Chapter 25 Chapter Twenty-Five

Liu Bang's Han army was on its way to Sichuan.That night, after setting up camp, someone from Xiaohe came to report: "My lord, a man named Han Xin wants to see you. He said he is a distant relative of yours. He said he had a letter from your uncle." Xiao He said: "My uncle doesn't even know how to write, how can he write a letter? Let him in." Han Xin enters.Since Xiang Yu withdrew his troops, he wandered all the way to Liu Bang's camp.Han Xin said: "Han Xin is rude, please forgive me, my lord. I heard that your lord has a good friendship with the king of Han. I would like to ask you to introduce me to the king of Han."

Xiao He felt very surprised, and said: "Who are you, the King of Han is the one you want to meet?" Han Xin said: "My name is Han Xin, a native of Huaiyin, and I was serving as a halberd-handler under the tent of King Xiang. I deliberately left the prestigious overlord of Western Chu and came to join the King of Han, who was almost in exile, because I admired the virtue of the King of Han. I think, Maybe Hanwang can use me." Xiao He asked: "Then can you tell me why you left King Xiang?" Han Xin said, "Because King Xiang is the greatest hero in the world."

Xiao He asked again, "What about the King of Han?" Han Xin said: "The king of Han is also a layman." Xiao He said: "Then I don't understand, why did you leave the world's number one hero and join the common people?" Han Xin said: "A great hero doesn't need to rely on anyone, he can rely on himself, but ordinary people need the help of people like us. Don't you understand this truth?" Xiao He smiled. Han Xin went on to say: "The great hero feels that there is nothing he can't do in this world. All things are done by him. Whether it's breaking the boat or defeating Zhang Han, we are just witnesses, not participants. I have no complaints against King Xiang , Our contribution, in his eyes, is really not worth mentioning, it's not his fault."

Xiao He said: "I can fully understand what you describe. Every day, many people come to vote for King Han, and many people leave. Many of them just want to make a living. What about you? What do you want to do? " Han Dao said: "It's good to command the army. But I haven't fully considered it yet." Xiao He didn't know whether it was too sudden or because of other reasons, he just felt dizzy for a while, lowered his head and paused for a moment and asked: "You were taken in by the Han army, and now you are going to test the King of Han, is that what you mean?"

Han Xin said: "The boy is rude. I have a question, and I would like you to forward it to the King of Han." Xiao He said: "You might as well talk and listen." Han Xin said: "During the day, I saw that instead of beheading the soldiers who stole and fled, the King of Han gave them money and food, and let them go. Don't you dare to ask, isn't this a violation of military discipline?" Xiao He didn't answer. Han Xin went on to say: "How can such an army go to war? I said that I still have to think about it. This is the first question. It doesn't matter if you can't answer it. I will directly ask the King of Han someday."

Xiao He said: "Let me answer you. We are entering Sichuan, and the road ahead will be much more dangerous. Maybe we will starve to death. If you can't be determined to follow people now, it's better to let them go earlier." The turbulent things are always as far away from the most critical moment as possible." Han Xin asked: "Then why do you still need to give money?" Xiao He said: "Soldiers are people, not tools. They are different from agricultural tools such as iron picks. They have to eat, drink, and live without money. How is that different from killing them?"

Han Dao said: "So that's the case. I am willing to see the King of Han." Xiao He smiled and said, "I didn't promise you." Han Xin said: "In this case, Han Xin will resign." Xiao He said: "Wait. Are you willing to stay here and be my helper? But let's say it first, there is no position for you, and you are still an ordinary soldier." Xiao He's people were the food and grass troops left at the rear, and they moved the slowest.Han Xin followed Xiao He with a big bamboo basket on his back.In the bamboo baskets are maps and bamboo slips.The top is covered with tarpaulin for waterproofing and tied with hemp rope.It was a job he had chosen.

Seeing that he chose such a job on his own initiative, Xiao He said: "You are quite strange, it's so easy to record the amount and distribute food and fodder. Oh! I see, you can't read." Han Xin said: "I can read and write. I have read your notice in Xianyang City." Xiao He said: "Then why are you like this? Could it be that you are born with great strength and have nowhere to use it, do you like to carry maps and bamboo slips on your back?" Han Xin said: "Your Excellency, please don't ask, I promise not to lose it." The plank road is difficult to walk, and everyone in the Han army is moving forward with difficulty, almost struggling and unable to move an inch.

Liu Bang asked, "A Ying, why are you walking so slowly?" Xia Houying said: "I can't go fast. All the horses and carts, large and small, are left in the Guanzhong. All the luggage is carried by the soldiers, and even the soldiers are carrying things on their backs. What's more, such a road, It is useless to have carriages and horses, you can only walk." Lu Wan said: "Soldiers fall into the abyss every day, and everyone's morale is getting lower and lower. Stop it first. Xiao He is ready for dinner." Liu Bangdao: "Just eat, don't hurry. After a while, the food Xiao He bought from Guanzhong is finished. What should we do? Eat tree roots?"

Speaking of which, Liu Bang looked at the surrounding trees, all of which were weird and jagged, and said with a wry smile: "This tree root, I'm afraid it's not much better, it's not as delicious as the one in Mount Mangdang?" At this time, the messenger arrived on horseback with a letter from King Han. Liu Bang read the letter, and quickly called Zhang Liang: "Han Wangcheng sent a letter from Yangdi all night and night, asking you to go back as soon as possible. If it weren't for this letter, I almost forgot that you were borrowed. " At night, Liu Bang summoned his generals and held a grand farewell banquet for Zhang Liang.During the banquet, Liu Bang was quite emotional. After drinking a cup, he said: "At present, the princes have dispersed and returned to their respective fiefs. The overlord of Western Chu is also leading his troops out of the customs and heading east to Pengcheng. The cowardly soldiers finally found a moment of peace. It is so sad that the towering Qinling Mountains stretch all around, and the army camps are stationed in this deep canyon. Looking at the artificially erected plank roads between the cliffs, there is really a kind of resemblance to The sense of desolation that separates us from the world.”

After hearing this, everyone sighed. Liu Bang went on to say: "The soldiers followed me and marched thousands of miles from Jiangdong to Guanzhong. They couldn't enter the capital, couldn't live in the palace, and they were driven to Bashu by the arrogant King Xiang. Now it's a little favor, and I'm terrified. Walking along the plank road, crossing the high Qinling Mountains to Hanzhong, how can we not make people walk more and more desolate, more and more remote, more and more homesick, miss their wives and children, miss their old parents..." Everyone drank wine, the more they drank, the less they tasted, and the more they drank, the more uncomfortable they felt. Liu Bang said again: "Now, the ovary is going. Everyone knows that if there is no ovary, another scene will be sung at the Hongmen Banquet. Maybe everyone has already dispersed and become ghosts under King Xiang's sword. Doesn’t such an army have a shrewd strategist? The morale of the army at this moment, and the departure of the ovary at this moment, isn’t it just making things worse and pulling the bottom out of the pot?” Zhang Liang said: "Pei Gong, a lively farewell party has turned into a miserable farewell, and it's not like I will never see you again. It stands to reason that all the generals gather together, big pieces of meat, big barrels of wine , It should be gobbling like a wolf, and the wind is blowing away. Come, everyone, raise the wine bottle and have a drink." After finishing speaking, Zhang Liang took the lead in drinking. Xiao He saw that the King of Han and the generals were not in the right mood, so he got up and said to everyone, "Why don't you eat it? I sent many people among the mountain people to buy so much meat. Are you disgusted?" I don't know which one couldn't bear it anymore and cried out.This crying didn't matter, it immediately caused a lot of crying.Liu Bangzheng was in a state of confusion, slapped his hands heavily, and shouted sharply: "Why are you crying? I haven't cut off Xiang Yu's head yet!" Then, everyone suddenly became silent again.Everyone was in a bad mood, and Zhang Liang knew it very well.So before leaving, he gave Pei Gong one last suggestion: You must resist the reckless impulse of his generals, and don't go out to attack Xiang Yu at this time.Since Xiang Yu is still invincible at present, he should avoid its edge.Isn't it the most ideal place to hide from him to take refuge in this mountain for a while?If there is not even a plank road, it is impossible for Xiang Yu to attack you even if he wants to, and he will also believe that you have no intention of competing with him.Isn't someone in Hebei dissatisfied with his enfeoffment?If Pei Gong did not strike late, accumulate strength, and wait for the changes in the world, but attacked the Overlord of Western Chu first, then Xiang Yu could use an excuse to contact the princes from all walks of life to attack Pei Gong. If so, wouldn’t Pei Gong become the target of public criticism? The next morning, the King of Han, with his followers, bid farewell to Zhang Liang at the mouth of the valley in Baozhong.Zhang Liang came before the King of Han on horseback, followed by a hundred strong men.What is puzzling is that each of them holds an unlit torch soaked in grease in their hands. Do they want to travel through the night? The King of Han and Zhang Liang let go of the reins and walked forward slowly. Liu Bang said: "Zifang, I have another word, if you can't settle down there, you must come back to me..." Zhang Liang said: "Please trust me, King of Han, as long as Zhang Liang survives, I will come back sooner or later!" Liu Bang said: "What I want is your words." Zhang Liang said: "King of Han, please stop, let's say goodbye here!" After finishing speaking, Zhang Liang dismounted and bowed to Liu Bang, who quickly got off his horse and helped him up: "Ovary, take care all the way!" Zhang Liang and his party led their horses up the plank road and gradually disappeared into the canyon ahead.Liu Bang turned his horse's head in a sense of loss, and was about to go back, when he suddenly heard an exclamation - "There is a fire ahead!" Liu Bang looked up and saw thick smoke billowing and flames shooting into the sky in the deep narrow valley where the plank road stretched forward. Lu Wan hurriedly ran back to report: "King of Han, Zhang Liang and his party came to the front and suddenly ordered the hundred strong men who escorted him to light the torches in their hands, and threw the torches towards the plank road behind them as they walked, and the wooden frame of the plank road was immediately ignited. Helping the fire, the plank road was burned immediately." Liu Bang's soldiers were shocked, and said one after another: "Please order the king of Han, let me go through fire and water, and put out the fire on the plank road in time, and bring Zhang Liang back to death!" Amidst the passionate and raucous curses and calls for battle, Liu Bang was uncharacteristically calm, looked up thoughtfully for a while, turned the horse's head calmly, and turned back without a word.As he walked, he said: "Mr. Zhang Liang has a good intention, and everything he has done is exactly what I want to do but can't make up my mind to do!" The soldiers in the distance looked at the back of the King of Han in puzzlement, and kept silent. The fire on the plank road is reflecting the canyon red.