Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 271 Outside Hangu Pass
"My brother is still unwilling to turn from darkness to light..."

Outside Hangu Pass,

Liu Bang was saying this to his advisers and generals.

After being ordered to march west,
Liu Bang's army encountered considerable setbacks.

Because the further west you go, the closer you get to Guanzhong, the power center of the Qin Dynasty, and the tighter the control you will receive.

Therefore, Fusu's various policies to ease conflicts were implemented here.

Although it cannot be said that it has been fully implemented,
But for the people who were already burdened with heavy burdens, as long as the huge rocks on their backs were moved away a little, they could straighten their bent backs a little and breathe more smoothly.

These people, who have their heads wrapped in black cloth and face the earth and back to the sky all year round,

Always easy to satisfy.

Therefore, many people praised Fusu's benevolence, believing that he was very different from his father and was a gentleman who would fulfill his promises.

As early as the time of Emperor Qin Shi Huang,
Through the argument with my father,

Fusu's reputation for benevolence has spread.

When Chen Sheng and his men first raised their flags in Daze Township and called on people all over the world to resist tyranny, they even shouted the slogan of "clearing the court."

of course,

As power and ambition grew,

There are also countless survivors of the six kingdoms who have come to surrender.

Chen Sheng had to draw a clear line between himself and everything related to the Qin Dynasty, so he abandoned his original slogan and replaced it with another more famous one.

At this moment when Chen Sheng died and King Xiong Xin of Chu became the new leader,
With Hangu Pass as the boundary, many places around it still remain relatively stable.

At least in this area,
There were far fewer officials and civilians who rebelled than in the east.

Therefore,
Liu Bang also felt very tired while eating.

After Xiang Yu defeated Wang Li, he sent a letter inviting Liu Bang, his "sworn brother", to join him in fighting against Meng Tian.

In Xiang Yu's words:
"Meng Tian is the pillar of the Qin Dynasty!"

"Only by breaking him can we achieve the goal of destroying Qin!"

"Brother, do you still remember the oath you and I made when we became sworn brothers in Dingtao, to build a lifelong anti-Qin army and restore the glory of the six kingdoms?"

then,

Liu Bang accepted his invitation, gave up the hard bone that blocked his progress, and turned to head eastward along the Qinling Mountains, following Xiang Yu who was going south from Huangze to the southern end of Taihang Mountains to join him.

The two of them worked together.

Defeated Meng Tian.

Although Meng Tian was a famous general in the previous era,

But he is an old man after all.

When Xiang Yu, who possessed unparalleled courage, led his army to charge forward,
When Liu Bang used his charm to unite the talents from the six countries under his command and to give him advice,
When the First Emperor exhausted the power of the world and thought that it was nothing more than repeating the "Zhengguo Canal" incident, and that as long as he tightened his belt and held on for a while, he would usher in a better era,
Meng Tian was in a bit of a bad state.

people,
You have to accept your age.

Moreover, the power of the state has declined.
Even if he has a plan to turn the situation around, what can he do?
then,

Meng Tian retreated to Hangu Pass.
Hei Yi also looked around in panic, looking at the billowing smoke of war chasing him from behind, his heart sinking.

Liu Bang looked at him from a distance in the chaos of the army.

Subsequently,

Both of them took the initiative to look away.

Hei Yi just turned around resolutely and followed Meng Tian.

And Liu Bang,
After the embarrassment of "the enemy is my brother", he immediately realized how much benefit it would bring to him if he could persuade Hei Yi to switch sides.

He quickly sent someone to secretly convey the message to Hei Yi, promising him countless gold, silver and wealth, hoping that he could open the gate of Hangu Pass and let him in.

When Hei Yi received Liu Bang's letters and treasures, he could not help laughing.

Although when the First Emperor unified the country,
Hei Yi is still young, but he has reached the age where he understands the ways of the world.

Therefore, he could learn from his grandfather, who served as Shaofu in his later years, that the First Emperor liked to use treasures to lure those greedy villains in the six countries to sell out their own countries and make special contributions to the establishment of the Qin Empire.

Can anyone think of,

It's only been more than ten years.

The offensive and defensive situation was thus reversed.

He was lured by treasure and made to betray his country!
"pity!"

"Although I don't have much talent, I still know the rules of propriety and honor!"

"After the Hei family entered Qin, it has been passed down to my generation for four generations. If I betrayed Qin, can this be called 'loyalty'?"

Hei Yi did not kill the man who tried every means to sneak into Hangu Pass to send him a letter.

He just asked the other party to go back and expressed his determination.

"Since we are on the battlefield, there is no need to worry about the friendship between the two families!" If Hei Yi is a coward,

Why should he take the initiative to request to follow Meng Tian to the east to quell the rebellion?
In response to his

Liu Bang could only sigh and turned around to discuss with his men how to break through Hangu Pass.

Feelings are feelings.
Profits belong to interests.
Liu Bang made a clear distinction between these two things.
Now that he has come to this point,
But you can't go back anymore!
But the name of Hangu Pass is known all over the world.

Although Meng Tian had just been defeated, as long as the supply from Guanzhong continued, he would be able to hold on to this place!

therefore,

After analyzing for a long time, Liu Bang and his men were still frowning and didn't know how to deal with Meng Tian.

This old general cannot be easily seduced out by means of insults or other provocations.

He is like a cuckold now.
They stayed inside Hangu Pass and refused to look out, which made it clear that they wanted to wear down the morale of the rebels stationed outside the pass.

After all, it's a long-term stay.

This would consume a lot of food and grass.

After a long siege,

The loss of morale will also be great.

Moreover, the soldiers of the six states were mostly fighting on their own.
If it is delayed any further, it will just be a repetition of the "Five Kingdoms Attacking Qin" that happened decades ago.

"Why not attack somewhere else?"

Suddenly, Chen Ping, one of the counselors, suggested, "Guanzhong of Qin has always been guarded by 'four barriers'."

"To the east is Hangu Pass, to the west is Dasan, to the north is Xiaoguan Pass, and to the south is Wuguan Pass!"

"Since Hangu Pass is difficult to attack, why not go through Wuguan?"

Dasan Pass in the west is behind Guanzhong, and the rebel army cannot reach it no matter what.

Outside Xiaoguan in the north, there were Huns roaming around, and the journey was long and difficult.

in this way,

Only to the south!

Liu Bang waved his hand and said, "South, I have tried it before!"

"It's not easy to fight!"

But Chen Ping told him confidently, "It's not easy but we have to fight!"

"Why didn't Pei Gong think:
Xiang Yu, with the prestige of the victory at Julu, was the commander-in-chief in this attack on Qin!
If he leads the army to capture Hangu Pass, the King of Chu will fulfill his promise to him!"

Whoever enters the pass first will become a king!

Everybody is crowded here.
When the time comes to reward people for their merits, won’t the award be given to the commander-in-chief Xiang Yu?
I think with Xiang Yu's personality,
Nor will he tolerate others getting ahead of him and taking away his credit.

Liu Bang thought for a while with a serious face, and finally slapped his thigh and said to Chen Ping, "Sir, what you said makes sense!"

"How about a longer journey?"

"So what if it's a little hard to chew?"

"Just get through before everyone else!"

"It's just that... now that the army is here, I'm afraid that my reputation will be ruined if I go alone."

The reason why Liu Bang, despite being a "Tingzhang", could become a trusted minister of the King of Chu was simply because of the image of a benevolent elder he created.

Everyone recognized his easygoing and generous nature.
How can you destroy your own reputation?
Chen Ping stroked his beard and smiled, "That's fine!"

"Staying here for a long time makes people feel uneasy."

"You only need to send someone to the army to pass on some words, and naturally someone will take the initiative to help you solve your problems!"

Don’t underestimate the “bond” between the six countries!

During the two hundred years of the Warring States Period,

This "bond" is notoriously unreliable!

Liu Bang also thought of this and laughed out loud.

And not long after,
As expected, the rebels began to become chaotic, clamoring to "go back to their homes."

Xiang Yu was furious and denounced the generals of the six countries for their shamelessness.

It was he who led them to defeat Wang Li and Meng Tian.
It was I who brought them to Hangu Pass!
Before that,
This group of people even knelt in front of him, praising his martial arts and hoping that he could continue to lead them.

The result was that they were only temporarily blocked at Hangu Pass.
This group of rabble has changed their faces!

"let's go!"

"I just don't believe that without these guys, I can't break through Hangu Pass!"

Xiang Yu looked up at the pass not far away.

His eyes revealed persistence and a bit of violence.

(End of this chapter)