Chapter 162

"Rise!"

Facing Ying Su said one sentence, then began to ask about another matter.

"Why have you brought troops into Xianyang City?"

Facing Ying Su asked, though at this moment he had already guessed roughly what was going on.

But such matters still required them to answer.

Facing Ying Su had to understand their thoughts!

Chen Sheng said through gritted teeth:

"The new emperor exempted us commoners from taxes for three years, and would not let us build the Great Wall, nor let us build the Epang Palace, and even implemented a per-mu land tax—thus, the burden on us commoners was greatly reduced!"

"But... the nobles were unwilling. Those nobles simply could not bear to see us common folk living good lives. First, they brazenly forged an imperial court edict, claiming some Filial Nation Order, telling us to keep paying taxes. In the end, they grew so bold as to want to overthrow His Majesty the Emperor!"

"I figured this wouldn't do, so I gathered my neighbors and told them that without the new emperor, from now on, there might be no one left to speak for us common folk. At the same time, I told them about the nobles' plot to persecute His Majesty the Emperor. Every fellow villager volunteered to come with me to Xianyang City!"

"Even if it means death, we must support the new emperor!"

Wu Guang said: "I am a tenant farmer of the Zhang family. Other nobles' households collect a two-tenths land rent, but they collected four-tenths from me! The Zhang family had bullied me for too long. After the new emperor's edict was issued, they actually dared to send troops to overthrow the new emperor. In my fury, I killed them all, seized their grain, distributed it to the neighbors, and called out to them to come with me to Xianyang City to support the new emperor!"

"On the road, we happened to meet Chen Sheng, and we traveled together. Along the way, we gathered all the common folk oppressed by the nobles. Those with courage came along with us!"

Liu Bang said excitedly: "Your Majesty, does Your Majesty know Xiao He? And Fan Kuai, Lu Wan, Cao Can, Xia Houying, and the rest of them!"

"I... I... Liu Ji!"

"Xiao He, Lu Wan, Fan Kuai, Cao Can and I were all very close friends in Peixian!"

"Lu Wan, Fan Kuai, Cao Can—they all took me as their big brother. When I heard that some nobles dared to overthrow the new emperor, I immediately brought every good brother I knew in Peixian along!"

"For no other reason than to support and establish the new emperor!"

"From now on, I, Liu Ji, am willing to spill my blood for the new emperor. Whoever dares show the new emperor disrespect—I, Liu Ji, will cut off his head!"

Liu Ji shouted loudly.

At this moment, he appeared extremely excited!

And Facing Ying Su, after listening to the three men's words, watching their facial expressions, their eyes, and some small movements, reached a conclusion!

They were not lying!

Not only were Chen Shengwuguang not lying, even Liu Ji was not lying!

"Then... what about these three hundred thousand people?"

"What do you plan to do with them?"

Facing Ying Su continued to ask!

Chen Sheng waved a hand and said: "Hey! Originally, these brothers of ours came just to support the new emperor. Now that the new emperor is fine, let's just disperse—everyone go back home, each to his own business!"

Wu Guang frowned and said: "I will obey entirely whatever Your Majesty decides!"

Liu Bang said: "The new emperor has been on the throne less than four months, and his foundation is not yet stable. I believe Your Majesty should keep all these people, organize them into an army, and expand the new emperor's strength!"

The three men each spoke in turn.

Facing Ying Su looked at each of the three in turn, then looked at them and said: "And what about you? What are your plans?"

Chen Sheng waved his hand and said: "Go home, farm the land, live a good life!"

Wu Guang said: "This commoner has already killed the Zhang family and has already violated Qin laws. If I go back, I surely cannot escape death!"

Liu Bang, meanwhile, said with boundless excitement: "This commoner is willing to stay by the Emperor's side, to serve the Emperor loyally, to be his horse and his ox!"

All three of them had spoken!

Facing Ying Su looked at the three of them for a while and said: "I have already sent people to distribute grain and travel money to these three hundred thousand people!"

"If they wish to return home, I will not force them to stay. If they wish to join the army, I will also take them in!"

"As for the three of you..."

Facing Ying Su looked at them!

And Liu Bang looked at Facing Ying Su with boundless anticipation!

Facing Ying Su said: "Go down and rest first. When it is done, I will summon you again!"

After he finished speaking, the three men did not delay at all. They all bowed to Facing Ying Su, then left!

And Facing Ying Su looked toward Wang Jian: "Old General, what do you think should be done with these three men?"

Wang Jian simply waved his hand: "Leading troops into battle is my strong suit. How to employ people—that's none of my business!"

Facing Ying Su glanced at him, cursed inwardly at the old fox, then sent Wang Jian away and returned to his sleeping chambers.

As for the arrangement of these three men, Facing Ying Su had long since made his calculations in his heart!

Although Chen Shengwuguang had made a great commotion of things!

But... to speak plainly, they were unfit for great tasks!

These two had raised their troops earliest, yet they also suffered the worst defeat!

The reason, aside from the rule that the bird that sticks out gets shot, was that the two of them were too selfish, too suspicious, and appointed people based on favoritism. Less than a year after raising their troops, the army was riddled with all sorts of nepotism, a mess like a pot of porridge!

When General Zhang Han's army arrived, the two immediately fell into disarray—each running his own way, each fighting his own fight—and in the end, they were simply swept clean by General Zhang Han's army!

The so-called "Are kings, ministers, and generals born of a different breed?" became a laughingstock!

And even if Facing Ying Su kept them by his side, they would only serve as ordinary soldiers, at most given a Captain's post to hold.

Anything higher, and they would be hard-pressed to handle it, and would cause all sorts of trouble!

Liu Bang, on the other hand!

After meeting him today, Facing Ying Su regarded him with somewhat renewed respect!

He felt he was a talent—a top-tier talent!

Once this thought arose, Facing Ying Su felt a bit embarrassed!

The man was, after all, the Han Founding Emperor!

GLOSSARY

【Wang Jian, Lu Wan, Cao Can, Xia Houying, Liu Bang, Qin Fa, Chen Shengwuguang, Chen Sheng, Wu Guang, Liu Ji, Facing Ying Su, Kill Xiao He, General Li Xin, Captain, General, Emperor, Your Majesty, Peixian, Guarenbu Society, Guarenye Society, imperial court, I have already, violated Qin laws】

He was the founding father who established the nearly three-hundred-year Great Han Dynasty!

He was the emperor with the lowest starting point before Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang.

As for many people in later generations looking down on Liu Bang, thinking he was good for nothing!

In war, he was not as good as Han Xin!

In strategy, he was not as good as Zhang Liang!

In logistics, he was even less good than Kill Xiao He!

Hehe...

What was said is correct!

Not a single word was wrong!

It is true that he was always losing in battle!

Fighting Seeing Xiang Yu a hundred times, he could lose ninety-nine of them!

In the Battle of Peng Cheng, Seeing Xiang Yu led tens of thousands of men chasing after him and his hundreds of thousands, hacking away!

In the Battle of Xingyang, Seeing Xiang Yu killed him until he fled in panic, almost losing his entire base!

Seeing Xiang Yu's several famous battles were almost all his own doing!

As for strategy and such, he was far behind Zhang Liang!

When Zhang Liang told him a strategy, he would take a long time to react, still not understanding why!

Take entering Xianyang City as an example; as soon as he entered Xianyang, he knew only how to eat, drink, and enjoy himself!

Zhang Liang told him he must leave Xianyang immediately and give up Xianyang, yet Liu Bang still licked his face and asked the man, "Why?"

Why?

You have only a few thousand people, while Seeing Xiang Yu has how many!

On what basis do you think you can defeat Seeing Xiang Yu?

As for logistics and such, he was even further behind; compared to Kill Xiao He, it was simply unbearable to look at!

If Qian Liang ledgers were handed over to him to manage, they would absolutely become a confused and rotten mess!

But... so what?

Did this affect his ability to be Emperor?

It did not affect him at all!

Since that is the case, then why is he still called a talent?

He is certainly a talent!

You should not think; if he were truly a useless thing, on what basis could he gather Zhang Liang, Kill Xiao He, and Han Xin, the Three Heroes of the Early Han?

If he were truly a person good for nothing, on what basis could he make the Three Heroes of the Early Han follow him?