Disciplining Emperor Gaozu of Han

In the second year of the reign of the King of Han, in the fifth month.

Pei County.

"Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang?!" Liu Ying was extremely shocked. Perhaps it was because of his sleeping posture that he was transported to the Chu-Han Contention while he was asleep. He had become Liu Ying, the eldest son of Emperor Gaozu of Han, and was very curious about Emperor Gaozu of Han. He opened his eyes wide and carefully examined him.

Liu Bang was a man of imposing stature, standing approximately 1.82 meters tall. He had a broad forehead and a large face with strong, defined features, making him quite handsome and possessing an excellent appearance. His long beard reached his chest and was very beautiful, resembling the magnificent beard of Guan Yu in movies and television dramas. He wore a crimson royal robe and adorned himself with fine jade, exuding an aura of majesty.

However, Liu Bang was disheveled, his beard was broken and uneven, his royal robes were tattered and stained with blood. His face was full of terror, lacking the demeanor of an emperor, and he looked more like a stray dog.

Liu Ying was somewhat disappointed.

None of that mattered. What mattered was being able to be emperor while lying down. Liu Ying prepared to get closer to Liu Bang, so she leaned forward, only reaching his waist, and tilted her little face up, sweetly calling out, "Father..."

The carriage Liu Bang rode in was covered in sword marks and studded with arrows; the rear doors were missing, and the carriage was in a state of disrepair.

The two horses pulling the cart had extremely large frames and long, slender bodies, exceeding two meters in length; they were top-quality horses, selected from among thousands.

The two horses were drenched in sweat, steaming like they were in a steamer. The hot breath they exhaled from their nostrils was a white mist, the May heat barely concealing their intense heat.

Both horses have reached their limits and could collapse at any moment.

Liu Bang withdrew his gaze from the two draft horses, turned to look at Liu Ying, his eyes flashing with ferocity, and kicked Liu Ying hard in the stomach. Liu Ying fell off the carriage like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily to the ground, his mouth making intimate contact with the hard pavement, breaking a baby tooth.

Liu Ying used all her strength to roll over, spitting out the broken tooth, blood and foam flying everywhere. Looking at Liu Bang, she was utterly shocked: "It's true! It's actually true!"

According to his predecessor's memory, after Liu Bang's defeat at Pengcheng, he fled to Pei County, where he encountered Liu Ying and her brother by the roadside and took them with him as they fled for their lives. Pursued too hastily by Xiang Yu, to lighten the load, Liu Bang kicked Liu Ying and her brother off the cart, sending them to their deaths. Liu Ying, unable to accept her biological father's treatment, died of a fit of rage, and her body was taken over by a modern soul named Wang Yue.

Liu Bang had an excellent reputation, while Liu Ying was weak and had a bad reputation, so naturally he didn't believe it. But after personally experiencing being ruthlessly kicked off the chariot by Liu Bang, he had no choice but to believe it.

Liu Bang then kicked a dark-skinned, thin little girl off the chariot.

She was Liu Le, the first child of Liu Bang and Empress Lü, also known as Princess Lu Yuan. After being kicked off the chariot by Liu Bang, she couldn't accept such a cruel reality and was completely stunned.

Liu Le used his hands forcefully to mechanically turn over, staring wide-eyed at Liu Bang, his face expressionless and numb.

"Did I really travel back to the Chu-Han Contention? Did I really become Liu Ying? Is he really Liu Bang?" Liu Bang kicked Liu Ying, shattering his worldview. Liu Ying lay on the ground questioning his existence, uttering three soul-searching questions.

Rumble, rumble, rumble.

A thunderous hooves came from behind, causing the mountains to crumble and the ground to tremble.

Liu Ying turned her head and saw a yellow tide surging in rapidly, turbulent and unstoppable.

Xiang Yu's pursuers have arrived.

The middle-aged man driving the carriage was named Xiahou Ying. He pulled on the reins, and the two horses stopped, bringing the carriage to a halt.

"Hurry up and catch the carriage! Or I'll kill you!" Liu Bang drew his sword from his waist, its blade gleaming like frost, cold and terrifying, and pressed it against Xiahou Ying's back, roaring hysterically.

Xiahou Ying felt the coldness of the sword tip, his body stiffened, and he turned to look at Liu Bang: "King of Han, that is your own flesh and blood, how could you abandon him?"

"I'll kill you!" Liu Bang was furious and with a flick of his wrist, he was about to kill Xiahou Ying.

"If you kill your uncle, who will drive the carriage?" Liu Ying saw this and spoke up to stop him.

"I can't drive a carriage?" Liu Bang roared.

"Are you as good as Uncle Shi?" Liu Ying retorted.

"I..." Liu Bang hesitated for a long time, glared at Xiahou Ying, and sheathed his sword.

Xiahou Ying was a coachman in Pei County. He had been driving a carriage for decades and had developed exceptional driving skills. In terms of driving skills, he was far superior to Liu Bang. If Liu Bang had killed Xiahou Ying, he would certainly not have been able to escape.

Xiahou Ying jumped off the carriage and went straight to Liu Le, who was the nearest one. He bent down and picked Liu Le up. Liu Le was dazed and confused, his eyes not even moving, like a living dead man, letting Xiahou Ying carry him straight to the carriage.

Ignoring the pain of her broken tooth, Liu Ying got up from the ground, took off running towards the carriage.

Xiahou Ying rushed to the back of the carriage, carrying Liu Le, and lifted him up, intending to place him on the carriage. Liu Bang stopped him, shouting, "Don't get on!"

"King of Han, this is your own flesh and blood," Xiahou Ying insisted.

"If I can abandon it, why can't you?" Liu Bang said in a deep voice.

"King of Han, how can you abandon your own flesh and blood?" Xiahou Ying showed no intention of backing down.

"Don't come up." Liu Bang showed no intention of moving aside.

"Uncle will definitely take us with him, right?" Liu Ying asked Xiahou Ying.

"Indeed!" Xiahou Ying's concise answer was unequivocal.

"I'm so angry!" Liu Bang almost ground his teeth to powder, glaring angrily at Xiahou Ying, and had no choice but to step aside.

Xiahou Ying placed Liu Le on the carriage, then turned and picked up Liu Ying, who had rushed to his side, and placed her on the carriage. Liu Ying's short legs were propped up on the carriage wall, in a backward-leaning position, making it somewhat difficult for her to get on.

"Hurry up!" Liu Bang roared, grabbed Liu Ying's hand and shoved him onto the carriage. Liu Ying got into the carriage.

Liu Bang then pulled Xiahou Ying up, urging, "Hurry! Hurry up and drive the carriage!"

Liu Ying pushed the terrified Liu Le, making her stand behind the front carriage, while he stood behind her. Xiahou Ying quickly stepped forward, stood behind Liu Ying, grabbed the reins, and spurred the carriage to safety. His driving skills were extraordinary; the carriage sped like lightning, yet remained remarkably stable.

Liu Bang was very surprised. He never expected that Liu Ying would use Xiahou Ying as a human shield to protect the two siblings from disaster.

Despite Liu Bang's threat to kill him, Xiahou Ying stopped the car and carried the two siblings back to the carriage, demonstrating his trustworthiness.

Rumble, rumble, rumble.

The rapid hoofbeats were as loud as thunder, their sound powerful and imposing, as Xiang Yu's pursuers were closing in.

Liu Ying turned her head and saw that this was a fully armed elite force, armed to the teeth, exuding a murderous aura.

Liu Bang's eyes flashed with a fierce light. He strode forward, shoved Xiahou Ying hard on the shoulder with his left hand, and grabbed Liu Ying fiercely with his right.

Liu Ying's eyes turned cold, and her small body shrank into Xiahou Ying's arms. Xiahou Ying pushed hard, but Liu Bang couldn't budge her. Xiahou Ying then turned to the side, protecting Liu Ying.

"Get out of the way!" Liu Bang shouted at Xiahou Ying.

"King of Han, that is your own flesh and blood." Xiahou Ying showed no intention of stepping aside.

Enraged, Liu Ying glared at Liu Bang with wide eyes and uttered the probing question: "Just how much do you hate us? Are you so determined to kill us?"

"I'm saving you," Liu Bang said through gritted teeth.

"Pah!" Liu Ying spat at Liu Bang fiercely, "Have you no shame? You're clearly sending us to our deaths, and you still have the nerve to say you're saving us."

"I'm saving you!" Liu Bang gripped the hilt of his sword with his right hand, drew it a foot from its sheath, then pushed it back in. "If I wanted you dead, would I need to go through all this trouble? I'm not without a sword!"

"Hmph." Liu Ying had no reason to believe Liu Bang's nonsense.

"Xiang Yu is a woman with a heart of gold. Even if you fall into his hands, he won't kill you," Liu Bang said confidently.

"Womanly compassion?" Liu Ying's lips curled into a mad smile. "Xiang Yu couldn't bear to kill us, and you mocked him for being womanly compassion. If you're so compassionate, why aren't you?"

"I am a true man!" Liu Bang declared proudly, head held high and chest puffed out.

"I understand." Liu Ying nodded slightly.

"Good that you understand. Get out of the carriage quickly." Liu Bang urged, his face beaming with joy.

"No poison, no man! A poisonous man like you, who doesn't care about the life or death of his own flesh and blood, can be called a real man? Bah!" Liu Ying cursed angrily.

"As long as I am alive, you won't die if you fall into Xiang Yu's hands; you'll just be a hostage," Liu Bang persuaded.

"You speak as easily as drinking water," Liu Ying mocked. "Qin Shi Huang's father, Qin Yiren, was a hostage sent by Qin to Zhao, and he was almost killed by Zhao. If it weren't for Lü Buwei seeing him as a valuable asset and helping him return to China to seize the throne, he would have died a life of celibacy, unable to even afford a wife."

Liu Bang patted his chest with his right hand, assuring everyone, "Don't worry, I will definitely rescue you. When I conquer the world and rule over this vast land, you will enjoy endless wealth and glory."

"Even if you succeed in conquering the world and enjoy endless wealth and glory, by then we will already be dead. Who knows which wild woman you'll have a bastard child with?" Liu Ying mocked.

"Then don't blame me for being ruthless," Liu Bang spat out through gritted teeth.

"I think what you said makes some sense," Liu Ying said, looking at Liu Bang with a grin.

"You've figured it out?" Liu Bang was overjoyed.

"Since you are so confident that Xiang Yu will not kill hostages, why don't you go and be the hostage, and I will become the King of Han?" Liu Ying said to Liu Bang with a mocking expression.

"What? What? What?" Liu Bang thought he was hallucinating and rubbed his ear. "You want to be the King of Han?"

Xiahou Ying looked on in astonishment, his gaze falling to the top of Liu Ying's head.

"Why not!" Liu Ying said proudly.

"A mere child, dreaming of becoming the King of Han? How laughable!" Liu Bang sneered. "Don't you even realize that you're not capable of becoming the King of Han?"

"If a dog can be one, why can't I?" Liu Ying retorted sharply.

Liu Bang was stunned: "..."

puff.

Xiahou Ying chuckled, glancing at Liu Bang with a strange expression.

"You unfilial son, who are you calling a dog?" Liu Bang jumped up and cursed.

"I didn't say it was you. Everyone knows who's who." Liu Ying delivered another devastating blow, dealing tons of damage.

"How could I have such a rebellious son? So disobedient and unfilial!" Liu Bang roared in fury.

"That's better than kicking your own flesh and blood off the bus to your death," Liu Ying retorted sarcastically.

Liu Bang blew his beard and glared, clearly wanting to beat Liu Ying to death.

"Liu Bang, you treacherous dog, surrender at once!" Just then, Xiang Yu's pursuers caught up to within range of their arrows. If they hadn't wanted to capture Liu Bang alive, they would have already fired their arrows.

"You've ruined my life!" Liu Bang glared at Liu Ying with hatred.

"Are you getting old and your eyesight is failing? How old are my sister and me? How much could we weigh?" Liu Ying refused to take the blame.

Liu Le was nine years old, dark-skinned and thin, and very light; Liu Ying was seven years old, even younger, at the age when she was growing very thin.

The brother and sister together weighed only a few dozen kilograms, which had little to do with being caught up by Xiang Yu.

Liu Bang was speechless: "..."

With the pursuers closing in, it was pointless to kick Liu Ying and her brother off the chariot any further. Liu Bang had no choice but to give up. Turning around, he looked at the approaching pursuers, his anger rising, and he cursed, "Xiang Yu is a brainless scoundrel, displaying only reckless bravery, and his army is no better! I, Liu Bang, am a fine man, born between heaven and earth, I should stand tall and upright, even if I die, I should die fighting, how can I surrender without resistance!"

He bent down and picked up the quiver from the corner of the carriage, neatly hanging it on his right hip. Then he picked up a bow, gripped it with his left hand, drew an arrow from the quiver with his right, nocked it, held the string with his right hand, aimed at the Chu soldier charging at the front, and shouted, "Your fine head is here, have the guts to take it!"

Forced into a corner, Liu Bang had nowhere to retreat. He gritted his teeth and fought fiercely. His posture was upright, his back was like a dragon, his waist was straight, and he was majestic and domineering, with a fighting spirit soaring to the sky.

"He was clearly capable of fighting, yet he kicked us off the bus to our deaths. What a scumbag!" Liu Ying said indignantly.

Note:

To escape, Liu Bang repeatedly kicked his children off his chariot. This is a true historical fact, not something I made up.

The Book of Han, Annals of Emperor Gaozu, records: "When he passed through Pei, he sent men to look for his wife and children, but they had already passed away, and he could not find them. On the road, the King of Han met Emperor Hui and Emperor Lu Yuan, and took them with him. The Chu cavalry pursued the King of Han, and in his haste, the King of Han pushed his two sons off the ground. Duke Teng got down and took them in, and thus the King of Han escaped."

The Records of the Grand Historian, Biography of Xiahou Ying, states: "Upon reaching Pengcheng, Xiang Yu inflicted a great defeat on the Han army. The King of Han was defeated and in a disadvantageous position, so he fled. He saw Emperor Hui and Lu Yuan, and took them with him. The King of Han was in a hurry, his horse was exhausted, and the enemy was behind him. He kept trying to abandon the two children, but Ying always caught them and eventually carried them on his back. He then rode slowly towards the Yong tree. The King of Han was furious and wanted to kill Ying more than ten times, but he eventually escaped and brought Emperor Hui and Lu Yuan to Feng."

The Book of Han, Biography of Xiahou Ying, records: "Upon reaching Pengcheng, Xiang Yu inflicted a great defeat on the Han army. King Han was in a disadvantageous position and fled. He saw Emperor Hui and Lu Yuan and took them with him. King Han was in a hurry, his horse was exhausted, and the enemy was behind. He often abandoned his two children, but Ying always picked them up and carried them on his way, riding towards the Yong tree. King Han was furious and wanted to kill Ying more than ten times, but he eventually escaped and brought Emperor Hui and Lu Yuan to Feng."