"What are you doing out there? Can't you even recognize my voice?" Xiang Yu said irritably.
Zhongli Mei's lips twitched violently. "I did hear it, but..."
Han Xin calmed down at this point. He also felt that the voice sounded familiar, but how could it be!
"What superb skills you possess, brave warrior! I... ah!"
Xiang Yu kicked Han Xin to the ground, "Shut up! You ungrateful wretch! If it weren't for... never mind, you two, take a look at who I am!"
Whoosh!
The mask was ripped off, revealing a handsome face with distinct features and a strong masculine aura. Who else could it be but Xiang Yu?
"King Xiang? This humble general pays his respects to King Xiang!" Zhongli Mei knelt on one knee, his eyes instantly reddening. "King Xiang is not dead! That's wonderful! I knew King Xiang wouldn't die so easily!"
"This is impossible! Are you a human or a ghost!" Han Xin had originally planned to get up immediately, but now he changed his mind. He had no choice but to change his mind, as he couldn't put any weight on his legs.
Xiang Yu didn't die? Then who was dismembered? And who was it that angrily slaughtered thousands of soldiers by the river?
Whoosh!
With a flash of sword light, Han Xin's crown and the lock of his hair flew up.
"Ah! King Xiang, spare my life!" Han Xin hurriedly covered his head and kowtowed to the ground. Even if Xiang Yu asked him to crawl between his legs, he would do it immediately.
"Did I, the king, authorize you to open your mouth? You traitor who betrays his friends for personal gain, you might as well change your name to Han Wuxin (Han the Untrustworthy)." Xiang Yu suddenly felt that this Han Xin did not deserve to die by his sword.
"Mmm! Mmm! Mmm!" Han Xin obediently agreed repeatedly with a nasal sound this time, not daring to open his mouth again.
Hao Jiu's lips twitched violently. He wondered what the six Han Xins would think of this memory when they merged in the future. He might as well change his name to Han Wuxin.
However, Xiang Yu was in a fit of anger at the moment, and Hao Jiu could not possibly stop him from doing something so trivial.
To be honest, Hao Jiu is a little scared now. If they had arrived a day later, Zhongli Mei's head would probably have been chopped off. He didn't expect Han Xin to be so impatient, and Zhongli Mei to be so fierce.
Everyone says it's better to live a miserable life than to die a good death, but why doesn't someone like Zhongli Mei understand this? He's always slitting his throat. With Zhongli Mei's abilities, he could have easily fought his way out, and even taken Han Xin down with him, but he chose to commit suicide instead.
Of course, Zhongli Mei's main concern was protecting his family, and the blow of Han Xin's betrayal was indeed too great for him.
It's unbelievable that Zhongli Mei, who was laughing when he committed suicide, is now crying like a child.
Xiang Yu helped Zhongli Mei up, saying, "The General Zhong I know is a man of integrity and uprightness. When has he ever shed a tear?"
Although Zhongli Mei in the main plane is still alive and well, Xiang Yu felt inexplicably saddened when he thought of the fate of the Chu army soldiers in the split plane.
Zhongli Mei wiped away his tears, "What King Xiang said is true. This humble general will not cry anymore, but should laugh. It is a great joy that King Xiang is alive! Hehehe..."
Han Xin knelt on the ground, trembling like a leaf. He wanted to take advantage of Xiang Yu's inattention to escape outside, but he didn't have the courage. Just the fact that Xiang Yu could put his sword to his neck in an instant meant that if he wanted to run away, his head would be the first thing he would lose.
"King Xiang, what should we do with this ungrateful fellow?" Zhongli Mei glared at Han Xin.
Han Xin was about to beg for mercy when he suddenly remembered that Xiang Yu hadn't let him speak yet, so he forced himself to hold back. However, he started kowtowing repeatedly, and soon his forehead broke open, bleeding profusely.
"I'm handing him over to you. Do whatever you want with him. Kill him, and you'll be the King of Chu!" Xiang Yu gave Han Xin a disdainful look.
"King Xiang, didn't we agree to spare Han Xin's life?" Hao Jiu was getting anxious. Although Han Xin deserved to die, he was also a powerful asset in their unification of the myriad worlds.
Xiang Yu frowned. "I have my own plans."
"Fine, I'll tolerate it. As long as Xiang Yu is happy." Hao Jiu pouted. Five Han Xins would be enough, but it was really a waste.
However, Xiang Yu's actions were not entirely meaningless; at least they made Zhongli Mei feel a little better. The loyalty of one's confidants is always extremely important.
If Han Xin's loyalty decreases after his strength is increased, it would be better not to increase it at all.
It should be noted that the thoughts and memories of the clone can affect the original body. This Han Xin was still very loyal to Liu Ji, and he simply wouldn't believe that even if he offered up Zhongli Mei's head, Liu Ji would only spare his life and demote him to the Marquis of Huaiyin.
Bang bang bang...
Upon hearing that Xiang Yu had handed over the power of life and death to Zhongli Mei, Han Xin changed the direction of his worship and kowtowed repeatedly.
Han Xin could not withstand such beatings. His forehead was covered in blood and gore, and his mind was already dazed. He was on the verge of fainting, but Han Xin still persisted and did not utter a sound.
Seeing Han Xin's reaction, Zhongli Mei's anger subsided considerably. "King Xiang, I do not wish to kill him. Now that you have returned, you are in dire need of capable men. If Han Xin is willing to submit to you, why not spare his life?"
"I, the King, have no need for ungrateful traitors!" Xiang Yu stood with his hands behind his back.
Zhongli Mei kicked Han Xin, yelling, "Stop kowtowing! Apologize to King Xiang now!"
Han Xin barely managed to steady his swaying body, pointed to his mouth with his finger, and then waved his hand.
Zhongli Mei's lips twitched violently. "King Xiang, may we allow Han Xin to admit his mistake and say a few words?"
"Tell me!" Xiang Yu said, not even glancing at Han Xin.
"Your Majesty, I am guilty. I should not have betrayed you. I am willing to atone for my sins by helping you regain the world! Liu Ji is preparing to host a banquet for the feudal lords in Chen. I am willing to gather troops and launch a surprise attack on Chen. I am sure we can achieve great success in one fell swoop!"
Han Xin knew this was his only chance to survive. Only at this moment did he realize that he was not so loyal to Liu Ji after all. When his life was at stake, he naturally betrayed Liu Ji.
Zhongli Mei's eyes lit up. "King Xiang, this humble general thinks Han Xin's plan is feasible."
Xiang Yu chuckled and said, "There's no need for such trouble. I already have a plan. General Zhong will stay and guard Chu, while Han Xin will accompany me to the banquet in Chen!"
Chapter 159 A Surprise Gift
Upon hearing Xiang Yu's plan, Hao Jiu's lips twitched violently a few times. This was troublesome?
Wouldn't it be better to just fly over and cut Liu Ji off directly? It would save time and effort.
However, Hao Jiu thought about it again and roughly understood Xiang Yu's thoughts. He said he wanted Zhongli Mei to kill Han Xin, but he was actually quite concerned about it.
"Xiang Yu is going to Chen for a banquet?" Han Xin could hardly believe his ears. Could it be that Xiang Yu was going to assassinate Liu Ji?
"How could Xiang Yu risk his life? Absolutely not! If anyone should go, it should be me!" Zhongli Mei did not think that following Han Xin into Chen County to assassinate Liu Ji was a safe option.
"Your Majesty, you must not! Liu Ji already suspects me of plotting a rebellion. I will definitely be thoroughly investigated on this trip, and I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to get close to him." Han Xin thought that Xiang Yu should not be so reckless. Could it be that he was testing his loyalty?
"It's alright. I can disguise myself as a guard of the King of Chu. As long as I can spot Liu Ji from afar, I am confident that I can kill him. You don't need to persuade me any further," Xiang Yu said confidently.
“Yes.” Zhongli Mei sighed inwardly. Once Xiang Yu made a decision, it was generally difficult to change it, but Xiang Yu only persisted when he was certain of success.
"In that case, I will have preparations made immediately so that we can proceed to Chen as soon as possible," Han Xin said, bowing.
"No need," Xiang Yu said with a slight smile. "It's better to set off immediately and travel light. Just take the Imperial Guards with you. We can get supplies from the cities along the way. Han Xin, rise. I'm giving you this chance to redeem yourself. Don't disappoint me."
"Yes. I would never dare to betray King Xiang again, please rest assured, King Xiang!" Han Xin felt a chill run down his spine. It seemed that Xiang Yu did not fully trust him. "Hiss..."
"Your Highness, this injury is quite serious. Let me help you treat it," Zhongli Mei said, touching Han Xin's forehead.
"Then I'll have to trouble you, brother." Han Xin dared not have the slightest objection, knowing that Xiang Yu would not let him leave alone now.
Soon, Zhongli Mei used whatever was available, tearing a piece of cloth from Han Xin's body to bandage him up. However, the hair tie that Xiang Yu had just cut off could not be reattached, making him look quite comical.
"Brother, may I borrow your helmet?" Han Xin felt that he would lose all face if he went out looking like this.
"Wait a moment." Zhongli Mei said, then found a helmet and put it on Han Xin's head, which just covered the wound on his forehead.
"Give the order: proceed to Chen immediately," Xiang Yu said coldly.
"Yes, sir." Han Xin responded, and then ordered the troops to set off as Xiang Yu had instructed.
Not long after, Zhongli Mei escorted Xiang Yu and Han Xin out of the mansion.
Then Zhongli Mei's demeanor suddenly changed, "Notify all officers to assemble in the main hall, and bring that scoundrel Lord Mei here to me!"
"Here you go!"
The journey from Xiapi to Chen County mainly passed through Pengcheng, Chengfu, and other places, covering more than 500 li. Even though Xiang Yu and Han Xin changed horses and traveled light along the way, it still took them three days to arrive.
To Han Xin's surprise, Xiang Yu did not keep a close watch on him along the way, but simply did his job as a guard.
In short, Han Xin had many opportunities to escape, and Xiang Yu seemed to trust him a great deal.
Of course, Han Xin dared not and had no need to run away. In any case, Liu Ji of Chen was someone Han Xin had to face.
Although they couldn't prove Zhongli Mei's innocence, handing Xiang Yu over to Liu Ji would have been more effective.
However, Han Xin couldn't make up his mind whether or not to betray Xiang Yu, even after thinking about it all the way.
From the beginning of the anti-Qin war, Han Xin either followed Xiang Yu or fought against Xiang Yu's army. It can be said that he understood Xiang Yu quite well, so the possibility of him successfully assassinating Liu Ji was not small.
After all, Xiang Yu was a true warrior capable of defeating ten thousand men, and apart from a few individuals, everyone, including Liu Ji, believed that Xiang Yu was dead. A surprise attack was inevitable.
Although Han Xin did not know how Xiang Yu survived, he figured it was probably something like faking his death and using a substitute, but he didn't know the specifics of how the substitution was done.
Perhaps Lü Matong was a backup plan left by Xiang Yu?
Just as Han Xin was struggling with which side to choose, the gates of Chen County were already in sight.
Moreover, a familiar face came to greet them at the door; it was Xiahou Ying, who had been enfeoffed as the Marquis of Zhaoping by Liu Ji.
Xiahou Ying, also known as Teng Gong, was the one who picked up the child that Liu Ji had pushed off the carriage three times and dared to rebuke Liu Ji.
He was quite familiar with Han Xin. When Han Xin went to join Liu Ji, he was almost killed by Liu Ji, and Xiahou Ying was the one in charge of the execution.
Unwilling to accept his fate, Han Xin roared, "Didn't the King of Han want to contend for the world? Why kill a brave warrior who came to join him because of his reputation?"
It was this roar that made Xiahou Ying realize that Han Xin was an extraordinary person. After a long conversation, Xiahou Ying felt even more that Han Xin was a talented person, so he recommended him to Liu Ji.
Liu Ji spared Han Xin's life to give Xiahou Ying some face, but assigned Han Xin to guard the warehouse.
This gave Han Xin the opportunity to meet Xiao He, and eventually Xiao He's pursuit of Han Xin under the moon became a legendary tale.
Therefore, Han Xin was very happy when Xiahou Ying came to greet him.
"Hahaha... Your Highness the King of Chu arrived so quickly!" Xiahou Ying said, clasping his hands in greeting as he walked.
"I was afraid His Majesty would be impatient, so I have been traveling for days and my appearance is not presentable. Please find me a place to wash and change so that I can be properly dressed before I pay my respects to His Majesty," Han Xin said, bowing.
"This is a trivial matter. The banquet has not yet started, and the participants were originally supposed to rest at the post station first." As Xiahou Ying spoke, his gaze fell on a guard behind Han Xin. He was tall and imposing, and looked somewhat familiar, even resembling the deceased man.
Han Xin felt a chill run down his spine. Could it be that he had recognized Xiang Yu?
"Haha, does Your Majesty also think this person bears some resemblance to that one? To be honest, that's precisely why I kept him by my side." Han Xin raised an eyebrow.
Xiahou Ying suddenly realized, "So that's how it is. With such a person visiting and serving by your side every day, Your Highness must be in a very good mood."
"Haha, you jest, my lord." Han Xin's hair stood on end. Would Xiang Yu hold a grudge?
"Your Highness, please follow me." Xiahou Ying gestured with his hand.
"Thank you, my lord," Han Xin said, clasping his hands in thanks.
Soon, Xiahou Ying led Han Xin and the others into the post station and arrived at the bedroom prepared for Han Xin.