"Good lad!" Ji Bu also chased after him.
"Uncle!" Xiang Sheng waved and quickly went to greet him.
The four men embraced and wept outside the city gate, with three of them repeatedly patting the other's back.
"If King Xiang knew about this, he would be overjoyed! Haha!" Xiang Zhuang laughed heartily; this was double happiness.
"How did you manage to survive?" Zhongli Mei asked.
Ji Bu and Xiang Zhuang both looked at Xiang Sheng, waiting for his answer.
"Alas, back then, when Grand Marshal Long Ju and I were defeated by Han Xin, I was seriously injured and separated from the army. Fortunately, I was rescued by a family of commoners, and then I stayed in Qi to recuperate."
Later, when I had almost recovered from my injuries, I heard that Xiang Yu was besieged at Gaixia, so I wanted to go to Gaixia to help him. Unexpectedly, I was fortunate enough to meet General Li Sheng.
I thought that going to Gaixia alone wouldn't be very effective, so I suggested persuading Li Sheng to send troops with me. However, he said he needed to send someone to scout out the situation at Gaixia before deciding to send troops, which delayed things for a few more days.
"To be honest, I can't wait any longer. If you don't come, I'll be setting off for Gaixia tomorrow. By the way, where is King Xiang?" Xiang Sheng glanced towards the Chu army.
"Xiang Yu led his cavalry south to break through the encirclement, and they should have reached Jiangdong by now," Xiang Zhuang replied.
"Generals, please come into the city and rest. The soldiers are all tired." Li Sheng also came to the city gate to greet them.
"Thank you, General Li!" Ji Bu and the others clasped their hands and bowed.
Just then, a sharp howl rang out.
"How dare you, Li Sheng! You have betrayed the King of Han! Guards! Seize them! Close the city gates immediately!" the small-eyed deputy general roared.
"Uh, how can we take it if the city gates are closed?" one of the soldiers nearby chimed in.
"Then close the city gates immediately! We must not let the Chu army into the city!" The small-eyed deputy general strained his eyes wide.
Li Sheng looked unwell and gave Zhongli Mei and the others an awkward smile, saying, "Please excuse my poor appearance. This person is not from our Lu region."
"Why aren't you making a move! Do you all want to rebel? Close the city gates now! Otherwise, when the King of Han's army arrives, you will all die without a burial place!" the small-eyed deputy general shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Shut him up!" Li Sheng turned and roared at the city wall.
"Yes, sir!" Several soldiers responded and rushed towards the small-eyed deputy general.
Then.
A rag of foul smell, whose purpose was unknown, was stuffed into its mouth.
"Waaah..." The small-eyed lieutenant struggled desperately but to no avail. He was filled with regret. If he had known no one would listen to him, why did he do this?
"Xiang Yu was once the Duke of Lu. How can we, as people of Lu, betray him? Please rest assured, everyone in Lu loves and respects Xiang Yu. His army is made up of our own people. If the Han or Qi armies dare to come, we will drive them back! Everyone, please!" Li Sheng raised his hand to signal.
"Thank you, General Li!" Ji Bu, Xiang Zhuang, Zhongli Mei, and Xiang Sheng bowed in unison.
"Enter the city!"
...
Tan County, Han Xin's main camp.
"The Chu army has gone to Boyang?" Han Xin asked, finding Boyang on the map as he spoke.
"General Chen Xi has confirmed that the Chu army did indeed go to Boyang and successfully entered the city. Li Sheng, the garrison commander of Boyang, has declared his allegiance to Xiang Yu, and the entire Lu region has also submitted to Chu. Should we change our route to Boyang to quell the rebellion?" Li Zuoche said, holding the intelligence he had just obtained.
"Let's go back to Qi and join up with Cao Can first. Lu is easy to defend and difficult to attack. It will probably take a long time to take it down. The King of Han is urging us to go, and he is very unhappy that I took the army with me." Han Xin shook his head with a wry smile.
In fact, Liu Ji's plan was to borrow troops from Han Xin, allowing Han Xin to return to Qi with a small number of troops, while leaving the main force at Gaixia to be under Liu Ji's command.
However, after the incident with the god of wine, Han Xin instinctively became more wary of Liu Ji. If he lent his troops to Liu Ji again, they would most likely disappear without a trace, just like before. Without troops, could he still hold his position as the King of Qi?
Even if Liu Ji's promises of not killing under the sky, on the ground, or on iron were true, what if he were actually hanged in his room and stabbed to death with bamboo skewers by Lü Zhi in the future?
Soldiers are the foundation of one's livelihood. Although Han Xin did not want to betray Liu Ji, it does not mean he was foolish. Upon reflection, Dionysus's words, "One should always be wary of others," actually make a lot of sense.
Therefore, Han Xin led the main force of the Qi army away from Gaixia.
These troops were all elite Qi soldiers that Han Xin had painstakingly trained. He didn't want to hand them over to Cao Can to command; otherwise, he might as well have lent them to Liu Ji directly.
Who doesn't know that Cao Shen was Liu Ji's confidant? Liu Ji's decision to send Cao Shen to follow Han Xin was probably partly to keep an eye on him.
As Han Xin's strategist, Li Zuoche naturally had to consider Han Xin's situation. "What Your Majesty says is absolutely right. Lu is easy to defend but difficult to attack, but it is equally difficult to expand its territory. Moreover, the remnants of the Chu army, plus the original troops in Lu, are lucky if they can even protect themselves. They should not have any spare strength to attack."
"Your Majesty can write a letter to the King of Liang, and our two families can send troops to blockade Lu. Once the King of Han captures and kills Xiang Yu, Lu will fall without a fight. Our primary task now is to solidify Qi into a unified force."
"That's only right." Han Xin nodded in satisfaction.
The following day, Liu Ji received an urgent report that the Chu army that had broken through the siege in the north had entered the Lu region.
What should we do?
"Your Majesty, do not worry. Although Lu is easy to defend and difficult to attack, it is also a prison. As long as we defeat Xiang Yu and send his head to Lu, we can easily take him down."
"Excellent! Hahaha..." Liu Ji clapped his hands and laughed.
The person speaking to Liu Ji was none other than Chen Ping, the cunning strategist who had recently escorted grain supplies here. Now, Liu Ji had appointed him as a fake strategist. If Zhang Liang really couldn't return, then Chen Ping could go from being a fake to being a real strategist.
Now, Liu Ji's main force is stationed in Shouchun and has joined forces with Xiahou Ying's army. With the addition of newly recruited laborers and the old and weak as cannon fodder, the Han army in Shouchun has reached 400,000 troops, including 50,000 cavalry.
In another half month, reinforcements from Hebei, Guanzhong, and Qi will arrive in Jiujiang County. The total strength is conservatively estimated to be 700,000, and it is not unreasonable to call it a million-strong army.
Xiang Yu could only muster a maximum of 100,000 troops in Jiujiang Commandery and Jiangdong, including many new soldiers and laborers; only about 70,000 of them were truly combat-ready.
With a troop disparity of nearly tenfold, the decisive battle is imminent!
Chapter 70 Kuaiji Mountain
Mount Kuaiji, also known as Mount Mao, is the name from which the Kuaiji Commandery was derived.
Yu the Great, the ancient hero who tamed the floods three times without entering his home, had four major events in his life: the Fengshan ceremony, his marriage, the recognition of his achievements, and his burial at Kuaiji Mountain, leaving behind the sacred site of Yu the Great's Mausoleum, where generations have worshipped him.
During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, Mount Kuaiji was always a military stronghold in the hinterland of the Yue Kingdom.
Shortly after unifying China, Qin Shi Huang went to Mount Kuaiji to offer sacrifices to Yu the Great, expressing his respect for this mountain that produced both an emperor and a hegemon, thus possessing both the "aura of an emperor" and the "aura of a king."
In later generations, when people mention Maoshan, they often think of Maoshan Taoists and associate them with things like exorcism and magic.
Indeed, Maoshan is a good place for seclusion, and many reclusive masters have lived there.
Hidden in an inconspicuous little valley in Kuaiji Mountain are a few wooden houses and a fenced yard.
A boy of about five years old is playing happily in the yard, and his playmate is a big dog.
A woman, around forty or fifty years old, stood at the door of the wooden house, looking at the child with eyes full of affection. "Long'er, it's time to eat. You can play after you finish eating."
"Grandma, I'll play a little longer, just a little longer!" the mischievous child said as he ran towards the front door.
The old woman immediately cried out in alarm, "Long'er, come back quickly! It's dangerous outside!"
"I'm not afraid... Ah! Uncle An, put me down! I want to go out!" The naughty child bumped into someone as soon as he reached the door, and was then picked up by that person.
Woof woof... The big dog wagged its tail happily, showing no intention of helping the naughty child.
"Children who misbehave will get a spanking from adults." This man was dressed in a Taoist robe, with a beard a foot long, and had an air of otherworldly wisdom.
Upon hearing this, the mischievous child immediately stopped struggling, deflated like a punctured balloon. "Uncle An, when will my father come to see me?"
The Taoist priest put the unruly child down, rubbed his head, and laughed, "It'll be soon."
The old woman arrived at the door at that moment. "Master An, is there any news about Yu'er?"
The Taoist nodded slightly, but the smile on his face immediately disappeared.
The old woman's heart skipped a beat. "Long'er, go find your elder sister. Immortal Master An, please come with me."
The mischievous child bowed, said "Yes," and then ran towards a wooden house.
...
Inside the wooden house, the old lady and the Taoist priest sat facing each other.
"Master An, please speak frankly. I can bear it," the old lady said firmly.
The Taoist stroked his beard and said, “Then I will speak frankly. I once cast a divination for Xiang Yu, and the divination indicated that Xiang Yu would face a great calamity this year. That is why I suggested that you live in seclusion here.”
Now, this divination has probably come true. Zhou Yin, the Grand Marshal of Jiujiang, betrayed Chu and cut off Xiang Yu's retreat. Xiang Yu's army of 100,000 was besieged at Gaixia by Liu Ji, Han Xin, Ying Bu, Peng Yue and other forces totaling more than 700,000.
After learning of this, I performed another divination for Xiang Yu, and the result was still that he would face a near-death experience. If you trust me, Madam, let Long'er live in seclusion in these mountains until he grows up. If Xiang Yu survives this calamity, he will come looking for you.
From this day forward, you shall live in anonymity and never mention that you are a member of Xiang Yu's family. The story of Xiang Yu shall be passed down orally by the heads of your families. We shall wait five hundred years before we see an opportunity to restore your identities.
Furthermore, the name "Long'er" is too ostentatious. If this were still Xiang Yu's empire, having a son like a dragon would be perfectly acceptable, but now... I dare to change this "Long" to "Xinglong" (prosperity). I wonder what the old lady thinks?
"It's all up to the Immortal Master to decide." The old lady's voice trembled slightly. Was this the fate of the Xiang family?
“Very well. Actually, I’ve come to say goodbye to the old lady. I’m returning overseas, and this may be the last time we see each other. I have nothing of value to offer, so I’ll give you two large dates before I leave.” After saying this, Master An took out two large dates from his pocket; they were indeed quite big.
The old lady accepted the dates, saying, "Thank you, Immortal Master..."
Just then, a familiar voice came from outside.
"Madam, Madam, look who I've brought..."
"It seems to be Ah Zhong, whom I left at the Xiang residence. Why is he here?" The old lady was somewhat agitated. She had left behind her most loyal old servant because she was afraid that Xiang Yu would not be able to find them.
"Oh? The old lady will find out when she goes out. Perhaps things will take a turn for the better."
"Yes, yes, they're here!" The old lady quickly got up and walked outside.
Master An then stood up and murmured, "How strange..."
The old servant Ah Zhong brought none other than Xiang Yu and Yu Ji.
After Xiang Yu had made proper arrangements for the battle, he secretly took Yu Ji and left Jiangcheng, returning to Wu County, the capital of Kuaiji Commandery.
During the Battle of Pengcheng, Xiang Yu was fighting against Tian Heng in Qi. He had few troops left to defend Chu, which were insufficient to withstand the surprise attack of 560,000 enemy troops, and Pengcheng was in danger of falling.
So Ji Bu escorted Xiang Yu's family away from Pengcheng and back to their hometown in Wu County, Jiangdong.
Although Xiang Yu later defeated 560,000 men with 30,000 men and recaptured Pengcheng, his family members, except for Yu Ji, remained in Wu County.
It must be said that this move was quite farsighted; compared to Pengcheng, Jiangdong was the truly safe place.
Historically, Xiang Yu committed suicide by the river, thus saving Jiangdong. In return, the people of Jiangdong would protect Xiang Yu's family.
Since Xiang Yu had spared Liu Ji's family and then abandoned his plan to flee back to Jiangdong to commit suicide, Liu Ji couldn't openly arrest Xiang Yu's family members, otherwise, what would the world think of him?
The time that Xiang Yu bought was enough for the Xiang family to hide in anonymity, which is why Xiang Yu's descendants have multiplied to this day. With the Xiang family genealogy as evidence, the credibility is quite high.