Chapter 20 3. Xiang Yu's only counselor

Fan Zeng is a strange person in Juchao area.He is seventy years old, homeless and living alone.To live to the age of seventy is considered a long life. This Fan Zeng is not blind and deaf. He also planted a few acres of Susukida, went to the mountains to cut firewood, and went to the river to catch fish. He lived a good life.What's more valuable is that his mind is still not confused at all, and he can think of strange ways to solve small things in the village.At that time, miscellaneous taxes were exorbitant, the common people were hungry and full, and no one lived to such an old age, so some people called him an old fairy, and some called him an old monster behind his back.

Fan Zeng never cared what others said. He had a strange temper and was unwilling to talk to others. He occasionally said a few words that were inscrutable, and others couldn't understand them, and they didn't want to understand them.Someone with good deeds asked him: "You are not dead, what are you waiting for?" Fan Zeng was not angry, and replied: "I want to wait to assist Mingzhu to realize my ambition." Shaking his head got up and left.Whenever someone was arrested for military service, the alley was filled with the cries of women and children. Fan Zeng sighed and said, "Haven't you seen it? Sooner or later, the river will change color."

Sure enough, it didn't take long for someone to start rebelling.The people living in Chao felt that Fan Zeng had a foresight, so they asked him what to do.Fan Zeng said: "This is the general trend, and no one can resist it. It is better to join the rebel army than to die under the hands of cruel officials. I am leaving too..." Fan Zeng had already made up his mind that he was going to join the powerful Xiang Liang to achieve his own career.He went out overnight and set out on the road under the stars. Fan Zeng, already seventy years old, had waited all his life and finally got his chance.He has experienced the chaos of Qin's destruction of the six kingdoms, and seen the tyrannical Qin's ruleless rule, and he has long realized that a big storm is brewing.Heroes emerge in troubled times, Fan Zeng said to himself: "This is a good opportunity."

Fan Zeng walked for several days and finally arrived at Xiang Liang's residence.The guarding soldiers saw a white-haired old man rushing forward, and asked him what he wanted to do. Fan Zeng said loudly, "I want to join the army." The soldier was very surprised when he heard this, and said, "You are so old. Can I fight?" Fan Zeng stroked his beard and said with a smile, "Don't look at me when I'm old, I can be worth thousands of troops!" When the soldiers heard the old man's wild words, they didn't dare to make their own claims, so they reported back to Xiang Xiang. beam.Xiang Liang received Fan Zeng with great interest.

When Fan Zeng saw the uprising leader he had been thinking about day and night, he thought to himself, this is the Ming Lord I want to assist.He has a lot of good ideas to tell Xiang Liang.It's just that Xiang Liang didn't ask him anything. Xiang Liang thought that even such old people came to join the army, which shows that my Xiang's army is very popular among the people, so he said: "Mr. must have a plan to help me, so stay in the camp." .” Then he arranged for his subordinates to lead Fan Zeng down.Although Fan Zeng didn't have a chance to tell his strategy, he was quite satisfied with Xiang Liang.

At the beginning, Fan Zeng was not conspicuous under Xiang Liang's tent, and the discussions were all about trivial matters, and Fan Zeng felt that he had nothing to offer.Xiang Liang gradually forgot about this old man who joined the army at the age of seventy.It wasn't until the situation developed rapidly that someone urged Xiang Liang to proclaim himself king, and Fan Zeng stood up to stop it, and offered a plan to make the queen Huai of Chu king, so as to give the rebel army a trump card and command the world.Xiang Liang was amazed by Fan Zeng's incisive analysis of the current situation, and adopted his strategy. From then on, he looked at Fan Zeng differently, and Fan Zeng gradually became Xiang Liang's number one adviser.

The Qin army besieged Julu, and the situation was critical. King Huai of Chu ordered Song Yi and Xiang Yu to rescue Zhao, and Fan Zeng was appointed as the last general.This is Fan Zeng's first military rank, which is enough to satisfy him.At this time Xiang Liang had been killed. Fan Zeng was grateful for Xiang Liang's kindness and took good care of Xiang Yu.But things are not as he imagined, King Huai of Chu's arrangement is to use Song Yi to restrict Xiang Yu and Fan Zeng.For the first time, Fan Zeng felt the helplessness of being a hero without a place to play. Could it be that internal political struggles will ruin his future?

At this time, Xiang Yu, who seemed so young, gradually showed his leadership qualities, killing Song Yi and seizing military power.Fan Zeng was terrified when he saw it. He admired Xiang Yu so much that he secretly regarded Xiang Yu as his second master. In the battles that Xiang Yu experienced, Fan Zeng became a member of the core decision-making team.Xiang Yu also admired this old man very much, and respected him as "Yafu".Xiang Yu himself had a high self-esteem, and he had many generals around him, who often valued force and ignored strategy. Therefore, according to historical records, Fan Zeng was the only person who advised Xiang Yu by his side, and Fan Zeng was Xiang Yu's only adviser.

Xiang Yu was unstoppable until he entered Guanzhong and enfeoffed the eighteen princes.Such an achievement, in Fan Zeng's view, is only one step away from his ideal. He believes that Xiang Yu should dominate the world and no one can match him, and he will also be a "teacher of the emperor" who will last forever.Fan Zeng often thought: "I am old, I hope that day will come soon, so that my life will not be wasted." But he vaguely felt that it was not the time yet, although many people expressed their surrender to Xiang Yu, But there was still too much reluctance in his eyes, especially that Liu Bang.

Fan Zeng had a bad impression of Liu Bang.Liu Bang speaks glibly and makes Xiang Yu so happy every time, but he develops fast and occupies Xianyang, will he still be so honest?Fan Zeng tried his best to come up with the Hongmen Banquet, hoping to get rid of Liu Bang, but Xiang Yu was too benevolent to let Liu Bang go.At that time, Fan Zeng smashed the jade bucket with his sword, and yelled: "You are too confused!" Since Fan Zeng was regarded as "Yafu", of course he could scold his "son", but Xiang Yu's eyes were cold, Fan Zeng Looking at it, I feel cold in my heart.

Later, Xiang Yu said in public more than once: "Father Ya is getting old..." Fan Zeng heard that, besides being sad, he was sad, so how could a child who is brave and decisive become a mother-in-law when dealing with his opponents?Fan Zeng couldn't figure it out no matter what he thought.At this time, the two were no longer as close as before.Xiang Yu didn't even trust his only counselor anymore, and the danger was getting closer and closer to him. At the beginning of the third year of the Han Dynasty (204 BC), Chu and Han confronted each other, and the Chu army cut off the Han army's food road several times. Liu Bang was trapped in Xingyang and asked Xiang Yu for peace.Xiang Yu wanted peace talks, and Fan Zeng said directly: "Now the Han army is at your fingertips. If you give up, you will regret it later. Have you forgotten 'Hongmen Banquet'?" The last thing Xiang Yu wanted to hear was the word "Hongmen Banquet". Xiang Yu was not happy about the proof that his resourcefulness was higher than his own, but he didn't say it out. He still accepted Fan Zeng's opinion and prepared to attack Xingyang urgently. At this critical moment, some rumors began to spread in the army, saying that some generals in the Chu army colluded with the Han army and wanted to cooperate with the outside... Fan Zeng was very alert to these rumors. He thought: "When the war is coming, such rumors will spread. What kind of conspiracy is the Han army doing?" He hurriedly went to Xiang Yu and said: "These rumors are spreading in the army, which is extremely harmful to our army. Please clarify the rumors early, and attack Xingyang quickly, so as not to miss the opportunity..." Xiang Yu seemed to feel that Fan Zeng's words were unnecessary, so he waved his hand to interrupt Fan Zeng's words, and said, "I know that, go down and rest." Comfortable, and the steps are heavy. A few days later, Fan Zeng discovered that Xiang Yu was not allowed to attend the meeting.He found a general with whom he had long been in touch and inquired quietly. It turned out that Xiang Yu sent envoys to the Han army camp. The receptionist saw them and said, "I thought it was Fan Zeng's envoy." Food, so King Xiang suspected that Fan Zeng had friendship with Liu Bang... Hearing this, Fan Zeng became furious, spat out a mouthful of blood, and shouted, "This is Liu Bang's trick!" Fan Zeng struggled to see Xiang Yu, but Xiang Yu avoided him.Fan Zeng waited outside the tent for several days. When Xiang Yu saw Fan Zeng, Fan Zeng seemed to be ten years older and dying.Xiang Yu said coldly: "Yafu is not physically strong enough, so don't worry about military affairs in the future." Fan Zeng wanted to explain something, but seeing Xiang Yu's expression, his heart turned cold and he couldn't say a word.Fan Zeng felt grief and indignation in his heart, King Chu, King Chu, you really fell for Liu Bang this time... But what he said was: "The great affairs of the world have been decided, the king can take care of himself, I ask to retire and return to my hometown." All the generals remained silent, and Fan Zeng still had a little luck in his heart. Maybe the King of Chu would think about his past friendship, change his mind, and see through Liu Bang's tricks, but Xiang Yu said calmly, "Okay!" Fan Zeng's heart suddenly died. The next day, there was no one to see him off, and Fan Zeng set out on the road alone.Thousands of mountains and rivers, infinitely desolate, after this blow, Fan Zeng's health was not as good as before, he thought to himself: Maybe my days are numbered.I couldn't help thinking of the question asked by a good person a few years ago: "You are not dead, what are you waiting for?" He replied loudly: "I want to wait to assist Mingzhu to realize my ambition."Fan Zeng was in a daze, wanting to cry but no tears. A few days later, Fan Zeng died on the road due to back gangrene. After Fan Zeng's death, Xiang Yu realized that he had wrongly blamed Fan Zeng, and also lost the best opportunity to defeat the Han army, and regretted it too late.Two years later, Xiang Yu's army retreated to Gaixia, and Xiang Yu committed suicide in Wujiang.In response to Fan Zeng's words: "The one who wins the king of the world must be the Duke of Pei." Liu Bang ascended to the throne of emperor as the victor of the "Chu-Han War" and established the most powerful Han Dynasty in Chinese history.When Liu Bang summed up the lessons of Xiang Yu's failure, he said: "Xiang Yu has a fan and can't use it, so I caught it for me." Liu Bang's words somewhat mocked Xiang Yu for not understanding the meaning of employing people.When Xiang Yu arrived in Xianyang, he never thought that he would be the king of Guanzhong. He burned Xianyang and prepared to return to the Guandong.None of Xiang Yu's counselors, including Fan Zeng, proposed that Xiang Yu establish Guanzhong as his capital, which shows that Xiang Yu lacks first-class counselors.Naturally, Fan Zeng couldn't compare with Zhang Liang, but he was also considered a good counselor, so the only available person was also given up by Xiang Yu.Xiang Yu believes in himself too much, isn't failure inevitable?