My father, King Chu, was besieged at Gaixia

Chapter 52 Everyone punishes him
"You said that it was you who shot two arrows in a row, one hitting Liu Bang and the other hitting Zhang Liang, causing Liu Bang to flee in fear? So the credit for this great victory over the Han army's rear is due to you!"

Xiang Chang put his hands behind his back, looking at the familiar figure kneeling in front of him, and said in surprise.

Xiang Ju knelt on the ground, not daring to move. A voice with an inexplicable timidity came from under his robe sleeves: "It was the eldest son who drove the fire bulls to disrupt Liu Bang's attacking team, and personally charged to attract Liu Bang's attention, so that I was lucky enough to succeed in the sneak shot. The credit goes to the eldest son!"

Xiang Chang laughed loudly with his head raised, but his eyes were cold without a trace of smile.

At this moment, he admitted that he had made some mistakes about his uncle! He only thought that he was a cowardly and weak person, who didn't even dare to avenge his father. Who would have thought that at the critical moment when the opportunity came, this guy would have the ruthlessness to seize it!

Xiang Chang was not surprised at all when Xiang Ju shot Liu Bang. From the treatment he received in Liu Bang's army, it could be seen that Liu Bang did not like him. He went to the Han Dynasty with the burning desire to marry Liu Bang's daughter, and this cold reception was undoubtedly a bucket of cold water poured over his head.

And it's not over yet.

His surrender to the Han was used by Xiang Chang, which directly led to the ambush and destruction of Guan Ying and his 5,000 elite cavalry. Liu Bang had no place to vent his anger, so he turned his anger on him and drove all his relatives, generals, and guards to do hard labor. Although he did not receive any punishment at the moment, there was no guarantee that he would not be punished in the future.

In the past, Xiang Ju was highly valued in the Chu army because of Xiang Chan's status and power. He was also very prominent among the Xiang family members, and was always as good as Xiang Chang. After arriving in Liu Bang's Han army, he fell into such a state. How could he, who was once a child of destiny, bear such a huge psychological gap?

It is not surprising that he, out of resentment, shot and killed Liu Bang in order to use it as a credit for his return to the Chu army.

What really surprised Xiang Chang was that he actually shot Zhang Liang with an arrow, trying to kill Zhang Liang, but Zhang Liang accepted him as his nephew and treated him very well.

It can be seen that he is indeed timid and cowardly, but for his own interests, such as having enough merits after returning to Chu and enjoying wealth and glory again, his mind is still clear enough at the critical moment, and he really dares to risk his life!
A man with a clear mind is not honest! This is how Xiang Chang evaluates his uncle Xiang Ju.

Since you know very well what you want and dare to fight for it, even if you are a little cowardly, you are not a real coward and you can be useful!
Although Liu Bang was defeated and the siege of Gaixia City was temporarily lifted, the overall strength of the Han army was intact. If Xiang Chang wanted to defeat the dream team headed by Liu Bang, he urgently needed to accumulate strength and not miss any bit.

As for whether these forces are thorny and poisonous, Xiang Chang smiled coldly. If you don't even have the heart to accommodate forces with ulterior motives and selfish intentions, how can you talk about conquering the world? You don't need to struggle last night, just lie down and wait for death.

"You are my uncle, how can you kneel before me? Get up quickly! You have made great contributions this time. In our Great Chu, we will reward those who have made contributions and punish those who have made mistakes. We will clearly distinguish between rewards and punishments! After I report to my father, I will inform the ministers that you went undercover in the Han army last night, and then you will inherit Xiang Chan's position as the clan leader."

After hearing Xiang Chang's words, the hundreds of Chu clan members, generals, and guards who had been following Xiang Ju to surrender to the Han Dynasty with nervous expressions breathed a sigh of relief and cheered.

They all knew very well that following Xiang Ju to surrender to the Han Dynasty had made them carry original sins. Even if they came back, they would be put on a blacklist and would no longer be trusted. In order to regain the trust of the Chu State and return to the Chu State to retain their original status and power, they followed Xiang Chang to wreak havoc on the rear of the Han army today. They fought bravely and fearlessly until the rear of the Han army completely collapsed. They were all exhausted and stopped only then. Naturally, they also suffered heavy casualties during the process.

What they could not have imagined was that their somewhat cowardly master gave them a big surprise at the critical moment. He actually seized the opportunity to shoot arrows and injure Liu Bang and Zhang Liang, thus performing such a great feat!

Xiang Chang's words were equivalent to directly clearing them all of them. Not only was surrendering to the Han no longer a sin, but it was also a merit for not fearing danger and enduring humiliation! How could they not be happy and relaxed?
Xiang Ju was not very happy after hearing Xiang Chang's words, and remained in the posture of worship without moving.

This scene confused the surrounding clan members and soldiers. They looked at him anxiously and wanted to go forward to help him up and express their gratitude.

Xiang Chang was also startled, and immediately understood what Xiang Ju meant. The coldness in his eyes slowly spread to his face. He slowly stood up, looked at his uncle lying on the ground, and said nothing.

Xiang Ju, who was kneeling on the ground, keenly sensed the change in Xiang Chang's attitude. His heart tightened for a moment, and his body trembled slightly due to excessive fear.

He has truly witnessed his nephew's sinister, far-sighted and foolproof methods since last night. At the age of only sixteen, he has fooled veterans like Liu Bang and Ying Bu, and the most powerful brains like Zhang Liang and Chen Ping. Even as his uncle, he is now as timid as a tiger and afraid of him.

"Xiang Chan is my father after all. My father did something wrong in a moment of confusion, so as a son I have to correct and make amends. I am willing to give up the position of clan leader and start as an ordinary soldier. I will use my insignificant merits to redeem my father's sins. I beg the eldest son to give him a little dignity." Xiang Ju gritted his teeth and pleaded in a low voice.

Xiang Chang narrowed his eyes and thought for a while, then nodded slowly, the coldness on his face melting away:

"It's rare that you have such filial piety. Well, I will allow your father to be buried in the ancestral tomb. From now on, your father will still be listed in the Xiang family's family register as the patriarch and the Minister of the Chu State. But you must remember that your father's crime is unforgivable. The reason for this grace is entirely due to the merits you have made today!"

Xiang Ju was overjoyed and kowtowed repeatedly in a hurry.

“The position of clan leader will still be temporarily held by you. You must remember this in the future, and always distinguish between relatives and enemies like you did today, safeguard the interests of Great Chu, safeguard the interests of our Xiang clan, and kill without mercy anyone who harms Great Chu and seeks the interests of our Xiang clan! This is also said to you!” Xiang Chang said at the end, looking at the clan members and guards who followed Xiang Ju to surrender to the Han Dynasty, his tone was stern, and he was intimidating without being angry!

All the clan members and soldiers were awed and knelt down to agree.

Xiang Ju's voice was choked with sobs. He raised his head and swore, "I, Xiang Ju, swear here that I will always obey the instructions of Master Xiang Changchang, shoulder the responsibilities of the clan leader, and safeguard the interests of Da Chu and the Xiang clan! If I violate this, everyone will be punished!"

(End of this chapter)