Baozi and I ran to the door, and only after I got into the car did he nervously say, "Then you be careful too."
I waved for her to go back, checked the fuel gauge, and sped off towards Gaixia.
I've been thinking about this the whole way. How Xiang Yu ended up in such a sorry state is no longer important; the most important thing right now is how to rescue him and Yu Ji safely. After much thought, there's only one way: get them in my invincible golden steed and take them to Fatty's place for refuge. Asking Liu Bang for help is a later matter. During the Chu-Han Contention, I was practically a celebrity; everyone knows I helped Xiang Yu drive away 100,000 Qin soldiers. Liu Bang's men would be on guard against me like I'm a biological weapon. I don't have the ability to storm into Liu Bang's quarters amidst thousands of troops.
It was the dead of night when I arrived at Gaixia. I parked my car on a high ground, looking down at the familiar military tents and linked camps; judging by their uniforms, they were Chu troops. Looking around, there were endless Han army camps—I had damn well parked right inside their encirclement.
The Chu army was in a very sensitive period of heightened tension, and as soon as they sensed someone approaching, someone shouted, "Who is it?"
I hurried into the firelight and said, "It's me."
Some of the soldiers recognized me and exclaimed happily, "General Xiao!"
Several soldiers who had participated in the encirclement of Jin Wuzhu shouted, "It's Marshal Xiao!"
I said, "Take me to see your king."
Someone immediately led the way, excitedly saying, "It's great that Marshal Xiao is here."
It seemed the Chu soldiers had realized the situation was dire, and seeing me arrive, they pinned all their hopes on me. Someone whispered, "If Marshal Xiao can bring back our brothers from those other states, we might be saved."...
I silently followed them to Xiang Yu's tent. Stepping inside, the light was dim. Xiang Yu, wearing only his inner armor, sat silently on a leather stool. Yu Ji leaned against the bed, a smile still playing on her lips. Xiao Huan, dressed smartly, stood there with her hand on her sword, seemingly a little lost.
As soon as I walked in, I sensed something was off, so I chuckled and said, "Everyone's here."
When Xiao Huan saw it was me, she grabbed my arm as if she had seen a savior and said, "Brother Xiao."
I asked in a low voice, "What's going on?"
Xiao Huan pulled me aside and said, "Sister Yu knew the military situation was urgent, so she let Brother Xiang lead his elite troops to break through the encirclement, while she stayed behind to guard the city. She also said that she was sure Liu Bang wouldn't make things difficult for a pregnant woman like her."
I glanced at Yu Ji's stomach and saw a noticeable bulge. Needless to say, everyone present understood her intentions; the moment Xiang Yu left, she would be slit in two.
I pointed at Yu Ji and said, "You, you, what did I tell you before? Try to think positively about everything. Why do you like to make things so difficult for yourself?"
Yu Ji smiled slightly: "No."
When Xiang Yu saw me arrive, he stood up and said, "Xiao Qiang..."
I stretched out my hand and said, "There's no time to say more. Take your sister-in-law and Xiao Huan and come with me right now."
Where to go? How do I get there?
I said, "Let's take a car to Ying-ge's place."
Unexpectedly, Xiang Yu resolutely replied, "No!"
I asked in surprise, "What?"
Xiang Yu's eyes were bloodshot as he said in a deep voice, "What will happen to my 50,000 men after I leave?"
I scratched my head and said, "Actually, Bangzi isn't an outsider. Perhaps getting them to surrender is a solution..." I did think that way about what would happen to these people, and it was indeed the best option. As long as I send Xiang Yu and the others away, and then find a way to return to Liu Bang, these people will definitely be safe. After all, many of them fought alongside me, and I wouldn't abandon them.
Xiang Yu said sternly, "Do you want their king to escape alone, leaving them to be slaughtered?"
I stammered, "You can't say that..."
Xiang Yu waved his hand: "Stop talking, I won't use your method. Take A Yu and Xiao Huan away, I want to live and die with my soldiers!"
Yu Ji said calmly, "I'm not leaving."
Xiao Huan, equally bewildered, chimed in, "I'm not leaving either."
I jumped up and down and said, "Damn, karma comes fast! We just surrounded one group and now we're surrounded again—how about I bring in the Eight-Nation Alliance to fight Liu Xiaosan to the death?"
Xiang Yu knew I couldn't do that, so he lowered his head and remained silent. After a long while, he finally asked, "Is there a better way?"
I turned and started to walk out. Xiang Yu called out, "Where are you going?"
I said angrily, "Where else can we go? Let's drug Bangzi!"
Xiang Yu's eyes lit up. He knew what the so-called "medicine" meant, but then he said worriedly, "But this is too dangerous."
I snorted, "Who told you to be my ancestor? Your whole family are my ancestors!"
Xiang Yu grabbed me and said apologetically, "Xiao Qiang, was I too selfish?"
I sighed and said, "If you're going to be selfish, then come with me. Sima is right, you're being a typical woman with a soft heart." Perhaps I hadn't thought things through properly. I had already realized that the proud Xiang Yu would never escape under the noses of his soldiers, especially with his beloved woman by his side.
Xiang Yu was taken aback by my words and paused for a moment before saying with a sigh, "Perhaps he is right."
See? Even now, he still says "maybe" he's right. This is another characteristic of Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu: arrogance and conceit. If he hadn't argued with Liu Bang over a trivial matter, would he have gotten to where he is today?
I mounted a horse outside and headed straight for Liu Bang's middle finger. I had barely left the Chu army camp, less than half a mile, when Han soldiers shouted, "Dismount, or you'll be riddled with arrows!"
I sighed, dismounted, and squatted down, burying my face in my hands. That saying is so true: what goes around comes around. Back when we surrounded the Jin army, how arrogant and domineering I was!
Two Han soldiers came over and, without a word, began searching me, taking everything I had, whether I recognized it or not. One of them, seeing that I was neither soldier nor civilian, demanded, "Who are you?"
I stuffed the only blue pill I had managed to save in a moment of quick thinking into my shoe, saying, "I want to see your King of Han."
The soldier kicked me and laughed, "Who else do you want to see?"
Seeing his tendency to disregard human life, I hurriedly exclaimed, "I am the brother of your King of Han—that's right, I am the King of the Army, whom he personally appointed as my equal!"
The two soldiers looked at each other, then burst into laughter—and drew their swords.
At the last moment, I realized that all this pretense was useless, so I shouted again, "I am an old friend of your General Zhang Liang!"