Disciplining Emperor Gaozu of Han

"Liu Ying?" Reminded, Liu Jia opened his eyes wide and looked Liu Ying up and down, his shock growing stronger: "It really is Liu Ying! He's grown so much?"

Four years ago, when Liu Jia followed Liu Bang out of Pei County to compete for the throne, Liu Ying was still an infant and had no memory of anything.

When they met again, Liu Ying had grown up, so Liu Jia did not recognize him.

Fortunately, Liu Jiao had a good eye and recognized him.

Liu Bang had four brothers: the eldest brother's name was not recorded, but he was referred to as "Liu Bo" in historical records. This "Bo" does not refer to seniority, but rather to the eldest brother. In modern terms, Liu Bo means the eldest brother Liu.

Liu Bo died very young, while Liu Bang was still idle and carefree.

The second elder brother also did not leave his name; historical records refer to him as "Liu Zhong," meaning Liu the Second. Liu Bang was extremely displeased with Liu Zhong because he was an honest, simple farmer with no particular skills except for farming.

The land he cultivated was excellent, and the harvest was plentiful. Therefore, Liu Taigong often used him as a positive example to educate the idle Liu Bang, telling him to learn from his second brother.

Over time, Liu Bang harbored deep resentment towards his second brother.

Years later, when Liu Bang became emperor, at the celebratory banquet held at Weiyang Palace, he asked his father, Liu Taigong, in front of all his ministers, "In the past, you always thought I was a good-for-nothing, incapable of managing property, and not as capable as Zhongli. Now, whose achievements are greater, mine or Zhong's?"

It was precisely because Liu Bang disliked his second brother that he enfeoffed his second brother, Liu Zhong, to the harsh and cold northern lands, making him the current king.

Liu Zhong was just an honest and simple farmer who knew nothing about military or state affairs. When the Xiongnu attacked, he abandoned his fiefdom and fled. Liu Bang, out of brotherly affection, did not punish him, nor did he grant him another fiefdom.

Instead, he enfeoffed his son Liu Bi, who was the King of Wu during the Rebellion of the Seven States, and was the son of Liu Zhong.

The youngest brother was named Liu Jiao, courtesy name You. He had a good relationship with Liu Bang, so Liu Bang enfeoffed him as the King of Chu, also known as "King Yuan of Chu Jiao" in historical records.

In later generations, people with the surname Liu often claimed him as their ancestor in order to elevate their own status.

Liu Jia was Liu Bang's cousin. He wasn't particularly talented, just average, but he was one of the more capable people Liu Bang could rely on, and he followed Liu Bang in conquering the world.

After seizing the army at Xiuwu, Liu Bang adopted Zheng Zhong's strategy and decided to fortify the city with deep trenches and high walls, engaging Xiang Yu in a war of attrition. He also sent reinforcements to Peng Yue to cut off Xiang Yu's supply lines. To this end, he deployed 20,000 troops, led by Liu Jia and Lu Wan.

Therefore, he also had merits, and Liu Bang enfeoffed him as the King of Jing. When Ying Bu rebelled, he was executed.

"The eldest son of the King of Han?" Chen Ping overheard their conversation and immediately understood Liu Ying's identity. He clasped his hands in a fist salute from his horse and gave a slight bow: "Chen Ping greets the Prince!"

"You're Chen Ping?" Liu Ying opened her eyes wide and carefully examined Chen Ping.

Chen Ping was eight feet two inches tall, which is about 1.88 meters. He was not a burly man like Fan Kuai, but rather had a slender and well-proportioned physique, exuding a powerful beauty.

What's even more remarkable is that his facial features are very three-dimensional, with beautiful lines and distinct angles, making him the epitome of a handsome man.

He is also very masculine, giving people the impression that he is a kind and benevolent person with a good heart as soon as they meet him.

"Damn it." Chen Ping was so handsome that Liu Ying felt a pang of jealousy and couldn't help but curse him.

Chen Ping was a truly handsome man. His parents died early, and he lived with his older brother and sister-in-law. The family was very poor, practically destitute, and their food was meager. Yet, he was tall, handsome, and radiantly good-looking, which astonished the neighbors, who asked Chen Ping, "How can someone so poor and yet so well-fed?"

His sister-in-law disliked him very much and despised him, saying, "He only eats chaff and bran. It would be better to have no uncle like him."

When his brother found out, he was so angry that he divorced his sister-in-law.

"Such a masculine man is actually the king of intrigue." Liu Ying muttered to himself after reading it. If he didn't know that Chen Ping was good at intrigue and trickery, he would never have believed that Chen Ping, who looked so masculine, was known to the world for his intrigue.

They're all on our side; the alert is lifted.

Liu Jia looked at Liu Ying and complained, "Liu Ying, why do you shout for violence the moment you see me?"

"You were acting suspiciously, so I thought there was an enemy, and naturally I had to chase you down." Liu Ying was speechless.

"Where have I been acting suspiciously? I was leading my cavalry on guard duty, and when I encountered you, I naturally had to find out what was going on," Liu Jia said helplessly.

Liu Ying sent a messenger to inform Liu Bang.

Upon receiving the news, Liu Bang led his men on horseback to the scene. Seeing Chen Ping in the distance, he burst into laughter: "Chen Ping, I've missed you so much! I've missed you so much!"

Chen Ping was exceptionally intelligent, no less so than Zhang Liang, and Liu Bang trusted him greatly. These days, without a strategist by his side to offer advice, Liu Bang felt as if he had lost his right and left hands, and was quite uneasy.

Upon receiving news of Chen Ping's return, he was overjoyed and personally came to welcome him.

"Greetings, King of Han!" Chen Ping leaped off his horse, bowed deeply, and paid his respects to Liu Bang.

Liu Bang jumped off his horse, grabbed Chen Ping's hands tightly, and looked him over with wide eyes. Seeing that Chen Ping was unharmed, he was overjoyed: "As expected of my trusted strategist, so resourceful and wise! You've brought back so many troops; they should all be brought to me immediately. Excellent! Excellent!"

Liu Ying rolled her eyes.

Liu Bang was chased like a dog by Xiang Yu and was almost captured alive by Zhongli Mo. He was far inferior to Chen Ping, yet he still had the nerve to say that Chen Ping was just as capable as him.

"I dare not accept such praise from the King of Han," Chen Ping said calmly.

Chen Ping's return was a major event, and Liu Bang was overjoyed. He ordered the troops to halt their advance and held a grand banquet to welcome Chen Ping back.

Lu Ze, Lu Shizhi, Liu Fu, Cao Can, Xiahou Ying, and Lu Wan were all very happy to see Chen Ping, but Zhou Bo and Guan Ying were quite uncomfortable.

The reason was simple: when Chen Ping first joined Liu Bang, the two men falsely accused him of "stealing his sister-in-law." Afterward, Chen Ping gained Liu Bang's trust and his status rose higher and higher. Naturally, the two men felt very uncomfortable whenever they saw Chen Ping.

As for Chen Ping and Zhou Bo joining forces to eliminate the Lü clan and secure peace for the Liu clan, that's another story, the result of guidance from a wise person.

After the banquet, Liu Bang assigned Chen Ping a task, putting him in charge of the overall command and coordination of the entire army, including both military and logistical affairs.

Chen Ping did not refuse and immediately began to reorganize the team after taking over. He was exceptionally capable and managed the situation well, greatly improving the overall appearance of the team.

"A genius is a genius!" Liu Ying exclaimed in admiration.

~~~~~~~

Zhang Liang was tall and slender with a well-proportioned build. He was not wearing armor but a casual robe, and he looked refined and had the air of a scholar.

However, he led more than 7,000 Han soldiers, their ranks neat and their formation rigorous, escorting supplies, and marched along the main road like a long dragon stretching for dozens of miles, heading straight for Xingyang.

This Han army was gathered by Zhang Liang during his escape.

He was resourceful and decisive, which is why these defeated soldiers were willing to flee with him. Under Zhang Liang's command, they repeatedly defeated the Chu army and captured a considerable amount of weapons and equipment.

Zhang Liang was well-versed in world affairs and knew where to find grain. On their escape route, he led his troops to the destination and reaped a great harvest. As a result, they not only did not go hungry along the way, but also carried 50,000 shi of grain and more than 30,000 jin of gold and other valuables.

"I dare to inform you, sir: a cavalry unit has been spotted, dressed in red with red banners; they are Han soldiers." A Han soldier serving as a scout rode up to report.

"The Han army?" Zhang Liang was not surprised: "If the King of Han escapes, he will surely go to Xiayi. With Lü Ze's army, he will definitely be able to recover and gather the defeated troops. It will only be a short time before he reaches Xingyang."

Rumble, rumble, rumble.

Liu Ying's cavalry had already surrounded them.

Zhang Liang was eagerly anticipating meeting the Han army, but upon closer inspection, he was astonished to find a young boy leading the way: "Whose boy are you?"

His voice was full of masculinity and power, which immediately made Liu Ying feel favorably toward him. She opened her eyes wide and looked Zhang Liang up and down.

Zhang Liang had fair, radiant skin and a beautiful face like a woman's. Her eyes were as beautiful as stars and seemed to speak volumes. If she were dressed in women's clothing, she would be an absolute beauty.

Ironically, his voice and his appearance are two extremes.

Liu Ying was shocked and blurted out, "Where did this cross-dresser come from!"

"A cross-dresser?" Although this was the first time Zhang Liang had ever heard this term, he was certainly intelligent enough to recognize it as an insult. His face immediately darkened, and he demanded, "Zhang Liang dares to ask, young boy, why are you insulting me?"

"Zhang Liang?" Liu Ying couldn't believe it; the famous Zhang Liang looked like a woman. "Are you really Zhang Liang?"

"It is indeed I," Zhang Liang gritted his teeth.

"Zhang Liang's appearance is really a test of imagination!" Liu Ying was shocked.