FIVE KINGS (The Five Kings)
Chapter 85
Lu I Seng and Pi The Hu invited Ho Tut to preside over a welcoming ceremony at the Chin border.
That is how Kong-cu I Gouw had entered the city of Kang-touw and became the king of Chin Hui Kong. It was the 2nd year of Ciu Siang Ong.
Chin Hui Kong elevated his son, Kongcu Gi to Si Cu (crown son), Ho Tut and Kek Shia to Siang Tay-hu, the others all remaining in his old post. Also he orders Nio Yu Bi to follow Ong-cu Tong to go to Ciu country, Han Kan follow Sek Peng to go to Cee country, Cee, to thank those who brought him home to his country.
The other country's army has returned, only living Kong-sun Ci who wants to take five cities according to I Gouw's promise to them. So they are still waiting in the land of Chin.
Apparently Chin Hui Kong felt affection to release the five cities, immediately he gathered all his ministers to negotiate. ”When my lord wants to hand over five cities to the king of Cin,” said Lu I Seng, ”when it is my master is not yet king, so this country does not belong to my master. But now this land belongs to my master. Now my master is king of Chin! In my opinion, even though we didn't give up those cities, surely Cin can't do anything.”
”I don't think it's good if my Master does that,” said Li Kek refuted, ”because my master has just become king, then my master denies and takes away people's trust in my master! Plus the Cin country is very strong and they're our neighbors too. Better my master just hand it over!”
”Losing five cities, equals losing half of Chin country,” said Kiok Peng who disagreed on Li Kek's suggestion. ”Despite the Cin country spending its army, it is not easy they can take our five cities so easily! Remember our deceased king, how difficult it was to get this land. Time we easily hand over five cities to them?”
”Have known this belonged to our late king, why did you promise to be handed over to him? Already promised but not kept, will it not make the king of Cin gusar?” li Kek said loudly. ”Remember when our deceased king founded the land of Kiok-ah, the land is very small, because he can take care of the government, so that it can take small countries to enlarge the area! When my lord can properly govern the government and get along well with the neighbors of the country, why worry about the disappearance of the five cities?”
”Li Kek's words are only for the benefit of the country Cin!” kiok Peng shouted furiously. ”Because he was afraid that my master would not give him the thousand plots of rice fields in Hun-which he had promised him, then he would lean on the king of Cin!”
Seeing the lack of good, Pi The Hu with his elbows he banged Li Kek.
Chin Hui Kong finally issued a verdict on the advice of Lu I Seng and Kiok Peng. He ordered Lu I Seng to write a letter to be sent to the king of Cin. The letter read: ”Not that I made a promise, because most of Chin's officials did not agree to give up the five cities, so I Chin Hui Kong asked for time first for the surrender of the five cities, because I want to negotiate further.”
Chin Hui Kong then asked who would be willing to bring the letter to Cin country.
Pi The Hu declares willing to leave, and is allowed by Chin Hui Kong.
Pi The Hu goes with Kong-sun Ci to the land of Cin.
When Cin Bok Kong had received the letter and had read the letter, he became very angry, because he believed the Chin king was going to lie to him, he immediately wanted to kill Pi The Hu. ”Chin state ministers no one does not remember my master, all like to give up the land,” Pi The Hu said. ”But because Lu I Seng and Kiok Peng, the two men, strenuously prevented, plus my new king apparently intended so, then the five cities were not handed over to Cin. Now it is better that my master carefully call the two men, once here immediately kill them, then my master deliver Kong-cu Tiong Ji, then, i and Li Kek will expel I Gouw and welcome my master's arrival from within, surely Kong-cu Tiong Ji can ascend to the throne of Chin. If this matter is settled, surely Tiong Ji likes to obey my master, will this not be better?”
Cin Bok Kong does like Kong-cu Tiong Ji, he became very excited after hearing the words of Pi The Hu, so he immediately ordered Tay-hu Leng Ci to follow Pi The Hu to go bring the parcels to Chin country, with the intention of luring Lu I Seng and Kiok Peng.
When Pi The Hu was sent to the Cin country, Kiok Peng advised King Chin Hui Kong, so that King Chin killed Li Kek, because he got a report Li Kek was intending to raise Tiong Ji to be King.
”If it is true and Tiong Ji attacks from the outside while Li Kek welcomes from the inside, it must be very dangerous for the position of my lord!” kiok Peng instigates.
Without thinking again Chin Hui-Kong expressed his agreement to kill Li Kek, and he had Kiok Peng commit the murder.
Kiok Peng immediately visited Li Kek. To Li Kek, Kiok Peng said,”because you destroyed He Ce, Tok Cu and Sun Sit, then now Chin Hui-Kong is going to punish you!” kiok Peng. ”I got rid of those three guys for the sake of Cu-kong! Now that Cu-kong has become King, why not be rewarded instead of being punished?” li Kek said in self-defense.
”Cu-kong also said, if it wasn't you who helped for sure he wouldn't be King. So he also did not forget your services,” said Kiok Peng. ”But . . . But you with Cu-kong are your personal business! Now you can choose to die in what way, lest the executioner carry it out!”
Li Kek realized that even if he wanted to talk, it would definitely not work, so he immediately pulled out the sword on his waist and continued to commit suicide.
The death of Li Kek has made all dignitaries unhappy, especially Ki Ki Ki, Kiong Hoa, Ke Hoa, Tiauw Coan and others. They chided and scorned the cruel and barbaric King Chin..
When Chin Hui-Kong found out, he intended to destroy them. But Kiok Peng prevented it, though,
”Better find first the error.” said Kiok Peng.
While Pi The Hu has returned home, he confronts Chin Hui-Kong to report the results of his work. Then he invited Leng Ci to face, to submit a reply letter and parcels from King Cin.
Chin Hui-Kong opened and looked at the letter, its contents were heartening. Because King Cin very sweetly did not talk long about the problems of the five cities. Only in the letter did King Cin ask that Kiok Peng and Lu I Seng come to the land of Cin to be invited to negotiate.
Instead of playing with Chin Hui-Kong, he immediately ordered Lu I Seng and Kiok Peng to go to Cin country to negotiate with King Cin.
”Yes, I suspect good Cin on Chin won't get to this,” said Lu I Seng while mangosteen. ”Ah, this must have been Pi The Hu who had heard of Li Kek's death, then he was worried that he would not escape death either, so he arranged this stratagem with the King of Cin, then he set up this stratagem, so that King Cin kills us, then he has a melee.”
”Betul, very precise allegations!” kiok Peng. ”Pi The Hu and Li Kek one group, if Kek is killed, how can The Hu not be frightened? But now that all the dignitaries are mostly Li and Pi concoctions, then we should carefully investigate their movements. Now we ask the envoy of Cin to go home first, just say we will follow later, that is once we have settled with the affairs of government.”
Lu I Seng agreed with his colleague's opinion. That was how the two of them secretly met King Chin to negotiate.
After hearing Lu and Kiok's report, King Chin Hui-kong immediately agreed, then let Leng Ci go home first to the land of Cin, to inform King Cin. With the affairs in Chin's country not done yet, he asked for a little tempo . The new King Chin will send Lu and Kiok come to the land of Cin.
Leng Ci can not force, it is okay for him to leave and return to the country of Cin.
Quietly Lu and Kiok ordered his trustworthy men to hide each night near the Pi The Hu building to spy on his movements.
So long Pi The Hu saw Lu and Kiok still did not want to go to the land of Cin, he secretly invited Ki Ki Ki, Kiong Hoa, Ke Hoa, Tiauw Coan. They got together and didn't know what to say, until 5 a.m., the men just got home.
Spy Kiok Peng immediately reported that to his master, as he had seen.
Kiok Peng suspected that their conversation must be about betrayal, so no doubt he went and negotiated with Lu I Seng.
After deliberating for a while, they took the decision to immediately issue an order to invite Touw Gan I.
Not how long Touw Gan I had already come to face.
”Danger is threatening you, how do you calm down?” kiok Peng.
Touw Gan I was surprised, with a pale face he asked:, ”What danger,Tay-hu?”
”You used to help Li Kek destroy two young kings, now that Li Kek was put to death, you too will have your turn. But lsince we remember you meritorious, we can't bear to see you got a disaster, then we tell you immediately.”
Touw Gan I was terrified. He asked for help to escape punishment.
”Cu-Kong anger is difficult to prevent, we are not sure we can ask for mercy for you,” Kiok Peng said. ”One way only, maybe you can be free...”.
Touw Gan I immediately knelt down and asked.
”How to?” ask Gan I.
Kiok Peng in a voice slowly said, ”You must get rid of the conco Li Kek, namely Pi The Hu. We heard he was trying to cause a riot. He wants to get rid of Cu-Kong and make Tiong Ji king. You pretend to be scared, and ask to be invited to conspire in their movements. If you've got their secrets, you broadcast about the crime. Not only will your sins be forgiven you will also be promoted and rewarded!”
Kiok Peng's incitement attracted Touw Gan I, who had been so frightened, now very excited, ”Because of Tay-hu's help, I am safe, I am ready to carry out the task. But I am not good at talking...” said Touw Gan I.
”Do not worry, I will teach,” said Lu I Seng.
Then Lu I Seng taught what to do by Tuw I Gan,
That very night Touw Gan I went to see Pi The Hu and said he would deliver a secret message.
Pi The Hu tells his men to tell Touw, drunk and asleep, Pi refuses to see him.
Touw Gan I was in disbelief, pretending to have important business, he went inside. Pi The Hu had to accept it.
Touw Gan I knelt in front of Pi The Hu, and said like a frightened person, ”Tay-hu please save this piece of my soul.”
