The Conqueror Isn’t Alone

After all the affairs were arranged, Xiang Yu, who was obsessed with revenge, did not waste a moment longer. After the generals of the various armies gathered their elite troops, they quickly pulled out an extremely powerful mobile force.

Led by the Overlord himself, he took advantage of the darkness to quickly and secretly set off towards the land of Dongchu.

Lu Bu stood at the top of Xianyang City, watching indifferently the soldiers of the Chu army who only showed their solemn outlines in the hazy moonlight and vowed to attack.

At the same time, his right hand was unconsciously stroking the hilt of Long Yuan's sword, and his broad palm covered the pattern of the hilt without leaving any trace, so that others could not recognize that it was the king's sword.

Lu Bu narrowed his eyes slightly, the light in his eyes was uncertain.

After the dark outline completely disappeared, Lu Bu didn't know what he was thinking. He stood for a while and went back to the tower. He happened to meet Zhang Han, who was in a hurry to sort out the remaining military affairs.

Zhang Han was a surrendered general of the former Qin Dynasty, and he had a grudge against Xiang Yu for killing his uncle. Ever since he witnessed the massacre of 200,000 surrendered soldiers in Xin'an, he had always been uneasy.

He was originally a heroic and ambitious person, but now he has become more and more cautious.

Unlike Sima Xin and Dong Yi, who knew that they had contributed to the Xiang family, they both chose to survive and unexpectedly gained Xiang Yu's respect, so they had no intention of plotting anything else and causing trouble.

Sima Xin and Dong Yi couldn't help but feel resentful about losing the throne, but he only felt relieved.

I can't help but feel a little grateful to Lu Bu, who indirectly caused him to lose his title.

Zhang Han was still more than ten steps away from Lu Bu. After being stunned for a moment, he nodded subconsciously.

Lu Bu raised his eyebrows, twitched the corners of his lips, showed a faint smile, nodded at him, and left in a hurry.

Soon after hearing the news that Lu Bu had left the city neatly, Zhou Yin's face darkened, and he taunted the general: "After hearing the king's words of 'acting accordingly', this son has always been arrogant, and now he is even more arrogant." You will take me seriously."

Zhou Yin has been following Xiang Yu for several years. As an old minister of the Chu State and related to Xiang Liang, he has always been trusted by the Overlord. After the battle of Julu, he was granted the title of Grand Sima of the Chu State.

Whenever Xiang Yu led his troops on an expedition, he was assured that Zhou Yin would be in charge of the rear and stabilize the base camp.

It stands to reason that the Chu army is in great power and the sun is at its peak. Zhou Yin is a high-ranking official of the Chu state. As long as he sticks to his duties and performs his duties, he will enjoy endless glory and wealth.

But Zhou Yin also had his own plans.

If Xiang Yu's trust in him remains unchanged from beginning to end, and his preferential treatment remains unchanged, he will also be loyal.

But since the child surnamed Lu appeared, the king regarded him very highly, as if he was obsessed with him. He appointed him frequently, rewarded him repeatedly, and promoted him to various positions.

What alarmed Zhou Yin the most was that the king did not treat Lu Bu the same way he treated Ying Bu and the mighty generals Long Qie, Zhongli Mei and others in the past - when the time was right, he would dispatch his generals to various places, or the king's , or it may be a county guard town.

Pian always kept Lu Bu by his side. At such a young age, he already commanded fifty thousand Guanzhong troops, and now he is guarding Xianyang with him. He also received the military order of "acting flexibly" with great grace.

Such attention is definitely the only one in such a large Chu camp.

Zhou Yin still can't see it. If he waits for a while, when Lu Bu has full wings and full qualifications, it will be the time for him, the great commander, to "give way to the wise"!

Since this loan does not reflect old feelings and is not benevolent, why does Zhou Yin need to be righteous!

Zhou Yin was always in the rear camp and had never seen Lu Bu's true ability with his own eyes.

I had only heard some rumors among the sergeants and praised Fan Zeng from time to time, but I really didn't take it seriously. I just thought that Xiang Yu was deliberately building momentum for his favorite general and ordered his people to exaggerate the truth.

Thinking that I have done my best for the Chu Army over the years and made great contributions, but in the end, sooner or later, a "hairy" boy will ride on my head, it is really a shame and a great humiliation.

"Da Sima," Zhou Yin's face was gloomy, and when he was lost in thought, his confidant suddenly came to report: "I want to see you."

Zhou Yin frowned slightly: "Let him come in."

Liu Bang, who proclaimed himself the King of Han, was quite resilient.

Even though he was reduced to that remote place, he lived a prosperous life and sent many counselors and debaters to disrupt the current situation.

He didn't even know that the arrogant, arrogant and self-respecting Xiang Yu fell into the scheme, but he was quite confident.

The Han envoy rushed into the palace, and as Zhou Yin expected, he was both urging and repeating the old tune: "My servant has already said that this loan is reckless and unintelligent, and every word and deed is under the control of the wise King of Han." In a hasty eastward expedition, the garrison in the city was leaderless, except for Zhang Han, a fearful man, and Lu Bu, an inexperienced courtier. This opportunity must not be missed, and it will never come back. Have you considered this step?"

Zhou Yin said calmly: "King Xiang personally led a strong army and left in anger. With the two armies of Taobu and Wu Rui, how could he stop the Chu army's cavalry? Although your lord has some plans, he has underestimated King Xiang's power."

Sui He smiled mockingly, with contempt in his heart.

Little did he know that Zhou Yin was a treacherous and cunning master who would not let go of eagles when he saw rabbits.

If Zhou Yin really had no intention of rebelling against Chu, how could he maintain correspondence with Yingbu, who had an ambiguous attitude?

If Zhou Yin was really loyal to King Xiang, he would have killed his head on the first day he came here. How could he be summoned frequently and secretly hidden in the palace on weekdays, where he would be politely served by his servants?

It's just that Zhou Yin was cunning and cunning, unwilling to express his position easily before Xiang Yu really showed some signs of defeat, or Liu Bang showed his trump card that could threaten Chu State.

Having said that, Sui He had no intention of exposing Zhou Yin's superficial scheming. Instead, after casually chatting a few words as usual, he calmly walked out with Zhou Yin's nonchalant handling.

In a blink of an eye, half a month later.

Xiang Yu personally led the troops and rushed day and night. When they reached the territory of Dongchu, they were still several days late. Pengcheng is located in a flat plain, which is easy to attack and difficult to defend. What's more, Xiang Yu prides himself on his strong military force and always takes defense lightly. attack.

Even though Zhongli Mei, Long Qie, Gong Ao and other troops were ordered to lead troops on the expedition, they still asked Ying Bu and Wu Rui to take advantage of the opportunity and capture Pengcheng first.

Yingbu knew that Xiang Yu would definitely lead his troops to seek revenge. He also knew that he was surrounded by enemies on all sides, but he was not at all interested in fighting.

He did not stay in Pengcheng for long, but just carried out burning, killing and looting happily: taking away all the military supplies and materials that could be taken away, and burning the rest that were heavy and difficult to carry. After enjoying the beauty, he killed them on the spot, and any elders who dared to resist would also be killed. It's hard to survive.

After allowing his soldiers to do whatever they wanted for a day and night in the former capital of Chu, Ying Bu reorganized his troops decisively and left the devastated Pengcheng with his soldiers quickly.

He wisely chose not to continue going north to avoid encountering Xiang Yu's army, which was in full swing. Instead, he chose to go south, seemingly returning, and continuing to destroy Chu's cities along the way.

Not only to draw Xiang Yu's firepower, but also to replenish military rations, and to express the resentment of years of groveling and letting Xiang Yu do whatever he wanted in the Chu camp.

When Xiang Yu's troops arrived that night and looked at Pengcheng where mourners were everywhere and corpses lay everywhere, they were all so filled with hatred that their eyes were about to burst, and they wanted to eat the tattooed cloth alive with hatred!

After the Ting Bu caused chaos, he actually fled back towards Jiujiang. How could Xiang Yu let him hide back in his lair? He immediately led his furious troops to kill in the direction of Jiujiang.

Just when Xiang Yu led all the troops into Jiujiang territory, Dai Wang Xie, Henan Wang Shenyang, Yin Wang Sima Yan, who had been dormant, and the former Changshan King Zhang Er, who had taken refuge in Shenyang, suddenly changed their timid appearance. At the same time, he raised the big flag and exposed his ferocious fangs!

The Chu army was eager for revenge. Except for Xianyang, which still had a large army to guard it, several generals from Qi, Zhao and Yan came out with their best troops.

With only the more than ten thousand soldiers and lieutenants left behind, they are no match for the premeditated princes of various countries.

Especially when the overlord of Chu had just abolished all the countries and turned them into prefectures, the people were panic-stricken and had not yet had time to fully appease them. How could they resist desperately for Chu.

As soon as the troops of the princes took advantage of the situation, except for a slight resistance from Qi, all the localities raised and lowered their flags, helplessly accepting the fate of changing hands again.

Military reports were sent frequently, and Zhou Yin's heart was filled with excitement when he read them.

Who dares to imagine that Xiang Yu, who was sweeping the world with unparalleled bravery and unrivaled strength just a month ago, would actually be manipulated by the envoy of the King of Han?

Combined vertically and horizontally, it has such terrifying power!

The princes worked together and joined forces to fight against each other. The once famous and powerful King of Chu was like a lost dog.

The Chu land within the pass is under his control, while the Chu land outside the pass is full of smoke and smoke, and he has no time to take care of himself.

Even though Xiang Yu still had 180,000 strong troops at hand at this time, they were in Jiujiang.

The area of ​​Eastern Chu was in a state of disarray due to the evil deeds of Ting Bu, while the main food transportation routes of Western Chu were cut off by the princes' armies. Even if the tyranny was tyrannical, it would only be temporary and would not last long at all.

As long as the armies of the princes can hold off for more than a month, the Chu army fighting abroad will definitely run out of food. Even if the Chu Overlord is unparalleled in power, the army will be demoralized and will be difficult to defeat!

And he is in charge of all affairs in Xianyang... If he changes sides, Xiang Yu's retreat to the west will be cut off.

This moment is undoubtedly the most crucial moment that can influence the situation of the war.

Suihe, who also received the military report, naturally came to add the last piece of firewood to Zhou Yin who was hesitant.

This time Zhou Yin not only summoned him immediately, but also stood up to greet him and helped him get up affectionately. No one knew that this old and cunning Grand Sima of Chu had completely made up his mind.

Even though he knew it well, Suihe still handed him the steps thoughtfully and advised sincerely: "As a wise man, it is not difficult to see that the Chu army seems to be strong and the princes are weak, but they are not popular among the people. And Xiang Ji is greedy. His deep thoughts aroused public anger, and he had already made countless enemies. Seeing that the reckless husband Xiang Jiui had fallen into the Han king's plan to divert the tiger away from the mountain, he was deeply trapped in Jiujiang. The soldiers were tired from long distances, and their food and grass could not be maintained. It was said that they were in a dilemma, and their advantage was "swayed" However, there is no chance. On the other hand, if the princes work together to attack Chu, their morale is like a rainbow. In less than half a month, the situation will inevitably change between strong and weak!"

Seeing Zhou Yin slightly nodding, He continued: "If you are still stubborn and unwilling to abandon the dark side and surrender to the bright side, and abandon the dying state of Chu, it will really make the King of Han sad! The King of Han has always been kind and just, if you are willing to rebel against Chu State The Han Dynasty has no way out of the retreat of borrowing children. Once the King of Han presides over the enfeoffment, he will break the earth and seal the king again. He will not be stingy and will reward the king generously. Isn’t it beautiful to let his subordinates choose in the old land of Chu? If the subordinate is indecisive and follows the leader, he will not be stingy. If you sink, even if the King of Han is willing to help, you will never be able to sit back and relax for a day!"

Zhou Yin sighed with pretense of regret, considered his words for a moment, stood up and said: "I will obey the instructions of the King of Han. Only Zhang Han doesn't distinguish between right and wrong, but he has some abilities, so he needs to be dealt with carefully. And although Lu Bu is not so good, , but under his command are all the elite soldiers of the former Qin Dynasty, they should not be underestimated, and they need to be moved out of the way to avoid getting in the way."

Suihe knew that Zhou Yin's words were not a shirk, and that he had made up his mind to fulfill the great trust of the King of Han. He could not help but feel relieved, and he responded in harmony and did not "force" him.

When all the Chu troops in Guanzhong were mobilized, King Bao of the Western Wei Dynasty outside Guanzhong had been gathering momentum for a long time and had long been trusted to be the one to respond. The King of Han, who had been stuck in the two counties of Bashu for a long time, finally returned to the Central Plains.

Once Zhou Yin made up his mind, he acted vigorously and resolutely.

He first summoned Zhang Han because of the king's urgent edict, and then ordered all his men to arrest the unsuspecting Zhang Han and take away the tiger talisman.

Then, using the same excuse, he

The army was stationed outside the city and came from Lu Bu.

Zhou Yin originally thought about repeating his old trick, but after seeing Lu Bu's true appearance so close, he couldn't help but hesitate.

Although the boy surnamed Lu is fair and handsome, he has broad shoulders and a waist, long and powerful limbs, steady and windy steps, and twinkling tiger eyes.

It was not like the white-faced courtier he thought he was, but more like a colorful tiger who had just entered his youth. His posture was lazy and leisurely, but he contained the majestic power of killing with one strike.

Zhou Yin didn't know why, but he instinctively sensed something dangerous, and felt that Lu Bu was extremely difficult to deal with.

As soon as he showed hesitation in his expression, Lu Bu caught it keenly.

"The end has come. What are your orders, Grand Sima?"

Lu Bu saluted lazily and gave a slight slap.

Zhou Yin was full of calculations, but he was still aroused by that sound. He lowered his face and said in a deep voice: "The king has urgently issued an edict, ordering you to set out overnight to guard the waste hill."

He made up a temporary military order. He originally thought that Lu Bu would bow his head and obey, but unexpectedly he questioned him: "Where is the royal edict? Can I allow Bu to read it?"

Zhou Yin was secretly annoyed and said with a gloomy face: "This is an oral edict from the king. Where is the edict? Do you have to disobey the order?"

"How dare you, the general?"

Although Lu Bu said this, he looked cynical, but it was clear that he didn't take Zhou Yin seriously.

Zhou Yin wanted to scold him, but Lu Bu suddenly narrowed his eyes and said meaningfully: "There is nothing to defend on that ruined hill. The king is so wise and powerful, yet he suddenly issued this order... Bu can't help but be a little more cautious."

Zhou Yin was stared at by the gleaming tiger eyes and his heart trembled. He thought he had seen something, so he retorted fiercely: "The king is clever and has his own plans. He just obeys the general's orders. Why do you do that?" What unreasonable doubts!”

In response, Lu Bu raised his eyebrows frivolously and said "oh" noncommittally.

Before Zhou Yin could get angry and issue another order, Lu Bu stopped provoking.

"The final general honors your order."

After he lazily agreed, without waiting for Zhou Yin to feel at ease, he changed the subject. The road was at stake and there was no room for failure. In order to prevent the king from being held accountable later, he needed to keep his deputy general Han Xin and his 30,000 troops.

Zhou Yin didn't want to be entangled with him endlessly. As for the deputy general, he vaguely remembered the halberd-wielding gentleman who had been by King Xiang's side for a long time. Naturally, he didn't take it seriously and agreed casually.

So what if you stay? Once Lu Bu leaves, it will be easier to fool him if he behaves like a general.

Call him into the palace at will, just like he did with Zhang Han just now.

Lu Bu came out in a dashing way, but Zhou Yinyou was secretly vigilant and ordered people to keep an eye on him.

Until the confidant came to report soon, saying that Lu Bu actually led the troops to break out of the camp and left happily, the tight string in Zhou Yin's mind suddenly loosened.

He stared straight in the direction of the palace door for a while and snorted contemptuously.

What poisonous person? Qishi? A strong man?

The old man named Fan Zeng always talks about it, and he really thinks he is some big deal.