Chapter 18: Searching for Husband 2

  "Well, Liu Tingchang, what do you think we should do?" one of the brothers said with some confusion.

  "What to do? Haha, our only way is to train soldiers!" Liu Shanhe said with great confidence.

  "What? Military training?" Everyone was a bit stunned. They were just prisoners locked up in the dungeon before, how would they know what military training is or isn't!

  "Alright, everyone listen up. We currently have eighteen people, so let's temporarily divide into three groups of six each. And in each group, we need to elect a leader who will be responsible for teaching and other management tasks." As Liu Shanhe spoke, he quickly divided the eighteen people into three batches of six according to order. Then, Liu Shanhe appointed Hu Gan, Hong Qi, and someone named Zhang Ping as leaders of each group. After some thought, Liu Shanhe felt that the title "group leader" was a bit too common and lacked grandeur. After a moment's contemplation, Liu Shanhe suddenly slapped his thigh and said, "Alright, I've got it! You three can't be called group leaders, let's call you 'junior officers'. And as for me, I'll be the 'senior officer'."

  Then, Liu Shanhe shouted loudly to everyone again: "Huh, brothers, if we want to survive, just hiding and escaping all day is not enough. We must learn to arm ourselves. Do you understand? Someone once said that political power grows out of the barrel of a gun! If we want to survive, if we don't want to be captured or eliminated by others, then we must pick up our weapons, work hard to practice, and make ourselves have a certain level of military strength. At that time, we will not be afraid of anything!" Liu Shanhe became more and more spirited as he spoke, as if he had already become a great general in command of the three armies.

  "Alright, alright, we've been set on following Boss Liu to conquer the world since he let us go that day. Whatever Boss Liu says, we'll do it. If he tells us to go east, we won't even think about going west. Everything is up to Boss Liu's command!" The other brothers all chimed in unison.

  Liu Shanhe listened to their words and felt deeply moved. He coughed lightly, then continued to speak: "Well, everyone! I, Liu Bang, have no other abilities, but I know how to share the joys and sorrows with you all, and weather the storms together! When we first rose up, we said a phrase, 'Together on the road, sharing life and death'. I think that phrase should be our guiding principle for rising up. No matter what situations we will encounter in the future, this group of people must always support each other and never forget one another!"

  "We will definitely follow Liu Tingchang, travel together on the road, share life and death, share good fortune and adversity, support each other, and never forget each other!" Everyone recited the slogans that Liu Shanhe had said before, which were extremely inspiring. Especially when they shouted in unison, it made people feel even more majestic and powerful.

  Liu Shanhe's emotions surged, and with a wave of his large hand, he continued to speak: "Brothers, although our current strength is still very weak, as long as each of us has a spark of hope burning in our hearts, then these dozen or so sworn brothers will be twisted into a single rope. And this one rope will possess an incredibly strong cohesive force, enough to defeat any enemy!

  "And as long as this rope of ours doesn't break, I think that with the passage of time, our team will surely become stronger and bigger!" Liu Shanhe became even more heroic.

  From then on, under Liu Shanhe's orders, his brothers began to practice military training frantically. They were divided into three small groups, led by Hu Gan, Hong Qi and a man named Zhang Ping as the captain. For a time, in the mountains of Mangdangshan, a loud and powerful voice of military training echoed through the forest. The sound was majestic and sonorous, and with the echo of the mountains, it was even more astonishing.

  That day, Liu Shanhe was enthusiastically watching the brothers practice their martial arts when suddenly a brother responsible for sentry duty hastily ran to his side and shouted from afar: "Liu Tingzhang, no, Captain, it's not good! There are dozens of people at the foot of the mountain, all holding weapons, sneaking towards us!"

  "What? They're coming to attack? Ah, great! Just in time, I was just missing a weapon. It looks like they've come to deliver one to me! Hahahaha... it seems that heaven still has eyes, heaven is indeed watching over us!" Liu Shanhe burst out laughing, but startled the brother who was on guard duty, who stared at him with a mixture of shock and confusion. What he feared was that the enemy had suddenly arrived in large numbers, at least forty or fifty people, while they only had a dozen men, and their hands were empty, with no real weapons, just some tree branches sharpened into makeshift clubs. From any perspective, it would be extremely difficult to defeat them. But this Liu Tingchang, this self-proclaimed general, was so calm and composed, it left him bewildered.

  "Haha, you don't understand? It's actually very simple. Think about it, they may have a lot of people, but we're more familiar with the terrain here! And having many people doesn't necessarily mean their combat power is strong! Moreover, you've forgotten that we set up a mechanism a few days ago, haven't we? As long as we operate that mechanism, haha, no matter if they have fifty or a hundred people, they won't be able to withstand us! Haha, haha, just put your heart at ease and wait for a while, you'll see!"

  Liu Shanhe himself was not clear, what happened to him, and suddenly had such a big momentum. Although he set up some mechanisms and ambushes in the nearby woods as a precaution, after all, the other party had nearly twice as many people as him, and if they really fought, whether he could get what he wanted was still an unknown number!

  But at this moment, Liu Shanhe was filled with a passion for battle, as if he had already seen victory coming to his side. And what he thought about was also different from others. Others might have only fear in their hearts, just a panic when facing the great enemy, and those who were better off might have more desire for battle passion.

  "Hmph, mph, come on, all of you! What I lack now is people! What I lack now is people! As long as there are enough people, my power and strength will also surge, and when my strength increases, I won't be hesitant or wandering anymore. Hehehe, at that time, I can beat whoever I want, until I conquer the entire world and become a new emperor! Bah, Qin Shi Huang? Qin Shi Huang is nothing! He worked hard to establish his empire, but he couldn't consolidate it. Although you, Qin Shi Huang, are a notable figure, your descendants are really not up to par. It won't take long before the Qin dynasty will change hands! I will no longer let this world be ruled by the Qin, but by the Liu! Hahahahaha!" Liu Shanhe thought to himself, laughing maniacally, almost scaring his brothers into stupidity.

  "Hey, brother, what's wrong with our boss? Is he sick?" one of the brothers said.

  "Who knows, it was fine just now, but after hearing that someone is surrounding us, it became like this." Another brother said.

  "Hmm, isn't that our Tīngzhǎng master being scared out of his wits? I've heard that when someone's been frightened to the point of losing their nerve, they'll burst into loud laughter and won't be able to stop!"

  ……

  At that moment, those brothers under Liu Shanhe also put down their weapons and stared blankly at Liu Shanhe in a daze.

  It wasn't until then that Liu Shanhe realized his mistake, and he finally cleared his throat softly, saying: "What are you all looking at? Am I a monster or something? Heh heh heh, you're probably wondering why I burst out laughing just now. Alright, I'll tell you. Think about it, someone has come to join us, what's not to be happy about? The more people the merrier, the more people the stronger! From now on, whoever comes to join our team, we welcome them with open arms! The more the better! Yeah, the more the better! What do you all think, is that right?"

  "But, Captain, it's not necessarily the case that these people are coming to surrender to us! I see they're all holding weapons and look fierce." Another brother responsible for sentry duty also said this.

  "Don't panic, everyone. I have a plan. Let's negotiate with them first, but not here. Instead, let's invite them to that grove of trees over there." Liu Shanhe pointed to the nearby woods, where he had made some preparations just a few days ago. Unexpectedly, it was coming in handy today.

  Those brothers looked in the direction Liu Shanhe pointed with his finger, and saw that it was the forest where they had carefully made their way a few days ago. Only then did everyone suddenly wake up and finally understand what was going on.

  "Liu Tingchang, you're really something! You had already calculated that someone would come after us, so you set up those traps ahead of time!" one of the brothers said with some admiration.

  "That's right, our Commander-in-Chief is a genius, or else why would he have 72 moles on his left thigh? Haha, that's a sign of great fortune and prosperity! I'm completely convinced, I'm completely convinced!" Another guy chimed in.

  "I've said it before, we're following Liu Tingchang and we'll definitely be fine! No need to mention anything else, just think about the day of the uprising, our Liu Tingchang wielded a treasured sword and with one slash killed that huge white snake. Just based on that point alone, our Liu Tingchang is not an ordinary person! Everyone says, isn't that right?" Liu Shanhe listened and knew that the speaker was Zhang Ping.

  After listening to everyone's words, Liu Shanhe's mind was also surging with thoughts. He thought to himself: "Wow, I didn't expect that the Chinese people's skill in flattering and bootlicking has been around since ancient times! Looking at its extent, it's even more exaggerated than the Chinese people's bootlicking skills in the 21st century! Haha, haha, national heritage, national heritage!"

  At this point, Liu Shanhe naturally couldn't say anything more, because he had realized that the group of people was almost approaching their side. Thinking of this, Liu Shanhe ordered Zhang Ping and said: "Zhang Ping, listen to my order! You lead your troops to the woods where we set up the ambush, be sure to hide well and grasp the control of the mechanism firmly, no mistakes are allowed! I'll say it again. You lead your troops to the woods where we set up the ambush, be sure to hide well and grasp the control of the mechanism firmly, no mistakes are allowed!"

  "Yes, Captain Liu, Zhang Ping will definitely complete the task!" Zhang Ping said as he led his six men to rush towards the forest that had been set up with traps in advance. Liu Shanhe watched them disappear into the distance, seeing their speed was extremely fast, almost catching up with the rabbit, and couldn't help but feel a wave of admiration again.

  Next, he continued to command: "Hugan listen to the order! You lead your men and horses to welcome those forty or fifty people. Since they have come so far, we can't just not even greet them, right? Wouldn't that be too rude of us? Everyone says yes, doesn't it?"

  The rest of them couldn't help but laugh after hearing Liu Shanhe's words.

  "Yes, Captain, Hu Gan will surely lead them here safely with courtesy! Please be at ease, Captain! Hu Gan will surely lead them here safely with courtesy! Please be at ease, Captain!" Hu Gan said with a slight bow of his hands towards Liu Shanhe.

  "Ah, very good, very good! You just used the words 'ke ke qi qi' and 'ping an' very well! However, you can't bring them here! Are you a pig brain?" Liu Shanhe said while glancing in the direction Zhang Ping had gone. Hu Gan reacted extremely quickly, immediately smiling and saying: "Hehe, hehe! I understand, I understand, Captain!" After that, he didn't say another word, but smiled and led his six men out of the woods, walking towards the group of people.

  At this time, Liu Shanhe had already heard the voices of those people, but he was also laughing and joking, it seemed that they didn't take them seriously at all. Damn it, if I don't give you guys a lesson today, I'm not the true Dragon Son!

  Liu Shanhe thought to himself, then turned to Hong Qi and waved his hand, saying: "Hong Qi, let's go! Bring our men and wait for them in that small grove. Heh heh, the good show is about to begin!"

  Sure, here is the translation:

  As expected, when Liu Shanhe and Hong Qi led those six people to that pre-set ambush forest, Zhang Ping soon led a group of people over.

  "Report to General, the person from down the mountain has arrived, please General meet with him!" Zhang Ping bowed deeply to Liu Shanhe and said.

  Liu Shanhe carefully observed the people who had approached. Their clothes were tattered and worn, their faces covered in a layer of dust, and their hair was disheveled. They looked unkempt. However, most of them held weapons in their hands, such as long guns, big knives, and other miscellaneous items.

  "It seems that these guys also have a certain background!" Liu Shanhe's first impression was determined. "Hmm, they must be subdued, this is of great help to their own future dominance, especially in the current era of using people, it is even more so! Even more so!" Liu Shanhe's mind had already begun to imagine how powerful his team would become after these people surrendered to him.

  "Haha, very welcome everyone to Mangdang Mountain. I'm Liu Bang, and I just arrived a few days earlier than all of you. From now on, we'll be staying here together, making big plans. What do you all think?" Liu Shanhe cupped his hands and spoke first, taking the initiative to address those people.

  Among those people, a man in a yellow robe walked out. Although the robe was a bit worn out, Liu Shanhe still saw that the material of the robe should be very good. Hmm, it seems that this guy is probably the leader among these people! Liu Shanhe's mind couldn't help but keep calculating.

  "I've long heard of Liu Tingchang's reputation, so I, Li Gang, have specially led my brothers to come and join you! I hope Liu Tingchang won't despise us. That man named Li Gang spoke in a very gentle manner. However, as soon as he finished speaking, before Liu Shanhe could respond, the group of people behind Li Gang suddenly shouted loudly: "We disagree, we strongly disagree! There are so many of us, but you only have a dozen or so people, and you want us to surrender to you? We can't accept that in our hearts!"

  After listening to those people's words, Liu Shanhe quickly glanced at Li Gang, but saw that Li Gang just turned his head to look at the people he brought with him, without any intention of stopping them. Liu Shanhe immediately understood in his heart. Ah, you little brat, how dare you play this trick on me! It was clear that they had instructed their subordinates to refuse to surrender and instead wanted Liu Shanhe's group to surrender to them, which was their true intention! Humph, you yellow-haired kid, daring to show off your skills in front of me! Wait and see if I don't take care of you! Liu Shanhe secretly seethed with anger in his heart, but on the surface, he remained calm and said: "Brother Chu Xian, it seems that you've brought your brothers here to fight for territory. Haha, as fugitives, it's not surprising that you have such thoughts. However, you should have just told me directly earlier, why did you need to use your subordinates' mouths to speak? Alright, since you want to rely on your numerical advantage to occupy this mountain, I won't compete with you anymore. It's meaningless, and I'll let you have it." Liu Shanhe showed a very nonchalant expression.

  But his move not only made the people who came with Li Gang feel incomprehensible, but also made Liu Shanhe's brothers stunned. What's wrong with our Liu Tingzhang today? Just now, he suddenly burst out laughing for no reason, as if he was possessed; and now, he said such a nonsense without any reason, haha, it's really confusing, really can't understand!

  After listening to Liu Shanhe's words, the man wearing a yellow robe named Li Gang suddenly looked very ugly, paused for a moment, and then said: "Alas, I say Liu Tingchang, you've all seen it, I myself want to join forces with you, but my subordinates are too unruly, they're afraid of not being willing! Look, I have no choice!" Saying this, the man deliberately made a helpless gesture. At this time, the people behind him shouted even more fiercely: "Kill that Liu Bang guy, kill that Liu Bang guy, kill that Liu Bang guy, kill that Liu Bang guy!! After killing him, this mountain forest will belong to us brothers! Hahahaha!" What followed was a burst of wolf-like maniacal laughter.

  As for Liu Shanhe, although he felt extremely resentful after hearing those arrogant guys' words and wanted to kill them one by one to vent his anger, he also knew that a man should not act impulsively. Thinking of this, Liu Shanhe smiled slightly at Li Gang, cupped his hands together, and said: "Alright then, General Li, please take your men to the middle area. My brothers and I have been prepared for some time now. Once you arrive, we will surrender to you and follow your orders. What do you think, General Li?"