My father, King Chu, was besieged at Gaixia

Chapter 113 disappears into thin air
Xiang Chang's eyes darkened, and then he sneered: "What's so hard to guess? I wiped out Huang Jizhong's entire family, and he is not a person who is good at forbearing. What he plans to do next is as clear as the lice on a bald head. And his secret conversation with Meng Xia, the chief of the protection army of my Great Chu envoy group, is self-evident."

Zhuang Rong had expected this, of course. He thought that there were not many capable people in his guesthouse, and Xiang Chang only had 30 cavalrymen. If Huang Jizhong led a large force to attack, Meng Xia would be helpless if he was persuaded to rebel and let go. He could not help but look anxious, "Sir, why don't you sneak out from the back door and stay at the Grand Pillar's Mansion for a while."

Xiang Chang shook his head: "Since Meng Xia has sided with Huang Jizhong, he must have guarded this house tightly. Right now, he is not preventing foreign enemies from attacking us, but preventing me from escaping. As soon as I leave this house, he will inform Huang Jizhong, and then the general's mansion will launch a brutal attack on me."

Zhuang Rong had obviously thought of this as well. A thin layer of sweat oozed out of his forehead. He asked anxiously, "What should we do? I will immediately notify the Grand Secretary and ask him to transfer the family soldiers and your generals here."

Xiang Chang stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and chuckled, "Don't be so nervous. Since Huang Jizhong was able to win over Captain Mengxia, why don't we win him back? Go and ask Captain Mengxia to come over, and I'll have a good talk with him. I'm sure Captain Mengxia is very righteous and considers the overall situation. As long as I appeal to his emotions and reason, he will definitely stop and join the light."

Zhuang Rong instinctively felt that it was unreliable. Meng Xia was a captain, how could he waver like a fence-sitter? Even if he refused to admit his identity, what could he do to him? However, seeing Xiang Chang's insistence, he had no choice but to lower his head and hurried away. At the same time, he secretly made up his mind that if Xiang Chang could not convince Meng Xia, even if Xiang Chang disagreed, he would notify Bo Pi and ask him to send someone to protect him immediately.

Not long after, Captain Meng Xia, led by Zhuang Rong and accompanied by a dozen personal guards, entered the mansion with an arrogant look on their faces.

Inside the courtyard, the cavalrymen of the Great Chu envoy group had already grilled the freshly slaughtered mutton over the charcoal fire. They were all in high spirits, with rosy faces, and it was extremely lively.

Seeing Xiang Chang sitting alone on a stone in front of the pavilion, Meng Xia looked suspicious. After thinking about it, he decided to leave his guards where they were and followed Zhuang Rong to slowly walk up to Xiang Chang.

"Master Chang, what advice do you have for me? The reason I am protecting you is because of the king's order. Apart from that, I don't think there is anything else to say to you." Meng Xia was originally quite hostile to Xiang Chang. Now, after a trip to the General's Mansion and receiving Huang Jizhong's personal promise, he became even more fearless. He looked at Xiang Chang as if he were a dead man, and was too lazy to even be perfunctory with him. His words and attitude were extremely bad, and he did not take Xiang Chang, the eldest son of the Great Chu, seriously at all.

Xiang Chang grinned, not caring about his attitude at all. He crossed his legs and looked up and down at Meng Xia, who had a fierce face and a tall, thin and strong body. When he opened his mouth, he almost frightened Meng Xia, a dignified captain, and made him jump up on the spot:
"Just now, Captain Meng went to the general's residence to pay his respects. Was the general crying so hard? The whole family died. It's really sad to think about it. Hiss, I heard that the general also talked to the captain about his heartfelt feelings? It shows that the general and the captain have a close relationship."

"I heard that before I entered the city, the general and the Han envoy Shusun Tong had already led the soldiers to ambush me on the road to the guesthouse, waiting to kill me on the spot when I passed by. In other words, if I had not been attacked by the criminals outside the East City Gate and entered the city smoothly according to the previous itinerary, I would have been a dead man now. - The general got the news so accurately, I don't know who tipped him off."

Looking at Xiang Chang's smiling face, his eyes were cold and without any smile, and Meng Xia felt his scalp tingling.

First of all, he never expected that his whereabouts, which he thought were hidden, were actually a joke in the eyes of others. He was completely seen through, and even knew that he was tipping off the general. Secondly, he was very clear-headed. Based on Xiang Chang's words, he immediately deduced that the attack on the envoys of the Great Chu outside the East City Gate was indeed a trick planned and implemented by Xiang Chang as the general said.

"You dare to spy on me? You are so brave! Do you want to die?" Meng Xia suddenly turned his head, staring at Dian Ke Zhuang Rong who was standing next to him with his arms folded, and his right hand unconsciously grabbed the hilt of the sword under his ribs.

Meng Xia's reaction was undoubtedly very fast. He realized in an instant that it was impossible for Xiang Chang, an outsider, to have such a tight grasp of the whereabouts of a local tyrant. As for who was monitoring or even following him, it could only be the Zhuang Rong Dianke in front of him.

Zhuang Rong's two inverted eyebrows twitched and he glanced at him sideways, ignoring him and pretending he heard nothing.

"Captain Meng Xia, please calm down. Why don't you answer my question first?" Xiang Chang is no longer the naive young man he was when he first came here. He has experienced bloody battles one after another and killed countless generals and soldiers of the Han camp with his own hands. Now that he is angry, a domineering and violent aura emanates from him. Meng Xia, who claims to be a captain but has never experienced any bloody battles, can't bear it immediately.

Xiang Chang was in casual clothes, with only a sword hanging from his ribs, and he seemed to have a wound on his chest. Zhuang Rong next to him was a civil official, so it stands to reason that he, the captain, should not be so timid. Even if the two of them came together, they should not be his opponent. However, Meng Xia didn't know why he always felt uneasy in his heart, and instinctively felt that if he really dared to draw his sword, he would be the one who died there.

Meng Xia turned his head slightly and looked to the side and rear, hoping to attract the attention of the guards who stayed not far away, but he unexpectedly saw that the guards he brought with him were now chatting and yelling with the cavalry of the Great Chu envoy group, eating roasted lamb with their mouths full of oil, not only throwing their weapons aside, but they were even surrounded by the Great Chu cavalry.

As if he had noticed his gaze, a cavalryman of the Great Chu State with fierce eyes suddenly looked up at him and grinned at him. There was a blood-red centipede hanging on the guy's face, and when he smiled, the centipede trembled, which startled Meng Xia again.

While secretly cursing his guards, Meng Xia reluctantly retracted his gaze, avoiding Xiang Chang's fierce gaze, lowered his head and said, "General, you are the pillar of the country. Your family has suffered such a disaster. As a general in the army, I am not violating any laws by going to offer condolences. As for what Master Xiang Chang said, I was the one who tipped off the general about your whereabouts. I have no knowledge of this. Please understand."

It has to be said that Meng Xia is quite capable. After some intense thought, he keenly realized that Xiang Chang was just bluffing him and didn't dare to do anything to him. After all, he still had to rely on him for protection. Secondly, if he really dared to hurt him, the soldiers under his command would make a fuss and he would not end up well.

Of course, frightened by Xiang Chang's momentum, his arrogance just now disappeared without a trace, and his tone revealed that he was willing to swallow his anger and did not dare to provoke him at all.

"Haha, you're just pushing it aside and refusing to admit it? Captain Meng, that's not interesting. You look like a smart person, but why do you seem to be just a show-off? There are four gates in Jiangling City, east, west, south, and north. Why did I choose the east gate that you are guarding to enter? Didn't you think about it carefully?"

Meng Xia's body trembled, and he suddenly looked up at Xiang Chang, as if he wanted to see through whether his words were true or he was lying to him.

"The reason why I chose you is, of course, because compared to the other three gatekeepers, you have the closest relationship with Huang Jizhong and have served under him the longest. In addition, you have the strongest desire for advancement and are the most likely to completely align with him if he persuades you to do so. Look, isn't this exactly what I imagined?"

Facing Xiang Chang's continuous attacks, Meng Xia felt as if he had been stripped of his clothes piece by piece, with almost no secrets left. Although it was late autumn, he felt hot all over.

Although he was terrified, Meng Xia knew that he could not let the truth go, so he relied on his remaining sanity, gritted his teeth and denied it, refusing to admit it.

"Do you think that as long as you can hold on and refuse to admit it, you can safely get the promise Huang Jizhong made to you?" Xiang Chang waved his hand, and Zhuang Rong, who was standing next to him, slowly took out a golden arrow from his arms and waved it at Meng Xia.

Looking at the command arrow, Meng Xia finally couldn't control the emotions on his face again. His eyes widened and his face was horrified, as if he had seen a ghost.

"Know him? Haha, of course you know him. This is the order from your immediate superior, Lieutenant Xu Liao. Xu Liao was very angry about you, a traitor, and had already decided to attack you. I stopped him. Now, let me ask you again, do you plan to change your story?"

Meng Xia's face was pale, and cold sweat rolled down his forehead and face. He looked at Xiang Chang and murmured, "Lieutenant Xu Liao is very loyal to the king, how could he have joined you? No, Xu Liao is on good terms with Grand Pillar State Bo Pi, and he always follows his lead. It should be Grand Pillar State Bo Pi who joined you, right? Grand Pillar State Bo Pi has always been very low-key in the court and never attracts attention. I didn't expect that the dog that bites doesn't bark. - And you, so you are also Grand Pillar State Bo Pi's man?"

Meng Xia finally looked at Dian Ke Zhuang Rong, and the answer he got was still a roll of eyes.

At this point, resistance has completely lost its meaning. Meng Xia sighed, looking dejected, and completely resigned himself to his fate. He told General Huang Jizhong everything he had been told and promised when he was summoned.

"Very good, isn't that very reasonable? Next, there is one more thing I need to trouble Captain Meng with." Xiang Chang stood up and patted Meng Xia on the shoulder with a look of approval. He smiled and whispered something in his ear, then turned and walked towards the bonfire in the yard - he had been craving for the roasted, golden and juicy fat sheep with a rich aroma for a while.

Before leaving, he said one last thing leisurely: "Since you are planning to be a traitor, just settle down and do it well. Don't think too much. I don't care about General Huang Jizhong. I can kill his entire family at will, but do you think I would care about other people's?"

Imagining the meaning of his last words and looking at his figure, Meng Xia felt a chill in his heart.

Zhuang Rong, who stood by with his arms folded, smiled slightly, with a kind face: "I heard that Captain Meng Xia lost his father when he was young, and his widowed mother raised him with great difficulty? Captain Meng Xia is also very filial, and tonight he left his beautiful wife and concubines to sleep, and slept on the same bed with his mother, so that he can take care of her at night? Master Xiang Chang was very impressed by Captain Meng Xia's filial piety, and specially asked me to take the captain's mother to a beautiful manor and take good care of her. This way, the captain can concentrate on the king's affairs, which is the best of both worlds."

The fear in his heart became a reality. Meng Xia was shaking violently, pointing at Zhuang Rong and about to curse, but the curse died away as it reached his lips. His arms drooped weakly, and the last bit of unwillingness and fantasy in his heart completely disappeared. "Come, come, come, don't be sad, smile, we are all family from now on, come and have two pieces of mutton." Zhuang Rong enthusiastically pulled Meng Xia to the campfire and sat down on the prepared seat.

Being pinched by Xiang Chang's neck and forced to lower his head, Meng Xia felt suffocated and angry. He said to himself: Even if I die, I will never eat a single bite of your food.

The guards beside them immediately served the two of them a perfectly grilled leg of lamb. Zhuang Rong took it and took a big bite, his mouth full of oil. He glanced at the angry Meng Xia, smiled, and handed him one.

Meng Xia unconsciously reached out to take it. He was about to throw it on the desk, but suddenly he felt the strong aroma of the lamb leg. He hadn't eaten for half a day, and his stomach was rumbling with hunger. He unconsciously raised it to his mouth and took a bite. Then his face changed, and he felt that the taste was really good. He raised the lamb leg to his eyes and looked at it carefully, and then he silently chewed it.

At this time, a servant came in from outside the courtyard and reported to the Dianke Zhuang Rong that the Grand Marshal Chu Licuo had arrived at the guesthouse to pay a visit to Master Xiang Chang.

Xiang Chang, who was enjoying the roasted mutton, was overjoyed when he heard this. It was as if a living dragon had fallen from the sky. He stood up and repeatedly ordered Zhuang Rong: "Please come in quickly. Don't let him run away."

Zhuang Rong didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so he quickly left the courtyard and went to greet him.

Zhuang Rong knew what Xiang Chang meant. Today, he had severely provoked Linjiang King Gong Wei. He must find out as soon as possible what Gong Wei was going to do next, especially what attitude he had towards the Great Chu envoys, so as to formulate a response strategy in the next step.

Originally, Xiang Chang planned to let Bo Pi go to the palace to meet with Gong Wei tomorrow to test the waters. But Bo Pi has always been low-key, and he does not really trust Gong Wei, so it is not the best solution. But this Grand Marshal Chu Licuo is different. And he chose to come to meet at this time, obviously he has already agreed with Gong Wei on how to deal with the Great Chu envoys. For Xiang Chang, who is eager to know the inside story, isn't this just like someone delivering a pillow to him when he is sleepy?
Not long after, Grand Marshal Chu Licuo, accompanied by Zhuang Rong with a cautious look on his face and protected by a dozen guards, walked in waving his sleeves and swaying like a proud hen.

Several bonfires were burning brightly in the courtyard, shining as brightly as day. Half of Xiang Chang's guards were gathered around the bonfires, carefully turning the wooden racks to roast the fat sheep, while the rest stood proudly around the courtyard to take charge of the guard. As for Captain Meng Xia and his guards, they were nowhere to be seen.

Chu Licuo saw that both Xiang Chang and his cavalry guards were ruddy and vigorous. There was no trace of the dejection of being seriously injured and dying after being attacked. He couldn't help but feel proud: Great, you don't want to betray me anymore, right? You don't even want to pretend? Do you still have eyes for me, the Grand Marshal?
Feeling severely humiliated and despised, Chu Licuo was inexplicably angry, his eyes wide open: "Xiang Chang, I didn't expect you to be the thief crying thief! You are so brave to lie to King Linjiang that you were attacked! What a crime you deserve for deceiving the king! "

Xiang Chang could not believe his ears when he heard this guy speaking to him in such a tone. As the eldest son of the Great Chu State and the rear general, his status was much more noble than that of Gong Wei, the King of Linjiang. This guy, a mere Sima of the Linjiang Kingdom, dared to scold him like this. Xiang Chang did not know for a moment whether he was simply foolish or a fool.

Seeing his furious expression, Xiang Chang understood something in his heart: No wonder this old guy is the most trusted by the captain, it turns out that the two are the same kind of people, both arrogant and arrogant. In their minds, they really believe that the Linjiang Kingdom can be a powerful force that can compete with the Great Chu and the Great Han.

Xiang Chang had to save some face for the time being with Gong Wei, but there was no need to do so with this fellow. Since he was full of mysterious self-confidence, stubbornness and arrogance, he could not be persuaded with words, so there was no need to speak.

Xiang Chang stood up, stretched out his hand, grabbed Chu Licuo's collar and pulled him in front of him, and slapped him seven or eight times, "crackling, slapping". The arrogant Sima, who was like a hen, was slapped so hard that his small eyes rolled around in his sockets, completely lost focus, and blood flowed from the corners of his mouth. He looked miserable.

Who would have thought that Xiang Chang, the eldest son of the Great Chu State, would not play by the rules and would just start beating her without any regard for her own status. Chu Licuo struggled desperately and screamed angrily, but like a real hen, she showed her weakness in vain.

Chu Licuo's guards were shocked and pointed their spears at Xiang Chang, ready to come to his rescue, but they were surrounded by the Chu cavalry, who quickly put down their weapons, tied them up with ropes, and threw them in a corner of the courtyard. Compared with the Chu cavalry who had fought through hundreds of battles and survived through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, Chu Licuo's guards were like weak children, unable to resist.

Xiang Chang pinched Chu Licuo's neck and gently patted his swollen cheek with his palm: "I gave you face? Do you know who you are talking to?"

Chu Licuo was so dazed by the beating. Being too close, he could keenly sense the repressed anger and anger in Xiang Chang's heart that was on the verge of exploding. It was like a basin of ice and snow was poured over his head. His arrogance disappeared without a trace. He said in a sad voice, "I know! I, Chu Licuo, have met the eldest son of the Great Chu. I hope the eldest son will forgive me."

Xiang Chang was surprised: "Haha, so you also know how to be polite. If you don't teach me a lesson and don't understand the situation, you are just like your master, how shameless!"

Pushing him to the ground casually, Xiang Chang clapped his hands in disgust, as if he was stained with something dirty. He sneered, "I was shot by an arrow but I have no injuries, so you think I deceived Gong Wei? Who is Gong Wei? Is he worth deceiving me?"

After saying this, Qu Fu took a small jar from his hand and shook it towards Chu Licuo: "This is a treasure I made called 'Detoxification Medicine'. As long as you don't die on the spot, you can save your life after applying it. No matter how serious the injury is, guess what? You can recover in the shortest time after applying it. Hey? You don't believe it? Come on, cut off one of Chu Licuo's legs and let him feel it for himself. What I like to do most is to cure other people's stubbornness."

Xiang Xi, with a blood-red centipede hanging on his cheek, and Huang Zhong, holding a machete that looked like a guillotine, approached Chu Licuo with a grin on their faces.

"Believe it! Believe it! I believe it! I believe it!" Chu Licuo was so frightened that his heart was cold. Not to mention that the efficacy of this crappy "detoxifying medicine" was questionable, even if it was true and could cure a person's death, he would not use his own leg for an experiment.

"No, you don't believe it." Xiang Chang was unmoved and said indifferently.

Xiang Xi turned Chu Licuo over on the ground like he was slaughtering a pig for the New Year, stepped on his chest with one foot, and kicked one of his legs at the ankle. Huang Zhong's two big arms were shaking, and he swung the machete like a windmill, raised it above his head, and was about to chop off Chu Licuo's thigh?

At this critical moment of life and death, Chu Licuo's thoughts were miraculously clearer than ever before, and he shouted loudly: "I am here on the orders of the commander Gong to persuade the eldest son to leave the Linjiang Kingdom."

Xiang Chang ignored him. Huang Zhong growled and chopped down fiercely with his machete.

"Captain Gong asked me to persuade Master Xiang Chang to leave Linjiang Kingdom and then notify General Huang Jizhong to ambush and kill Master Xiang Chang outside the country. This way I can avoid angering Overlord Xiang Yu and avenge the humiliation I suffered today." At the critical moment of life and death, Sima Chu Licuo burst out with amazing potential and sold out the king he was loyal to in the shortest time.

Xiang Chang waved his hand, Huang Zhong raised both hands, and the machete stopped abruptly when it was still two inches away from Sima Chu Licuo's thigh.

Huang Zhong and Xiang Xi laughed and pulled up Sima Chu Licuo.

A water stain quickly spread out from the crotch of Chu Licuo Da Sima's pants, and a foul smell emanated from it.

Feeling the warm water flowing in his crotch, Chu Licuo felt ashamed and annoyed. At this moment, he deeply felt the huge gap between himself and Xiang Chang. Xiang Chang and his guards were like wild beasts in the mountains and forests. They were fierce, domineering, cunning, and full of aggression. Once they showed up, they would choose someone to eat and would not stop until the person died. Compared with them, he, no, not only himself, but the entire Linjiang Kingdom was undoubtedly a domesticated mule. They looked huge and high-spirited, but in fact they were just for show and were just delivering food to others.

"He who knows the times is a hero. From now on, we are close brothers. Come, give the Grand Marshal some wine." Regardless of Chu Licuo's repeated pleas like a little beast trying to escape from a dangerous place, Xiang Chang smiled and pressed him down on the soft mat.

The guards presented the roasted mutton and poured good wine for them to eat. Xiang Chang and Zhuang Rong sandwiched the Chu Li Cuo in the middle, smiling warmly and urging them to drink and eat more.

Just when Chu Li Cuo was feeling extremely uneasy, with no appetite and no drink, there came suddenly from the gate of the guesthouse a series of shouts and screams, accompanied by the sound of metal clashing. Then he saw countless servants fleeing in all directions, and cries of pain and panic pierced the night sky and lingered in the air.

Having just endured Xiang Chang's cold and brutal treatment, Chu Licuo was already a little distracted. Now, hearing the earth-shaking shouts of killing coming from all directions, he jumped up in excitement, waving his sleeves like a frightened hen: "Who is it? What's going on? Who is causing trouble? Where is that bastard Meng Xia? Come and protect me quickly."

(End of this chapter)