Chapter 141 They really don't treat them like outsiders. (53)
Most importantly, is this something they could possibly know?!
If it was just their pupils that were shaking, now their hearts are shaking too.
Are you treating them like family? What have they done to deserve this?
Liu Bang felt like crying. After being surprised that the Crimson Dragon and Vermilion Bird were not real, he thought, "If only 'Qin' hadn't been mentioned, my identity as the son of the Crimson Emperor would have been confirmed. Even the defense of the city would have been aided by the Crimson Dragon and Vermilion Bird, making my claim to the throne perfectly reasonable and legal!"
Whether it's recruiting soldiers or attacking other feudal lords later, they have a natural advantage.
But Qin openly admitted that this was a fabricated image she had created.
“They are just two false images. In the end, it will still depend on yourselves,” she said, turning her head slightly to look at the craftsmen guarding the cannons, and emphasized again, “Fire.”
Liu Bang immediately realized that it didn't matter if his own men around him knew it was fake, but the attacking forces below didn't. He immediately ordered, "Fire!"
He was somewhat satisfied with this; the group of craftsmen hadn't moved when they heard her command, not even twice, and only started moving after he spoke.
This shows that he was the one truly in command.
The craftsman, who was simply stunned and didn't react: That's how it is.
When Xiang Yu's army below saw the two enormous figures and panicked, they were barely able to maintain their composure. Then they heard a loud boom, as if fireballs were falling from the sky and exploding loudly among the crowd.
Explosions and screams echoed throughout the room.
The first round of shooting was not intense; it was more of a deterrent than a scare tactic.
But while the people on the city wall were still adjusting the angle of the cannons, the crowd below the city wall immediately went into chaos.
The collapse happened in an instant, and those who were supposed to supervise the frontline soldiers and prevent them from retreating did not react in time. Those who were supervising were either dead or stood there dumbfounded, muttering about divine punishment.
When the second round of fire began, the Vermilion Bird in the sky flipped over in coordination, just like when it launched an attack. The flames from its bright feathers obscured the trajectory of the cannonballs, and no one realized that those things actually came from the city wall of Xianyang.
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Xiang Bo was urging Xiang Yu to retreat. Xiang Yu, though still agitated, listened to Xiang Bo's words. They hadn't even started attacking the city yet, nor had they killed a single one of Liu Bang's soldiers.
He was unwilling, but seeing the two divine beasts in the sky, he lost the will to attack. The most important thing was to send people to gather the scattered troops and retreat first.
Xiang Yu led his men in a retreat on horseback. Once they reached their rear camp, he spent time dismantling the tents and sending men to gather the remaining troops. He had no time to deal with the affairs of Xianyang City and retreated directly back to Hongmen the next day.
Upon entering the Hongmen camp, Xiang Yu angrily took his seat, finished his wine, and then smashed the wine cup.
The bronze wine vessel crashed to the ground with a loud bang. Fan Zeng, who had just entered, jumped aside to avoid being hit.
He bowed and said, "General, please don't be angry."
Xiang Yu looked up at the sound, staring at him fiercely: "You say he truly has the mandate of heaven?"
Fan Zeng's eyes darted around, and he couldn't say anything unpleasant, so he said with great eloquence, "Back then, the Heavenly Mandate sent the Black Bird down to give birth to the Shang Dynasty, but the Shang Dynasty still perished. This shows that the Mandate of Heaven is not immutable."
His words were all meant to comfort Xiang Yu, but he remained silent about the years that had passed between the birth and death of the Shang dynasty.
Xiang Yu felt a little better and stood up: "Come for a walk with me."
"Yes." Fan Zeng understood that his superior was going out for a walk to clear his head.
He was wasting his brain cells, thinking about what to say to comfort her later.
Perhaps the struggle between man and nature is something ingrained in the Chinese nation. Xiang Yu never really thought that he would simply give up on the so-called Mandate of Heaven just because Liu Bang had it. If he had just surrendered to Liu Bang and become his subordinate, he wouldn't have been himself.
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"That day was truly magnificent; I have never seen such a spectacular sight in my life..."
Fan Zeng knew what this person was going to say without even listening, after all, the only thing he had ever seen in the past two days was the sight of the Crimson Dragon and Vermilion Bird appearing together that day.
He cautiously looked at Xiang Yu, who had no expression, wondering whether he should try to comfort him or keep quiet.
Before they could make a decision, Xiang Yu reached out and stopped them.
Fan Zeng understood; he wanted to hear what this person had to say to his friend.
Those who were with Xiang Yu and shared the same surname were also sweating profusely, hoping that this person wouldn't say anything to provoke the general. It would be one thing if he was the only one to suffer, but they shouldn't be dragged down with him.
The few lowly soldiers who were gossiping behind the corner had no idea that someone was listening behind them, or that someone wanted them to be more careful.
He was still marveling, "It's no easy feat that I managed to survive a blazing inferno."
A few words of flattery: "That's right, you're usually luckier than the brothers."
"But I heard that Prefect Liu... said something about destiny, is that true?"
Of course, the words were not spoken by Liu Bang himself, but it was no different for him to send someone to say them than for him to say them himself.
Fan Zeng quickly looked at Xiang Yu's expression. This time, the number of people he brought to attack the city was definitely not all. In fact, the 400,000 troops included logistics, and the actual number of soldiers who went to the battlefield was probably less than half.
In just one day, rumors have spread like wildfire.
He had spoken to others and tried his best to suppress the rumors, but the effect was not good. After all, no matter how much control is exercised, it is impossible to really stop those people from talking.
Xiang Yu's face was gloomy, and he didn't say anything, clearly waiting for the man to continue.
"That's right, it's been circulating lately, even His Majesty hasn't done this..."
"Ahem, perhaps it's because they entered Guanzhong first, and Xianyang was the capital of the Qin Dynasty, so it's naturally different." Someone put it more tactfully, but the actual meaning was no different from the others; they simply stopped them from making fun of the King of Chu.
"So, it's still better to go with Prefect Liu."
"Yes, His Majesty clearly stated that whoever enters Guanzhong first shall be king. General, you have no reason to attack Xianyang. I heard that Prefect Liu invited you into the city before, so this is not reasonable of you either..."
Xiang Yu felt there was no need to listen any further, so he turned around and coldly ordered his men, "Drag him away."
It goes without saying how to handle it; those who went down to handle the matter know perfectly well what to do.
The news was circulating throughout the entire army, but those who were caught were even more unlucky.
During this discussion, Xiang Yu said to Fan Zeng, "Send a letter to the King explaining the situation here."
Fan Zeng: "Yes."
Xiang Yu did not specify what he was going to do, but Fan Zeng had roughly figured it out. He not only had to describe the situation here, but also exaggerate it a bit. Although the King of Chu was installed by Xiang Yu's uncle, he was not the kind of person who was willing to be a puppet.
Knowing the situation here, the King of Chu might not necessarily support Liu Bang, and what he needed to do was to send a message to the King of Chu to firmly stand on their side.
Fan Zeng had a general idea of what to do. Based on his understanding of the King of Chu, there was a 90% chance that the King of Chu would be wary of Liu Bang after learning about the situation, and there was still room for negotiation on the matter of bestowing a title upon him.
However, it was certain that Liu Bang's path to becoming king would not be smooth.
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Xiang Yu had already decided who to rely on for support, and although Liu Bang had easily defeated Xiang Yu, things weren't entirely peaceful for him either.
Since he had not yet become king, Liu Bang, being quite proper, did not use the main hall for meetings. Instead, he simply found a small palace in what was originally the Qin King's sleeping quarters and converted it into a meeting place.
The one kneeling at the head of the table is Liu Bang, and the one next to him who is so bored that he is studying the patterns on his sleeves is 'Qin'.
Because he had briefly gained a 'physical form' in the eyes of the public and had been approached by Liu Bang quite a few times, he readily agreed to participate in the discussions.
Since Liu Bang's intentions were unclear, she didn't bother to speak.
The first person in the next position is Zhang Liang, and opposite Zhang Liang is Wei Sheng Jiu Shi Jiu. There is no objection to Liu Bang's younger brother being placed behind him, and no one else has any objection to this order.
Liu Bang took the initiative to ask, "After Xiang Yu's army retreated, have the remaining troops been settled?"
After defeating the opposing force that day, Liu Bang knew that his opportunity to poach Xiang Yu's troops had arrived. Xiang Yu's army was not entirely composed of Chu people, nor were they all his own confidants. Many of the routed troops came from various states, which presented him with an opportunity.
With the imposing presence of the divine beast that descended upon the world, persuading the deserters to join his ranks was a piece of cake; basically, all the remaining soldiers he gathered switched sides.
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