If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1443 Learning from the Qin Dynasty, Advertising

"I never expected Chen Sheng to have such courage, daring to leave Chen County at such a time and come to the East Sea alone."

Half a day later, Liu Laosan walked back, saying with a complicated expression.

Li Zhong asked, "Liu Dahao, how long did it take you to travel from Mangdang Mountain all the way to Qu County?"

Liu Laosan was taken aback for a moment, then said, "Brother Li, you don't need to call me 'Dahao,' just call me by my name!"

He was now much closer to Li Zhong than ever before. He was even willing to share some private matters with him.

Over the past half day, Li Zhong had taken him to the VIP lounge to pay respects to several feudal lords.

Those feudal lords, like their "guests," each had a sea patrol yaksha serving them personally.

They were somewhat wary of Li Zhong and even looked down on him, but the feudal lords treated their respective Yaksha attendants as nobles, showing them not only great intimacy but also great respect and trust.

Liu Laosan followed Li Zhong to visit some super-VIP guests and gradually realized that the immortals had arranged for them to visit each other, get to know each other, and ideally form large factions—from a loose anti-Qin alliance to one led by several giants.

Other heroes from across the land joined the powerful figures, making the anti-Qin forces stronger and the anti-king forces even more powerful.

In this process, the yakshas arranged by Dragon King Ao Guang to serve them can play a very important role.

For example, when he had just met with Chen Sheng and Wei Jiu, Li Zhong not only led the way but also helped arrange the itinerary, reminding him who Chen Sheng and Wei Jiu had met and said in the past few days, and what Chen Sheng and Wei Jiu wanted to do.
Without Li Zhong, he would be completely lost and would have to improvise.

Then he remembered that when Xiang Liang had brought his nephew to see them before, it was also Yaksha Hu Tong who had made arrangements with Li Zhong before they met with Xiang Liang.

It can only be said that Liu Laosan came from a very humble background and had little experience with similar things, which is why he seriously underestimated Li Zhong's role at the beginning.

“Mangdang is 20,000 li away from the East Sea, even if you follow the imperial road. I was wanted by the court, so I had to avoid the prefectural city and take a detour, which would have made the journey even longer. Fortunately, my brother tamed a dragon horse, and his driving skills are superb. We travel day and night without stopping, and at our fastest, we can cover more than 3,000 li a day!”

Liu Ji didn't quite understand what Li Zhong was trying to say, but he honestly recounted his general journey.

Li Zhongdao said, "Liu Ji, it took you ten days or half a month to travel to the East Sea, while King Chen Sheng has a fairy driving an exquisite carriage, which allows him to arrive in a day."

Since it can be reached and returned in a day, why doesn't King Chen Sheng come in person?
If I'm not mistaken, just now in the inner hall, he warmly invited you to return to Chu and even wanted to appoint you as a Grand General, right?

Not to mention the many great immortals one can meet at the alliance meeting, and the unknown adventures that await.

Simply recruiting heroes from across the land face-to-face is a huge benefit.

Chen Sheng harbored ambitions to dominate the world; how could he not understand the principle of recruiting heroes to conquer all directions?

Liu Ji nodded slightly. "Chen Sheng did recruit me. I didn't refuse directly. I just said that I didn't understand the current situation and that I would wait until the alliance meeting ended and listen to the arrangements of the immortals."

Li Zhongdao said, "What you're saying is no different from a direct refusal. Believe it or not, King Chen Sheng is very angry right now."

Liu Ji said bitterly, "Before I left, I already noticed that his attitude had become much colder, especially in his eyes."

"There's murderous intent!" He switched to using internal energy to transmit his voice.

"Liu Ji, your reputation as the 'Heavenly Noble Assistant Star' has not yet spread widely, but it is clear that Chen Sheng knows about it and even believes it to some extent."

"If you pledge allegiance to him and bring him good fortune, he will surely appoint you to a high-ranking position; if you abandon him, you will be aiding the enemy. He is a ruthless and ambitious man, and he certainly understands the principle of eliminating threats before they arise," Li Zhongdao said.

"Damn it, my elder brother was originally the head of the Sishui Pavilion, keeping a low profile and living a very happy life."

Because he refused Chen Sheng once, he was secretly framed by him and forced to become an outlaw.

"He still has the nerve to hate my elder brother, and even harbor murderous intent? Damn it, let's kill him first!" Lu Wan cursed.

"Don't talk nonsense!" Liu Ji shouted, "King Chen Sheng is the 'eldest' among all the kings!"

If your words get out, will we still be able to return to Mangdang Mountain alive?

Li Zhong immediately said, "Liu Ji, you really need to consider whether Chen Sheng will target you after you return to Mangdang."

But in the Dragon Palace, you have nothing to worry about.

Xiahou Ying asked, "How many people has Chen Sheng met recently, and how many heroes has he recruited?"

Li Zhong pondered and said, "He should have met with everyone from super VIPs to senior VIPs to top VIPs."

As far as I know, among the VIPs, King Wei Jiu has already honored King Chen Sheng as 'Bo Chang'.

Just like the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period.

Ying Xie, a member of the royal family of Zhao, also had this intention.

He hoped that Chen Sheng would help him restore his country before he would honor Chen Sheng as the 'leader'.

Tian Rong also visited Chen Sheng, but the two sides had a very unpleasant argument and even exchanged harsh words.

Later, Commander Yuan, who served Chen Sheng, reported the matter to His Majesty the Dragon King. His Majesty then declared that he would personally mediate the conflict between the two once the alliance meeting began.

There were quite a few others who had conflicts with King Chen Sheng, including Jing Ju.

However, the number of "superior guests" who pledged allegiance to him and agreed to treat him as their master was even greater.

Hundreds of heroes have made it clear that they will raise an army against Qin under the banner of "Zhang Chu".

Or perhaps they had already rebelled against Qin and decided to change their allegiance to the banner of 'Zhang Chu'.

Lu Wan's face darkened. "Chen Sheng's prestige in the Central Plains is truly immense."

Liu Ji sighed, “He is the first rebel king! The several armies that have disrupted the Central Plains are all his subordinates.”

The State of Wei was established entirely with his support.

The Tian family of Qi was able to successfully restore their state only after Zhou Shi attacked Qi territory and drew away all of Qin's main forces.

As long as Chen Sheng lives, he can only be the "leader" of the rebel kings in the Central Plains.

“The petition to the people already says that Chen Sheng is destined to be the first to launch an uprising,” Lu Wan said.

“The proclamation to the people was issued by the Qin state,” Liu Ji said.

Lu Wan said, "The proclamation to the people comes from the Xianyang News Office, and the contents recorded in the proclamation are what the Great Immortal Lu Ding said in person."

The Great Immortal of the Deer Cauldron knows and controls destiny; what he says must be true.

Chen Sheng's days are numbered; his good fortune is numbered.

Liu Ji thought to himself: Of course I hope the immortal is right, that Chen Sheng has already completed the uprising, and that "one whale falling brings forth all things." But although Zhang Chu is showing signs of disintegration, Chen Sheng is still alive and well!

As long as he lives, he is the elder statesman, a mountain weighing on my heart.

"Commander Li, could you contact His Majesty the Dragon King and explain my affair with King Chen Sheng to Him?"

"I can't contact His Majesty directly. Commander Yuan is different from me; I'm just a patrolling sea yaksha, but he's the 'Great Sage of the Water Ape'!"

However, I can write down what I have seen and heard in a report and submit it to the Thirteenth Chief Steward.

He would never dare to conceal that report; he would certainly submit it to His Majesty. Li Zhongdao said.

Liu Ji seemed to realize something; this yaksha, arranged by the Dragon King to receive him, was more important than he had expected!

He was the key link in their connection with the Dragon King of the East Sea and all the great immortals!

Li Zhong's report could directly influence how the Great Immortal and the Dragon King of the East Sea perceived him.

Thinking of this, Liu Ji began to utilize his strongest talents: "Knowing people well and assigning them to suitable positions, and being open to advice." "Commander Li, to tell you the truth, I am not at all worried that Chen Sheng will send someone to kill me."

But his reputation is too high. If he wanted to ruin my plans, he only needed to say a few words to make it impossible for me to move an inch.

I do not want to stay in Mangdang Mountain for the rest of my life; I must eventually come out and raise the banner of rebellion against Qin.

If he targets me and I suffer his oppression, I will be powerless to resist. What can I do?

Li Zhong cursed inwardly: I am not Wuyazi now. How can a mere patrolling sea yaksha solve the problem that should belong to Zhang Liang?

She said haphazardly, "The reason Chen Sheng wants to get rid of you is because you are the Heavenly Star of Auxiliary Star, which can help his opponent, the true dragon emperor."

As the Heavenly Noble Star, your destiny is to assist the true dragon emperor!

Chen Sheng's greatest enemy was actually the Son of Heaven.

If you can help the true dragon emperor achieve great things, the true dragon emperor should be grateful to you and treat you well.

Now you're bearing the pressure from Chen Sheng on behalf of the true Son of Heaven! You're wronged!
Why not reveal your Heavenly Noble Destiny publicly, so that the True Dragon Emperor may sense it, appreciate your abilities, and stand up for you against Chen Sheng?

—But I don't have the destiny of a Heavenly Dragon, and I don't have a true dragon emperor to help me. There is only one true dragon emperor, but at this moment, which hidden dragon doesn't think he is a true dragon emperor?

If they knew that Chen Sheng hated and feared me because I could assist the true dragon in achieving great things, wouldn't they be vying to win me over and curry favor with me to prove that they are the true dragon emperor?
Liu Ji exclaimed excitedly, "Commander Li, you are like a reincarnation of the legendary patriarch! This is a great idea. Please help me, Commander, to pay my respects to all the heroes of China."

Then, through the commander's words, he inadvertently revealed that I, the Heavenly Noble Star, was envied by Chen Sheng.

At this point, he suddenly had a flash of inspiration and thought of the Qin Dynasty's proclamation to the people.

"Commander Li, do you have any connections in the Dragon Palace to spread a message quickly throughout the Super, High, and Upper VIP VIP areas, and to make all the heroes of China believe it without a doubt?"

Seeing Li Zhong's puzzled expression, Liu Ji simply said, "Just like the Great Qin's proclamation to the people. Could we make a small proclamation in the Dragon Palace so that the heroes of the land can know the story of Liu Ji?"

Li Zhong's expression was strange. "You want to take this opportunity to become famous throughout the world?"

“It’s definitely worth a try, killing two birds with one stone!” Liu Jiyue became more and more excited as he thought about it, and exclaimed, “Peng Yue was trying to persuade me before, saying that there are more and more heroes starting up now, but I’ve been hiding in Mangdang Mountain without making a move.”

When the Sishui River descends into chaos, I will emerge from the mountains, but I do not know when or how many years or months will pass.

At that time, they will all be my seniors, and I will be my junior. I will inevitably be suppressed by them in terms of reputation and status.

In Xiaoyu's previous life, one of the important reasons why Liu Laosan was able to stand out was that he started his rebellion relatively early.

Before Chen Sheng's uprising at Dazexiang, Liu Laosan had already entered Mangdang Mountain and become a rebel. Because of his seniority, other rebel leaders, such as Xiang Liang, valued him highly upon their first meeting (PS).

In this life, Liu Laosan is still hiding in Mangdang Mountain, too afraid to come out.

It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s that I don’t dare.

In this era, the Qin Dynasty reacted too quickly. Before Chen Sheng even started his uprising, hundreds of thousands of troops had already gathered in Pengcheng.

Even today, the total number of Qin soldiers in the various counties of Sishui Commandery, which are on the front line against Zhang Chu, still exceeds 100,000.

I've only ever heard of fighting on the front lines, with uprisings and rebellions taking advantage of the emptiness in the rear.

Instead of fighting fiercely on the front lines, he ran to the very front and rebelled in front of 100,000 troops.

"Now, during the Anti-Qin Alliance Conference, all the heroes of China are here. I will make a name for myself and let them all know that I am actually a strategist like Jiang Ziya."

The reason I'm staying on Mount Mangdang isn't because I'm afraid of the Qin army, but because I am the 'Heavenly Star Auxiliary Star,' and I'm currently cultivating in seclusion in the mountains, hahaha!

Liu Ji laughed triumphantly, "I am not a bandit. There isn't even a single merchant in Mangdang Mountain, so who would I rob if I were a bandit?"
Actually, I used the guise of being a bandit to hide in the mountains and cultivate my skills in seclusion.

"To gain Liu Ji is like King Wen gaining Taigong."

He grabbed Li Zhong and said excitedly, "Brother Li, you must help me with this big favor."

Please spread my name throughout the Dragon Palace, so that all heroes of the land may know that "Liu Ji entered Mangdang to cultivate a great art in seclusion," "Liu Ji is the Heavenly Star of Auxiliary Star; whoever obtains Liu Ji will obtain the world," and "Chen Sheng repeatedly invited Liu Ji to come out of seclusion but to no avail, and wished to kill him as soon as possible."

"You're so shameless!" Li Zhong's expression twisted.

"How is that shameless? My brother is telling the truth! After entering Mangdang Mountain, he has been cultivating in seclusion and has never engaged in any risk-free business such as highway robbery."

"He truly is destined for greatness." Lu Wan's expression was conflicted. "Although I only wish to assist Brother Ji, since this is Brother Ji's destiny, I will still assist him. Brother Ji can assist the true dragon emperor."

Liu Ji took a bag out of his pocket, stuffed it into Li Zhong's hand, and said softly, "Brother Li, please help me this once! If I achieve something in the future, I will definitely build a temple and erect a golden statue for you, so that you can go further on the path of divinity."

Li Zhong took the emptied money bag and said, "I will do my best."

"Thank you!"

Li Zhong really does things once he gets paid.

After parting ways with Liu Ji, he immediately summoned a group of shrimp soldiers, crab generals, clam maidens, and snail maidens, and ordered them to spread rumors at the entrance of the VIP courtyard.

The methods were crude and hasty, and the results... well...
"Who's barking outside? How dare you, you audacious scoundrel! Bring him here for me!"

Upon hearing the shrimp soldiers outside shouting, "Chen Sheng has repeatedly asked Liu Ji to come out of seclusion but has failed, and now he wants to kill him," King Chen Sheng immediately exploded.

"Your Majesty, do not be agitated! This is the Dragon Palace of the East Sea, and those who are making such a racket are just shrimp soldiers." His Grand General Cai Ci, who is also Zhang Chu's Prime Minister, quickly spoke up to stop him.

Having stopped the enraged Chen Sheng, Cai Ci did not allow the shrimp soldiers to wreak havoc on King Chen Sheng's reputation outside the gate.

He immediately found "Water Ape Great Sage" and said, "Commander Yuan, what's going on with the shrimp soldiers outside spouting nonsense and slandering the King of Chu?"

"Please wait a moment, Mr. Fang (Cai's title in Zhang Chu), I will call that fellow in immediately."

Yuan Tongxian ordered his men to arrest the man, and then solemnly stated, "Lord Fang, please don't misunderstand. His Majesty the Dragon King has clearly stated that the Prince of Chu is the most distinguished guest at this alliance meeting."

His Majesty will absolutely not allow anyone from the Dragon Palace to slander the King of Chu.

"Reporting to Commander Yuan and His Highness Prince Chu, Liu Dahao has handed over 345 taels, 3 mace, and 4 fen of silver to Commander Li Zhong."

Commander Li Zhong gave each of us eight qian and seven fen of silver, instructing us to spread Liu Dahao's fame and fortune at crossroads and in front of the courtyards of various VIPs.

"Liu Ji is a treacherous dog, utterly shameless!" Chen Sheng roared in anger.

　(PS: Liu Ji's path to rebellion was quite bumpy in the early stages. After finally capturing Pei County and becoming the Duke of Pei, his comrades betrayed him—Yong Chi and others betrayed Liu Ji and surrendered his city to the State of Wei.)

　　At that time, Liu Ji was conquering cities and seizing territories outside, leaving his hometown to be guarded by his fellow villagers from Pei County.

　　As a result, Yong Chi and his fellow villagers from Fengyi betrayed Liu Ji.

　　Liu Ji fled to Xiang Liang for refuge. Xiang Liang not only took him in, but also lent him several thousand troops and ten generals to help him drive away Yong Chi and reclaim Fengyi.

　　Xiang Liang also recognized Liu Ji as his "partner"—Liu Ji's position in Xiang Liang's army was theoretically the same as Xiang Yu's, both reporting directly to Xiang Liang and capable of commanding an army independently.

　　For a long time, Liu Laosan and Xiang Yu were comrades-in-arms fighting side by side.

　　The two had fought and won battles together, and had also suffered defeats; they shared a true bond of camaraderie.

　　That's why they had the opportunity to become sworn brothers.

　　After Xiang Liang died, Liu Ji went from being "theoretically" equal to Xiang Yu, but in reality being monitored and controlled by Xiang Yu, to truly being equal to Xiang Yu.

　　Liu Jineng achieved such a high status after joining Xiang Liang's team.

　　There are two main reasons. First, Liu Ji had his own troops and territory, although Yong Chi sold his territory. Second, Liu Ji rebelled early and was already well-known throughout the land, having served his place for a long time—he was respected by the people.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)