Chapter 24 Chapter Twenty-Four

Ziying's young princess changed clothes with the maidservant at the last moment and escaped from the Qin Palace, and was taken in by Concubine Yu because of a very accidental encounter, and the two worshiped their sisters.Xiang Yu saw that the girl was good-looking and smart, and she could be used as a bargaining chip in his political marriage, so he betrothed her to Yingbo. Yingbo was naturally very happy, so happy that he was no longer willing to participate in the so-called military and political affairs. He said to Xiang Yu: "Yingbo listens to the big brother. I will do whatever you ask me to do. If you break this oath , There is such a sword." As he spoke, he drew out his sword and threw it on the ground, where it snapped.

Xiang Yu nodded happily, he was very satisfied with the immediate effect of his move. Then he killed the nobles of the six countries one by one in front of Zhang Er, Chen Yu, Ying Bu, Wei Bao and others, which not only avenged the past, but also shocked these princes.Of course, this is inseparable from the support he received from Yingbo in advance. Things are so funny and absurd sometimes.Xiang Yu spent a lot of trouble, and finally started the enfeoffment that he planned.The princes did not dare to publicly express their dissent to him.However, it is still inevitable for the dozen or so kings who will be rewarded to fight openly and covertly with each other and bargain.The entrustment meeting lasted for more than two months.

After the day's meeting, Xiang Yu returned to the army tent and cursed: "A bunch of rats! Greedy and shameless!" Fan Zeng said: "It's nothing more than which is bigger and which is smaller. Let them fight for themselves. There is one more thing, how to deal with King Huai? What do you think?" Xiang Yu said: "Does he really have the blood of the old Chu royal family? Before the overthrow of Qin, in order to gather the subjects of the old Chu, support a so-called king and grandson as king, and order the generals through him. But now that Qin has perish, so does this pretense still need to be preserved?"

Fan Zeng said, "Anyway, you can't touch him right now." Xiang Yu said: "I understand this, but I really don't want to show him any good face!" Fan Zeng said: "Well, let's call him 'Emperor Yi'. Emperor is unique in the world, but he is Emperor Yi! If we say he is, he is, if we say he is not, he will..." Xiang Yu nodded and said, "Hello, Emperor Yi!" Fan Zeng said, "What about Liu Bang?" Xiang Yu slapped his head and said, "Get the map, and I'll see what's left." Fan Zeng said: "You might as well give Liu Bang the area that connects Bashu and Hanzhong, and make him the king there. No matter Ba, Shu, or Han, they are all the names of this area. You see, The word Ba is like a worm like an earthworm. People in the Central Plains have always used this type of word to refer to these areas, and this alone can make people feel that this is a desolate and remote place where barbaric peoples settled. Shu also has the word worm. , is a place where people who are regarded as worms live. Liu Bang is trapped in this huge cage-like place, which is no different from cutting off his head. The question is who to distribute the Guanzhong to. But it's a treasure."

Xiang Yu said: "I really hate this so-called important land!" Fan Zeng said: "I suggest that Guanzhong should be divided into two parts, and divided between Zhang Han and his former colleagues Sima Xin and Dong, who were the surrendered generals of the Qin Dynasty. The king of Sai, Dong is the king of Qu. It is better for the people of Qin to govern the people of Qin." Xiang Yu made a final decision on the spot: "Just do it like this!" Now that King Huai of Chu has been abolished as Emperor Yi, who will proclaim himself emperor?Who wants to be called emperor?Of course it was Xiang Yu!But he wants to revisit the old imperial calendar and redistribute the princes.As a result, eighteen princes were sealed, and they were all called kings.Liu Bang, king of Han, Zhang Han, king of Yong, Sima Xin, king of Sai, Dong Yi, king of Zhai, Yingbu, king of Jiujiang, Zhang Er, king of Changshan, etc.And what about himself?He was unwilling to be an ordinary king, and lacked the courage to call himself an emperor. After much deliberation, he chose a word for "Ba" that was neither an emperor, but higher than ordinary "kings" and had the flavor of "leader". "King" in front.He still didn't forget Jiangdong——Xichu, so he gave himself the title of "Overlord of Western Chu".

When the news reached Liu Bang, Liu Bang was furious.He drew out his sword and slashed at the drinking utensils and tables, cursing frantically: "You four-eyed double pupil, I've had enough of your anger! I've had enough of pretending to be a grandson in front of you! Where is it in Bashu?" Go to claim the king? Doesn’t that mean exile me? You can go and go. I want to be the king in Guanzhong. This is where I attacked first. Why is it not counted? It is tolerable and unbearable Forbearance! Tomorrow, tomorrow I will send troops to fight to the death with that Chongtong, fight him to the death! The tiger's butt can't be touched, I don't believe in this evil!"

None of the guards dared to dissuade them, for fear of being slaughtered by him in a fit of anger.When Liu Bang knocked something over, Lu Wan immediately went over to clean it up.The two cooperated seamlessly, as if they had rehearsed in advance. Liu Bang said angrily, "Are you laughing at me?" Lu Wan said seriously: "My lord, I don't have any." Liu Bang stared at Xia Houying for a while, then suddenly smiled self-deprecatingly, and threw the sword aside.Lu Wan ran over again, picked up Liu Bang's sword, and put it back on the sword stand.Liu Bang couldn't help but say, "I'm thirsty."

Lu Wan trotted to find a small wooden jar from the corner, scooped out a piece of pale white solid honey, and put it in the porcelain bowl in front of Liu Bang.Then he picked up the jar containing clear water, poured the water into the bowl, and shook the bowl slowly. Liu Bangwei calmed down a lot, and said: "You are like this every time! You are slow! You have no temper. How can you be so temperless?" Lu Wan shook the bowl and said, "I have no skills. Fan Kui is very capable and has a big temper. My lord, you are capable and have a great temper." Liu Bang laughed and said, "Nonsense! Why hasn't Xiao He, who is capable but short-tempered, come yet?"

Sure enough, Xiao He's words were extraordinary. After he came, he said calmly: "How can you know that it is not a blessing? Peigong's entry into Bashu, in my opinion, is not only not a disaster, but also a thing to be thankful for." Liu Bang asked: "How do you say this?" Xiao He said: "Actually, in the eyes of Xiang Yu, Fan Zeng, and even Pei Gong, Bashu is a remote, dangerous place with poor mountains and bad waters. Little do they realize that this is a big misunderstanding. The climate in that place is originally suitable and the products are abundant. After hundreds of years of operation by the Qin State, especially the Dujiangyan Dam built by Li Bing and his son, this place is already the most affluent area in the Qin State. It is like a big warehouse built by the owner's house behind the wall. All of this, people from the Central Plains who live outside the pass It’s not clear, and I didn’t know it before. But after entering Xianyang, I brought a large number of archives and books of the Qin court back to the barracks. After careful inspection, I discovered this secret through the books of taxes and other taxes handed in over the years. The world is against Qin, The flames of war are continuous, the household registration is scattered, and the land is barren. Only Bashu is stable and has not suffered from military disasters. Bashu has fertile plains, magnificent water conservancy, and natural barriers. It is a good place for Peigong to accumulate strength and prepare his troops. A resort is a land bestowed by God. "Book of Zhou" says: If God does not take it, you will be blamed instead. Pei Gong is not happy but worried, isn't it a failure of God's will?"

After hearing this, Liu Bang was overjoyed: "Are you telling the truth?" Xiao He said: "There is no falsehood. Fan Zeng made a big mistake. He thought that exiling Peigong to a barren land would give you a rich land of fish and rice. It is better for Peigong to accept this reward. It is best to come to Hanzhong as well." .” Liu Bang said: "Ask that guy for Hanzhong? If he doesn't agree, wouldn't I be humiliated by him for nothing? Besides, if we really live in Bashu and Hanzhong, once our strength is exposed, Xiang Yu will come to destroy us at any time. It's dangerous It's not lifted."

Xiao He said: "It is dangerous to establish a dynasty in Hanzhong, but it is worse than sacrificing your life for nothing, right? Obviously, our strength is not as good as theirs! If you fight like this, you will be defeated in every battle. As the lord, you can bear the burden given by one person. It is a great shame, but it has established the credit of the kingdom of ten thousand chariots. Both Shang Tang and King Wu of Zhou have given us such a model. I hope that the king can first establish prestige in Hanzhong, recruit sages, and build the confidence of the people in the dynasty; After stabilizing Bashu, we will in turn conquer the lands ruled by the three Qin generals in Guanzhong, and only after we have such strength will we come to compete with Xiang Yu for the world." Liu Bangdao: "You are right, but if I just accept it, I, Liu Bang, can't explain it to my brothers. We broke down Guanzhong with blood and sweat. The humiliation and forbearance I escaped from the latrine at the Hongmen Banquet is not In exchange for such a result." Having said that, Xiao He couldn't think of any good ideas for a while.So Liu Bang sent someone to call Zhang Liang.Seeing Zhang Liang coming in, Liu Bang suddenly remembered something, called out, and an attendant immediately brought a hundred pieces of gold and two buckets of pearls and placed them in front of Zhang Liang. Zhang Liang asked puzzledly, "What's the meaning of this?" Liu Bang said: "At the Hongmen Banquet, the ovary folded the bottle and made me return safely. I have done a great service to me. Compared with your merits, this small reward is insignificant!" When Zhang Liang saw the gold and jewelry, he suddenly woke up and asked, "Are there any more precious ones?" Liu Bang immediately said: "Bring up those jewels and let Mr. Zifang choose them himself!" Zhang Liang knew that Peigong had misunderstood what he meant, so he quickly said, "I don't want it, I want to give it to Uncle Xiang on behalf of Peigong, and ask him to talk to Xiang Yu to see if it is possible to let Peigong stay in Hanzhong." The plan was implemented smoothly, and Xiang Yu agreed to Liu Bang's request to become king in Hanzhong.Zhang Liang analyzed: "Actually, after the distribution of the enfeoffment, King Xiang's heart was also up and down, fearing that the princes would not accept him. He is like this. On the surface he is self-willed, but in fact he is indecisive. Although he hates Peigong deeply, he is afraid People all over the world accused him of dishonesty, so he agreed to my uncle's suggestion without hesitation." Liu Bang said: "As soon as I received the official appointment of King Xiang to re-entrust, in order to avoid another accident, I hurriedly prepared to leave." Zhang Liang said again: "There is a person who wants to see the king and has been waiting outside the tent for a long time." Liu Bang asked: "Who?" Zhang Liangdao: "Lv Matong, a cavalry school captain in Xiang Yu's army, once beheaded more than a hundred heads of the Qin army." Lu Matong came in and said, "I heard that Pei Gong is going to Bashu. I want to go with Pei Gong." Liu Bang said: "Don't you want to do it with King Xiang?" Lu Matong said: "King Xiang is reducing his army, and I am allowed to return to my hometown." Liu Bang asked: "Then why do you still come to my army?" Lu Matong said: "I don't know anything except fighting. No, it should be said that I can only survive in the army. Please take me in, King of Han." Liu Bang said: "King Xiang is now the overlord of Western Chu, and I am exiled in a remote village. The journey here is dangerous. I am not as rich as King Xiang. I can't give you anything. Maybe I won't even have a full meal." Lu Matong said: "Since Lu Matong chooses to follow you, he will obey the fate of life and death." Liu Bang said: "Okay, you can serve under my command and take orders from Guan Ying. You used to be a cavalry captain, now you can be a cavalry general." Thank you Lu Matong, and pay the bill. Liu Bangdao: "Xiang Yu is so obsessed with force, why should he disarm?" Zhang Liang said: "It's not so much that he wants to do this, it's better to say that he was forced to do so. On the matter of enfeoffment, the princes all gave in and reduced their troops one after another. Even if King Xiang showed the world to see, Will do the same." Liu Bang nodded and said, "Even so, he is still very powerful, so powerful that we can hardly compete." Outside the city of Xianyang, Zhang Han and Sima Xin stood on the mound, looking at Xianyang from a distance. Zhang Han asked, "Has Dong Yi gone to Shangjun?" Sima Xin said: "The day after I received the title, I left." Zhang Han said: "This guy is very numb. The last time I stood here, I led an army of more than 400,000 people to attack Chen bandits vigorously. It's only been a few years." Sima Xin said: "Brother, you don't have to do this..." Zhang Han said: "Advise me not to be sad? This kind of emotion has long since disappeared for me. It has been gone since that day." Sima Xin knew that Zhang Han was talking about the Xin'an massacre, so he didn't say anything. Zhang Han also said: "King Xiang gave me 30,000 soldiers and horses, of course they are all old and weak. He also gave me an inexplicable order." This army can be used to escort the King of Han to Shu, and it can also be used to stabilize the security of Qin. , to wipe out the bandits.' What do you think this means?" Sima Xin said: "The first half of the sentence is mostly Fan Zeng's meaning, and the second half is King Xiang's." Zhang Han laughed loudly, patted Sima Xin's arm and said, "You old fox deserves to be a long history in Qin Dynasty, and you are deeply loved by Li Si. You are so right." Sima Xin said: "Fan Zeng's move is too vicious. It not only does not give Liu Bang an excuse, but also plays a role in monitoring him. But this bad guy, let you do it again." Zhang Han said: "I have divided the 30,000 troops into three troops. One of them should have arrived in Shangjun by now. Take the other one with you." Sima Xin said: "How is this possible? This is disobedience!" Zhang Han said: "Qin, Xiang Yu is talking about Qin, I did not disobey. People gave me, how to use it is my business. As for monitoring the King of Han, I have a better way of doing things like this." Sima Xin said, "I'm afraid Fan Zeng will hate you." Zhang Han smiled and said, "Hate? Is he worthy?" In the garden of the Prime Minister's Mansion in Xianyang, Xiang Yu was playing with Concubine Yu when Fan Zeng came and said hurriedly, "Yu'er! Yuer! Zhang Han is rebellious!" Xiang Yu stroked Fan Zeng's back, patted him lightly and said, "Don't worry, Father Ya, don't worry, Father Ya, speak slowly." Fan Zeng said: "Zhang Han didn't send anyone to follow Liu Bang at all. Instead, he divided the 30,000 troops into three parts and guarded Sanqin." Xiang Yu said, "I let him take charge of those armies." Fan Zeng stomped his feet and said, "Oh, hurry up, send someone to pass the order, while Liu Bang is still in Bashang." Xiang Yu said: "Military orders are like mountains, how can they be changed overnight?" Fan Zeng said, "This is a bad thing!" Xiang Yu got angry, shook off Fan Zeng's hand and said, "Liu Bang? What can he do? You came up with the idea of ​​going to Bashu, and you are the one who is worried now. What do you want me to do?" Fan Zeng said, "It's better to be careful." Xiang Yu said: "I killed 200,000 of Zhang Han's subordinates, and it is only right and proper to give him 30,000 now. He must have more people to manage this disgusting land, right? Stop talking about it." Fan Zeng suddenly felt terrified. He said, "Are you guilty, Yu'er? You can't feel guilty. They are your enemies on the road to supremacy!" Xiang Yu said: "Dignified man, right is right and wrong is wrong. What is there to hide? Yafu, remember that day on the Xianyang city wall, I told you that Xiang Yu didn't want to be the second Qin Shihuang. I am The king of Chu is the Overlord of Western Chu. We are going home. Do you remember?" Xiang Yu stared at Fan Zeng.Fan Zeng said leisurely: "I remember it. I remember it." Then he turned and left.