Chapter 36: Pei County Uprising Begins

  Inside the great tent of Chu General Xiang Liang.

  Xiang Liang and Xiang Yu were discussing their next move when someone came in to report that Song Yi, a general under Chen Sheng, had come to surrender. Upon hearing this news, both Xiang Liang and Xiang Yu were taken aback and immediately stopped the discussion they were having. This was because they both knew that Song Yi was one of Chen Sheng's top generals, so why would he be defecting to their side? Wasn't there something fishy going on here?

  "Hurry up and invite Song Yi in! Hurry up and invite Song Yi in!" Xiang Liang said to the attendant soldier with great urgency.

  Before long, Song Yi arrived at Xiang Liang's military account, with both hands holding fists, deeply bowing to Xiang Liang and said: "General Song Yi under King Chen, comes to pay respects to General Xiang!"

  "General Song Yi, don't be polite, please take a seat!" Xiang Liang hastily stood up and gestured for Song Yi to sit down.

  "Isn't General Song Yi serving under King Chen? I heard that General Song is one of King Chen's most trusted generals, so why has he come to our side today? What advice does he have?" Xiang Yu still couldn't change his childish and provocative nature, and he jeered at Song Yi with ill intentions.

  "Feathers, don't be rude, listen to General Song's explanation." Xiang Liang immediately stopped his nephew. In his heart, he thought, what do you know, just shouting blindly.

  Song Yi didn't care about anything, and smiled at Xiang Liang: "No harm, no harm. The person who just spoke must be the famous General Xiang Yu! Truly a young hero, a young hero!" Then Song Yi told Xiang Liang in detail about Chen Sheng's defeat.

  "Alas, General, you are unaware that not long ago, Chen Wang has already been defeated and killed!" Song Yi let out a long sigh, then bowed his head again, addressing Xiang Liang.

  "What? King Chen is already dead?"

  "Really? Chen Wang is dead?" Almost at the same time, Xiang Liang and Xiang Yu asked in surprise. Their eyes were wide with a complex expression. Dead? Chen Wang was the first force to rebel against Qin, and currently the largest anti-Qin force. He was also the pioneer of the heroes who rose up against Qin, their model, example, and the most rallying flag of the current anti-Qin movement! But this flag had fallen? His army had tens of thousands of soldiers, how could this be?

  Xiang Liang and Xiang Yu, uncle and nephew, couldn't understand how the invincible King of Chen could have been defeated and killed in battle.

  "Yes, yes, I dare not speak half a lie. The death of Chen Wang is an absolutely true and ironclad fact." Song Yi further emphasized, "It was precisely for this reason that I led the remnants of my troops to come and surrender under General Xiang's command! I hope General Xiang will accept me in his tent, and I am willing to serve under General Xiang."

  Xiang Liang and Xiang Yu remained silent for a long time before finally calming down. Xiang Liang slowly asked, "I heard that not long ago, Chen Wang was still quite skilled in using troops against Qin general Zhang Han, and unexpectedly defeated Chen Wang! It's really unthinkable! After all, Chen Wang had tens of thousands of soldiers under him, and they were all high-spirited and ambitious. Moreover, he acted in accordance with heaven's will, so he should have gone further! But today, how could such a situation occur? It seems that this Qin general Zhang Han is not someone to be underestimated! Xiang Liang let out a deep sigh, feeling deeply puzzled by Chen Wang's death.

  "So, General Song Yi, please tell us in detail how Chen Wang was defeated and killed?" Item Liang finally regained the calm and collected expression on his face.

  Song Yi let out a long sigh and said, "The tens of thousands of troops led by Zhang Han were mostly prisoners pardoned by Lü Shan, so these people fought very bravely and killed people ruthlessly. Moreover, Zhang Han was indeed a talented general, commanding very aptly. After leading those former prisoners pardoned by Lü Shan out of Xianyang, they chased and killed all the way, almost unstoppable, just like Chen Wang's righteous army when it first rose up, full of vigor. First, they defeated and killed Zhou Wen, one of Chen Wang's top generals, at Mianchi; then they defeated Tian Cang, another top general under Chen Wang, at Kuangbao, and Tian Cang died on the battlefield, with all his troops slaughtered.

  Here is the translation:

  "So, Chen Wang was finally besieged by Zhang Han in Ruyang City, losing many soldiers and generals, with morale plummeting. Later, Chen Wang had no choice but to make a final desperate attempt, and during the breakout, he was unexpectedly killed by his own charioteer, a man named Zhuang Jia. That guy betrayed his lord for personal gain and presented Chen Wang's head to Zhang Han. By now, Chen Wang's original army of one million has been completely annihilated, with most having perished. Alas, we are just the remnants who managed to escape during Chen Wang's final breakout from Ruyang! Please, General Xiang, take us in!" Song Yi roughly told Xiang Liang about how Chen Wang was defeated and killed.

  Na Yiliang sighed after hearing Song Yi's words and said, "Alas, if this army loses its commander, it will be in great chaos, like a plate of loose sand, and will lose its cohesion, leading to defeat without a fight!"

  Xiang Yu listened to Song Yi's account, and after a long period of contemplation, he suddenly thought of something. He hastily said to Xiang Liang: "General, this is truly a heaven-sent opportunity! We should seize it, you can establish yourself as the King of Chu, then command the whole country, stand out from the rest, take over Chen Sheng's banner and continue our great cause against Qin. At that time, heroes from all over the world will come to join us, what reason would they have not to? Now it seems that although Chen Sheng is dead, for us, it may not necessarily be a bad thing!"

  After listening to Xiang Yu's words, Xiang Liang immediately stretched out his left hand in front of Xiang Yu and said, "Don't speak nonsense! I will carefully consider this matter myself!" Then, seeing that Song Yi seemed somewhat uncomfortable with the conversation between the uncle and nephew, Xiang Liang raised his hand and said to Song Yi, "Oh, General Song, you must be tired from traveling on horseback all day. Why don't you go rest first? We'll talk again tomorrow!" This was a clear message: your matter will not be discussed today. Since you've come, we naturally won't refuse to accommodate you, but as for what position you'll take in my army, that's something to discuss tomorrow.

  "Thank you, General Xiang! I'll take my leave first!" Song Yi was also a clever person. Seeing that Xiang Liang didn't respond to him at the moment, he knew it would be pointless to stay any longer, so he took his leave and left.

  "Uncle's meaning is..." Xiang Yu was still a bit young and vigorous, facing the changing situation, he really wanted to know what Xiang Liang was thinking. And Xiang Liang knew that things were not as simple as Xiang Yu thought. To be sure, at the time, Chen Wang had been bearing the brunt of the Qin army's frontal pressure, which had drawn away most of the Qin army, giving other rebel forces space to develop. But now Chen Wang was dead, his troops had mostly scattered and fled, and could no longer form any fighting force. So next, Qin general Zhang Han's next target would naturally be the strongest among the many rebel armies. And in terms of strength, Xiang Liang's rebel army was basically the most powerful one at the time, aside from Chen Wang...

  A thread of worry involuntarily rose from Xiang Liang's heart, and at the same time, a faint omen of bad luck also rose. Who knows what kind of days will follow? This brutal Qin is indeed like a centipede that dies but doesn't stiffen!

  As for the reasons for Chen Sheng's failure, there are actually many aspects. The first aspect is that Chen Sheng declared himself king too early. Not only did he declare himself king early, but also had a sense of impatience. Moreover, he divided and appointed officials, even appointed a prime minister, and at the same time, he built a grand palace for himself, which cannot be said to be short-sighted. Did he forget what was around him? There were still quite powerful Qin military forces.

  The second reason is that he was too lenient. Chen Sheng himself didn't have much talent, but he commanded millions of soldiers in battle. Among the generals under his command, there were many who were more capable than him - some were powerful and cunning, while others were treacherous and deceitful. Managing these strong-willed individuals was no easy task. Chen Sheng's solution was to appoint special envoys to monitor the actions of his generals on the battlefield. If they found anything displeasing, they would report back to Chen Sheng, who would then punish or execute the offending general. As a result, Chen Sheng's army was plagued by bloodshed and terror, leading to a significant decline in their fighting spirit and overall combat effectiveness.

  The third reason is that he was too casual in granting titles and positions. In the early days, he rose to power with the slogan "Are kings, princes, generals, and ministers born of noble blood?" and gained a huge following. However, as his power grew, his generals began to emulate him, thinking "If you can sit on this throne, why can't I?" As a result, even before they had secured the empire, Chen Sheng's inner circle was already filled with numerous kings and nobles, each with their own factions, leading to a dispersal of internal forces, infighting, and an inability to unite against strong enemies, ultimately resulting in defeat.

  Yong Chi had been feeling unwell since Liu Shanhe let him stay behind to guard Fengxiang, without letting him go with the main troops to Xishuiting to attack the Qin army that had ambushed them before. At this moment, he was pacing back and forth in the hall, his hands clasped behind his back, his face full of anger.

  "Liu Bang is a scoundrel! You this rascal dog! Whether it's Fengxiang or Pei County, who doesn't know his true nature? Uneducated and unskilled, he usually likes to steal chickens and dogs, not doing honest work. But in the blink of an eye, he actually almost rode on top of my head and shit! This is truly unreasonable, this is truly unreasonable!" Yong Chi thought resentfully.

  Yes, he really can't figure it out. Why? Why? He is a famous family in Fengxiang, but he is not as good as a stray dog at the beginning? Not only does he have to listen to Liu Bang's orders now, but also, he seems to be trying to squeeze himself out and not let him follow the crowd. Isn't this clearly not treating him as his confidant? This Liu Bang is really too despicable!

  Yong Chi's current mood is indeed very complicated, and he has a lot of pent-up frustration. No matter how he thinks about it, he feels unfulfilled. Originally, being under Liu Shanhe as his superior made him feel very uneasy, and he didn't plan on staying under Liu Shanhe for long. He just wanted to use Liu Shanhe as a stepping stone to develop himself first, and once he had the opportunity, he would leave Liu Shanhe.

  No wonder that Yung Chi was extremely resentful of Liu Shanhe in his heart. As a fellow countryman of Liu Shanhe, Yung Chi had a very thorough understanding of Liu Shanhe's background and some of his daily behavior. For this famous family in Fengxiang, Liu Shanhe's past behavior was almost like some petty thefts. A local influential gentry, one who was forced by the path of life, already in his thirties or forties, yet still had no achievements to speak of, and spent his days eating and drinking with a group of rascals. The gap between these two was just too great!

  In the past, if he had met Liu Shanhe, if he was in a good mood, he would say a word to him, which was also giving him great face and looking up to him. However, if he was in a bad mood, then Liu Shanhe would have to be careful not to touch his sore spot, otherwise, he would make him suffer. But things in the world are like this, unexpectedly, after a few years, that lazy dog actually became the leader of the righteous army and even conquered Pei County.

  What made Yīng Zǐ's stomach churn even more was that this Liu San actually recalled the two main forces of troops that were currently attacking and plundering outside, just to show off his own grandeur, all because of his mother's death. He claimed it was to pay his respects, but what a load of nonsense! It was simply to display his own prestige, and anyone with eyes could see right through it! You've gone too far this time. This is truly the epitome of a small-minded person getting arrogant after achieving success, being so arrogant that they don't even know their directions anymore! Just look at how he carried himself at his mother's funeral, with that air of superiority, that boundless pride, and that pretentious attitude - Yīng Zǐ's heart turned cold just thinking about it. And when the Qin army launched a surprise attack from the direction of Sì Shuǐ, Yīng Zǐ even silently prayed in his heart for the Qin army to succeed, to take down this despicable Liu San. At that time, who knows, maybe he could have taken advantage of the situation and rallied the people with one call, relying on his own prestige as a member of a prominent family in Fēng Xiāng, and replaced Liu San in an instant!

  At this time, sitting on one side of the hall was an old man. He was a senior member of the Rong family, with gray hair and a somewhat ethereal air about him.

  "General, this time Liu Bang went on an expedition and didn't let you follow him. Hmm, this is not a good omen! Haven't you thought of that?" The old man stroked his beard and narrowed his eyes, looking thoughtful.

  "Sir, what do you mean by that? Please enlighten me further." Yong Chi seemed to still trust this old man with gray hair and beard quite a bit.

  "Hmm. Although Liu Bang appears to be broad-minded and open, it's all just a facade. This person, back in our hometown, was notorious for being a rascal! And as for you, General? You're from a renowned family of high social standing! Originally, Liu Bang had some reservations in his heart, fearing that his humble origins wouldn't be able to match up to your esteemed background. So, he's been thinking of ways to suppress you, trying not to let you take the lead or achieve any merits. Those soldiers are mostly from Pei County, and if you were to go on a campaign, you would naturally have high prestige among them. If you were to rely on your reputation among those Pei County soldiers to achieve great merits, that would pose an even greater threat to Liu Bang! Therefore, he doesn't dare let you follow him on campaigns, instead leaving you to guard Fengxiang. If we put it nicely, this is a sign of his trust in you, leaving you to guard the old nest; indeed, one needs to choose someone reliable for this task. However, from another perspective, this is actually a way to prevent you, General, from achieving great merits during campaigns and thus posing a threat to him. Have you ever thought about this, General?"

  Yong Chi couldn't help but fall into deep thought after hearing the old man's words. In fact, the gray-bearded old man's words had really struck a chord in his heart.

  "The ancients said it well: when the way is different, they do not work together. Since Liu Bang is always on guard against you, General, why must you still force yourself to be with him and share his endeavors? In today's world, heroes rise up together, raise their flags and become kings. How can you, General, bear to be subordinate to others and not plot your own independence, to contend for the honor of being a hero in one region?"

  Yong Chi heard this and couldn't help but nod repeatedly. Just as he was deep in thought, a sudden report came from the outside, saying that Zhou Fu, a general under Chen Wang's command, had come to request an audience.

  "Zhou Fu? He was a great general of Wei State in the past. After Chen Wang started the rebellion, Zhou Fu followed him closely and was also a brave warrior who made many great contributions!" said the old man with gray beard.

  Yong Chi knew that General Zhou Fu had come to find him, and he was sure it wasn't to surrender to him. He still had some self-awareness about this. Probably, he wanted to persuade himself to surrender to him, but that's not certain. In any case, since the other man had come, he should listen to what he had to say first. Thinking of this, Yong Chi ordered someone to invite Zhou Fu in.