When Pei Gong heard the news about Julu, he was also shocked: the two main forces of Qin were defeated by the Chu army, and the two generals who led these two Qin armies were famous figures in Qin. One of them was Wang Jian. His grandson Wang Li, the other was Zhang Han who pacified the state of Zhang Chu. Especially Wang Li. Since he became the commander-in-chief of the Great Wall Army, he has fought countless big battles with the Huns. He was so intimidating to the Huns that the children of the Huns cried in the middle of the night. Just saying Wang Li's name would scare them. Stop crying. And people also know that the Great Wall Army's combat effectiveness is very powerful. They are the tiger and wolf divisions that used to gallop around and unify the six countries. Later, when he fought with foreigners, he could compare one to ten, and ten to a hundred. The generals of the Great Wall Army are all experienced in hundreds of battles and are invincible in their bravery. Even such an army was actually defeated by Xiang Yu, and even suffered the end of annihilation. Speaking of Zhang Han, since Zhou Wen entered the Pass, he was ordered to quell the rebellion. Since leaving the Pass, he has successively destroyed Zhang Chu and Wei, and defeated Qi's 100,000-strong army. His name was once heard by the people of the Six Kingdoms. , all felt unprecedented fear. He was also recommended by Wang Bi, a famous general of the Qin State, and personally appointed by the second emperor. He is currently the patron saint of the Qin State. Even such a senior general failed to stabilize the situation in Julu, and instead was defeated by Xiang Yu.
Xiang Yu's results are so brilliant. It seems that he was right to kill Song Yi and replace himself. The times always call for forward-looking heroes, not those who are afraid of death. King Chu Huai should have worshiped Xiang Yu as his general from the beginning. That Song Yi was indeed too incompetent. He also claimed to be the "Champion of Qingzi". This was really a big joke. The Chu army is indeed great and magical. They are simply the most brave army in the world. The Chu army achieved such great results. In addition to each soldier being good at fighting, didn't it mainly rely on their commander? It is precisely because of the commander-in-chief's skillful command and the bravery and skill of all the soldiers in the army that such great achievements can be achieved! This commander-in-chief is his sworn brother Xiang Yu. He is the grandson of Xiang Yan, the famous general of Chu State. He is extremely brave on the battlefield, especially when charging into battle, his momentum can be said to be invincible in the world. What a hero and great Xiang Yu is. He is simply the best warrior in the world and the most brave general in ancient and modern times. If he really breaks into Guanzhong before the other princes in the future and fulfills the promise of King Huai, who would dare to compete with him for status? When Pei Gong thought of this, he felt so nervous that sweat ran down his back, and his heart beat faster. Naturally, he did not dare to continue imagining the future.
While Pei Gong was admiring, he suddenly remembered the scene of Xiang Yu massacring the city after capturing Xiangcheng. This incident made him feel horrified. Xiang Yu is indeed brave, but he is cruel by nature. Every time he attacks a city, he wants to massacre the city to vent his anger. He will kill everyone who resists him, whether they are soldiers or civilians. This is very unpopular. Maybe this is why he is fatal. weakness. It was for this reason that King Huai of Chu objected to him serving as the commander-in-chief of the West Route Army, fearing that he would kill indiscriminately and not practice benevolence and righteousness after entering the pass. And I, Liu Bang, come from a lower class and know the sufferings of the people, so I must do better than him in this regard so that the people can support me. Pei Gong thought this way and secretly made up his mind.
Suddenly a sergeant came in and reported that Yang Xiong and Zhao Ben had fled to Yangwu County. Pei Gong smiled and said: "No matter where they escape, we must catch them." Then he called the generals to discuss. Xiao He said: "Don't worry, Mr. Pei. I judge that Yang Xiong's death must not be far away!" Pei Gong was very puzzled and asked: "Why did the second brother say this?" Xiao He said: "Judging from many information obtained, the second emperor Nowadays, Zhao Gao is basically no longer in charge of the court. All affairs of the Qin State, no matter how big or small, are decided by Zhao Gao. And the Qin State has always implemented the art of supervising and responsibilities. If the generals make the slightest mistake, they may be killed. Yang Xiong was beaten. After losing the battle, he has returned to Dongjun. How can Zhao Gao let him go? So Yang Xiong's death is not far away!" Pei Gong was overjoyed when he heard this, so he called his sergeants and ordered them to continue to inquire about Qin's affairs.
One day, Pei Gong said to Li Shiqi again: "Since I got my husband, I have conquered Chenliu and Kaifeng, and defeated Zhao Ben, and obtained a lot of grain and grass; I also used Guo Meng's strategy to defeat Yang Xiong, and got a lot of grain and grass. After I landed in Quyu, these are all the results of your plans for me. If I can enter Guanzhong, I must first report your contribution to King Huai!" Li Shiqi smiled and said: "The general deserves the award. This is everyone's contribution. , I just came up with a little plan, is it worthy of your praise?" Guo Meng was also modest. When Pei Gong saw the two of them acting like this, he felt that talents were really important, so he said to his left and right: "The reason why I marched so smoothly today is because of the master's plan. This shows how important talents are! You all pay attention, if anyone else knows Wherever there is a wise man, you must recommend him to me!”
Xiao He came over after hearing what Pei Gong said, looked at Pei Gong with his loyal and wise eyes and said: "Since Pei Gong cherishes talents so much, I will recommend one to you now!" When Pei Gong saw that Xiao He wanted to recommend someone, he happily asked : "Second brother, is this true?" Xiao He said it was true. Pei Gong asked who he would recommend. Xiao He said: "There is a famous person not far from here. I think he was a famous person of the First Emperor back then. Has Pei Gong forgotten him?" Pei Gong couldn't remember him for a moment. Xiao He said bluntly: "He is Zhang Cang, the censor of Qin, Lord Zhang!" When Pei Gong heard that it was Zhang Cang, he was very unhappy and said: "I don't want to see this person!" Xiao He said: "What did you just say? He also said that as long as there is a virtuous person, he should be recommended. Why doesn't it count?" Pei Gong said: "This person is the censor of Qin State. There is still some distance between me and me. I am very unhappy to see him." Xiao He said: "This person He once managed the books and archives of the Qin State and was familiar with the internal documents of the Qin State. In addition, he was knowledgeable and honest as an official. He was a rare talent! He once offended the First Emperor for committing Yan Zhijian and was demoted. As the head of Guizhou, he is now living in seclusion in his hometown of Yangwu County. Since Pei Gong cherishes talents, why not invite him to join the army? I believe he must have a great plan and be able to help you complete the great cause of entering the customs? "
Li Shiqi also said at the side: "This man is indeed a famous person!" Pei Gong said: "This man is talented, but he is arrogant. I was almost harmed by him before." Pei Gong told Li what happened in the past Shi Qi said it again. Li Shiqi laughed loudly after hearing this and said: "I see. But I heard that 'since ancient times, people have not avoided hatred', not to mention that he was also trying to abide by the Qin law. If he is a flatterer and a follower of others, what's more? How could you persuade the First Emperor without fear of losing your head?" Pei Gong pondered for a while and said with a smile: "Okay, I know that you two are indeed 'Guan Zhong', but I don't know if he is 'Ning Qi'. I'll trouble you to go and find out that one. If you dare to rebuke me, please invite Zhang Yushi, who is not afraid of losing his head!" Xiao He readily agreed.
The next day, Zhang Cang was indeed invited by Xiao He. Duke Pei summoned Zhang Cang. After they met, Pei Gong said many nice things and did not mention the past at all, which deeply moved Zhang Cang, who had just arrived. Zhang Cang also truly understood Liu Bang's courtesy as a corporal: this man was not entirely a reckless hero, but also a big shot with the demeanor of an elder. Although he was just a pavilion chief in Qin State before, this pavilion chief possessed intelligence and magnanimity that ordinary people did not possess. Zhang Cang was moved and told Pei Gong the principles of Tang and Wu. After hearing Zhang Cang's advice, Pei Gong was indeed very happy. He felt that it was too late to meet Zhang Cang, so he asked him to continue explaining his views on the situation. Zhang Cang was very excited. He had seen that Pei Gong had a vigorous and pragmatic spirit, so he made some golden remarks that really convinced Pei Gong. He said: "Guanzhong is a place with dangerous terrain, and there is a majestic Qiao Mountain in the east. Mountains and Hangu Pass, which are easy to defend and difficult to attack; to the west are the large mountain ranges of Long and Shu; in the middle is a large plain with fertile land and rich products; in the north is a large pasture. Qin State relied on these advantages in the past. The conditions developed, thus controlling the princes and conquering the world. At that time, people generally believed that if the Shandong countries had a million troops to attack Qin, Qin could defend it with only 20,000 troops. This is the so-called "One Hundred and Two" The origin of Qin Guan. But after King Chen revolted, he sent Zhou Wen to enter Guanzhong, and Zhou Wen also quickly entered Guanzhong. The march was extremely fast, which shows that although the terrain in Guanzhong is dangerous, it can still be broken. The defenders can rely on the danger of the pass, but what can the defenders rely on? It is benevolence and righteousness. If the rulers do not respect benevolence, righteousness and morality, the country cannot be defended. Although Qin only sent 100,000 craftsmen to The expulsion of Zhou Wen's 300,000 rebels from the pass can only show that there is something wrong with Zhou Wen's strategy. Moreover, his army is huge and scattered, and it has been running for thousands of miles. How can such a scattered army remain invincible while living on the spot?"
When Liu Bang heard this, he was in awe of Zhang Cang and asked for advice again: "What you said is absolutely right. So in your opinion, what should I do?" Zhang Cang said: "The general rushed thousands of miles to attack Guanzhong, but there was no reinforcement. , you will make the same mistake as Zhou Wen!" Hearing this, Pei Gong actually let out a sigh of relief. Just when Pei Gong was shocked, a man suddenly walked in. He said loudly: "Sir, what you say makes no sense! If according to what you said, my brother will not be able to enter Guanzhong without the help of others? And that General Xiang has many soldiers?" Now he is the general of the coalition forces. He must have entered the pass first?" It turned out to be Fan Kuai. When Zhang Cang saw him, he knew he was a rough man, so he laughed and said, "That's not necessarily true!" Fan Kuai asked eagerly, "Then please tell me, sir, how can my brother enter the customs in advance?" Zhang Cang said to Fan Kuai Said: "Although Xiang Yu has become the general of the coalition, Zhang Han's 200,000 horses are still intact, so it will take some time for General Xiang to enter the pass. But now if Pei Gong can get a friendly army, he will definitely Enter the Pass before the princes!" Pei Gong was encouraged and said: "I entered the Pass on the order of King Huai, and my brother Xiang Yu went north to rescue Zhao. Apart from the two of me, who else is willing to enter the Pass?" Zhang Cang said: " There are many people who hate Qin, how can we say that no one is willing to enter the pass? Recently I heard that Zhang Liang, the warrior who assassinated the First Emperor in Bolangsha, is fighting guerrillas in Yingchuan, and once defeated the county guard without a foothold. . Zhang Liang started to rebel against Qin soon after Qin Shihuang unified the six countries. It can be seen that he is also a warrior who wants to destroy Qin. If the general can get in touch with him, he will have help when he enters the pass!"
Liu Bang was overjoyed when he heard that Zhang Cang recommended Zhang Liang to him, so he told the story of his previous encounter with Mr. Zifang in Liudi. When Zhang Cang heard that they had known each other for a long time, he was very happy and said: "Zhang Liang is a hero. I heard that he once captured Yangzhai City and had the potential to go north to Luoyang. But Qin made arrangements at Shenyuan Pass Heavy troops, Yingchuan is the closest to Luoyang. If you get in touch with him, the Chu army will march from Luoyang, and the Korean army will march from Fuyuan. The two armies and horses will support each other, and the certainty of entering the pass will be greater." Pei Gong listened to Zhang Cang's suggestion was that this plan was very good, so he immediately sent a team of more than a hundred people, with the eloquent Lu Jia as the liaison envoy, and Ren Ao and Lu Wan as the escorts, to Yingchuan to contact Zhang Liang. .
Sanchuan County Governor Zhao Bi and Qin General Yang Xiong fled back to Yangwu County. Yang Xiong wanted to organize his army to fight again. Zhao Ben said: "Liu Bang is very cunning and cannot fight head-on. We should also use our brains?" Yang Xiong asked if he had any good ideas. Zhao Ben said: "Now the rebels are in full swing and have reached Sanchuan. General, why don't you pretend that you don't dare to fight and retreat to Dongjun, so that Liu Bang will feel that you are deliberately avoiding it to preserve your strength." Yang Xiong said: "Then what? ?" Zhao Ben said: "Then, I will pretend not to dare to fight, return to Luoyang to defend, and lead the rebels to the hinterland of Sanchuan. Then you will lead the brigade to attack Liu Bang from behind and put him in a desperate situation. Then you will definitely be able to capture Liu Bang." Yang Xiong After thinking about it, he patted his forehead and said, "Okay, the county guard's method is really great!" After the two of them discussed it, Yang Xiong retreated towards Jujube, saying that he was going back to Dongjun to replenish his troops. Zhao Ben came to Xingyang. In order to show weakness, he even captured some people to defend the city. Therefore, people hated the Qin people very much.
Peigong admired Zhang Cang's plan to unite South Korea and made him an important adviser, second only to Li Shiqi. A few days later, the army was almost rested and its equipment was fully prepared. Pei Gong reviewed the army again, and the morale of the army was greatly boosted. Peigong appointed Cao Shen, Fan Kuai, Zhou Bo, Ji Xin, Guan Ying, Li Shang, Jin Qiang, and Jin She as the chief generals, and Xue Ou, Wang Sui, Chai Wu, Fu Kuan, Kong Ju, Zhou Chang, Zhou Ke, Zhao Ou, Chen Pei and dozens of other generals served as deputy generals, Xia Houying was the servant, Xiao He, Li Shiqi, and Zhang Cang were counselors. They led everyone to march westward to conquer Sanchuan, and the army approached Xingyang City.
Peigong's army came to Xingyang City and challenged Zhao Ben. Zhao Ben came to the top of the city, observed the situation, and ordered Han Meng, the commander-in-chief, to go into battle. Han Meng received the order, dressed neatly, and led a group of troops to fight out of the city. When Han Meng came to the front of the formation, he pointed his weapon at Pei Gong and said, "Village Liu Bang! Why do you push yourself so hard?" Pei Gong said, "There is no other way. Our strength is here. If you knew the current situation, would you surrender earlier?" Han Meng said He shouted: "I am a general of the Qin State, how can I surrender the thieves? Give me your head quickly!" Pei Gong was furious and ordered Jin Qiang to take action. Jin Qiang received the order, mounted his horse and fought out, fighting Han Meng for thirty rounds, regardless of victory or defeat. Guan Le, the tooth general of the Qin army, saw that the county captain could not win, so he immediately came to help the battle. Jin Qiang's younger brother Jin She saw someone helping Han Meng to fight his brother, and he immediately came out to fight Guan Le. At this time, the military drums of both sides were beating in unison, and the shouts of killing were endless. Jin She and Guan Le fought for more than ten rounds, and Guan Le was killed with a halberd. When Pei Gong saw a Qin general being killed, he waved his flag, and the Chu troops and horses rushed towards the city gate like a tide. When the county guard saw Guan Le being beheaded, the Chu army rushed over and ordered Ming Jin to withdraw his troops. Han Meng retreated to the city.
When the Qin army saw the Chu army rushing to the edge of the city, they pulled up the suspension bridge. During the battle, the Chu army captured many Qin soldiers. Most of these soldiers were disheveled and looked sad. Pei Gong felt very strange and took them back to the military camp for interrogation. Only then did everyone tell the truth of the matter: It turned out that they were all common people in the city, and they were forced to the top of the city by the Qin army to pretend to be the Qin army. Everyone was still sobbing and complaining about their misfortune. After listening to the people's complaints, Pei Gong felt very angry and said meaningfully: "I followed the order of King Huai to attack Wudao in order to save the people, but I didn't expect that so many people were killed today. This is my fault." Ah!" Xiao He said: "The officials of Qin State captured the people as a shield. It is really unreasonable. They should be given food." Pei Gong asked everyone to eat together. After the meal was finished, Pei Gong let them all go. The people were grateful for Pei Gong's kindness, and they all shouted "Long live the Chu army!" They kowtowed to Pei Gong and fled for their lives.
Pei Gong let the people go and ordered them to retreat ten miles. The soldiers asked why they wanted to retreat. Peigong explained: "Zhao Ben has driven the people to the front, and I really can't bear to hurt them." He also sent an order to the army: stop attacking the city and do not harm innocent people. When the news reached the city, the elders gathered together to discuss, saying that Pei Gong was a kind and generous elder, and the people guarding the city now were all our children. If the Chu army attacked by force, everyone would inevitably suffer. Pei Gong would rather postpone his entry than kill his children. He was really a kind lord. The world has been suffering from Qin for too long. Why not welcome Pei Gong into the city? Everyone who heard this thought it was reasonable, and secretly summoned the children of each family to discuss it. After discussion, everyone agreed to give up resistance. So someone secretly went out of the city to deliver the message.
When Pei Gong heard that something had happened in the city, he quickly came to the city. At this time, the angry people came to the city gate and opened the city gate together. Zhao Ben heard that something had happened and rushed over with his troops. But it was too late, the Chu army had already entered the city, and the people shouted: "Capture Zhao Ben alive!..." Zhao Ben was shocked, and he and Han Meng escaped from the west gate. Peigong then occupied Xingyang City, an important town in Sanchuan County.
