Peng Yue looked up to the sky and laughed, stopped laughing violently, and looked at Dou Jie with contempt and disdain; "I didn't expect the patriarch of the Tangdou clan and the Chu royal clan to be such greedy for life and afraid of death."

Dou Jie's ridicule didn't care at all, and still said calmly; "Young man, my old man has lived all his life, I have never seen any storms and waves, and I have long passed the age of being ruthless and brave, and your agitation method is useless to me."

Peng Yue saw that the Dou Rank was simply not advanced, and there was nothing he could do about him for a while, he was a rough man himself, so he couldn't force the Dou Rank to give in.

Despite this, Peng Yue still persuaded with some reluctance: "Dougong, have you ever thought that if Xiang Yu unifies the world, he will definitely not let go of those of you who have been against him, and even if you want to resist at that time, you will not be able to resist." It's better to take advantage of Xiang Yu's lack of power now, and when the time comes, wouldn't it be nice for you to get the king of Chu, it's better than raising birds and fishing in the mountains here. ”

Dou Tie smiled slightly, stroked his beard lightly, and said; "Young man, you may be a good general, but you are not a good lobbyist. If you want to impress me, you might as well change to a better lobbyist to lobby than you can waste your words here. ”

Peng Yue's face was blue and white for a while, these words were made up by him after a few days of hard thinking, but he was so ridiculed by Doujie, he couldn't help but say with some annoyance; "Old man, don't toast and don't eat and drink, if you provoke Lao Tzu, I will cut you with a knife."

Dou Tie was not afraid at all, but shook his head and smiled: "Don't bluff me, don't scare me, I know you won't kill me." You are a person who wants to do great things, and if you don't have this measure to do great things, then you can't talk about it. ”

Peng Yue said helplessly; "Well, I've convinced you, and I've never had anyone so helpless as you do. Seeing that you are always a smart person, are you really not afraid that Xiang Yuqiu will settle accounts with you. ”

Dou Jie smiled, "It seems that you really don't know Xiang Yu, in all fairness, he is indeed a rare young talent in our Chu State in a hundred years, and we don't know if it's a blessing or a curse in our Chu State." This person is born with a vision, he thinks very highly of himself, he is simply arrogant, and there is no one in his eyes! In his eyes, all the heroes of the world are regarded as mustard. ”

"He is called the overlord of Western Chu, and people are as domineering as the number, those who follow me prosper, and those who oppose me die! If I do the opposite, I will be jealous of him, and if I fail, it will definitely be a disaster of annihilation. But if I sit as a rich man with peace of mind, he won't do anything to me. Because his pride makes him disdain to attack those who pose no threat to him, he is too proud, and only the strong are qualified to be his enemies. ”

Speaking of this, Dou Jie looked at Peng Yue and smiled gently; "Young man, now you know why I don't want to work with you. First of all, you are so weak that I can hardly see any hope of victory, and secondly, I am at ease with my current life and do not want to change anything. ”

"Go back, I won't promise you. But don't worry, although I didn't agree to cooperate with you, I also don't have a good impression of Xiang Yu, if he is unlucky, I am very happy to see it, many of my family's relatives and friends are officials in the Chu State, I will tell them not to embarrass you. ”

The words have come to this point, and Peng Yue has no choice but to say goodbye and leave.

When he left, he was still seeing off Douqing, and when he saw Peng Yue's depressed face, he roughly guessed the result and couldn't help asking; "Didn't my father promise you?"

Seeing Peng Yue shaking his head gloomily, he clenched his fists and gritted his teeth; "My father was too old, old enough to lose his ambitions. I want to be the bloodline of King Chu of the Dou clan, loyal and good for generations, but today I bow down to Xiang Yu's rebellion. Alas, I'm not reconciled! ”

Peng Yue smiled bitterly, but he didn't know what to say, so he had to sigh and swallow the bitter water into his stomach.

After leaving Panlong Mountain, Peng Yue hurried day and night, just wanting to return to the cottage as soon as possible and then find another way. The next day, he was stopped by Dou Qing, who came in a hurry, saying that his father wanted to see Peng Yue again.

Although Peng Yue felt strange in his heart, he still went back to Panlong Mountain with him. After going back, he saw Dou Jie's face blue and sitting in front of the hall, and when he saw Peng Yue coming, he couldn't wait to greet him.

"I have changed my mind, I plan to cooperate with you and resist Xiang Yu with all my might."

Peng Yue was stunned and couldn't help asking; "I wonder what the reason for your sudden change of mind."

"It's simple." Dou Tie gritted his teeth; "Xiang Yu killed my brother's whole family and steamed my brother alive, if I don't avenge my brother, then what face will I have to see him underground."

……

The tragic death of Doctor Dou Yan in the Chu State undoubtedly caused a great sensation in Pengcheng.

Xiang Yu and Liu Bang's army held each other in Boyang for half a month, and the grain and grass gradually ran out, while the Zhao army and the Wei army in the north took advantage of the situation to counterattack, and the land of Hebei occupied by the Chu State at the beginning was almost lost.

Xiang Yu saw that the battle had been fruitless for a long time, and most of the soldiers were exhausted, so he had the idea of retreating, so he pulled out the camp and retreated south. Liu Bang saw that the Chu army was disheartened, so he took the opportunity to lead the army to counterattack, but was attacked by Xiang Yu and defeated by Xiang Yu on light horseback. The Qi army retreated for a hundred miles, with countless casualties, and no longer dared to go out of the city to pursue easily.

Only then did Xiang Yu withdraw his troops back to Chu with confidence, and gave up all the places he occupied in Hebei and Qi.

Xiang Yu's expedition not only did not achieve victory, but instead cost countless grains, grass, and money. Since the state of Chu raised its army against Qin, it has been in the middle of war for four whole years, and there is hardly a moment of time to recuperate. first fought with Qin, then with Qi, plus later Han, Zhao, Wei and other vassal states, almost all the princes in the world, Chu State was offended.

The long-term war led to the withering of the people of Chu, and a large number of strong men were conscripted to the front line to fight as soldiers, or to engage in hard labor, and most of the fields were barren because no one cultivated them, and the annual harvest was pitiful, but they were forcibly requisitioned by the government as military rations. If the year is better, you can barely survive, but if you encounter floods, you will have to fend for yourself with hunger.

In just four years, the population of Chu has plummeted by one-third, with the reduction of strong men being the most dramatic. Xiang Yu's epic victories did not bring any benefit to the Chu people, on the contrary, they made their lives more and more miserable, and their lives were not as good as during the reign of the Qin State.

The court of Chu was not unaware of these circumstances, and Fan Zeng and others were also worried, and repeatedly advised Xiang Yu to suspend the army and stop the war, and then discuss it after recuperation. But the stubborn Xiang Yu didn't listen, and still insisted on waging a big war. He used his bravery to bring fantastic victories to the Chu State, and these false glories also greatly satisfied the self-esteem of the Chu people, although they were hungry, they still supported Xiang Yu strongly.

But this time it was different from the past, this Northern Expedition not only returned in vain, but suffered heavy losses. Although it was not defeated, it was not beneficial to the country, so that the already fragile people's livelihood of the Chu State almost collapsed. For this reason, the ministers of the court and the central government complained a lot, and some upright people were ready to admonish Xiang Yu.

Dr. Dou Yan is one of these people. He has been an official in the Chu State for many years, and he was already the doctor of the Chu State long before the fall of the Chu State, and after the death of the Chu State, he actively worked for the restoration of Chu. He and Fan Zeng are world friends and have a good relationship in private, so although he is a member of the Dou family, he stayed in Pengcheng because of Fan Zeng and continued to serve as an official and serve the Chu State.

Dou Yan is extremely upright, and he has never been ruthless to the things he insists on, so he has confronted Xiang Yu several times and is disgusted by Xiang Yu. It was only because of Fan Zeng's face that Xiang Yu did not have a seizure, and although Dou Yan was annoying, it was all for official business, so Xiang Yu also put up with him.

But this time he apparently hit the muzzle of the gun.

Xiang Yu was invincible, and his emotions were already irritable to the extreme, and as soon as he returned to Pengcheng, he was publicly admonished by Dou Yan in the palace to point out his mistakes. It is said that he did not hesitate to fight the people. Ignoring state affairs, they had no choice but to use military force, and now they cannot win, and the country should strengthen its internal affairs at this time, and it is not appropriate to go to war frequently.

If Dou Yan's words were said in normal times, even if Xiang Yu didn't like it, at most he would just go away. But now that he is invincible and retreats to Pengcheng, this already makes Xiang Yu, who is empty-eyed, very angry in his heart, and Douyan's words have become sarcastic words in his ears. was immediately furious, and ordered Dou Yan to be arrested and taken out of prison left and right.

Originally, it was nothing to be arrested and imprisoned, as long as Dou Yan could stop for a few days, maybe it wouldn't be long before Xiang Yu remembered his talent again and recalled him to the court. But this Dou Yan is a notoriously old-fashioned person, he firmly believes in the truth that his ministers should be admonished, and he still does not forget to write Xiang Yu in prison. Sprinkled with 5,000 words, every sentence is the duty of Xiang Yu's reckless military force, and he will not stop internal affairs, and sooner or later he will surely lose the country.

This letter completely angered Xiang Yu, and he was so angry that he ordered Dou Yan to exterminate his family, and he himself was steamed to death in a cauldron. Xiang Yu just wanted to use this cruel punishment to warn those who were dissatisfied with him in the court, so that they would understand that Xiang Yu would never fail, and no one would be allowed to talk about his mistakes.

Fan Zeng has been infected with dorsal gangrene since a month ago, so he has been recuperating at home since taking leave. When he heard the news of Dou Yan's tragic death, Fan Zeng was suddenly grief-stricken, and dragged his sick body straight into the palace to question Xiang Yu.

Xiang Yu was discussing with the ministers in the palace, and a guard reported that Yafu was breaking in. He already regretted his impulsiveness in his heart; But he stubbornly refused to admit his mistake. Now seeing Fan Zeng coming to question, he was a little panicked, so he fled, but was grabbed by Fan Zeng, who rushed over.

In the main hall, Fan Zeng was full of grief and anger, and kept scolding Xiang Yu, seeking justice for the tragic death. Xiang Yu knew that he was at a loss at first, and he could still bear to shut up and not contradict, but Fan Zeng scolded more and more, and he had no intention of stopping. Xiang Yu paid himself the dignified overlord of Western Chu, and was humiliated in such public, he was suddenly furious, and he was so angry that he subconsciously wanted to draw his sword.

Yu Ziqi, who noticed that his expression was wrong, was shocked when he saw it, and hurriedly stepped forward to hug Xiang Yu tightly, for fear that he would do something wrong impulsively. When Fan Zeng saw that Xiang Yu actually wanted to draw his sword against himself, his heart suddenly felt like ashes, he looked up to the sky and laughed wildly, and said a few times in a row: "Good, good, good." The words are full of desolation and sadness, and the Buddha sleeve who does not look back after saying it leaves.

After Fan Zeng returned to the house, he immediately hung up the seal and abandoned the official, leaving only Xiang Yu with a sentence "The world is decided, the king will do it himself, and he is willing to give the bones to return to the bait", and then left Pengcheng with several servants overnight and returned to Wuzhong.

Fan Zeng initially resigned in anger, and after leaving Pengcheng to calm down for a day, he was a little relieved that Xiang Yu could not get rid of Xiang Yu. He and Xiang Yu have been commensurate with Xiang Yu for many years, and he has already regarded him as his own in his heart, but now the dynasty is full of mediocre people, and there is no think tank, how can he rest assured that Xiang Yu will not be relieved, lest he bury his future life because of impulse.

Because of his reluctance, Fan Zeng was able to slow down his trip, but he walked for seven days. Every day, Fan Zeng looked behind him in the carriage, for fear that the messenger sent by Xiang Yu would miss his frame.

It's a pity that Xiang Yu's reaction made him deeply disappointed. Xiang Yu not only did not send someone to recover Fan Zeng, but he was faintly happy in his heart, feeling that Fan Zeng had been pointing fingers at him, and now it was a good thing to be able to return to his hometown. After hearing that Fan Zeng had left Pengcheng, Xiang Yu only sent a messenger to send ten catties of gold for Fan Zeng's pension.

On the post road, Fan Zeng held ten catties of gold and laughed loudly, then cried, and finally died on the road due to a backlash under emotional agitation.

After Fan Zeng's death, Xiang Yu suddenly woke up and remembered Fan Zeng's many benefits to him since he was a child, and he was sad for a while, but he couldn't regret it. had to personally support the coffin and ordered Fan Zeng to be buried in Pengcheng with the gift of the royal father.

Hearing that Fan Zeng was dead, Liu Bang couldn't help laughing in the palace, and said to the ministers with a smile; "Xiang Yu's strategy is nothing more than a fan, Xiang Yu doesn't need to say anything, but there is today's disaster. Fan Zeng is dead, and Xiang Yu is only left with the courage of the husband, so why should I be afraid. ”

First there was the tragic death of Dou Yan, and then there was Fan Zeng's incident, Chudi's people's hearts fluctuated for a while, and many of his subordinates were afraid of Xiang Yu, and the upright people in the court also cautiously closed their mouths, and most of the rest were smooth villains who were good at boasting about patting horses.

Because of Zhong Liwei's defeat to the Qi army, he was demoted by Xiang Yu by three levels, and he was given a heavy staff of forty military sticks as a warning. Marching Sima Chen Ping was afraid of Xiang Yu's punishment, and his personal relationship with Xiang Yu was far less than Zhong Liwei's, thinking that he was likely to be killed as a scapegoat. He also paid that Xiang Yu had no room for people, and it was difficult to develop in the Chu State, so he ran overnight and fled to the Qi State to join Liu Bang.

At this time, the news of Peng Yue's rebellion came from the south of Chu State.

Peng Yue raised troops in Lujiang County, captured the county of Shu County, and established another grandson of Xiong Huai, the king of Chu Huai, and Xiong Jia, the cousin of the righteous emperor Xiong Xin, as the king of Chu. The rebels soon swept across the southern part of the Chu state and spread to Jiangdong. Although the king of Linjiang and Wu Rui, the king of Hengshan, did not express their support, their attitude was ambiguous and unclear, and they secretly trained the soldiers, intending to unite against Chu.

In order to stabilize the situation in the south, Xiang Yu had no choice but to order Ji Bu to be the general and lead 100,000 Chu troops south to quell the rebellion, while carefully guarding against the attacks of Gongxi and Wu Rui. Because of the sharp reduction in the Central Plains troops, Xiang Yu also had to stop the attack and stabilize the situation. Liu Bang was also anxious to digest the forces of Qidi, and he had no intention of starting a war for a while, while Zhao and Wei were bent on experiencing Hebei, and the Chu army would already be desperate if they didn't come to fight them.

After four years of war, the Central Plains returned to a brief period of peace.

……

King Qin in April, Guanzhong.

After a month's rest, the Qin state had recovered from the previous Qin-Hun war. Although the war was fierce, Guanzhong, which was the most elite of the Qin State, was still mostly intact and did not affect farming. Han Xin used a quick and concise method to quickly eliminate the threat of Qin's henchmen, the Xiongnu.

Wang Jing still chose to lead the lone army north to Fushi because of his miraculous feats in the battle, and still chose to lead the lone army north to Fushi in the uncertain situation of life and death, and held there for a full month and a half, not only successfully dragging the Xiongnu army under the city, but also posing a serious threat to the logistics of the Xiongnu. Moreover, when the Qin army counterattacked, he decisively dispatched troops and cut off the retreat of Huyan's department, giving Han Xin the opportunity to completely annihilate the Huns.

Although he had a bad reputation for killing kings, Han Xin insisted on appointing him as the county guard of Jiuyuan, and ordered him to be stationed in the north of Tun and look down on the Huns. Originally, Han Xin thought that opposition from the DPRK and China would come like a tidal wave, but after waiting for a day, no ministers wrote a letter, and only some officials who did not care about it wrote to oppose it.

The winning family has long been declining, and now who it is is now, everyone with a clear eye can see it at a glance. Since it was only a matter of time before Han Xin became the master, why bother to cut off his own life if he was bored?

Although the threat from the north had been eliminated, the Qin State did not set its sights on the Central Plains in the Kwantung War, but insisted on developing its national strength according to the plan specified by Han Xin.

When Hanzhong was captured, the Qin State planned to make every effort to open the road from Bashu to Lingnan, so as to withdraw the hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians who were scattered in Lingnan. At present, the First Emperor made two expeditions to Lingnan, and the first time was that the 400,000 troops led by Tu Sui went south to Lingnan in batches, and captured the land of Minyue and Lingnan in three ways. However, because of the fierce resistance of the local Yue people, Tu Sui was killed, and the Qin army also suffered heavy casualties.

When the first emperor heard this, he was furious, and recruited prisoners, rangers, and merchants to support Lingnan, with Ren Huan as the main general and Zhao Tuo as the deputy general, and launched a second invasion again, and finally pacified the entire Lingnan. Emperor Shi listened to Ren Huan's advice and moved 100,000 Qin and 300,000 Chu people into Lingnan, thus strengthening Qin's rule in Lingnan.

After Ren Huan's death, the deputy general Zhao Tuo took over. He obeyed Ren Huan's instructions, and after hearing the chaos in the Central Plains, he immediately burned all the plank roads to the north, and at the same time sent heavy troops to intercept and prevent the soldiers from fleeing north without permission. There are more than 100,000 soldiers in Lingnan and more than 100,000 people of Qin, all of whom are concerned about their homeland. It was only because of the blockage that I had to settle down in Lingnan. If the Qin people who were left behind in other places can be brought back, then the national strength of the Qin State will definitely be greatly strengthened.

Because of the invasion of the Xiongnu, this plan was delayed for a long time. Now that the Xiongnu have been pacified, the next step is Bashu.

PS: The surname of the king of Chu is the surname Xiong (also known as the Neng), just like the surname Zhao of the Qin State, so Dou, Qu, Jing, Zhao and other clans are all bloodlines of the Chu royal family. The surnames of the ancients and modern people are different, so I will not explain them one by one here.