novelraw Chapter 144: Fan Kuai Storms the Tent
Chapter 144: Fan Kuai Storms the Tent
Dust and wood splinters scattered in all directions.
That sword carrying murderous intent came to an abrupt halt less than half an inch from Qin Feng's chest.
Xiang Zhuang's movements froze.
Inside the great tent, the music from the chime bells and silk-stringed instruments ceased abruptly.
Everyone's actions solidified in that moment.
A burly figure, towering like an iron pagoda, charged in, bringing with him the chill wind and rain from outside the tent.
The newcomer held a massive iron shield in his left hand and a heavy broadsword in his right, his eyes beneath the helmet wide with fury like bronze bells.
It was precisely Fan Kuai, portrayed by Chen Chun.
He paid no heed to the astonishment of the people inside the tent, roughly shoving with his body.
He directly jostled the stunned Xiang Zhuang, who was rooted to the spot, causing him to stagger and stumble aside.The sword dance was brutally interrupted.
The murderous aura that had built to its peak dissipated like smoke.
"Outrageous!"
"Seize this man!"
Almost simultaneously, all the Chu Army generals inside the tent drew their swords with a metallic *shing* and rose sharply to their feet.
Their fierce, hostile gazes pinned themselves on this uninvited guest.
From the host's seat, the playful look on Jiang Ci's face finally vanished completely.
He slowly sat up straight.
Those originally lazy and indifferent eyes narrowed slightly, scrutinizing the intruder in the tent.
A presence heavier and more dangerous than when Xiang Zhuang was performing the sword dance silently spread throughout the tent.
"Who comes?"
Jiang Ci spoke.
His voice was not loud, yet it felt like a massive boulder, weighing heavily on everyone's hearts.
Fan Kuai did not answer.
He slammed the iron shield in his left hand heavily onto the ground.
*Thud!*
The tremendous sound made everyone's eardrums throb.
"I am Fan Kuai, the Duke of Pei's chariot attendant!"
Fan Kuai, portrayed by Chen Chun, abruptly raised his head.
Meeting the gaze from the host's seat that looked down upon all living beings, he showed not a hint of retreat, his voice booming like a great bell.
Behind him, Qin Feng portrayed Liu Bang's utterly terrified demeanor to the bone.
He remained slumped in his seat, his chest heaving violently as he gasped for breath.
The atmosphere in the tent was already stretched to its absolute limit.
According to the script, at this moment, Xiang Yu laughed.
Jiang Ci stared at Chen Chun's face, which was etched with "fearlessness," and suddenly grinned, letting out a hearty, genuine laugh filled with intense appreciation.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
The laughter echoed in the deathly silent great tent, seeming particularly abrupt.
"A brave warrior!"
Jiang Ci praised loudly, then waved a hand, stopping the guards who were about to step forward to seize him.
"Grant him a pig's shoulder!"
At this command, the people in the tent exchanged bewildered glances.
A pig's shoulder, an uncooked, raw pig's leg.
What kind of reward was this? This was clearly humiliation!
Soon, a soldier hurried forward carrying a large earthenware plate, upon which lay a bloody, raw pig's foreleg.
The soldier placed the earthenware plate heavily on the ground before Fan Kuai.
Without even looking at it, Fan Kuai drew the sword from his waist.
He overturned the shield in his left hand onto the ground to use as a chopping block, swung down with the broadsword in his right hand, and cleanly hacked off a large piece from the raw meat.
Then, right before everyone's eyes, he directly stuffed that piece of still-bloody raw meat into his mouth and began chewing heartily.
Blood dripped down his beard, but he paid it no mind, instead exuding a fearless, heroic spirit.
Behind the monitor, Wei Song's breath hitched.
He stared fixedly at the man on the screen chewing raw flesh, not watching Chen Chun's performance,
but looking at a true, fierce warrior who had stepped off the battlefield from two thousand years ago!
The look of appreciation on Jiang Ci's face grew even stronger.
"Grant him a dou of wine as well!"
An attendant immediately presented a massive wine vessel, large enough to hold several liters of liquor.
Fan Kuai grabbed the meat with one hand, took the wine vessel with the other, tilted his head back, and began guzzling.
*Gulp! Gulp!*
The strong liquor poured down his throat, not a single drop spilled.
In the blink of an eye, the vessel was empty.
Fan Kuai slammed the wine vessel heavily onto the ground and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
This display of boldness caused a subtle shift in the previously tense, sword-drawn atmosphere within the tent.
Even the Chu Army generals who had been glaring with hostility moments ago now saw their animosity lessen somewhat, replaced by a complex curiosity.
Having finished eating and drinking.
Fan Kuai, riding on the effects of the alcohol, took a step forward.
His bright, piercing eyes once again fixed directly on Xiang Yu in the host's seat.
"Hegemon, I have words to say!"
Jiang Ci made a "please" gesture with his hand, his body relaxing lazily back into the tiger-skin chair.
His eyes were filled with the interest of "let's see what other tricks you can play."
Fan Kuai took a deep breath and began the speech destined to leave his name in history.
His words were not like a scholar's, full of classical allusions, but were simple, direct, and brimming with robust power.
"My Lord, the Duke of Pei, was the first to attack and enter Xianyang, clearing the final obstacles of the Qin state for Your Majesty!"
"He entered the Guanzhong region, committed not the slightest offense, sealed all the treasury's wealth, and has been guarding Bashang day and night, all to await Your Majesty's arrival!"
"He stationed troops at Hangu Pass not to oppose you, but to guard against bandits causing trouble!"
"Such a man, with such merits and hardships endured, not only does Your Majesty not reward him, but instead listens to the slander of petty men and seeks to kill him?"
Fan Kuai's voice grew louder and louder, each question hammering against everyone's hearts like a heavy mallet.
This was the first time, at the Hongmen Feast, that someone dared to openly defy Xiang Yu to his face.
"Acting like this, what difference is there from that tyrannical Qin dynasty that has already perished!"
"I, your servant, dare to suggest that Your Majesty should not take such a course!"
The final sentence landed with decisive force.
The words were earnest, yet sharp as a blade.
Having spoken, Fan Kuai stood his ground, chest heaving violently, eyes wide open, awaiting the judgment of that supreme individual.
Jiang Ci listened to the end.
He did not get angry.
He showed not even a hint of displeasure.
He just quietly watched the impassioned Fan Kuai deliver his speech, then let his gaze drift lightly toward the distant Qin Feng, who appeared "shaken to the core."
Behind the monitor, screenwriter Li Jun grabbed Wei Song's arm tightly, his lips trembling with excitement.
"Don't let him speak! Lao Wei! Just let him stay silent like this!"
Li Jun understood.
Jiang Ci's silence was more powerful than any line of dialogue.
Within that silence lay appreciation for Fan Kuai's courage, a trace of displeasure at being publicly defied,
but more than anything, a deep-seated... disdain that arose from the very bones after hearing this "lofty reasoning."
He was not convinced at all.
He simply felt that, for the sake of a Liu Bang who knelt on the ground begging for mercy like a dog,
to bother arguing with this crude fellow before him who only knew how to shout and yell, would truly be beneath his dignity.
This was Xiang Yu!
This was that Hegemon, obstinate and self-willed, who ultimately lost the world!
Finally.
After a silence so long it was suffocating.
Jiang Ci moved.
He did not answer a single one of Fan Kuai's questions.
Nor did he make any promises to Liu Bang.
He merely uttered one simple word to Fan Kuai, the man who had disrupted his feast and ruined his mood.
"Sit."
This one word, uttered lightly.
Yet it carried an irresistible force, gently pressing down the earth-shattering, towering heroism Fan Kuai had just displayed.
It both gave face to this brave warrior.
And also, once again, firmly wrested back control of the entire situation into his own hands.
Behind the monitor, Wei Song suddenly slapped his thigh and growled in a low voice.
"Cut!!"
"Incredible!"
"Jiang Ci! That one word... incredible!"