Chapter 114 Guarding Pei County 26
Liu Bang's words were not meant to relinquish the prize he had already secured; he simply felt that being appointed magistrate of Pei County was not a respectable position.
This recommendation of a worthy person was just a formality. The intelligent people present knew the final result perfectly well. As for the young people who were excited by Liu Bang's actions, they did have the idea of believing in Liu Bang. Immediately, someone shouted that Liu Bang was the most suitable one.
Liu Bang did not agree directly, and declined as usual.
Wei Sheng Jiu Shi Jiu stood in the crowd, silently watching Liu Bang, who was surrounded in the center. Zhu Qing Ai stood beside him. Thanks to his blood-stained clothes, there was space around him, and he was just the right position to avoid being pushed around by the ignorant crowd.
Zhu Qing'ai asked with interest, "How about we bet on how many times he'll decline?"
"Twice?" Wei Sheng Jiu Shi Jiu thought for a moment and decided that twice would be enough; any more would be impolite.
Zhu Qing'ai nodded and said, "At least three times. Refuse this time, then refuse Xiao He once, then refuse Cao Can once, and finally agree."
I've witnessed a live version of the three resignations and three concessions in my lifetime.
As expected, Liu Bang refused Xiao He's invitation. He also refused Cao Shen's persuasion. However, when these two men tried to persuade him, they did not simply offer empty words of advice. Instead, they listed Liu Bang's merits and strongly argued that he was suitable to be the magistrate of Pei County.
Having said almost everything nice, Zhu Qing'ai waited to see what the next person would say.
At this moment, an elderly man leaning on a cane stepped out from the crowd. He coughed before speaking, "Young man Bang, there's no need to decline. There's no one suitable to be the magistrate of Pei County right now. If we wait for someone from the imperial court, it might be too late..."
The old man seemed to be quite famous among the crowd. As soon as he spoke, the surroundings quieted down considerably, and almost everyone looked at him, waiting respectfully for him to speak.
There were only two exceptions: one was Wei Sheng Jiu Shi Jiu, who remained unmoved and maintained his aloof persona in this world; the other was Zhu Qing Ai, who, since no one around could see her, naturally acted more recklessly.
She was more curious about Liu Bang's reaction. If he agreed now, she would have won the gamble, even though there was no real prize involved.
Liu Bang knew there was no point in continuing the act, so he went along with the old man's suggestion and said loudly, "I am grateful for your kindness and have accepted this position, but since we are about to start a rebellion, it is not appropriate for me to take up an official post in the court..."
Xiao He followed suit and said, "Why not follow the Chu system and call him the Duke of Pei!"
The onlookers also graciously shouted, "Lord Pei! Lord Pei!"
"Haha, I thank you all for your trust." Liu Bang smiled sincerely and bowed to the crowd in thanks.
He didn't forget to observe Meng Tian's situation, but a glance at Meng Tian's face showed no change in expression, so he figured he was probably alright.
He wondered how Qin had done it, or what he was thinking. He was both curious and wary.
After putting on a show for everyone and winning over the hearts of the people, Liu Bang led his men back to the former residence of the magistrate of Pei County.
He will work here from now on. He brought a lot of people here to discuss what to do next, the most important thing being the uprising.
Wei Shengjiu was naturally among these people. It cannot be said that Liu Bang trusted him much; it may have just been a test. Of course, he was not the only one being tested; Meng Tian, who occupied a place on the other side, was also being tested.
Liu Bang wasn't afraid of Meng Tian causing trouble, since he still had hostages in his hands. He just wanted to see what attitude the two men had towards the uprising.
After he finished speaking, Meng Tian did not respond, but subtly suggested: "Now that there is no banner to raise, even if we were to start an uprising, we should not be in such a hurry."
Xiao He said confidently, "Brother Qin need not worry about this. Someone will naturally bring it up later, and then Liu Bang can take the opportunity to set up an altar and raise a flag to recruit righteous troops."
Meng Tian nodded slightly in agreement and then had nothing more to say.
We can't really ask him to devise strategies for attacking the imperial court; he's not that open-minded yet.
Wei Sheng Jiu Shi Jiu recalled his mission and the military manual that Zhu Qing Ai had sewn for him, and calmly said, "Soldiers won't do."
Xiao He's probing gaze fell on Wei Sheng Jiu Shi Jiu: "Oh? Then what should we do according to your suggestion, sir?"
He was curious about the man who had single-handedly killed the magistrate of Pei County, and he could also see that Liu Bang was curious, so he took the opportunity to act as a mouthpiece.
"Training troops."
He continued to use short words, as if he was born unable to speak in long sentences. But because of his deceptive appearance, no one suspected that he was stupid; they simply thought he had the demeanor of a wise man and that this was how it should be.
Liu Bang coughed and said, "In that case, you and Brother Tian must have a lot to talk about. He is also a skilled one, and you two can perhaps exchange ideas."
Meng Tian immediately pulled the man to his feet, saying he wanted to go out and learn from him.
Wei Sheng Jiu Shi Jiu nodded generously and walked out with the others. Of course, they didn't fast-forward to the training session, but instead explained their respective philosophies.
When Meng Tian heard the theory that Wei Sheng's ninety-nine stitches were derived from five thousand years of history, he was not only amazed but also quite astonished, as it sounded very feasible.
They selected a dozen or so people and conducted a brief experiment.
The commotion outside could be heard inside, and Cao Shen couldn't sit still and wanted to go out and see what was going on, so only Xiao He and Liu Bang remained inside.
Even though it was in private, Xiao He still earnestly addressed Liu Bang as the Duke of Pei: "I know you quite well. Who exactly is that Qin Tian? He doesn't look like someone who was born in the countryside."
Such a person is rare even in Xianyang City, let alone Pei County.
Liu Bang chuckled, thinking that now was not the time to tell them the truth, so he simply said, "You'll find out in time, it's not the right time yet." Then he changed the subject, "Aren't you curious about what the two of them are saying to each other? Why don't you come out with me and see?"
Xiao He said, "Military treatises are secrets passed down among different families. Wouldn't it be annoying if people went out and read them?"
Look, it's gotten to the point where they think those two are armed with military strategy books.
Liu Bang thought about it and agreed; it was not surprising that the Meng family, who had been fighting for generations, possessed military books.
"What about Cao Shen?"
Xiao He smiled slightly: "He was naturally acting out of concern."
So there are reasons for both going and not going. Liu Bang and Xiao He exchanged a smile, seemingly forgetting their earlier discussion about Meng Tian's identity. The two walked out like good brothers, but upon closer inspection, Xiao He was still half a step behind Liu Bang, not walking ahead of him.
****
When Lü Zhi returned after finishing her business that evening, Meng Tian and Wei Sheng Jiu Shi Jiu had already become close friends, feeling as if they had known each other for a long time. The two had a lot in common when it came to leading troops, but their strengths seemed to be different. One was better at leading troops into battle, while the other was better at logistics management.
Empress Lü went to see Liu Bang and told him that things were almost better and that he should prepare himself, as someone would bring up the matter of rebellion the next day.
Liu Bang held Lü Zhi's hand, feeling that everything had been going incredibly smoothly lately, and his gaze towards Lü Zhi was very gentle.
Empress Lü was not fooled by Liu Bang's behavior. She calmly reported what she had seen and heard that day, as well as the matters to be handled and the final outcome.
He also told the other party his estimate: "If things go smoothly tomorrow, raising a team of a thousand people will not be a problem."
"So, what are your plans next?"
Liu Bang led his men into the inner chamber, saying softly, "If we have enough men, my plan is to first lead the army to attack Huling and Fangyu..."
"What about me? Why don't you take me with you?"
Liu Bang looked up at Lü Zhi and suddenly felt that he couldn't see his wife very clearly in the lamplight. However, recalling her decisive actions that day, he felt that she was not incapable of achieving anything. After thinking for a moment, he suggested, "How about you guard Pei County, Madam?"
It wasn't about quietly staying in Pei County, but about guarding it.
The difference between the two is significant, which lies in whether or not one has the authority to command troops.
Empress Lü was fairly satisfied with the result. It was difficult to suddenly request to go to the battlefield with others, but it was much easier to just lead troops to guard the main camp.
So she took a step back, smiled gently, and said, "My husband, go into battle with peace of mind. With me in Pei County, nothing will happen."
Neither of them felt tired while acting, and they were both satisfied with the result, so they blew out the lamp and went to rest.
****
Just as Lü Zhi had predicted, the next day, whether it was the hundreds of men Liu Bang brought back or the people of Pei County, the will of the people was to elect Liu Bang to lead the uprising.
What followed was a natural progression: Liu Bang, in accordance with the will of the people, chose an open space in the county to set up an altar, erected a red flag, and announced the recruitment of righteous troops to join him in the uprising.
By October, after the New Year, the rebel army had quickly expanded to three thousand men.
As previously stated, Liu Bang led his army to attack Huling and Fangyu counties. Meng Tian, Xiao He, and Cao Can were taken with him, while Wei Sheng, Jiu Shijiu, and Lü Zhi remained in the county.
Wei Sheng stayed here because he told Liu Bang that he was not good at leading troops and that it would be better to leave this to Qin Tian. When Liu Bang asked him what he was good at, he said without hesitation that he was good at farming.
Although Liu Bang doubted whether someone with his appearance was truly skilled at farming, he did not object, since it was true that he was skilled at training troops.
The two thousand men he took with him were all somewhat capable of fighting, while the few hundred men he left behind still needed some training, so they were left to Wei Sheng Jiu Shi Jiu to lead.
Lü Zhi handled many important matters in the county, and it wasn't that no one had any objections. However, there were too many people who saw her drawing a bow and shooting arrows. When she first led troops with Wei Sheng Jiu Shi Jiu, she immediately picked a few people and gave them a good beating.
People at this time were undoubtedly martial, and a woman's identity was not very important; she was strong!
It's just their nature to admire the strong.
Wei Sheng watched his future soldiers get beaten up before officially taking over and beginning experimental training.
Extensive training naturally requires people to eat and drink well. Fortunately, he really knows how to farm. During the years he stayed here, he stored all the grain he grew. When he took people to his home to inspect the grain and casually donated it, even Lü Zhi looked at him with surprise and suspicion.
So, this person is really good at farming.
It's not that I hadn't considered that so much grain was purchased, but such a large transaction couldn't possibly escape the notice of those around me.
Products grown on the land are more reliable than those bought.
However, thinking about this, she couldn't help but wonder if the land here, though plentiful, could possibly produce so much grain. She even had someone secretly inquire about it, and it seemed that the area had only been inhabited for a few years, so the number didn't quite add up.
Forget it, I don't want to think about it anymore. The benefits are right in front of me, it wouldn't be good not
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