My father, King Chu, was besieged at Gaixia

Chapter 132: Do Not Act Rashly
"Things have changed over time. The eldest young master has been gone for nearly a month and there has been no news from him... It's not that we don't believe in his ability, it's just that our estimate back then was too optimistic." Zhongli Mei shook his head and spoke in a reserved manner.

At this time, the senior official Huan Chu said impatiently: "The talent of the eldest prince is obvious to all in the Great Chu camp. But the Linjiang Kingdom is a real vassal state, with many noble families in the country, and the situation is complicated. In addition, the attitude of the captain Gong is firm and he has always remained neutral. In just twenty days, minus the time spent on the road, even if the prince Chang is a god, it will be difficult to subdue him, right? Putting all hopes on the eldest prince, isn't it cutting off your own life?"

"That's right. To recover a country in such a short time is simply unrealistic if you think about it. Moreover, it is said that the Han camp has also sent difficult envoys there, constantly lobbying Gong Wei and other important officials of the Kingdom of Linjiang. An army of one hundred thousand is sitting there waiting for an illusory news. It is simply - too ridiculous. If everyone in the Han camp knew about it, they would probably laugh their heads off." Ji Bu's voice became higher and higher, and he became more and more impolite.

The Grand Marshal Xiang Sheng, who had been looking heavy-hearted, hesitated and spoke, his tone dry as if he had swallowed two kilograms of sand: "It is indeed not wise to sit and wait, and the Overlord has led us to many brilliant achievements in the past, and has often defeated the enemy with fewer troops and created miracles. Why can't it be possible this time?"

Xiang Zhuang knew clearly that these guys not only had no confidence in the eldest son, but also still had deep confidence in the Overlord.

For a moment, Xiang Zhuang wanted to laugh but couldn't, and wanted to curse but had no words. A feeling of powerlessness arose in his heart.

He knew that if Overlord really raided the Han camp's grain route, he would be defeated. Overlord's brilliant achievements in the past were because the enemies he encountered were not Han Xin, a genius whose military strategy was not inferior to his. Han Xin, like Overlord, had transcended the scope of ordinary people in terms of military strategy, and he would not have obvious flaws like Zhang Han and Liu Bang. If Overlord had a similar number of troops, he should be able to defeat him; but now he was at an absolute disadvantage, and he could only repeat the defeat of the first battle at Gaixia.

"I might as well tell you here that I absolutely do not agree to raid the Han camp's grain route. If the Overlord insists on his own way, - the eldest son has said, a civil official dies for his advice, a military official dies in battle! I am not a civil official, but I have decided to die here for my advice! I only hope that you will consider us as colleagues and collect my body afterwards. I, Xiang Zhuang, will be very grateful." Xiang Zhuang took a long breath again, his words containing inexplicable violent determination. He flicked his robe sleeves, knelt heavily on his seat, closed his eyes and said no more.

The commander's tent fell into dead silence.

The generals and ministers all looked unhappy and uncomfortable. Xiang Zhuang's words were like a slap in the face, and his disdain for them was clearly written on their faces.

"So, the commander intends to follow the lead of Master Xiang Chang completely?" Huan Chu was annoyed and slammed the table, saying angrily.

Xiang Zhuang suddenly opened his eyes, his cold eyes shot forward like lightning, his momentum surged, and he shouted: "Huan Chu, what do you mean by this? Do you want to alienate the father-son relationship between the Overlord and the eldest son, and make our 100,000 troops of the Great Chu fall apart? You are so bold! Are you determined to be the eternal sinner of the Great Chu? I can't kill you, and the eldest son will definitely kill you when he hears this! I hope you have thought about how to explain to the eldest son."

Huan Chu was startled and realized that he had said the wrong thing. His face changed drastically and he explained anxiously: "I didn't mean that! I just said it casually. Xiang Zhuang, please don't slander me!"

As for Xiang Chang's cruelty, who among these high-ranking generals didn't know? He was even more cruel than his father, Overlord. For example, Xiang Chan, who was his great-uncle, could be killed with just one arrow! If Huan Chu's words really got to his ears, he would think that he was trying to sow discord between them. Then Huan Chu would be doomed, and even Overlord couldn't save him.

"Shut up! You're already dead!" Xiang Zhuang shouted angrily, silencing Huan Chu, a high-ranking official with a similar military rank to him, and then turned to the generals and ministers, "You all placed your hopes on the Overlord today, so I hope you won't feel sad when you are defeated and flee. Especially when the eldest son sent back news that he had conquered the Linjiang Kingdom, I hope you won't feel regret. A bunch of weak-willed, cowardly trash, it's my shame to be associated with you."

Faced with Xiang Zhuang's violent abuse, Huan Chu suddenly felt relieved and shouted: "I am willing to accompany Commander Xiang and die to advise the Overlord!"

After saying this, he also drew his sword from its sheath and thrust it heavily next to Xiang Zhuang's sword.

The two long swords swayed gently, and the mirror-like sharp blades shone with cold light, reflecting the changing faces of the generals and ministers in the tent from time to time.

The generals were surprised that Huan Chu would change his position so smoothly and without any shame, just like a chameleon. However, they thought that if it were them, they would have no choice but to do the same. In fact, their fear of Xiang Chang was even greater than that of the Overlord.

"Xiang Zhuang, you scolded well! Before there was Hei Shi, and now there is you. It seems that we, the high-level generals and ministers of the Great Chu, are already full of decadence. I believe that it won't be long before we are replaced by new generals. In this case, we should leave something valuable for the younger generations. We can't let the younger generations scold us for being idle." The general Zhongli Mei hesitated for a long time, and finally he drew out his sword, threw it, and inserted it next to Xiang Zhuang's sword.

"General, if we just sit and wait like this, and if the eldest prince returns without success, won't we be really dead?" Ji Bu was really shocked, and said to Zhongli Mei.

"I'll die if I want to. A real man on the battlefield should not be afraid of death?" Without waiting for Zhongli Mei to speak, Xiang Guan kicked the documents away and said, "Count me in! I just hope my brother doesn't think I'm betraying him."

As he spoke, he drew his sword from its sheath, a cold light flashed, and it was inserted next to the long swords standing in the forest.

The other generals and officials looked at each other, hesitated for a while, and finally gritted their teeth and threw their swords at him, including Grand Marshal Xiang Sheng.

At this point, all the swords were ready and inserted into the commander's tent.

At this point, all the generals and ministers were shocked: being insulted and scolded by Xiang Zhuang and pushed to the limit, they inadvertently did something that they would never dare to think of in the past and was extremely treasonous - challenging the authority of the Overlord!
The long swords were inserted there. Were they showing their determination to die? They were silently declaring to the Overlord: We will stop your motion in the name of "the military opinion of the Great Chu".

Although the "Great Chu Military Public Opinion" had been implemented for some time, this was undoubtedly the first time that the Overlord's proposal was directly rejected. Under the Overlord's accumulated power, all the generals and ministers, even if they were determined to die, were still pale and trembling for a while, and their hearts were beating fast.

But the atmosphere had reached this point and there was no way back down, so we had to grit our teeth and hold on.

"The king has arrived!"

Suddenly, a long shout was heard from outside the tent, and the cowhide door curtain was opened from the outside. The tall and burly figure of the Overlord appeared and walked in steadily.

The mighty Overlord in armor is like a golden spear, dazzling, majestic, luxurious, and upright, making people unable to help but be impressed by him.

As soon as he entered the tent, all the generals and officials bowed to him unconsciously to show their submission, almost as if it was a conditioned reflex.

Looking at the long swords stuck in the middle of the tent, the powerful Overlord was quite surprised. He turned around and looked at the generals and ministers one by one, but did not say anything. He walked to the top soft seat and knelt down. He picked up the hot soup and drank it slowly. Suddenly, Xiang Yu felt that the tent was strangely quiet. Except for the sound of himself drinking the hot soup, there was no sound at all. The generals and ministers sitting in the tent were like a circle of dead bodies.

He was even more surprised. He looked around coldly and pointed at the long swords that were bulging his eyes: "What is the purpose of this? No one can give me an explanation?"

This calm and composed question made all the officials and generals in the tent sweat profusely.

There was no way. The Overlord's power accumulated over the years was no joke. In their minds, he was almost equivalent to a god. Even though they had mustered up their courage in private just now, they couldn't help but feel a little chilled when they saw him.

Xiang Zhuang turned his head and looked at it, secretly shaking his head. He had already resisted Xiang Yu's military orders several times, and with Xiang Chang standing behind him, he could still bear the heavy prestige of the Overlord without losing sight of the big picture.

He stood up slowly, with a solemn and serious expression on his face. He first straightened his crown, then arranged his robe properly. Then he walked steadily into the crowd and knelt down to Xiang Yu meticulously.

Faced with Xiang Zhuang's formal posture, Xiang Yu's face suddenly became serious and his relaxed look disappeared. He knelt straight, placed his palms down flat on his legs, and looked solemnly at Xiang Zhuang who was kneeling in front of him.

"Your Majesty has summoned us here today. Are you determined to abandon the established strategy of defending Gaixia and instead lead the army to raid the Han camp's grain route?" Xiang Zhuang looked at Xiang Yu steadily, raised his hands high above his head, and asked solemnly and loudly.

No one expected Xiang Zhuang to be so direct. He did not hide anything and showed his true colors right away, going straight for the heart. Zhongli Mei, Xiang Sheng and others were all frightened, but they had to admire his courage.

"So what?" Xiang Yu was neither angry nor violent, but his casual words revealed an inexplicable power that was awe-inspiring.

"I beg the king to continue to implement the established military strategy and not to act rashly." A layer of cold sweat broke out on Xiang Zhuang's forehead. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to finish his words. Then he bowed his head heavily and knelt on the ground.

"We implore the king to continue to implement the established military strategy and not to act rashly." Zhongli Mei, Xiang Sheng and all the other generals and ministers had nowhere to retreat at this time. They closed their eyes, made up their minds, and all stood up and walked behind Xiang Zhuang and knelt down.

After shouting these words, all the generals and ministers seemed to be hollowed out, and their bodies almost collapsed on the spot.

In fact, including Xiang Zhuang, they have all given up completely - they have done what they can, and now it's up to the Overlord to do whatever he wants!
Just when the generals and ministers thought they were about to face the Overlord's roar and scolding like a storm, unexpectedly the Overlord did not go berserk. His eyes were shining brightly, and his words could not tell whether he was happy or angry. "It's rare that you are so united. I am surprised! - Zhongli Mei, I remember that I clearly asked for your opinion in private, and you supported my strategy of raiding the Han camp's grain route. Why do you have such a different expression now?"

Zhong Limei felt the sweat on his back soaking his clothes instantly. He swallowed hard and tried to keep his words calm: "Your Majesty, this is a different time. After careful consideration, I feel that it is safer to follow the original military strategy."

“What if the food runs out and the three armies collapse?” Xiang Yu followed closely with a question.

Zhongli Mei nodded heavily and said with emotion: "When the eldest son rushed to Linjiang Kingdom that day, he was full of confidence and vowed, so we should give him enough trust and wait until the last moment. If God really wants to destroy our Great Chu, then we will fight vigorously and die without regrets, and go to the underworld together!"

The other generals and ministers also bowed vigorously again to show the same attitude.

The generals and ministers, who were kneeling on the ground anxiously awaiting their fate and prepared to withstand a heavy blow, unexpectedly discovered that the camp was dead silent again. The expected storm did not come.

Hesitantly, he slowly raised his head and stole a glance upward, and found that the Overlord was kneeling high up, staring at the long swords lying in all directions, with an expression that seemed to be both happy and sad on his handsome face.

"I never thought that as a father, I was not as firm in my trust in Chang'er as you! Even though Chang'er had sex many times and his achievements were legendary, I still subconsciously treated him as a child and looked down on him." Xiang Yu's words were full of self-mockery. He gently placed the scroll he was holding tightly on the table and unfolded it. "You all did the right thing this time. Chang'er sent a message back saying that he had planned to kill Gong Wei and control the new Linjiang King Gong Yin. The entire Linjiang Kingdom fell into his control. The grain, cloth, weapons, and equipment of the Linjiang Kingdom will be delivered to Gaixia soon."

"Huh?!" All the generals and ministers were completely stunned by this great news. They climbed up in a daze at the call of the Overlord. Although they chose to trust Xiang Chang under the coercion of Xiang Zhuang, they did not expect the good news to come so quickly and so suddenly. They had no emotions at all. For a moment, they were like stupid geese, unable to muster a corresponding enthusiastic response.

Xiang Zhuang was the first to come to his senses. With endless joy growing in his heart, he drew his sword and performed a few sword dances to vent his excitement. After he finished, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and said loudly, "Your Majesty, this good news should be announced to the three armies immediately so that all the soldiers can rest assured."

"Yes!" Xiang Yu responded straightforwardly, "At the same time, tell the soldiers clearly that we can celebrate after the military supplies of Linjiang Kingdom are delivered. Let everyone wait patiently for a while."

"Your Majesty, the eldest prince has really done it again? This means that our Great Chu has truly come back to life this time? The Han army has besieged us for so long, but hasn't it been in vain? Hahahaha..." Ji Bu clenched his fists, waved them vigorously in the air, and laughed happily.

"God bless Great Chu! God bless Great Chu!" Xiang Sheng murmured to himself, tears welling up in his eyes. He knelt down sincerely towards the sky outside the tent.

"Xiang Zhuang, you have worked very hard to enforce military laws and discipline and build the craftsman camp. With your achievements like this, you deserve promotion and reward. I will now confer the title of Chun Hou on you!" Xiang Yu's abrupt words surprised the generals and ministers again.

Seeing Xiang Zhuang kneeling down and thanking him, all the generals and officials knew the meaning of the word "pure". However, they did not feel jealous. Instead, they looked at each other and felt their blood pumping and were greatly excited.

In the past, the Overlord was arrogant and confident in his own bravery, and was far from generous to his subordinates, generals and ministers. Except for Ying Bu, no matter how great his achievements were, he was not crowned a king or even a marquis. This was also the reason why Chen Ping, Han Xin and others abandoned him and joined Liu Bang.

Now he actually made a move and made Xiang Zhuang a marquis, which showed that he finally began to value and recognize the talents of his generals and ministers. And according to the achievements and qualifications of the generals and ministers in the camp, as long as they continued to work hard on military strategy, they would naturally be the next in line. How could he not be extremely happy?

(End of this chapter)