My father, King Chu, was besieged at Gaixia

Chapter 130 Nowhere to Hide
Not long ago, one of them, Nei Shitong Jiruo, was grabbed by the hair and dragged away by the armored soldiers who were as fierce as wolves and tigers. They just looked at him like stupid sheep, without any reaction for a long time.

At the moment, all of them had only one thought in mind: go home, sleep, and not care about anything else. Even if Xiang Chang wanted to be the king of Linjiang Kingdom, they would agree with him one by one.

The door to the hall suddenly opened again, and then several soldiers exerted force with their arms and threw two figures in at once.

"Slurp—boom!"

"Slurp—boom!"

The two figures slid quickly on the smooth floor and did not stop until their heads hit heavily on the heavy and solid coffin of Captain Gong.

Xiang Chang, wearing armor and holding a sword, looking domineering, strode in, bringing with him a gust of cold wind into the hall, which made the nobles and ministers kneeling in the hall shiver and their brains, which had been as slow and sluggish as paste, slowly wake up.

Seeing the two people thrown into the hall, in addition to the Nei Shi Tong Ji Ruo who had just been dragged away, there was another person who was short and fat like a chicken, and it was the Grand Marshal Chu Li Cuo. The nobles and ministers were surprised and astonished, and looked up at Xiang Chang in confusion.

Xiang Chang narrated the story of the two men's attempt to assassinate him, the eldest son of the Great Chu State who had just pacified the rebel army and had saved the Linjiang Kingdom. At the end, he glanced at the noble officials with a sharp gaze and said coldly:
"How can we let such a traitor who deserves death go? Come, drag him to the palace and punish him according to the law. In addition, all his property will be confiscated, his relatives will be reduced to slaves, and his wife and daughter will be awarded to meritorious soldiers."

The soldier nodded and strode into the hall. His iron armor clanged. He grabbed the two men and dragged them out of the hall.

"I know that there are people among you who have ulterior motives towards me and are determined to oppose the Great Chu. No problem, it's up to them, as long as they are prepared to have their entire clan exterminated in advance." Xiang Chang did not hide anything, and his words were full of threat.

At this time, Qu Fu, Hei Shi, Tian Jian, Xiang Xi, Hou Xie, Guo Li and other generals who were scattered in the city to deal with various military affairs and to deal with the aftermath heard that Xiang Chang was assassinated in the palace. They were shocked and angry and rushed into the palace. At this time, they rushed into the hall, holding spears, their eyes spitting anger, gritting their teeth, wishing to cut all the nobles and ministers into pieces.

All the nobles and ministers bowed their heads, as silent as quails, and no one dared to show up and make a noise.

Just because they don’t dare doesn’t mean others don’t dare.

Especially those who are about to have their heads chopped off are full of the temperament of a bachelor who is not afraid of wearing shoes even if he is barefoot.

"Xiang Chang, don't be anxious, I still have a great gift for you. Haha, have you ever thought that since I want to destroy your plan to control the Linjiang Kingdom, you will only pin your hopes on these two idiots, Chu Licuo and Gong Yin, and not make any other arrangements?"

Xiang Chang narrowed his eyes, waved his hand, and stopped the soldier who was dragging Tong Jiruo.

Xiang Xi took a few steps forward, grabbed his hair with one hand, and shouted, "What other plots do you have? Tell me now!"

Facing Xiang Xi, the killing god with a centipede on his face, Tong Jiruo's arrogance obviously dissipated a lot. He struggled and screamed at Xiang Chang: "Xiang Chang, why do you want to control the Kingdom of Linjiang? Isn't it because your Great Chu Army was besieged by the Han Army at Gaixia and lacked food? Hehehe, where is the food of the Kingdom of Linjiang now? In the counties of Zuo Yunmeng County, You Yunmeng County, Ying County, Anlu County and other counties around Jiangling City. These counties are waiting and watching, and have not transported the food. As the internal historian, I secretly sent eunuchs with talismans in hand to rush there, ordering the county magistrates to burn the food immediately. What is this called? This is called cutting off the firewood from under the cauldron! If you burn the food, what can you do even if you control the Kingdom of Linjiang? The Great Chu Army, which is short of food and exhausted, will eventually die, hahaha! In this regard, I wonder how you will break the deadlock, my eldest son of the Great Chu?"

All the Chu generals were dismayed when they heard this. Xiang Xi was furious and slammed Tong Jiruo's face against the floor several times, smashing it into a bloody mess and causing him to scream.

Xiang Chang was also shocked, his brows knitted tightly, and he felt very troubled for a moment.

It has to be said that Tong Jiruo's move really hit him sorely, it was fatal.

He couldn't help feeling frustrated: he prided himself on having planned everything carefully and meticulously, but he never expected that there was such a huge loophole, and that this guy had caught it and dealt him a fatal blow!
"Tell me, when did you send out the people?" Qu Fu stepped forward, grabbed Tong Jiruo's neck and lifted him up, shouting sternly.

Hei Shi reacted faster. He kicked over the two eunuchs who were trembling with fear and looking pale and serving Tong Shuruo, and shouted, "Speak!"

"Just, just half a day ago, we heard that the eldest son defeated Huang Jizhong's northern army." The two eunuchs were subordinates of the internal historian Tong Shuruo. They were coerced and bribed by him in the past few days and continued to obey his orders secretly. Now they are regretting it.

Hei Shi was so furious that he killed the two eunuchs with two swords.

"It's only been half a day. If you send people to chase them right away, will it be too late? But even if you catch up and the grain hasn't been burned by chance, will the county magistrate obey your orders? Once you lead the army to attack, it will only force the county magistrate to make up his mind to burn it. Xiang Chang, my boy, this is an open conspiracy. There is no solution at all. I dare to tell you that I am sure you will never be able to crack it." Tong Shu, his face covered in blood, laughed wildly.

All the nobles and ministers who were kneeling and mourning were like seedlings that were wilting due to drought and water shortage but unexpectedly received a rain. They perked up, and with great joy in their hearts, they secretly looked up, rolling their bright eyes, and peeked at Xiang Chang's expression.

They had been tortured to death by Xiang Chang in the past few days, so they naturally hated him to the core.

Xiang Chang, who was nervously thinking about countermeasures, glanced at the expressions of the noble ministers, and suddenly the corners of his mouth curled up, revealing a mocking and sarcastic smile.

He turned to Qu Fu and said, "Have you plundered the wealth of the rebellious Song family and other noble families and given it as a reward to the meritorious soldiers?"

"My Lord, all the rewards have been given out!" Qu Fu didn't know why Xiang Chang suddenly asked about this matter he didn't want to do at this time. He suppressed his anxiety and bowed to report.

"So, those noble ladies and concubines were also chosen by the meritorious soldiers?"

"The soldiers were selected in turn according to their merits, and all of them were chosen. The ladies and concubines were all very beautiful, and the soldiers were very happy. There were still many soldiers with less merits who were not selected, which was a pity."

"Oh, there are still soldiers without wives? This is a dereliction of duty on my part as the commander-in-chief." The more Xiang Chang said, the more frightened the nobles and ministers around him became, and the secret joy in their hearts gradually became dull.

Xiang Chang continued to ask: "Can the land of these nobles be distributed to meritorious soldiers according to the 'Great Chu Military Merit Reward System' announced before the war, based on their military merits?"

"In addition to the Song family, the land owned by Huang Jizhong and the families of his generals will be cleared out one by one by Lady Bo Yan and her men. Once cleared, they will be distributed."

"So, are the soldiers satisfied?"

"I am extremely satisfied! We are so grateful to you, General, that we are willing to die for you! The soldiers who originally disagreed with the 'Great Chu Military Merit Reward System' are now convinced and respect you like a god."

Xiang Chang nodded, then turned and looked at the nobles and ministers who were stunned by what he heard, and said leisurely: "You are all smart people, but what did you hear from it?"

All the noble officials looked unhappy, knowing that Xiang Chang was showing off his muscles to them. His intention was self-evident. With tens of thousands of soldiers from Linjiang Kingdom sworn to be loyal to him, he had completely taken control of the situation in Linjiang Kingdom and had the supreme power of life and death in Linjiang Kingdom. These noble officials, without the support of the army and with their family soldiers incorporated into the army, had completely become paper tigers with nothing but appearances, without any threat at all.

"Qu Fu, order the soldiers to surround the residences of the four great masters, the Imperial Household, the Imperial Clan, the Imperial Grain and the Imperial Secretary. As long as the military rations in the four counties are burned, leaving us with no food to transport to Gaixia, immediately drag out their families and make them all slaves. The concubines and property will be used as rewards for meritorious soldiers, and all the family lands will be confiscated."

Faced with Xiang Chang's bold move, he actually turned the fatal blow that Tong Jiruo had stabbed him on the head and hit them instead. The four noble lords were stunned and terrified, and the relaxed look on their faces froze.

"Now the pressure is on you, my noble lords. The county magistrates of the four counties may not give face to me, the eldest son of the Great Chu, but they must give face to you four high and mighty lords, right? You should hurry up and rush to the four counties. There is still time. Perhaps you can snatch the military rations before the county magistrates start the fire." Xiang Chang smiled easily and said considerately to the four noble lords.

Then his face changed and he shouted, "Tian Jian, Xiang Xi, Hou Xie, Guo Li, the four of you lead a team of cavalry to escort the four masters to the four cities. If the food is safe, it will be fine. But if the county magistrate really burns it, immediately behead these four masters who are incompetent in front of the city!"

Xiang Chang's voice was filled with murderous intent. With the absolute support of the army, these noble officials were nothing to him. If they did not obey his wishes, he could really slaughter them at will.

Unexpectedly, Xiang Chang was so cunning that he didn't follow the path he had planned at all. He threw the problem directly to the nine ministers of Linjiang Kingdom to solve, and jumped out easily. Tong Jiruo, who was laughing wildly, couldn't laugh anymore. He just opened his mouth, but couldn't make any sound for a while.

He could foresee that as long as the county magistrates of the four cities did not burn the grain and grass, they would not dare to resist the powerful Jiuqing Lord in person, and would have no choice but to surrender. The four noble lords jumped up as if they were whipped, and in turn hurriedly called Tian Jian's four generals, and rushed out of the palace in a hurry, their mental depression caused by days of mourning swept away, and they were full of energy.

They had to be anxious. They all saw that Xiang Chang, the god of death, was being driven into a panic. But there was no point in talking to them. If they couldn't rescue the food, they and their families would be doomed.

For their own lives and the safety of their families, the four noble lords burst out with terrifying vitality and fighting power at this moment.

Even when he was running past Tong Jiruo, Zhi Sul Nei Shi directly pulled out the long sword of an armored soldier and stabbed him through with one fierce blow, killing him in this temple.

As the four noble masters ran away, the side hall once again returned to its eerie silence.

In the deep and spacious hall, the windows were closed, a few candles were flickering dimly, white silk and white ribbons were hanging floating, and the huge coffin of Lieutenant Zhong was placed in the middle, giving people a gloomy feeling, especially now that it was quiet. Even though the hall was full of people, the remaining nobles and ministers still felt a little uneasy.

This side hall only held the coffin of Gong Wei. As for the coffins of his two sons, they were placed in another small hall and were not qualified to be placed here.

"What are you all still standing there for? Are you crying? As a minister, your first priority is loyalty. Your king was murdered, but now the traitor has been executed and the rebellion has been put down. This is such great news that everyone should be delighted with. Why don't you hurry up and cry sincerely to inform your king's heroic spirit in heaven so that his wronged soul can rest in peace? What are you waiting for?" Xiang Chang's face was suddenly filled with anger. He slammed the halberd in his hand towards Gong Wei's coffin. With a "clang" sound, all the nobles and ministers were startled.

"Still crying?" The nobles and ministers wanted to cry but had no tears, and endless despair grew in their hearts. They had cried for the deceased for the past few days, and they had been tortured so much that they had almost shed all the tears in their lives. Not to mention the stupid king who had no emotions, they had never cried like this even when their own father died.

"Zhuang Rong, you come to supervise them. Anyone who does not cry wholeheartedly, does not cry heartbrokenly, and does not cry grief-stricken enough is disloyal to the king and is a remnant of the traitor Huang Jizhong. There is no need to be polite to them. In order to avoid their backlash in the future, just drag them out, chop them to pieces, and feed them to the dogs." Xiang Chang's words were like a cold current in late winter, chilling to the bone and making people's hair stand on end.

Tong Jiruo had just died and his body was still warm, but Xiang Chang could not wait to appoint Dianke Zhuang Rong as the Internal History.

Although Dianke and Neishi were both among the Nine Ministers, Neishi was completely incomparable to Dianke in terms of power and status.

Zhuang Rong was also unceremonious. He used chicken feathers as a token of support and smiled at his colleagues who had never taken him seriously in the past: "Everyone, cry! Don't hold it back. Anyone who is loyal to the king, cry as much as you can. As for the remnants of Huang Jizhong, hehe, I also guarantee that you will have nowhere to hide. I will pull them out one by one!"

The noble officials were in complete despair.

I knew Xiang Chang wasn't that kind and would let them go easily, so he did it now? It was clear that he would not stop until he tortured them to death!

At this time, the Great Pillar State Bo Pi walked in with the new King of Linjiang Gong Yin.

As if they had seen a savior, the nobles and ministers cast their eager eyes towards the new king, hoping that he could save them from the devil's hands. However, after taking a closer look, the eagerness in the eyes of the nobles and ministers dimmed.

The left hand of Captain Gong was wrapped in thick white silk like a dumpling, with faint traces of blood. His previously arrogant and domineering face was now as pale as fat, with the panic and fear of surviving a disaster - he looked even worse off than them.

As if he could see what the nobles and ministers were thinking, Bo Pi smiled with a round face. He gently held Gong Yindu's hand and said kindly, "Your Majesty, among these ministers, there are remnants of the traitor Huang Jizhong. How do you think we should deal with them?"

Gong Yin shuddered and hurriedly said loudly: "Of course we cannot tolerate that. We must follow the advice of Master Xiang Changchang. We must do whatever Master Xiang Changchang says!"

The nobles and officials felt that this scene was extremely familiar, and the words "calling a deer a horse" flashed through their minds instantly. Their hearts seemed to be immersed in snow water, completely cold.

They were naturally aware of the intention of Bo Pi's action. This was a silent warning to them that not only was the kingdom's army under their control, but even the king had completely become their puppet. What to do next was entirely up to their own choices.

The noble officials knew that if they didn't make a sacrifice to satisfy Xiang Chang, they would never get through. They couldn't help but feel very upset that they didn't see the opportunity well. If they had been like Bo Pi and Zhuang Rong at the beginning, and devoted themselves to Xiang Chang, they would be enjoying the sweetness of victory like them now!

But now that the opportunity has been missed, what else can he do except cursing Huang Jizhong for being a coward who commanded an army of 20,000 but still suffered a crushing defeat?
Sighing secretly, a group of noble officials came to Bo Pi while crying, and humbly and earnestly asked him to show them a way out - what they should do to satisfy Master Xiang Chang.

Bo Pi laughed and said, "If you had known about current affairs earlier, why would it have come to this?" He then whispered a few words into their ears.

All the noble officials breathed a sigh of relief at the same time, realizing that Xiang Chang still had a bottom line. He was not ruthless in cutting the meat, and at least left them a lot of room.

The noble officials did not bother to mourn, but bowed to Xiang Chang and said solemnly: "Young Master, the more we think about it, the more we feel that what you said is absolutely right. Linjiang Kingdom was established by the Overlord and was originally a vassal of Great Chu. Now that Great Chu and the Han camp are in a stalemate, how can our Linjiang Kingdom sit idly by and do nothing? Wouldn't that be worse than pigs and dogs? All our families plan to open craftsman workshops together and forge weapons, armor and military equipment to supply Great Chu."

Facing the nobles and ministers who finally came to their senses under heavy pressure and actively supported him, Xiang Chang nodded slowly: "I'm sure the spirit of your king Gong Wei in heaven will be very pleased with your sincerity and your wholehearted support for the decision of the Great Chu. So, you can all go home and arrange for the workshops to start work as soon as possible."

The reason why the Linjiang Kingdom had sufficient and sophisticated armor and weapons in its arsenal was that it had a large number of skilled and excellent craftsmen. However, these crafts were not owned by the kingdom, but were controlled by various noble families.

In the past, when the Linjiang Kingdom had to forge various weapons and armors every year, the army would report them uniformly, and then the kingdom would distribute them to the major families for manufacturing. It can be said that the real power of the kingdom is in the hands of these nobles and ministers. Only with their strong support can the entire kingdom be truly mobilized and its potential can be truly brought into play.

Therefore, it is simply unrealistic to kill all of these noble officials. For example, the production of military equipment, weapons and armor would be completely ruined, and it would take a year or even longer to restore them to their current scale and quality.

This is also the reason why Xiang Chang tried his best to subdue these noble ministers.

As Xiang Chang accepted the surrender of these noble officials and ministers, he readily let them go. The noble officials and ministers escaped from the palace as if they had escaped from death, almost crawling and tumbling, and returned to their respective residences.

Of course, after returning to rest for a while and regaining some energy, they immediately took action at the fastest speed, summoning the family craftsmen to forge weapons and armor with all their strength, vying to be the first to show goodwill to Xiang Chang. After seeing Xiang Chang's decisiveness in killing, they were completely frightened and dared not even think of resisting, and they were as obedient as possible.

On the second day, good news came from the four counties. Although Tong Jiruo sent eunuchs to arrive in advance and order the county magistrates to burn the grain and grass, the four cunning county magistrates were very hesitant and chose to play it safe. They did not burn the grain and grass immediately, but chose to wait and see.

Then four important ministers of the kingdom arrived, immediately beheaded the four eunuchs, and then urged the county magistrate to transport the grain to Jiangling City immediately.

As the grain continued to arrive and filled up the "Taiping Warehouse", Xiang Chang finally breathed a sigh of relief. He left half of the grain in the Taiping Warehouse and then began to plan how to transport the grain to Gaixia City.

***
Gaixia City.

About 500 to 600 steps southwest of Xiang Yu's camp was an independent military camp surrounded by a two-person-high rammed earth wall. Soldiers were constantly patrolling outside the camp.

On the flat training ground covered with yellow sand in the military camp, huge archery targets were set up a hundred steps away.

Xiang Zhuang held in his hand a "Chuchang Crossbow" made of hard red jujube wood. He aimed at the target and pulled the trigger continuously with "clicks". One crossbow arrow after another shot out and hit the target accurately one by one, without any one flying away.

After a box of twelve crossbow arrows had been shot, a soldier quickly brought the target over and showed it to him.

Xiang Zhuang saw that all twelve crossbow arrows were stuck in the chest and abdomen of the human-shaped target. He nodded, raised the crossbow in his hand to his eyes and looked at it again, feeling very relieved.

The foreman who was accompanying him, who was skinny and dark-faced with hands bent and hard like iron hooks, watched his expression, nodded and bowed, and smiled, "General, over this period of time, we have continuously improved and figured out a tough and elastic crossbow string made of beef tendons mixed with raw cowhide. After being equipped, the penetration and range of the crossbow arrows have been greatly improved, which is incomparable to the dozens of crossbows that the eldest son took away that day."

Xiang Zhuang glanced at him and said, "Don't be happy too soon. Successful improvement is only the first step. We must also be able to mass produce it. Only with mass production can we equip the army. The eldest son's goal is to make the infantry of the Great Chu fully manned. The eldest son left a message before leaving for the Linjiang Kingdom. If you can improve the 'Chuchang Crossbow' to increase its lethality and mass produce it to equip the army, you will be stripped of your lowly status and appointed as the chief officer of the newly established 'Great Chu Craftsmen' Camp.'"

(End of this chapter)