Chapter 39: The Uprising in Pei County

  The King of Chu saw that everyone was silent, and after a moment of contemplation, he continued: "That northern expedition to eliminate Zhang Han's elite troops is an extremely perilous battle. Everyone also knows that Zhang Han has strong military strength, is very difficult to deal with, and has rich combat experience and tactics, making him a formidable opponent. Our old general Xiang Liang was defeated and killed by him. Therefore, this northern expedition is fraught with danger. As for the western expedition, the journey is extremely long, not only that, but also there are countless passes along the way, and each pass is heavily guarded by strong troops, so the western expedition is not easy to navigate either. However, no matter what, whoever enters Guanzhong first and destroys the Qin dynasty will be the one to claim the throne, this agreement cannot be changed. Let's discuss it among ourselves!"

  However, everyone remained silent, sitting upright and still, each with their own thoughts and considerations. Seeing that no one was speaking up, the King of Chu smiled as he scanned the grand hall. In fact, he was well aware that at this moment, everyone was unwilling to reveal their ambitions too early. So, he continued, "I wonder, is there a hero among you who dares to take the lead for the world and help me alleviate my concerns?"

  At this time, Xiang Yu finally couldn't sit still anymore, he suddenly stood up and bowed to King Huai of Chu, saying: "I beg to report to Your Majesty... I, Xiang Yu, am willing to launch a northern attack on Zhang Han and defeat the Qin army!"

  "Good, good! General Xiang Yu is indeed brave and lives up to my expectations. Very good, very good indeed!" King Huai was deeply impressed that Xiang Yu was the first to stand out.

  After a while, Liu Shanhe felt it was his turn to step forward. He stood up and bowed to Chu Huai Wang, saying: "I report to Your Majesty, Liu Bang is willing to follow General Xiang Yu to attack Zhang Han in the north. If we cannot eliminate Zhang Han's forces, I swear not to return to court to see Your Majesty."

  "In this day and age, it's not like you'll be taxed to death for blowing up a cow, or held accountable for swindling someone to death. Since that's the case, why not take advantage of it yourself?" Liu Shanhe was quite satisfied with his own clever performance.

  At this time, Song Yi also stood up and bowed deeply to the King of Chu, saying: "I beg to report to Your Majesty, I am willing to lead troops to attack Zhang Han in the north."

  But Song Yi did not follow Xiang Yu to attack the north like Liu Shanhe, mainly because he was dissatisfied with Xiang Yu's arrogance and recklessness. Moreover, since Chen Wang's defeat and his surrender to the Xiang family, he had been very unhappy and felt unappreciated. The two men, Xiang Liang and Xiang Yu, were extremely arrogant and never put Song Yi in their eyes, so these years in the Chu army camp, Song Yi also felt very depressed and suppressed. On the other hand, now that he has a new backer, King Huai, who is very appreciative of him, Song Yi naturally has no reason to flatter Xiang Yu anymore. Therefore, he took out his own signboard.

  Chu Huai Wang was overjoyed as soon as he saw the three most powerful heroes emerge at the sound of his voice, and he was no longer worried about the awkward atmosphere. Now, the scene is not dull anymore, and it even presents a situation where everyone is eager to take the lead in Han Zhong.

  "Very good, very good! Although we all know that the road to the north is fraught with powerful enemies, yet our generals still rush forward with courage and enthusiasm. It truly warms my heart, it truly warms my heart! You are indeed worthy of being the commanders of the Chu army! This is excellent, this is excellent!

  After a pause, King Hui continued: "However, as for advancing west into Guanzhong, although the enemy forces we face may not be very strong, still, the journey is long and fraught with danger. Could it be that among our generals, there isn't one who is willing to go to Guanzhong and claim the throne?" Clearly, King Hui was using a tactic to stir up his generals."

  Liu Bang chose to follow Xiang Yu north to attack Zhang Han earlier, mainly because his own strength was not sufficient at that time. In such a situation, he could only closely attach himself to Xiang Yu's troops in order to continuously develop and expand his own power. Otherwise, if he continued along the western route, first of all, the journey would be long and fraught with danger, secondly, even if he arrived at Guanzhong earlier, but without sufficient strength, it would still be futile. After all, no matter what, everything relies on one's own strength to speak.

  In addition, this choice is also in line with Zhang Liang's teachings. Therefore, when Zhang Liang bid farewell to him, he advised him to first attach himself to the Chu army and develop his own strength. His grand ambitions would have to wait until he became strong enough to pursue them. Liu Bang naturally remembered Zhang Liang's words firmly, so today, considering all these aspects, he finally decided that it was still best to attach himself to Xiang Yu and attack north against Zhang Han.

  Moreover, he had already sworn brotherhood with Xiang Yu, so within this framework of sworn brothers, coupled with his own eloquence and charm, he would definitely not suffer greatly by Xiang Yu's side. Liu Shanhe was still very confident about this point.

  Seeing the various generals, after saying "it turns out that no one has gone west to claim the throne", they all fell silent, looking at each other in dismay. It seems that solving this problem on this court is unlikely. So King Hui of Chu turned to the heroes and said: "This time we will divide our troops and attack, it's a big deal, let me think about it carefully before making a decision." With King Hui of Chu's words "dismissal", everyone stood up silently and walked out of the account without saying a word.

  At night, in the room where Liu Shanhe was staying. Song Yi sat on the floor with Liu Shanhe. The dim light stretched their shadows very long and cast them on the walls around, making it a bit mysterious, just like the current military situation.

  "Did Marquis of Pei really intend to go north with Xiang Yu and attack Zhang Han together?" Song Yi asked Liu Shanhe in a probing tone. From Song Yi's expression and tone, it was not difficult for Liu Shanhe to see that there were some deep intentions behind this sentence. However, Liu Shanhe was not a simple-minded person either, and his words could not be easily extracted.

  "Ah, General Song Yi, during the day, we all expressed our opinions in the imperial court. Don't you also want to go north to Zhao Guo and kill that old thief Zhang Han? Moreover, I and General Xiang Yu..." Liu Shanhe asked Song Yi back, turning the tables on him and taking the initiative away from being passive.

  Liu Shanhe originally wanted to say "Moreover, I am still sworn brothers with General Xiang Yu", but before he could finish speaking, Song Yi interrupted him and said: "What if King Huai wants you to enter the pass first and become king?"

  As soon as Song Yi said this, Liu Shanhe felt that it was not a trivial matter. He had just returned to his camp from the imperial court in the daytime, and some people around him were already discussing that it was likely that Lord Pei would advance westward into Guanzhong, directly destroy the Qin dynasty, and become the king of Guanzhong. At that time, there was even Xiao He among them. Liu Shanhe naturally knew that Xiao He was not a person who spoke casually, and he was very steady. Even he couldn't help but feel anxious, so Liu Shanhe had some doubts in his heart. Originally, he wanted to scold those who were talking nonsense, because this matter was not something that could be said casually. However, thinking of Xiao He being among them, he didn't want to offend him, so he let it go. But now, Song Yi actually told him face-to-face that King Huai intended to make him king in Guanzhong, which was really beyond his expectations. It seemed that the rumors outside were not all unfounded after all.

  "Is this really true?" Liu Shanhe's face was full of disbelief. And this expression, however, was genuinely real and not feigned by him.

  "If that's the case, then do you still insist on going north to attack Zhang Han?" Song Yi smiled, fiddling with a small object on the table as he spoke in a light and casual tone. Looking at his expression, it was as if he were saying "I am the representative of Prince Hui".

  As soon as Song Yi asked himself this, Liu Shanhe really hesitated. Ah, if it's really like that, then should he continue to persist in following Xiang Yu to attack Zhang Han's army? This question, he had never thought about before. It seems now, he really can't help but think carefully, and must think carefully.

  Song Yi saw Liu Shanhe's expression and was not surprised, as if Liu Shanhe's behavior was a matter of course. He then continued to say to Liu Shanhe: "To be honest, in the past few days, the court has been discussing who will go north to attack Zhang Han and who will go west to Guanzhong. And you, Lord Pei, are a big tree that attracts wind, so naturally you have also become the center of discussion among the ministers."

  Liu Shanhe knew that Song Yi had come to see him tonight, and he must have meant to indicate something. So he asked: "General, what do you mean by this?"

  Song Yi gently placed the teacup on the table and said, "All of you ministers have recommended that Lord Pei take command of the western expedition. You say that Lord Pei is experienced, loyal, stable, and wise, with the demeanor of a superior man. Moreover, he has already taken several cities at the beginning of our uprising, and his reputation has been greatly enhanced, making him suitable to lead the western expedition. Furthermore, our Prince Hui often praises your kindness and generosity, whereas Xiang Yu, although skilled in battle and able to conquer wherever he goes, is young and arrogant, with a violent and cruel temperament. If he were to become king in Guanzhong, I fear that people would not submit to him."

  After listening to Song Yi's words, Liu Shanhe was deep in thought. He naturally knew that what Song Yi said was true, Xiang Yu was indeed fond of killing and had a bad reputation. However, if so, why didn't Song Yi go to Guanzhong to proclaim himself king? Why was he so eager to let Liu Bang go to Guanzhong to proclaim himself king? There must be some hidden reason, it's worth investigating him. Thinking of this, Liu Shanhe sincerely said to Song Yi: "If so, then General Song is also a man who understands the great righteousness, why not go to Guanzhong to proclaim yourself king? Liu Bang is incompetent, and thinks that only someone like General Song can go to Guanzhong to proclaim himself king. At that time, General Song can capture the Second Emperor of Qin alone, proclaiming himself king and overlord, and make a big splash."

  Song Yi sighed and said, "Alas, since the words have been spoken this far, Song Mou can no longer keep it a secret. However, these words can only be known between you and me; if outsiders were to find out, both of us would be in grave danger."

  Liu Shanhe knew that Song Yi had come to find him tonight, and the most critical thing he wanted to say was about to begin. He also saw that Song Yi was extremely cautious, so he said to Song Yi: "General Song Yi, please be at ease, what you are going to say is known to heaven and earth, you know and I know!" As Liu Shanhe spoke, he picked up the teapot and poured some tea into Song Yi's cup. However, at this moment, Song Yi stood up and walked to the door, sticking his head out of the doorway to look around cautiously before closing the door tightly and returning to the table, slowly sitting down again.

  "Marquis of Pei, King Huai has already personally agreed to let me lead the army to attack Zhang Han in the north and take control of the commander's seal. However, he is also worried that Xiang Yu will seek revenge and is unwilling for me to take the position of commander-in-chief, so he hesitated to issue the decree." Song Yi said seriously to Liu Shanhe.

  Liu Shanhe listened to Song Yi's words and seemed to be in deep thought. He muttered to himself, "Oh, I see, so that's how it is!"

  Song Yi continued: "Lord Pei, you and Xiang Yu are brothers, so you can talk to him. Why don't you speak for me in front of Xiang Yu and ask him to let me go? If it works out, I'll also help you get a chance to become king in Guanzhong when we return to King Huai." What do you think, Lord Pei?

  Liu Shanhe listened to these words and knew that Song Yi had found him tonight, wanting to say something, which was naturally what he wanted to say. However, this made Liu Shanhe have to make a difficult choice. On the one hand, he and Xiang Yu were sworn brothers who had just recently formed an alliance, and doing something like stabbing someone in the back wasn't something he would do, especially since Xiang Yu was his brother who had just sworn an oath with him. But on the other hand, what Song Yi said earlier made sense, and who wouldn't want to go west to Guanzhong to become king? He hadn't chosen to go to Guanzhong that day because his strength wasn't sufficient, but another reason was that he didn't want to be criticized by others for being timid and afraid of strong enemies, yet good at taking advantage of opportunities.

  However, if it was King Huai who said that he would lead the army to Guanzhong himself, the outcome would be completely different. Liu Shanhe naturally understood this point very well. Therefore, he also felt that Song Yi's words just now were of some value.

  After some deliberation, Liu Shanhe decided to first go around in circles with Song Yi and then talk about it. Thinking of this, Liu Shanhe said to Song Yi: "General Song, this matter is not appropriate, this matter is not appropriate! The alliance between brothers is based on righteousness and morality! I am 24 years older than Xiang Yu, how can I take advantage of my seniority to do something unrighteous? Moreover, when I was with Xiang Yu, we made a solemn oath in front of his uncle Xiang Liang's tomb to kill Zhang Han and destroy the Qin dynasty. That was our joint declaration! Now, as the elder brother, how can I go back on my word and abandon our agreement? Therefore, I think this matter is absolutely not appropriate, absolutely not appropriate!"

  "So, Lord Pei, you'd better make sure that Xiang Yu is willing to serve as my deputy. If so, then you can smoothly enter the Pass and become the King of Guanzhong. Think carefully about it, Lord Pei! When it comes to your own future and career, which one is more important, brotherly love or personal interest? You should be the clearest about this in your heart!" Song Yi's eyes were full of cunning.

  Liu Shanhe listened and couldn't help but think deeply. After a while, he seemed to have made up his mind and said to Song Yi: "I know Xiang Yu's temperament like the back of my hand. He is hot-blooded, competitive, wants to enter Guanzhong in the west and become king, and also wants to avenge his uncle and kill Zhang Han and Er Shi."

  "Alas, Xiang Yu thought he was the only one who could kill Zhang Han and destroy the Second Emperor. He never put you and me in his eyes!" Song Yi sighed. He continued to create conditions and opportunities for this temporary alliance between him and Liu Bang.

  Liu Shanhe closed his eyes slightly and said to Song Yi: "General, you might as well memorialize the Emperor of Huai, and have Xiang Yu established as king in Guanzhong."

  "What? Let Xiang Yu go west to Guanzhong?" Song Yi's face showed an incredulous expression after hearing Liu Bang's words. Could it be that Liu Bang really wanted to give up the good opportunity to go west to Guanzhong and become king? However, Song Yi was not an ordinary person, he quickly understood Liu Bang's intention, his face full of surprise, said: "Oh, strong generals control weak soldiers? Brilliant, brilliant, Lord Pei is truly brilliant, I admire, I deeply admire!"

  Liu Shanhe continuously gestured to Song Yi, indicating that he shouldn't make a fool of himself again. However, in his heart, he was also feeling complacent about his own "luring the enemy in with a false retreat" tactic. Yes, at many times, one absolutely cannot do something just because they know it's impossible. If you already know it can't be done, then you should think of another way to do it; absolutely don't get stuck on one tree and hang yourself from it. Change your perspective, change your thinking, and often you'll achieve unexpected results.

  Thus, Song Yi and Liu Shanhe reached a private agreement: Song Yi would persuade King Huai to let Liu Shanhe enter the Western Pass as king, while Liu Shanhe would come up with a clever plan to resolve Xiang Yu's reluctance to serve as Song Yi's deputy. Naturally, both Liu Shanhe and Song Yi gained something from this, while Xiang Yu became their pawn. No wonder Xiang Yu had been feeling depressed and worried lately!