Pengcheng, the capital of Western Chu, was imprisoned in the city.

Originally, there was only one county-level prison in Pengcheng City, and there was no Tingli Prison, even after Xiang Liang led the civil and military forces of Chu to establish Xiong Xin as the king, he still used Pengcheng County Prison to detain all kinds of prisoners, and did not set up a new prison directly under the Chu court, or when Xiang Yu proclaimed himself the king of Western Chu and built a palace in Pengcheng, he adopted the suggestions of some Western Chu officials, and built a new court prison in the north of the city that was directly under the control of Tingli, the highest judicial official of Western Chu, which was specially used to hold important prisoners. And the first Xichu Tingli was none other than Wang Yong, the former Pengcheng County Commander who surrendered to the Young Marshal Army with the county soldiers.

Wang Yong's character is quite good, because he coveted the gold and jade jewelry bribed by Xiang Kang, he resolutely betrayed his old boss Zhao Zhuang, the former Qin Surabaya County Guard, and refused to open the city gate when Zhao Zhuang was defeated and fled, shattering Zhao Zhuang's dream of returning to Pengcheng to hold on, in exchange for Xiang Kang Even if he didn't like him very much, he still pinched his nose and appointed him as Pengcheng Ling. After Xiang Kang made a foolish mistake and handed over the territory and military power to Xiang Liang, Wang Yong decisively broke off with Xiang Kang, turned around and threw himself into the warm arms of Xiang Liang and Xiang Yu, and muttered good words about Xiang Kang behind his back.

There is such a good court manager sitting in the prison, the court prison directly under the Western Chu court is of course strictly disciplined, dark as night, Xiang Yu has been the king for less than a year, there are no less than two hundred Western Chu Wenwu and their families who have offended Xiang Bawang died in the court prison, prisoners are beaten and abused, it is even more commonplace, and from time to time there can be rumors that young female prisoners are bullied and humiliated by the guards, but because Wang Tingli holds his thighs steadily, accurately and ruthlessly, those who have the ability to ask are deaf, Those who are incapable don't have the guts to ask.

In the deepest part of this prison, there is a special group of prisoners who are the most strictly guarded and bullied the most pitiful, everyone has never seen the sun since they stepped into this prison, not to mention that they eat moldy food every day, drink dirty water with a fishy smell, the stench in the cell, the sewage flows sideways, the prisoners are all unclothed, their faces are yellow and thin, and they will be abused and beaten by the guards at any time, and many people wash their faces with tears every day.

"Officer! Officer! Come, please, Lord! ”

The woman's cry echoed in the depths of the prison, accompanied by the sound of ping-pong banging, which woke up the other prisoners who were dying in several nearby cells. Tell us something, stop screaming, or the brutes will come and beat people again. ”

"Hu'er, he has a high fever!" The woman cried and said: "The body is so hot that it is like a fire, all the nonsense, the leopard is gone, if the tiger is still not saved, how can I explain to him in the future!" ”

After crying, the woman banged on the cell door again and shouted, and then after a long time, a guard came over and yelled angrily, "What howl? Are you dead? If you die, wait for Lao Tzu, but the eldest father is not in the mood to collect the body for you today! ”

"Officer! Officer! The woman cried and pleaded, "My son has a high fever and is very sick, so I beg you to be well, and have a doctor come to see him, or get him a pair of fever-reducing medicines." ”

"Think beautifully, do you think this is still your general's mansion, what do you want?" The guard sneered and said, "If you have a high fever, you can endure it and ask for a medical worker for him, but the eldest father is not in the mood today!" ”

"Please, sir!" The woman cried loudly, knelt in the prison and kowtowed desperately to the guard, begging: "My youngest son has died of illness, if the eldest son has any more accidents, I will not be able to explain to him, and I will not be able to live!" Please, Lord! ”

The woman's pleading still had a little effect, and the guard twisted the mustache on his chin and said, "Well, for your pity's sake, Father Nai can call the doctors in the prison for you, but Father Nai can't run away in vain, right?" If there's anything else valuable, take it out. ”

"Officer, it's gone, the little woman really has nothing." The woman cried in despair and said, "After coming in, all the little woman's belongings, including jewelry and earrings, have been taken away by you, and there is really nothing." ”

"It's gone, and you still have the face to beg your father?!" The guard was furious, picked up the spear in his hand, and poked the woman's face with the handle of the spear, which immediately left a bloody mark on the woman's thin face, and scolded: "You don't have anything at all, and you dare to have the face to beg your father to run errands for you?" ”

"Lord, you open your grace!" The woman burst into tears, and shouted in a hoarse voice: "Anyway, my husband is also a person who has contributed to the Chu State, and this Pengcheng is also my husband who fought down with Xiang Shaoshuai!" If you don't believe it, do you ask, among the generals of the Chu State who fought this Pengcheng at the beginning, is there the name of my husband Zhu Jishi? ”

"What the hell is going on?" The guard scolded again, sneered and said, "Zhu Jishi's puppet is so majestic, why don't you beg him, what are you begging Lao Tzu for?" His son is now sick and dead, it is still his son's luck, otherwise in a few days, our king will give an order, and your whole family will have to be escorted to the execution ground to be cut in half, and then your little evil animal will only hate him for not dying early! ”

Zhu Jishi's wife cried in despair, desperately kowtowing and begging, and a young man in a cell next to him couldn't stand it and shouted: "Sister-in-law Qiu, don't beg these beasts!" It's useless to beg these brutes! When Brother Zhu and my brother come back with troops, we will settle accounts with these brutes again, and their whole family will not let go! ”

"What did you say, little beast?"

When the guard heard this, he was furious, rushed to the cell, raised the handle of his spear and poked at the young man, who was very alert, and quickly hid in a place where the guard could not stab, and scolded back: "Piff, you wait for Naiweng, and when my brother Ding Ji leads the troops back, I will definitely ask him to kill your whole family, and I will not let anyone go!" ”

"Lao Tzu killed you first!" The guard jumped like thunder and shouted outside, "Flower Baby, Flower Baby, you all come in to help, there is a little evil animal who wants to rebel, Lao Tzu wants him to see today, what is the fate of breaking ground on Tai Sui's head!" ”

Hearing the guard's shout, the outer prison quickly rushed into a few jailers, after asking about the situation, the jailers immediately opened the prison door, pointed their weapons at the other prisoners, the guard snatched a whip, rushed to Ding Ji's younger brother and whipped violently, although Ding Ji's younger brother was only twelve or thirteen years old, but he was as strong as his brother Ding Ji, no matter how beaten he was, he did not beg for mercy, but just scolded endlessly, repeatedly threatening to take revenge in the future, which provoked the guard to beat him even more. Ding Ji's father in the same cell felt sorry for his son, and knelt down next to the guard and begged bitterly, but the guard didn't pay attention to it at all, but continued to beat Ding Ji's younger brother continuously.

When the commotion was raging, the warden of the Tingli Prison suddenly came in with a team of messengers, first drank the guard who was beating Ding Ji's younger brother, and after asking the reason, the warden did not reproach the guard for the atrocities, but just ordered: "Okay, just vent your breath, close the prison door, and keep a strict watch over the families of these thieves." There is an order from now on, no outsiders are allowed to contact the families of these Han thieves, and if they want to run, they will be killed! ”

After that, the warden also ordered the servants he brought to take over the cell where the Han army's family members were held, arranged for teams of two to guard a cell, and made it clear that once the Han army's family members were found to have escaped from prison, they would all be killed. During this period, Zhu Jishi's wife also begged again, hoping that the warden would be kind and arrange for a medical worker to treat Zhu Jishi's son, but the warden flatly refused, saying: "No, from now on, you are not allowed to see any outsiders." ”

After that, the warden turned around and left, leaving many servants in the prison to closely guard the Han army's family, and Zhu Jishi's wife wailed and cried in the cell, "Superior, you are gracious——! ”

"Hu'er's mother, it's useless to beg them, quickly unscrew it with clothes soaked in water, and put it on Hu'er's forehead to reduce his fever."

"Yes, Hu'er's mother, don't waste your efforts, try to help Hu'er reduce her fever first."

The family members of the Han army, who were sympathetic to each other, persuaded one after another, and several female dependents also wiped their tears, but a few of them were shrewd, and they couldn't help but hide in the cell and muttered, "What's wrong?" Why did you suddenly send so many people to watch us? Are you going to poison us, or is something suddenly happening? ”

…………

Unlike the innocent Han army family members who were subjected to Zhulian, Xiang Kang's wife Yu Miaoge and Xiang Kang's son named Zhi'er are undoubtedly much luckier, not only do they not need to live in a dark cell to eat sour and stinky rice, but no one dares to beat and abuse them at will, the reason is not anything else, that is, because Xiang Kang has a strong and kind second uncle, and he is protected by this second uncle who is currently the highest ranking in the Xiang family, not to mention an ordinary Western Chu official, it is Xiang Yu himself, There is also Xiang Kang, the noble Uncle Ji, Uncle Xiang, Master Xiang, who did not dare to touch a single hair of Xiang Kang's wife and son.

Even Xiang Kang's beautiful sister-in-law Yu Ji followed suit, she was already very fond of Xiang Kang's second uncle, and Yu Miaoge helped to intercede, Yu Ji also lived in the second uncle's residence under the hateful eyes of Xiang Bo and Xiang You's son, and helped her sister take care of her nephew and second uncle.

It's just like this, they have been under house arrest in the second uncle's residence, they can't be discharged from the hospital an inch, and even the second uncle and aunt are almost half a step away from their side, and they have completely cut off contact with Xiang Kang, of course, the Yu family sisters will not be in a good mood, and they are forced to be happy in front of the second uncle, but behind the scenes, the Yu family sisters have not washed their faces with tears, and constantly miss their husbands or brothers-in-law thousands of miles away.

This day was no exception, after coaxing his dozing son in the bedroom, when he returned to his second uncle and sister, Yu Miaoge's eyes became a little red again, and it was obvious that he was crying again when coaxing the child. In this regard, although Yu Ji, who was far more sad than her sister, did not speak, her nose was quietly sour, and the second uncle and aunt, who were getting older and sicker, also saw that something was wrong, so she asked Yu Miaoge: "Ge'er, what's wrong?" My eyes are so red, are you crying secretly behind my back again? ”

"That is?" Yu Miaoge hurriedly touched his eyes.

"Don't lie to me, I'm not old yet." The second uncle sighed and comforted: "Relax, when Yu'er comes back from the front line, uncle and aunt will not let me show this old face, and I will definitely beg him to put you back to reunite with Kang'er, and I will not let you stay with me, an old woman, to suffer." ”

"Uncle, don't say that." Yu Miaoge's voice became a little hoarse, and said: "If you hadn't protected us, I'm afraid we would have died a long time ago, your great kindness, my sister and I and Zhi'er, we will never be able to repay it for the rest of our lives." ”

The second uncle sighed again, beckoned Yu Miaoge to sit down beside her, stroked Yu Miaoge's hair with her thin old hand, and said in a somewhat choked voice: "It's really hard for you child, what does the man's beating and killing have to do with you, why does it affect you, a filial and virtuous child?" And my poor nephew, who is about to be a year old, and has never even seen what he looks like. ”

"Second uncle......."

Yu Miaoge, who has a soft personality, couldn't help herself, and finally snuggled in the arms of her second uncle and cried lowly, Yu Miao's nose was sour, and she was more aggrieved than her sister, but she didn't dare to cry if she wanted to, she could only hold back the tears in the corners of her eyes with her head down, and she kept secretly scolding her ruthless brother-in-law who left her and her sister behind, "Dengzi, you took advantage of me, just leave me alone, when will you come back?" ”

At this time, there was a sudden abnormal movement outside the hospital, it seemed that many people came to the courtyard, Yu Jiao was very active, hurriedly ran to the courtyard, climbed to the courtyard wall and looked out, but saw a team of brightly dressed Chu Palace guards suddenly appeared outside the courtyard, surrounding the small courtyard where the second uncle and mother lived, and then before Yu Jiao could analyze what happened, the guard Lang Zhong who led the team had already shouted at Yu Jiao: "What do you see?" Go down! ”

With the support of the second uncle and mother, Yu Ji was of course not very afraid of these Chu Palace guards, and immediately asked, "Can't you see it?" You suddenly surrounded our yard, we can't take a look? ”

"Normally you can, but not today." The guard Lang Zhong looked at Yu Jiao's gaze obviously with some ill intentions, and said with a somewhat hideous expression: "Don't blame me for not warning you, our Lang Zhong Commander has already given an order, from now on, except for Wu Xinjun's wife, who dares to walk out of this courtyard and take it immediately!" ”

"What's wrong?" Yu Ji was a little surprised and asked, "For no reason, how can you send so many people to surround this place?" ”

"What happened to you has nothing to do with you!" Na Langzhong refused to answer, and shouted: "Go down immediately, otherwise General Ben can take you down immediately when you are ready to escape!" This time, even Wu Xinjun's wife can't protect you! ”

The good girl doesn't eat the loss in front of her, seeing that Lang Zhong said it to this point, Yu Ji didn't dare to go down, but quickly got off the courtyard wall, went back to the room and told the news to the second uncle and sister, the second uncle and aunt were also very strange when they heard it, and they were busy with the support of the Yu family sisters to go out to ask what was going on, but the guard Lang Zhong was fearless, and he just said that he was acting on orders, the second uncle and mother were furious, and shouted with a cane: "Call it here, the old body wants to ask him today, he has eaten the bear's heart and leopard gall, Dare to treat his second mother (second grandmother) like this? ”

"The old lady forgives the sin, Lang Zhong ordered him to explain, saying that he is busy with official business today and has no time to come to see you, if you have anything, he can only come back to you another day to ask you in person."

Na Langzhong's answer surprised the second uncle and the Yu family sisters, and said: "Of course, if the old lady wants to go to see our Lang Zhongling in person, the villain will never dare to stop it, but the family members of the traitor Xiang Kang must not leave this courtyard, let alone contact with any outsiders, otherwise, the villain can only take them all down according to the order." ”

Since the start of the army from Xiang Kang, there has never been a second person in Chu Di who dares to speak to the second uncle and aunt like this, seeing the firm tone of Na Langzhong, the second uncle and the Yu family sisters were surprised, and they couldn't help but have such a thought in their hearts, and secretly said: "Something must have happened." ”

…………

At the same time outside Pengcheng City, Feng Zhong's headquarters of the Western Chu Army, which had hurriedly withdrawn to the Pengcheng battlefield, had also lined up in a formation outside the west gate of Pengcheng with its back against the moat, and quickly arranged his own flag array headquarters, Feng Zhong first called his own personal soldier captain Tan Gu to the side, and whispered to Tan Gu, who had sent someone to deliver a letter to Xiang Kang for him, so that Tan Gu was fully prepared, and then sent someone to pass the order, and called his deputy Xu Ci and six thousand people to the flag array to wait for his life.

(Note: In the Qin and Han military systems, one-tenth of the army's strength was the main general's personal soldiers, so although Feng Zhong's army was 10,000 people, there were only nine thousand commanders in the army, and the remaining 1,000 troops were directly controlled by Feng Zhong.) ）

Xu Ci and the ten thousand commanders soon came to Feng Zhong according to the order, but Feng Zhong was not in a hurry to speak, or when Xiang Sheng personally led the defenders of Pengcheng out of the city, and when he had already seen the red banner of the Han army held high by Peng Yuejun from a distance, Feng Zhong said to Xu Ci and the others, who had been waiting impatiently for a long time: "I called you here, there is a big matter to announce to you, a very important matter, you must be prepared." ”

It was rare to see Feng Zhong speak in such a serious tone, Xu Ci and the others hurriedly cheered up, and Feng Zhong also said: "Xu Ci, Wang Fang, Wei Bugeng, the six of you are all old men of our young marshal army back then, you must still remember the days when we fought side by side with Young Marshal Xiang, right?" You must also remember that our Young Marshal Xiang has never treated us as generals with foreign surnames in the Young Marshal Army, right? ”

Xu Ci and Wang Fang and the other young marshals and old men suddenly widened their eyes, and immediately guessed Feng Zhong's next words, Feng Zhong was not polite, and said: "Don't say much, you are all smart people, you must have understood what I mean, I have never forgotten my good brother Xiang Kang, the king of Han, and has been secretly helping him, today I am ready to help the army of the king of Han take Pengcheng anyway!" As long as you follow me and help me send the wife and son of the King of Han back to him, you will definitely be indispensable to you! Who is our young marshal Xiang, you know as well as I do in your hearts! ”

"How? Would you like to come with me? Feng Zhong asked again, and took out an oath written in advance, and said: "I will put my words here first, and if you are willing to go with me, press your handprint on this oath, and then go back to continue to command the army, and after a while, I will see my banner and act, and help King Han's army to attack Xiang Sheng's army before and after!" If you don't want to go with me, you can stay, and I will let you go afterwards, and I will never hurt your family! But if anyone dares to play tricks, don't blame me for ignoring the brotherhood of many years! ”

At this time, Tan Gu had already led Feng Zhong's personal soldiers to surround him, seeing that Feng Zhong had already prepared, and they were all old men of the young marshal's army, Xu Ci and the others only hesitated slightly, and then they also gave up their hands and said, "I am willing to listen to the general's orders." ”

It was only after the six young marshals and old men all agreed, Feng Zhong turned to the remaining four thousand elders who were not from the old men of the young marshal army, and said to them whose faces had already changed color: "Wang Ke, Dou Er, Zhang Zhong, Fei Lichun, the four of you, although you are not from the old men of the Young Marshal Army, and you have not seen our Han King's kindness to his subordinates, but I can guarantee that as long as you follow me, when you get to the Han King's side, His Royal Highness the Han King will definitely not be able to treat you badly!" Are you willing to follow me to the Han King's side to soar, or are you willing to continue to continue to blindly use Xiang Yu, who only knows how to reuse the children of the Xiang family and the flattering villain, you can also make a choice now! ”

After that, Feng Zhong added: "Of course, if you have any scruples, or if you don't want to defect to the Han King, you can also choose to stay, and I promise not to hurt you." ”

Quietly exchanged glances with each other, Wang Kun and the other four thousand-person commanders who were not from the young marshal's army were forced by the situation, although they were beating a drum in their hearts, they still bowed their hands together and said, "I am willing to listen to the general's orders." ”

Feng Zhong quietly breathed a sigh of relief, hurriedly handed over the oath he had written in advance to his own soldiers, and ordered: "Then let's press the handprint on this affidavit, and in a while we will join forces to capture Xiang Sheng, and help the army of the King of Han rescue the family of the King of Han." ”

"General Feng, look!"

There was an accident, at the critical moment, a personal soldier suddenly pointed in the direction of the city gate and opened his mouth to remind, Xu Ci and the others quickly turned their heads to look, Feng Zhong was even more shocked, and when he quickly fixed his eyes, Feng Zhong's pupils contracted violently......