Chapter 30 4. Dilemma

At the same time Ziying fell from the arrow, Xiang Bo returned to the Hongmen barracks.After dismounting, he didn't even dare to take a breath, so he went straight to Xiang Yu's big tent.In the big tent, Xiang Yu stayed up all night, discussing the upcoming military action plan with Yingbu, Jibu, Huanchu, Longqi, Zhonglimei and other major generals. Seeing Uncle Xiang walk into the big tent panting, Xiang Yu didn't bother to greet him, but just nodded slightly in greeting, and then lowered his head to study the map in front of him.Uncle Xiang didn't care much, stepped forward, and said to Xiang Yu, "Your Majesty, let's have a few words alone." Everyone leaves for now.

After the generals left, Xiang Yu asked in confusion, "Uncle, what happened? Seeing you like this, why are you so flustered?" Uncle Xiang didn't have time to shake off the wind and snow all over his body, he was sweating profusely, and he was panting heavily.Facing his nephew, Uncle Xiang still hesitated. After all, he left the military camp without permission, went to the enemy camp, and leaked the military plane. If he was dealt with according to military law, it would be a serious crime of beheading.But the current situation is so critical that he can no longer look forward and backward. Uncle Xiang gritted his teeth and said, "I just came back from Bashang, and I have something important to tell you."

Xiang Yu's eyes widened immediately when he heard this, "You went to Bashang, what are you doing in Bashang at a time like this?" His voice became severe. Uncle Xiang's heart trembled, he knew Xiang Yu's temperament, this man went crazy and could do anything.Although he is his own uncle, Xiang Yu is also a person who values ​​affection, but there is no guarantee that he will not be impulsive and hack himself to death with a sword.His methods of killing Yin Tong and Song Yi were very clear to Uncle Xiang, and he was famous all over the world for killing people like mowing grass on the battlefield.Faced with Xiang Yu who had begun to doubt himself, Xiang Bo had no choice but to muster up the courage to negotiate with him.

"Korean Situ Zhang Liang had the grace to save my life. I didn't want him to be buried with Pei Gong, so I went to inform him and wanted him to leave early." "Oh," Xiang Yu breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the words, and asked casually, "Did he come with you?" Xiang Bo took a deep breath and said, "Zhang Liang is a man of affection. He didn't want to leave Peigong alone and escape alone, so he took me to see Peigong." "What?" Xiang Yu's voice suddenly rose a lot, his eyes widened again, and he looked directly at Uncle Xiang.Xiang Bo didn't avoid it, but met Xiang Yu's gaze to show that he was open-minded and didn't do anything wrong.He is very clear that any display of guilt and timidity at this time may lead to a failure of success, and even invite death to himself.

"I think Your Majesty has misunderstood Peigong again. It's that villain Cao Wushang who is sowing discord and dividing your brothers! Don't fall into the tricks of the villain, fight against each other, and kill each other." Xiang Yu's words moved Xiang Yu, and Cao Wushang's words were indeed suspicious. The two disputes were caused by him. It is not unreasonable to say that this person framed Liu Bang. Seeing that Xiang Yu was silent and did not speak, Uncle Xiang was encouraged and knew that Xiang Yu's mind had been activated.He continued to defend Liu Bang: "As for the matter of Ziying and Concubine Yu, as I guessed at the beginning, it was all a misunderstanding. Using Ziying as a prime minister is just a joke that Pei Gong said at the banquet to laugh at Ziying. "Concubine Yu was picked up by Lu Zhi, and she is resting in Lu Zhi's tent now, and will return to Hongmen tomorrow. Your Majesty, you have to think twice before you act! Once the army is dispatched, if there is no arrow to turn back, the situation will be irreparable." Yes. Because of impulsiveness, hundreds of thousands of people were annihilated, and you will be accused by the people of the world, and you will be charged with instigating civil war."

Xiang Yu attaches great importance to his reputation, and he dare not face the consequences of being stabbed in the back by the world.Originally, after what Xiang Bo said yesterday, he was a little hesitant, thinking that it would be too reckless to send troops hastily, but only under the instigation of Fan Zeng, Ying Bu, Ji Bu and others, he made up his mind.Now, Uncle Xiang once again argued with reason, knowing his interests, and Xiang Yu's determination was once again shaken.The anger when he first received Cao Wushang's tip-off has gradually subsided, and now Xiang Yu has calmed down, reconsidering his plan to attack Liu Bang.

"Then what do you say?" Xiang Yu asked. Xiang Bo was overjoyed, knowing that things had turned around. "Pei Gong has promised to come to Hongmen early in the morning and explain it to you face to face. I guess he has already set off now. If he really has a ghost in his heart, how dare he come to Hongmen? If he really came, it is enough to show his heart You have nothing to be ashamed of, you were completely framed. So, please hold off sending troops, Your Majesty, and make plans after Pei Gong arrives." Hearing that Liu Bang was going to come to Hongmen to clear up the misunderstanding in person, Xiang Yu felt a lot more relaxed. He felt that he might have really fallen into the trap of Cao Wushang, misunderstood his brother again, and was almost used by others as a tool to report personal grievances .Thinking about it this way, the bad breath that was pent up in my heart finally spit out.Xiang Yu's face softened, and he felt comfortable all over.He took a pair of jade goblets, filled them with hot wine, and he and Uncle Xiang took a goblet each, "Drink it and warm your body!" After that, he drank it up first.

Xiang Bo knew that the arrogant Xiang Yu was admitting his mistake in this way, admitting to himself that he was too impulsive.Xiang Yu sat down with his uncle, and said: "Uncle's words are reasonable. This time, I was too impulsive, and I blame Cao Wushang, a villain, for instigating me, and Fan Zeng and others for inciting me. Just like you The method is to suspend the military operations, and wait for Liu Ji to come, and listen to his explanation." "Okay!" Xiang Bo put down the jade goblet in his hand, and said cheerfully, "Your Majesty is wise, I will pass on the order for you, so that all people from all walks of life will stand by and not act rashly." Xiang Yu nodded, and Xiang Bo got up and left.

After Uncle Xiang left, Xiang Yu went outside the big tent and looked into the distance. The heavy snow had stopped, and the land covered with silver looked extraordinarily clean, which made people feel much clearer.He scooped up a handful of snow from the ground, squeezed it into a firm snowball, and threw it far away, hitting a flagpole.The guard behind him exclaimed, "Your Majesty is really powerful. If we used all our strength, we wouldn't be able to throw half the distance." Although Xiang Yu killed people without blinking an eye on the battlefield and was very cruel to the enemy, he was very generous to the soldiers under his opponent, so he was deeply loved by the soldiers, and the relationship with the soldiers was very harmonious.These guards were all selected from the eight thousand Jiangdong children recruited by him and his uncle Xiang Liang when they started an uprising in Kuaiji. They were the backbone of his team, and their relationship with each other was even more extraordinary.After hearing what the soldiers said, Xiang Yu felt better and asked, "This battle is over, what are you going to do?"

The guard smiled shyly and said, "When you get the reward, go home and buy a few acres of land, marry a wife, and live a good life!" Xiang Yu smiled, "Yes! After fighting for so many years, people's minds have returned, and they all want to live a peaceful life. No one wants to continue this kind of life where the tip of the knife is rolling around. Everyone comes out to fight, Isn’t it just to eat and clothe warmly, and fight for a good future? Overthrowing Tyranny is a slogan. I have a national hatred with Qin, but for ordinary people, as long as they can live a good life, it doesn’t matter who is the king. it's the same?"

The guard asked: "Your Majesty, what are you going to do when the world is at peace?" Xiang Yu smiled kindly and said, "I'll take Concubine Yu back to Jiangdong with you, and I'll be your king of Chu, okay?" "Okay!" The guard said excitedly, "Of course we hope that the king will become the king of Chu. Who cares about that sheep-herding boy (Xiong Xin was herding sheep among the people before Xiang Liang made him the king of Chu)! He is said to be the grandson of King Huai of Chu , Is there any real evidence? Even if he is the grandson of King Huai of Chu, so what? The overthrow of the Tyrant Qin Dynasty and the revival of the Chu State are the credit of the Xiang family. It's none of his business if he comes out. The King of Chu should be a member of the Xiang family!" These soldiers from Jiangdong were absolutely loyal to Xiang Liang and Xiang Yu's uncle and nephew. They lived and died together, shared adversity, and of course hoped that Xiang Yu would be the new King of Chu.Xiang Yu said happily: "Okay! When I become King of Chu, you children from Jiangdong are all heroes of the founding of the country. I will not treat you badly. Rewards should be rewarded, officials should be appointed, and those who should be awarded knights. Let's share the glory and wealth!" Xiang Yu swung the cloak on his body and rolled up a piece of snow. The guard looked a little sad, and said: "General, the eight thousand Jiangdong disciples we came out together at the beginning may be less than half now!" Hearing this, Xiang Yu was also very sad, and bowed his head and said nothing. At this time, someone came in a hurry from the snow. When he got close, Xiang Yu saw clearly that it was "Yafu" Fan Zeng.Xiang Yu knew that he must be protesting for his suspension of military operations.For this sub-father, Xiang Yu has always had a headache, he has always regarded himself as an elder, and taught himself a lesson every now and then.Whether in private or in public, he opened his mouth as "Yu'er" and closed his mouth as "Yu'er". Due to his seniority and achievements, Xiang Yu had no choice but to agree reluctantly, and there was nothing he could do about it. Fan Zeng's greatest contribution to the Xiang family was to suggest that the descendants of the Chu royal family be established, and to call on all the heroes in the world to join forces to fight against Qin.At the beginning, when Xiang Liang was in trouble, Fan Zeng suggested to him: "Qin State swallowed up the six countries, and Chu State was the most wronged. Therefore, there was a prophecy that 'although Chu has three households, the death of Qin must be Chu'. Chen Sheng raised the flag and played the banner of Chu State. , known as "Zhang Chu", that is to publicize the state of Chu. It was right to do so, but he did not establish a descendant of the king of Chu, but instead proclaimed himself the king of Chu. With such a lesson learned from the past, we should establish a descendant of the king of Chu, so that we can call on the heroes of the world, and let the heroes of the six kingdoms of the Kanto rise up to overthrow the Tyrant Qin and revive the six kingdoms." Xiang Liang accepted his suggestion and found the exiled shepherd Xiong Xin, the grandson of King Huai of Chu, became King of Chu, which strengthened the appeal of the team headed by Xiang Liang and Xiang Yu, and gradually became the leader of the anti-Qin coalition forces.It is precisely because Fan Zeng has contributed to setting national policies in this way, and is also an old minister who assists Xiang Liang, that Xiang Yu had to let him three points. Seeing Fan Zeng scolding himself again, Xiang Yu was very unhappy in his heart, but he couldn't show it, so he could only go forward, pretending to be stupid, and said, "Yafu, why didn't your old man take a good rest and came so early? " Seeing that Xiang Yu asked the question knowingly, Fan Zeng didn't get angry, and asked forcefully: "Yu'er, what's going on? Why don't you send troops to attack Liu Bang? Isn't it already decided? Why did you change your mind? It's not what a real man did!" In a fit of anger, Fan Zeng spoke so seriously that Xiang Yu rolled his eyes.He suppressed the anger in his heart, and dealt with Fan Zeng: "Yafu, it's too cold outside, let's talk in the tent!" After entering the big tent, Fan Zeng asked eagerly: "Don't you want to rescue Concubine Yu? Liu Bang, the public enemy of the princes and the traitor against Qin's great cause, just let him go? He will be your powerful enemy in the future!" Xiang Yu said impatiently: "He is just a rascal in the market, how can he compete with me for the world! Ya Fu, do you think Liu Ji is high, or Xiang Yu is small?" Fan Zeng heard Xiang Yu's dissatisfaction, but when things came to an end, he couldn't control that much anymore. "Yu'er, don't say such angry words. Although Liu Ji is a marketer, he is good at winning people's hearts and recruiting all kinds of talents for his use. This is the appearance of an emperor! He can get to where he is today, and it doesn't explain the problem ?" Seeing that Xiang Yu was silent, Fan Zeng continued to persuade: "Now Liu Ji uses Ziying as his chancellor, openly betraying the great cause of Qin; robbing Concubine Yu, threatening you to withdraw from Guanzhong, and you send troops to attack him, both public and private. Guanzhong has not gained a firm foothold, and eradicating this scourge as soon as possible is a good thing once and for all. How can such an opportunity be missed? When the situation stabilizes and he has a firm foothold in Guanzhong, it will not be so easy to eliminate him!" Xiang Yu didn't want to continue arguing with Fan Zeng, and said: "The matter between Ziying and Yuji is a misunderstanding. Later, Liu Ji will come over and explain to me face to face, and at the same time send Yuji back. Do you want me to betray my promise and kill an innocent girl in vain? A sinner?" Fan Zeng was taken aback when he heard the words, and said: "The news must have been leaked. Liu Ji knew that you would have a large army to suppress the situation, so he made such a bad plan and took the risk to come to Hongmen. However, he came just in time, and we will punish him on the spot. There are over 100,000 troops without a leader, so you can take advantage of the trend to annex them and strengthen your own strength." Xiang Yu said angrily: "Concubine Yu was just invited by Lu Zhi to reminisce about the past. If he really intends to use Concubine Yu to blackmail me, why doesn't he use Concubine Yu as a bargaining chip at this time, negotiate with me, and force me to retreat, instead of sending me away? Return Yu Ji, and come to the door to explain in person? What happened to Ziying is just a joke after drinking. I, Xiang Yu, will definitely not do that kind of unjust person who kills innocent people in vain!" Fan Zeng asked: "How do you know these things? Who told you?" Xiang Yu sullenly kept his head silent.Fan Zeng said helplessly: "Yu'er, if you don't believe my words, you must trust others' words? This is a matter that affects the overall situation of the world. You have to think clearly! If you make a careless move, you will lose everything, and you will regret it later." It's too late!" Fan Zeng said these words very painfully, tears fell down involuntarily. Xiang Yu was famous for his cruelty, but sometimes he was very soft-hearted. Seeing the white-haired Fan Zeng burst into tears, he couldn't sit still. He stood up and said, "Ya Fu, sit, sit! Yu'er's words are rude, please forgive me." Fan Zeng sat down, took Xiang Yu's hand and said, "Yu'er, your uncle Xiang Liang has been kind to me. After he died in battle, I will assist you wholeheartedly. I hope you can inherit his legacy and complete his unfinished revenge." Qin Daye, dominate the world like Duke Huan of Qi. Everything I do is for your future, and I have no selfishness. I treat you like my own child!" Xiang Yu was moved by Fan Zeng's words, his eyes were moist, and he said in a trembling voice: "Yu'er will remember Yafu's painstaking efforts and follow Yafu's teachings!" "You must not underestimate this Liu Ji. If he really dares to come, you must try to get rid of him. Even if he is innocent, you can't be soft-hearted, otherwise you will become his prisoner and ghost under the knife in the future. Understand ?" Xiang Yu nodded helplessly, agreeing to Fan Zeng's suggestion. "First of all, we must ensure the safety of Concubine Yu, and second, we must give an explanation to the princes from all walks of life. I cannot bear the injustice of killing anti-Qin heroes!" "That's easy!" Fan Zeng said lightly, "It's good if he can take the initiative to send Yu Ji back. If he doesn't send Yu Ji back, we will take him as a hostage and exchange Yu Ji. We will execute him after Yu Ji returns. The matter of using Ziying as a prime minister, whether it’s a joke or a truth, anyway, he said it, then he is the enemy of all the princes, he is a traitor, not a hero, and he should be killed!" Hearing what Fan Zeng said, Xiang Yu was speechless.Fan Zeng told Xiang Yu: "When Liu Ji comes, you hold a banquet in the big tent, and I will arrange warriors to wait for orders. When the time is right, I will raise the jade ring on my body to signal that you must make up your mind at that time and send an order to arrest Liu Ji." , don't hesitate anymore!" After agreeing with Xiang Yu, Fan Zeng immediately went out to make arrangements. It was already dawn and Liu Bang could arrive at any time.After he left, Xiang Yu made trouble!Both Xiang Bo and Fan Zeng insisted on their own opinions, leaving Xiang Yu in a dilemma and unable to make up his mind.Although Fan Zeng had verbally agreed to it just now, it was because of the old man's affection, and Fan Zeng was so entangled that there was really no other way. "Let's play by ear!" Xiang Yu finally said to himself.