Lu Pheasant opened his eyes wide and looked at Zhang Liang in disbelief.
"It's actually Cao Shen!"
The reason why Liu Ji dared to surprise the camp of Qi King Han Xin without worrying about the chaos in the Qi State behind him, and he was confident, was precisely because the deputy general Cao Shen who was guarding Qi State for Han Xin at the moment was one of his own.
Cao Shen and Xiao He were both fellow villagers of Liu Ji's Peixian County. When Liu Ji was still the head of a small Sishui pavilion, Cao Shen had already served as the warden of Peixian County and was considered one of the local governors with quite senior qualifications.
After the huge wave of anti-Qin rebellion started, he first followed Liu Ji in raising troops, and then followed Han Xin. He became famous for his bravery and bravery.
Lu Pheasant recalled the records in the history books. In the first half of his life, Cao Shen galloped on the battlefield, partnered with Han Xin, and cooperated continuously. He conquered two countries and 122 villages in total, and captured two kings, three prime ministers, and six generals. He was the best in the battlefield. valiant general;
After the establishment of the Han Dynasty, Cao Shen succeeded Xiao He and served as prime minister for three years. Xiao followed Cao Shen and remained quiet and inactive, which laid a solid foundation for the early Han Dynasty.
There has always been a legend in the army that Cao Shen was dissatisfied with the uneven rewards and punishments of the King of Han, so he followed Han Xin wholeheartedly and secured the most sought-after position under the King of Qi.
"I always thought that there was something wrong between Cao and the king, but I was wrong..." Lu Pheasant suddenly realized and murmured to himself.
Yes, if he were not a close confidant of Liu Ji, how could he have risen to prominence in the future? Not only was he ranked second in merit among many elders, but he also escaped the later Qing Dynasty's suppression and died a good death as the Marquis of Pingyang. He was listed by Ban Gu in the "Book of Han" He is called the "Zongchen of the Han Dynasty".
At the moment, she felt as relaxed and happy as if she had solved a puzzle. It turned out that in the past nine hundred years, people's hearts had never changed. She had also been an emperor. To her, the emperor's mentality behind these techniques was simply obvious.
"If you can't even deceive others, how can Han Xin believe it?" Zhang Liang stroked his white beard and nodded frequently, with a flash of amusement in his eyes.
This must be Zhang Liang's plan. No wonder Liu Ji never used Cao Shen even though he was blackmailed by Han Xin so much that he couldn't sleep at night and gritted his teeth. It turned out that it was all because of today.
In order to be able to restrain Han Xin with one move at the critical moment, this piece of free chess had been hiding beside him for five years and should not be underestimated;
And Liu Ji, who has been able to bear the humiliation for five years, should not be underestimated.
***
When he saw Liu Ji's men and horses rushing into the camp like a storm, Han Xin had mixed emotions, but he was not very surprised.
It was not that he had not anticipated the scene in front of him, but in countless previous predictions and rehearsals, there was always room for change, discussion, and negotiation.
After all, he was full of confidence in the weight in his hand.
Before Zunzhong had finished drinking the wine, and the greeting smiles on everyone's lips were still there, Liu Ji had already waved his hand to see him off, dispatched his troops and generals, relieved Han Xin of his command and divided him up.
After handing over the five silver and bronze tiger talismans for mobilizing troops to five junior generals, Liu Ji breathed a sigh of relief and ordered his attendants to drink wine for everyone in the room, and smiled at Han Xin. say,
"This battle is finally over. Thank you for your hard work. I will reward you well.
The situation in Qi is complicated and you have to work hard, so you can leave it alone from now on.
Since Emperor Yi of Chu is dead and has no heirs, you will be the king of Chu from now on, which can be regarded as a return to his hometown in glory. "
There was deathly silence in the tent. Han Xin took a deep breath and tried to bargain.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness.
However, because the affairs of Qi Di are complicated and the remnants of the Tian family are cunning and capricious, it would be difficult for someone else to control them and cause some trouble.
Please allow me, Your Majesty, a little while longer, and go back to make arrangements for everything in Qi. "
The Tian family that Han Xin mentioned was the Tian family that succeeded Qi in the early Warring States Period.
The Tian family, as kings, has worked hard in Qi for nearly two hundred years, with deep roots and intricate connections. Even though the capital city of Linzi has changed hands, they are still alive and well.
"You are a great hero in destroying Chu, so rest in peace and don't have to travel thousands of miles again.
Isn't there Cao Shen in Qi State? I heard you say earlier that Cao Shen managed the Qi region in an orderly manner. From now on, all Tian family affairs will be left to him with full authority.
Come on, let's drink, drink! "
Liu Ji waved his hand nonchalantly, as if he had lifted a huge burden off Han Xin.
Han Xin opened his mouth in astonishment, his throat was hoarse, and it took him a while to force out a question,
"Is it Cao Shen?"
"Yes, Cao Shen, don't you trust him the most on weekdays?"
Han Xin's handsome face lost all color in an instant, and Liu Ji, who was smiling so hard that he couldn't see his eyes, horribly predicted his prediction.
This was really a cruel move to kill the enemy. Lu Pheasant looked at Han Xin who was in despair and sighed in his heart.
He worked hard in the Qi State and dealt with the local Tian family, so that one day when the situation changed, he could advance, attack, retreat and defend, and he could separate the prosperous land of fish and rice and support his troops to protect himself.
But while talking and laughing, Liu Ji easily overturned the promise he had made when he begged him to send troops, cooperated with Cao Shen inside and outside, and took away the Qi State without any effort, and then handed him the Chu State, which was in an embarrassing situation.
Han Xin was born in Huaiyin, and he was also from Chu in terms of his native place. However, he left home when he was young. He made great achievements in the north and had no roots in Chu.
Moreover, the tragedy of Han Xin's defeat of Xiang Yu, the overlord of Western Chu, in Gaixia and forcing him to commit suicide on the banks of the Wu River was still vivid in his mind. How could the powerful clans and common people of the Chu region really support him?
A generation of war gods actually turned into water without a source and a tree without roots in the process of offering cups and cups.
Han Xin was still in a trance and did not notice that Queen Lu Pheasant stood up silently, took the golden bucket from the attendant's hand, and quietly filled the lacquer bowl in front of him.
Liu Ji took the lead in raising his glass and laughed.
"Congratulations to the new King of Chu."
Everyone here spoke in unison to congratulate the world on the great peace.
Only Lv Zhi, who was close by, noticed that the wine clenched in Han Xin's hand was trembling slightly uncontrollably, like the last stubborn fallen leaf defeated in the cold winter wind.
***
When the drunken generals dispersed, it was almost dawn. Dingtao was even colder than Lu County, with a few remaining stars hanging in the cold night sky.
Zhang Liang stopped Liu Ji who was about to go to bed.
"Your Majesty, I see that Han Xin is in a very low mood, why don't you let me comfort him.
After all, he takes the most credit, and many things, even if they are shown to others, are still done. "
Liu Ji staggered, staring at Zhang Liang with his sleepy drunken eyes, his tone of voice involuntarily rose a lot,
"I know that you don't say it with your mouth, but in your heart you blame me for being suspicious and unkind.
Let me ask you, how old am I? How old are you this year? "
Zhang Liang's white beard and hair trembled and he remained silent.
Liu Ji stretched out a finger, pointed at Zhang Liang tremblingly, and then turned to point at himself.
"I am fifty-two years old this year, and you are ten years older than me. We are both half buried, and we can't do anything in this life.
But Han Xin is only thirty years old! Look at him, he can still fight for another thirty years!
Do you think I'm afraid? Am I afraid? "
Probably because he was drunk and out of control, Liu Ji was trembling slightly just like the wine in Han Xin's hand during the dinner.
"If you want to go, go ahead and let him be his King of Chu. As long as he doesn't cause trouble, I will ensure that he dies in peace."
Lu Pheasant supported the drunk Liu Ji and asked himself secretly,
"I am nearly 20 years younger than Liu Ji. How will he guard against me when that day comes?"
