Chapter 4 Chapter Four

At Liu Bang's house, Lu Zhi was pregnant with her second child. She made dry food for her husband silently, and Liu Bang leaned against the door and watched her.Daughter Lu Yuan was squatting at the door, playing with straw sticks. Liu Bang said: "If I die, you can marry someone else." Lu Zhi put down the dry rations, looked at her husband calmly, and said firmly, "Sir, don't say such things! You will definitely come back!" The two of them looked at each other silently. In the afternoon, when the light rain started to fall, a small official sat on the wooden steps at the door, registering the numbers on the bamboo slips and singing the numbers.Everyone gave their own money, took off their shoes and entered the house.A small official carried a large bundle of firewood on his back, and put it on the edge of the fence in the courtyard, as a gift.There was also a little official holding a black piglet, offering money. The piggy struggled and screamed, broke free from the little official's arms, and ran around in the courtyard.The little official was busy catching the piglets, and the little officials who had already entered the door stood at the door to watch, laughing and laughing.

When Xiao He came, the little official in charge of recording hurriedly knelt up and saluted.Xiao He took off his shoes and entered the room.Liu Bangzhengji was sitting there drinking, and when he saw Xiao He coming in, he hurriedly waved: "Brother Xiao He, I gathered fifty prisoners for me, and I haven't thanked you yet, but you're here." Xiao He smiled wryly and said, "Obviously it was hard for me to find it, but you are thankful instead." Lu Pheasant said: "What did Mr. Cheng Shi say? Who doesn't know that it is more difficult to be a superior than a subordinate. You give Liu Bang this job in our family because you trust him and think he can do it. How can it be said that you are looking for difficulties? In the future, our men Traveling far away, the family is old and young, so I have to entrust you to take care of it."

Hearing this, Xiao He glanced at Lu Zhi, was a little surprised, nodded slightly and said, "It's very difficult to send off your husband this time, and others are not as capable as they are. Those prisoners are not kind people, and this journey will be difficult. It is indeed dangerous. If the time limit is not met, the whole team will be cut off, and if someone escapes, you will even be charged with the crime." Liu Bang and Xiao He looked at each other silently, raised their eyebrows together, and drank in a short while.Xiao He took out a small cloth bag from his arms, put it on the table and pushed it over: "Please take it with you, just in case you need it."

Liu Bang knew it was money, nodded and accepted it calmly, and handed it to the copyist.The little official sang loudly: "My lord Chengshi will give you five hundred coins!" Then he quickly recorded it on the bamboo slips with a knife and pen. On this day, on the side of the road outside the county, the scorching sun was in the sky, and a corvee team of more than 400 people was ready to go.The team was divided into two sections. At the beginning, there were prisoners with hideous faces; at the end, there were farmers from Luzuo with dark faces.All of them had their hands tied behind their backs and were tied into long strings with ropes.Liu Bang stood aside with his arms folded.Behind him are two guards with knives.Xiao He stood aside and watched silently.

Liu Bang walked up to Zhou Fu, untied his hands, handed him the whip and said, "I know, you won't slip." Then he pointed to Yong Chi and said, "Take care of him, don't be shy." Zhou Fu took the whip, walked to Yong Chi's side, and glanced at him.Yong Chi didn't look at him at all, as if the big Zhou Yun was just a piece of air. Lu Wan and Fan Kui looked back and forth, majestically ordering the rustic farmers to stand in line.Cao Shen took the counts of several guards and recorded them on the clay tablet, saying: "Lord Xiao He, the count is over, and there are three people missing."

Liu Bang said calmly: "A lot." He looked at Zhou Bo in the distance.Zhou Bo walked over calmly and stretched out his hands. Liu Bangdao: "Brother Cao, tie him up." With a wave of Cao Shen's hand, two guards tied Zhou Bo up. Fan Kuai said anxiously: "How can this be done! This is my brother!" Liu Bang looked at him and said, "Look among these people, the brothers in the village, can you name them, please?" Lu Wan's complexion changed, she glanced at Fan Kui, and understood: "Brother Ji, could it be?" Liu Bang nodded: "Yes." Then he waved his hand, and the guards went up to tie Fan Kuai and Lu Wan.The two of them pulled apart and knocked down the guard a few times.The guard got up and drew his sword.

Liu Bang pushed away the two guards, walked up to Fan Kui and Lu Wan and said, "Listen to my brother, tie him up." Fan Kuai said: "Since brother speaks, then tie me up first." So the guards tied up Fan Kui and Lu Wan. The heavy rain kept falling, and the escort team had to stop on the road.In the shack, Liu Bang just woke up from a hangover, gnawing on a bone and drinking some residual wine.Lu Wan and Fan Kui came in with the curtains lifted, and said dejectedly, "Brother Ji! Not good, two people ran away! It was too dark, I couldn't watch..." Liu Bang responded: "Oh, I see. Sit down and drink some wine to drive away the cold. Before dawn, you go to a nearby village and tie two people back to make up for it—that's the only way to go."

In the morning, although the sky was bright, it was still full of haze, it was still raining, and the road was still muddy.Liu Bang got out of the shack and looked up at the sky. The rain hit his face. He wiped it off and stretched himself.The corvée huddled under the mountain wall beside the road, some coughed non-stop, some stroked their bodies covered in muddy water, and some swallowed dry food that had become muddy.Fan Kui and Lu Wan came back with two people.Fan Kuai and Lu Wan pushed and beat the two peasants to the center of the corvee.After counting the number of people, Lu Wan was startled, and hurriedly ran towards Liu Bang: "Brother Ji! Five more ran away!"

At this time, a farmer who had just been captured took advantage of Fan Kui's unpreparedness, jumped up and screamed, and was bitten angrily.The corvees clamored and shouted non-stop.Lu Wan rushed over and whipped and cursed, and the situation became chaotic.Although Liu Bang had a headache, he was helpless, so he had no choice but to let go, turned around and walked into the shack to continue drinking. Finally, when the rain stopped, the road was still muddy, with puddles everywhere.Liu Bang walked out of the shack, wearing a belt and carrying a sword, while looking around.Hundreds of corvees were all staring at him nervously.

A person was kneeling in the middle of the road with his head bowed—it was Yong Chi.Fan Kuai watched closely.Five prisoners knelt by the side of the road, guarded by guards with swords. Lu Wan said: "These guys conspired to rebel and wanted to kill us before we escape!" He pointed to Yong Chi and said: "He is the leader!" Liu Bang looked at it, and suddenly got tired. He pointed to Yong Chi and said, "Untie the rope for him."Afterwards, Fan Kuai and two guards hurriedly untied the ropes of Yong Chi and the five prisoners. Liu Bang shouted: "Everyone! Untie everyone's ropes! Listen everyone! Because of this damn rain, we have lost our due date! According to the laws of Daqin, those who missed their due date for five days will be killed by the whole team! We are already ten days late! Ten days! Human life is lived day by day, one day is alive, and one day is death... If entering is also dying, retreating is also dying, what should we do? Can we kill each other? ...Run, fight for one day's life, run!!"

Everyone listened, but no one dared to move.An officer drew his sword and pointed at Liu Bang and shouted, "Who dares to move! Great Qin's strict laws, don't listen to him!" Before he finished speaking, Lu Wan cut the officer down in the mud with his sword.Liu Bang looked back and remained calm.Yong Chi quietly inserted his hands into the puddle... Another guard yelled and swung his knife to cut Lu Wan, but Yong Chi rushed forward and hugged him.When Yong Chi let go of his hand, the guard fell limp, and everyone saw that a bamboo tube was inserted into the guard's vest, and blood spurted out.It turned out that Yong Chi had already prepared.Seeing this scene, everyone was stunned, not knowing how to react.Liu Bang suddenly drew his sword and ran over, cut the rope that tied people up, and shouted, "Run! Go!" As if suddenly awakened together, the crowd tore the rope apart by various methods - stones, teeth bites, etc., threw them into the air, and fled one after another.However, there were still more than 30 people who did not leave, staring blankly at Liu Bang, including Zhou Bo, Zhou Yun, Yong Chi and so on. This group of people who had just gained freedom strode towards the vast and deep Mangdang Mountains... Liu Bang talked and laughed happily, and led everyone into the deep mountains with the feeling of drinking.Ji Xin sang the song of Chu wantonly.Many people joined in, and for a while, the desolate and piercing sound of Chu's song echoed in the mountains... Xiao He came to the cell under the guidance of the jailer.Lu Zhi sat in the cell, not showing any signs of distress.Xiao He entered the cell, and the two greeted each other.Xiao He said: "I have wronged you, please rest assured, the child is safe and sound." Lu Pheasant said: "I know, my lord must have sent someone to send her to my concubine's natal home. I'm sorry, my lord, I really don't know how to thank you." Xiao He said: "It's nothing, it should be. Liu Bang's sending off his husband this time is indeed a disaster. I thought that I would have to suffer some hardships on the way. At any rate, as long as I can come back, I will escape the catastrophe. I don't know. There is no way to hide from robbery. Alas, I didn’t want your family to be implicated. Xiao is ashamed and powerless, so he can’t help you out for the time being, and you have to suffer some grievances here.” Lu Pheasant said: "Your Majesty, don't worry, I will take care of myself. My concubine took care of me physically and mentally. Liu Bang is not a fool. He committed such a serious crime because he had nowhere to go. Since he and I are husband and wife, luck Fate is connected, there is nothing to complain about. The county magistrate is an old friend of Yan Jiayan, he will not make things difficult for me. I only worry about my father-in-law. He is old and frightened by this. It's hard. Although my husband didn't say it, I know that he cares about this old father the most in his heart. It's important to keep the old man safe first. Mr. Cheng Shi is my husband's best friend, and the concubine entrusts her to her without hesitation. You're welcome." Xiao He saw that Lu Zhi's words were so logical, he couldn't help admiring him, and said: "I will pay attention to the old man's side, don't worry." In another cell, old Mrs. Liu was terrified, shackled in a corner, and was crying.There is a food box in front of him, which is rich in food.Cao Shen came in and said, "Grandpa, let me break the shackles for you. Granny, you should eat some food first and calm down!" Seeing his surprise, Cao Shen said again: "Grandpa Liu, put your heart in your stomach. Not only will you eat well this meal, but you will be well served after every meal!" Mrs. Liu said: "Why is this? I have lived my whole life, and I have never seen such a cheap thing! If you don't tell me, I won't eat it!" Cao Shen said in a low voice: "To be honest, I have always been friends with Liu Bangsu. I cannot let you go because of my duty. But one day I will have one day you. I will treat you like a father, and I will never let you go." Let you throw your life here. Please rest assured." While talking, Xia Houying entered the prison with a small clay jar, and said with a smile: "Old man! There is food but no wine, what's the situation? Come on, although it's not good wine, I can barely drink it!" While talking, Xia Houying tore off the mud seal, and the aroma of wine overflowed. Mrs. Liu was just astonished, and suddenly four or five strong men were carrying food and entered the prison.Mrs. Liu raised her eyes and saw them, and one of them said, "Young Ren Ao, I'm here to pay my respects!" The other said: "The old lady is here, little Zhou Ke, come and see the old lady!" Everyone's voices came and went, and the small prison was overcrowded.Mrs. Liu was surprised and moved. She didn't want Liu Bang to make so many friends. At noon, the streets of Huaiyin County were sparsely populated. Ji Tao and several other weaver girls sat under a big tree and were busy weaving a piece of linen on the loom. They had a clear division of labor, some spinning thread and some weaving. At this time, the other weaving girls suddenly started talking among each other. I saw Han Xin walking idly from the street corner. A worn-out sword and a pair of clogs under his feet.For his weirdness, Han Xin didn't care at all, with a calm expression, he just walked while looking ahead. Han Xin inadvertently glanced in the direction of the Weaver Girls.At this moment, Han Xin stumbled, staggered suddenly, and stepped on the ground with his bare feet. When he looked back, he found that the strap of the clog was broken and stayed where it was. The Weaver Girls laughed loudly.Han Xin walked back with one foot high and one foot low, looking at the wooden clogs on the ground, a little embarrassed. Ji Tao looked at the sisters beside her who were laughing so hard, then looked at Han Xin who was embarrassed, ran over, and said, "The strap is broken, let me sew it for you." As Ji Tao said, she knelt down to help Han Xin sew the shoelace .Under the noon sun, the tall Han Xin looked down at Ji Tao squatting in front of him and sewing shoelaces for himself, showing an embarrassed expression for the first time. After a while, Ji Tao stood up easily and said, "Okay, let's try." Han Xin tried it, and it really fit, so he quickly saluted and thanked him.Ji Tao didn't speak, and showed Han Xin a bright girly smile, then turned her head and ran back under the tree, continuing to work. Han Xin went all the way into the gate of Nanchang Pavilion Chang's house, where his wife, Mrs. Wang, was shelling corn.Han Xingong saluted neatly and said, "Sister-in-law." Wang raised her head and saw Han Xin, her face sank for a moment, she threw the bamboo basket in her hand, and was about to have a seizure when the Nanchang pavilion chief came back and said, "You are here, today I am feeling a lot of trouble. I want to talk to you quickly. Please take a seat." Then he turned around and told Mrs. Wang, "Hurry up and serve the food, don't you see that the guests have been waiting for a long time?" The head of the pavilion led Han Xin to his seat, and Mrs. Wang glared at Han Xin unhappily, and muttered in a low voice, "He comes to eat all the time, how can he be considered a guest?!" Han Xin didn't take it seriously when he heard this, and the head of Nanchang Pavilion was a little embarrassed, so he asked, "What are my future plans?" Han Xin said: "I have already thought about it. Local horses are scarce in Huaiyin County. There is only one horse farm within a hundred miles. It is not enough to supply official horses, so you see—" At this point, Han Xin pushed away the bowls and chopsticks and put them on the table. Deduced, "I can buy stallions from the north, and the number of mares must be more than stallions. Suppose I buy five mares and two stallions at the beginning, and it will take about three years to walk from the north to Huaiyin County. If the breeding can be successful in the middle of the month, I will have at least twelve horses in Huaiyin County. Then, I will sell one or two horses to make a living, and the rest of the horses will continue to be bred. It won't be long before I can build a horse farm." The head of the pavilion in Nanchang listened fascinated, and couldn't help exclaiming: "Ah, it sounds like a good job! Then what are you waiting for, get ready to go!" Han Dao said, "But, I don't have the principal! There is another question, after I arrive in the north, who should I buy a stallion from?" The head of the pavilion in Nanchang said disappointedly: "Oh, there is no capital and no source of goods, so what you said for a long time is just a hypothesis?" Han Xin nodded: "It doesn't matter, business is not my ambition." The head of the pavilion in Nanchang asked, "Then what is your ambition?" Han Xin chuckled: "It's really hard for me to say it..." The head of the pavilion in Nanchang waved his hands discouragedly and said, "Okay, okay, since you can't say it, you don't have to say it!"