My father, King Chu, was besieged at Gaixia

Chapter 89 So Ridiculous
Chen Ping bowed his hands repeatedly and expressed his humility, then frowned slightly and said, "Distilling this stuff consumes a huge amount of fine wine. Right now in the military camp, the fine wine is in the hands of the generals, and the generals can't live without wine every day. If we ask them to hand it over..."

When Liu Bang heard this, the excitement on his face slowly faded away, and he hesitated greatly, constantly thinking and weighing the options. After a long while, he exhaled, waved his hand, and said decisively:

"Let's take a long-term view on this matter and bear with the wounded soldiers. After we defeat Xiang Yu and have sufficient military resources, we can consider it again."

When Chen Ping heard this, his eyes darkened and he opened his mouth slightly, but in the end he didn't say much.

This is due to Chen Ping's personality, and it is also what makes him different from Zhang Liang.

Zhang Liang was born into a great Korean noble family. He had seen a lot since he was a child, and with his own profound strategies, he could be said to be extremely confident. In the process of advising Liu Bang, once he thought he was right, even if he disagreed with Liu Bang, he would often choose to stick to his own opinion and let Liu Bang make changes.

Chen Ping was just the opposite. He was born in the lower class of civilians, and to be able to reach his current position and hold such an official position, he had to go through countless hardships and almost exhausted all his skills. This also cultivated his character of being smooth, introverted, low-key and cautious, and never arguing with others head-on.

In addition, he joined Liu Bang's camp halfway through and was not part of Liu Bang's trusted team when he started out. Therefore, in his relationship with Liu Bang, he was only responsible for making suggestions. It would be good if Liu Bang adopted their suggestions, but if he did not, he would never be stubborn and ask Liu Bang to change his mind.

Liu Bang stroked his beard and said thoughtfully, "I can first distill all the fine wine I enjoy and make it into 'poison-clearing medicine', and then distribute it to the generals, so as to save their lives in case they are injured in the battle."

Xiang Ji had made all of Liu Bang's important generals and ministers kings some time ago, and Liu Bang had to coax, deceive, use both kindness and force, and intimidate and bribe them, and he spent a lot of energy and effort to barely appease them. At the moment, Liu Bang was too late to win over these important generals and ministers, and he really didn't dare to provoke them again.

Chen Ping lowered his eyelids and sighed in his heart. In order to bribe Ding Gu, he had also learned a lot about what happened in the Great Chu military camp. Thinking that Xiang Chang would offend all the generals for the sake of the wounded soldiers, he collected the fine wine and made it into a "detoxifying medicine", and the King of Han...

Thinking of this, Chen Ping shook his head secretly.

However, another strange thought soon came to his mind: Logically speaking, a treasure like the "detoxifying medicine" should be strictly controlled and kept secret from anyone. Xiang Chang doesn't seem to be a person without a sense of confidentiality, so why didn't he control it and let this thing be exposed to everyone, and everyone in the entire military camp knew about it?

Could it be that he had already calculated that even if Liu Bang got this thing, he would not use it? After all, it was hard to get enough food at the moment, and being able to squeeze out some grain to make some fine wine was always enjoyed by the highest-ranking officials and generals. Did he see that Liu Bang would not force these important officials and generals to give up their appetite for the sake of the wounded camp?

Chen Ping's heart skipped a beat, like a flash of lightning piercing the dark night sky. At this moment, his intuition told him that what he thought was true. At this moment, he even saw the hateful boy with a cold and hateful face, saying to him leisurely: "Even if I send this thing to you, you can't use it, so why keep it secret?"

Chen Ping slowly clenched his hands and gritted his teeth. As a counselor, he was outsmarted by others and fell completely into the trap of others' premeditated plan. This feeling was really terrible.

For a moment, his attention and vigilance towards Xiang Chang reached an extreme level.

Just when Chen Ping was feeling very depressed, Liu Bang narrowed his eyes and said in a cold tone, "Have you thought of any way to alienate Xiang Yu from this kid? Can you use the old trick you used to alienate Xiang Yu from Fan Zeng?"

Chen Ping shook his head, somewhat helplessly: "According to the information we have gathered, Xiang Chang eats with Xiang Ji every day, and the father and son have a very good relationship. It is difficult to infiltrate them in a hurry, and it will take time to explore the gap between them. And Xiang Ji and Fan Zeng's old trick has been used once, how can Xiang Ji fall for it again? Xiang Ji seems to have been scared by the king, and his previous stubborn and arrogant habits have changed a lot. Now he is discussing all military affairs with the generals, saying that 'three stinky generals are better than Jiang Ziya'!"

After a short pause, Chen Ping finally couldn't help but said:

"Your Majesty, you need to pay more attention to this. These little tricks of Xiang Chang are extremely practical and can greatly boost morale. They should not be underestimated."

After the desperate situation of "Siege of Gaixia" was overturned by the Chu State, Chen Ping, with the support of Zhang Liang, mobilized all resources and finally found out everything about Xiang Chang's legendary method of "persuading three kings in one day".

Even Chen Ping, the originator of conspirators and the master of using spies, was impressed. Especially the process of Xiang Chang persuading, no, to be more precise, forcing Ying Bu to rebel, the strategies he deployed were linked together, delicate and subtle, and he used all the resources at hand to the fullest extent, and finally made the impossible possible, forcing Ying Bu, the unruly and fierce tiger that shook the world, to bow his head, which made him admire him even more.

It was precisely because of his deep understanding of Xiang Chang, coupled with the earth-shaking changes that had taken place in the Chu military camp during this period of time, that Chen Ping felt vaguely that with this kid around, the Han camp's next journey to destroy the Chu would become extremely difficult.

Liu Bang agreed with what Chen Ping said. He patted his thigh and said, "Zifang said the same thing. Since Xiang Ji and his son are in a hurry and it is difficult to separate them, the commander can try to contact the other generals of the Great Chu and see if they can be bribed with a large sum of money. The Great Chu is desperate now. I don't believe these generals will not have other ideas."

Chen Ping nodded slightly and was about to speak when Zhongjuan Yang Tian hurried into the tent. He first looked at him strangely, then bowed to Liu Bang and reported: "Your Majesty, the Great Chu has sent an envoy to see you."

Liu Bang was very surprised and jumped up from the couch: "Xiang Ji sent an envoy? What else can I say to him now? I know, could it be that Xiang Ji is scared and begs for mercy from me? Even if he begs for mercy and becomes my subject, I will not let him go!"

Yang Tian shook his head and said in a strange tone: "The envoy is not asking to see the king, but to see Captain Chen Ping!"

When these words were spoken, both Liu Bang and Chen Ping were greatly surprised.

"The messenger brought three carts full of valuables, including gold, pearls, jewels, cloth, brocade and silk. It looks like he wants to bribe Commander Chen Ping."

Chen Ping frowned, and a sense of absurdity surged in his heart. Liu Bang was also startled, and then he became excited as if he saw a country bumpkin doing a juggling trick. He smiled and urged Yang Tian repeatedly: "Bribe Chen Ping? I wonder how Xiang Yu came up with this idea. We can't let his kindness fall to the ground. Come on, come in, I want to see how the Chu State bribes people!"

Not long after, Wu She, the envoy of the Chu camp, who was as skinny as a monkey and had a chin upturned like a shovel, and looked a bit like a strange man, walked in swaggeringly, twirling his goatee with his right hand's orchid finger.

After entering the tent, as soon as he saw Chen Ping, his wrinkled old face like bark was full of warm smiles. He stepped forward, held Chen Ping's hand and licked it affectionately: "Time flies, and it has been more than two years since I said goodbye to Captain Chen. Now I see that Captain Chen is still as elegant and handsome as before, and I am really relieved. I can't help but think of the time when I was under the Overlord's tent with the Captain..."

Chen Ping looked at Liu Bang, who was ignored but didn't care, and instead put on an attitude of watching a good show. He impatiently interrupted Wu She's recollection of the past years and recounted the friendship of the rebellion. He said coldly: "There is nothing to talk about between you and me, and between me and the Great Chu. Now everyone serves their own master, and each does his best and accepts his fate. Doctor Wu, please go back."

"Alas, how can Captain Chen reject people like this? The Overlord is now eager to seek talents, and he is looking forward to the Captain, just like a field that has been dry for a long time looking forward to rain! Now let me send three carts of gold, pearls and jewels..."

"Enough!" Chen Ping saw this guy's ridiculous and serious attitude, and he scolded him unhappily, "The King of Han is right in front of us, and he bribes the ministers in front of the ruler. You are sick in the Great Chu, but I will not accompany you!"

Wu She seemed to have just seen Liu Bang sitting high up in the tent. He was shocked and begged for mercy: "Ah, I didn't know the King of Han was here. Forgive me, forgive me!"

Liu Bang felt that this scene was extremely familiar, and suddenly remembered that this was the same script that Chen Ping used to alienate Xiang Yu and Fan Zeng. He could no longer hold back and burst into laughter: "Wu She, Xiang Yu and Xiang Chang, you little bastards, you are at your wit's end and have no other options, so you came up with such a childish trick?"

Then he turned to Chen Ping and said, "Since the Chu State has such good intentions, we must not let it down, accept it!" Then he turned to Wu She and said, "Go back and tell Xiang Chang that I said so, let him send it as much as he wants! As long as he dares to send it, our Chen Duwei will dare to accept it."

Wu She raised his goatee and faced Liu Bang, a man who owned half of the country. He did not dare to act rashly like he did to Peng Yue, but he still looked arrogant:
"It's good to have your words, Your Majesty! Our rear general is planning to do just that. Our rear general said that as long as the hoe is used well, there is no corner that cannot be dug; as long as the effort is deep, an iron rod can be ground into a needle! As long as you work hard and persist, miracles will always happen. From then on, not only gold and pearls, but also food, clothing, and precious swords were all sent to Chen Duwei without exception."

"Our sincerity will always move Captain Chen and make him change his mind. Captain Chen doesn't even have to make a direct promise. As long as he slightly leans towards us when planning military strategies for the king, we will benefit a lot. And all of this, we don't have to say a word, because smart people understand each other tacitly. The king is old and confused, and his thinking is slow, so I'm sure he can't see it at all."

"This does not prevent Commandant Chen from continuing to hold a high position and receive generous salary in the Han Dynasty. At the same time, he has also quietly gained a relationship with us in the Chu Dynasty. The current strength of the Chu Dynasty's army is obvious to all, and military geniuses like Liang Wang Peng Yue are very optimistic about it. One day in the near future, when the Chu army defeats the Han camp, Commandant Chen will not have to worry about this relationship. He can seamlessly transfer to the Chu Dynasty and continue to hold a high position and receive generous salary!"

Liu Bang was stunned by Wu She's words, and the relaxed and happy smile on his face froze!

Shouldn't such a private matter of rebellion be carried out secretly, for fear of being known by others? Now, in front of the King of Han, it is said so openly, isn't this a naked humiliation to himself?

"Captain Chen, remember this, tacit understanding! Tacit understanding! Everything between us is implied!" Wu She finally bowed gracefully, his sleeves fluttering, and he turned around and walked away, looking extremely graceful and unrestrained.

Knowing that Wu She was clearly trying to sow discord, Liu Bang kept thinking about the old bastard's words and became more and more frightened: With a smart man like Chen Ping having the opportunity to play both sides and leave himself a way out, and in a very secretive way that no one would know about, would he do it?

The key is that with his intelligence and the great power in his hands - having replaced Zhang Liang, all the secrets of the Han army are now under his control. When he makes some important plans in the future and they are slightly inclined towards the Chu, there is no possibility that he will be able to detect it.

At this moment, Liu Bang almost ordered his troops to rush back to chase Zhang Liang.

Chen Ping was so smart that he could see Liu Bang's thoughts at a glance.

He had a thorough understanding of Liu Bang. He was undoubtedly a typical model of an emperor. He seemed magnanimous, kind and benevolent. He especially liked to joke and was very friendly to his subordinates. But that was only towards the ministers who posed no threat to him!

He was always suspicious and wary of those generals and ministers who could harm him, and he never hesitated to take ruthless action! For example, Han Xin, Ying Bu, Peng Yue, and even his brother-in-law Lu Ze.

Especially when Lu Ze started the rebellion, the Lu family gave him all their support. But he didn't expect that the Lu family would become more and more powerful, conquer more and more cities and territories, and have many outstanding generals, who even surpassed him at one point.

Liu Bang went from being overjoyed to immediately feeling fearful, and tried every possible way to suppress him. For example, he forcibly suppressed Lu Ze and never gave him the opportunity to lead the army to fight and gain military merit. At the same time, he also tried to divide and win over the generals under his command in many ways.

After continuous suppression, the power of the Lu family was finally reduced to a level that made him feel safe. Even so, Lu Ze was still left in Chu, under the pretext of guarding the area, but in fact to prevent him from participating in the final battle against the Chu State and gaining military merit.

It stands to reason that Liu Bang himself was the master of using spies and spreading rumors, so he should not be fooled by Xiang Chang's obvious plot to sow discord. But the more such people are, the more suspicious they become. Of course, it is impossible to say that Chen Ping is not needed now, but it is also impossible to trust him completely and obey his orders as before.

Xiang Chang's dispatch of Wu She was like planting a thorn in Liu Bang's heart. After that, he kept sending envoys to harass Liu Bang and continuously sent large amounts of money and goods to Chen Ping, which was like watering and fertilizing this thorn, allowing it to grow and develop until it could eventually become a sharp sword that cut off the trust between the two.

Chen Ping smiled bitterly in his heart. He knew clearly why Xiang Chang sent an envoy to bribe him in front of Liu Bang and even said those words. It was obvious that Xiang Chang was angry about his conspiracy to alienate Xiang Ji and Fan Zeng, so he retaliated!
This kid is venting his anger for his brainless father who was easily fooled by him!
In other places, fathers vent their anger on their sons, but in Da Chu, the situation is obviously reversed, with sons venting their anger on their fathers.

Chen Ping was able to rise from a commoner to his current high position, and his mental tenacity is rare in the world. Xiang Chang's outrageous behavior really angered him. His face was gloomy, and he suddenly wanted to have a good fight with Xiang Chang to see who was better!
(End of this chapter)