Chapter 45: United Troops 7

  Seeing that person was so powerful, Liu Shanhe turned to his fellow villagers and asked: "Hey, this brother looks unfamiliar, isn't he a newcomer?"

  "Oh, his name is Ying Bu, but everyone calls him Nie Bu. It's because he was subjected to the punishment of branding on the face, that's why people call him that. He's a strong man. However, he never likes to talk much, and once he starts talking, it's always some harsh words. He's not someone who gets along well with others." One of Liu Shanhe's fellow villagers from Pei County introduced him in this way.

  Because these people were all followers of Liu Shanhe, and on the way here, they mostly received care from Liu Shanhe. Liu Shanhe's temperament is similar to that of Liu Bang in his early years, kind-hearted by nature, although sometimes a bit lazy, but very kind, never treating those villagers who were captured for forced labor unfairly, let alone abusing them. Therefore, Liu Shanhe still has a good reputation among the batch after batch of people serving their terms.

  As he spoke, Liu Shanhe's fellow villager, seeing that Liu Shanhe was willing to make friends with this man named Fu Bu, turned to Fu Bu and said: "Brother Fu Bu, this is Liu Bang, the head of the Sui Water Pavilion in Pei County. He's a good man!"

  It seems that Liu Shanhe's fellow countryman also knew the details of the man named Tie Bu, knowing that he was dissatisfied with the cruel Qin dynasty, and naturally also dissatisfied with the officials of the Qin dynasty. Therefore, in the end, he added this sentence "He is a good person" to prevent Tie Bu from having too much resentment towards Liu Shanhe.

  But who would have thought that Tie Bu didn't buy Liu Shanhe's account at all? After drinking down half a tank of water, he wiped his mouth with his hand and put down the remaining half-tank of water. Then, facing Liu Shanhe, he said: "Good man? You're a good man? Everyone says you're a good man? Ha! What a joke! If you're a good man, then I'll ask you one question, why are you still working for the tyrannical Qin? Still serving as a Ting Chang? Ha! Whether it's a high-ranking official or a low-ranking official, they're all officials of that tyrannical Qin! In my mind, such a person can't be called a good man!" Tie Bu seemed to have no regard for Liu Shanhe, his tone filled with disdain and hatred. However, Liu Shanhe had to admit that what Tie Bu said earlier did make some sense. Indeed, especially in this era of overthrowing the tyrannical Qin, could someone who still works for them be considered a good man?

  However, Liu Shanhe's response was not slow either. He said, "Things are indeed as the strong man has said, but if so, isn't the strong man also doing things for that tyrannical Qin? How should he explain this?"

  Liu Shanhe's words are naturally very clear, since you think I'm doing things for that tyrannical Qin, so I'm not a good person. But now, you, Tie Bu, are building a mausoleum for the Qin Shi Huang, how should this be understood? Liu Shanhe used such a "Tai Chi" move to defeat Tie Bu's army.

  But that man, still with a look of disdain, seemed somewhat contemptuous towards Liu Shanhe and said: "Hmph, me? What I'm doing, how can it be the same as you? I'm digging a grave for the tyrannical Qin! The more energetic I am in doing this, the more it proves that I'll dig the tyrannical Qin's grave sooner, and then properly bury the tyrannical Qin! And you? Although just a humble official, after all, you're also an official of the tyrannical Qin, and are working for the tyrannical Qin. Hmph, why don't you say it, are you on the same path as me?"

  Liu Shanhe felt that the robust man in front of him was not simple at all after hearing what Tie Bu said, "He is digging a grave for the tyrannical Qin." The words seemed to contain some mysterious and clever meaning. Liu Shanhe knew that this person was no ordinary person, so he immediately clasped his fists and said to Tie Bu, "Please, brother, enlighten me further!"

  This is also Liu Shanhe's characteristic. He has a broad mind, just like Liu Bang in the past, and is not narrow-minded. He has his own opinions, but once he is persuaded by others, he can sincerely appreciate and admire them, even if it means humbling himself to ask for advice. This is something that many so-called heroes cannot do. For example, take Xiang Liang, who had some vision and strategy, he couldn't compare to Liu Shanhe.

  At this time, Zuo Bu did not show any weakness, but still said coldly: "Hmph! What's the fuss about teaching or not teaching? The ancients were right, good deeds will be rewarded and evil deeds will be punished. It's not that I'm not convinced, it's just that the time hasn't come yet. Think of the cruel Qin dynasty, slaughtering innocent people, being brutal in governance, everyone under heaven wants to get rid of it, its evil deeds have reached an extreme, even Heaven won't allow it to continue existing!"

  Liu Shanhe couldn't help but look around when he heard that Bu had actually said such treasonous words, afraid of being overheard. Then he said to Bu: "Brother, if you say such things, you'll be beheaded!"

  "Hahaha～～～～" Hei Bu heard Liu Shanhe's words and couldn't help but laugh loudly towards the sky, then again stared at Liu Shanhe with a fierce gaze, saying: "Afraid of death? Hmph, if anyone is afraid of death, then they shouldn't be a man anymore! Hmph!" One sentence, in Liu Shanhe's ears, was like the sound of a grand bell, carrying great weight, and it made Liu Shanhe open his mouth, unable to say another word for half a day.

  After saying that sentence, Tie Bu ran towards another tomb on his own. At that time, Liu Shanhe carefully pondered over Tie Bu's words and secretly praised him in his heart. From then on, Tie Bu's name was deeply imprinted in Liu Shanhe's mind.

  And now, in Xiang Liang's main tent, Liu Shanhe unexpectedly met again the dead prisoner who had been seen at Lishan - Zhi Bo!

  "Hahaha, Liu Tingchang, do you still recognize me, the dead prisoner Tie Bu? Hahahaha~~~" Listening to Tie Bu's loud and unrestrained laughter, Liu Shanhe couldn't help but recall those past scenes.

  "Oh, Xiang Yu, no, it's Ying Bu! Haha, haha, unforgettable, unforgettable! When we met at Mount Yi back then, those few words from my brother really benefited Liu Bang greatly, greatly indeed! Hahaha~~~~" Liu Shanhe also couldn't stop laughing and said to Ying Bu.

  "Where, where, in those days Ying Bu was also a young and vigorous youth, putting on airs in front of you Liu Tingchang, how can you be so serious! Haha haha haha!!" After that, Hu Bu let out another loud and unrestrained laugh.

  "Huh, Ying Bu brother, I have something unclear. You were still doing hard labor on Mount Li a few years ago, but now, how did you also end up here? I have something unclear. You were still doing hard labor on Mount Li a few years ago, but now, how did you also end up here?" Liu Shanhe asked Ying Bu.

  "Alas, this is a long story! After serving in Xishan that year, I found an opportunity to escape alone and fled all the way to the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. I was alone, drifting from place to place every day. Later, the county magistrate of Bozhou summoned me as his son-in-law, and we joined forces to rebel against Qin together, becoming one of the righteous armies that rose up against Qin. Not long ago, we surrendered to General Xiang Liang's righteous army, and I became a general with the rank of Wudafu in General Xiang Liang's army! Hahaha!" The hero was extremely pleased as he spoke, and it could be seen that he was still very satisfied with his own development over the past few years.

  It's no wonder, really. Originally a prisoner on death row, he had somehow managed to become a high-ranking general in the unprecedentedly large Righteous Army, and the sense of satisfaction in his heart was understandable.

  At this moment, outside Xiang Liang's central army tent, soldiers were shouting: "General Xiang Liang has arrived!"

  As soon as it was heard that General Xiang Liang had arrived, those cold and hypocritical princes, those generals from all over the world, also followed suit and walked towards their own positions. Soon, a passage appeared in the middle of the big tent. And those princes from all over the world stood or sat, for a while, the entire central military tent was silent as a ghost town.

  At this time, at the entrance of the big account, Xiang Liang and Xiang Yu had already arrived outside the big account. And before they came to the central military account, there were seven or eight fully armed guards. After seeing this scene, everyone became even more desolate.

  In Xiang Liang's main tent, two rows of long tables were arranged on both sides. The heroes and heroes from all over the world were divided into two rows, each standing on one side. Naturally, those who stood in front were stronger and more influential figures. Liu Shanhe was also arranged in the front row.

  At the far end of the entrance of that tent was the position of the commander. There was a large table placed there, with some books on it.

  At this time, Xiang Liang and Xiang Yu had already walked in. The two did not speak either, but one after the other, one to the left and one to the right, they walked towards the end of the long table in the central military tent. When Xiang Liang turned around that table, Xiang Yu stood at his right side, hand on the hilt of his sword, majestic and awe-inspiring, with an air of heroism that was overwhelming.

  Almost at the same time, two soldiers also pulled down a curtain at the entrance of the big tent. In this way, the whole big tent became a small enclosed house.

  "Sit!" Xiang Liang made a "please sit down" gesture to everyone, and then he himself slowly sat down. The other heroes also sat down in their seats one after another. However, the oppressive atmosphere inside the big tent was still evident. At this time, the interior of the big tent was extremely quiet, almost as if even a needle falling on the ground could be heard.

  At this time, Xiang Liang finally spoke up: "Ladies and gentlemen, generals! Since Chen Wang's uprising against Qin in Daze Village, heroes from all over the country have responded one after another. However, it is heartbreaking that Chen Wang's righteous army suffered defeat after defeat in less than half a year, and Chen Wang himself was killed by his own charioteer Zhuang Jia during the breakout. What a sad thing!

  "Everyone knows that a man without a head cannot walk, and a bird without a head cannot fly. Now, the situation is that Qin Er Shi has ordered General Zhang Han to lead an army of 400,000 to launch a counterattack, and the current military situation is extremely critical! Today, I invited everyone to Xue County to discuss this matter, which is to consult with everyone on how to elect a leader with high moral character, and then lead the various rebel armies to defeat Zhang Han, ultimately overthrowing the cruel Qin dynasty and fulfilling our wishes. As for who should be elected, please speak freely and express your opinions, so that we can settle this matter as soon as possible. This is indeed related to our overall plan to overthrow Qin, and everyone must take it seriously!"

  At this time, when everyone heard Xiang Liang's words just now, they naturally had their own thoughts. To use Xiang Liang's words, they were all harboring ulterior motives. This is also a very normal thing. Because even the most foolish person understands that although everyone has risen up in arms to overthrow the tyrannical Qin dynasty, who among them does not have their own selfish desires? Without benefit, no one would take action early! Everyone wants to take advantage of this opportunity to rebel against the Qin and make a name for themselves in the turmoil, become a king or overlord, or become a general or marquis. In short, they all want to gain some benefits for themselves. It must be known that these things, if it were in a peaceful era, would be unthinkable! Whether it's a low-ranking official or a small military officer, wanting to attain such status requires all sorts of opportunities, requires someone to pull strings, and even more so requires spending a lot of money to buy one's way in. Otherwise, it's simply impossible, and you can only do the kind of work that is relatively easy to do but also the most bitter and exhausting - tilling the land to eat.

  Liu Bang's eyes were darting back and forth, carefully observing the expressions of the various generals present. In his heart, he had already made up his mind to strongly support Xiang Liang as the King of Chu, then lead all the volunteer armies to defeat Zhang Han first. He did this for two reasons: on one hand, Xiang Liang's military strength was evident, and no one else could control him. After all, this was a matter of strength speaking louder than words. On the other hand, Liu Bang had another important reason for firmly supporting Xiang Liang - Xiang Liang had helped him through a difficult time. If it weren't for Xiang Liang lending him 5,000 troops the other day, his hometown of Fengxiang would not have returned to his hands. From this perspective, it was only natural that Liu Bang would strongly support Xiang Liang.

  However, Liu Shanhe naturally also knew that in such matters, everyone's heart is actually very clear, that is to say, they all know that this is a trap set by Xiang Liang on purpose. The so-called "Please come and discuss with everyone, who should be the leader" is just an excuse. Each person's strength is already there, no matter who it is, they are all very clear in their hearts. Except for Xiang Liang, no one else dares to take on the role of leader.

  Liu Shanhe is waiting for the right moment. This kind of thing must be done at the right time. Otherwise, it will affect one's reputation. On the one hand, if one acts too early, as soon as Item Liang's words fall, they immediately stand up to express their views, it will appear that they are too superficial and have a tendency to follow the trend; on the other hand, if they wait until others have finished expressing their views, then their own expression of gratitude will be worthless.

  Liu Shanhe's eyes darted around the faces of others, but saw that everyone was lowering their heads, with a stern expression, and not showing any intention to speak up. Liu Shanhe naturally understood the thoughts of the crowd, which were also in an unspeakable situation. Although it was clear that Xiang Liang's strength was indeed there, and no one else could be king except him, if they really let them willingly elect Xiang Liang as king, they would not be willing to do so themselves. Yes, each of them had their own private motives for rebelling against Qin, and once they elected Xiang Liang as king, it would be equivalent to allowing Xiang Liang to control their own army, and they would lose their autonomy - although it was said that if they didn't want to accept Xiang Liang's task, what could he do? However, in that case, they would also be in a very passive position, which would be extremely unfavorable for development. Therefore, everyone had difficulty making a decision at the moment, and this is why they were all silent. For a while, the atmosphere on the scene was somewhat awkward.

  In fact, this kind of behavior that relies solely on its own strength to force itself to stand up is quite infuriating, because it does not make people convinced from the bottom of their hearts, but rather a kind of forced suppression.

  At this time, Liu Shanhe felt that the timing was almost right, so he looked at Zhang Liang - he had been sitting tightly with Zhang Liang all along. And Zhang Liang naturally also saw Liu Shanhe's meaning, but only half-closed his eyes and shook his head slightly, the meaning was very clear, that is, it's not time to speak yet. Liu Shanhe could only stop in his tracks, observing the expressions of everyone present.

  Everyone's reaction was naturally seen by Xiang Liang. Xiang Liang had originally thought that as long as he indirectly mentioned this matter, there would definitely be many responders, and when the time came, he would pretend to decline and then reluctantly accept, thus obtaining the title of King of Chu. However, he did not expect that after he finished speaking, such an awkward scene would appear on the scene. This was truly beyond his expectations.

  Nature, the situation arose, the most embarrassing, none other than that item uncle and nephew. They themselves pushed themselves to the forefront, but the wind was strong and the waves were urgent, and for a time they couldn't find a place to land, their hearts were naturally very anxious. And as time passed bit by bit, Xiang Liang's face also became more and more unsightly, almost turning into an iron-green color.