Chapter 34: Pei County Uprising Begins

  Lü Zhi was stunned upon hearing Liu Shanhe's words, and then said: "Fan Kuai? A dog meat seller, actually has his eyes on my sister too, this is like a toad thinking it can eat swan meat!"

  Liu Shanhe glanced at Lü Yu and his facial expression flickered uncertainly.

  Lü Zhi was also stared at by Liu Shanhe, and he asked in a daze: "What are you staring at me for? Don't you recognize me? I'm not saying that Fan Qie is too blind to see, although my sister isn't some kind of golden phoenix or jade maiden, but she's still a reputable lady from a good family! Even if it's really miserable, you can't let her marry a dog butcher like him! Anyway, I don't agree with this matter."

  Lü Cuī's performance was actually within Liú Shān Hé's expectations, but he also knew that as long as he made the importance of the matter clear to Lü Cuī, she would definitely consider it. This was because it involved whether they could achieve great things and gain wealth and honor. Such a major event naturally required other people to make arrangements for minor matters to follow.

  "Zhang Liang, Zhang Liang, what's wrong with you? Are they still selling dog meat now? I'm telling you, Ah Jiao, usually you're such a clever person, but now you're so muddled! Think about it, this city of Pei was taken down by Fan Kuai, risking his life to sneak into the city, and then relying on his bravery and wisdom, he led the people of Pei County to rise up and kill the magistrate of Pei! Someone like him, with both courage and strategy, especially someone who is loyal to us, shouldn't we try to win them over? In the future when we're fighting for our kingdom, can we afford to lose such a person?"

  After listening to Liu Shanhe's words, Lü Cuī suddenly fell into deep thought. Her heart was rapidly weighing the pros and cons of this matter, when she suddenly fixed her gaze on Liu Shanhe's face, then firmly said to him: "Alright, you don't need to say any more, I'll go right now!"

  Liu Shanhe clearly saw that Lv Wei's face was filled with a hint of ruthlessness, a sense of determination, and an unwavering resolve.

  "Haha, haha, this is more like it! This is my wife Liu Shanhe!" Liu Shanhe saw that Lü Wei had finally made up her mind and couldn't help but hurry over with a smile.

  It's really not easy to understand one's wife! Liu Shanhe naturally knew very well that his wife was actually an extraordinary person, and her ambition was even stronger than his at times. Before he had made a name for himself, this wife would often instruct him, telling him not to be idle and do nothing, saying that a great man should make a name for himself in the world, and create a great career, otherwise what's the point of living? One speech, and Liu Shanhe was sweating bullets.

  Especially on that stormy night, when she let the prisoner go and beheaded the white snake, Lv Lian was not only blameless but also fully supportive of her actions. Perhaps in her heart, she felt that her husband's great achievement had finally arrived! Later, although she was captured by the county magistrate and thrown into prison, she still managed to navigate the difficult prison guards with strength. After being released from prison, she even brought her two children, braving wind and rain, as a widow and orphan, and amazingly found her way to the mountainous and dense forest of Mangdang Mountain. It's really not easy, nor is it simple!

  So, Liu Shanhe sometimes admires his wife's vision, ambition, strong will, and bold and determined temperament. Even among 10,000 women, it would be hard to find one like her. It seems that heaven has been quite generous to him! In order to help him achieve great things, he was given such a wonderful wife.

  It was also because of this consideration that Liu Shanhe thought, although Fan Qie looked a bit ugly and rough, but after all, he was a great general! As long as it was for the sake of fighting for the country, no matter how great the cost, his wife would agree. She had such a broad vision and magnanimity.

  Watching his wife walk away with determination in the distance, Liu Shanhe couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

  Lü Zhi soon arrived at the residence of her sister Lü Yu. Since capturing Pei City, Lü Zhi had also brought her sister Lü Yu to her side, as it was currently a time of uprising and she needed more manpower. She called over Lü Yu, who could help with many things.

  Lü Bu was still awake, humming a little tune and sewing the sole of her shoe. Under the lamp light, she saw her younger sister Lü Ling's beautiful face and her thoughtful expression, and knew that she must be thinking about her sweetheart. Although her sweetheart didn't have a single stroke of the eight characters (of his name), but Lü Bu herself had gone through that age before, she knew that girls were not allowed to be without dreams. Didn't she used to have an illusory dream of a white horse prince?

  As soon as she thought that she would have to force her own younger sister to marry a coarse and rude butcher like Fan Ye, Lu Luyu's heart was also bleeding nonstop. Although marrying off her sister to Fan Ye wasn't exactly making her sister jump into a fire pit, after all, they were sisters from a renowned family of ladies, no matter what, marrying a dog meat seller just didn't sound right. Of course, if she, as the older sister, insisted on having her younger sister marry someone, relying on her status and influence in her younger sister's heart since childhood, she wouldn't have to worry about it not working out. It was just that it might make her younger sister feel a chill for a while.

  Although so, however, thinking that this was for her own sake, Lu Luyu's determination came again. So, she gritted her teeth and resolutely walked into her sister's room.

  "Little sister, who are you making shoes for?" Lyu Wei looked very careless.

  "Elder sister, why haven't you rested yet? It's getting late." Lü Fang was startled when she saw Lü Zhi enter, then smiled and asked.

  Actually, for Lv Wan, her older sister had a great influence on her. Although she often liked to act spoiled in front of her, more often than not, she was still intimidated by her older sister. To be honest, her older sister was quite capable and had a long-term vision. She often taught Lv Wan that people can't just live for the sake of being full, but should strive to live a more comfortable and luxurious life. Now, others have already become county magistrates' wives, it's clear that she has such good fortune! But what about herself? Although in her own mind, she had her own standards for choosing a partner, those were just illusions, like the moon reflected in water or flowers in a mirror. Where was the real Mr. Right?

  Lü Cuī sat down in front of Lü Lian, took the handicraft from her sister's hand and looked at it, murmuring: "Sister has also grown up, does she have her own heartthrob? If not, how about I introduce one to you?"

  "Oh, sister is really thoughtful for me! Alright, if others introduce someone to me, I'll definitely consider it carefully. But, if sister introduces someone to me, that's exactly what I've been hoping for! Tell me, who does sister want to marry me off to?" Lü Fang still had a mischievous face, just like when she was little.

  "Stop making faces at me, I'm talking to you about something serious!" Lyu Wei knew that her younger sister was used to being spoiled in front of her and never took things seriously.

  Lv saw her older sister's face change, and she knew that it seemed like tonight her older sister was coming over, and indeed there was something important to tell herself. So she also put away her mischievous look and pretended to be serious: "Speak up, my older sister, what's the matter with you finding me tonight?"

  "Big sister really wants to find a family for little sister, that person is incredibly capable and brave, today in your brother-in-law's battle of conquering Pei County, he made great contributions! I'm saying this, you should know who I'm talking about, right?" Lu Wei asked with a gentle tone.

  "Brave and fierce, with great achievements in Dapei County? Who could that be? Ah, my sister, don't beat around the bush in front of me, just say it, who is that person?" Lü Zhi was actually a straightforward person, how could she withstand Lü Yu's "induction"?

  "Fan Kuai, General Fan." Lü Zhi said calmly, speaking out Fan Kuai's name.

  "Who? Fan Kuai? That dog butcher?" Lü Zhi heard, Lü Lu's voice changed, his face looked even more terrible.

  "Is that right, how is it, sister? How is it?" Lv Wei's eyes were fixed tightly on her younger sister Lv Lian, as if she wanted to see something from her face, from her eyes. A pair of sharp and piercing eyes like a hawk.

  However, Lü Yan didn't speak for half a day. But her eyes seemed to be shrouded in mist. Half a day later, Lü Yan finally spoke up and said: "Elder sister, aren't you harming me? I'm the eldest daughter of the family, how can I marry a lowly butcher's son? You married a noble husband, but as your younger sister, I can only marry a dog meat seller. I won't marry! I won't marry!"

  It seemed that Lv Wan had finally come to his senses, his face was iron-green, and his tone was very firm.

  Lü Zhi knew that her sister Lü Yu's change in attitude would take time. Her current behavior was also within Lü Zhi's expectations.

  "Little sister, you can't say that! What's this about selling dog meat and slaughtering dogs? That was in the past, it's old news! Fan Kuai is now a great general who excels at attacking cities and conquering lands! How could marrying a general possibly tarnish your good name?"

  "What general? What nonsense! He's just someone who risks his life for my brother-in-law! Thanks to my sister and brother-in-law's good intentions, I won't marry this Fan General!" Lü Yu said bluntly, and what made her even more satisfied was that she had pierced the true nature of so-called General Fan. He was just a person who risked his life for his master, someone who always had his head on the chopping block, living well today but possibly losing his head tomorrow. Humph! And they still dared to call him a general? Did they think others didn't know the truth?!

  But just as Lv Wen felt that he had revealed the secret, he heard a "slap" sound, and at the same time, he suddenly felt a burning sensation on his face - it was clear that he had just been slapped by his sister!

  Lü Lian was stunned, her eyes wide with shock as she stared at her sister who had almost never hit her since childhood. Her eyes welled up with tears and she felt a wave of grievances surge up in her heart, and then she burst into loud sobs.

  "Hmph, this kind of talk is fine in one's own home, but if you dare to say it outside, I'll tear your mouth apart! You're not young anymore, how can you still not know what to say? This kind of talk is the most taboo! Lü Wei was a person with a broad perspective, she knew the sensitivity of this topic, and it's really a matter of right and wrong. Although everyone knows the essence of this, being a soldier means sacrificing one's life for one's lord. But if everyone becomes the lord, who will wield swords and guns, who will charge into battle and conquer cities? Moreover, what one is born to do is predetermined by fate. Generally speaking, ordinary people can only be soldiers or, with some innate talent, become a general. But becoming a ruler like that is not something easily achieved! You should know that the identity of an emperor is basically bestowed by heaven!"

  "Little sister, it's not that I'm saying you're not good enough. Your brother-in-law is now pursuing great things and it's a time when he needs people like you. Once he achieves greatness and gains the world, will he still lack people like you? Sometimes you're so single-minded!" Lü Zhi spoke bluntly to Lü Yu.

  Lv Kuang lowered his head and remained silent. Half a day later, Lv Kuang let out a sigh from his nose: "Nowadays, heroes are emerging one after another, and there are many people who have more power than my brother-in-law. How can we be sure that he will get the world in the future? I'm marrying him, not betting on it."

  Lü's words were clear, if it was true as you said, sister, that your brother-in-law and his men could choose to succeed and seize the world, then it would be fine. Even if this Fan Kuai himself didn't have a high opinion of him, he would still be considered one of the founding fathers of the country and would definitely be granted an official title and wealth. At that time, he would have everything he wanted, with great power and prestige, enjoying all the riches and honors in the world. But could your brother-in-law and his men really choose to succeed? Not to mention other things, but looking at the current situation in the world, anyone who knows a little bit of knowledge knows that your brother-in-law Liu Bang is just a small rising force, compared to other rebel armies, he is far inferior! Let's not talk about Chen Wang Chen Sheng, even the Chu general Xiang Liang's rebel army, which is closest to their Pei County, has much more power than your brother-in-law Liu Bang! In the end, who will die in whose hands, it's still uncertain!

  After listening to her sister Lü Ling's words, Lü Zhi fell silent for a long time before saying with hatred: "Bet? Yes, bet! We are going to make this bet today!" Her expression was gloomy and cold, her voice firm and unshakeable. From then on, a woman with extremely strong ambition appeared in front of her sister Lü Ling. It should be known that her sister's demeanor was something she had seen many times before. It was an unapproachable majesty, also an unparalleled dominance.

  Lü Zhi was, after all, Lü Zhi. And Lü Yu was, after all, Lü Yu. In many cases, personal interests must be subordinated to the interests of the group, whether it be family property, life, or other things. Finally, Lü Zhi nodded silently and acknowledged her sister Lü Yu's idea. In her heart, she only hoped that her brother-in-law Liu Bang could really achieve great things in this era of rising heroes, so that her own gamble with her family's property would not be in vain.

  At this time, Xiao He and Cao Shen, who had been ordered by Liu Bang, had already gone to Pei County separately.

  In the countryside, they recruited soldiers and bought horses. Because these two were old officials of Pei County, and during their previous tenure, they were also famous for handling affairs fairly and justly, and were deeply loved by the people of Pei County. With them taking the lead in recruiting soldiers and horses, it was naturally easy to succeed. In just a few days, Xiao He and Cao Shen had already recruited an army of over 3,000 people. When they reported this news to Liu Bang, he was so delighted that he almost couldn't find his way north. For Liu Bang, what he lacked now was people. As for money and food, he naturally wouldn't be short of them, since he occupied the entire Pei County and had the supplies of the entire county at his disposal. What he worried about was whether he could recruit people. He didn't have a bottom line in his heart. When he sent Xiao He and Cao Shen to recruit soldiers and horses earlier, it was also because they considered the influence of the two men in Pei County. If even these two couldn't do it, then things would be difficult to say. Although he could also adopt the method of conscripting strong young men to achieve his goal, Liu Bang deeply understood a truth: why did people rebel against the Qin Dynasty? It was because of its cruelty and extravagance, which forced the common people to have no way out. As the saying goes, "If officials do not oppress, people will not rebel." Therefore, Liu Bang was very clear about the harm of harsh governance. Moreover, he was also a person who had traveled from the 21st century, so he naturally understood this point even more clearly.

  But today, after learning about Xiao He and Cao Shen, he was able to recruit 3,000 soldiers in just a few days without exerting any effort. How could Liu Bang not be delighted? On the one hand, he felt that this was heaven helping him, it seemed that unifying the world would happen sooner rather than later; on the other hand, he was also thrilled by the genuine support of the common people for him.