Chapter 118 Reunion with Zhang Liang 30

Wei Sheng Jiujiu thought for a moment and gave a number. He had started farming during the Warring States period, which was around the same time, and the environment and agricultural development were similar. Based on his previous experience, he made an estimate and came up with the answer to tell Liu Bang.

This isn't much in the first year; the main increase comes from fertilizer. Grain production will only take off when the varieties are improved.

He spoke of it dismissively, but Liu Bang's eyes widened with delight.

Liu Bang also considered the possibility that the other party was deceiving him, but...

He thought about Wei Sheng's attire before he turned ninety-nine, which made him look like a member of a prominent family. There was really no need for him to lie to himself about knowing how to farm. Besides, he had already used the fertilizer, so he could just wait for the harvest and see the results. He couldn't keep lying for a lifetime.

Although he didn't understand what the other party was talking about—basic fertilizer, top dressing, and all that nonsense—Liu Bang was good at judging people, and he felt that Wei Sheng Jiujiu was trustworthy.

Because of this trust, he generously gave Weisheng Jiujiu more land.

Wei Sheng Jiu Shi Jiu politely declined, saying, "The land Madam Lü has given us is already enough. If we add more, we won't have enough fertilizer, and the extra land won't be of much use..."

Although Lü Zhi was in charge of all affairs in Pei County at this time, she did not hold any actual position. Furthermore, the relationship between her and the Lü family was delicate, and Liu Bang was still considering the matter.

Liu Bang didn't feel embarrassed by Wei Sheng Jiujiu's words. He immediately changed the subject and chatted about farming for a while before encouraging Wei Sheng Jiujiu again and leaving.

The pie in the sky that Liu Bang painted didn't actually have much effect on Wei Sheng Jiu Shi Jiu. He always followed Zhu Qing Ai's plan. If he had to take advantage of the pie, he would still choose the one painted by his own system.

Wei Sheng Jiu Shi Jiu's expression remained unchanged, easily maintaining his aloof persona. After writing down the next steps in the memo on the host panel, he continued to instruct the people in Tanaka to fertilize the plants.

----

Liu Bang rushed to see Wei Shengjiu as soon as he returned, just to show how much he valued him. Now that he had finished seeing him, he leisurely strolled towards the former county magistrate's residence.

The fact that Fengyi had not fallen greatly improved his mood, and even his physical ailments seemed to have lessened.

However, the necessary doctors still needed to be called upon, so after Liu Bang entered the mansion, he sent someone to invite doctors from the city.

Before the people arrived, he talked to Lü Zhi about Fang Yucheng and Zhou Shi, the prime minister of Wei.

He was speaking up now not only to hear Lü Zhi's thoughts, but also to briefly explain Zhou Shi's situation before pausing to ask, "What does Madam think?"

Empress Lü pondered for a moment and said:

"Although Chen Wu is dead, I have heard that Ning Jun of Dongyang and Qin Jia of Donghai have already enthroned Jing Ju as King of Chu, and they are currently stationed in Liu County. We are weak now, so perhaps..."

"Seek refuge and borrow troops..." Liu Bang continued, exchanging a glance with Lü Zhi, both of them able to see calculation and ambition in each other's eyes.

Of course, he had to see a doctor first. After making the decision, Liu Bang thought about how to persuade the King of Chu to lend him troops.

The two discussed seeking refuge and borrowing troops, and after the doctor came in, they talked about Wei Sheng Jiu Shi Jiu's 'experimental field' in Pei County.

Empress Lü: "I think it's worth a try, and there's a high chance of success."

Liu Bang nodded in agreement. The physician remained silent and finished the consultation. Compared to later generations, the physicians at this time were generally not very skilled. They were not good at treating illnesses; they could only prescribe tonics. So, although it was called treating illnesses, Liu Bang only drank the tonics for a few days. When he felt that his body was almost fully recovered, he led his troops out of the city again.

Borrowing troops wasn't really a big deal. Fangyu City wasn't as important to him as Fengyi, so there was no need to forcefully take it.

With Chen Sheng and Wu Guang dead, the Qin army was free to deal with the remaining rebels. Liu Bang felt it was necessary to find a leader to follow, so that if the sky fell, someone taller would hold it up and he wouldn't be the first to die.

There's no need for him to stand out now; continuing to develop quietly is the right thing to do.

When he left the city this time, he found that the map given to him by 'Qin' was back to normal. The situation in many places was no longer delayed, but was as if he were seeing the actual local scene.

It looks as if 'Qin' has returned, but we don't know where within Qin territory they are.

As he marched toward Liuxian, he checked the situation near the marching route on his personal map.

Bringing this thing into battle is like adding wings to a tiger. Liu Bang liked it more and more, and was once again glad that 'Qin' had chosen him to change the future.

As he looked around, he noticed that a group of soldiers was about to overlap with the troops he was leading. Upon closer inspection, he realized that it did not resemble the Qin army.

Previously, the main force of the Qin army was attacking Chen Sheng and Wu Guang's side, which allowed him to develop his strength in peace. Now... it shouldn't be so soon that they come to quell the rebellion.

So Liu Bang sent people to scout ahead, and they soon learned that the other side was also a rebel army. Since they were both rebels, Liu Bang naturally had to go and meet them.

Let's also see what kind of person this fellow comeer to seek refuge with the King of Chu is; they might become colleagues and rivals in the future.

Even though Fengyi had not fallen, Liu Bang still went on the road to seek refuge with the King of Chu, and successfully met Zhang Liang, who had also come to seek refuge with the King of Chu.

Perhaps history books will only record that they met too late, but in reality, Zhang Liang knew that he was not suited to be a king or emperor. If he insisted on becoming a king or emperor, he would definitely fail just like when he was an assassin.

Therefore, when he encountered rebel forces on the road, he would subconsciously assess whether they were worth following. He observed Liu Bang in the same way when he met him.

Liu Bang's deeds were quite well-known in the area, and Zhang Liang had heard about this Duke of Pei from the locals, but he never expected to meet him on his way to join the King of Chu.

He didn't speak first; it was Liu Bang who started the conversation. It has to be said that Liu Bang was really good at chatting. Even though Zhang Liang didn't show a strong desire to communicate, he was able to keep the conversation going.

Zhang Liang stated that eloquence is also one of the essential qualities for becoming a king.

From small talk to conversation, and then to talking about his expertise, the topic changed quickly. Zhang Liang felt that he had a lot in common with the other person, and felt as if they had known each other for a long time.

Even when discussing military strategy, the other party could follow his train of thought and discuss it with him, even though none of the people in the group he had assembled knew anything about military strategy.

Zhang Liang found Liu Bang increasingly pleasing to the eye, and without hesitation, he abandoned his plan to join the King of Chu and went directly to Liu Bang's side.

Liu Bang was equally pleased to have such a talented person in his fold, and he couldn't let Zhang Liang leave without anything, so he appointed him as a military officer in charge of the army's carts and horses.

The two groups merged at this point, and the two headed together towards Liuxian County.

Zhang Liang didn't see anything wrong with his new lord seeking help from others; it was precisely this self-awareness that made Zhang Liang admire Liu Bang.

Having self-awareness seems easy, but it's actually very difficult; encountering someone like Liu Bang is already a rare privilege.

So when Liu Bang invited him to dinner that evening after they had temporarily set up camp, Zhang Liang agreed without hesitation.

"If we were in the city, we would definitely hold a banquet for Zifang. It's a pity that there's no good wine or food on the march."

Liu Bang was just being polite; he knew exactly how poor he was. Even in the city, he couldn't afford good wine, good food, or a good banquet unless someone else invited him.

Zhang Liang, unaware of the situation, was quite moved and said, "It's alright, something simpler like this is just fine."

"However, I still secretly hid a bottle of wine..." As he spoke, Liu Bang pulled out a bottle of wine from somewhere and poured a bowl for Zhang Liang with great care. Zhang Liang was even more moved. Without saying anything, he clinked glasses with Liu Bang and drank it all in one gulp.

"Good wine!"

The wine was so bland it had almost no taste and wouldn't get you drunk at all. Both of them knew this, which was why they dared to drink at this time, since it wouldn't have any effect the next day anyway.

Zhang Liang had never tasted this inferior wine before, but that did not stop him from being moved by it.

Because he knew this was the best wine Liu Bang could have, and it also represented a sentiment that could not be ignored.

After the two finished their drinks, they also enjoyed their meal. Although there wasn't much proper food, the nearby mountains and forests were perfect for hunting, so there was plenty of roasted meat.

For Zhu Qing'ai, who lived in the modern world, this barbecue might be incredibly unpalatable, but for people today, it's a rare delicacy.

Zhu Qing'ai bypassed the group of soldiers who were eating and grilling meat, and found Liu Bang, who was drinking and having a great time with Zhang Liang.

At this moment, he and Zhang Liang clasped hands, and the two looked as if they were confiding in each other and wished they could swear on the spot that they would follow each other forever.

Liu Bang noticed the commotion on his right and saw 'Qin' standing there. He thought he was drunk and seeing things, otherwise how could he see 'Qin' coming to find him?

Wait a minute, could it be Qin Zhen coming to see him?

Liu Bang's mind cleared instantly, and the slight drunkenness he had was immediately gone. He was thinking about how likely it was that Qin would stop him from joining the King of Chu, and how he could persuade Qin to let him join them.

He looked at the portable map with reluctance, after all, he really didn't want to part with such a useful thing!

Even for the sake of this map, he would never turn against 'Qin' at this time.

However, Qin's first words weren't directed at him. She said, "Oh, not an assassin anymore?"

Who? Who's quit being an assassin?

Assassin? What kind of assassin? What does he assassinate?

Liu Bang looked around and saw that it was just him and Zhang Liang there. Zhang Liang felt that he had something in common with Liu Bang, while the others who had come with him were eating on the other side.

The people around him weren't the main point; the main point was that besides him, only Zhang Liang, who had just shaken hands with him, should also be able to see him.

He himself had never been an assassin, so this assassin must undoubtedly be Zhang Liang.

I never expected that the guard I just took in, who looks like a beautiful woman, would actually have been an assassin.

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Zhang Liang immediately turned his head to look. Memories that seemed to have been sealed away or forgotten returned, and he remembered who this person was.

The familiar 'person' casually knelt down, even having the leisure to let the grass on the ground grow lush and be woven into a mat, as if he didn't care at all about the current situation of uprisings breaking out all over Qin territory.

Zhang Liang, unsure of his own feelings, began, "The last time I saw you was in a dream..."

Liu Bang nodded, now certain that he was indeed the only one who could directly see 'Qin'; destiny was on his side!

He stared intently at Qin, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Last time you said I posed no threat to you, but what do you think now?"

With war raging everywhere and rebel armies everywhere, can we still say we don't care now?