Within a few days, Xiang Yu secured permission from Xiang Liang to welcome Yu Ji into his household with a grand, eight-bearer sedan chair. The entire army of Western Chu erupted in celebration, yet only Ye Xiu, Ying Bu, and Yu Ji herself knew the true purpose behind all this fanfare. Heaven’s will had decreed that Wan’er should live on as Yu Ji, and nothing could alter that reality now.

Ye Xiu had hidden away with Ji Jiang and fully recovered from his wounds. He had already witnessed the terrifying power of Mohist mechanical arts firsthand. During his convalescence, he taught Ji Jiang the techniques of the Eight Palaces and Sixty-Four Hexagrams. To his surprise, Ji Jiang, blessed with sharp intelligence, mastered the skills in a remarkably short time.

“Brother Ye, these things you teach me… I feel a strange sense of familiarity with them,” Ji Jiang would sometimes gaze at Ye Xiu, somewhat blankly.

Hearing such questions always caused Ye Xiu to drift off. He desperately wanted to tell Ji Jiang that she was the one who had taught him all this in the first place. But he chose to accept reality: Chen Feng could become Ying Bu, and Wan’er could become Yu Ji, but Ji Jiang would forever remain just Ji Jiang—only now, she was a sister instead of an older sibling.

The world was in turmoil, governed by the ambition of men; in this chaotic age, the true colors of society were laid bare. The Western Chu army marched westwards, meeting no resistance. Coincidentally, Liu Bang had raised his banner in Pei County, putting the might of the tyrannical Qin dynasty in critical jeopardy. Heroes across the land rose up in rebellion. The First Emperor was long gone, and the Second was surely doomed. At this juncture, the city of Yongqiu stood as a formidable, crucial stronghold, directly blocking the path of Xiang Liang’s massive force.

Ye Xiu remained nothing more than a humble camp guard. No one here bore the name Han Xin. What brought him comfort was that his brother-in-law, Liu Bang, was already following the mandate of Heaven by rising up in Pei County. This meant that fellow could likely take care of the sisters Lü Zhi and Xu’er, bringing Ye Xiu considerable peace of mind. The piece of news that deeply annoyed him, however, was that Ying Bu was still by Xiang Yu’s side, repeatedly earning military accolades and establishing himself as an indispensable general.

Inside the main camp of Xiang Liang, Xiang Liang, Xiang Yu, Ying Bu, and Long Ju were poring over strategic battle maps.

Xiang Liang sat firmly at the head of the table, his face etched with worry: “Gentlemen, you may not be aware, but Yongqiu is protected by a formidable Qin defense, and the general guarding it is a genius of the highest order. This time, we will have to meet them head-on.”

Long Ju, having grown up alongside Xiang Yu, versed in various martial arts since childhood, could not stomach talk of any martial genius: “My Lord, what consequence is a mere speck like Yongqiu? Allow me to take it swiftly for us.”

Xiang Liang shook his head and smiled: “The defender of Yongqiu is Li You. Have any of you heard of this man?”

Xiang Yu and Long Ju, being men skilled mainly in martial prowess, naturally lacked deep understanding of such matters.

At this point, Ying Bu smiled confidently: “This Li You is the son of the Qin Chancellor, Li Si, and he previously served as the Governor of Sanchuan Commandery. When the world descended into chaos and anti-Qin rebels sprang up everywhere, Wu Guang led the rebellion and won victory after victory, planning to seize Sanchuan Commandery and push straight for Xianyang. However, when the rebels attacked Xingyang, they met staunch resistance from Li You’s Qin forces. As a result, Xingyang could not be taken for a long time, leading to a stalemate that severely cost the rebel army.”

“Precisely!” Xiang Liang looked at Ying Bu with new respect. “General Ying is indeed well-versed in the current situation. Tell me, General Ying, what counsel do you offer regarding this upcoming siege?”

Ying Bu drew his sword and reported: “I dare not claim to have high counsel. However, our Western Chu army failed to kill Zhang Han last time, though we achieved a remarkable feat. Why not send assassins again this time and eliminate Li You?”

“Absolutely not,” Xiang Yu disagreed with Ying Bu’s argument. “Using assassins against Zhang Han was an eye for an eye. If I send assassins and succeed in killing Li You, won’t that signal to the world that the Western Chu army fears him?”

“Indeed, my Lord, I agree this is inappropriate.” Long Ju, of course, had grown up as Xiang Yu’s shadow; their proud, image-conscious temperaments were identical.

Ying Bu frowned, clearly disdainful of such soft sentimentality and preoccupation with face. How could those capable of great deeds be constrained by such trivial concerns over appearance? Moreover, Ying Bu still harbored resentment over Xiang Yu marrying Wan’er.

Xiang Liang tapped the table with his hand, weighing the options: “Yu’er speaks the truth. We must not compromise the morale of the lords across the realm. If we are to take the city, we must do so openly and honorably.”

Ying Bu was somewhat disappointed but dared not show it openly in front of Xiang Yu. He understood Xiang Yu’s stubborn nature—he simply would not listen to anyone’s advice. He bowed slightly and stepped back a few paces.

Although Xiang Liang commanded so many elite soldiers and capable generals, most of them were veterans of guerrilla warfare and open-field skirmishes; few possessed experience in sieging walled cities. For a moment, he could conceive of no strategy.

“I believe our forces are evenly matched. This time, we should commit our entire strength. I refuse to believe we cannot overcome the Qin army.” Xiang Yu was supremely confident in the strength of the Western Chu forces and feared no one in direct confrontation. “Our Western Chu army has enjoyed continuous victories. With one unified push, we can surely take Yongqiu smoothly.”

Long Ju nodded in agreement beside him, but Ying Bu remained silent, watching Xiang Liang’s movements with a cold eye.

Although Xiang Liang was usually decisive and resolute, he hesitated considerably when it came to ordering the full deployment of the entire Western Chu army. After all, this was the army he had personally raised. Success would bring glory to the world, but defeat here would mean all his previous efforts were wasted.

“Uncle, please place your trust in Yu’er. I guarantee I will lead the Western Chu army to a triumphant return.” Xiang Yu possessed true determination, and with Long Ju and Ying Bu supporting him, he believed no battle in this world was unwinnable.

Xiang Liang, having no other recourse, silently handed the military tally to Xiang Yu, gripping his hand tightly.

Once this decision was made, the entire Western Chu camp was instantly galvanized. All the soldiers were eager, glaring covetously at the city of Yongqiu before them. Only Ye Xiu remained utterly listless.

“Hey! Brother, you’ve been a patrol guard for quite some time. Others are getting promoted and rich, but look at you?” Some older soldiers spoke to him with disdain.

Ye Xiu usually just smiled and let it pass, but this time, he added a note of complaint: “What’s the big deal about Yongqiu and Li You? A tiny little city that requires our entire army to move, even using people like me, a patrol guard—what a tragedy.”

“Isn’t this a great chance for us to earn merit by killing the enemy?” another young man nearby exclaimed excitedly.

Ye Xiu squinted at him, thinking: Gaining merit isn’t that easy. The battlefield is merciless, and human lives are ephemeral. I might get shot dead by an arrow flying from afar before I even see the enemy’s face. As they say, one general’s success is built upon ten thousand bones turning to dust; the common soldier will forever be one of those ten thousand bones.

“All soldiers, quickly prepare your gear. We muster tomorrow!” The messenger, waving a flag, ran through all the camps. Seeing this massive mobilization, Ye Xiu felt a slight stirring of curiosity. This was his first time participating in an ancient siege operation. Though he wished to remain unnoticed, he hoped to witness firsthand the magnificent, sweeping spectacle he had seen on television screens.