Chapter 46: United Troops 8

  Then, Xiang Liang's face suddenly looked bad. He stared at the people sitting with his tiger eyes, and his expression was clearly filled with anger. At this time, Xiang Yu, who was standing aside, also had a look of righteous indignation. He looked left and right, but couldn't see anyone who would speak up for him and his uncle. So he became anxious in his heart, and with an angry face, he said to the crowd: "Why don't you all speak? My uncle and I are descendants of the famous general Xiang Yan of Chu State, and our family has been renowned for generations. We started from Kuaiji, rose up in Wu, led 8,000 brothers from Jiangdong, crossed the river to the west, and since then, we have never been defeated in battle. Now, all the heroes from various places are admiring the great name of the King of Chu, and they are all coming to join us. Even so, my Xiang family still has no intention of self-interest, but seeks a more capable person to take on the role of leader, so that we can unite our hearts and work together to defeat the cruel Qin. I hope you all speak your minds!"

  Xiang Yu's words, of course, are quite obvious, urging the heroes present to quickly express their opinions, what are you waiting for? This child, very obviously, does not have a share among any of you, so don't think about it here! Just quickly cast a vote for us, Xiang uncle and nephew! After things are done, we'll all be happy, then do whatever needs to be done.

  After finishing this speech, Xiang Yu stared at the crowd with a fierce gaze. However, everyone still lowered their heads and no one had any intention of speaking up. At this moment, Zhang Liang slowly turned his head towards Liu Bang and nodded slightly. Liu Bang naturally understood that Zhang Liang was sending him a signal, indicating that it was time to make a statement. Thinking of this, Liu Bang first looked around cautiously, then slowly stood up, cupped his hands, and said to Xiang Liang: "Liu Ji from Pei is not talented, but I have a few words to say boldly. General Xiang Liang is the descendant of the great general Xiang Yan, born into a noble family, and now holds powerful troops, shaking the Jianghuai region. This kingship truly belongs to no one else but General Xiang Liang! Please, everyone, consider this clearly!"

  After listening to Liu Shanhe's words, Xiang Liang was overjoyed and couldn't help but stroke his beard with a smile, his pleased expression evident on his face. At the same time, Xiang Yu also had a faint smile on his face as he silently sized up Liu Shanhe, thinking to himself that this old man really could come up with some good words at this critical moment, and was indeed a trustworthy guy.

  Xiang Yu would never have known that, after some years, it was this very Liu Shanhe who would once again compete with him and drive him to the banks of the Wu River, forcing him to take his own life.

  However, Liu Bang's words did not receive an enthusiastic response from the crowd, and everyone remained silent. Zhang Liang saw this and decided to add fuel to the fire to support Liu Bang. He stood up, bowed his hands to Xiang Liang, and said: "What the Duke of Pei just said is absolutely right! Everyone knows that although Chu has only three households, it is destined to replace Qin. Now, looking at the world, there are many heroes, but they are mixed with fish and dragons, and although they all claim to be kings or overlords, they are mostly weak and unable to achieve great things, and naturally cannot convince the masses. Therefore, I think it is most appropriate for General Xiang Liang to become the King of Chu, which is an undisputed fact. This is because General Xiang Liang not only has a strong army but also has high moral integrity, and the heroes from all sides are sincerely convinced!" After finishing speaking, Zhang Liang followed Liu Bang in bowing deeply to Xiang Liang again, expressing his support for him.

  But just at this moment, a slightly hoarse voice came from outside the big account, sounding very dissatisfied: "Who said this? Speaking of such words, isn't it to let General Xiang Liang bear the infamy of disloyalty and unrighteousness, and thus become the target of public criticism?"

  Suddenly, after hearing this, Liu Shanhe and Zhang Liang were both shocked. They were both embarrassed and didn't expect that someone would speak like this? Now, it's clear that what Xiang Liang needs most is the strong support of all the heroes. But now, just as things were starting to look up, a Cheng Yaojin appeared out of nowhere, haha, this is getting interesting. Thinking of this, Liu Shanhe couldn't help but look at the person who spoke these shocking words. He saw that the man had silver whiskers and a youthful face, with an air of elegance and refinement, clearly a transcendent being. Seeing this, Liu Shanhe's heart tightened. He knew that this newcomer was likely to be Fan Zeng, the venerable old gentleman who would later assist Xiang Yu.

  "Who is this person, daring to enter the main tent privately?" Xiang Liang was originally immersed in the joy of Liu Shanhe and Zhang Liang's support, but suddenly he was spoken by this person a few words, saying that if he came like this, he would get a reputation for being disloyal and unrighteous. How unreasonable! So, his impression of this old man was extremely bad.

  At this time, Xiang Bo followed closely behind and came forward, bowing his hand to Xiang Liang, saying: "General, this is the Mr. Fan Zeng from Huaiyang who lives in seclusion, it was you who sent me to invite him as a strategist."

  "Oh, so you're Mr. Fan Zeng!" Xiang Liang said with a hint of sarcasm while sizing him up. To be honest, this old man had just ruined his good mood, and he was extremely displeased. Extremely unhappy. Extremely discontented.

  Fan Zeng, at this moment, was still standing upright in the tent, only slightly bowing his head towards Xiang Liang, with a gesture of keeping people at bay. When Zhang Liang heard that it was indeed Fan Zeng, he couldn't help but feel a shock in his heart. He naturally knew who Fan Zeng was. He was someone who had studied under the same teacher as his own teacher, Huang Shi Gong, which made him his own uncle-master. According to reason, when meeting his uncle-master, Zhang Liang should have gone forward to pay his respects. However, the circumstances here were clearly not suitable. So, he secretly made plans in his heart, plotting his next move.

  "Sir just said that someone wants me to bear the infamy of being unfaithful and unjust, I don't know what this means?" Xiang Liang asked Fan Zeng directly.

  Fan Zeng asked at this time: "I'd like to ask you, who suggested that you should establish yourself as the King of Chu earlier?"

  This sentence suddenly made Xiang Liang speechless, and naturally he wasn't foolish enough to sell out Liu Shanhe and Zhang Liang. If he did that, it would make him appear too inhumane. Therefore, after hesitating for a moment, he said: "This is also everyone's good intention!" With this sentence, he dodged the issue. However, at this time, Liu Shanhe and Zhang Liang naturally couldn't stand still. If they didn't speak up, it would be considered cowardice, and afterwards they would put themselves in a more passive position. Thinking of this, Zhang Liang took a step forward, clasped his hands together, and said to Fan Zeng: "Ah, Mr. Fan, this is Zhang Liang's idea."

  "Zhang Liang? Are you Zhang Liang? You are the same Zhang Liang who was once a disciple of Huang Shi Gong?" Fan Zeng couldn't help but feel shocked when he saw that the young man walking towards him was indeed Zhang Liang. He also knew exactly who Zhang Liang was.

  "It is not that I am not talented." Zhang Liang replied respectfully. Unlike Fan Zeng's attitude of keeping people at arm's length, Zhang Liang had always adhered to the principle of being kind to others and was extremely polite. This also laid the groundwork for his vastly different fate from Fan Zeng in the future. If only talent were considered, he and Fan Zeng would be evenly matched, but the difference in their personalities was also crucial. To know that someone like Fan Zeng, who is overly self-righteous, will never make anyone feel comfortable wherever they go or whoever they meet. He always gives people a sense of superiority, always likes to act as a mentor, and points fingers at others without any reserve. This kind of self-righteous behavior would not be welcomed by others, especially by those tyrannical rulers who are used to getting their way.

  Fan Zeng was immediately interested when he heard that the young man in front of him was actually the closed disciple of his own master, Huang Shigong. He forgot for a moment the real purpose of gathering all the heroes here and asked Zhang Liang with a smile: "I've heard that your teacher, Huang Shigong, has passed on to you the three volumes of Taigong's Art of War. Is this true?"

  "Yes, that's true." Zhang Liang saw that the other party was very familiar with his affairs and it was not convenient to hide anything, so he simply admitted it.

  "Who are you assisting now?" Fan Zeng asked with great concern. He knew that a young talent like Zhang Liang, who had received the true transmission of Huang Shi Gong's teachings, would be able to tip the balance of power in favor of whoever he chose to assist. This was no exaggeration. The three volumes of Taigong Bingfa were well-known to Fan Zeng, but he had not been able to grasp their essence as thoroughly as his senior fellow-disciple Huang Shi Gong. And since Huang Shi Gong had transmitted the entire three volumes to Zhang Liang without reservation, it was clear that he had also passed on all his own insights and understanding to him. If that were indeed the case, then Zhang Liang's abilities would not only be no lower than Fan Zeng's, but might even surpass them by a considerable margin. Therefore, Fan Zeng asked with great concern: "Who is it that you are assisting now?" For whoever Zhang Liang chose to assist would likely have a close relationship with himself. If they were serving the same master, then the outcome of the war would be almost certain, unless their lord was truly incompetent. But if they were serving different masters, then the two of them might become enemies. And that was not something Fan Zeng would wish for.

  "Zhang Liang is still alone and has not yet served a lord." Zhang Liang replied truthfully. As soon as he heard that Zhang Liang had not yet assisted a lord, Fan Zeng appeared to be extremely delighted, saying repeatedly: "Good, good, good, good!" In fact, no one knew what was on his mind. And what did the "good" he said mean?

  "Haha, this is indeed a remarkable coincidence! In my younger years, I was classmates with your master Huang Shigong and studied military tactics together. Which means, you should address me as Master Uncle!"

  Zhang Liang had originally wanted to find another opportunity to catch up with his fellow disciple and uncle, but since Mr. Fan Zeng had brought it up, he naturally didn't dare to be slow, so he hastily stepped back a step, cupped his hands and bowed deeply, saying: "Uncle is superior, please accept Zhang Liang's one bow!"

  Fan Zeng laughed and said: "Haha, haha, haha, spare me, spare me! I'm already old and not worthy of discussing the world's affairs. But General Xiang Liang's kindness is hard to refuse, so I want to contribute my humble strength to the cause of resisting Qin and fighting against tyranny in my lifetime. I hope you can take care of me more!

  Fan Zeng's polite words made Zhang Liang feel very uneasy, so he bowed deeply to Fan Zeng again and said: "Don't worry, Mr. Fan, I will definitely do my best! Don't worry, Mr. Fan, I will definitely do my best!"

  Just as Fan Zeng and Zhang Liang were discussing the affairs of their masters in Xiang Liang's main tent, Xiang Yu, who was standing beside Xiang Liang with his sword in hand, couldn't help but interrupt. He shouted at Fan Zeng: "Mr. Fan, sir! Can you and Mr. Zhang put aside your master-disciple relationship for now? All the heroes have gathered here today to hear your wise words!"

  It should be said that Xiang Yu's words this time are quite to the point. This occasion is indeed not a place for the two of them to indulge in talking about their teacher-student relationship. However, Xiang Yu is a person who doesn't smile or speak carelessly, and no matter who he talks to, he always has an icy tone, which makes Fan Zeng feel very unhappy in his heart. So, he wants to give this ignorant Xiang Yu a few words. Otherwise, it will be really difficult for him to do things under the Chu army's account in the future.

  "I suppose you are the young man of great ambition, capable of lifting a tripod, with talent surpassing others, who once claimed to replace Qin Shi Huang and become him yourself - General Xiang Yu, am I not correct?"

  "Good eyesight, offending the old master, is indeed this general." Xiang Yu still had a stern face, unmoved.

  And then, Fan Zeng's criticism of Xiang Yu had just begun. He continued to say: "I also heard that you are brave in battle, invincible, and kill people like a scythe, without blinking an eye. Is this really true?"

  A discerning person can tell at once that Fan Zeng's words are clearly intended to expose Xiang Yu's true nature in a roundabout way, and also to make this self-righteous Xiang Yu feel uncomfortable for a while. This kid, just one look and you can tell he's not a good sort, fortunately it wasn't him who was assisting this time, otherwise he would have made things difficult for himself for a long time.

  "Yes, Mr. Fan, what you just said is indeed the truth. However, Mr. Fan, as a soldier in battle, if he doesn't kill people, how can he defeat the enemy and capture cities? So, I'm afraid that in battle, I have to kill people like flies, but this is just the way it is, and there's no other choice."

  Fan Zeng sighed and said, "General, you may not know that attacking cities and taking over the world by killing people is inevitable. However, if one treats human life as worthless and kills indiscriminately without reason, it will certainly damage one's moral integrity and incur heavenly punishment. This will ultimately harm one's own virtue and bring calamity upon oneself."

  Fan Zeng's words touched on Xiang Yu's weaknesses and vulnerabilities, so he couldn't help but fly into a rage. However, since Fan was new to the scene and in front of many people, Xiang Yu found it difficult to lose his temper openly. As the saying goes, "One should not hit someone in the face or speak of their shortcomings." But this old man specifically pointed out his own flaws, wasn't he deliberately making things difficult for himself?

  "Mr. Fan, Mr. Fan! As for your remarks and lectures, I think we'll discuss them later. There's plenty of time in the future, and I, Xiang Yu, will definitely listen carefully every day. But today, all the heroes are waiting here, so why not share your insights with everyone? That's the main event!"

  But Fan Zeng seemed to have gotten used to Xiang Yu's disrespectful attitude, and only gave him a slight smile before slightly bowing his head towards Xiang Liang, saying: "In my humble opinion, General Xiang Liang, you cannot be the King of Chu! Absolutely cannot be the King of Chu!"

  This really is a stone that has stirred up a thousand waves! Fan Zeng's words made everyone present involuntarily exclaim. Although those heroes all had misgivings about Xiang Liang's self-proclaimed title of King of Chu, they hadn't yet expressed their opinions. However, they also knew that this was an obvious fact, and whether they liked it or not, they couldn't change the course of events. Sure enough, soon after, Liu Bang and Zhang Liang were the first to express their support for Xiang Liang as King of Chu. And just as things seemed settled, a sudden arrival of an old man not only scolded Xiang Yu but also bluntly stated that Xiang Liang couldn't be King of Chu - this was truly unexpected!

  "Ah, why is this? Why is it like this?" The crowd questioned Fan Zeng. Xiang Liang's face was also extremely ugly to look at. To think that just a moment ago, they had finally obtained the recommendation of Liu Bang and Zhang Liang, but as soon as Fan Zeng entered, he first strongly opposed them, then severely scolded his own nephew Xiang Yu, and now he dared to say that he couldn't be the King of Chu! This was simply absurd! Alas, this Xiang Bo, no, it wasn't Xiang Bo's doing, but rather the idea of that **'s husband Han Xin. What a ridiculous idea, to actually bring such a person here!