When Lu Zhuang was a young man, he was told that the little girl of the Dang clan next door (Meng Ren) not only had a fairy-like appearance, but also could play the most beautiful music in the world and weave the most gorgeous brocade. Lu Zhuang Gong immediately committed unrequited love, he was eager to see Meng Ren's beauty; But he was not a cheeky man, and he was ashamed to ask for help, so he built a high platform within the palace wall adjacent to the Dang family's house.

After the high platform was built, Zhuang Gong often climbed it to observe the situation inside the Dang family's house. When he first met Meng Ren, he immediately fell in love with that beautiful girl. In the future, whenever Meng Ren appeared, he pretended to think about life on the high platform, or pretended to be distracted, so as to attract the attention of his sweetheart. But he always found that the girl didn't lift her head, as if she had never paid attention to him.

Lu Zhuanggong really couldn't bear the torment of unrequited love, and decided to confess to his sweetheart in person. One afternoon in late spring, Zhuang Gong saw Meng Ren going out with a few female companions to pick mulberries, so he slipped out of the palace gate and hid behind an ancient tree in front of the Dang family's house.

When the sun is in the west, the woman who picks mulberry returns with a basket. The soft sunset sprinkled on Meng Ren's white and pure face, Lu Zhuanggong was so drunk that his heartbeat intensified, he could barely control his breathing, and immediately jumped out and rushed towards her. Meng Ren squinted at Zhuang Gong, frowned slightly, quickened his pace into the door, closed the door with his backhand, and blocked the hairy boy and his female companions from the door.

Lu Zhuang didn't care about his identity, nor did he care about the many ladies nearby, so he tapped on the door of the house, asked Meng Ren not to shut him out, asked her to listen to her heartfelt feelings, and asked her to accept her sincere feelings.

Meng Ren leaned his back against the door panel, listened to Zhuang Gong's confession motionlessly, and then replied: "The status of the minister is low, and it is a great fortune to be able to marry a scholar, how dare you hope to marry a prince?" The princess of a big country is the concubine of the prince, and the concubine can't do it. ”

Lu Zhuanggong said: "If you promise to marry a widow, the widow will make you his wife and our son the crown prince." At that time, you will be a lady, who would dare to say that you have a low status? ”

Because Lu Zhuanggong's feelings are not mixed with any political factors, they appear sincere and pure. Meng Ren was finally moved by his true feelings. She turned and opened the door, cut her arm with a knife, licked a mouthful of blood, and said, "If the prince is willing to make an alliance with the concubine, the concubine will marry the prince." Lu Zhuang Gong said bloodily: "If you are in this alliance, you will not enjoy the country in the end!" ”

But in the end, Lu Zhuanggong only fulfilled half of his promise - he made the eldest son of the two princes, but did not make Meng Ren his wife. It was not that Duke Zhuang did not want to establish Meng Ren, but that he could not: because he had already made a marriage contract with the State of Qi, it was impossible for him to make the status of a doctor's daughter override the princess of the State of Qi.

Later, Duke Lu Zhuang married the daughter of Duke Xiang of Qi, Mourning Jiang, as his wife, and Mourning Jiang's sister Uncle Jiang also came to Lu as a dowry. Mourning Jiang has no descendants, and Uncle Jiang gave birth to a son, Qifang (Lu Min Gong).

Although the prince received the same strict education as his predecessors since he was a child, due to the doting of his parents, he grew up to be a swinger, and only drank every day, wrestled, fought cocks, and hunted; Everywhere he went, chickens flew and dogs jumped, people turned on their backs, and he didn't look like a person who could take on big things.

The prince's habits made the people of Lu full of worries about the future of the country, and it was difficult for people to imagine what the Lu State would be like once it was handed over to such a gentleman. At this time, Gongzi Qing's father appeared as the savior of the Lu country.

Lu Zhuang Gong has three brothers, namely Qing's father, Shuya, and Ji You. The three brothers are called "Sanhuan" because they are from Lu Huan.

When Duke Lu Zhuang ascended the throne, the monarch was weak and the ministers were strong, and there were many arrogant and arbitrary ministers in the office. The four brothers are closely united and share the same hatred; Sanhuan made great contributions to Duke Zhuang's final control of the monarchy.

Qing's father is a "particular" person: there is no one who knows him who does not pay attention to him. When he became a big man under one man and above ten thousand, he transformed into the powerful ministers that his brothers opposed at the beginning.

Qing's father smelled the smell of change from the unsuccessful prince. He has changed his former domineering face, and has built himself into an image of loving his family and worrying about the country and having the world in mind.

Among the three Huan, Shuya has always been obedient to Qing's father, but Ji You's attitude is not gloomy. Qing's father thinks that if Ji You is dragged into the conspiracy circle, there will be no political force that can prevent him from usurping the throne.

In order to test Ji You's attitude, Qing's father arranged a banquet for the two brothers. When the wine was hot, Qing's father raised the topic of "respect" and "kiss", and then asked the two to express their opinions on the advantages and disadvantages of the two inheritance systems of "brother to brother" and "son to father".

Shuya deliberately duplicitous, praised the primogeniture inheritance system, and criticized the system of elder brother and brother to the point of uselessness. Uncle Ya was very erudite and eloquent; His speech captivated everyone present. Uncle Ya finally stopped spitting Xingzi, and when he turned his head to Ji You, he found that Ji You had fallen asleep on the dining table.

Due to Ji You's uncooperative attitude, Qing's father had to become cautious.

Lu Zhuanggong had been in poor health for two years before his death; The crown prince also did not show the due filial piety and responsibility, and still continued his life of a dog and horse. In this case, the state affairs fell into the hands of Sanhuan, and Qingfu became the actual ruler of the Lu State.

Severe anxiety accelerated the damage to Zhuang Gong's health. In the autumn of the thirty-second year of Lu Zhuang Gong (BC662), Zhuang Gong knew that he would die soon, so he summoned his uncle to him while lying on the sickbed. The lights in the dormitory were dim, and Lu Zhuanggong's whole person was hidden in the shadows, and no one could see the expression on Zhuanggong's face.

Lu Zhuanggong dragged his heavy breath and asked him for his opinion on the candidate for the successor. Shuya's understanding of Zhuang Gong was still in the period when brothers were concentric and united with the outside world, he didn't think too much about it, and blurted out: "You know Father Qing's talents, he has rich experience in governing the country and is in the prime of life, and he will definitely make the country strong." ”

Lu Zhuanggong didn't say anything, just waved his hand and asked him to withdraw.

Zhuang Gong summoned Ji You again and asked him the same question. Ji You said: "The minister will be the king like a dead man." Zhuang Gong struggled to poke his head out of the darkness, revealing a terminally ill face, and said with difficulty: "But, Ya just said to the widow that Father Qing is talented!" ”

Ji Youji said: "The minister promises that he will never say those words again!" Zhuang Gong showed a look of consternation, then lay back heavily, and said, "The widow knows." ”