Volume 4: The Chu Army Chapter 70: The Fallen Shaoxing Marquis

  Yin Xu walked up to the steps, bowed to Crown Prince Xiong Xin and said loudly: "Your Highness, I suggest that you resume the title of King Huai of Chu."

  As for what happened in the temple, Xiong Xin saw it clearly and understood it thoroughly. The conflict between Item Liang, Yin Xu and Song Yi was something he was delighted to see, as long as he grasped the degree at the right time.

  Things have reached this point, Yin Xu's reason is crucial. If it can't stand up to scrutiny, Song Yi will surely counterattack. Whoever wants a smooth conclusion will find it difficult, and this isn't the outcome he wants to see. Xiong sighed inwardly, his eyes full of expectation: "General Yin, speak your reason, let's see if you can convince me and the officials."

  Yin Xu let out a deep breath and said loudly: "Your Highness is the eldest grandson of King Huai, who has been wandering among the people for many years. I dare to speak boldly, but many commoners do not know Your Highness. Since the death of King Xiao of Chu, there have been internal power struggles within the royal family, and the succession has been chaotic. Furthermore, there have been traitors like Lord Chunshen and Li Yuan who have disrupted the government, giving the Qin people an opportunity to take advantage of the situation. If Your Highness ascends to the throne, you should clearly demonstrate your identity. This way, the commoners will understand and their sense of identification with you will be strengthened. The hearts of the people are what will be the foundation for your future governance."

  "Of course, some people might say that Your Highness only needs to announce the blood relationship to the world, and it would be just as effective. But that's not true, the effect is completely different. King Huai of Chu was deceived by Zhang Yi of Qin and went alone to Qin, where he died in a foreign land, which is still lamented today. When King Huai's body returned to the country, the people cried bitterly. All the people of Chu pitied him, as if they were mourning a close relative, which shows how much prestige King Huai had among the people of Great Chu."

  Everyone nodded slightly, and Yin Xu's words were indeed reasonable. Continuing to use the title of King Huai of Chu was indeed a good way to win back the hearts of the people.

  Yin Xu continued: "In the past, Nan Gong had said that when Qin destroyed the six states, Chu was the most innocent. When King Huai of Chu entered Qin and did not return, the people of the state sympathized with him, and thus there was a wish that even if Chu had only three households left, it would surely destroy Qin. Now that Your Highness has ascended to the throne and restored the country, you are fulfilling Nan Gong's past wishes as well as those of all the people of Great Chu. After Your Highness ascends to the throne, your first great task is to resist the brutal Qin. Your Highness takes King Huai as his title, in order to inherit his prestige, and also to gain the support and admiration of the people."

  "The people will know that it is to avenge the King of Chu, and they will definitely go all out, with one heart and one mind. Moreover, this king's title was originally a posthumous title, which should have been decided after the emperor's death, but due to the special circumstances at present, it is being discussed now. Your Majesty has not yet ascended to the throne, and in the future, your achievements will be unparalleled, how can they be predicted today? Therefore, any other words are not very suitable. This title of King of Chu is different, it is Your Majesty's nostalgia and admiration for the county lieutenant, a heart full of filial piety that moves heaven and earth. Therefore, I, a humble general, dare to suggest that Your Majesty still use the title of King of Chu."

  "My heart has always been for the great Chu, for Your Highness, and not once have I disrespected the late king. On the contrary, it is Song Lingyin who mistakenly thinks of me as a petty person, and in his heart, he actually harbors blasphemous thoughts towards the late king and Your Highness. As a subject, my words and actions are one, yet he dares to utter such treasonous and unrighteous ideas - truly, it is utterly unacceptable!"

  The last sentence, once again emphasizing his innocence, was that Song Lingyun himself had evil intentions and was defined as a great rebellion. Song Yiqi's face turned dark, his lips trembling as he said: "I am loyal to the Great Chu, please investigate clearly!" At this moment, he only had the share of complaining, and he did not dare to casually refute Yin Xu's reason. The crown prince Xiong had not yet expressed his opinion, and it was unreasonable to refute hastily, and Gao would be sent a hat of usurpation again.

  Yin Xu glanced at Song Yi, whose face was gloomy and resentful, with disdain in his heart. Look at you, a big deal maker should not show joy or anger on their face, but you are always getting angry, what great things can you achieve with such petty tricks? Just look at Liu Pei Gong, who is always smiling, compared to him, you are far behind.

  Yin Xu's words were bold and stirring, with many reasons, but only one outcome. In fact, it was to take advantage of the Chu people's sympathy for King Huai of Chu, borrow his prestige, and gain the recognition and support of the people. Although there was some reason, it was not very sufficient, but because of Item Liang and Yin Xu's face, they couldn't say anything.

  At that time, some wise men had already seen that Yin Xu had won. For example, Fan Zeng and Zhang Liang... However, all of this had to wait for Prince Xiong Xin to make a decision, only then would it be convincing. It's just that Xiong Xin was after all just a teenager, although he looked mature beyond his years, but who knows how his mind worked, whether he could fully understand these words.

  Yin Xu was not worried about this, he said according to history, although the historical books have some bias, but the major events are recorded with eight or nine out of ten accuracy. Along the way, he had a good understanding of Xiong Xin and still had confidence in him. He was certain that Xiong Xin would make a wise choice.

  Just as Yin Xu thought, Xiong Xin's mood was complicated. Although he had been raised in the palace, he had no direct blood relationship with the last few kings of Chu. The matter of ascension to the throne must be justified by name and reason, after all, King Huai of Chu had passed away many years ago, and taking the throne as King Huai's legitimate grandson would gain how much recognition? To tell the truth, he didn't have the confidence.

  I was just a cowherd before, now I'm called the King of Chu, but all the power is in the hands of these powerful ministers. To have a place, I must gain the support of the people and the old officials of Chu, still using the name of King Hui, it's indeed a good idea, also borrowing the remaining prestige of my ancestors.

  There's another thing, Yin Xu just mentioned it in passing, but Xiong Xin could hear it. Chunshen Jun and Li Yuan caused chaos, hum! There were rumors among the people that Li Yan, who was presented to King Kao Lie later, was actually Li Yuan's younger sister, and she was first offered to Chunshen Jun before being sent into the palace. As a result, there were also rumors that King Kao Lie's son was not the king's biological child, but rather Chunshen Jun's illegitimate son.

  Such rumors are not only a shame to the royal family, but also make it difficult for the descendants of the royal bloodline to gain support from the old ministers. He is the legitimate grandson of King Huai and not a descendant of King Kao, so he must clarify his identity to correct the situation. As for the words about uniting against a common enemy and restoring the great cause of Qin, they are all high-sounding but useless excuses.

  The key is not here, Yin Xu dared to venture out and point out the royal scandal, speaking bluntly about posthumous honors, with a very firm attitude. Xiong Xin understood that Yin Xu was forcing him to take a stand. Which character to choose as the king's title is not important, what's important is the power struggle behind it. In his view, Yin Xu was very clever, when "Wu" and "Rui" were evenly matched and neither would give in. Yin Xu chose to throw out a curved and winding "Huai" character. The purpose was to shift the focus, suppress Song Yi, turn defeat into victory, and gain benefits.

  Zhang Liang handed the scalding yam to Yin Xu, but Yin Xu didn't hesitate to throw it to Xiong Xin, making him, as the crown prince, make a choice. It was no longer a choice between "Rui" and "Wu", but a choice of whether or not to use the character "Huai".

  Whether to use or not to use, Xiang Liang and Song Yi will inevitably offend one of them. This is the situation that Xiong Xin currently least wants to see, but forced by circumstances, a decision must be made.

  Xiong Xin was in a difficult situation, sitting on the throne silently weighing the pros and cons. Xiang Liang controlled a vast territory from Jiangdong to Pengcheng, and Wu Rui, the southern barbarian king, was an ally of Xiang Liang's. Moreover, there was also the merit of Yin Xu, which he had to rely on.

  In comparison, Song Yijiang gathered 50,000 troops in Xia and his territory was not small either. But now that he has come to Xuai, this is Xiang Liang's territory... but he also absolutely cannot lose the support of Song Yi, the Xiang family dominating would bring no benefits to him. It seems like he must find some new support, Xiong Xin raised his head and looked around, his gaze intentionally or unintentionally falling on Lord Pei Liu Bang.

  After a long time, Xiong Xin sighed and said: "General Yin's words are extremely correct. I will still be called 'Chu Huai Wang', restore the great Chu, and fulfill my ancestors' unfulfilled wishes."

  Yin Xu and Xiang Liang both secretly let out a sigh of relief, while Fan Zeng and Zhang Liang revealed delighted smiles. Everyone saw clearly that this time, the confrontation between Xiang Liang and Song Yi ended in a complete victory for them due to Yin Xu's sudden and unexpected move. Song Yi's face turned even darker, his teeth clenched in anger.

  The Emperor said, "I have said that I would reward General Yin for his meritorious service in escorting me. There is no need to wait any longer. Let the imperial seal be issued to confer upon Yin Xu the title of Marquis of Shaoxing, with a fief of 700,000 households in Kuaiji's Shanyin."

  Yin Xu was taken aback for a moment, and hastily bowed his head in gratitude. Everyone showed envy, General Yin was only at the age of weak crown, but had already been enfeoffed with land and title. It was also the first noble title conferred by King Xinchuang after the restoration of Great Chu, which was extraordinary!

  Xiong Xin said: "Wu Xing Jun, you have made great contributions to the restoration of the Great Chu State by rebelling against Qin with your army. You can bear the title of 'Chancellor'."

  These titles were all there before, one was Lü Chen borrowing the name of Chen Sheng to be enfeoffed, and the other was self-proclaimed. Now that it has been spoken from Xiong Xin's mouth, it can be said that the words are true and the meaning is smooth, and the reality matches the name. Xiang Liang was slightly moved, and he stepped out to thank him.

  "Liu Bang, you have made outstanding contributions in the uprising at Pei County. I hereby grant Pei County to you as a fief, making you a true Marquis of Pei."

  Liu Bang was overjoyed, never expecting that good things would also come to him. With the recognition of the King of Chu, he no longer had to worry about being looked down upon. Zhang Liang's mind was racing with thoughts, and he already understood Xiang Yu's intentions, feeling both joy and anxiety in his heart.

  Xiong Xin finally shifted his gaze to Song Yi's pale face and said calmly, "Song Lingyun is an old minister of Da Chu, always loyal and dedicated. His previous slip of the tongue was also a manifestation of his concern for me. I will remember it in my heart, and I hereby appoint Song Lingyun as the Supreme General, overseeing all military affairs of Da Chu."

  Song Yi was overjoyed, and after being in a daze for half a day, he unexpectedly received such great favor. Lord Yin was promoted to General-in-Chief, taking overall charge of the military affairs of Chu State, which meant that Xiang Liang, Yin Xu, and all the volunteer armies of Chu State would have to take orders from him. In an instant, Song Yi quickly transformed from a defeated rooster to a proud and arrogant "fox".

  Xiang Yu and Fan Zeng exchanged a glance, with a layer of worry instantly covering their eyes. Yin Xu also secretly sighed, having put so much thought into this plan, only to end up with such a result. Xiong Xin, you little rascal! You really know how to get people into trouble.

  Alas! Yin Xu shook his head secretly, and the joy in his heart was suddenly washed away. On a scorching summer day, Shaoxing Hou felt especially lost...