Although Han Xin was only a deputy general on the surface, he actually held the power of the chief general for a long time because the chief general Lu Bu really trusted his younger brother, was good at picking up people and had a hot temper and loved to lead the charge into battle himself.
Except for the 5,000 elite cavalrymen of the Xianzhen Camp who were brought to the land of East Chu by Lu Bu, the remaining 45,000 soldiers were all trained by Han Xin himself. They had long been convinced and obeyed him.
Afterwards, prisoners of war from various armies and young and strong men from Guanzhong were added in succession, totaling over 50,000. After being incorporated into the Guanzhong Army, they also experienced Han Xin's intensive training with clear rewards and punishments.
Although they were more afraid than respectful, they still looked pretty good.
How could Han Xin not be aware of the disparity in combat power among his soldiers? He had already taken this into account.
For this Eastern Expedition, he was determined to win and not lose. He made hundreds of plans and tactics and was determined to achieve success.
Moreover, after being awarded the general's seal, the haze that lingered in his heart was completely swept away. Seeing the road ahead was smooth and bright, he was filled with energy.
Han Xin reorganized the army overnight and transported supplies in an orderly manner. He also promoted Feng Jing, the son of Qin general Feng Wuzhe, as his deputy and sought out Zhang Han to discuss matters.
Since Zhang Han surrendered to Chu, he has been careful and prudent in everything he does.
Even when Han Xin was still a deputy general, he never showed any disrespect; later, when he worked with Han Xin and was stationed in Xianyang as the commander-in-chief of the two armies, they had frequent conversations; as time went by, he was amazed by Han Xin's unique insights, and at the same time, he truly saw the Guanzhong Army that had been transformed in just a few months.
Although Zhang Han was no longer the high-spirited Qin Shaofu or the commander of the central army who planned and strategized, and had lost his edge in order to survive, he had never lost his vision, and the arrogance in his bones had never been truly eliminated.
However, he was first plotted against by Zhou Yin, then he was shocked by Lu Fengxian, who conquered Xianyang with a single arrow and was both brave, resourceful and courageous. Then he was amazed by Han Xin, who was fast in training troops, decisive in sending troops and extremely courageous.
While lamenting his own aging, he couldn't help but be shocked by the hidden talents in this huge Chu camp.
Because of this working relationship, Zhang Han saw that Han Xin would rise to prominence one day and achieve greater military achievements, so he had no jealousy in his heart and sincerely congratulated Han Xin: "You are finally going to make it."
Han Xin smiled gently, his eyes clear, and thanked sincerely: "Thank you, General Zhang."
Seeing him confident and ambitious, Zhang Han felt as if he saw himself when he first led the central army to quell the rebellion, and a hint of melancholy flashed across his eyes.
However, although Xiang Yu was known to have a violent temper, he never changed his attitude towards the enemy who killed his uncle. He not only trusted him but also treated him with courtesy... This was a thousand times better than the humiliating life he had imagined.
I soon felt relieved.
Han Xin was as clear as a mirror. He guessed Zhang Han's complicated feelings with just a thought, but did not expose them.
After a brief silence, Zhang Han came to his senses and began to discuss the grain transportation matters with him.
Han Xin's army this time was not the 45,000 troops of the past, but a real 100,000 troops.
The daily consumption of grain in the granary alone is a figure that cannot be underestimated.
Han Xin thought for a moment and came up with an idea: "It is humid in spring, and the grain in the granary is easy to rot. If the grain is piled up in deep warehouses, it will not only be difficult for soldiers to transport it, but it will also easily become poisonous if left for a long time, which is a waste. In my opinion, the granary should be renovated with two doors in the front and back, so that we can get rid of the old and come up with something new."
"good!"
When Zhang Han heard this, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he couldn't help but slap his palm and praised again: "Great!"
By the time they had finished discussing matters such as the supply of the troops, the defense of Guanzhong, the encouragement of spring ploughing, and the strengthening of fortifications, the morning light was already dim outside the window.
After a night of rest, this unprecedentedly strong and quietly renewed Guanzhong army was full of energy and ready to go.
However, Zhang Han was not as young and strong as Han Xin. After spending the night, he looked a little tired. When he relaxed, he could not help yawning.
"General Zhang, you have worked hard," Han Xin was still in high spirits. Except for the faint blue color under his eyes, he did not seem to be sleepy at all. He just smiled and said, "Go and have a rest."
Zhang Han saw this and couldn't help but feel envious. He shook his head secretly, admitting that he was getting old, and said, "Okay. I wish General Han a successful start."
Han Xin smiled and said, "Thank you, General, for your kind words."
Zhang Han went to rest. Han Xin saw that there was still an hour before he and the soldiers had agreed to set out, so he had a slight change of mind and turned back to the prison.
—Before leaving, there was an old friend he wanted to meet but never actually met.
As Xiang Bo's conspiracy with the enemy was exposed and he was beheaded in the army, King Xiang personally led the army to the east, and the prison where Zhang Liang and Sui He were imprisoned was no longer as strictly guarded as before.
But not to mention the lessons learned from the previous incident, the guards dared not slack off in the slightest. They lacked Xiang Bo, a foolish man who valued loyalty and was still thinking about Zhang Liang's life-saving grace that day and who could not distinguish between relatives and strangers and public and private interests. Even if Zhang Liang had great wisdom and strategy, he would not be able to escape.
Even when Sui He persuaded Zhou Yin to rebel against Chu, Zhou Yin refused to agree to Sui He's request to release Zhang Liang in order to avoid alerting Zhang Han, who was in charge of the imperial guards, and arousing suspicion.
After Zhou Yin's defeat and death, not only Zhang Liang was unable to escape, but even Sui He was unable to escape either. They were captured by Lu Bu himself and imprisoned.
Sui He worked hard for several months, but failed at the last minute, so his mood was full of ups and downs.
Now he is a prisoner of the Chu army, not knowing whether he is alive or dead, and he is naturally depressed.
When he was brought to the prison, he was shocked to see Zhang Liang, who had been imprisoned several months earlier than him.
The two men met in this unexpected place and could not help but talk about what happened in the Han army.
Due to the numerous eyes and ears around, Sui He did not dare to say much, but just a brief account was enough for Zhang Liang to extract the key points.
Sui He saw that Zhang Liang, the king's most trusted military advisor, fell into deep thought, and his heart strangely relaxed a little, as if he had found his backbone in this place where life and death were unpredictable.
But before he could finish his breath, Zhang Liang suddenly raised his eyes and smiled helplessly: "In this huge prison, there are only two of us imprisoned, and there are so many empty rooms, but you and I are allowed to stay in the same room. Can you guess the reason? Do you think this move is familiar?"
Sui He was speechless.
Zhang Liang sighed and said, "In Liang's opinion, this is similar to the way a cat catches a mouse, first teasing it to death and then abandoning it without eating it... It is similar in nature."
His tone was calm, but it was enough to make Sui He shudder.
Isn’t the fact just as Zhang Liang said
He was thrown into the same cell as Zhang Liang, so that the two prisoners could complain about their hardships to each other, show off their victory in disguise, and have fun with it... This behavior seems simple and barbaric, but it is actually extremely vicious and chilling.
Seeing Sui He's pale face and frightened, Zhang Liang smiled faintly and stopped talking: "Now the Chu people are the butchers and chopping boards, and you and I are the meat. It's useless to think too much."
Sui He nodded reluctantly and leaned stiffly against the cold stone wall.
There was no sunlight in the prison. If the jailer had not brought them two meals a day at regular times, and sometimes clean hot soup and clothes for them to bathe and change, they would have probably lost their days and nights.
Although Zhang Liang looked a little thinner when he met him again, he was still dressed neatly, his movements were natural, and he did not seem to have any injuries from torture, so Sui He had some vague guesses.
But when they saw that the Chu army treated the two prisoners well, they were truly relieved.
No matter what the Chu people's intentions were, at the end of the day they had no intention of humiliating them, nor did they seem to want to force them to reveal the Han army's secrets.
Compared to Sui He who relaxed a little, Zhang Liang could only smile bitterly in silence.
He was detained in prison for a longer time, and he saw the symbolism behind it more clearly.
The Chu army ignored the intelligence he knew and even showed a dismissive attitude... It was enough to show that the Han army was weak and did not catch the Overlord's eye at all.
Since they were not worthy of being the enemy of the Chu army, they naturally didn't bother to go through all the trouble.
It would be good if the king could keep a low profile, show weakness to the enemy, and successfully confuse the eyes and ears of the Chu people.
But relying only on the two counties of Bashu and the several thousand remnants, and the hard-fought Hanzhong, it would probably be impossible to hold on to it under the attack of Zhang Han's troops, let alone develop.
Zhang Liang sighed.
He knew that the king's alliance this time seemed to be powerful, but in fact it was full of loopholes.
This expedition failed due to one's impatience and one's miscalculation of Lu Fengxian, a rare talent who could influence the overlord's mind and was both literary and martial!
But he also knew that the king had to be anxious.
If we really wait for three to five years, by the time Bashu has become somewhat established, the situation outside the Great Wall would probably have been settled long ago.
If King Xiang, who was no longer as foolish and short-sighted as before and had become ambitious without knowing when, could calm down and stabilize the rear, and then rely on the powerful army of Chu to defeat the enemies one by one and sweep all around, he could unify the Central Plains within a few years.
Once all the fertile land in the world belongs to the Overlord of Chu, the king will only have the two counties of Bashu. Even if his business is prosperous, he will still be weak.
The cavalry are attacking from all sides, the pass is hard to stop and we cannot defend it, so how can we fight against them
Knowing that disaster was imminent, Liu Bang had no choice but to take the risk and go all out.
It’s a pity that this gamble ultimately failed.
Without a king to control the princes outside the Great Wall, it would be like letting loose sand drift and do whatever it wants.
On the other hand, King Xiang's actions in the Chu army became increasingly unpredictable...
How will the world situation change
Zhang Liang slowly closed his eyes and gradually became absorbed in his thoughts.
After an unknown amount of time, they heard the voices of Chu people talking in the distance. Zhang Liang and Sui Heju immediately became alert and looked in the direction of the sound.
The sound of orderly footsteps was getting closer and closer. When the leading Chu general showed up, Zhang Liang's eyes paused and he was stunned for a moment.
The person who came... turned out to be Han Xin, a man whom the king had intended to approach. He had met Han Xin once outside the camp of the Chu army led by Xiang Liang when the king and Xiang Liang were still allies.
Han Xin looked at Zhang Liang calmly, then smiled and said politely, "Mr. Suihe, please move to another room first. I will invite you back after I have a chat with Ziliang."
Sui He was stunned when he heard this.
Just by taking a glance, it is not difficult to judge from the style of his battle robe that this handsome Chu general with strong features must be of a high official rank.
What's more, the other party can go directly into the prison and give orders to the jailers.
Since he is a high-ranking general of the Chu army, how come he has a past relationship with Mr. Zifang
Although he was full of doubts, by now he knew that he was a fish on the chopping board and there was no way he could resist.
Since the other party treated him politely, when he left with the Chu soldiers, he could not help but cast an inquiring glance at Zhang Liang, who looked calm, but he did not dare to delay for a moment.
What a smart and sharp person is Zhang Liang
From Han Xin's simple act of giving orders, he easily determined who was in control of Xianyang now.
The general's follower, who was once unknown, suddenly became a general and enjoyed a meteoric rise to prominence.
Zhang Liang's heart was filled with waves and he sighed silently.
Among the many people he tried to get close to, Han Xin, a down-and-out prodigal who claimed to be the grandson of the old king but had no family lineage or other proof, and had nothing but a broken sword that even the pawnshop owner despised, did not attract much of his attention.
Although he was quite surprised by Han Xin's talents and knowledge during that brief conversation, he was really incomparable to truly wise men, so he did not bother to win him over.
If it weren't for his excellent memory, he would have probably forgotten this insignificant figure long ago.
Unexpectedly, when they met again after a long separation, their situations had been reversed. It was fate that played such a trick on them.
Han Xin said in a deep voice: "Mr. Zifang."
Zhang Liang smiled slightly and said calmly: "Congratulations, you have finally achieved your lofty ambitions."
"Thank you, sir." Han Xin nodded calmly, and went straight to the point: "Today, the world is in chaos again, and many heroes are vying for supremacy. However, the outcome has already been decided. With your extraordinary wisdom, you must have seen the pros and cons clearly, and there is no need for me to elaborate."
At this point, he looked directly at Zhang Liang, who looked calm, and asked in a sonorous and powerful voice: "I came here this time because of that one chance encounter. I want to ask you personally: are you willing to abandon the dark and join the light?"
Zhang Liang laughed and shook his head, "General, you are joking. Even if I am willing to surrender, King Xiang is suspicious of me, so how can he use me?"
Han Xin said firmly: "Sir, you are wrong. With a wise man by his side, King Xiang has become a completely different person. If you are truly willing to submit, I will certainly be willing to serve you."
Zhang Liang raised his eyebrows.
He stared at Han Xin for a long time, then smiled and said casually, "Thank you for your kindness. It's a pity that I have a stubborn temper and don't know what's good for me. I'm doomed to fail to live up to your invitation."
The Zhang family had served as prime ministers of Han for five generations. They were originally a family of great wealth and illustriousness, but as Qin conquered the six kingdoms, they had to experience many strange and bizarre things.
He would rather die than surrender, and spent all his family wealth to recruit strong men to assassinate the First Emperor. Although he was hit by the wrong car and failed to succeed, he escaped from the trap and got the wonderful experience of Taigong's Art of War.
His ideals were shattered several times, and he experienced ups and downs in life, but finally he met the wise ruler of his dreams in Xia Pi.
However, all tangible things will eventually perish.
When the day came when the show ended and everyone left, he did not blame Pei Gong for his lack of ability, which led to his dream being shattered.
Zhang Liang smiled with relief, his eyes clear.
If what you want in your life is destined to be like the bright moon in the sky, bright and shining, but hanging high and hard to reach...
He would rather lie on his back in the mud, retaining his pride, embracing the bright moon, and smiling as he goes to the underworld.