This horse is truly a spiritual animal; even after the rabbit starved to death alongside Xiang Yu, it still recognized me. It must have been closer to Xiang Yu than Yu Ji was; this is the third time he's ridden it…
That night, the entire camp was brightly lit, and the aroma of meat wafted through the tents. Ordinary soldiers didn't have wine, of course, not high-ranking officers like "us." Xiang Yu hosted a grand feast in the central tent, introducing me to many various warlords. Among them were a few quite famous, mentioned in historical records, such as Zhang Er and Chen Yu. However, Xiang Yu didn't go into detail, and I had no interest in getting close to them. I was only staying for three days anyway, and besides, hadn't I seen enough famous people? Those of their rank were no different from ordinary passersby.
After socializing with me and the others for a while, Xiang Yu went to his tent to hold a small family banquet, with Yu Ji in attendance. Women of this era were naturally not supposed to sit at the table, but since it was a family banquet, and Yu Ji was not one to stick to the rules, she quickly became one of us. However, she found it rather strange that Xiang Yu and I often used words she couldn't understand.
I glanced at Xiao Huan, who had been serving me the whole time, and quietly nudged Xiang Yu, saying, "Brother Yu..."
Xiang Yu was already quite drunk. He followed my gaze, then slammed his hand on the table and said, "Xiao Huan, come here!"
Xiao Huan stepped forward, carrying a wine jug. Xiang Yu snatched the jug and set it aside, then suddenly grabbed Xiao Huan's hand. Xiao Huan was startled, trying to pull away but unable to, and stole a glance at Yu Ji. Yu Ji didn't speak, only watching with a smile.
Xiang Yu, drunk, stammered, "Xiao Huan, in your next life you..." I quickly pushed Xiang Yu away. Xiang Yu was taken aback, then chuckled, "Yes, it should be in my past life. Hehe, let's not talk about that anymore. How long have you been with me and A Yu?"
Xiao Huan said, "It's been 3 years."
Xiang Yu said, "Yes, three years ago you were just a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl, standing on the street with a straw tag stuck in your head. I liked you the moment I saw you then."
Xiao Huan blushed deeply, and Xiang Yu continued, "You've suffered a lot these past years following us through war and chaos, and Brother Xiang hasn't properly thanked you yet."
Xiao Huan stammered, "General... what are you saying?"
Xiang Yu suddenly raised his head and said, "I, Xiang, lost both my parents at a young age, and my uncle is gone too. The only people I have closest to are you and A-Yu. The moment I saw you, I thought how wonderful it would be to have a sister like you. Xiao Huan, would you be willing to recognize me as your brother?"
His words surprised Yu Ji the most. She had thought Xiang Yu would use this opportunity to naturally take Xiao Huan as his concubine, but she never expected such a response. Women of ancient times were truly remarkable; why didn't Baozi (Xiang Yu's courtesy name) have such awareness?
Xiao Huan was quite surprised. She probably had the wrong idea too, but hearing Xiang Yu's words, she didn't show disappointment. Instead, she was a little shy and a little happy. After all, women at this time were still quite naive; they didn't expect that "sister's escape" could also be a form of rejection. Xiang Yu urged her again, and Xiao Huan happily called out, "Big Brother."
Xiang Yu finally let go of her hand with a sigh of relief. I whispered to him, "Brother Yu, didn't you handle this too superficially?"
Xiang Yu pretended to pick up some food and replied to me in a low voice, "It's better than sending her away again. I feel a little better now." Once he relaxed, he drank a few cups of wine and actually slumped down on the table and fell asleep.
Yu Ji poured me a cup of wine and, looking at the sleeping Xiang Yu, said, "Of all the people who deal with him every day, some respect him, some fear him, but it's clear that only you are truly close to him." Yu Ji suddenly rested her chin on her hand, glanced at me, and asked, "How exactly did you two meet? Where was I back then?"
I hesitated, "Well... how should I put it?"
Yu Ji smiled and said, "Alright, then there's no need to talk about it. Even if you were a woman coming to him, I wouldn't be interested in your past, let alone knowing you're his brother. All I need is for the King to love me now." This view on love is quite typical of the post-80s generation.
Yu Ji glanced at the uneasy Xiao Huan, then at me, and asked, "Xiao Qiang, do you have a wife?"
The moment I saw the look in her eyes, I knew what wicked scheme she was plotting. I quickly waved my hand and said, "No, no, that's just being too obvious. I have a wife." But I knew she meant well. No matter how much Xiao Huan called Xiang Yu "Brother," she would always be a maidservant if she followed them. Yu Ji was only trying to find a better future for Xiao Huan because she saw that Xiang Yu's mind was made up. Since Xiang Yu and I are such good friends, marrying me would naturally give her a higher status.
Yu Ji said, "Then why don't we let our younger sister go and be her younger sister?"
I said with a bitter face, "No, your older sister can't tolerate other younger sisters."
Xiao Huan was completely confused; she had no idea that we had already pushed her around twice. This girl was young, and not very smart either; otherwise, how could she have lost to Yu Ji in both lifetimes?
Yu Ji said with dissatisfaction, "That's really the fault of that older sister. I'll definitely try to persuade her when I have the chance."
I was overjoyed and said, "Really? Then I must find a way to bring her here to receive some education."
Chapter 84 Blockbuster
That night I slept alone in a large tent, and sadly, there wasn't even a maidservant to serve me. Those who transmigrated back in time, and were so familiar with the big boss, weren't they all drinking fine wine and embracing young women? Let's just say we're in another world without elves or catwomen (and frankly, we couldn't stand those with long rabbit ears and cat tails), there wasn't even a single dancer.
However, I didn't dare tell Xiang Yu. He's the ancestor of Baozi, practically family. If you bring this up with him, it's like inviting an old accountant to a brothel—he'd definitely turn on you.
The next day, I was awakened by the sound of a bugle, its dull wailing sound sending chills down my spine as if scraping against my nerves. I sat up with a start, and in a daze, I saw an army gathering outside, some carrying guns and spears—and some taking a break to go to the toilet, something not usually mentioned in other people's books.
Our tent was surrounded by Xiang Yu's personal guards, all elite soldiers. The bugles blew right beside our ears, yet they remained disciplined and efficient, quickly assembling into ranks before the tent, exuding a menacing aura. Then we heard Xiang Yu's languid voice ask, "What's the situation?"
A soldier reported with a strong voice: "Zhang Han's vanguard of 15,000 men is already rushing towards our army from 10 miles away."
Xiang Yu said "Oh" and said, "Let's do it the same way as before, with the new army in front and our army covering the rear, and take 15,000 men as well."
The messenger responded and ran off. Xiang Yu stood outside the tent, gently rubbing his forehead, seemingly still a bit hungover, then took a cup of water and rinsed his mouth. Yu Ji and Xiao Huan helped him put on his armor, one after the other. Seeing me come out, he smiled and said, "Good morning, Xiao Qiang."
The two soldiers standing at my door saw that I was still wearing plain clothes and hurriedly ran into the tent to get my armor, draping it over my shoulders. One of the soldiers asked, "General Xiao, what weapon do you use? We'd like to prepare one for you."
I paused for a moment and said, "Whatever."
The soldier immediately exclaimed with boundless admiration, "General Xiao must also possess the courage to withstand ten thousand men."
I asked, puzzled, "Why do you say that?"
"You don't care about weapons, which means you're proficient in everything. Besides, our General Xiang's brothers are certainly no slouch either."
That's when I realized that while we were talking, these two had already strapped all the metal plates to my body—who said I was going to the battlefield? I'm just here to observe!
Xiang Yu looked at me and laughed, "Xiao Qiang, now that you're all dressed up, come with me and let's go take a look."
Yu Ji finished adjusting Xiang Yu's golden armor and said with concern, "Both brothers must be careful and take care of each other."
I said, "Don't worry, sister-in-law, I'll take good care of myself. Brother Yu..." I took a helmet and said, "Be careful—" Then I carefully put the helmet on my head.
Xiang Yu chuckled and said to his personal guards, "By the way, prepare a fast and good-tempered horse for your General Xiao. As for weapons... don't bother giving him any." Xiang Yu hung an oversized iron sword at his waist, picked up the tiger-headed, gold-inlaid spear stuck upside down in the ground in front of the tent, and chuckled softly, "I really miss the Overlord Spear that Tang Long made for me." He leaped onto his horse and shouted, "Let's go!" At his command, more than 100 men stepped forward simultaneously. They were tall and strong, all wearing light gold armor. Their weapons were also varied: some wielded large axes, some large swords, and some had javelins stuck in their backs. From a distance, they looked imposing, but up close, you would find that almost none of them were without scars. Their exposed necks and hands were full of pits and bruises, and many of them had severely disfigured faces, some with wounds so deep that bone was visible. They looked like demons. You couldn't even imagine fighting them; just looking at them after sunset would give you nightmares.
I climbed onto the horse and rode alongside Xiang Yu. Xiang Yu whispered, "These men behind us are my personal guards, handpicked and each one has taken a hundred or so lives on his hands. Otherwise, they wouldn't be qualified to stand in this ranks. With these hundred men protecting you on either side, you can confidently charge into an army of ten thousand."
I glanced back and saw the guy closest to me grinning ingratiatingly, the scar on his cheekbone gleaming in his eyes, almost making me fall off my horse.
Our group didn't follow the main force; instead, we moved slowly along a small path with minimal troops. I cautiously asked, "Brother Yu, where are we going? Are you planning a surprise attack behind enemy lines?"
Xiang Yu said, "I'll take you with me. I won't personally go into battle today. I mainly want to show you how we fight."
I then realized we were climbing higher and higher, soon arriving atop a giant rock. Below stretched an endless grassland, offering a panoramic view of the battlefield. Beneath our feet, Xiang Yu's army had assembled. At the forefront were fewer than two thousand infantrymen, clad in unprotected linen robes and armed with simple short weapons. On either side, various types of troops, equipped with varying degrees of armor, formed a flanking formation, along with a small number of chariot soldiers—these were likely the armies of the various warlords. In the most prominent central position stood a massive, imposing cavalry force, hundreds of banners fluttering, all bearing the large character "Chu"—this must be Xiang Yu's elite troops. I immediately spotted a black-armored general, carrying a massive, wheel-like hammer, gritting his teeth as if impatient—it was Black Tiger. His large yellow horse, like its master, kept kicking and roaring. Strangely, there was no space within 200 meters around Black Tiger. He stood out conspicuously in the dense army, like a black piece of coal that had fallen into the snow.