As the saying goes:
You should be a hero in life, and a hero in death.
I still miss Xiang Yu and refuse to cross Jiangdong.
I think back then (in the future), Xiang Yu, the overlord of Western Chu, faced an encirclement and suppression campaign by Liu Bang's hundreds of thousands of troops and was defeated in Gaixia. He heard the uprising at night, so he committed suicide in Wujiang River.
Xiang Yu's integrity may be due to the influence of Qu Yuan, who believed that his death would inspire the determination and courage of the Chu men to seek revenge. Coupled with his personal heroism that was desperate to save face, he would rather die than live in Jiangdong in the end. .
And who influenced Qu Yuan? Hearing that the king was humiliated and the country was ruined, would you rather jump into the Miluo River than endure the humiliation and survive?
Thinking about it, it shouldn't be him, Zhu Fan.
But it is undeniable that, similar to Qu Yuan, Xiang Yu's willingness to die and never be humiliated is very similar to Zhufan at this moment.
At least they all completed what they thought was the most worthwhile and meaningful life choice in this seemingly tragic form.
However, Zhufan, the first king of a country to die in battle recorded in Chinese history, was in a somewhat special situation at this moment. (Whether this is the first case in world history, I don’t know)
If he dies at this moment, then first of all, the six thousand Wu men captured here will undoubtedly die with him.
In other words, all the more than 15,000 Wu men he brought this time will be buried here.
He, Zhu Fan, could naturally die for his personal honor, leaving behind an eternal reputation of dying on the battlefield and preferring death to surrender.
But what about the soldiers under his command, those who followed him through life and death and were always loyal to him?
where are they?
In this era, their deeds may only appear in the annals of various countries, and may be nothing more than a dozen simple and cold words: "On the twelfth month of the twelfth month, Wu Zi suppressed the attack on Chu, and his gate was in the nest, and he died." .
As for his brothers and sisters, who can still remember them? who are they? Do you have a name?
After this battle, these people will eventually turn into dust, blown away by the breeze one after another, until they finally disappear without a trace between heaven and earth.
Death is not terrible, what is terrible is that it means nothing.
Zhufan stood there blankly, his eyes already bloodshot, and blood flowed out from the wound on his arm again. It mixed with rainwater and sweat along his arm, and finally soaked into this deep land.
His angry eyes said it all.
He doesn't like this choice, let alone make it.
die? He is not afraid.
However, he really cannot let the death of one person affect the thousands of good men and women of the Wu Kingdom who have followed him through life and death!
"If the king dies, we will never survive!"
"Yes! I will never survive!"
At this moment, a deafening voice suddenly came from the Wu army.
Then, more than a thousand Wu soldiers who followed him out of the outer city clenched their weapons and shouted out the words of belief in their hearts with a fierce and stubborn attitude.
"I will never live!"
"I will never live!"
"I will never live!"
(Say important things three times.)
With their shouts, the men of Wu State clearly told their king that they would follow him all their lives and that they would die with him, even if their bones were buried in a foreign land and their souls flew thousands of miles away, they would not hesitate. !
In this cold and rain-drenched world, the voices of the men of the Wu Kingdom were so loud and shocking, like thunders that were deafening in a rainy day where there was no thunder, and the sound of the rain could not cover up. Even the murderous intent of the Chu army, which was well prepared, could not be stopped.
They are like towering trees growing crazily against the dome, standing on this vast land, thick and tough.
Zhufan turned around and looked at his sons. They were extremely familiar faces and extremely friendly voices. His mind couldn't help but recall the time when he launched an army to attack Shu Jiu. The scene when troops are ordered.
"Sons of Wu Kingdom!"
"I will lead you to open up new territories and win your own land for the Kingdom of Wu, for me, and for yourself!"
At that time, they, these ambitious men, had endless hope in their eyes.
But now, as the king of a country, he has led them to such an end.
Thinking of the visions he had given them, they disappeared at this moment, and turned into droplets of cold rain mixed into the mud flow, so muddy that they could no longer be distinguished.
For some reason, Zhufan's eyes suddenly turned red when he looked at them at this moment.
Even though he is an indomitable hero, he cannot resist the softness in his heart at this moment.
With their firm belief, their tenacity that they would rather die than surrender, and their loyalty to him that can be learned from the sun and the moon, his sons and sons shouted out their wishes to him, to Sun Wu, to the eyeing Chu army, and to the world that they could not conquer. Voice.
He indeed did not choose the wrong person, nor did he wrongly invest his passion. He successfully won the trust and persistence of these sons and daughters.
This is probably an achievement that any monarch would like to achieve, right?
Even if they die in battle, these good men who follow him will unswervingly maintain his dignity.
Even Li Ran, who was standing on the tower watching this scene, could not help but be moved and shocked by these men of Wu.
In the past, he had seen similar plots like this in TV movies or military magazines.
But when he saw this scene with his own eyes, which was so real that it made his scalp numb, he suddenly fell into deep thought.
Throughout the ages, how many people have held the same belief as him and fought to the last moment for the persistence in their hearts?
Those people in the past dynasties who would rather die than give in, fight tenaciously, and never give up under any adversity, seemed to appear alive in front of him at this moment.
So, Li Ran also entered Chaoyi. At this moment, he appeared in front of Zhufan in the cold rain.
"King Wu, it's better to surrender."
Li Ran looked at Zhufan, whose eyes were red and his face was full of tears or rain, and he said this sentence that seemed to go against his true intentions.
In his heart, after seeing the Wu people's perseverance and unyielding spirit, he hoped that Zhufan would act according to his own wishes so that he could choose not to live in such a humiliating way.
However, he cannot continue to let Wu and Chu continue to fight like this. He cannot destroy the peace and stability of countless people just because of his reputation.
"I'm Li Ran, Li Ziming."
"All the men of the Wu Kingdom are heroes, but today's battle has already decided the outcome, so there is no point in making any more sacrifices. And if your Majesty insists on seeking death, then there will be no conflict between Wu and Chu in the future." How many people died because of this.”
"Your Majesty can give up everything and die bravely. The good sons of Wu may also be willing to follow you and be buried under the loess. However, all the consequences and sufferings here will ultimately require their relatives, their wives, children, and even everyone. Wu people will bear the responsibility?"
"Besides, if the king dies, what will happen to the state of Wu? If Wu is in chaos and the power of Chu becomes more powerful, then the whole world will not be spared."
"So, please think twice, Your Majesty. For the great plan of keeping the world in balance, Your Majesty, please don't be willing to die just to understand the small details!"
Li Ran bowed towards Zhu Fan, his solemn face full of respect.
——
Chapter 251_Wu Ju, the bad guy
Li Ran's arrival and his words hit the point in Zhufan's heart that he least wanted to mention.
On the battlefield, life itself seems insignificant.
But outside the battlefield, the thousands of people whose lives are connected to these people are the lifeblood of the entire country.
In the land of China, there has never been a belief that everyone truly believes in.
The reason why Chinese civilization has a long history and has never been interrupted, and the reason why the descendants of Yan and Huang are indomitable and unyielding, is precisely because what they believe in is not an empty God, let alone an empty Creator. But they deeply care for each other, this land and the people living on this land.
When Zhufan learned that his death would actually involve so many people, he felt a little shaken in his heart.
Although Zhufan could not be called a benevolent king, or even a wise king, when faced with such an important decision, his past stubbornness and arrogance were all gone at this moment.
All he could carry in his heart at this moment was his sons and his hometown.
He had naturally heard of Li Ran's name. Whether it was the Pingqiu Meeting or the Guo Di Meeting, or what he did in Zheng State, Li Ran's name was already resounding throughout the nine states.
Faced with such a "gentleman", Wu Wang Zhufan finally recognized the reality.
Although he didn't know why Li Ran appeared here, the Chu State with Li Ran's help now was definitely not something he could defeat.
There is no harsher reality than this.
With the already powerful Chu State and the unparalleled ingenuity of Li Ran, how could the Wu State become their rival in the future?
For the first time, Zhufan regretted his arrogance and underestimation of the enemy.
Obviously, the sacrifices of tens of thousands of Wu Guo's men who died in the months-long battle were all in vain at this moment!
And those heroic words he had announced to them had become like a passing cloud at this moment.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha……"
In the cold rain, Zhufan laughed miserably, and his unyielding body gradually swayed. The king of a country who looked so strong was actually so fragile.
"Your Majesty! You cannot surrender!"
"Wu Guo'erlang, there is no one who will kneel down and beg for surrender!"
At this time, the men of Wu State who followed Zhufan and rushed out of the outer city once again let out deafening roars and shouts.
They would rather die than surrender!
They also knew that their king was definitely not someone who was greedy for life and afraid of death.
The greatest and most evocative relationship between monarch and minister in the world is probably like this.
When Li Ran heard the sound, his brows suddenly furrowed.
At this time, Zhufan supported his body with his long sword and turned his head to look at his sons again.
"Ignorance..."
"Your Majesty! We are all willing to die together with your Majesty!"
"We are willing to die together with the king!"
Wu Guo's men and women shouted in unison, and the heroic momentum broke through the sky and went straight into the sky!
Hanyu shed tears for it, and the earth shook for it!
Li Ran, Sun Wu, the defenders of Chaoyi, and the reinforcements from Chu were all in shock at this moment!
A real man must be wrapped in horse leather and die in battle. How can he beg for surrender? !
A man from Wu State should be ambitious!
Life is different, death is the same fate!
At this moment, Zhufan, who had been persuaded by Li Ran, was once again aroused with a strong desire to die.
He had no extra words or even extra expressions. He only held the sword tightly in his hand and stopped the tears. His resolute face once again showed his bravery when he first conquered Shu Jiu!
"I dare to ask, Sir, why is it that Sir, who is also a person with the surname Ji, is now helping a barbarian country? Aren't you afraid that he will be infamy for thousands of years?"
"Today I am defeated here. I have nothing to say. However, I, the man of the Wu Kingdom, will one day set foot on the land of the Chu Kingdom and take back everything that my Wu Kingdom has lost!"
Zhufan raised his sword in his hand and roared to the sky!
He made up his mind that he could not live up to the expectations of his sons and their loyalty to the state of Wu.
There is absolutely no one in the Wu Kingdom who wants to surrender!
"King Wu!"
"Hahaha! What King Wu said is really ridiculous! Not to mention that your Wu Kingdom today is nothing more than this. Even if I give you Wu Kingdom another hundred years, I am afraid that your Wu Kingdom can only look at me. The great rivers and mountains of Chu State are of no help!"
"You, the Wu State, will never set foot in the land of our Chu State!"
At this moment, Wu Ju appeared.
Although he gave Sun Wu complete autonomy in deploying troops, he also promised to give Li Ran time to stop his troops and persuade him to surrender. But this does not mean that he completely trusts Li Ran and Sun Wu.
Just after Li Ran and Sun Wu led their troops to Chaoyi, he immediately mobilized his own troops, followed them from a distance, and arrived at Chaoyi early this morning.
However, from beginning to end, his personal army never showed up. Therefore, even the generals in their own army did not know that he would come to Chaoyi quietly at this moment.
As for this battle of Chaoyi, he had only watched from the foothills outside the city from beginning to end. It was only now that the overall situation was decided, and he rushed to reap the results of the battle.
As I said a long time ago, he is as cunning as Wu Ju, and there are really not many people in this world who can compare with him.
"Doctor Wu Ju?"
Li Ran was shocked when he saw Wu Ju coming.
In the original plan, he shouldn't have had a role here. He deliberately asked Wu Ju to lead the Chinese army to retreat in order to prevent him from getting involved.
But who would have thought that Wu Ju actually followed him, and not only that, but now he also said such humiliating words in front of Zhu Fan, which clearly meant that he was trying to force Zhu Fan to death!
"Old man, the one who is defeated today is Sun Changqing. What does it have to do with a man like you?!"
Zhufan was furious as soon as he saw Wu Ju, and was even more furious when he heard these humiliating words. If Sun Wu hadn't been there at this time, I'm afraid he would have stepped forward with his sword and died with Wu Ju.
"Haha, what King Wu said is even more ridiculous."
"Sun Changqing is a subordinate general. If you lose to him, doesn't it mean you lose to me?"
"Ha ha ha ha!"
"If the King of Wu doesn't surrender early, how long will it take?! If the Kingdom of Wu is willing to surrender to our Chu Kingdom, I dare to promise to the King of Wu that I will definitely give the King of Wu three towns, so that the King of Wu can conquer our Chu Kingdom in the future. Live the rest of my life in national security.”
Wu Ju was sure of victory at this time, and his words were extremely humiliating. He was so arrogant that he did not even take into account the so-called ethics.
Wu Ju's words can be said to be heart-breaking. Completely different from what Li Ran said, the implication of Wu Ju's words could not be more obvious:
Regardless of whether you commit suicide or not, you will never be able to return to Wu.
For Wu Wang Zhufan, this was like a death sentence.
You must know that Zhufan is the king of the country with the surname Ji. He is a brother of the same clan as the Zhou royal family. To talk about him like this is not to mention that they are already a powerful Wu country. The king of a country was imprisoned by the barbarians. Bang, no matter who it is, or which country it is, it is an unbearable shame and humiliation!
But these are the things he cares about least in Wuju and Chu.
