Chapter 220 Liu Ji is willing to fight for the prince
After Luo Yi handed over the troops he had rescued from the river to Luo Ling, he stood outside the city and watched the people filing out.
Liu Bang walked out from the corner, came to his side, and said with a soft smile: "Sir."
"Pei Gong?"
Liu Bang asked: "Sir, today Luo family came out to host the meeting, many heroes swore an oath of blood, and accepted your elder brother as the leader of the alliance, to unite as one to overthrow the tyrannical Qin, isn't this the most glorious and high-spirited moment?
Why are you so sad here, young master? "
Luo Yi didn't expect that Liu Bang could see his sorrow even though he had no expression on his face. He immediately asked, "What do you mean by that, Lord Pei? I don't have any sorrow in my heart."
Liu Bang laughed loudly when he heard this and said, "Sir, it seems that you don't trust Liu Ji. During this journey, Ji has a good understanding of you."
Luo Yi looked at Liu Bang twice, then he sighed softly, "Pei Gong, there was a prophecy in the past that it was Luo State that destroyed the Qin Dynasty. Now that you have gathered heroes from all over the world here, I am afraid that this prophecy has come true.
What I am thinking about is, among all these heroes, who dares to go west and break through the pass?"
Liu Bang was keenly aware that this was not just a question of who dared to break through the pass, but a question of who dared to really fight a bloody battle with the tyrannical Qin and conquer the world. A sharp look suddenly flashed in his eyes.
Liu Bang pondered and said, "Duke Xiang Liang of Chu is such a hero. He is the son of Xiang Yan. There is a rumor in Chu that the Xiang family will definitely overthrow the Qin Dynasty. Xiang Yu is a general who can defeat Meng Tian. I guess only the Chu army led by the Xiang family can break through the pass to the west!"
Under the premise that the Luo family clearly did not want to be king, the Xiang family was the most powerful in the world. Even nobles of the six countries like Zhang Liang had to ask Xiang Liang for help to restore their country.
"Is it just the Xiang family? The tyrannical Qin Dynasty will not be defeated so easily. A single person cannot stand alone. Meng Tian and Zhang Han alone can keep the Xiang family from fleeing. The others must also bravely move forward."
Even if the Luo family was prepared to use the magic weapon to clear the way, it would only be used when the pass was difficult to break through. It was impossible to use it in every battle. The Luo family's luck points did not come from the wind. If destroying Qin was a business, it would have lost everything now.
Liu Bang looked at Luo Yi, gritted his teeth and made up his mind, and said firmly: "Sir, Ji is willing to lead the army to bypass Luoyang to cut off Meng Tian's food supply. If the war in the Central Plains goes well, we will break through the pass and enter Guanzhong. Are you willing to go with Ji?"
The Zhaocheng League was a great stimulus to Liu Bang. Apart from his humble origins, all the others were descendants of nobles from the Six Kingdoms. But this did not discourage him. Instead, it aroused his fighting spirit, because the greatest noble family, the Luo family, did not look down on him, and that was enough.
No matter how noble you are, can you be more noble than the Luo family? The Luo family still treats me equally. The more arrogant you are, the more ridiculous you appear.
This is what Liu Bang is thinking now. As long as he can get the support of the Luo family, is he, Liu Ji really inferior to those born noble?
Luo Gongling, who presided over the alliance of princes, had a very high status. Even the Xiang family could only be his allies and could not be recruited under his command. Only the prince was the one he could contact, and the two of them had traveled together before and had a very pleasant conversation.
When Luo Yi heard that Liu Bang was willing to go west to fight and invited him to go with him, he understood that this was Liu Bang trying to show goodwill to him and hoped that he could help him.
Along the way he got to know Liu Bang a little. This man had many faults. He was greedy for money, lustful, loved to take advantage of others, had no manners, and was always swearing at people. These were all minor problems that came from years of life as a wanderer.
But he has a tenacious character and basically no failure can break his will. The most important thing is that he listens to advice and makes his own decisions. Luo Yi still has a relatively high opinion of him.
"Pei Gong, you are not the strongest among these heroes. If you want to go through Luoyang, once Meng Tian returns, you will die without a burial place. Why do you want to do such a dangerous thing? Isn't it better to follow Xiang and fight against the Qin army to slowly accumulate merits?"
Luo Yi stared at Liu Bang closely. He actually knew why, but he wanted Liu Bang to say it himself.
Liu Bang smiled and said, "There are many people in this world who are willing to follow the emperor, but they can only obey orders and dare not move forward. If you want to destroy Qin, you must fight bravely. Liu Ji is willing to fight for you, regardless of life or death."
In this world, in order to recruit talented people, most people use gold, silver, pearls and jade, and even look at them frequently, but it is rare to find someone like Liu Bang who is willing to risk his life for them.
Luo Yi was very moved. Among all the heroes, besides Xiang Yu, only Liu Bang had such courage. He immediately said, "Pei Gong, I am willing to follow you to the west. If you live, I will make you the King of Guanzhong. If you die, we will meet in the underworld. Don't call me Gongzi Yi anymore. Yi's name should be Ziyu. Pei Gong can just call him Ziyu."
Liu Bang was overjoyed when he heard this. He did not expect it to be so smooth. Although Luo Yi was not yet completely under his command, as long as he did not make any fatal mistakes in the future, Luo Yi would definitely be his man. So he quickly pulled Luo Yi into his military camp. After seeing Xiao He, he said happily: "Mr. Xiao, Zi Yu is willing to follow our army westward."
Xiao He never expected that Liu Bang would give him such a big surprise in the blink of an eye. There are only two direct descendants of the Luo family in the world today, and one of them is almost the leader of the princes. Not everyone is qualified to recruit him. No matter who gains the world in the future, he must be respected and worshipped.
The truly legitimate descendant was Luo Yi in front of him. It was truly miraculous that Liu Bang was able to recruit him. Xiao He couldn't help but think of the previous rumors that Liu Bang had the aura of an emperor. He even began to believe that Liu Bang really had the aura of an emperor.
Several people entered the tent and began to discuss the next steps. Xiao He, as Liu Bang's chief steward, began to take stock of Liu Bang's current assets. "Now my army has 15,000 people, of which more than 5,000 are villagers who followed us to start the army in Fengpei, and the rest are recruited along the way.
Although the army is small, it is elite. The world is in chaos now. As long as we head west, countless refugees can be recruited. With these elite troops, we can quickly raise an army of hundreds of thousands."
Luo Yi heard this and said, "I have handed over most of the old subordinates of King Chen to you, but I still have 5,000 people in my hands. We can march westward with Pei Gong, but we are definitely no match for Meng Tian. We need to find a suitable marching route. Pei Gong, if you want to accomplish great things, you must have talented people to assist you. However, the more talented people, the better. The key is to have the right one."
Liu Bang and Xiao He were both a little stunned and asked, "Aren't the more talented people the better?"
This is different from what everyone else in the world thinks. I have never heard of anyone disliking having too many talented people. Luo Yi nodded and said, "The Luo family has a thousand-year heritage and has studied all aspects. We have discovered a problem long ago. Forces with too many talented people and a small base will definitely fall into endless internal strife.
Just like Xiao Sheng, he is a great talent who is very good at governing the country. If there is another great talent like him coming to your army, what will you do? If you can't make the best use of people, you have to control the scale of the talents under your command. "
Liu Bang heard this and asked, "Is there no other solution? Not recruiting talented people is not what a wise ruler should do."
Luo Yi smiled and said, "Pei Gong, this is what I really want to tell you. If you want to accomplish great things, there are some things that are indispensable. The first is food and grass. This requires a talent who can take care of the rear for you. Xiao Sheng can take on this task.
This is your foundation, just like your body. Whether your fist is powerful when you swing it, and whether you have the strength to throw the next punch after this one, are all determined by your physical fitness.
The second is a sharp blade. No matter how strong your body is, if you can only passively take a beating, you will eventually die, so you need a sharp sword and excellent swordsmanship.
Sun Wu, who assisted Qingji in the past, Wu Qi who built the Wei Wuzu, and Bai Qi and Wang Jian are such sharp swords. You have many brave and heroic people under your command, but the generals of the brave fighting faction must be at least at the level of your ancestor Wu Gong in order to defeat those commanders of the scheming fighting faction. You have never seen such an unparalleled commander under your command, so you need to pay attention to recruiting him.
The third is the planning of the general situation. The situation in the world is changing all the time, but there are the most basic constants, which are not visible to ordinary people. This requires one or more wise men to listen to your orders together in front of your tent. This is the strategist.
A word from these people can even decide life and death. Although they are not as powerful as those generals and commanders who directly provide food, fodder, and soldiers and fight for you, their opinions are very important.
You don't have such a talented person under your command. Although he comes from a family of knowledge, he is not the kind of person with extraordinary talent and wisdom to enable you to predict the enemy's moves in every situation.
Yi's elder brother Ling is a first-class figure in this field. For three thousand years, all the saintly kings and wise ministers have never been able to surpass him. However, he had to plan for the princes and could not help Pei Gong. "
Although Luo Yi said this based on the wisdom of countless predecessors, Xiao He and Liu Bang did not know it. They just felt that his words were incisive and to the point, and that he was truly worthy of being a descendant of the Luo family, and there was no such thing as a mediocre person.
Liu Bang pondered and said, "It takes more than one day to recruit talented people. Ziyu also has good ideas."
Luo Yi knows his own business. His biggest advantage is his high charm. He is probably best at socializing and speaking well. This is reflected in his attributes of being quite cunning and good at fooling people. His six-dimensional attributes are all good, but none of them exceeds ninety. However, he can recruit talents for Liu Bang.
"Pei Gong, among the princes in the meeting, King Cheng of Han has a man under his command named Zhang Liang. Duke Xiang Liang of Chu said that Zhang Liang is a man of wisdom second only to my elder brother. I have indeed found him to be very wise in my conversation. If we can get his help, our chances of victory will be much greater.
Now King Han and Zhang Liang want to seek help from Duke Xiang Liang of Chu to restore their country, but Duke Xiang Liang of Chu will certainly have to fight against Meng Tian and Zhang Han. King Han Cheng has no ability to confront these two head-on.
We can take this opportunity to invite King Han Cheng to go behind Meng Tian. King Han will certainly agree to this and Zhang Liang will follow. I don't think Han Cheng is a man who can accomplish anything. If you build a good relationship with Zhang Liang now, you will have a chance to have him join your army in the future."
Liu Bang had chatted with Zhang Liang before, so he knew a little about Zhang Liang's talents. This was one of the reasons why he was stimulated. The nobles of the six countries were born with these outstanding people to serve them, while he only had a group of old brothers with rich backgrounds.
Are these kings, princes, generals and ministers really born noble?
When he saw the glittering holy mark on Luo Yi's forehead, and recalled what Luo Yi had said to him that day, that kings, princes, generals and ministers were not born noble, Liu Bang's turbulent thoughts gradually calmed down, and he smiled and said, "Just follow Zi Yu's words and invite King Han Cheng to come along."
In the eyes of the princes attending the alliance, Liu Bang was seen as an honest old man. After all, he was indeed older than everyone else in the group.
Han Wangcheng was the leader on paper. In fact, all the Han people were headed by Zhang Liang. Han Wangcheng himself obeyed Zhang Liang's words. When faced with Liu Bang's request for an alliance, he directly asked, "Zifang, should we agree to the alliance proposed by Pei Gong?"
Zhang Liang pondered and said, "It can be agreed. Duke Xiang Liang of Chu will go north to fight against Zhang Han together with King Xie of Zhao. King Ju of Wei will also go with them. Kings Yan and Dai will go to the old place to recruit people and then fight against Zhang Han together.
Xiang Yu had defeated Meng Tian's vanguard army before, and now he was the one to fight against Meng Tian in Zhengdi, which was the territory of Han. Pei Gong wanted to take a detour from Luoyang to cut off Meng Tian's food supply and then break into Guanzhong. "
Zhang Liang saw what Liu Bang wanted to do at a glance, and Han Wangcheng asked: "Zifang, what do you think if we enter Guanzhong first and become the king of Guanzhong?"
Zhang Liang shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, if a child carrying gold in his arms were to pass through a chaotic city, would he still be able to survive?
You and I are both Korean nobles, and we have a reputation in the land of Korea. The old people here suffered under the rule of the tyrannical Qin, so they hope that the original king will come back. This is why we were able to raise an army so quickly.
Therefore, we just need to recover the land of Han and accumulate strength here. Becoming the King of Guanzhong is not something we can expect.
If we want to take the position of Guanzhong King, we will definitely be hostile to the Xiang family. Do you think we can defeat the Xiang family?"
King Han Cheng sighed slightly, knowing that it was impossible. Among all the countries, Chu was the strongest, Xiang Liang had a high reputation in Chu, and was now an ally of the Luo family. It seemed that the position of the common leader of the world was prepared for Xiang Liang. It was really enviable.
Zhang Liang did not want Han to be dragged into a war with Chu that would inevitably lead to defeat, so he prevented King Han Cheng from entering Guanzhong from the very beginning.
The two men led their troops to Liu Bang's camp, and then Zhang Liang met Luo Yi. He immediately understood that it must be Luo Yi who asked Liu Bang to invite him.
So, in front of everyone, Zhang Liang asked a key question, "Pei Gong, do you want to help Xiang Yu cut off Meng Tian's food supply route and enter Guanzhong, or do you want to enter Guanzhong yourself?"
When Zhang Liang analyzed the situation for King Han, he knew that Liu Bang wanted to enter Guanzhong, but he still asked this question.
Because when the princes met before, Xiang Yu expressed great interest in entering Guanzhong. Xiang Liang was the king of the world, and Xiang Yu was the king of Guanzhong. The more effort he made, the greater the benefits would be, and this was as it should be.
The main purpose of the nobles of the six countries was to restore their country, and they basically all had their own base. Countries like South Korea, which needed help from the Xiang family, would be even less likely to fight for Guanzhong.
But if a hero like Liu Bang wanted to show his talent and seize some territory, he had to fight with the old aristocracy.
In comparison, after the demise of the Qin Dynasty, the unowned 800-li Qinchuan area obviously had the least conflicts of interest, and it also had the endorsement of the Luo family at the time of the alliance.
Xiang Liang would not go against the agreement with the Luo family. Entering Guanzhong and becoming king was the best choice for a powerful man without any foundation.
Zhang Liang understood Liu Bang's desire to enter Guanzhong, so he was not as concerned about Liu Bang as he was about King Han. If you want to enter Guanzhong, then I will help you, and we will benefit from it. However, the hostility of the Xiang family in the future is none of my business.
Just as Liu Bang was about to speak, Luo Yi tugged at his robe and said directly, "Zifang, among the heroes of this meeting, is there anyone who doesn't want to be king? My elder brother said that the one who conquers Guanzhong first will be king, so naturally Pei Gong wants to be king. Isn't this human nature?"
Zhang Liang said with a smile on his face: "Pei Gong is an honest elder. If he can be crowned king in Guanzhong, it must be a blessing from heaven to the Qin people.
It's just that Pei Gong wanted to take a detour through Luoyang, so Liang asked this question. "
Before Liu Bang understood, Luo Yi asked directly: "Zifang, is there anything wrong with taking a detour through Luoyang?"
Zhang Liang took out the geomancy map and pointed at it, saying, "If Pei Gong wants to go around Luoyang, he will have to enter through Hangu Pass. Although the fortifications of Hangu Pass are not as difficult as they were in the past, with your army and the army of Han, even if you can win by attacking here, it will definitely take a long time."
In fact, Zhang Liang thought that it was a dream to want to break through Hangu Pass with such a small army.
Zhang Liang pointed to another spot on the geomancy map and said, "If you really want to enter the pass, all you can do now is to go through Nanyang, which is a battleground for military strategists.
In the past, the Chu State and the Qin State fought for the lands of Nanyang and Shangyu because these were important roads leading to Guanzhong and were also large granaries supporting the Central Plains.
If you can control Nanyang, you can go north to cut off the food supplies coming out of Hangu Pass, and you can also go directly to Luoyang. If you fail, as long as you hold Xiangyang, you can retreat to Jianghan.
Moreover, once the Central Plains War is decided, you will be able to immediately enter the pass from Nanyang through Wugu Pass. Compared with Hangu Pass, Wugu Pass is at least easier to break through. If you want to become the King of Guanzhong, this is the only way.
Pei Gong, you have read history books well. You have never heard of anyone winning a victory without occupying a strategically advantageous place. Nanyang is a strategically advantageous place now. You must take it. "
Liu Bang glanced at Luo Yi. He now deeply felt the importance of the adviser that Luo Yi mentioned. Xiao He managed the army in an orderly manner, but he did not offer any good suggestions on such matters. Zhang Liang clearly pointed out the way for him to enter Guanzhong.
At this moment, Xiao He suddenly walked in and said, "Pei Gong, Xiang Yu is here to visit."
Everyone was stunned, and then they saw Xiang Yu walking into the camp. Liu Bang hurriedly stepped forward and said, "General Xiang."
Xiang Yu grabbed Liu Bang's arm and said with a smile: "Pei Gong, I heard that you are willing to go west to destroy the tyrannical Qin. Among the princes of this alliance, it is rare to have such courage as you. I always like to associate with real heroes. Are you willing to go with me to fight Meng Tian?"
No one expected that Xiang Yu came here to ask Liu Bang to fight against Meng Tian together. Xiang Liang fought north of the Yellow River, and Xiang Yu fought south of the Yellow River. The State of Chu wanted to confront the State of Qin head-on again.
However, the Xiang family did not become arrogant yet, knowing that relying solely on the power of Chu was not enough, so Xiang Liang planned to contact the King of Zhao, the King of Wei, the King of Yan, the King of Dai and others, while Xiang Yu approached Liu Bang.
Liu Bang had made up his mind, but he could not refuse Xiang Yu directly, so he said: "General, Shandong has many heroes, but only you have defeated Meng Tian. Now you invite me to go with you, how can I refuse?
It's just that the soldiers don't have complete armor and can't fight against the Qin army. I hope to go around Luoyang and cut off Meng Tian's food supply route for you. This is what I can do for you."
Xiang Yu let go of Liu Bang and laughed loudly, "Pei Gong is really a hero. Let's do this. Ji will fight Meng Tian in Zheng, and you will cut off his food supply in Luoyang. Please be careful."
Xiang Yu was a really brave man. At least Liu Bang was behind the enemy lines, and he could still run away if he couldn't win. He confronted Meng Tian head-on, without any worry on his face. Even Liu Bang couldn't help but advise him, "General.
Meng Tian was a general during the reign of the First Emperor, and the Great Wall Corps is one of the most elite armies of the Qin Army. Such an army is not comparable to the previous Qin Army. You must be careful, because the burden of the world is on you. "
"You don't know, Lord Pei, that the deputy commander of the Great Wall Corps is Wang Li, a descendant of Wang Jian. In the past, Wang Jian led an army of 600,000 to attack Chu. Ji's grandfather led the Xiang clan's sons and daughters to fight, and all of them died in the end. At that time, Ji swore that he would definitely kill all the Qin people.
If a man does not fulfill his promise, and if the hatred of his ancestors is forgotten, can Ji still stand in this world with dignity?"
Everyone fell silent when they heard this. Xiang Yu was right. Such a great hatred was enough to be remembered forever.
After Xiang Yu finished speaking, he said to Liu Bang: "Pei Gong, you are a truly honest man. I am willing to be your brother. If you can become the king of Guanzhong in the future, I will also make you king."
Although there was a big age gap between the two men, Liu Bang had never been fussy about details and didn't care about this. So he made a pact with Xiang Yu in front of everyone to be brothers and jointly fight against Meng Tian. He directly marched into Guanzhong and completely cut off Meng Tian's retreat. This could also be considered as fighting against Meng Tian, right?
After getting Liu Bang's promise, Xiang Yu left excitedly. He couldn't wait to fight the Qin army. Liu Bang and others also packed up their troops and prepared to leave Zhaocheng, take a detour from Chendi, and go through Xinyang to Nanyang.
The flames of resistance against the tyranny of Qin that were raging throughout the world finally ignited with the entry of the Luo family and the State of Chu. Fusu tried his best to change the tyranny of the Qin Dynasty in the city of Xianyang, but what could he do alone?
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Emperor Gaozu often wanted to depose the crown prince and consulted his ministers for advice. None of the ministers could avoid it, except Marquis Ying.
Huaiyin was close to Yinghou and said, "Shangshan Jun, why don't you ask for advice?"
He also said: "The prince is kind and benevolent. The emperor knows my intention, so I don't ask. This is the best."
Huaiyin then understood Marquis Ying's intention and said, "The emperor likes to insult people, how can you avoid it?"
He also said: "If I get the emperor's will, I will obey it." - "Records of the Grand Historian: The Biography of Marquis Luoying"
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(End of this chapter)
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