time you use a trick, you take the lives of thousands of commoners without any scruples. Have you ever thought that you were once a commoner?
Duke Huan of Qi said that he had tasted all kinds of delicacies in his life, except human flesh. Upon hearing this, the cook Yi Ya killed his four-year-old son and presented him to Duke Huan of Qi. Duke Huan of Qi was deeply moved and thought that Yi Ya loved the king more than his son, so he favored him greatly.
"When Guan Zhong heard about this, he said, "It is natural for people to love their own children, but Yi Ya killed his own son. How can such an inhuman person love the king?"
“Sure enough, after Guan Zhong died, Duke Huan of Qi starved to death in the palace because of Yi Ya.
"Sir, the leopard will not starve to death in the palace of King Wei, right?"
There was a hint of panic in Chen Ping's eyes, and disappointment that could not be concealed on his face.
"In the past, the military strategist Wu Qi defected to Lu. At that time, Qi and Lu were at odds with each other. The King of Lu rejected him because his wife was from Qi. Wu Qi returned home, cut off his wife's head with his own hands, and presented it to the King of Lu.
"The officials of Lu said that Wu Qi was capable of killing his wife to obtain an official position. How could such a person of low character be a general? The King of Lu agreed with them and released him.
"Wu Qi was angry and defected to Wei. With his own strength, he made Wei's military operations far more powerful than before. All the other states were terrified when they heard about Wei's Wu soldiers.
"Your Majesty, have you only thought of Yi Ya's murder of his master, and not Wu Qi's revenge on Wei?
"Ping was born a commoner. Apart from the favor of the king, he has nothing else in Wei. Ping's wealth, honor, official position and title were all given by the king. If the king wants to take them back, just one word is enough.
"How can a person like Chen Ping be a threat to His Majesty?
"If the king is still worried about Ping, I will die to prove my innocence!"
After saying this, Chen Ping, with a determined look on his face, ran headfirst into the nearest pillar, causing his head to bleed.
Wei Bao was shocked and hurriedly asked the waiter to stop him.
He hurried down from a high position and one of his shoes fell off.
He ran and shouted at the same time, looking panicked and not acting like a king at all.
"I was wrong! Please don't blame me, sir! Please don't blame me, sir!"
Chen Ping, who was stopped by the waiter, felt relieved knowing that his life was temporarily saved today.
Wei Bao's heartfelt apology came to his ears, as well as a series of fine jades and delicacies, and a promotion to the second rank as compensation.
He said weakly:
"It is my fault that I have caused Your Majesty to worry. I am already satisfied that Your Majesty is not worried. I have no face to ask for any more rewards."
But I know it clearly in my heart.
Wei Bao is not a wise leader, the Wei Kingdom cannot stay here for long!
It's not that they are afraid that I will kill too many people, but they are afraid that I will kill the royal family of Zhao!
The dizziness in his head and the severe pain in his forehead finally made him realize the cruel reality.
He is a man of sinister schemes, and he can gain Wei Bao's trust by showing his weaknesses of greed for money and food.
But how can he solve the problem since he comes from a commoner background?
It is okay for untouchables to kill untouchables, but how can they raise their butcher knives against the nobles!
