For Hao Jiu, whose assets are nearly 50,000 energy points, a stamina potion that costs 10 points is still within his means. That's how extravagant the rich are!
Of course, Hao Jiu's real idea was to save time eating, go to the sixth dimension earlier, and stay there a little longer to earn back those 10 energy points.
The fourth plane.
After leaving the Zhongshan cave, Xiang Yu mounted his black horse and flew towards Dongyuan County.
That's right, it's Dongyuan again. October of the eighth year of the Han Dynasty was the time when Liu Ji led an expedition to quell the rebellion of Han Wang Xin's remnants.
In fact, this remaining band of enemies was no longer a threat. Liu Ji's purpose in personally leading the expedition was twofold: first, to boost his own military record, and second, to consolidate military power in his own hands. It's not that the generals couldn't fight without Liu Ji.
The suppression of the rebellion went smoothly, but a major event occurred on the way back to the capital, an opportunity that Hao Jiu did not want to miss.
Bairen County of Zhao State was located about 200 li south of Dongyuan, and was a necessary route for Liu Ji's army to return from Dongyuan.
Inside the palace, Zhao Xiang Guan Gao, along with several Zhao ministers including Tian Shu, Meng Shu, and Zhao Wu, were discussing important matters.
"Gentlemen, Liu Ji will arrive here soon. Whether our plans succeed depends on today!" Guan Gao said, cupping his hands in greeting.
"Rest assured, Prime Minister, as long as Liu Ji stays here tonight, I will surely kill him here to avenge the insult he once inflicted upon His Highness Prince Zhao!" Zhao Wu said, clasping his hands in a fist salute.
“That’s right! Last time, when Liu Ji was defeated at Baideng and passed through Zhao, he actually vented his anger on the King of Zhao. It’s outrageous! How can a king be insulted like this? Liu Ji made the King of Zhao lose face. How can we, as his subjects, have the face to live in this world?” Uncle Tian said angrily.
Meng Shu sighed, "Our king is respectful and filial to Liu Ji, personally serving him meals, wine, washing his feet, and undressing him. But the more our king treats him this way, the more Liu Ji speaks recklessly and insults orders. He even favored our king's concubine, Consort Zhao! Although our king said that he offered her to Liu Ji voluntarily, Liu Ji is a womanizer. Who knows if he asked for her?"
Guan Gao slammed his fist on the table. "That old Liu Ji is utterly despicable! By the way, has everything been arranged with Consort Zhao? If she can't keep Liu Ji here, all our preparations will have been for nothing."
"Prime Minister, rest assured. Since Consort Zhao was favored by Liu Ji last year, the King has given her a separate palace to guard her and has not touched her once since. Consort Zhao herself knows that if she wants to turn her life around, the only way is to conceive Liu Ji's child."
"Last time, Liu Ji seemed to still have feelings for Consort Zhao, but he didn't take her away because of his pride. Now that he has another chance to favor her, I'm sure Liu Ji won't miss it," Meng Shu replied.
Guan Gao nodded slightly and then said, "Does Consort Zhao not know that we are going to kill Liu Ji?"
"Rest assured, Prime Minister, this matter is of great importance. Not only is Consort Zhao unaware of it, but even His Highness the King of Zhao is completely unaware of it," Meng Shu said, bowing.
Guan Gao nodded again, "That's good. Your Highness, the King of Zhao, thinks that by marrying Liu Ji's daughter, humbly serving Liu Ji, and giving your woman to him, you can keep your throne. Little do you know that Liu Ji's elimination of kings of different surnames is inevitable. If we fail this time, the throne of the King of Zhao will surely be seized by the Liu family!"
“That’s right! King Wu Rui of Changsha gave nine parts of Changsha to Liu Ji and his sons, and in the end he died under mysterious circumstances, didn’t he? Our lord is unwilling to hand over the army and territory to Liu Ji. The more diligently you serve Liu Ji, the angrier Liu Ji becomes. Without an excuse to depose King Zhao, he might just arrange a charge of treason for Your Highness sooner or later,” Uncle Tian said angrily.
Guan Gao looked around and said, “Gentlemen, if our great undertaking today succeeds, all will be well. If it fails, please do not let word get out, lest it implicate His Highness. If the matter is exposed, please place the blame on me, and I, Guan Gao, will take full responsibility!”
Just then, someone knocked on the door.
"Come in."
"Your Excellency, the Prime Minister, and all your lords, His Majesty's army has arrived outside the city!"
Guan Gao took a deep breath. "In that case, let us quickly accompany the King to welcome His Majesty. General Zhao Wu, I'll leave the other side to you!"
"Yes, Your humble servant will not fail in your mission!" Zhao Wu said, clasping his hands in a fist salute.
...
North Gate of Bairen County.
"Your Majesty, I congratulate you on your great victory!" King Zhao Zhang Ao bowed deeply to Liu Ji.
"Congratulations on Your Majesty's great victory..." Guan Gao and the others stood behind Zhang Ao and bowed in unison.
Liu Ji curled his lip and said, "You may all rise and dispense with the formalities. I am weary from my journey. Has Ao'er prepared a feast and beauties for me?"
"Your Majesty, the banquet is ready, and Consort Zhao and the other beauties are waiting for you at the palace," Zhang Ao replied respectfully.
"Consort Zhao?" Liu Ji laughed heartily. "Excellent! This brat is teachable! The army shall enter the city!"
"Your Majesty, please." Zhang Ao raised his hand and led the way.
Guan Gao clenched his teeth, maintaining his bowed posture, and watched Liu Ji's carriage slowly pass by with a blank expression. Many Zhao ministers had a hint of resentment in their eyes.
The banquet began shortly afterward.
Zhang Ao once again came to Liu Ji's side to serve him personally, serving him food and wine, doing everything he could to curry favor with Liu Ji.
Liu Ji was in a good mood this time, so he didn't make things difficult for Zhang Ao. He even joked with Zhang Ao a few times during the meal, and everyone enjoyed the meal.
As evening approached, Liu Ji, having finished his meal and drinks, decided to go to his bedroom to rest.
"This old minister will lead the way for Your Majesty," Guan Gao said, bowing.
Liu Ji glanced at it and exclaimed, "Oh, it's Prime Minister Guan! Let's go, haha, tonight I'll definitely call that beauty Zhao... hiccup~"
Guo Meng helped Liu Ji follow behind Guan Gao, and under the strict protection of the guards, they arrived at the pre-prepared residence.
Liu Ji flicked his sleeves and began pointing again, "Hmph! This palace is so shabby. Has the Zhao Kingdom become this poor? It's far inferior to my Weiyang Palace."
“Your Majesty, Weiyang Palace is luxurious and magnificent, the best in the world, and naturally cannot compare to the palaces of Zhao. However, this room is the best residence for the Bai people, and several beauties have been waiting inside for a long time. Your Majesty is tired from the military campaign, so please rest early,” Guan Gao said, bowing.
"Hmm? What is the name of this place?" Liu Ji suddenly asked.
"Your Majesty, this place is called Bairen," Guo Meng answered truthfully, wondering how His Majesty could not even know where this was.
"Bury someone? Bury whom?" Liu Ji tilted his head, his drunkenness growing stronger.
“Your Majesty, it’s ‘Bai Ren,’ not ‘Burying People,’” Guo Meng repeated.
"Force someone? Force whom?" Liu Ji sobered up a bit instantly.
Guo Meng's lips twitched violently. "Your Majesty is drunk. This place is called Bairen, Bairen County. It is not a place to bury people, nor is it a place to force people."
"Oh~ So it's Bai Ren, but it's so similar to Burying People and Forcing People. This place is unlucky. I don't want to stay here anymore! I'm going back to Weiyang Palace!" Liu Ji said drunkenly.
Seeing Liu Ji so drunk, Guo Meng had no choice but to advise him, "Your Majesty, this place is far from Weiyang Palace, and Your Majesty has already ordered the army to spend the night here..."
"Nonsense! When did I ever issue such an order? I said we must spend the night at Weiyang Palace! We must go to Weiyang Palace to spend the night! Leave immediately! Anyone who disobeys will be executed!" Liu Ji roared.
Historically, Liu Ji escaped this calamity by sheer luck and did not fall into Guan Gao's trap, as if he were protected by heaven.
However, Liu Ji was unaware that a pair of eyes were coldly watching him from the sky above his head.
"Oh, King Xiang, it's truly a case of timing being better than arriving early..."
Chapter 151 The Race King
Liu Ji was overjoyed to hear that Zhang Ao had brought Lady Zhao to the battlefield, and drank a few extra cups of wine.
However, Liu Ji wasn't too drunk, but he suddenly felt a little panicked, as if some danger was about to befall him.
But now, the only people who can threaten him are Peng Yue and Ying Bu, but both of them are far away. What danger could he possibly be in while he is in Zhao?
The key issue is that King Zhao, Zhang Ao, was a complete coward; he wouldn't dare to rebel even if he had ten times the courage.
Although he couldn't be sure where the danger came from, Liu Ji decided to leave this place with its somewhat strange name just to be on the safe side.
Guo Meng felt helpless. What he feared most was Liu Ji's half-drunk and half-awake state. Even if he was completely drunk and unconscious, he wouldn't listen to any advice in this situation.
Guan Gao was sweating profusely with anxiety. He had never expected Liu Ji to suddenly change his mind and not want to stay anymore while drunk. But Liu Ji had a lot of troops in the city. If the rebellion failed, it would drive the King of Zhao to the brink of despair. What could he do?
"Uh, Your Majesty, Consort Zhao is still waiting for you inside." Guan Gao knew that Liu Ji was a womanizer, so now he could only try to seduce him with his beauty. Perhaps Liu Ji's reason for personally leading the expeditions was to steal a fling along the way.
Upon hearing the name "Zhao Meiren," Liu Ji immediately hesitated for a moment, his face showing reluctance, and he actually seemed to genuinely want to stay the night.
Guan Gao was overjoyed and continued, "Your Majesty, Consort Zhao has been separated from you since last year and longs to reunite with you day and night. If Your Majesty neglects her..."
Liu Ji scratched his head. "Oh dear, Prime Minister Zhao, why didn't you say so earlier? I have already said that I am going back to Weiyang Palace. How can I go back on my word? In that case, Guo Meng, have someone bring Consort Zhao along. I can have some fun in the carriage during my march."
Guan Gao, "..."
Guo Meng had no choice but to reply, "Yes, Prime Minister Guan, quickly lead people in and bring Consort Zhao out. If His Majesty wants to leave, there's nothing I can do."
Guan Gao rolled his eyes and said with a forced smile, "Your Majesty, Consort Zhao is still nominally a concubine of the King of Zhao. It might not be appropriate for Your Majesty to take her away like this. It won't sound good if word gets out."
Liu Ji's expression turned cold. "Guo Zi, is that so?"
Guo Meng hesitated for a moment, "Your Majesty, what Prime Minister Guan said is quite right. If Your Majesty stays here overnight, it is fine to have Consort Zhao serve you. However, if you take her away, I'm afraid the people of the world will say that Your Majesty has taken the Prince of Zhao's concubine, which will damage Your Majesty's prestige. Moreover, what about the Empress..."
Liu Ji suddenly became more lucid. "That's right, we can't take her with us... Wait, then I won't take her out of Zhao, will I? Prime Minister Guan can send a carriage to accompany us, and when we're almost at the river, we can bring Consort Zhao back and let her continue being the Queen of Zhao. That's settled then, do as I say!"
“Yes!” Guo Meng replied.
Guan Gao was dumbfounded. He never expected things to turn out this way. Not only did he fail to keep Liu Ji, but he also pushed Zhao Meiren into an unbearable situation. If he had known this would happen, he would have preferred to let Liu Ji leave directly.
"Prime Minister, please, bring Consort Zhao out for His Majesty," Guo Meng said coldly.
"Uh, yes." Guan Gao had no choice but to obey.
Just then, a crisp sound came from the roof, as if a tile had cracked.
"There's someone on the roof!" someone shouted.
With a whoosh, the guards immediately surrounded Liu Ji and pointed their weapons at the roof.
Hao Jiu's lips twitched violently. "Has Xiang Yu gained weight recently? Or did his weight double after the fusion?"
“That tile must be defective. I told you to just jump down from the sky and kill Liu Ji, but you insisted on a sneak attack. How can you blame me for the accident?” Xiang Yu stood up, somewhat annoyed.
If Hao Jiu hadn't stopped him, he would have been ready to ride his black horse down the slope, jump from a suitable height, and kill Liu Ji with a single blow.
"Alright, it's my fault. Let's execute the backup plan then." Hao Jiu was also helpless. Airdropping sounds easy, but if the altitude is too low, it will be easy to be discovered, and if it's too high, it will be easy to fall and injure oneself.
Last time, the healing medicine in his mouth was successful, but there was an element of luck involved. What if Liu Ji had moved his position in the few seconds that Xiang Yu was falling?
Even if we succeed this time, we'll still lose a healing potion. Wouldn't it have been better to just fight our way through from the ground? Is bungee jumping addictive?
The key is that Liu Ji doesn't have an energy shield, so there's no need to rely on gravity to kill him. As long as the distance is close enough, it's not difficult to kill Liu Ji instantly.
If they were really unlucky and couldn't kill Liu Ji instantly, they could only accept it. After all, even a thunderous strike from high above might not necessarily kill him instantly.
Of course, it's acceptable if he can't kill Liu Ji instantly but has to be killed in a few more hits. The Black Dragon won't start wasting energy as soon as it sees Liu Ji is about to die. As long as the Black Dragon can be killed instantly, the loss won't be too great.
After saying this, Xiang Yu took his sword and lightly leaped down to Guan Gao's side.
"Prime Minister Guan, if Liu Ji escapes, you will all surely die without a burial place! Liu Ji's refusal to stay overnight clearly shows that he has seen through the ambush, and he cannot be allowed to stay!"
Guan Gao was completely bewildered. Who was this masked man? Who arranged this? Was the assassination really going to turn into a public one? But they weren't prepared at all!
"Protect the Emperor!" Guo Meng immediately understood that Zhao was plotting a rebellion and must have planted assassins in this palace. Now that they could not stay overnight, they abandoned the ambush and decided to carry out the assassination openly!
"Hiss..." Liu Ji was also startled. He didn't expect that the King of Zhao would actually dare to rebel, and this assassin's lightness skill was superb. He seemed difficult to deal with. "Old Hei! An assassin is trying to assassinate me. Didn't you say you had a way to make me invincible and impervious to swords and blades?"
Black Dragon said disdainfully, "What danger could a mere assassin possibly pose with so many soldiers around you? That invincible shield is a rare treasure. You want it? Fine, as long as you provide me with enough luck, anything is negotiable."
Liu Ji was furious upon hearing this, "Old Hei! You're being unfair! I've offended almost all the meritorious officials, isn't that enough? You have no idea how many people are secretly cursing me every day, and their mothers all fall ill during battles!"
"What resentment? That's called luck! Liu Ji, have you forgotten the longevity jade pendant you're wearing?" The black dragon said, then closed its eyes, pondering whether it should abandon Liu Ji and go to another plane.