My father, King Chu, was besieged at Gaixia

Chapter 40: Kill on the Spot
Just as the Zhou Yin army lit the wolf smoke, rebelled against the Han and joined the Chu, and raised the banner of responding to Xiang Yu's cavalry, a general with round eyes, curly beard, and a stupid look, quietly left the Zhou Yin army camp alone, made a long circle, passed through the gaps between the armies, and reached the east gate of Gaixia City.

Looking at the tightly closed city gates and the Chu soldiers guarding the city walls, the dumbfounded general raised his head and howled loudly: "Open the door, open the door quickly, I am sent by Master Xiang Chang, and I want to see General Zhongli Mei and Right Counselor Wu She."

The person currently guarding the east side of the city wall was Tian Jian, one of the young officers promoted by Xiang Chang last night. After hearing the report from the soldiers, he hurriedly climbed onto the city wall, leaned out and asked carefully. He learned that the stupid general was named Xiang Xi and was from Zhou Yin army. He did not dare to neglect him and hurriedly ordered the gate to be opened. At the same time, he sent someone to send a message to Zhongli Mei, the commander of the current garrison in Gaixia City.

The city gate opened a gap just big enough for one man and one horse to enter. The soldiers standing inside the doorway waved to Xiang Xi, who was not afraid at all and urged his horse to go in.

As soon as he entered the city gate, several Chu soldiers surrounded him, first took away his weapons, then searched him thoroughly, and then took him to see Tian Jian.

On a wide street behind the city gate, Tian Jian, who was already waiting on horseback, looked him up and down, then said coldly, "Follow me." He urged his horse to go, leading the way. Xiang Xi hurriedly rode to catch up, wanting to chat with him, but seeing that Tian Jian didn't say a word and looked cold, he also kept silent.

Xiang Xi was brought to a residential building in the city surrounded by dense ancient trees and beautiful and exquisite houses. It seemed that it originally belonged to a wealthy family. After pushing open the door and entering the spacious courtyard decorated with ponds, streams, pavilions and terraces, several generals and ministers were already waiting.

The leader was about forty years old, tall, with broad shoulders and a thick waist. His two piercing eyes revealed a calm and majestic light. He stared at Xiang Xi and said anxiously, "I am Zhongli Mei. You were sent by Master Xiang Changchang? What are Master Xiang Changchang's instructions?"

"Get out of the way. It has nothing to do with you. I won't look for you. Where is the Right Counselor Wu She? Young Master Xiang Chang has something to say to Right Counselor Wu She." Xiang Xi tilted his head and glared at Zhongli Mei. Facing the great general of the Great Chu, he actually acted nonchalant and spoke directly.

The arrogant young man Tian Jian who led him here was shocked by his rude words and instinctively thought that he was going to be in trouble. How could the power of General Zhongli Mei be challenged? In the past, the grass on the graves of soldiers who dared to do so was taller than a man. Needless to say, he was just a small Lieutenant General under Zhou Yin. Even if Zhou Yin came in person, he would not dare to speak to Zhongli Mei in such a tone.

However, to his surprise, General Zhongli Mei remained silent and looked indifferent, which surprised him.

What Tian Jian didn't know was that Xiang Chang's status and importance in Zhongli Mei's mind were skyrocketing. He actually persuaded Zhou Yin, the traitor who rebelled against the Great Chu, to surrender again. This was too incredible. As the defender of Gaixia City, he was eager to know all the details and inside stories. So even if Xiang Xi pulled out a gun and shot him on the spot, he would have endured it, not to mention Xiang Xi's rude words.

At this time, a thin official who had been standing aside, wearing a dark black rhombus-patterned long gown, first glanced at Zhongli Mei with pride, then stepped forward and said to Xiang Xi proudly, "I am Wu She, the Right Counselor of the Great Chu State. What do you have to say to me, Master Xiang Chang?"

Wu She, the Right Counselor of the Great Chu, had a chin like a shovel, which was very eye-catching. He liked to raise his chin, which made him look very imposing and had a strong personality.

Xiang Xi tilted his head and glanced at him, then took out a roll of cloth from his bosom, threw it into his arms, and said loudly, "The eldest son said: Wu She, the Overlord sent you to lobby Han Xin last time, but you returned empty-handed. Are you a waste? You call yourself a counselor and strategist, and you are always boastful and unmatched, but you are useless at the critical moment. How can you still be the right counselor of the Great Chu?"

"Now I have persuaded Zhou Yin and Ying Bu to return to the Chu State. I have left you the simplest one. You should immediately go to Peng Yue's army and persuade him to take his army back to Liangdi. I will only give you one more chance. If you still cannot persuade Peng Yue in such a good situation, you should stay in his camp and don't come back. The Chu State Army does not keep useless people."

I didn't expect Master Xiang Chang to be so rude and insult him in public. Wu She looked at him with his eyes wide open, his nostrils flared, and he was spewing anger:

"How rude of you! I am the Right Counselor of the Great Chu, and he is just a small General of the Central Army. How dare he speak to me in such a tone? What can he brag about? He only convinced Zhou Yin, when did he also convince Ying Bu? I, Wu She..." "Report - General, Ying Bu's army has also lit the wolf smoke, and blown the horn at the same time, and began to attack the Han camp in full force, together with Zhou Yin's army, to support the Overlord Cavalry."

A soldier came running and excitedly reported to Zhongli Mei the latest military intelligence he had just seen from the top of the city wall.

There was a sudden silence in the yard, and all the generals and officials were stunned by the news.

General Zhongli Mei's spirits suddenly lifted. He knew too well what it meant for Zhou Yin's army and Ying Bu's army to rebel against Liu Bang and return to Chu. This meant that their Chu, which was on the verge of collapse and about to face destruction, finally breathed a sigh of relief. The situation that was originally dark and completely unsolvable was about to turn around.

All the generals and ministers were filled with endless joy at this time, waving their arms and cheering.

Except for Wu She.

Although Wu She was surprised and delighted, he became angry again when he thought of Xiang Chang's words, and angrily said to Zhongli Mei: "General, the eldest son humiliated me like this, I must..."

Zhongli Mei looked at him coldly and interrupted him, saying, "Master Xiang Chang shot the Minister of Chancellery to death with one arrow."

Wu She's complaints suddenly stopped, replaced by a flash of panic. After standing there for a while, he growled, his eyes reddened, and he flew out of the courtyard with his sleeves covering his face.

Zhongli Mei frowned and glanced at Xiang Xi: "Did the eldest master really let you humiliate the Right Counselor like this? Wasn't that your own decision?"

Xiang Xi tilted his neck and said loudly, "The eldest master said that some things cannot be made without being squeezed." Then he shouted at Wu She's back, "Look at that roll of cloth. The eldest master has taught you how to convince Peng Yue."

Zhongli Mei suddenly realized and said to the arrogant young man Tian Jian: "You protect the Right Counselor and go to Peng Yue's army. Do you know what to do?"

Tian Jian bowed and said in a cold tone: "If the Right Counselor surrenders to Liu Bang halfway, or stays with Peng Yue's army, he will be killed on the spot."

Zhongli Mei nodded with satisfaction.

(End of this chapter)