This is not something that can be said in one or two sentences.
Lv Zhi was tired from traveling and could not eat or sleep well along the way. After staying up for three days and three nights, he was extremely exhausted and there was no pain anywhere in his body.
She walked around the tent several times, found a clean rope bed, sat down comfortably, and then let out a breath.
"In my opinion, this matter cannot be rushed. The King of Han...has a knot in his mind."
Zhang Liang still held up his hands, squinting his narrow eyes, half-smiling but not smiling.
"Madam, you think that I don't know what your Majesty's heart is?"
Lu Pheasant was startled.
Zhang Liang said again,
"Madam, you think that Xiang Yu, who is sitting in Gaixia City, doesn't know what the king's heart is?
Madam, do you think that Heart Knot himself doesn’t know that he is the King’s Heart Knot? "
Yes, Lu Pheasant suddenly remembered that the helpless old man in front of him was none other than Zhang Zifang, the Han Dynasty's first counselor who was highly praised by later generations for his inexhaustible strategies and the 400-year prosperity of the Han Dynasty.
She secretly laughed at herself for being stupid. How could Zhang Zifang not understand something that even she could see clearly?
At the same time, she suddenly felt some unreasonable pride. In her previous life, she paid special attention when studying the history of Han Dynasty, but she never discovered that Lu Pheasant had been at the core of the military front.
It seems that she must have done something right now to make Zhang Liang think of colluding with her in a crisis.
It's a pity that those courtiers who shouted "Ji Si Chen" nine hundred years later did not have the opportunity to see him sitting and discussing with Zhang Zifang at this moment.
She lost consciousness for a moment, then suddenly woke up, retracted her thoughts, and unconsciously had a conceited smile on her lips.
"I was the one who was abrupt, Brother Zhang, don't be offended.
The King of Han has been ill for a long time, and you who are in the position of ministers cannot really talk about it from the sidelines.
Don't worry, I will definitely persuade him to stop him based on my reputation as a couple of ten years. "
"Old minister, I'm here to thank you, Madam, on behalf of the 600,000 coalition soldiers and their families, and for our country, the Han Dynasty."
Zhang Liang bowed his head to the end and couldn't stand up for a long time.
***
When she walked into Liu Ji's tent, Lu Pheasant realized that the situation was worse than she expected.
The light in the tent was dim and unclear. Liu Ji's hair was messy. He wrapped himself in a linen quilt and sat cross-legged beside the sand table with Gaixia's topography.
But he was strangely fully clothed, as if he was about to face an enemy at the next moment.
Hearing the footsteps, Liu Ji raised his eyes and saw that it was Lu Pheasant. He was not surprised and silently greeted her with his eyes.
"Oh, they found you after all."
Lu Pheasant looked at Liu Jiqing's pale and thin face and gray temples, saw the beating of the wind and frost swords, and also saw through his inner demons——
This inner demon is the result of the defeat of Pengcheng, and it is also the lingering fear brought to him by the undefeated God of War Han Xin.
Every time Qi King Han Xin won a victory, Liu Ji's inner demons became more and more serious.
What's more, on his way from Linzi to join forces, Han Xin also captured Pengcheng, which had nearly killed Liu Bei. Now, his inner demons were growing like crazy.
***
Lu Zhi was most annoyed by the indecision and hypocrisy. She took off Liu Ji's quilt and threw it on the couch. Then, she leaned over to study the sand table.
"This is a military matter. How can you women understand this?" Liu Ji muttered, but did not pick up the linen quilt again.
Lu Pheasant stared at the undulating terrain on the sand table and the dotted markings of the two armies, and recalled in his heart,
It seems that in the second year of Chang'an, our army defeated the Turks and established the Beiting Protectorate in Tingzhou. Since then, the Silk Road has become unimpeded again, and there are counties in the Tang Dynasty at the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains.
At that time, the terrain of the Tianshan Mountains was ten thousand times more complex than the Gaixia Plain in front of us.
She tried to control her voice softly, trying her best to make the following rebellious words less harsh.
"Your Majesty, the defeat of Pengcheng is far away, and the defeat of Guling is close by. I am afraid that everyone outside is well aware that you cannot defeat Xiang Yu in front of the battle.
At present, although the strength of our army is several times that of the Chu army, if you take command and the morale of the army is unstable, the 600,000 coalition troops will become a ball of scattered sand in an instant.
There is a saying in the art of war: to unite the army and gather the people, the key is to stimulate the spirit.
Our army is discouraged, but the Chu army is full of energy. If Xiang Yu brings one hundred thousand elite men and destroys the boat again, can we stop it?
I dare to say something, the moment the king officially announces that he has taken command, it will be the moment when the death knell of our army rings——"
Before Lu Pheasant could finish speaking, Liu Ji stood up abruptly, picked up the earthenware earcup on the desk and smashed it to the ground.
The ear cup shattered with the sound, and the flying fragments were wrapped in residual tea and wet the hem of Lu Pheasant's skirt. She silently took a step back to keep herself away from the angry King of Han.
After smashing the ear cup, Liu Ji was still not relieved. With a forceful flick of his hands, he knocked all the copper lamps and other objects on the low table to the ground.
Hearing the unusual commotion in the room, the guard outside the door came in tremblingly to ask, but was scolded by him using the most unbearable vulgar language and slang until he fell to his knees.
Normally, if the king was so angry, Lu Zhi would have to kneel down to apologize, but she just kept silent and had no intention of kneeling.
My knees were still sore from walking, and it was too troublesome to kneel down and then stand up again.
The truth is always difficult to face. She silently looked at the angered man in front of her, watching how he concealed his embarrassment and how he vented his full hatred.
***
After a long time, Liu Ji calmed down slightly. He stepped on a paint spoon that rolled to his feet. He applied a little force and heard the crisp sound of the spoon handle breaking.
"Anyone can lead this soldier, but not Han Xin."
"Listen to me, this soldier can only win if Han Xin leads it."
Liu Ji didn't speak anymore, and the blue veins popping up on his forehead expressed his emotions for him.
"I think back then, Duke Huan of Qi trusted Guan Zhong and established the hegemony of the nine princes.
The success or failure of the Battle of Gaixia depends on you. "
"You compare Han Xin to Guan Zhong? Guan Zhong... at least he won't rebel."
Liu Ji gritted his teeth and vented his heart out bitterly.
Lu Pheasant wanted to laugh, but Liu Ji looked like he was almost going crazy because he was holding back his deepest worries.
"Has your Majesty ever flown a kite?
No matter how high or far the kite flies, it still has to listen to the command of the string. "
"What would happen if Han Xin, relying on 600,000 coalition troops, defected before the battle?"
"In my opinion, the king can rest assured on this point.
Xiang Yu is narrow-minded, and has old grudges with Han Xin superimposed on new grudges. Han Xin will not turn to Xiang Yu, and Xiang Yu will never tolerate him. "
"What if Han Xin wins this battle and declares himself emperor?"
“The decisive battle is over, and the army still needs to be wiped out everywhere, so Han Xin’s full attention will be on the war.
At that time, the king only needs to be faster than his hands and feet and remove his military power. "
"I'm afraid that because of his superior achievements, it will be difficult to suppress him in the future."
“That’s for later.
What the king needs to consider now is how to eliminate the Chu army as soon as possible and how to successfully proclaim himself emperor. "
Lu Pheasant spoke every word in a eloquent manner, with a familiar emotion in his words.
"Have you ever thought about what kind of emperor Han Xin, Peng Yue and other heroes want after this battle and the world is unified?
These people are not convinced by each other and will never support each other to become emperor.
What they will support is an emperor who is tolerant, easy to bully and easy to talk to. "
Liu Ji stared at Lu Pheasant. The light in the room was very dark. Her jade-like face was blurred, and only her eyes were flashing with excitement.
"The king wants the world to know at this time that you know people well and have the magnanimity of a king. You are the best candidate to become emperor."
"Oh, what about after becoming emperor?"
"After becoming emperor?
When you become the emperor and return home from all over the world, if the little fish on the chopping board is not honest, it will be chopped into pieces. "
***
The two ended their conversation, and it was almost dusk when Lu Zhi walked out of Liu Ji's tent;
Teams of fast horses shuttled between Liu Ji's main tent and the battalions. This was his communication and arrangement to hand over all the command of the coalition forces to Han Xin.
The cold icy rain hit my face, bringing with it a sense of relief.
She knew that the Battle of Gaixia was coming.
Later, historians described this secret conversation in Gaixia like this -
"Lv Zhoushu: The Chronicles of Emperor Shengshenzhao":
"In the twelfth month of the fifth year, Emperor Gaozu gathered troops to pursue Xiang Yu to Gaixia, but the Chu soldiers entered the wall. Emperor Gaozu was afraid of King Xiang and did not dare to go out. He also doubted the King of Qi's faith and did not dare to ask him to lead troops. After receiving Zhang Liang's report, he immediately When I went to Gaixia, I tried my best to admonish Gaozu, spoke generously, and explained the pros and cons. Gaozu then understood."
