Competing

Chapter 385 Zhang Han's Whereabouts

On the banks of the Wei River, Zhang Han and Dong Yi retreated northward immediately after being pursued by the Han army from the west, intending to join Sima Xin who came from the north to defend against the enemy.But Zhang Han, who was hungry, never expected that what was waiting for him was not a bowl of hot soup, but a gleaming sharp knife.

"Sima Xin, what are you doing?" Dong Yi screamed, not understanding the behavior of his former colleagues.

Sima Xin sneered and said, "King Yong, Dong Yi, I have no choice. If Xiang Yu's reinforcements don't come, we are no match for the Han army alone. Rather than resisting like this, and finally the whole army is wiped out, it is better to go to the Han army earlier. Find a way out."

Zhang Han squeezed out a wry smile and said, "Understood, I don't know what benefits Liu Bang gave you?"

Dong Yi also understood that the obvious problem was that Zhang Han had surrendered to Liu Bang, the king of Han. As for any conspiracy, that was an obvious problem.The envoys of the Han army also came to see Zhang Han and Dong Yi, but they were directly rejected!
Sima Xin said: "It's not that the King of Han has given me any benefits, but that those who know the current affairs are heroes, and now they are just trying to make a living. Zhang Han, Dong Yi, we fought side by side, why don't we submit to the King of Han together!"

Dong Yi scolded loudly: "Sima Xin, you are ungrateful. Your fief was given to you by Xiang Yu in consideration of your old relationship with Xiang Liang. Now that you have betrayed Xiang Yu like this, are you okay with it?"

Sima Xin said disdainfully: "Xiang Yu? Now that the Han army is powerful, he let us carry it here, and he didn't care about it. He abandoned us first, and he was unrighteous first. I hope King Yong will not continue I have done unnecessary resistance, and I will continue to do unnecessary resistance.”

Zhang Han's face was cold, and after a long time he said, "This is your choice, the lonely king doesn't blame you, it's just that the swords and swords will meet in the future."

Dong Yi was quite unconvinced. In fact, he might not be willing to work for Xiang Yu, but he was unwilling to give up his territory and interests like this.What Sima Xin did, what made him most uncomfortable was that his brother who had fought side by side actually betrayed him, which made people feel very heartbroken.

Zhang Han's thoughts are slightly different. After all, he has already betrayed Qin once, if he surrenders to Liu Bang now because of this benefit.Twice betraying the Lord and begging for glory... He didn't agree with it either in terms of face or morality.He himself didn't want to do this. When he saw his former subordinate, Paoze, meet him with swords, Zhang Han felt really uncomfortable.

The betrayal of the allies caused Zhang Han and Dong Yi's army morale to suffer a lot, and they were attacked by the Han army and Sima Xin, and finally lost and suffered a big defeat.Zhang Han and Dong Yi broke out under the protection of hundreds of soldiers. Zhang Han was also injured by arrows, and his embarrassment was even better than the defeat of Julu.

The more serious situation was that the Han army in the brigade behind was chasing after him, and the distance was only a few miles away. Dong Yi rode on horseback to protect Zhang Han, full of anger.

"King Zhai, further ahead is Lantian, where there are high mountains and dense forests, you will be safe there!"

"Accelerate with all your strength, protect King Yong and leave quickly!" Dong Yi was in a hurry, seeing Zhang Han's gloomy expression, the anxiety in his heart was overwhelming.There is nothing more sad than heartbreak, today's defeat has hit Zhang Han too hard, I'm afraid that even if he escapes, it won't save Zhang Han's heart, so I can't help feeling very anxious!
When they ran to a river, they couldn't help showing sadness. The river, which used to be able to be crossed directly by galloping horses, has risen so much today.Thinking of the heavy rain in the Guanzhong area today, Han Xin used a trick to flood the abandoned hills a few days ago, and how to cross the river became a serious problem.

On weekdays, you only need to cut down trees and build rafts to cross the river, but now there are pursuers behind you, so there is no time at all.Dong Yi wanted to cry but had no tears: "Could it be that the heavens want to kill us?"

Zhang Han shook his head: "Forget it, go upstream along the river as soon as possible, and find a shallow place to cross the river!" Although he was depressed, he even felt like a walking dead.But after all, he is the general of the Qin State, King Yong, who has gone through the storm, and now even if it is not for himself, he must think of Dong Yi and the hundreds of brothers under him.

Going up the river, although I didn't find a place to cross the river, I saw the hope of another life.On a gentle river, several rafts had moored at unknown times.

"King Yong, look quickly, there is a raft!" Dong Yi was pleasantly surprised when he saw the raft.

Zhang Han followed Dong Yi's gaze, and couldn't help being very surprised. How could there be a raft here?It seems that someone has prepared it in advance, who could it be?What is the purpose?
"But His Royal Highness King Yong?"

Before Zhang Han and others could inquire, a boatman by the river rushed over to inquire.

Zhang Han was surprised and said, "It's Zhang Han!"

"My master wants to wait here for a long time, please ask King Yong to cross the river immediately!"

"Who is your master? Is this to help the king?"

"Forgive me, King Yong. The little one is just following orders. My master is waiting for King Yong. He will see him when he crosses the river. He will naturally know what happened when the time comes."

Dong Yi looked over for help, looked at Zhang Han and asked, "King Yong, this matter...?"

King Yong Zhanghan looked at the raft on the river, and then looked up at the vast forest in the distance, hesitating for a while.He really wants to know the identity of the other party, and the purpose of the other party?He was even a little unsure whether the other party was an enemy or a friend?Because he really can't think of a place in this pass, where can he have friends?Who will come to his rescue in this time of distress?
The boatman said again: "King Yong, don't worry, the owner of the house has absolutely no malice. Speaking of which, the owner and King Yong also have some relationship. After meeting King Yong across the river, everything will be known."

At this moment, the solemn sound of horseshoes came again, and Dong Yi comforted him when he saw this, "King Yong, there is no time, let's cross the river!"

Zhang Han glanced at the soldiers around him, and nodded helplessly. If the other party wanted to harm him, why would he go to such trouble.Since the other party said that there is love, let's meet in the past, the big deal is that you will die, and you have to die to understand.Immediately, several rafts moved immediately, and Zhang Han and others crossed the river.However, the Han army was too tight in pursuit, and many of the more than 200 soldiers who had not yet crossed the river died in battle. As for Yong Wang Zhanghan and Zhai Wang Dong Yi, they escaped unharmed.

Seeing Zhang Han and others crossing the river, the Han army could only look at the river and sigh. It was too late to cut wood for rafts.Guan Ying, who came later, reined in his horse and stood by the river, watching the backs of Zhang Han and others disappear by the distant woods, showing a helpless expression.Zhang Han still escaped, how will he explain to Marshal Han after he returns?

Before leaving, Han Xin could give thousands of exhortations, and at the same time he must win the battle and capture Yong Wang Zhanghan alive.It seems that in the eyes of Marshal Han, capturing Zhang Han is more meaningful than occupying Guanzhong, but he himself did not complete the task, and Guan Ying couldn't help but blame himself.Looking at the rafts floating with the water in the river, Guan Ying couldn't help being curious.

It can be said that I have been chasing after him all the way. It stands to reason that Zhang Han and others cannot have time to build a raft, so what is going on?Could it be that someone expected something in advance?Meet here?Who could it be?Guan Ying was very puzzled, he felt that he should go back as soon as possible and report the matter to the King of Han and Marshal Han as soon as possible.

……

"What? Zhang Han lost track? Didn't catch up?" Hearing Guan Ying's report, Han Xin couldn't help being startled and sighed.

Liu Bang, the king of Han, who was sitting in the main seat, also expressed regret: "It's a pity that Zhang Han slipped away!"

He had already received a report from Han Xin, instigated Sima Xin to jointly attack Zhang Han and Dong Yi, and won a major victory.Now the entire Guanzhong land is almost in his hands.This is a great event of extraordinary significance to him. With the land in Guanzhong, there will be a place for the foundation of Longxing, who competes for heaven and earth.As for Zhang Han...

Liu Bangdao: "Han Xin, I know your intentions, and I want to persuade Zhang Han to use it for me. But there is nothing perfect in this matter. Since Zhang Han is unwilling, then forget it. You helped the widow pacify the land in Guanzhong , the widow should thank you properly!"

Han Xin cupped his hands and said: "The king of Han, Zhang Han is also a rare talent. If he can be used by the king of Han, he will be like a tiger with wings. It's a pity!" How many famous generals are inferior to myself.If such a person appears under Liu Bang, he must divide his power.

However, monopolizing power also has disadvantages. Once the set goal is achieved, will Liu Bang still trust himself that much?After all, with a large army in hand, it is inevitable that the king will be afraid.Therefore, Han Xin hopes to persuade Zhang Han to surrender. In this way, there will be a general in the Han army who can be equal to him, and he can check and balance himself to a certain extent.In that case, Han Wang Liu Bang may be less afraid of himself, and he will feel more at ease in his heart, so that his road to military power in Han can go a long way.

Now that the Han army has left Bashu and occupied Guanzhong, Liu Bang, the king of Han, can be said to have a bright future, and it is a good time to make contributions.For Han Xin, who has always longed for opportunities and achievements, how could he be willing to give up such an opportunity?
Moreover, he has already established prestige and foundation in the army, so Zhang Han, a former general who surrendered, is naturally not a great threat.But now... Zhang Han didn't catch up, but Guanzhong has been calmed down. If Liu Bang doesn't plan to make other preparations in a short time, what about himself?Han Xin couldn't help feeling a little worried!

Guan Ying hesitated for a moment, and told what he saw in the afternoon.

Han Xin was surprised: "You mean someone rescued Zhang Han?"

Guan Ying said: "Theoretically, it should be like this. At that time, the generals pursued very closely. Zhang Han and the others didn't have time to cut wood to make a raft, so they made this guess."

Liu Bang was also quite surprised when he heard it: "Could it be that Zhang Han realized that he arranged for someone to be there and was ready to respond?"

Guan Ying shook his head and said, "The general didn't see much of it. At that time, Zhang Han and the others were chased and fled like headless flies. If they had expected it, they would not have fallen to such a situation. Moreover, they also hurried across the river. , the prepared rafts were obviously not enough, and there were still more than 200 people who hadn’t crossed the river when we arrived. After torture and interrogation, we found out that it was not Zhang Han’s arrangement, but some of them were waiting to be rescued again!”

After saying this, Liu Bang and Han Xin couldn't help but feel a little heavy.

"a?"

A mysterious figure appeared in Guanzhong and quietly rescued Zhang Han with outstanding military talent, which is really shocking.Who is this person and his identity?What is the purpose of Zhang Han they rescued?The reason why Han Xin emphasized that Guan Ying should capture Zhang Han alive, if Zhang Han cannot be persuaded to surrender, there will be no way out for Zhang Han.Talents have extraordinary significance in this era, and if they cannot be used by me, I have no choice but to kill them.

They can imagine what will happen to a military master like Zhang Han if he is used by others.Maybe Liu Bang didn't care about not getting Zhang Han before, but now, he has to think about it.I thought it had already occupied the whole of Guanzhong, but now it seems that there are still some unknown forces in this land, which makes people feel uneasy all the time.

"Han Xin, who do you think it is? What is their purpose?"

Han Xin said slowly: "The opponent's purpose is obvious. They are rushing to follow Zhang Han's strategy. As for the identity of the opponent, it is really uncertain. Maybe... maybe Sima Xin may know something!"

Liu Bang felt that it made some sense, after all, he had been with Zhang Han for so long, maybe he really knew something?Immediately ordered: "Guan Ying, quickly send Sima Xin over!"

When Sima Xin heard that someone rescued Zhang Han, he was also very surprised and couldn't believe it.

Han Xin asked: "You are quite familiar with Zhang Han, do you know who he has some contacts with, or who might save him?"

Sima Xin pondered for a long time before replying: "We used to be Qin generals, and the princes of the eastern countries had no contacts. Everything in Qin State was uprooted by Xiang Yu, and there was not much left. In Guanzhong, we also felt a bit lonely. I really can't think of it. .”

Liu Bang asked: "Who is Zhang Han quite close to? Or has had contacts with someone, they are all very likely."

"This..." Sima Xin pondered for a while before replying; "If we talk about friendship... I have some contacts with Yue Wang Yinxu!"

"Yin Xu?"

With the same exclamation, Han Xin and Liu Bang's moods are completely different.Han Xin couldn't help being startled, if it was really Yin Xu...then his hand was stretched too far, and this plan of the prophet is a bit frightening.Especially the special relationship between him and Yin Xu made me feel a little complicated for a while.

Referring to Yin Xu, Liu Bang first analyzed his credibility.From the character and ambition of Yin Xu, it is natural that he wants to win over talents like Zhang Han.If this is the case, then the strength of the Yue Kingdom... Liu Bang was a little deeply worried when he arrived.But after thinking about it, I felt that it was a little unlikely, after all, the Yue Kingdom and Guanzhong were too far apart.Yin Xu may not have the mind and strength to do these things, so he quickly rejected his idea.Of course, maybe it’s a fluke to comfort myself, it’s always a little uneasy in my heart.

After a long time, Liu Bang said: "Let's end this matter here first, and pay close attention to the situation in Guanzhong, and report the news in time. As for Zhang Han, after a few days, the answer will naturally be revealed. For now, let's not worry about it. What to do is how to proceed next..."

Han Xin sighed softly, temporarily put aside the complicated emotions and various suspicions in his heart, and began to discuss matters with Liu Bang, but he seemed to be a little restless all the time.

……

After crossing the river and fleeing all the way, he finally entered the vast forest of Lantian and escaped from the pursuit of the Han army.

When Zhang Han breathed a sigh of relief, the most urgent thing was to meet that mysterious benefactor as soon as possible.

"Please, King Yong, the master is just waiting for you there!"

Zhang Han hesitated a little, and walked over with Dong Yi. Since he has come here, he should meet this mysterious figure and find out who he is.

Walking past several big trees, Zhang Han saw an old man with long beard standing under the big tree, stroking his beard and looking at the two of them quietly.

As soon as they met, Zhang Han felt a sense of familiarity, as if he had seen this long-bearded old man somewhere before.Just where?For a while, I couldn't remember it.

"King Yong, King Zhai, you are here!"

Zhang Han squeezed a wry smile from the corner of his mouth: "What kind of king is he? He has almost nothing now. If it hadn't been for his benefactor to save him, he might not even be worth his life. I don't know what to call him an honorable master?"

The old man chuckled: "What? The young man who supervised the army back then was a general and King Yong, so he doesn't know me anymore?"

Hearing what the old man said, Zhang Han was a little embarrassed. According to this meaning, he knew the old man himself.Looking at the heroic face of the long-bearded old man, Zhang Han tried his best to recall the past memories. He always felt very familiar and had seen him there.

Slowly, this kind of familiarity gradually increased, and then a figure, a name gradually appeared in this mind.He finally remembered that the first emperor had just pacified the Six Kingdoms, that high-spirited figure in the court...

After a long time, Zhang Han asked incredulously, "Are you... Taiwei...Mr. Liaozi?"

"Taiwei... Liaozi...?" Dong Yi's expression was horrified, it was obvious that this title had a long history, and it was unbelievable.

What frightened him even more was still behind, the old man with long beard laughed and said: "I finally forgot about this old man!"

These words were regarded as an acknowledgment of their own identities, and the person standing in front of them was none other than Wei Liao, the Taiwei of the State of Qin back then!
Zhang Han was surprised and said: "Mr. Wei Liao, you have been... You saved me today?" There was no news of Wei Liao for many years, not only Zhang Han, but almost everyone thought that Wei Liao was no longer alive.I didn't expect him to appear in front of me today, and even in front of myself. Zhang Han really didn't know how to describe this feeling.

"Really Mr. Wei Liao?" Dong Yi was surprised from ear to ear!
"What? Is there anyone else who can pretend to be an old man?"

Han Xin smiled slightly, and turned to say: "Mr. Wei Liao, you saved Zhang Han today..."

"My Great Qin's general, who used to be a minister in the same palace, shouldn't he be saved?"

"Mr. Wei Liao, Zhang Han..." Hearing what Wei Liao said, Zhang Han suddenly burst into tears and couldn't say a word.

(End of this chapter)