novelSusiti Chapter 50 Ying Bu's Rebellion
Chapter 50 Ying Bu's Rebellion
six.
Originally the seat of Jiujiang Commandery during the Qin Dynasty, it became Ying Bu's capital after Xiang Yu granted Jiujiang Commandery to Ying Bu.
Sixth, it's not very big, nor is it bad; it can accommodate around 100,000 permanent residents.
Because this place was not greatly damaged during the wars at the end of the Qin Dynasty, it was a prosperous and bustling place with a large number of people coming and going from Jiujiang City.
He followed Bing and others to Jiujiang County and sent someone to the Grand Chancellor's Office to present their visiting cards.
"Liu Bang's men?" The Grand Chancellor, upon receiving the visiting card, curled his lip, casually tossed it aside, and sneered, "Liu Bang was utterly defeated by Xiang Yu, so sending someone here must be to get the King of Jiujiang to speak well of him. Ha! Only a fool would speak for him."
The Battle of Pengcheng had a profound impact. Liu Bang was beset by internal and external troubles, and no one had a good outlook on him, believing that he was doomed.
"What if they don't see us?" Bing was furious when there was no response for a long time.
"What should we do?" The people accompanying him were at a loss.
"The King of Han suffered a great defeat at Pengcheng, and the people of the world are not optimistic about him. It is understandable that the Grand Chancellor is unwilling to see us." Sui He was not surprised at all. He took out another name card, wrote on it for a while, and ordered someone to send it to the Grand Chancellor.
"We've already found out that the Chu envoy has arrived in Jiujiang County, urging Ying Bu to send troops. The Ying soldiers are dragging their feet, but they probably won't be able to hold out for long." Bing frowned deeply, looking worried: "Once Ying Bu sends troops, everything will be over."
"It's alright." Sui He was very confident: "I just sent him my business card to test the Grand Chancellor. I've heard that the Grand Chancellor is greedy for money. As long as we send him a generous gift, he will surely come to see us."
"Really?" Bing asked, somewhat incredulous.
"Such an important matter, how could I speak carelessly?" Sui He nodded heavily.
"That's good." Bing felt a little relieved.
"Again?" Dazai picked up the name card that Sui He had delivered again, looking disdainful and wanting to throw it away. However, he noticed that there were quite a few words written on it, and he became curious and began to read it carefully.
The above words have only one meaning: they have a large sum of money and wish to offer it to the Grand Tutor.
"A large sum of money?" A greedy glint flashed in Dazai's eyes.
He was Ying Bu's Grand Chancellor, deeply trusted by Ying Bu, who treated him well and bestowed upon him many rewards. But who would complain about having too much money? Therefore, the Grand Chancellor was tempted: "Guards, summon the Han envoy."
They still looked down on Sui He and his group, using the word "call" instead of "please".
The messenger relayed the message truthfully: it was the Grand Chancellor who summoned Sui He and the others, not who invited them. Bing and the others were furious, but Sui He didn't care: "A few formalities are just trivial matters, no need to take them to heart. As long as we can see him, that's enough."
"Good!" Bing and the others agreed, suppressing their resentment.
"On this journey, we will surely meet Ying Bu. Spread the word immediately and make sure the Chu envoy knows that we are meeting with Ying Bu," Sui He instructed.
"Yes, sir." Bing and the others accepted the order.
Sui He, accompanied by his men, carrying large and small boxes, headed straight for the Grand Chancellor's residence. Upon receiving the news, the Grand Chancellor summoned Sui He and his entourage. Looking at the heavy boxes, the Grand Chancellor smiled and asked, "Han envoy, what is the meaning of this?"
Sui He clasped his hands in a fist salute, bowed deeply, and said with a smile, "This is a small token of the King of Han's appreciation."
He ordered someone to open the box, inside which were neatly stacked gold ingots, glittering and dazzling, a sight to behold.
The Grand Chancellor was in high spirits. He strode over and inspected each box, finding them all made of pure gold. He estimated the total to be a full two thousand taels of gold and was very satisfied. Smiling, he asked, "I cannot accept a reward without merit. The King of Han has just suffered a defeat and his future is uncertain. For him to send me such a generous gift must mean he has a request. And what he requests must be something extremely difficult to accomplish, is that right?"
"Haha." Sui He laughed loudly, "I have always heard that the Grand Tutor is wise and resourceful, and has a keen eye for things. He is deeply trusted by the King of Jiujiang. But he was wrong about this matter."
"Oh." The Grand Chancellor was quite surprised: "The King of Han doesn't want me to do anything?"
"Does the Grand Chancellor think that the King of Han is doomed to lose after his recent defeat?" Sui He shook his head: "If the Grand Chancellor thinks that way, then he is very wrong."
"The King of Han suffered a great defeat at Pengcheng, losing all 560,000 troops. He is at his weakest point. If Xiang Yu were to launch a major westward offensive, he would surely be able to destroy Han in one fell swoop. What's wrong with that?" The Grand Tutor would not believe it.
"Grand Tutor, you are mistaken," Sui He retorted. "If it were the eastern plains, the King of Han would certainly be doomed. However, the King of Han resides in the western region, which has few mountains but many continuous ranges. With just a small force, guarding the strategic passes, we can prevent Xiang Yu from advancing an inch. Grand Tutor, do you agree with what I say?"
"Good." The Grand Tutor hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly.
Liu Bang's stronghold was in Guanzhong, a region known as the "Land of Four Fortresses," surrounded by mountains and easily defensible. To the east of Guanzhong lay the Luoyang Basin, a natural barrier. Luoyang itself, surrounded by five mountains, was equally strategically important.
Although Liu Bang suffered a major defeat at Pengcheng and lost a lot of money, it would not be difficult for him to defend these passes; he only needed a small number of troops.
"Therefore, it is too early to judge the outcome of the overall situation at this time," Sui He added.
"You've come as an envoy, hoping to persuade the King of Jiujiang to remain on the sidelines?" The Grand Tutor grinned.
"Grand Tutor, you may not know this, but I have come here on the orders of the King of Han to deliver a letter from the King of Jiujiang." Sui He's words surprised the Grand Tutor.
"Deliver a letter?" The Grand Tutor was surprised. "You can give me the letter, and I will deliver it to the King of Jiujiang."
"This is a letter written by the King of Han himself. I should personally deliver it to the King of Jiujiang. This is what is meant by being entrusted with a task and fulfilling one's duty. I humbly request the Grand Tutor to grant my request." Sui He clasped his hands in a salute.
"A letter personally written by the King of Han?" The Grand Tutor asked curiously, "What does it say?"
"He's only responsible for delivering messages; he knows nothing else." Sui He would never tell the truth.
"Alright, since you insist, I'll go and tell the King of Jiujiang right now." The Grand Tutor didn't take it seriously. It's just sending a letter, what's the big deal?
Sui He followed the Grand Tutor straight to the royal palace.
~~~~~~
Royal Palace.
"King of Jiujiang, why are you delaying?" The Chu envoy was furious. Pointing at Ying Bu with his right hand, he shouted, "Last time, King Xiang ordered you to accompany the army on the expedition, but you feigned illness and refused to go, which already displeased King Xiang. This time, King Xiang wants to attack the treacherous Liu Bang, but you are still delaying sending troops. Are you planning to rebel?"
"Envoy of Chu, please calm down. There's no such thing." Ying Bu sat on the throne, spreading his hands helplessly. "It's just that Jiujiang County is too small and doesn't have enough troops. Please give me some time to raise them."
"Jiujiang Prefecture is located in a prosperous area, and you still think it's too small? Do you want Pengcheng instead?" The Chu envoy was truly angry. He had been there for more than six days and had repeatedly urged Ying Bu to send troops, but Ying Bu always made excuses.
"No way, no way," Yingbu said with a forced smile.
"We must send troops tomorrow, or I will report to King Xiang. You should understand the consequences of King Xiang's anger." The Chu envoy found Ying Bu's smile repulsive, and with a flick of his sleeve, he stormed off.
The Chu envoy had just left when the Grand Minister arrived with Sui He. The Grand Minister instructed Sui He to wait outside the palace while he went inside to report.
"A Han envoy?" Ying Bu exclaimed in surprise, his eyes widening. "At this time, why would Liu Bang send someone to deliver a message to me?"
"The King of Jiujiang will know once he sees the letter from the King of Han." The Grand Tutor also wanted to know what Liu Bang would say to Ying Bu.
"Good." Yingbu was also curious and immediately agreed.
Sui He, dressed in scholar's robes, with a sword at his left waist, his left hand on the hilt and his right hand holding a gilded wooden box, went straight into the royal palace.
Ying Bu sat upright on the throne, not even glancing at the sword at Sui He's waist, because the Warring States period had only ended a little over ten years ago, and martial arts were still very prevalent, so everyone carried a sword.
Even if Sui He entered the palace with a sword, Ying Bu didn't care. He was a fierce general under Xiang Yu, who had killed countless people. Even if Sui He was an assassin, he couldn't possibly kill him.
"Sui He greets the King of Jiujiang." Sui He quickly walked to the throne, stopped, held the gilded wooden box in both hands, and bowed to Ying Bu.
"The Han envoy has had a difficult journey," Ying Bu said politely, then asked, "What did the King of Han mention in his letter?"
"Sui He is just a lowly envoy, how could he possibly know what the King of Han is saying?" Sui He replied.
"In conclusion," Ying Bu nodded slightly.
The Grand Chancellor quickly stepped forward, took the gilded wooden box from Sui He, and first examined the seal, finding it intact. He then checked Liu Bang's seal, which was also intact, before handing it to Ying Bu.
Ying Bu took it, examined it, and finding everything intact, handed it to the Grand Tutor.
The Grand Tutor took it, removed the seal, lifted the lid, took out the yellow silk inside, held it with both hands, and handed it to Ying Bu.
Yingbu took it, unfolded it, opened his eyes wide, and burst out laughing: "Pfft."
"May I ask the King of Jiujiang: Why are you laughing?" the Grand Chancellor asked curiously.
"Come and take a look," Yingbu beckoned to the Grand Tutor.
The Grand Tutor strode forward, peered closely, and exclaimed with a broad smile, "These characters... they're truly magnificent! A rare sight indeed!"
"Dazai is indeed a scholar; he knows how to talk." Yingbu said with a smile.
"Ying Bu, why don't you kill the Han dogs?" The Chu envoy rushed into the royal palace, shouting angrily.