Chapter 109 Buy One Get One Free 21
Of course, what Zhu Qing'ai said to Meng Tian was only to ensure that he could continue to guard the northern border; she didn't care whether he would work for Liu Bang afterward.
If Liu Bang could persuade Meng Tian, he would gain a powerful general; if he couldn't, she wouldn't care much.
She was simply trying her best to prevent such a large area from falling apart. After resolving this minor matter, she also took a look at the situation at the prison. The prison guards had already discovered Meng Tian's disappearance, and the messenger and the prison officials were in a panic.
She chuckled, no longer looking at the scene over there, and turned to look at Liu Bang: "You two, you'd better watch yourselves."
Then, another person was thrown out – Meng Yi, who was poisoned and unconscious.
This person is also a talent, but the main purpose of sending him over is not to use him, but to give him to Liu Bang as a hostage. Although people don't easily cut off their own arms in the early stages of starting a business, she still went to the trouble of sending him over in order to prevent these two from breaking up halfway.
Her last words were: "Everyone has their own destiny. Whether you can save him depends on your own efforts."
Well, actually, she doesn't have the space to store people, and she can't afford an antidote. So Meng Yi is currently in a limbo, just hanging on by his own energy.
They won't die, but they won't live very healthily either, and there's always the risk of dying.
Before Meng Tian could ask any questions, and before Liu Bang could ask any questions, her figure disappeared like slowly fading ink marks, as if she had never existed in this world.
However, both of them present knew very well who the spirit who had spoken to them was. Meng Tian, having directly confronted the influence of the concept, was convinced of Qin's identity.
Liu Bang believed in Meng Tian because of this. Who else could do such a thing? Only a god or the spirit of the nation could do so.
There was no harm in believing it, and he even got a military officer for free, so he believed it, and believed it wholeheartedly!
If He hadn't already left, Liu Bang would have immediately slid down and become a proper lackey.
"This is?"
Meng Tian stepped forward and picked up his younger brother. He himself was in prison, and Meng Yi was in no better shape. He explained to Liu Bang, "This is my younger brother, Meng Yi."
He didn't need to guess to know that it was Hu Hai who gave the order, the purpose of which was to poison his brother, because the decree he received yesterday was also to commit suicide by poison.
His younger brother was closer to Xianyang, and it was already a miracle that he was able to keep his position. While he felt fortunate, he became even more dissatisfied with Hu Hai.
Liu Bang glanced at him and thought, "Good heavens, Meng Tian's younger brother looks unwell, and his lips are abnormally colored. He's either terminally ill or poisoned."
He immediately extended a warm invitation, saying, "I happen to have a simple empty house nearby that I can use to rest."
Meng Tian replied straightforwardly, "Thank you."
He easily hoisted the man up on his back. Liu Bang, who had wanted to lend a hand, withdrew his hand and rubbed his nose: "Let's go, I'll lead the way."
They emerged from the forest under cover, and the closer they got to the stronghold, the more people they encountered. It was as if the place they had been in before was isolated by something; otherwise, with so many people on the mountain, they wouldn't have been unable to meet a single person after talking for so long.
As Liu Bang walked along the road, he greeted this person and chatted with that person, and also introduced the newly arrived Qin brothers to everyone he met.
Meng Tian carried his younger brother on his back and followed behind, observing Liu Bang's every move. Liu Bang, as the head of the village, noticed this but didn't care or try to show off. Instead, he mingled with people as usual.
They soon arrived at the stronghold, where the houses were all simple thatched huts, the sturdiest of which were only half stone and half earth.
Liu Bang opened his door: "Just put him on the bed inside. This is the best room here."
Meng Tian hesitated for a moment. Of course he could tell that Liu Bang was familiar with the place, so this was probably his own room.
"Where do you live?"
"Haha, if you don't mind, you can sleep on the floor with me," Liu Bang raised his chin and pointed to the pile of straw in the room next door. "We lack everything here, except straw mats."
“Okay.” Meng Tian didn’t care about anything. He had been to worse environments and even spent time in prison, so what was a little sleeping on the floor?
He took the initiative to go to the corner of the room, took a rolled-up straw mat, and spread it on the ground. Liu Bang did not stand on ceremony and directly chose a spot to kneel down properly.
He originally wanted to be casual, but then thought it wouldn't be good to be too casual on a first meeting, so he was a little more casual.
Liu Bang calmly asked, "Brother Meng, what are your plans for the future?"
His demeanor showed no trace of the eagerness he had just displayed. Regardless of whether his earlier eagerness to recruit talent was genuine, his current calm demeanor was certainly not feigned.
He was certain that the other party would go with him, not for any other reason than for the miracle of 'Qin' that had appeared today.
Meng Tian first said, "Since I was rescued from prison by Him, this life belongs to Him. The old Meng Tian is dead. The current me... please call me Qin Tian, Lord Liu."
He did not hesitate to change his surname, but after a moment's hesitation, he still used a respectful title for Liu Bang.
Liu Bang stroked his small mustache and pondered for a moment before saying, "Just call me the Duke of Pei. I think that the Second Emperor was so licentious and tyrannical, killing meritorious officials and harming his own brothers, that he was not worthy of sitting on the throne."
What is the general's opinion?
Meng Tian didn't think there was anything wrong with what Liu Bang said. Hu Hai was never favored by others, and if he were to speak for himself, he would definitely think that Prince Fusu was more suitable to inherit the throne.
but……
Perhaps 'Qin' also felt that saving the prince was pointless, and he had noticed before that he could see him because of Liu Bang.
Perhaps there really is such a thing as destiny in this world. He had never seen 'Qin' before, but today he saw 'Qin' through Liu Bang. In the past, His Majesty would not have held his hand, and the young master should not have had that kind of luck, let alone himself.
Those with spiritual insight and a keen understanding of human nature will make better choices than ordinary people when weighing the pros and cons.
However, after carefully observing Liu Bang, who called himself the Duke of Pei, he still couldn't see what made this man so strong. Perhaps it was his exceptionally good interpersonal skills? He could chat with even strangers as if they were old friends. Personal charisma is also a kind of strength.
Qin had its reasons for doing things, so Meng Tian did not object to staying there.
“Tian is no longer a general. A general without subordinates is no different from an ordinary person.” This was purely a humble statement. Even if he had no subordinates, ordinary people could not compare to him. He followed up on Liu Bang’s words and analyzed, “Duke of Pei is planning to rise up… He has been ordered to quell the rebellion. Such soldiers are indispensable. I wonder how many men you have?”
Liu Bang cleared his throat: "Not many, only about three hundred people, with about two hundred being able-bodied young men."
Meng Tian nodded. That was indeed not much. This number was less than a fraction of the troops he used to lead. To think that such a small number of people could start a rebellion was not only wishful thinking but also extremely difficult.
He said tactfully, "Perhaps Liu Bang can wait for the right opportunity."
Liu Bang had this intention, but now was not a good time to rise up in rebellion. He was waiting for someone who was more eager than him.
He laughed and said, "My opinion coincides with yours, my brother. That's what I was thinking too."
And so the two started chatting. They didn't talk about stargazing, life, or ideals, but they did have a clash of ideas.
Even Meng Tian, who was lying on a straw mat covered with straw and chatting, was getting sleepy. Liu Bang, however, was still very talkative. In the end, Liu Bang realized that there was no point in continuing the conversation, so he finally stopped chatting, and the two of them made makeshift beds on the floor inside the house.
****
The next day
Meng Tian considered himself a well-informed person, and he knew that Liu Bang was indeed exceptional. When their conversation yesterday unknowingly veered into the topic of military strategy, he was thinking about whether he should subtly change the subject.
He was confident that even if he changed the subject, it wouldn't upset the other party. However, he soon discovered that Liu Bang could understand what he was saying.
Not only can they understand and follow his train of thought, but they can even explore new and different interpretations.
This is why he insisted on chatting with the other person until midnight, and only went to sleep when he was too tired to continue.
This also caused both of them to yawn constantly when they woke up in the morning. When someone knocked on the door, Liu Bang would yawn and ask, "Who is it? Why are you knocking on the door so early in the morning?"
Having drunk quite a bit of alcohol yesterday, and then going through that ordeal with the 'White Snake' attack, no one should be up this early.
"It's me, I've come to see you."
Upon hearing Lü Zhi's voice, Liu Bang instantly snapped out of his daze, shook his head to clear his head, and quickly stepped forward to open the door: "E'xu, what brings you here?"
"By the way, this is my wife, Lü Zhi, and these are... the Qin brothers who came to seek refuge with me after hearing of my reputation!"
Lü Zhi looked up and sized up Meng Tian for a while, and also noticed the person lying on the bed. She felt that the person in front of her looked somewhat familiar.
However, she couldn't recall where she had seen him before, so she didn't dwell on it and changed the subject to the man in bed: "What's wrong with that young man?"
With ample daylight, unlike the complete darkness of night, Liu Bang said without hesitation, "It looks like he's been poisoned and hasn't woken up yet. Are there any good doctors down the mountain?"
A person who could be valued so highly by Liu Bang must be extraordinary. Lü Zhi gave Meng Tian an apologetic smile: "There is a doctor down the mountain, but I'm afraid he can't treat serious illnesses. I haven't heard of any famous doctors nearby. It would be best to go to a larger city to find a doctor."
"How about this, I'll go and ask that doctor to take a look and prescribe some medicine to nourish the body, so that I can last longer."
Meng Tian bowed to Lü Zhi and said, "Then thank you very much, Madam."
"It's nothing, just a small favor," she replied with a smile, then turned to Liu Bang, "I'm relieved to see that you're alright, my husband."
Liu Bang also winked at Lü Zhi, indicating that the two had cooperated very well yesterday and that the matter was mostly settled.
"I've made E'xu worry."
The two exchanged glances, but Meng Tian didn't understand what they were seeing. He just thought that the couple must have a very good relationship.
Lü Zhi nodded, softly bid farewell to the people inside, and then turned and walked out. She walked through the stronghold with a smile on her face, exchanging a few words with those who had gotten up from time to time.
The smile on her lips gradually faded only when she reached a secluded spot on the mountain path. She had just reminisced about the journey and finally remembered why the two brothers looked familiar.
Now, if she closes her eyes, she can recall the day He allowed her to choose her teacher...
-----------------------
Author's Note: QAQ My memory is so bad I forgot to apply for the rankings. Without a deadline, I'm not sure how much I can write this week (huh?).
-
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 19:59:44 on June 26, 2024 and 20:46:16 on June 28, 2024!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: 64251685 (1 bottle);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
