The leisurely life of the Qin people

Chapter 198 Xiang Ji
This year, the New Year in Kuaiji County was particularly lively. In a mansion there, several former nobles of the Chu Kingdom were having a banquet.

Xiang Liang, who was in the lead, raised his wine bowl and drank it all in one gulp.

Then the others also picked up their bowls and drank the wine.

The person standing next to Xiang Liang was Huan Chu, a disciple of Fan Zeng.

Everyone knows that Huan Chu was a disciple of Fan Zeng. More than ten years have passed since Xiang Yan died in battle. After Xiang Yan's defeat, Huan Chu went into seclusion in the Jianghuai region and began to teach.

The Fan family was a prominent clan in the Chu region, and Fan Zeng's disciples were scattered throughout the Chu area. What Xiang Liang desired most was Fan Zeng's support.

Although Fan Zeng did not come in person, Huan Chu was there, and everyone felt that Xiang Liang had actually gained Fan Zeng's support.

However, Xiang Liang did not say anything about this, so everyone just guessed.

Xiang Bo, who was present, was all smiles as he chatted with everyone.

There was also a former nobleman of the Chu state named Song Yi, who talked the most with Xiang Liang.

“That Yin Tong has been demanding more and more lately, it’s truly hateful…”

Before Xiang Zhuang could even finish speaking, Xiang Liang glared at him, shutting him down.

Xiang Zhuang lowered his head, knelt with his hands on his knees, and dared not utter a sound.

The scene remained peaceful.

Everyone present knew what Xiang Liang was thinking, and most of the former nobles of Chu remained in a wait-and-see state.

Whether or not they will actually rise up in rebellion is another matter, since no one wants to be the first to do so.

Moreover, although Xiang Liang was prestigious in Chu, Chu had been gone for so many years, and there were many people who wanted to restore Chu, but so far no one dared to actually raise an army.

Furthermore, is Xiang Liang's strength really sufficient?
With Xiang Liang's current manpower, his restoration force would likely be wiped out as soon as it leaves Kuaiji Commandery.

When Xiang Liang kept talking about restoring Chu, everyone echoed him. Besides, they could drink and eat meat here; who would want to miss such a good thing?

Did Xiang Liang gain Fan Zeng's support?
As everyone knows, Fan Zeng has been living in seclusion for many years and has long since stopped caring about worldly affairs.

Just because Huan Chu was by his side, could Fan Zeng decide to support Xiang Liang?
Xiang Liang did not explicitly state that he had received a promise from Fan Zeng.

Everyone wore smiles, drank wine and ate meat, each with their own thoughts.

Right outside the mansion, a burly young man was fighting with more than ten people his age, and the sand on the ground was kicked up by their fight.

These young men, who looked to be in their early twenties, held their own against a group of more than ten people.

In the blink of an eye, the young man knocked more than ten people to the ground.

"This Xiang Ji is truly remarkable."

"He's a born warrior."

……

When the dust settled, the people around saw that only the young man was standing in the same spot, and they all sighed with emotion.

Xiang Yu looked down at his opponent lying on the ground, brushed the dust off his clothes, and strode into the courtyard where the banquet was being held.

Xiang Yu washed his face with well water from the mansion, then changed into clean clothes and entered the hall.

Xiang Liang introduced, "This is my nephew, Yu'er."

Xiang Yu smiled at everyone present, then found an empty seat, sat down, and drank some wine.

The Chu nobles present had heard of Xiang Yu's name and all said that he was a famous warrior in Kuaiji County.

Everyone present smiled again and offered toasts.

Xiang Bo held up his bowl and drank wine with the others.

When the banquet ended, Xiang Liang looked at his nephew and said in a low voice, "I told you to go find a teacher to study with, why did you come back again?"

"Nephew..." Xiang Yu hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping himself.

"What's wrong with you?" Xiang Liang asked.

“When I heard that my uncle was plotting with them to rebel against Qin, I returned home.”

Xiang Liang knew that his nephew was probably unwilling to learn those complicated etiquettes and the knowledge in the books.

Xiang Yu asked, "Uncle, should we raise an army?"

Xiang Liang said solemnly, "Go and apologize to the Master first, study your books, and then we can talk about raising an army!"

"Can……"

Before Xiang Yu could say anything more, his uncle waved his sleeve and walked into the hall.

The banquet had just ended, and Xiang Zhuang was still eating meat and drinking wine.

The family was still struggling financially. The uncle had spent a lot of money elsewhere, and everyone's life was always difficult. They could only afford to eat so much food and drink occasionally.

Xiang Zhuang said, "It's just reading a book, nothing difficult."

Xiang Yu said, "That old scholar is too proud and looks down on me, Xiang Ji. Why should I smile and apologize to him?"

Of course, Xiang Yu was just saying these things in anger, and Xiang Bo understood that Xiang Liang really wanted to groom this nephew.

Unfortunately, Xiang Yu was incredibly brave from a young age, and no one in the surrounding dozens of counties could defeat him. This child was destined to become someone like General Xiang Yan from childhood.

Moreover, Xiang Bo had no doubt that Xiang Yu would become a general like Xiang Yan.

At this moment, Xiang Bo stroked his beard and said with a smile, "It's alright, I'll go and persuade that old scholar."

Xiang Yu bowed slightly and then left.

Xiang Zhuang said, "He..." Xiang Bo sighed with a sorrowful expression, stroking his beard with one hand and putting the other behind his back, still maintaining the demeanor and bearing of a Chu nobleman from back then. He said, "Yu'er has been ambitious since childhood. Among our Xiang Ji, there are only a few who are capable of rebelling against Qin. My elder brother is the strictest with Yu'er, but he also places the most expectations on Yu'er."

Xiang Zhuang, who was about the same age as Xiang Yu, nodded heavily, indicating his understanding.

Xiang Zhuang felt that this family was fortunate to have Xiang Bo.

On the bustling street, Song Yi caught up with Huan Chu, who was about to leave.

Huan Chu maintained a low profile after arriving in Kuaiji Commandery.

Song Yi was the prime minister of the Chu state back then. He already had considerable prestige in the Chu region and also had connections with the Chu royal family who were still alive, and had been secretly protecting them.

Song Yi came to see Xiang Liang this time because he suspected that Xiang Liang really had Fan Zeng's support.

However, they did not see Fan Zeng, but only Fan Zeng's disciple.

Song Yi once served as a minister in the State of Chu alongside Fan Zeng. However, after the fall of Chu and the death of Xiang Yan, Fan Zeng returned to Jiujiang and never again concerned himself with worldly affairs.

He, Song Yi, along with the remaining members of the Chu royal family, also went into seclusion.

So many years have passed, and Song Yi and Fan Zeng have both been living in seclusion, but only Xiang Liang is truly working tirelessly to restore Chu.

Song Yi stepped forward and asked, "How have you been, sir?"

Huan Chu stopped and bowed, saying, "Prefect Song."

Song Yi waved his hand, indicating that the other party did not need to address him as Ling Yin.

Huan Chu said, "My teacher is currently in Langya County."

Song Yi nodded and asked, "How is the old gentleman's health?"

"The teacher is in good health."

"That's good." Song Yi nodded, looking at the Qin army on the distant city wall, and said with worry, "In the past, the soldiers standing on this city wall were our Chu soldiers."

Huan Chu remained silent, simply averting his gaze from the Qin army.

Song Yi then asked, "Is there some past conflict between Yin Tong, the prefect of this region, and Xiang Liang?"

Huan Chu revealed the story between Xiang Liang and Yin Tong: in order to find a place to settle down, Xiang Liang bribed Yin Tong, and that's how the Xiang family stayed in Kuaiji Commandery.

Yin Tong was a greedy man, and he repeatedly asked Xiang Liang for benefits, which Xiang Liang tolerated time and time again.

After saying this, Huan Chu sighed, "If Xiang Liang really wants to raise an army, the first person he will kill will be Yin Tong. The money that Xiang Liang gave to Yin Tong is all in Yin Tong's warehouse. Yin Tong's warehouse cannot be moved. When Xiang Liang raises an army, those treasures will also become the capital for Xiang Ji's uprising."

The implication is that Yin Tong will not have a good ending.

Not all Qin officials were like Xu Fu or Lang; there were also corrupt officials like Yin Tong.

Song Yi pressed further, "Old sir, did you really agree to help Xiang Liang raise an army?"

Huan Chu replied, "The old gentleman did not say that; he only permitted me to come here."

Song Yi finally asked the question he wanted to ask and knew the answer he wanted. At this moment, all the nobles who had come to see Xiang Liang had dispersed.

Song Yi added, "The Qin laws are harsh, and there has been no anti-Qin sentiment in any region yet. I've heard that Zhang Er is still on the run, and I wonder if he's alive or dead?"

"I only know that Xiang Bo has dealings with the former nobles of the six states in various places, but when asked for details, Xiang Liang and Xiang Bo are unwilling to tell me too much and always give vague answers."

Song Yi said, "Xiang Ji will not reveal the truth about this matter."

Huan Chu was naturally aware that it was still unknown whether Xiang Liang truly had the strength to raise an army and whether he could command widespread support.

But time will tell; we'll see if Xiang Liang will raise an army.

After bidding farewell to Song Yi, Huan Chu left Kuaiji City. He was still thinking about his teacher, who was far away in Langya County. He came to see Xiang Liang because of their old friendship, and it had nothing to do with his teacher.

My teacher always says that I, Huan Chu, value relationships too much, and sometimes my impulsive actions can lead to serious problems.

Huan Chu still believed that one should value integrity and trust one's friends.

The following day, Xiang Liang took Xiang Yu to find the Master to apologize.

This teacher was found by Xiang Liang through special requests for gifts and by seeking help from old acquaintances.

If we could invite Fan Zeng, we wouldn't have come to seek out this teacher.

He made Xiang Yu kneel outside as if apologizing, while Xiang Liang went to see the teacher alone.

Spring has not yet fully arrived in the land of Chu, but the weather is already warm. The old master sits in the backyard watching the newly blooming peach blossoms. Everything here follows the architectural style of the Chu Kingdom, as well as many of its utensils.

He was also one of the few people who maintained the noble demeanor of the Chu people after the fall of Chu.

This old scholar was unlike any other Qin tutor outside the region; he was able to teach Xiang Yu true learning, including the "Chu Studies" and the "Spring and Autumn Annals."

But Xiang Yu only studied here for three days before he didn't want to continue.

When Xiang Liang saw that the old master was resting with his eyes closed, he bowed and said, "Master, my nephew is ignorant, please forgive him."

The old master said, "A twenty-year-old young man who is still so arrogant should go out and hone his skills for a few years before coming back to study."

Xiang Liang gave a silent, bitter smile, then turned to face Xiang Yu and demanded, "Yu'er! How much of the Spring and Autumn Annals has your old teacher taught you?"

“Nephew…” Xiang Yu knelt on the ground and said loudly, “Nephew understands his meaning a little.”

"You only have a smattering of knowledge..." Xiang Liang pointed at his nephew and said sternly, "I asked you to learn swordsmanship, and you only have a smattering of knowledge; I asked you to learn literature, and you are still like this!"

"Nephew, don't learn these things."

Upon hearing Xiang Yu's reply, Xiang Liang was enraged and prepared to strike.

Seeing this, the old scholar quickly pulled Xiang Liang aside and whispered, "Come, let's talk in private."

(End of this chapter)