I switched allegiance to Zhang Han and rebuilt the Qin Dynasty; Liu Bang was heartbroken.

Hanzhong has no strength to resist the Qin army and can be taken quickly.

At that time, a decisive battle will begin with Liu Bang to completely determine the ownership of Bashu.

We should recruit more talented individuals from the Han army; they are the future of Qin!

"Fortunately, I remember the eighteen marquises who made meritorious contributions at the beginning of the Han Dynasty!"

Zhao Long could not possibly remember all of the more than one hundred dukes and marquises that Liu Bang later bestowed titles upon.

Zhao Long did have some recollection of these eighteen dukes and marquises.

Those who have been killed so far include Fan Kuai, Wang Xi, and Li Shang.

Wang Ling and Chai Wu were among those who were subdued.

This isn't a roster, it's a book of life and death!

Those who obey prosper, those who oppose perish.

This is the greatest source of confidence that Zhao Long dared to support the Qin army in their quest to conquer the world.

He directly gathered these outstanding figures of the era, weakening the enemy and strengthening himself. When the time came to fight against the rebels of the world, he couldn't afford to fail again, could he?

Regardless of whether the Qin Dynasty only lasted for two generations or whether it was due to some kind of destiny.

He's the one who's cheating now, he's got the perspective from the heavens!

Chai Wu also bowed respectfully: "Yes, young master."

"I am in the Han army and I do not like fighting, but I have two or three good friends. I can win them over to join the Great Qin."

Good brothers are meant to walk towards a new and brighter future together!

Zhao Long smiled wickedly, feeling that he had vented a lot of his pent-up anger.

In the past, Liu Bang slandered him, saying that he was a traitor who betrayed the Han army.

Now, let everyone in the Han army become traitors!

After Chai Wu killed Li Shang, those same people who had previously built the royal tombs attacked him, leaving him covered in wounds, and then began to hunt him down.

After personally seeing Chai Wu off, Zhao Long left Zhangping Town to guard Liuba, and then personally went to Nanzheng.

Several major cities in Hanzhong have been occupied by generals like Han Xin leading troops there. Zhao Long only needs to capture Nanzheng, the capital of Hanzhong, to completely recover Hanzhong.

Before leaving, he called out to Lü Yi and Zhang Ping: "If the main force of the Qin army has not yet returned when Liu Bang arrives, then Lord Lü, just block the Han army."

"If Liu Bang attacks, we should hold Liuba City."

With Wang Ling and Chai Wu present, even though the Qin army's strength was only one-tenth of Liu Bang's, the scales of victory were still tipping in the Qin army's favor.

The advantage is mine!

There's no need to hide our strength like before.

They must seize Hanzhong and also annihilate the Han army!

The purpose of Liuba was to block Liu Bang outside the pass and prevent him from taking over Hanzhong!

Zhang Ping patted his chest and said with great pride, "Don't worry, young master. I have two thousand soldiers stationed at the pass. Even if the Han army of one hundred thousand comes, we will keep them at bay for Qin!"

"If Liu Bang wants to walk over here, he'll have to kill his way over my dead body!"

Zhao Long laughed and scolded, "General Zhang is dead, what are you expecting Lord Lü to do now?"

"Remember, just stick to your principles."

Liuba is a formidable mountain pass, and its two thousand garrison troops are enough to hold out until he receives the news and returns with his army!

……

Nearly half a month passed before Liu Bang's army finally arrived at the city of Liuba.

Looking from the city wall, the Han army stood densely packed outside the city, making it difficult to discern their true appearance as soldiers.

They weren't wearing armor to lighten their load; they were dressed in tattered clothes and looked sallow from hunger.

Lü Yi asked in great surprise, "This is the Han army?"

I know, this is the Han army.

If you didn't know better, you'd think they were disaster victims who had run away from somewhere.

"Lord Lü is unaware of the hardships the Han army has endured on their journey."

"We eat tree bark and grass roots every day, and only occasionally attack a few Yi tribes can we obtain some food."

"After the Battle of Xieyuguan, the Han army originally had 90,000 men, but now only 80,000 remain."

Zhang Ping said with a smile.

The Qin army had been keeping an eye on Liu Bang's situation, and there were also two spies who could report to him at any time.

The Qin army could monitor the movements of the Han army at any time.

The Han army suffered losses of tens of thousands in just half a month, including those who fled, starved to death, and went missing along the way.

The more miserable Liu Bang's life became, the more comfortable Zhang Ping felt.

The best prince to protect all of Qin.

In the past, the young master devoted himself wholeheartedly to the Han army, yet you showed no gratitude, instead driving him away and ordering his pursuit and killing!

Those who have humiliated the young master deserve to die.

Liu Bang was indeed having a very difficult time during this period.

Compared to ordinary Han soldiers, they weren't much better off.

He was disheveled, his hair was messy, and his face was covered in wrinkles and grime.

Standing next to the Han soldiers behind him, he certainly looked like a leader of the fleeing famine.

"Your Majesty, we have finally arrived at Liuba City. Shall we launch a direct attack now?"

Xiahou Ying spoke through gritted teeth, his voice somewhat hoarse!

An endless rage surged within me!

“Lü Yi has defected to the Qin army. He’s blind and foolish. We must teach him a lesson.”

"How dare a mere magistrate of Liuba bully the Han army?"

They have endured the humiliation of Xiang Yu and the Qin army for so long, are they going to endure it for a mere Lü Yi as well?

Anyone can come along and bully the Han army!

The Han general also longed for a great victory to wash away the gloom of the past few days.

On their way to Liuba, the Han army devised a plan to directly attack Liuba.

Liu Bang shook his head, stopping the crowd.

Then, he glanced at Xiao He, slowly relaxed his clenched fist, pursed his somewhat dry lips, and said in a deep voice, "I will go and meet Lü Yi first!"

Lü Yi returned to Qin, beheaded Li Shang, and pursued Chai Wu.

The poor Li brothers both died tragically at the hands of the Qin army!

How could Liu Bang not be furious!

This is one of the few wealthy local tycoons in the Han army!

He's still one of those nouveau riche who firmly supports Hanwang.

Liu Bang ignored the stares of the crowd. He was also about to retaliate against Lü Yi's humiliation.

However, he still has to endure it for now.

As a destined hero who aspires to dominate the world, he is willing to set aside all pride for victory.

If he could win over Lü Yi, he would never want to directly confront Lü Yi with weapons!

The Han army is now completely out of food. Such an exhausted force will suffer significant losses even if they capture Liuba!

Liu Bang can no longer afford even the slightest loss!

The fighting spirit on the faces of the Han generals subsided, and they fell silent, feeling somewhat resentful. No matter how unhappy they were, they dared not disobey Liu Bang.

Liu Bang slowly arrived at the foot of Liuba City and loudly proclaimed, "I am Liu Bang, the King of Han."

"The people have suffered under the Qin dynasty for too long. I have raised an uprising after slaying the white snake, and I am determined to restore the state and save the people from their suffering."

"Those who follow virtue will prosper, those who defy virtue will perish!"

"Now that the tyrannical Qin has been destroyed, I, in accordance with virtue, will prosper as the King of Han and bring peace to the lands of Ba and Shu."

Liu Bang shouted loudly, trying to win over the hearts of the people in the city.

They described him as so noble, the Qin army as so dark and tyrannical, and his war to destroy Qin as a just war!

"I have heard that Lord Lü, the magistrate of Liuba, has been gathering refugees and protecting the area over the years. He is also a native of Shunde."

"Now that I rule Hanzhong and protect the people, why does Lord Lü want to kill my beloved general, align himself with the tyrannical Qin, and act against morality!"

Liu Bang was filled with anger, both furious and eager to give Lü Yi a good scolding to wake him up.

Liu Bang had done something similar before.

Lü Yi was a member of the Lü clan who was exiled by the First Emperor. Even after arriving in exile, he remained true to his principles, guarding the land and ensuring the safety of the people. Perhaps he harbored resentment towards the Qin state.

The Lü clan were opportunists; they only reached their peak because they supported the First Emperor.

He deliberately stepped on the Qin army to elevate himself, so that Lü Yi could see the greatness and righteousness of the Han army and its bright future.

Using the pretext of righteousness to intimidate Lü Yi, he forced him to switch allegiances.

The Han army were the ones with both virtue and ability; following the Qin army would lead to no future.

Liu Bang has shown utmost sincerity in his attempt to win over Lü Yi.

Liu Bang thought Lü Yi would soften his stance, but to his surprise, Lü Yi paused for a moment, pointed at Liu Bang, and looked at Zhang Ping beside him: "Is this guy an idiot? He actually wants to win me over?"

Does he act like someone who would betray the Qin Dynasty?

He had already met the Prince of Qin, witnessed the future of Qin, and sincerely bowed down to him!

What did Liu Bang have? These remnants of his defeated army.

Lu Yi immediately burst into laughter: "Ignorant fool, daring to wag your tongue and spout nonsense!"

"What kind of Han army are you? You look so disheveled, more like a fleeing army!"

"Those who defy morality will perish. Could it be that the King of Han has done too many wicked things?"