Conqueror Chapter 15

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Lü Bu used a single trick to enter Xiang Yu’s inner circle and became a person with notoriety and a certain right to speak. Although he was far from the peak, the way was much smoother.

Since the blame had to be placed on Liu Bang’s head, he could not be openly credited with killing the King of Chu and his sixty guards.

But because Xiang Yu never bothered to covet the achievements of his subordinates, fantastical rumours of Lü Bu overcoming four enemy generals alone still spread along with the sensational news that the King of Chu was stabbed to death by an assassin sent by Liu Bang.

And after Fan Zeng specially sent people to spread the word, everyone from beggars to merchants knew of it, and it also disseminated into the Han camp one step earlier.

In stark contrast to Lü Bu’s success, before Liu Bang — who had fled back to the Han camp alone — could breathe a sigh of relief, he heard a succession of bad news: his four officers were killed, Zifang was captured, the King of Han was assassinated, and Chu would attack them on the grounds that the Han were rebels.

Especially regarding the death of Fan Kuai and Xiahou Ying; cold-hearted as Liu Bang was, even he couldn’t help but shed a few real tears.

They were not only capable officers whom he valued highly, but also companions of his heart and soul, as well as good brothers for many years!

With wave after wave of misfortune beating down on him, not even someone as resilient as Liu Bang could suppress the anxiety, and he fainted on the spot!

His subordinates hurried to help. Liu Bang, who subconsciously knew that the Han army was in deep danger, didn’t pass out for too long. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, after which the breath stuck in his chest was slightly better.

At this moment, he still didn’t know Lü Bu’s role, and also deliberately forgot the way he left the four officers behind on foot as meat shields — all his resentment was directed at Xiang Yu. “Xiang Yu is too vicious!”

Whether it was him or the other resourceful counsellors like Zifang, they had all underestimated Xiang Yu. He normally disdained to use tricks, but once he did, he was more ruthless than anyone else!

How could he have known that the man who had always been upright and acted with a benevolence more suited to a woman would suddenly be enlightened, and seize upon this huge flaw?

It had only been a single moment of greed, and now they had not only made wedding dresses for the enemy, they had also been splashed with a pot of dirty water, to the point that they could only flee in embarrassment… Liu Bang regretted until his intestines turned green, wishing that he could turn back time to slap his smug self.

With a single move, Xiang Yu not only succeeded in getting rid of his lord who had only ever been an obstacle for his Chu army, he also took advantage of Liu Bang recruiting soldiers, privately hiding a horse in the Qin palace, and secretly leaving alone, to — after killing all naysayers and threatening the Chu officials who were greedy for life and afraid of death into compliance — pin his own crime onto him!

It was the first time Liu Bang, who had always been eloquent and quick-witted, tasted the feeling of being unable to explain himself.

Although it was impossible for Xiang Yu to fool all the smart people in the world, everyone had differing hearts, and the common people could hardly recognise a single word so they often believed what they heard on the streets.

What’s more, the powerful Chu army was on the verge of overwhelming them. Who would believe him, and who would be willing and able to uphold justice for him?

“General, the situation is urgent, please give your orders.”

Since Zhang Liang left and never returned, leaving Liu Bang feeling hopeless, Xiao He had no choice but to step out and remind him.

Speaking of it, neither Xiao He nor Cao Can had any less tears on their faces compared to Liu Bang when it came to Fan Kuai and Xiahou Ying’s deaths.

But in the face of great disaster, they didn’t have the time to mourn their fallen comrades.

Xianyang had eight city gates, six of which were guarded by Chu soldiers. Only two were still under Han control.

Nearly half of Liu Bang’s 100,000 Han troops were stranded in the city.

They needed to quickly decide how many they wanted to bring with them, and how many they could bring, before the Chu army was fully dispatched.

Liu Bang sighed sadly, raised his reddened eyes, then said hoarsely, “There are only twenty thousand Chu soldiers in the city with Xiang Yu. If we gather our hundred thousand troops and counterattack instead of running, charging into the palace to kill him by surprise, can we bring him down with us?”

As soon as he said this, the officials rushed to dissuade him.

“This must not be done!” A group of veteran officials — Cao Can, Zhou Bo, and Guan Ying — all bowed one after another. “General, please reconsider!”

They hadn’t personally witnessed the Battle of Julu after which Xiang Yu’s name became renowned throughout the world, but the man’s natural talent for command brought all those proud Qin generals to their knees. Everyone heard of how the entire Qin army was captured then ruthlessly massacred like sheep.

Although Liu Bang also had some ability to lead in battle, he was much overshadowed by Xiang Yu — not to mention that Xiang Yu was best at winning against more with less in quick battles.

Now that the Chu army had an absolute advantage in numbers, how could the Han army ever match them? This wasn’t going down together, this was clearly throwing eggs at a rock face, actively looking for death!

Liu Bang was forced to retract his statement. Although his breath was still short and he panted like a cow, he no longer said anything about attacking Xiang Yu with his 100,000 Han soldiers.

Xiao He had been silent since his earlier reminder. Seeing that he had mostly calmed down, he stepped forward again. “Our current situation is certainly dire, but it is not hopeless. There is still hope to be found,” he said.

“Why do you say that?” Liu Bang asked with a hoarse voice, his expression shifting slightly.

Xiao He answered with a question instead. “If there is delicious wine every day and beauties to hold every night, would General indulge himself and abandon his ambitions?”

“You joke,” Liu Bang smiled wryly, “our lives are about to end, how can there be wine or beauties here?”

Xiao He only observed Liu Bang, saying nothing.

Thus, Liu Bang straightened himself and seriously replied, “Wine and beauties are ephemeral, how can they compare to the world’s great affairs?”

Only now did Xiao He smile and continue his explanation. “Xiang Yu’s army is powerful; it cannot be conquered by force, only outsmarted. To rush forward blindly is to seek self-destruction, like dashing jade upon a rock.”

Liu Bang’s face wrinkled in embarrassment, but he did not open his mouth to refute.

Xiao He changed the subject. “General, do you remember King Tang of Shang, and King Goujian of Yue?¹Both sovereigns of their respective states who are known for enduring harsh circumstances for years before counterattacking. Wikipedia links for Tang of Shang and Goujian. Major events in the world can only progress slowly, they cannot be rushed. Do not charge forward recklessly because of a momentary gain, and do not shrink back because of a momentary loss. Only those who are willing to bend when they see the situation clearly and endure the difficulties until it passes will be able to convince everyone in the future. There is nothing for you here, General. This minister hopes General can give up the burdens around you and go to Bashu to win people’s hearts, gather wise men, and use the two counties as a foundation to build your kingdom. When the situation is right, you can recruit allies and use the strength of both counties to counterattack Guanzhong.”

What Xiao He didn’t say was that there were many worthy people following Xiang Yu like clouds, but the man had a strong bias towards his family members and thus ignored Xiang Bo, the bug slowly eating away at heartwood.

With Zhang Liang’s ingenuity and wit, it was impossible for him to lose his life easily. As long as he stayed alive, and Xiang Bo was there to be used, the day things could turn around might come earlier than expected.

As he listened to Xiao He, Liu Bang heaved a deep sigh, then nodded heavily. “Go according to sir’s plan.”

Although the Ba and Shu counties were barren and remote, they could be said to be vast and full of resources, and the people there had always been comfortably self-sufficient.

This was especially the case after the Qin dynasty’s careful management. The irrigation networks had been repaired, as were the city walls, and law and order were in place. All aspects were on the rise.

Based on all this, Liu Bang had previously decided on Bashu as his last resort.

And most importantly, Bashu was surrounded by natural barriers — towering mountains and narrow, rugged roads made it notorious for being easy to defend but difficult to attack.

Let alone a large army, even a small squadron could hardly make their way through and could not have the slightest carelessness.

With such roads, it would be useless even if Xiang Yu relied on the strength of numbers to chase him.

What’s more, the blame had already been thrown on his head, his goal was achieved. There was no need to insist on killing him. In the future, Xiang Yu only needed to deploy troops to Hanzhong to keep him immobile.

Liu Bang forcefully suppressed his sorrow and, as fast as he could, quietly arranged for the troops to withdraw to Bashu.

He thought, with not a little grim humour, that it was fortunate that he had thought about this before and had a detailed plan, otherwise it would be much harder now.

It was a pity that the road was difficult, so he could not bring many men. But on the other hand, the Chu army was bearing down on them, so in any case he already had to give up most of his army to block them and buy time for his retreat.

By the time Xiang Yu’s fierce generals, Ying Bu and Zhongli Mo, led Chu soldiers to kill their way into the Han camp, they found the Han soldiers leaderless and like pigs to the slaughter. Only then did they realise that they were one step late. The cunning and cold-blooded Liu Bang had run west along a small path, bringing with him only a group of his closest advisors and five thousand elite troops!

Meanwhile, Lü Bu had no authority to command soldiers and could only hang around the palace as he waited for news. When he heard that thirty thousand of the ninety thousand Han soldiers left behind had been killed and the remaining sixty thousand surrendered, but Liu Bang himself and several others ran away, he became numb instead of exploding in anger.

…Well, what could he say?

Lü Bu, who was granted a seat next to Xiang Yu where Xiang Bo usually sat, had his two long legs propped up arrogantly. Compared with Xiang Yu sitting upright and proper beside him, his posture was completely out of line.

However, his eyes resembled a dead fish’s as he fixed a glare full of resentment on Ying Bu, who was excitedly reporting the battle results to Xiang Yu.

He wouldn’t say anything about the way Xiang Yu procrastinated, but all the people surnamed Liu that he met were like rats, they all ran so fast…

If he was allowed to lead the troops to chase instead of this guy who also had Bu in his name, he’d get them easily!

Ying Bu’s attention was entirely on Xiang Yu who was listening silently; he didn’t notice Lü Bu’s burning gaze coming from the side, but Zhongli Mo did.

Zhongli Mo glanced at the chattering Ying Bu, then at Lü Bu who sat next to King Xiang. He couldn’t help showing some confusion at the inexplicable hostility.

Could it be that one mountain could not contain two Bu?²一山不容二布: A play on words with 一山不容二虎, meaning one mountain cannot have two tigers; 布 (bù) and 虎 (hǔ) sound similar

Inspiration flashed in his mind.

Frowning, he began to think wildly. Although he had no deep friendship with Ying Bu, for the sake of being colleagues, he should still mention something to him.

He didn’t know the details of what happened in the palace hall, but the name of ‘Mastermind Lü’ had been spread by the ministers who formerly worked for the King of Chu, who had all been so scared that they almost crawled out, and it hadn’t seemed fake.

Since Yafu also treated Lü Bu so politely, his wisdom must be extraordinary.

Lü Bu, busy glaring at Ying Bu who was evidently incapable of doing things, would never have imagined even in his dreams that he would one day be called a mastermind of any sort.

Xiang Yu’s thoughts were indeed as Liu Bang had predicted.

Although he failed to behead Liu Bang and the world had one more beautiful lie, the man he hated the most was, from beginning to end, the King of Chu, who had insisted on objecting to everything he did.

In his eyes, Liu Bang was merely a jumping clown who was able to make waves only by taking advantage of the King of Chu’s power. Now that the king was dead, he smartly fled to Bashu in embarrassment, and obviously would not be a problem.

In the future, as long as they stationed a sufficient army in Hanzhong, the people in Shu County could be kept there until they died.

This point could be seen by any general worth their salt, and this of course included Lü Bu.

It made him even more anxious — if Liu Bang refused to come out, what could he do to him? It wasn’t as if he could follow him into the mousehole!

No, he couldn’t let this be.

Lü Bu, who had repeatedly suffered setbacks in killing Liu Bang but grew more courageous with each failure, glanced around and suddenly had a new idea.

Having made great achievements that were inconvenient to publicise, with Xiang Yu’s generosity, he would definitely be rewarded some time in the future. Then he just needed to request a position which allowed him to lead troops, and volunteer to guard Hanzhong himself.

With Liu Bang’s wolfish ambition, it was impossible for him to be willing to stay in that tiny parcel of land and retire to a life of leisure — he could simply lure the enemy out of his hole, then give him a head-on blow!

Lü Bu’s inner abacus was clacking away happily when his belly suddenly let out a muffled gurgling noise, making him realise that he was very hungry.

He had always had a thick skin. It had been because of Xiang Bo’s obstruction that he was unable to attend the banquet, and then he killed over seventy people in quick succession. Though he was miraculously unharmed, he was physically exhausted.

But the others in the tent already had full meals during the banquet prior, so now they were only focused on cleaning up and oblivious to the fact that Lü Bu hadn’t eaten for a whole day.

The sound wasn’t loud, but Xiang Yu was close enough to have heard it clearly. He frowned, and after thinking for a while, he realised his neglect. He silently turned and looked at the sentries behind him.

Han Xin seemed to be the only one present who remembered Lü Bu’s hunger. Before Xiang Yu could speak, he had already stepped out of his position first, saying quietly, “This one will go order someone to prepare dinner.”

“Thank you, General Xiang, but you don’t have to bother Han-xiong.” Lü Bu had a keen sense of smell. As Han Xin got closer, he caught the faint but unique smell of meat mixed with spices, and his eyes lit up immediately. He unthinkingly slid a hand into Han Xin’s sleeve and took out a few pieces of jerky wrapped in a clean cloth, then started chomping on them, interspersed with drinking from the bowl of cold soup in front of him. “Thank you as well, Han-xiong,” he mumbled as he chewed.

Xiang Yu silently stared at the rather impolite Lü Bu for a long moment. It was unknown what he was thinking, but when he finally looked away, he didn’t mention anything about calling for dinner.

As for Han Xin, after he recovered from his surprise, he looked at Lü Bu who was devouring the dried meat as if they were full of flavour, and felt a strange sense of satisfaction in his heart… like he was feeding a fierce tiger.

---

Translator:

#1: Facts have proven that he isn’t stupid, he’s just lazy. Squeeze a bit and Fengxian can become a mastermind, squeeze a bit more and he can enjoy the world. Although it’s a bit more troublesome at night, and the beauty is slightly bigger, in the end he can rule the world when awake, and lie in the arms of a beauty when drunk.

#2: You can ride King Xiang’s baby day and night, what’s there to be unhappy about (serious)

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• 1
  Both sovereigns of their respective states who are known for enduring harsh circumstances for years before counterattacking. Wikipedia links for Tang of Shang and Goujian.
• 2
  一山不容二布: A play on words with 一山不容二虎, meaning one mountain cannot have two tigers; 布 (bù) and 虎 (hǔ) sound similar