My father, King Chu, was besieged at Gaixia

Chapter 106 Spring Breeze Melts the Snow
Behind a desk in the room, Bo Pi saw a tall and majestic young man, wearing a high hat and a wide belt, and a dark blue long gown with a round hem embroidered with taotie patterns in gold thread. He was kneeling quietly, holding a scroll of silk book and reading it intently.

Seeing him come in, the young master did not pretend to ignore him, nor did he try to show off his power, nor did he reminisce about the old times. He put the silk book in his hand on the desk, sat up straight, stretched out his arms, placed his half-clenched hands flat on the desk, with a calm and peaceful expression, and just looked at him quietly as he approached.

Bo Pi felt that the young man exuded an arrogant, majestic and noble demeanor. Although his eyes were indifferent, they had an inexplicable deterrent power. Even though he was not angry, he still felt a great deal of pressure. He could not help but bend his knees and bow down respectfully.

"Bo Pi, the great pillar of Linjiang State, greets Young Master Xiang Chang." As soon as the words came out, Bo Pi himself was surprised, and was surprised by the respectful and humble tone revealed in his voice.

Seeing Bo Pi's unexpected obedience, Xiang Chang's eyes became a little warmer. At this moment, he also fully understood what his father said about the bearing and dignity that a superior should possess.

Without asking the great pillar of Linjiang Kingdom to stand up, Xiang Chang just calmly looked down at him kneeling in front of him, his tone was also peaceful and indifferent, but the words he said had nothing to do with peace and indifference:

"At present, the Great Chu and the Rebel Han are at war, and the Overlord has repeatedly issued edicts, asking the Linjiang Kingdom to go north to help. However, the huge Linjiang Kingdom has not sent a single soldier, and not a single grain of food has been transported. This time, I came here to ask, when did the Linjiang Kingdom stop being under the rule of the Great Chu? You dare to be so negligent in the Overlord's edict. Are you in the Linjiang Kingdom too arrogant, or do you think that my father and I can't lift the sword?"

Xiang Chang did not dodge or evade, but directly advanced to the middle of the road and questioned him with a sharp blade. It was simple and rough, just like a superior questioning an inferior. Bo Pi, the Great Pillar State, was greatly surprised and intimidated. The little thoughts in his mind disappeared like the lingering snow in spring. He was about to explain, but heard Xiang Chang continue to speak:

"It's not easy to be the king of our Great Chu. Similarly, our Great Chu meat is not delicious. If you eat our Great Chu meat, you must be prepared to be a dog. If you eat the meat but ignore the master's orders, then there is no need for this dog to continue to live."

"Perhaps Great Pillar State Bo Pi thinks that I am bluffing and exaggerating. Haha, let me make it clear that my father and I can make Gong the king, and we can also step on him. I came here this time to give Captain Gong one last chance. Otherwise, I am afraid that something unbearable will happen."

"I'm sure that Grand Secretary Bo Pi has already heard the truth about the Battle of Gaixia. I defeated the 60,000 Han troops with my 30,000 troops and killed the main general Kong Xi in battle. Father led 20,000 Chu cavalry to destroy 40,000 Han cavalry. I remember that the small Linjiang Kingdom only had 50,000 troops. It is still far inferior to the elite troops of the Han Dynasty, right? How do the generals compare to Jin Xu, Fu Kuan, Kong Xi and the like? I, the Great Chu, are coming with a large army. I wonder how your Linjiang Kingdom will respond?"

Faced with Xiang Chang's blunt and threatening words, Bo Pi was not angry at all. Instead, he felt a chill in his heart, because the information he had obtained showed that what Xiang Chang said was true. Therefore, these words were not empty threats, but a solid statement of facts.

Bo Pi originally thought that the current situation of Great Chu was worrying, and its power was tied up in Gaixia by the Han camp, and it was out of reach of the Linjiang Kingdom. Whether this great pillar of the country would surrender to them was crucial to them, which gave him room to sell himself. But now, after meeting Xiang Chang, he realized that he was completely wrong. The situation of Great Chu was not that critical, and this eldest son was still standing high on the mountain top. He was not someone that a slave like him could have an equal dialogue with.

Bo Pi couldn't help feeling a little frustrated, and hurriedly said: "This matter was entirely advocated by the king and the captain. I don't know what he was thinking. He actually opposed the Overlord's order..."

"Well, I found the wrong person. The affairs of Linjiang Kingdom are indeed not something that a small pillar of the state like you can decide." Xiang Chang tapped the documents on the table and interrupted Bo Pi. "Then let's talk about something you can decide. This time, I brought a thousand elite cavalry with me. You have seen the more than a hundred guards outside the gate, right? These thousand elite cavalry will enter Jiangling City in disguise and raid your Bo's mansion at night. Can the guards in your mansion stop them? Can they kill all the members of your Bo family?"

Bo Pi was horrified and frightened by the tragic scene described by Xiang Chang. He looked up at Xiang Chang in shock, fear, annoyance and anger.

Xiang Chang stood still, his expression did not change at all, but his eyes became like the vast ocean in winter, boundless, deep and solemn, revealing a bone-chilling coldness.

"Do you think I came here to beg you? I have to tell you with regret that you are wrong. The master has always been either feeding or killing the dog. There is no reason to bow down and let the dog be the master. My Great Chu can be destroyed, and my father and I can die tragically, but before that, for the disobedient dog that we supported, no matter how much it costs, we must settle accounts with it. And I think that the shrewd old man Liu Bang must be happy to see this scene."

As Xiang Changsili spoke slowly, Bo Pi's fat, round old face could no longer remain calm, and sweat trickled down his forehead.

"I've said it all. You can choose where to go. Don't worry, even if Bo Zhuguo chooses to betray Chu and join Han, I will still let you leave in peace. But from now on, you and I will have to act on our own and accept our fate. Of course, you can also choose to pretend to be friendly with me temporarily and then sell me to Gong Wei or Hanying. In short, it's all fine. As I said, we will each act on our own. - Leave."

"I, my Bo family, am willing to be loyal to the Overlord and the Young Master." Bo Pi, who was kneeling on the ground, raised his sleeves to wipe the sweat from his forehead and said anxiously in a hoarse voice.

At this point, this old veteran who had been in the government for many years was completely intimidated by Xiang Chang, and even forgot the conditions.

Xiang Chang looked at him steadily, and didn't say anything for a long time. Just when Bo Pi was about to collapse to the ground due to the heavy pressure, Xiang Chang said slowly: "It's not easy to enter my Great Chu Sect, but once you enter, it's not easy to leave. You should think about it carefully." After a pause, Xiang Chang said, "Of course, my father and I are not stingy with those who are loyal to the Great Chu. After all, the emperor has plenty of hungry soldiers. I still value you very much. If you want any reward, go back and think about it, and you can tell Zhou Yin. There is only one thing, you can't be crowned as a king. - Leave."

Hearing Xiang Chang's indifferent words, Bo Pi really bowed respectfully as if he was paying homage to the emperor. Then he stood up tremblingly and walked back out of the elegant room.

After leaving the elegant room, Bo Pi shivered at the cold autumn wind. For a moment, he felt weak all over, his legs were weak, and he could hardly walk, as if he had really met the Emperor of Qin and the Overlord of Chu.

Screaming "weird" in his heart, Bo Pi wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and dragged his legs to the house where Zhou Yin lived in the side yard. He pushed the door open without any hesitation, took a few sips of the warm soup, and then when he felt he had regained a little strength, he sat down on the soft mat and gasped for breath.

At this moment, he realized that his old heart was beating so violently and happily that if he hadn't kept his mouth tightly shut, it would have almost jumped out of his mouth.

"From your looks, it seems to taste very good." Zhou Yin, who was lying on the soft mat and drinking wine comfortably, glanced at Bo Pi and teased him in a sarcastic tone.

Bo Pi had no intention of fighting back against Zhou Yin's gloating ridicule. He swallowed his saliva and whispered, "That day, when Prince Chang persuaded you, was he also like this, ruling the country like this, with majesty without anger?"

Zhou Yin was startled, smiled bitterly and shook his head, recalling the scene when Xiang Chang lobbied him that day. He was still a little immature, but full of domineering, resolute, resolute, and vigorous demeanor. He nodded and sighed, "It's very different from now. I have watched him bit by bit during this period of time. The eldest master has changed a lot. You can just be happy secretly. You didn't see the domineering side of Master Chang."

Bo Pi's eyes sparkled, and he gritted his teeth with a bit of excitement and said, "Such a hero is worthy of the whole clan following. I have decided to join him."

Zhou Yin curled his lips, with a lazy look that was expected.

"The eldest son asked me to come back and think about what kind of reward I want. Tell me, is this true? Isn't he like the Overlord, who is reluctant to give rewards?"

"The eldest son has always promoted heavy rewards for meritorious service, and of course severe punishment for faults, and he will give it without delay and immediately. The Great Chu camp is currently promoting the Great Qin military merit system, and everyone from generals to officers to soldiers is greatly encouraged. I told you a long time ago that the situation has changed, and now you will not lose out if you join the Great Chu."

"Well, I don't want any other rewards. My sixteen-year-old daughter, Bo Yan, is the same age as the eldest son. You have seen her and she is quite good-looking. I want the eldest son to marry her. What do you think? I need you to mediate this matter." Bo Pi looked at Zhou Yin eagerly.

When Zhou Yin heard this, he was stunned by Bo Pi's fat old face. Bo Pi was puzzled and thought that what he thought was inappropriate. Just as he was about to ask anxiously, Zhou Yin slapped his thigh heavily, looking frustrated: "You old thief are so shameless. You came up with such a shameless strategy. The calculation is simply too beautiful. - I... I also have a daughter of the right age. Why did you..."

"If you miss it, you miss it. There will be plenty of good husbands for your daughter in the future. For now, just focus on my daughter..." Bo Pi said hurriedly, and he couldn't wait to push Zhou Yin out the door, not caring whether he would die suddenly from overwork.

After Bo Pi left, Xiang Chang continued to look down at the silk book in his hand. After Zhou Yin's spies in Jiangling had been spying on him for a while, he had a general understanding of the major forces and secret tendencies in the Linjiang Kingdom.

Just as he was thinking about how to open up the situation after arriving at Linjiang Kingdom and how to lobby Linjiang King Gong Wei, suddenly the door was pushed open again and Zhou Yin walked in with his hands clasped.

Xiang Chang waved his hand and said, "You are here just in time. Bo Pi has surrendered to us. I can see that he is very sincere. This way we have opened a gap in Linjiang Kingdom. Many strategies can be implemented next."

Zhou Yin smiled bitterly in his heart: You hold a knife in one hand and meat in the other, you chop with the knife and give me a piece of meat, you beat, hit and knead me, you intimidate and tempt me, even the strongest man can't stand it, how can he not be sincere?

Zhou Yin stepped forward and placed another thick silk book on the desk. "This is what Bo Pi just gave me and asked me to pass on to you. It is the information he has collected over the years about the current distribution of the Linjiang Kingdom's court, army, nobles, and other major forces."

Xiang Chang was overjoyed and took it quickly. After opening it and taking a quick look, he found that it was indeed much more detailed and thorough than the intelligence collected by Zhou Yin. Not only was the structure clear and easy to understand, it was also true and credible. The part involving the high-level officials of the Linjiang Kingdom's court completely filled in the gaps in the intelligence collected by Zhou Yin.

Xiang Chang's eyes lit up and he nodded repeatedly. Just as he was about to speak, Zhou Yin reached out and pulled the silk book out of his hand and threw it on the desk: "Let's discuss the affairs of Linjiang Kingdom later. My lord, you have a great event coming up..."

After listening to Zhou Yin's detailed account of the reward Bo Pi had requested, Xiang Chang, who had never expected that he would become the reward Bo Pi had requested, blinked his eyes and froze on the spot. He then flicked his sleeves heavily and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "This is not possible."

Zhou Yin was stunned. He didn't understand how wonderful this was. He could gain the loyalty of Bo Pi's entire family without paying much price. Besides, Bo Pi was very sensible and didn't expect the throne of queen. He just wanted a concubine. Why would Xiang Chang, who was so smart, refuse?
Zhou Yin didn't know that although Xiang Chang had been here for a long time, he still felt a vague barrier between him and this world, and he always felt inexplicably uneasy, afraid that he would die at any time, or leave in some strange way. Therefore, even though this body was full of energy, and he was thirsty every day, he was still strict and self-disciplined, refusing to have any deep connection or entanglement.

In his opinion, he could die at any time, so he should not harm those weak women. Especially in this world, there is no effective contraceptive method. If he leaves offspring, he will be gone and unable to provide protection for them. Rather than letting them suffer all kinds of hardships or even die because of him, it is better not to touch them in the first place.

To put it bluntly, it is still due to the constraints and influence of the consciousness of the previous life.

Great nobles of the time like Zhou Yin always treated women as playthings. Even the illegitimate sons born in his family, some of whom had status equivalent to slaves because of their mothers' low birth, were not taken seriously by him at all. He could not understand Xiang Chang's thoughts.

Xiang Chang also knew that his persistence would be a joke if he said it now. He hesitated for a moment and sighed, "Go tell Bo Pi that I agree to his request for a reward, but not now. I promised him that if the destiny is really with Chu, after destroying Liu Bang's Han camp, I will marry a woman from his family as my concubine."

Although he didn't understand why Xiang Chang was so stubborn, this was undoubtedly the best solution at the moment. Zhou Yin nodded and hurried out.

Xiang Chang stood there in a daze for a while, sighed lightly, and picked up the silk book presented by Bo Pi on the desk again.

Zhou Yin's explanation seemed to be quite effective, and Bo Pi did not come to see him again. As the night deepened, Xiang Chang put down the silk book in his hand, rubbed his frowning brows, and finally had a rough idea of ​​what to do after arriving at Linjiang Kingdom. Just as he was about to go to bed, there was another knock on the door. Before he could say anything, the door was pushed open from the outside, and a slender figure walked in.

The woman was tall and dressed in gorgeous clothes. She slowly approached step by step and bowed to greet him: "Bo Yan, the daughter of Bo Pi, the great pillar of Linjiang Kingdom, greets the eldest prince."

Even when she was paying respect, she kept her head up and stared at Xiang Chang. Her eyes, as clear as lacquer, did not dodge, but were full of calmness, determination and passion.

Her skin was originally smooth and delicate, her plump lips were tender and juicy, and her clear eyes were bright and flowing. Now under the candlelight, her beauty was even more stunning.

Xiang Chang was really at a loss as he had no idea what Bo Pi meant by sending his daughter to him so late at night. He was just hesitating about how to start trying to persuade him, but what happened next was even more shocking.

Bo Yan, the daughter of Bo Pi, the Great Pillar State, slowly took off her long, curved-hem gown with her hands, revealing a body that looked as smooth, soft, and flawless as if carved from ivory.

"From now on, my uncle Yan is the woman of Xiang Chang, the eldest son of the Great Chu. We will share the same bed in life and the same grave in death. If I break this oath, I will be abandoned by heaven and earth." As she spoke, she slowly stretched out her arms, pulled out the hairpin from her hair, and slowly pressed it against her throat.

If Xiang Chang told her to leave, he would obviously commit suicide here.

Xiang Chang's throat moved and he clenched his fists before he could barely control himself.

He walked to Bo Yan's side step by step, circled around her twice, and then looked straight into her eyes: "Being my woman is not only about enjoying wealth and glory, but also about being prepared for my death on the battlefield. At the same time, you must also be prepared for a life of uncertainty, displacement, and death at any time. Have you really thought it through?"

"If you die, I will never marry again. If God blesses me and I get pregnant, I will raise the child for you even if I have to live in disgrace." Bo Yan did not retreat or hesitate.

It was obvious that Bo Yan had been groomed by Bo Pi for marriage since he was young. He was mentally prepared for his fate, so he answered Xiang Chang's words very straightforwardly and firmly.

Xiang Chang knew that this was the fate of both of them. Not to mention Bo Yan, even he himself could not make the decision in his marriage, so he would have to use an arranged marriage.

His eyes slowly turned red, and an aggressive and heroic aura emanated from his body. He snatched the golden hairpin and swung it hard, extinguishing the candle with a "bang" and nailing it deeply into the wall. Like an enraged beast, he walked forward and hugged the perfect body tightly in his arms, then turned around and strode towards the brocade couch.

At this moment, Xiang Chang had forgotten all about his ambitions for the throne, power and the people. Only his body, which had broken free from the constraints of reason, was roaring in hunger and thirst.

Then he was like a tiger that had completely unleashed its instincts, galloping wildly across the boundless and soft grassland. When he was deeply immersed in the warm and slippery embrace, pouring all his energy into it, he felt that the barrier between him and the world was also quietly melting away, just like snowflakes melting into the earth, and he also quietly melted into the world...

(End of this chapter)