In such troubled times, it is inevitable that there will be deserters in the armies of various countries.
Whether they couldn't bear the hardship, were dissatisfied with the treatment, or missed their hometown, they would secretly leave the camp.
The weaker the commander is, the more deserters there will be. In this turbulent world where one's future is uncertain, the commander's life is worthless, so no one will bother to find them one by one.
Occasionally, someone would wake up to find that the comrade in the bunk next to him had disappeared and never returned.
After the Chu army gained prominence at Julu and became famous throughout the world, and then marched westward through Hangu Pass and stationed in Xianyang, the number of deserters has been decreasing day by day.
After all, because Chu was the most powerful among the vassal states, except for the 8,000 Jiangdong soldiers who were loyal to Xiang Yu, the rest of the soldiers charged into battle and risked their lives for him, not only to fight for a temporary way to survive, but also for long-term fame and fortune.
As Xiang Yu proclaimed himself Overlord and won the respect of the whole world, his reputation in the Chu army reached its peak.
In the eyes of the generals, the most difficult Battle of Julu had already been fought, and the powerful Qin had been reduced to ashes. Anyone who could survive the conquests had more or less made some contributions.
They all waited patiently for Xiang Yu to enfeoff the princes, and then reward them according to their merits and settle them one by one.
Even if there are inevitably people who feel that the rewards are unequal and become dissatisfied, they don't have to leave now.
—Han Xin didn't care.
So he left and stayed, and he had been wandering for more than half a year.
It wasn't until recent months that he really made up his mind.
So last night, he accompanied his brother Lu Xian, whom he had known for less than a month but with whom he felt like an old friend, to drink a few sips of long-lost wine. Unfortunately, before they could chat for a few more words, the other party was summoned by King Xiang.
Well, Lu Bu is destined to have a bright future, so he doesn't need to worry too much.
After parting with Lu Bu, Han Xin drank the remaining wine, choked and coughed, and tried to imitate Lu Bu's previous action and flip over the roof directly.
However, he was not as agile and nimble as Lu Bu. Although he was not injured, he ended up covered in dirt and looked a little embarrassed.
The empty wine jar in his arms was smashed to pieces on the ground due to his carelessness.
Han Xin stared blankly at the broken tiles on the ground, with a strange expression that seemed to be both crying and laughing.
Although it is a pity that it is broken, it is just a clay jar and anyone can replace it. It is not rare at all.
After being broken, the broken tiles are not only worthless, but also become a nuisance and a nuisance to people...
Thinking of this, Han Xin couldn't help but feel a little sympathetic for his fellow creatures.
He lost his father before he could remember, and his mother also died early. Except for a long sword and the vague words "Grandson of Korea", nothing else was left for him.
He was dressed in rags but did not work. He just wore a long sword on his waist and walked around the market. He was not only not tolerated by the knights-errant, but also shunned by the common people.
When he was in Huaiyin, he was lonely and poor, and always had one meal a day and one meal a day.
In order to get a meal at the pavilion chief's house, he visited the pavilion chief's house every day. Until one day, he could not wait for any meal despite being hungry. He returned home empty-stomachied for three consecutive days. Only then did he realize that the pavilion chief's wife had no longer tolerated him.
When he raised his sword and surrendered to Chu, he claimed to be the grandson of the King of Han, but the guards did not believe him. If Zhongli Mei had not treated him with courtesy, and if he had not been so hungry that day that he could not resist the temptation of the meal, he would have been too embarrassed to leave.
After serving in the Chu army, he was finally no longer troubled by hunger and was able to fill his stomach.
He later witnessed the defeat of Xiang Liang's arrogant army in the midst of swords and fire, and personally went to the incredible battlefield of Julu.
He was promoted by Xiang Yu and appointed as a spear-bearing doctor serving beside him. For this promotion, he was deeply grateful, offered advice repeatedly, and served the Chu army loyally with all his heart.
—However, Xiang Yu refused to listen and the plan was not used.
What made him despair the most was that the reason why Xiang Yu refused to listen was not because what he said was wrong, but simply because he... was not named Xiang.
Life is only a hundred years long, but he has wasted more than twenty years of his life and is still confused about his future.
How many more twenty years does he have left to waste
Han Xin walked back to the barracks while lost in thought. Under the indifferent gaze of the other two people in the same tent, he calmly tidied his bed.
He carefully hid in his arms the set of military books that he had read countless times and polished to an extremely smooth texture, as if it was not just a set of military tactics that he had memorized by heart, but also his ambition that had suffered repeated setbacks and had never seen any hope.
Apart from this, he only brought a small amount of salary, a few days' worth of dry food, and a set of clothes that had been washed so many times that they turned white and had been patched many times.
He did not touch the good horses of the Chu army, but relied on his feet and the stars in the sky to determine the direction, and then he headed north without hesitation.
He did not miss his hometown Huaiyin - whether it was the kindness of Piao Mu or the humiliation inflicted by Zhen Er, his self-esteem was shattered and full of pain.
Going west into Shu, the territory would fall into the hands of Liu Bang, and he had no intention of going there.
Regardless of whether he went east or south, he needed a pass to pass through the heavily guarded Hangu Pass. As he was a deserter, he could not fall into the trap.
Although he didn't know what was waiting for him in the north, it was the only place to go.
Han Xin sighed deeply, but his steps were extremely firm, and he walked north silently.
He seemed to be walking tirelessly, and never stopped for a moment except to occasionally look up at the stars and identify the road ahead in the dark forest.
There was nothing else around except the chirping of insects and the occasional startled bird.
As Han Xin walked, what he thought about most was his younger brother Lu Xian, with whom he had the closest relationship in the army.
If he hadn't left, he might have waited for Brother Lu to come back by now, and maybe he would have been woken up in the middle of the night by the arms and legs of the man who was sleeping in a very domineering manner, and would have reluctantly covered the man with the thin quilt
Thinking of this, Han Xin couldn't help but smile faintly.
He had never seen a person like Lu Bu who lived so vividly, so full of vitality, did whatever he wanted, yet was likable, and even made him yearn for someone like him.
His virtuous brother seemed to be silent, but when he acted, he would not stop until he had done something shocking - he was extremely brave, first killing Ziying and then Xiong Xin, and even when he was facing Xiang Yu who was in a bad mood, he was fearless; he had the strategy of a patriot, first stabbing the King of Qin to cause chaos, and then, when he saw the Duke of Pei fleeing secretly, he immediately thought of killing the King of Chu to frame him, and he could endure the temporary humiliation of Xiang Bo, and deliberately left Zhang Liang as bait to get rid of the traitor Xiang Bo.
How could he have the dignity to claim that he was a man of unappreciated talent in front of a man who was a few years younger than him but already so brave and resourceful
On the other hand, he was a few years older than the other, and had been in the Chu camp for several years. He was used to the bloodshed, the shameless collaborator Xiang Bo, the upright Fan Zeng, and the arrogant and stubborn Xiang Yu who was repeatedly fooled by the traitors without knowing it...
But he didn't know that he could still unleash a barrage of punches to his heart's content. As long as he picked the right moment, he could beat the arrogant King of Chu to death, and make the sweet-mouthed but treacherous Liu Bang flee westward in embarrassment without being able to defend himself. He would also make the invincible Xiang Bo's misdeeds exposed and he would never be able to rise again.
He is not as good as his beloved brother Lu.
With Brother Lu’s shining radiance, who can still see the dim light of the stars
Several years of desolation may be enough to prove that his way out is not in the Chu camp, but no one knows where it is.
—After a long period of tempering and the contrast with Lu Bu, Han Xin unknowingly fell into an unprecedented state of confusion, loss, and depression, and subconsciously escaped.
Although he was walking towards the north, he had no definite destination.
He walked from dusk to dawn, and walked for a whole day under the scorching sun.
When night fell again and the morning star twinkled, Han Xin, holding the empty water bag, finally decided to take a break and stop forcing his sore legs.
He followed the source of the sound of water and not far away he saw a wide river stretching ahead.
While fetching water and washing himself roughly, using the coolness of the river water to dispel the stuffy summer heat, he estimated the width of the river and the speed of the water flow, slowly thinking about how to cross the river in a while.
At this moment, in addition to the sound of the rushing river and the chirping of insects all around, Han Xin seemed to hear vaguely other sounds.
He took a few steps back, farther away from the river, and the source of the sound also came closer and became clearer.
He had been in the army for many years and could easily distinguish it: it was the unique sound of horse hooves stepping on the thick leaves.
Listening more carefully, there should be only one person coming.
He frowned slightly and became suspicious: it was no wonder that he found it hard to believe. The truth was that in this chaotic world, it was impossible for him to meet other night travelers in the forest except for him who was a deserter.
Should he avoid it or stay openly
Han Xin hesitated for only a moment before decisively choosing the latter.
The man who came had only one horse. Although he was not sure whether he was a friend or an enemy, he was no longer as brave as Lu Bu and Xiang Yu, but he had been tempered by fighting on the battlefield and had no reason to be afraid of anything.
Having made up his mind, Han Xin gave up his plan to hide. He just tightened the sword at his waist and listened attentively to the sound of horse hooves getting closer and closer.
“Pah—”
Han Xin heard the sound of horse hooves a dozen steps away from him the previous moment, and the next moment, the sound was already very close!
An extremely agile dark horse shadow rushed out of the woods and ran to the river bank and barely stopped. As the rider pulled the reins, this majestic horse proudly raised its head and neighed loudly!
In a flash, the full moon, which had been obscured by dark clouds and looked dim, finally cleared up, and its gentle silver light spread all over the sky and the ground, landing all over the knight on horseback.
Even when the knight's outline first appeared, Han Xin felt that he looked very familiar with the poor moonlight.
But, that person should be in the Chu camp, how could he appear here
Before he could think about it or ask any questions, the man, whether by coincidence or because he was really sensitive, came straight towards him. Even though he did not make any other noise, he turned his horse around without hesitation and headed straight towards him.
When the moonlight turned bright, and the bright light poured down, creating ripples on the river surface, Han Xin opened his eyes wide in disbelief and blurted out, "My dear brother!"
The one chasing on horseback under the moonlight turned out to be Lu Bu!
Looking at Han Xin who was shocked, Lu Bu had a sullen face, snorted, and didn't even say hello.
He squeezed the horse's belly, urging Wuzhui, who still wanted to show off his power a little longer, to walk forward.
When he walked in front of Han Xin, Lu Bu said nothing but stretched out his hand to him.
Han Xin's gaze shifted stiffly from Lu Bu's face to the arm, but he remained in a daze.
Seeing that his cheap brother was still motionless, just staring at him in a daze, completely unlike his usual mature and steady demeanor, Lu Bu, who had stretched out his hand for a long time but received no response, could not hold back any longer.
He frowned and couldn't help but urged: "Brother Han, why don't you get on the horse?"
Han Xin opened his mouth and put his hand up unconsciously. Lu Bu just said "Hey", and his strong waist and abdomen coordinated with his arms to suddenly exert force. In the blink of an eye, he pulled Han Xin, the eight-foot big man, onto the back of the black horse effortlessly.
Wuzhui made a dissatisfied sound, but for Lu Bu's sake, he reluctantly endured the hardship of driving an extra load.
"Food and drinks are all in the bag, Han brother, take them yourself." Lu Bu muttered, quickly took off the bag on his back, threw it into Han Xin's arms, and said happily, "Let's go back."
Having caught the man, Lu Bu was in a very good mood and ran back without saying a word.
After running a mile, Han Xin, who had been in a trance, finally regained his consciousness and asked the man who was chasing him under the moon in disbelief, "How did Fengxian show up here?"
Without even turning his head, Lu Bu lazily said, "Isn't it because of my careless brother? He could get lost even when he was out doing something. The king is missing an important general, so he can't help but ask about it. So I sent Lu Bu, the most idle man under his command, to ride Wuzhui to look for him."
He originally wanted to ride the jade lion, but when he arrived at the stable, Wuzhui's sharp eyes spotted his figure first, and he was so excited that he tried his best to squeeze forward, scaring the gentle jade lion so much that it trembled and hid aside.
But Lu Bu thought again that if he came riding on Xiang Yu's favorite horse, at least his words would be more credible, to avoid the situation where Han Xin was determined not to come back.
Alas, he initially thought that Han Xin had gone to his hometown in Huaiyin, so he took a detour to Hangu Pass before he suddenly had an idea and found his way to the north, which delayed him for half a day.
You actually want to run away? What a joke!
Without Han Xin, he wouldn't even have a think tank to discuss things with. Wouldn't he sooner or later end up like Gao Fu Yi, serving the foolish King of Western Chu all day long and having to use his own poor brain
Since Xiang Yu did not value talent, he would not be polite - he would have to get Han Xin by any means necessary.
Han Xin didn't know how much he believed this nonsense, but he remained silent all the way and didn't ask any more questions.
The moonlight in the sky is as condensed as a wash, pouring down quietly and illuminating the world.
While Lu Bu was making his wishful calculations, he was concentrating on steering his horse without looking back.
—I didn’t know that Han Xin behind me was smiling slightly, but tears were already flashing in his eyes.