Chapter 119 My dear grandson, you know what I mean, right? 31
Zhu Qing'ai didn't reply directly. How to put it, she felt that her words were a bit strange, a kind of awkward desire for recognition.
Is he showing off, or simply trying to get her to acknowledge that he is worthy of attention and not without 'threat'?
It was supposed to be a very serious meeting, a day that would surely be recorded in history, but Zhu Qing'ai had no intention of saying anything serious.
It is reasonable for war to cause a change in temperament.
So she smiled and looked at Liu Bang, casually saying the words that had shocked Zhang Liang for a whole year: "I don't quite understand what he's saying, but I suppose you understand, my dear grandson?"
"You tell me."
Liu Bang: ...
Thinking that this was the ancestor he had recognized, the generational order wasn't wrong, but he was a little reluctant to part with the talent he had just acquired.
Talented people are what he desires, and so is 'Qin'... Let it go...
Forget it, only children make choices; adults want it all!
Zhang Liang was the kind of person who clearly didn't get along with 'Qin'. If he had known, he wouldn't have impulsively shake hands or try to open up to them.
I must pay attention to this in the future!
"Ancestor, Zifang has just joined my ranks, can't we be happy?" After persuading this one, Liu Bang went to persuade Zhang Liang, "Ancestor has also long been dissatisfied with Qin Er Shi, and has always supported my cause, so..."
But Zhang Liang was not fooled by these vague words that were trying to evade the question. His expression changed slightly, and he frowned as he asked, "Does the Duke of Pei work for the imperial court?"
Liu Bang quickly denied it: "That's definitely impossible. My ancestor has disliked Qin Er Shi for a long time. How could she possibly support me working for the court?"
"But even so, she was only dissatisfied with Hu Hai. How could she possibly establish a new emperor...?" She might be mixed up with the rebel army. There must be some conspiracy involved!
Zhang Liang wanted to scold Liu Bang for recognizing a traitor as his ancestor, but considering that Liu Bang was still the new lord he had just recognized, he wanted to hear Liu Bang's sophistry.
'Qin' conjured a fan with a handle, lifted it to examine the pattern of the woven fabric, showing no intention of joining the conversation.
Liu Bang's pleading eyes were ignored. After thinking for a moment, he decided to make up his own story. He said in a serious tone, "Of course, it's because destiny is on my side, and there are no capable people in the Qin royal family."
"Of course, that's not the most important thing. I know you think I'm betraying my mother, Zifang, but!"
“She is not ‘Qin’,” Liu Bang said with a straight face, his fabrication becoming more and more fluent, until even he himself believed it. He ignored Zhang Liang’s look of “You’re kidding me” and continued, “She is not just Qin, she is also the remaining six states, she is the spirit created by the fusion of the seven states.”
“I was originally from Chu, and perhaps even from Wei if I trace my lineage back further. She was from Chu or Wei, so it’s perfectly normal for me to call her my ancestor!”
Liu Bang selectively forgot the spirits trapped inside 'Qin', perhaps not yet digested. The thought that 'Chu' or 'Wei' were listening in her stomach, perhaps even cursing him for being an unfilial son, filled him with immense guilt and made him unrepentant to the death.
'Qin': ?
To be fair, Liu Bang was truly a genius. He made such a story that even she herself believed it. It turns out that she was the embodiment of all seven kingdoms; she was the combined spirit of the seven kingdoms!
However, it's hard to say for sure. After all, Guo Ling is very idealistic, so this might not be a bad idea.
However, according to the script she acted out before, both the human and the spirit knew that the remaining six countries were just staying in her stomach, and there was no integration at all. If the memories obtained from annexing the land were considered as annexation, then it would be considered as annexation, not integration.
Perhaps the people who inherited from the six destroyed kingdoms can be considered as integrated, but the already conscious Lingjue cannot be considered as integrated.
But Zhang Liang was unaware of this setting, nor was he aware that Liu Bang knew, through Qin's deliberate leak, that the spirits of the six states seemed to be barely clinging to life.
he……
Based on his own experience and His current behavior, Zhang Liang was actually starting to believe it.
If He was merely a spirit of Qin, why would He advise him to give up being an assassin? Logically speaking, not being an assassin would also be beneficial for him. His advice back then wasn't entirely for the sake of the First Emperor.
Moreover, Liu Bang knew that this man was a genuine rebel, and he didn't have any Qin royal lineage. He was just a peasant who rebelled, and he couldn't even be considered a descendant of nobility.
Once Zhang Liang accepted this premise, he actually felt the maternal instincts, the all-encompassing magnanimity, and the irresistible trust that came from Him.
He didn't feel this way when he saw her in his dream last time, but when they actually met in real life, he felt a vague sense of connection.
She could have directly exposed him, but the First Emperor wouldn't meet with her because he didn't trust her, so she didn't expose his assassination attempt. If this can't be considered protecting him...
Zhang Liang listened to the other party's advice and even got on the 'right path'. Although it was still uncomfortable to hear that the other party was using the name 'Qin', what could Ling decide? It wasn't her fault.
Zhu Qing'ai was unaware of Zhang Liang's unconscious self-talk, but she sensed that Zhang Liang's emotions had calmed down and he didn't seem to be about to run away, which put her at ease.
Liu Bang watched Zhang Liang's expression change several times, unsure whether the other believed him or not. But since he hadn't turned hostile for so long, he figured he might as well assume he did.
Then, as if they were good buddies, he put his arm around Zhang Liang's shoulder and said, "So, Zifang, for the sake of peace in the world, for the sake of the people of the seven kingdoms, let's fight together!"
Zhang Liang's lips twitched. Good heavens, instead of restoring the six kingdoms, they're going to count seven, huh?
He readily agreed, "Okay!"
However, since learning that He is the convergence of the spirits of the seven kingdoms, it seems not so hard to accept. No one has ever seen a spirit of a kingdom before. Perhaps it is because He only appears in times of chaos, or perhaps He only sees those destined by fate.
Like the First Emperor who swept across the land, and like the people he now follows.
Zhang Liang believed that the spirit of the nation could not have too much influence. Just like the change of dynasties, weakness is weakness, and only a few can defy fate.
Zhang Liang, unaware of the so-called plan to defy fate, only felt that the current state of Qin's choice of Liu Bang was a manifestation of destiny.
Just as the ancient divine mandate descended to give birth to the Shang dynasty, and the phoenix emerged from Xiqi to overthrow King Wu of Zhou, why can't there be a Duke of Pei to pacify the world now, just as the First Emperor swept across the six kingdoms?
Zhang Liang had even considered that perhaps the national spirit could live for a very long time, and that changing dynasties might simply involve changing its name. Having guessed the future much in advance, Zhang Liang decided to observe for a while.
Let's see what 'Qin' really intends to do, and what kind of person Liu Bang was in reality.
If all else fails, he can just run away; it's not like he hasn't run away before.
On the surface, both of them appeared very motivated, and their conversation became increasingly excited, but no one knew what they were thinking.
As the only scientific yet unscientific being present, Zhu Qing'ai could only detect emotions; she couldn't hear people's thoughts.
Compared to mind reading, she's still quite scientific.
Liu Bang and Zhang Liang had finished their conversation and Liu Bang only dared to speak to Qin after seeing Zhang Liang off. He could only fool Zhang Liang with his words; he couldn't fool himself too!
He quickly explained his reasons for joining the King of Chu: "The situation in the world is very chaotic at the moment. The court has sent out a lot of troops to quell the rebellion, and I do not have the ability to directly confront them..."
"Therefore, we need to seek refuge with the King of Chu in Liu County..."
He was implying that he was too weak, but it wasn't his fault. He was just tactically lying low, and preserving himself couldn't be called being cowardly.
'Qin': ...
She was used to Liu Bang's attitude, and waved her hand, saying, "It's nothing serious. Just remember the position you want and don't get too caught up in being someone's subordinate."
“Is that even a question? How can a great man live under someone else’s thumb for long…” Liu Bang coughed, and under Qin’s gaze, he immediately added, “Of course, living under someone else’s thumb for long is fine, hehe.”
Qin raised her hand to her forehead, unable to bear to look, utterly unable to bear to look. She wondered if it was just her imagination, but she always felt that Liu Bang was becoming more and more shameless when he was with her.
"Heh, you should think about how to take back Fang Yucheng first."
"A mere Fang Yu, once we borrow troops and generals, it's a piece of cake to capture him."
Regardless of anything else, Liu Bang's words certainly sounded better than his singing.
Qin declined to comment on Liu Bang's confidence.
----
Liu Bang, accompanied by Zhang Liang, headed towards Liu County. The journey seemed similar to that before he encountered Qin, but the atmosphere had ultimately changed.
Liu Bang knew that Zhang Liang might be starting to hesitate and was beginning to re-evaluate him as his lord, but Liu Bang had always been very confident in his personal charisma. Regardless of who Zhang Liang actually was or what his personality was, he always appeared to be someone worth joining.
Upon arriving in Liu County, the two were warmly welcomed by the King of Chu. However, when Liu Bang asked to borrow troops, the King of Chu seemed quite hesitant.
It turned out that the Qin army was currently conquering the Chu territory, and even if the King of Chu wanted to borrow it, he had to resolve his own affairs first.
Having decided to join him, Liu Bang was eager to prove himself and immediately said, "In that case, I am willing to share Your Majesty's burdens. However, I have only a few men with me, so I can only do my bit. If I can avoid losing Fangyu, that would be good. Alas."
He expressed his willingness to help, but politely declined to do it all by himself, while subtly mentioning his own purpose; in short, he was unwilling to suffer any loss.
The King of Chu was also clever. He knew that Liu Bang would not do his work for free, so he said, "I need to discuss this matter with other righteous men. I cannot make a decision on my own. I cannot give you an answer for the time being."
Liu Bang understood this and, without arguing further, went to rest with his attendants. The men he brought also temporarily set up camp at the place designated by the King of Chu.
----
Liu Bang lived with the people he brought, the only difference being that he had a separate tent to stay in, while the rest of the people basically lived in shared tents.
He lay on the mat in the tent, not worried that the King of Chu would not agree to his request to borrow troops. He wasn't borrowing troops for nothing; he still had to do some work first.
While closing his eyes to rest, he was thinking about whether to really fight or just slack off. Before he could finish his thought, something suddenly popped up in the corner of his vision.
He rushed over to check; this was a "benefit" given to him by "Qin," and he couldn't afford to make a mistake...
Liu Bang looked closely and saw that there was nothing wrong with the map he carried, except that after the map was shrunk, a smaller icon resembling a scroll appeared on it.
What does this mean?
Out of curiosity, Liu Bang clicked on the icon, and a scroll of bamboo slips appeared. The book, woven from bamboo slips, slowly unfolded. At the beginning, there were no words indicating a title, only one person's name after another.
At the very front of the list is Zhao Gao, second is Ying Huhai, third is Xiang Yu (whom he doesn't recognize), and fourth is a man named Sima Yi...
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Author's Note: There should be two more updates tonight. That's right, I'm back with another one! (Peaceful)
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