Tian Guo's army was approaching the city of Maling, and the rebels on the city were ready to fight to the death. Tian Guo tells General Gao on the city that he is not here to attack the city, he wants to meet the so-called Noble son JiaoShi. General Gao asked Tian Guo to swear that he could not use this to harm Noble son JiaoShi. Tian Guo swore to heaven.

  Noble son JiaoShi did not come out, no matter how many times he called out from the city, he had never seen this kind of situation before and was deeply afraid. Tian Guo waited with some impatience and shouted loudly to General Gao, “General Gao, why hasn't Noble son JiaoShi shown up yet, does he not dare to, or is there simply no such person in Maling?”

  General Gao responded, “General Tian, don't be anxious, the Duke will definitely come.”

  Tian Guo laughed, “I'm not anxious, it's you, General Gao, who is anxious, if you can't invite Noble son JiaoShi, General Gao won't be able to close the show.”

  General Gao cursed the false prince's cowardice in his heart, and ordered his soldiers to urge their “king” again.

  False Eunuch finally arrived and came to General Gao escorted by a number of shield-bearers. The false prince said to General Gao with fear and trepidation, “General Gao, you must guarantee my safety .......”

  General Gao said, “Don't worry, Your Majesty, they don't dare to do anything.”

  General Gao pulled Noble son JiaoShi to the wall stacks, then said loudly to the city, “General Tian, open your eyes and see who is standing beside me?”

  Tian Guo froze as he looked at the false duke on the city wall.

  The soldiers under Tian Guo also froze.

  “Noble son JiaoShi, it's really Noble son JiaoShi!”

  “This is strange, he was obviously killed by us, how come he's alive again?”

  ......

  When Tian Guo withdrew his troops and returned to the camp, he was still puzzled, he said to Sun Bin: “Military Master, maybe what we killed was really a double of Noble son JiaoShi.”

  Sun Bin had it in his mind and said, “This one is the double.”

  “Armsmaster, you didn't see him, he really is Noble son JiaoShi ......”

  Sun Bin smiled and said, “If he really is Noble son JiaoShi, he wouldn't have come out after a thousand calls, but would have stood proudly on top of Maling City early on. That's what fits Noble son JiaoShi's nature.”

  Tian Guo came to a realization and said, “That's right! Noble son JiaoShi wouldn't be so timid and cautious....... Warlord, since he's not Noble son JiaoShi, then we can attack Maling, right?”

  Qin Gu said from the sidelines, “No, as long as the Empress Dowager still treats him as Noble son JiaoShi, the Great King won't agree to us attacking the city.”

  Sun Bin nodded his head in recognition and said to Qin Gu, “Mr.Qin, go back to Linzi immediately and try to invite the Empress Dowager here, we need to expose the fake Noble Son JiaoShi in front of the Empress Dowager and the rebels, so not only will the Empress Dowager no longer have a reason to stop us from quelling the rebellion, the Maling rebels will also be too distraught to defend the city.”

  Sun Bin also said to Zhong Li Chun: “Zhong Li Aunt ...... Queen Mother, I'd like to ask you to go to Wei and find Zhong Li Qiu, ask her to help find out the true identity of the fake Noble son JiaoShi, so that when the Empress Dowager arrives at Ma Ling, we can have an explanation to her.”

  Zhong Li Chun was uneasy about Sun Bin and said, “Who will deal with the Wei brothers after I'm gone?”

  Sun Bin said, “I have two purposes for this soldier's visit to the city of Maling, one is to meet that fake Noble son JiaoShi; the second is to make a false move and then retreat a shed to confuse the rebels of Maling, so that the rebels will think that I am luring them into the wilderness where there is no city to defend, and thus they won't dare to act rashly. If the rebels don't march out, the Wei brothers won't act alone.”

  Zhong Li Chun rushed to Da Liang of Wei at a fast pace, and quietly touched Zhong Li Qiu's home in the night, and the two sisters were so excited to see each other that they hugged each other tightly for a long time before they parted.

  Zhong Li Qiu asked, “Sister, you came from so far away, there must be something important, right?”

  Zhong Li Chun said, “Pang Juan got a man who looks especially like Noble son JiaoShi from somewhere, that man is in the Qi border town of Maling, insisting that he is Noble son JiaoShi and has made himself king, Mr. Sun wants you to help him find out the true identity of that man.”

  “I can't help him.” Zhong Li Qiu heard this and immediately became very cold.

  Zhong Li Chun said in a serious tone, “Autumn, if you can't figure out the true identity of the fake prince, Mr. Sun won't be able to quell this Maling rebellion.”

  Zhong Li Qiu still coldly said, “Sun Bin, he's so skillful that he doesn't need a weak woman like me to help him.”

  Zhong Li Chun used a begging tone, “Then even if you help me, will you help your sister?”

  Zhong Li Qiu was silent for a moment before speaking, “Sister ...... please forgive me, I can't help you either ......”

  “Still hold a grudge against sister?”

  “No. Since I am the wife of Gongsun Yue of Wei, it is impossible for me to help the enemies of Wei.”

  “But you are from Qi after all.”

  “I am now married to Wei.”

  “Then, do you never intend to return to Qi?”

  “Yes, never intend to return to Qi.”

  “If I let you marry Sun Bin, do you go back to Qi ......”

  “Sister, I'm not the Zhong Li Qiu of the past anymore, don't fool me with words like that again.” Zhong Li Qiu's face sank.

  “How could sister fool you, sister is sincere, Autumn.”

  “Sister, I remember you once said something like this to me, a strong twisted melon is not sweet.”

  “This time I think he'll be willing.”

  “No, the one he willingly wants to marry is Sister.”

  Zhong Li Chun couldn't help but laugh bitterly and said, “This is already impossible, the Great King and Sister have already become a true couple ......”

  Zhong Li Qiu was stunned and said, “Why would sister ...... you be completely free from this ......”

  Zhong Li Chun gently stroked her sister's hair and said, “Autumn, sister does like Sun Bin, from the heart, but now sister is out of the question, sister is clear about your feelings for Sun Bin, you like Sun Bin even more than sister does, you've suffered so much for him, it's especially hard for sister to think about it in her heart, sister doesn't know what she should say to you ...... can you help him once more?”

  Zhong Li Chun hugged her sister again, “Sister, you don't have to say it again, I understand it all in my heart ......”

  Zhong Li Qiu quietly asked many people, no one knew about the fake male, and her sister was in a hurry to go back, so she had to invite the person she least wanted to see, Pangcong - to her home. She set out the dishes for Pangcong and served him wine. Pangcong was so flattered that he couldn't stop looking at Zhong Liqiu with his two eyes.

  Zhong Liqiu filled his wine and said, “General Pang, these days, you have come to my home three times, and the neighbors have much to say about it; I hope that after General Pang has drunk this wine, he will not come back to me in the future.”

  Pangcong was busy withdrawing his gaze and said, “But I ...... didn't do anything to you ......”

  “Be that as it may, but I'm a widow, and I'm prone to attract comments.”

  “If you marry me, no one will talk about you.”

  “I'm Gongsun Yue's woman, I won't marry to a second man.”

  “Miss Zhong Li, you're still young, there's no need to be a widow for Gongsun Yue for the rest of your life.”

  “Gongsun Yue treated me with single-mindedness when he was alive, I can't apologize to him.”

  Pangcong disdainfully said, “Gongsun Yue was not single-minded towards you, he had other women outside.”

  Zhong Li Qiu said, “Don't slander Gongsun Yue, he is a gentleman who never messes with other women.”

  Pangcong smiled and said, “Do you know the beautiful princess Gongsun Yue gave to the King of Qi?”

  Zhong Li Qiu said, “I've heard of it, but I don't recognize it.”

  “Before she entered the palace, she was Gongsun Yue's woman.”

  “She is not, before she entered the palace, she was the woman of Noble son JiaoShi of Qi, called Mei Yu.”

  “After Noble son JiaoShi fled Linzi, she has been following Gongsun Yue.”

  “You're lying, Mei Yu didn't follow Gongsun Yue, she has been with Noble son JiaoShi.”

  Pangcong said in a serious manner, “I didn't lie, Gongsun Yue told me personally when he came to Wei to choose a beautiful woman for the King of Qi, he didn't want to give Mei Yu to the King of Qi, it's just that because Wei didn't have a woman who outperformed Mei Yu, he had to endure the pain for the sake of Wei.”

  Zhong Li Qiu bit his lips tightly and said indignantly, “This hateful woman ...... deserves to die!”

  Pangcong looked straight at Zhong Liqiu and said, “Zhong Liqiu, the one who can truly be devoted to you is me ...... Marry me ......”

  Zhong Liqiu was speechless.

  Pangcong grabbed Zhong Liqiu's hand, “Zhong Liqiu ......”

  “What do you want?” Zhong Liqiu hastily drew back her hand.

  “I, I want you to marry me ......” Pangcong had trouble controlling himself, he said reaching out and dragging the table table in front of him to one side, leaning towards Zhong Liqiu.

  “Don't come over, don't come over ......,” Zhong Liqiu panicked.

  Pangcong continued to move forward, his lust-filled eyes staring at Zhong Liqiu.

  Zhong Liqiu had already retreated to the wall and was unable to retreat any further, she looked at Pangcong in horror and threatened, “If you dare to move me ...... I'll call out to someone ......”

  Pangcong's body stopped in front of Zhong Liqiu and said resentfully, “Zhong Li girl, do you hate me?”

  Zhong Li Qiu didn't know how to answer.

  Pangcong generously said, “If you hate me, I'll leave right away and never see you again ......” He said and stood up, turning to go.

  Zhong Liqiu hurriedly said, “No, don't you go ......”

  Pangcong turned back to look at her and said, “You don't hate me, do you ......”

  Zhong Liqiu was extremely reluctant in her heart, but still said, “Yes ......”

  Pangcong “flopped” and knelt in front of Zhong Li Qiu: “Miss Zhong Li, marry me, I beg you ......”.

  Zhong Li Qiu calmed her emotions and said, “General Pang, take two steps back ...... and let's speak calmly, okay?”

  “Say it ......” Pangcong moved backward.

  “General Pang, this is the first time, I heard about Mei Yu and Gongsun Yue ...... I find it hard to believe that it is true ......”

  “Miss Zhong Li, believe me, it's true ......”

  “General Pang, it's not that I don't believe you, but this matter concerns Gongsun Yue's reputation ...... I want to personally ask Noble son JiaoShi, when Gongsun Yue left Linzi, was Mei Yu with him ...... ”

  Pangcong sighed, “You can't go ask Noble son JiaoShi, he's dead.”

  “You lied to me again, Noble son JiaoShi is obviously still alive, he is in the Qi border city of Maling.”

  “I didn't lie to you, he is indeed dead, the Noble son JiaoShi in Maling is a fake. He was a petty official accompanying the Qin army, called Feng Er, and was captured by me during the Qin-Wei war, and when my uncle saw that he looked very much like Noble son JiaoShi, he asked him to impersonate the name of Noble son JiaoShi, and to work against the king of Qi.”

  “Are you telling the truth?”

  “I, Pangcong, swear to the heavens: if I tell half a lie, I will die without a burial place.”

  Zhong Li Qiu looked at Pangcong's seriousness and said, “Good, I believe you.”

  “Miss Zhong Li, now you can promise to marry me, right?”

  “No way. I can't make my own decisions on marriage matters, I have to ask my sister.”

  “Your sister is far away in Qi, how can you ask?”

  “I can have someone bring her a letter.”

  “Your sister hates my uncle, she won't agree to our marriage.”

  “Whether she agrees or not, as long as I tell her, it will be considered a gift.”

  Pangcong was speechless, his fiery eyes staring at Zhong Li Qiu's face, saying, “Miss Zhong Li, I don't want to wait ...... a day.”

  “If you really want to marry me, you'll wait for me, otherwise, what you'll get will be a dead body!” Zhong Li Qiu's attitude was resolute, not allowing for any half-hearted negotiation.

  Pangcong silently stared at Zhong Liqiu, finally letting out a long breath and said, “Alright, I'll wait for you.” He finished standing up, “Miss Zhong Li, farewell ......”

  Pangcong walked away. Zhong Li Chun walked out from the inner room and came to Zhong Li Qiu's side. Zhong Li Qiu leaned her limp body against Zhong Li Chun and said, “Sister, I'm really scared after ......”

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  When Zhong Li Chun rushed back to Ma Ling, the Empress Dowager had already arrived, and it took Qin Gu a lot of talking to invite the Empress Dowager to Ma Ling. Zhong Li Chun reported the ins and outs of the fake son to the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager did not listen to the end of the fire, angry straight shivering, angrily said: “Shut up! You are not allowed to talk nonsense again! There is no such thing!”

  Zhong Li Chun said, “Empress Dowager, this is Pangcong's own words, Ma Ling's Noble son JiaoShi is indeed not the Empress Dowager's own son ......”

  “If you dare to talk nonsense again, the old woman will beat you to death!” The empress dowager said raising her cane in her hand.

  Qin Gu hurriedly stepped in front of the Empress Dowager to round up the situation and said, “Empress Dowager, don't be angry, the Empress Dowager is also for your own good, if you really take the fake prince as the real prince, not only will the late king in the ancestral temple not forgive you, that is, your own old man, you will regret it too much.”

  The empress dowager righteously said, “The old woman has no regrets.”

  “The false son also has no regrets?” Zhong Li Chun asked.

  The Empress Dowager said, “This is impossible, there is no one in the world who looks so similar to the Suburban Master!”

  Qin Gu said, “Empress Dowager, I remember your old man saying that the man General Tian killed was a substitute guard who resembled Noble son JiaoShi, and didn't that so-called guard look similar to Noble son JiaoShi?”

  The Empress Dowager was dumbfounded.

  Sun Bin said, “Empress Dowager, when the late King was on the throne, you assisted the late King by inspiring him to revitalize the State of Qi, making it formidable to the vassals. And now the state of Qi is declining and there is more than one internal strife, which is negative to the late king, and also negative to the heart and soul ...... that your old man has put in for decades Don't you feel pained?”

  The Empress Dowager faintly said, “This can't be blamed on the old woman, only the incompetence of Pi Jiang in governing the country.”

  “Ruling a country cannot rely on just one monarch, it has to rely on all of us, and of course, that includes you, Empress Dowager.”

  The Empress Dowager was silent.

  Sun Bin said in a serious tone, “Empress Dowager, Qi can't go on in chaos, if it goes on in chaos, not only will we not be able to revitalize our country, but we will also be destroyed by other countries ...... At that time, how can we have the face to see our ancestors ...... “Sun Bin looked at the Empress Dowager who scowled and continued, “Empress Dowager, forgive my humble servant for speaking frankly, if it wasn't for the intervention of the Empress Dowager, Noble son JiaoShi's rebellion wouldn't have been more than just to this day.”

  The empress dowager murmured, “But ...... the old woman cannot live without her son ......”

  “Empress Dowager, he is not your son, he just used your son's name, if he is really your son, we will never kill him.”

  “He is really the son of the old woman, he went to Linzi to see the old woman ......”

  “Did the Empress Dowager meet with him in a dimly lit room?”

  Empress Dowager was stunned and asked, “How do you know?”

  Sun Bin said, “He didn't leave that room even when you parted.”

  “Who did you hear that from?” The Empress Dowager was even more puzzled, as if Sun Bin was there.

  “That's my speculation,” Sun Bin said, ”Empress Dowager, he's by no means your own son, he was afraid you'd see the cracks and that's why he chose the dimly lit place to meet you.”

  “That can't be ......” the empress dowager thought for a moment.

  Sun Bin said, “Empress Dowager, I managed to get you to meet again, and when you do, you can take a closer look.”

  The Empress Dowager and the False Duke met again under the city of Maling, the False Duke stood on the high city wall, the Empress Dowager sat on a carriage under the city, and they looked at each other from afar. The Empress Dowager's old eyes were so dim that she couldn't see the False Duke on the city. When she came Sun Bin had already arranged it so that she didn't have to look, just ask the Duke about his childhood, if he is real, he must know, if he doesn't, then he is fake.

  Tian Guo stood beside the Empress Dowager with his shield in hand, he asked the Empress Dowager, “Empress Dowager, what to ask him first?”

  The Empress Dowager thought for a moment and said, “Ask him how old he was when he didn't pee in his bunk.”

  Tian Guo said in a loud voice to the Fake Noble son on the city, “Duke Noble son JiaoShi, listen, the Empress Dowager asked you how old you are not to urinate on a store?”

  The false eunuch did not know how to answer.

  General Gao whispered aside, “Just say that it's too embarrassing to talk about this kind of thing, in public, and tell her to ask something else instead.”

  The False Duke understood and shouted down to the city, “Mother, how can my son be ashamed to say such things in public? You might as well ask something else instead.”

  “Empress Dowager, he doesn't know.” Tian Guo whispered to the Empress Dowager.

  The Empress Dowager did not want to believe that the Noble son JiaoShi on the city really didn't know, she said to herself, “Maybe, he is really embarrassed to open his mouth ......” The Empress Dowager thought for a moment, and said to Tian Guo, “General Tian, ask him again, how old was he when he didn't follow the old woman to sleep?”

  Tian Guo said in a loud voice: “Noble son JiaoShi, listen, the Empress Dowager asked you how old you were when you didn't follow the Empress Dowager to bed?”

  The fake Jiao Shi looked at General Gao beside him at a loss for words and asked, “At what age?”

  General Gao thought desperately and said, “It seems like it's when you're older ......”

  “Exactly how old is it?”

  “I can't say ...... you just say ......”

  “Empress Dowager, you see,” Tian Guo said to the Empress Dowager, ”he doesn't know anything, always asking General Gao.”

  The face of the Empress Dowager gradually sank.

  The false eunuch on the city repeated his trick and said in a loud voice, “Mother, why are you asking such things again? It's a joke to tell, it's better to ask something else.”

  “Empress Dowager, what else to ask him?” Tian Guo asked.

  The empress dowager grimly said, “Ask him if the old woman has a mole on her arm, on her left arm, or on her right arm.”

  Tian Guo said in a loud voice: “Noble son JiaoShi, listen, the empress dowager asks you if there is a mole on her arm, and the empress dowager asks you if it is on the left arm, or the right arm.”

  The false eunuch then asked General Gao, “Is it on the left arm, or the right arm?”

  General Gao shook his head, “I don't know.”

  The fake eunuch sweated anxiously and said, “What can we do then?”

  General Gao thought that he could only take a gamble and said, “Let's leave it up to fate, just say the left arm.”

  The fake eunuch said in a loud voice, “Mother Empress, if I remember correctly, it's on your left arm.”

  The Empress Dowager looked at the false male on the city and did not speak for a long time.

  Tian Guo carefully asked the Empress Dowager, “Empress Dowager, could it be that he guessed correctly?”

  Old tears flowed out of the Empress Dowager's eyes, and she muttered sadly, “He is not my son, my son is dead .......”

  Tian Guo said in a loud voice to the city, “The Empress Dowager has said that you are not her son, his son is dead.”

  There was a commotion up and down the city walls.

  General Gao was busy saying to the false eunuch, “You quickly say, just now remembered wrong, this mole is growing in the right arm.”

  The false eunuch hurriedly said in a loud voice, “Mother Empress, just now I remembered wrongly, your mole grew on the right arm.”

  The empress dowager murmured, “There is no mole on the old woman's arm at all ......”

  Tian Guo said loudly, “The empress dowager said, there is no mole on her arm at all!”

  The fake eunuch panicked, he asked General Gao, “General Gao, what should we do?”

  General Gao's heart was in his mouth and he ordered the soldiers around him, “Tell Wei Zhong to prepare to strike.”

  The false eunuch's face has been pierced, Tian Guo didn't dare to stay for long, he ordered his army to withdraw to the camp, the Empress Dowager wouldn't let him go, Tian Guo said, “Empress Dowager, the truth has come out, if we don't leave in time, they will do something poisonous ......”

  The empress dowager said, “They don t dare ...... General Tian, you tell that fake male son that if he can open the city and surrender, the old woman can recognize him as a real son, and he can continue to be a male son.”

  Tian Guo said, “Empress Dowager, he won t ......”

  “Just say so.”

  Tian Guo had no choice but to shout to the city, “Feng Er, listen ...... to me.”

  The false duke panicked and said, “General Gao, they even know my real name, what do you say?”

  General Gao said, “Don't panic, let him continue.”

  Tian Guo continued to the city, “The empress dowager said that even though you are an impostor, as long as you open the city and surrender, the empress dowager will still recognize you as her true son and allow you to continue to be a duke. The Empress Dowager also promised to pardon all the people in Maling City ......”

  Wei Zhong hid behind one of the battlements, holding a stone in his hand, staring at the Empress Dowager below the city, his hand suddenly swung, and the stone flew out wrapped in the wind.

  Tian Guo was too late to use the shield in his hand, and hurriedly pulled the Empress Dowager into his arms. The Empress Dowager was still unable to dodge the flying stone, which struck the Empress Dowager's arm. The empress dowager screamed and fell on the car ......

  The Empress Dowager's injuries were not too serious, she just fainted from the pain. It was night when she came to her senses, she was lying in her tent and slowly opened her eyes and looked at Sun Bin and the others in front of her.

  Sun Bin made a bow and said, “Empress Dowager, I am incompetent and failed to protect your old man, I am guilty as charged!”

  Tian Guo bowed his head and said, “Empress Dowager, the unforgivable sin is that of the humble general ......”

  The empress dowager shook her head strenuously and sighed: “You all are not guilty, the guilty one is the old woman, the old woman should not be unable to distinguish between right and wrong, recognizing the enemy as a child ......” The empress dowager said and could not help but cry: “The old woman did not mean to do it, the old woman was thinking of her son ...... “The Empress Dowager couldn't say any more and cried bitterly with sadness.

  Sun Bin said with a guilty heart, “Empress Dowager, I'm sorry, it was my humble servant who designed and killed your own son ......”

  Tian Guo stepped forward and said, “Empress Dowager, it was Pei General who apologized to you, your own son was killed by Pei General ......”

  The empress dowager shook her head again and said, “No, the suburban division was not killed by you, he killed himself ......”

  Tian Guo said, “Empress Dowager, are you old and angry and confused, Noble son JiaoShi was indeed killed by Pei General, Pei General is sorry for your old man ......”

  The empress dowager coughed lightly a few times and said, “The old woman is not confused, the suburban division was killed by his own ambition ...... he ...... deserved to die ...... “When she finished the last few words, the Empress Dowager felt deeply powerless.

  The crowd was silent for a while.

  At this time a general came into the tent and reported that Sun Bin's army in Maling city was floating and many soldiers defending the city abandoned the city and fled.

  The Empress Dowager wiped a tear and said to Sun Bin: “Sun Bin, you mustn't let that Fake Noble son go, you can't let him continue to tarnish the old woman's reputation by posing as my son Jiao Shi's name again!”

  Sun Bin bowed and said, “Don't worry Empress Dowager, I will never let him go!”

  Note: “Pulling out the firewood from the bottom of the kettle” is the 19th of the 36 stratagems, the meaning of this stratagem is to solve the problem from the root, like pulling out the burning firewood from the bottom of the kettle to completely stop the boiling of the water in the kettle. Sun Bin exposed the Fake Noble son in public so that the Empress Dowager would no longer obstruct the rebellion, and at the same time, the rebels' hearts fluttered and fled, so that the water of Qi's rebellion would no longer be able to boil. To know what will happen next time, please read next time: “Steal the sheep as you pass by them”.