After casually making that harsh comment of "young chickens pecking at each other", Lü Bu was completely unaware that Xiang Junzi was so bold as to slander him in his heart. He cleared his throat and asked in a deep voice: "May I ask, Your Majesty, when we entered Jiujiang to pursue Ying Bu...how many cities did we destroy?"
Hearing this question, Xiang Yu's eyebrows jumped and he raised his eyes silently.
Her pupils were deep and deep, but she just looked at him silently without answering.
Seeing his expression like this, Lu Bu's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
Ever since he led his army into the eastern border of Chu State, he had seen with his own eyes the devastation everywhere, the scorched flowers and withered grass. After all, he had experienced countless tragic situations, and his heart was still touched.
He was not a Chu person, so he might have felt some sympathy for them, not to mention that he was the king of Chu and had always loved the people of Chu.
Seeing the miserable fate of the people of Chu, he would be furious and want to destroy the world, and would most likely massacre the entire city to vent his anger.
It's a pity that I wasted some time suppressing the Zhou Yin rebellion and failed to stop it in time.
At this moment, seeing that the reckless man named Xiang was silent, it was obvious that he had killed too many people in anger, and for a moment he couldn't even count them!
Lu Bu felt his vision go dark and his face instantly fell.
Thinking about how much trouble and difficulty he would have to bring to his plan of unifying the world if he slaughtered this fool so easily... Lu Bu actually tasted the bitterness of raising an unfilial and prodigal son, and could not help but sigh.
Damn it, no matter how angry this fool is, he should at least hold it in first, and then find the culprit and vent his anger on him!
Xiang Yu quietly watched his beloved general, whose expression changed all the way and finally seemed to have lost interest in life. After a long while, he sighed and said lightly: "Jiujiang was once under the jurisdiction of Chu."
Even if he was so angry that he went mad, he would never turn his butcher knife against the people of his former hometown.
Not to mention the fact that the people of Jiujiang also resented Ying Bu for his ungratefulness, trampling on the cities of Chu and killing the people of Chu.
Lu Bu: “…”
This bastard, why didn’t you say it earlier
"Your Majesty is wise," Lü Bu cursed Xiang, the bastard who deliberately made him lose face, dozens of times in his heart. After perfunctorily praising him, he changed the subject as if nothing had happened: "The army is now stationed in Lingbi. May I ask what is the next plan?"
Xiang Yu glanced at him and said calmly, "Originally, we planned to take Hengshan first, and Long Ju and Zhongli Mei would guard Jiujiang, but because of the unrest in the north, we decided to wait and see for the time being."
Hearing the indifferent tone of this fool, not at all like the look of being angry and losing all reason as he imagined, Lu Bu secretly thought it was strange, but on the surface he said with deep approval: "Your Majesty is really the reincarnation of Yao, Shun, Tang and Wu, and your reputation is known to the world. With such prudent planning, that group of rabble will be defeated in no time!"
Xiang Yu's eyes were deep, and he asked proactively: "Does Fengxian have any good ideas?"
If others heard his unconsciously gentle voice, they would be shocked.
But at this moment, Lu Bu had a solemn expression. He was racking his brains, trying hard to recall the lengthy analysis that Han Xin had done for him that day.
It was not enough for him to just remember it, he also needed to extract the content and then turn it into sentences that this fool could understand... It was so troublesome and extremely tiring, so how could he have the mind to pay attention to the tone of Xiang Yu's questions
After he had considered his words, he spoke seriously, "In my opinion, the princes are coming with great force. They seem to share a common hatred for the king, but they have their own plans and are a mob. The king is known for his unparalleled power and bravery. The army he leads is invincible. However, although there are many brave generals in the Chu camp, none of them can match the king's power, and it is difficult to have the sharpness of the king's army. On the other hand, the princes' army is like a fishing net. It seems to be full of holes, but if you pounce on it, you can catch mediocre generals like Xiao Gongjiao."
Xiang Yu frowned slightly, but he was not displeased. He just followed Lu Bu's words and fell into deep thought.
Hearing that Lu Bu paused, he couldn't help but urge him, "Speak."
Are you urging his grandma to move her legs
I was just thinking about what Han Xin said that day.
Lu Bu cursed inwardly, but his expression remained solemn: "Although the armies of the princes are often defeated, they always suffer defeats in front of the king's army, but they still persist and do not see the reason for their decline and destruction. If we blindly expect the king to lead the army and conquer everywhere, we will fall into the dilemma of running around and being exhausted, just like Zhang Han in the past. Sooner or later, he will run out of energy, so how can he make long-term plans?"
Xiang Yu frowned even deeper, and subconsciously asked: "Then what about Fengxian's opinion?"
Lu Bu smiled slyly and flattered him skillfully: "Since the princes are in name only and have different ideas, why don't you send someone to persuade them? Our army is strong and powerful. In terms of single-soldier combat, there is absolutely no opponent in the world! The princes dare to bully a single tiger only when they gather together, how dare they challenge the king's mighty majesty? If we can make full use of the king's momentum and send a capable debater to persuade them, we will surely make them lose their loyalty and disintegrate the coalition! By then, we can use both kindness and force, and perhaps we can make them surrender without sacrificing a single soldier. Even if it fails, it will be easier to attack them separately, which will achieve twice the result with half the effort!"
He thought that this fool was quite similar to himself in his past - a young man who only knew how to rush around blindly.
In the end, even if the enemy is defeated, he is exhausted, covered with wounds, and has no time to catch his breath.
Little do people know that there are many crises in this world that can be resolved with just a little bit of manipulation.
He had suffered so much that he finally understood the truth. Otherwise, why would he have shot the halberd at the gate when Big Ear Liu and Ji Ling had a quarrel and forced him to take a stand? It wasn't like he had nothing better to do.
It was nothing more than to stop the two of them from talking, so as to prevent them from either dragging him into trouble or taking advantage of his boss.
He saw that Xiang Junzi had many talented people under him, but because he was always good at defeating ten thousand enemies with one force and using strong attacks, his talents were left unused.
To put it bluntly, they are just good at using brute force and disdain to use their brains to plot any conspiracies or intrigues. Not only do they make themselves exhausted, but they also make those debaters wasted their time, lonely and frustrated. Those with ambitions may have to find other jobs.
He couldn't bear to see such a waste of natural resources.
Anyway, it's better to send someone to talk first, there will be no loss - if talking really doesn't work, it's not too late to attack again.
If you can say it, wouldn't it save you a lot of effort
Lu Bu's heart is as clear as a mirror.
He had suffered enough in his previous life, so he naturally knew that no matter how strong the Chu army was or how brilliant Xiang Yu's tactics were, the later the battle progressed, the less useful the Chu army's most adept tactics of quick victory and quick decision would be.
Sooner or later, we will have to face frequent long-term wars of attrition involving sieges and assaults.
If you keep underestimating the shabby and ragtag army of the princes, you will suffer a terrible defeat sooner or later.
Xiang Yu did not expect to hear the proposal of "lobbying" from his favorite general, and he was stunned.
He initially had a favorable impression of Fengxian because he admired that talented and brave man.
It is not difficult to see from the battle in Yan that Ai Jiang is similar to him. They are both proud of their thunder tactics of winning with elite assaults, and they are invincible in single combat.
Since we can just attack head-on, why bother scheming and lobbying in a roundabout way like a villain like Liu Bang
Although he was puzzled, facing his beloved general who was full of energy and dedicated to giving him advice, Xiang Yu felt embarrassed and silent for a moment, but still could not bear to say no.
That's all.
He thought for a moment, then said in a gentle tone: "Just do as Fengxian said."
When lobbying fails, it is not too late to send troops to attack.
Although Xiang Yu still felt a little awkward, he thought about Fengxian's loyalty, how he had devoted his heart and soul to him, how he had planned many times for him, and how his plans were so ingenious that none of them failed.
Given those precedents, he felt strange but also instinctively convinced.
How could Lu Bu know that Xiang Yu agreed so readily because he was reluctant to do so, out of pity for his beloved general and unwillingness to offend him.
He thought that this was because of the influence of this smart man, and that his stupid head had finally become smarter, so he couldn't help feeling relieved.
Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Lu Bu did not linger any longer, but took his leave and walked out, wanting to take a rest first before discussing with Fan Zeng the specific candidates to be sent.
Xiang Yu watched him leave quietly, while he was still pondering the proposal over and over in his mind. The more he thought about it, the more appropriate it seemed.
… After all, late autumn has passed and winter is approaching. It is freezing cold everywhere, which is not conducive to an expedition.
And according to the old Qin system, the New Year's Day will be here soon.
The soldiers had followed him on expeditions for a long time and had made great contributions and worked hard. It was a rare opportunity for them to return home, so they decided to stay here for a while, and wait until spring came and the flowers bloomed before talking about going on another expedition.
While Xiang Yu was lost in thought, Lu Bu, who was exhausted, had already entered the military tent.
I had been living on wind and dew all this journey, and was always worried about the Overlord who made so many stupid moves. Now a huge burden has been lifted from my heart, and I feel relieved.
He lay down on the couch, closed his eyes, and fell into a comfortable sleep.
When he woke up, he felt refreshed. After a quick wash, he had a hearty meal.
After he had eaten and drunk his fill, he leisurely went to look for Fan Zeng.
Fan Zeng was captured by Xiang Yu while he was recuperating from illness and was brought back to join the army. He still had a minor cough at this time.
But compared to his minor ailment, he was more concerned about the movements of the princes' armies.
While Lu Bu was still sleeping soundly, he had heard in detail about the great change in Xiang Yu's decision.
When Fan Zeng first learned that King Xiang, who was always ferocious and violent, respected martial arts and was good at defeating all enemies with force, was willing to keep his troops in place and, for the first time in history, wanted to use some means to send debaters to various countries to lobby, he felt like he was struck by thunder and could not believe it.
—How could this be the stubborn and violent King Xiang whom he knew? !
Seeing that his father, whose hair and beard were covered in snow-white, was frightened, Xiang Yu felt puzzled.
After careful consideration, he abandoned his initial prejudice and agreed with his beloved general's opinion.
Regardless of whether it can be sustained or not, it is good to allow the soldiers to spend a happy New Year's Day in their hometown.
Seeing that his father-in-law looked dazed and staggering in confusion, Xiang Yu couldn't help but misunderstand the reason.
He frowned and asked politely, "Does your father have any objections? Feel free to speak up."
Fan Zeng suddenly came to his senses and denied it flatly: "Absolutely not!"
Then, Xiang Yu watched helplessly as his usually calm and composed father-in-law showed a look of joy, rushed out of the main tent at great speed, and went to look for someone unknown.
He was left sitting alone in the main seat, with a dignified look on his face but his mind was completely confused.
Also looking bewildered was Lu Bu, who was being dragged by the ecstatic Fan Zeng, but saw that the other party was out of breath and couldn't utter a word for a long time.
When Fan Zeng looked at Lu Bu at this time, he liked him very much.
He is not only a brave and wise general gifted by heaven to the Chu camp, but also a lucky general who is capable of convincing the stubborn King Xiang. He is the one and only lucky general in the world!
Fan Zhang sighed, and under Lu Bu's questioning gaze, he praised sincerely: "Fengxian is truly a wise man!"
Although King Xiang was extremely brave, he placed too much emphasis on force and was unwilling to use strategies.
Now that Fengxian has persuaded him, he is actually willing to use lobbyists. It is really incredible!
Lu Bu's face twitched slightly.
If it weren't for the sincere look on the face of this old man who inexplicably held his hand...
He really couldn't help but suspect that these cunning and foul-mouthed counselors were making fun of him.