Chapter 60

Men, especially youths of Guo Zhi's age, always liked to show off more in front of the opposite sex.

Just like now, under Liu Zhen's gaze, he played with even more effort and seriousness, throwing himself wholeheartedly into the match. With his help, his team scored several goals in a row. Cheers rose one after another, resounding through the clouds. Even Liu Zhen, who was some distance from the crowd, felt her eardrums tremble from the noise.

When the match finally ended, Guo Zhi couldn't wait to push through the crowd.

"Ah Zhen!" The sweat-drenched Young Master Guo waved vigorously and ran in Liu Zhen's direction.

The Guo family was also a great aristocratic clan, and their emphasis on rules was no less than the Ji Family's, if not more. However, Guo Zhi and Ji Ci had completely different temperaments. If Ji Ci could calm his heart to study all the elaborate formalities, Guo Zhi followed the principle of "being passable on the surface, but informal in private." He hadn't been in Zhu County any longer than Liu Zhen, yet he had already familiarized himself with everything there that had to do with eating, drinking, and merrymaking.

This time, Guo Zhi had secretly followed a merchant caravan to Xianyang to find Liu Zhen. But with his current status, it was impossible to find Liu Zhen directly. Guo Zhi wasn't anxious. He first had someone send a message to the Governor's manor, to wait for Fang Yu to summon him when he was free. Then, seeing people playing Cuju, his heart itched and he joined in, only to run into Liu Zhen, who had come out of the city to watch the game.

This was truly an instance of planting a willow without care, only for it to grow and offer shade.

But in contrast to the excitement of this long-overdue reunion between old acquaintances Guo Zhi and Liu Zhen, someone far away in Wan County was not happy.

"Husband, why would you do this!" Madam Yao had always been well-bred and would never be as jumpy as Madam Zhang, but now she was staring at Guo Shu, a look of shock on her face. "You knew all along that Ah Zhi secretly ran away from home, yet you kept me in the dark. Is Ah Zhi not your own son, not the eldest son of the Guo family? How could you let him go alone to Xianyang and face danger!"

Guo Shu patiently explained to his primary wife, "It's not dangerous to go to Xianyang now. Ah Zhi is already fifteen. Logically, you shouldn't treat him like a child anymore. When I was Ah Zhi's age, I had already shouldered the responsibility for the entire Guo family!"

The Guo family had not followed Liu Yuan to Xianyang, because Liu Yuan could not take many people with him at the time. They had planned to wait for Liu Yuan to settle in Xianyang before joining him. However, it wasn't long before news came that Xiang Yu had enfeoffed the lands around Xianyang to Zhang Han. Liu Yuan was forced to withdraw from Xianyang and establish Wan County in Nanyang as his royal city. Thus, they no longer needed to go to Xianyang, and instead went directly from Zhu County to Wan County.

After some more days, even more shocking news arrived. Only then did Guo Shu and the others learn that while Liu Yuan had taken his family to Wan County, Liu Zhen was the only member of the Liu family left in Xianyang. Moreover, it was said that she herself had requested to stay.

Although they rationally knew that Xianyang city was safe for the time being, anyone who had lived through the Warring States period knew that the tides of war were ever-changing. No one knew if an ally who was close to you one moment might turn and betray you the next. Given the current state of the world, this was not an impossibility.

Under these circumstances, Liu Zhen's situation was deeply worrying.

Madam Yao greatly admired her courage. As a woman herself, she felt that for Liu Zhen, who was just a young girl, to possess such immense courage was truly admirable.

But admiration was one thing; she would never agree to send her son to Xianyang.

Who would have thought that Guo Zhi would run off without a word!

Furthermore, when Madam Yao calmed down and thought about it, she realized that Guo Shu must have known and tacitly approved. Otherwise, with Guo Zhi's ability alone, it would have been impossible for him to so smoothly blend into a merchant caravan and leave Wan County!

This discovery left her both shocked and furious, and she couldn't help but question her husband.

"Husband, I am aware that you wish to form a marriage alliance with the King of Yu. Since the two children have feelings for each other, and it is beneficial to the Guo family, I naturally have no objection." Madam Yao suppressed her anger, her tone softening. "But Ah Zhi is the eldest son of the Guo family, and the one who will inherit the position of clan head in the future. How could you bear to let him travel thousands of miles to Xianyang? What if he encounters bandits along the way?"

Guo Shu said, "You don't need to worry about such baseless fears. To keep the trade routes open, the official roads from Xianyang to Nanyang are now constantly patrolled by soldiers, and bandits rarely appear. When Ah Zhi arrives safely in Xianyang, he will send us a letter. Liu Zhen is alone in Xianyang city. No matter how precocious she is, she is still just a young woman and must be terrified inside. If Ah Zhi appears before her at this moment, it will surely be a wonderful surprise for her. Why worry that their feelings for each other won't grow stronger?"

Originally, Madam Yao was not optimistic about the Liu family. Like most people of this era, she had suggested betting on Xiang Yu. But at that time, Xiang Yu's power was already immense. If the Guo family were to seek refuge with him then, they would at best be following the crowd and wouldn't attract any of Xiang Yu's attention. It was at this moment that Guo Shu took a liking to Liu Yuan, led his clansmen to join him, and even offered more than half of their wealth. As expected, he earned Liu Yuan's great trust and was placed in an important position.

As Liu Yuan's career soared and his territory and influence expanded step by step, Madam Yao gradually came to agree with Guo Shu's plan. She also knew that to further cement the relationship between the Guo family and Liu Yuan, Guo Shu wanted Guo Zhi to marry Liu Zhen.

She had met Liu Zhen. The girl was gentle and courteous. Although her etiquette couldn't compare to the noble ladies from aristocratic families who were groomed from childhood, one could no longer find any fault with her. Most importantly, Madam Yao could see that Guo Zhi was very fond of Liu Zhen, so she did not oppose the marriage.

But hearing Guo Shu speak like this, she still couldn't help but sigh. "Be that as it may, Husband, are you truly certain that the Liu family is the best choice?"

If they didn't form a marriage alliance with the Liu family and were merely serving under Liu Yuan, the Guo family could still find a way to extricate themselves if something went wrong. But once the marriage was sealed, it would be very difficult to remain uninvolved. As the head of the Guo clan, Guo Shu was using his entire clan's fate as a political investment, which was an incredibly risky move. But there were many aristocratic families like the Guo family. To avoid the fate of decline, one had to obtain political power. Take the Ji Family, for example. They also couldn't avoid the path of siding with Xiang Yu. However, the Ji Family was more conservative, so they first divided the family, leaving the main branch to stay behind while the second and third branches made the political investment. If the second and third branches failed, at least Ji Ci's line could carry on the family name. This was the truth behind the Ji Family's reluctance to form a marriage alliance with the Liu family. They had calculated the gains and losses with extreme precision. Few dared to bet their entire clan like Guo Shu.

And now he wanted Guo Zhi to marry Liu Zhen, which meant tying the Guo family completely to the Liu family's war chariot.

Guo Shu stroked his beard and nodded. "On this matter, you can just listen to me. If Liu Zhen can truly defend Xianyang city this time, I'm afraid that even Liu Nan's status in the King of Yu's heart will rise. There are only benefits and no drawbacks to a marriage alliance with the Liu family."

Madam Yao was extremely intelligent and immediately understood the hidden meaning in his words.

"Husband's meaning is, in the future, the King of Yu...?"

The way Guo Shu and Madam Yao interacted was different from Liu Yuan and Madam Zhang. Having a wife who could keep up with his line of thinking, Guo Shu was willing to say more to her, not to mention that Madam Yao would sometimes provide him with reasonable suggestions.

Understanding Madam Yao's unfinished sentence, Guo Shu nodded and said, "The current state of the world, though seemingly calm, is actually turbulent beneath the surface. The Hegemon-King of Western Chu holds the Son of Heaven to command the various lords; his intentions are as clear as day to any passerby. Yet the Son of Heaven may not be willing to be controlled by him for long, and the feudal kings are unlikely to be willing to submit to Xiang Yu. Setting others aside, take King Han Guang of Yan and King Zhao Xie of Dai, for instance. They rose up even earlier than Xiang Yu, but now their titles and ranks are beneath his. I'm afraid they've long been dissatisfied in their hearts. Then look at King Zhang Han of Yong. He was originally a great general of the former Qin State. Just because he surrendered to Xiang Yu, he easily obtained the strategic land of Guanzhong. How could the other lords be genuinely convinced? And then there's the King of Yu." Guo Shu paused and sneered, "Xiang Yu first forced the King of Yu to cede Yingchuan Commandery, then gave Guanzhong to Zhang Han, leaving him with only an empty shell of a Xianyang. With the King of Yu's character, would he just resign himself to his fate? In my view, he's just holding his anger in check, likely waiting for the right moment. Once it erupts, the consequences will be astonishing!"

Madam Yao now understood completely. Guo Shu wanted the Guo and Liu families to form an alliance. He wasn't just looking at Liu Yuan's current status as a feudal king; he was looking to the future. He was certain that Liu Yuan could stand out among the feudal lords, even surpass the Hegemon-King of Western Chu. At that time...

Thinking of this, Madam Yao couldn't help but picture Liu Yuan in the position of Qin Shi Huang. Then, thinking about the Guo family's status at that time, her breathing suddenly quickened.

Even the most rational person could not remain calm and composed when imagining such a scene!

Guo Shu patted the back of her hand to calm her down. "Everything has its risks. My siding with the King of Yu is one such risk, and Guo Zhi's going to find Liu Zhen now is another. If he cannot learn to avoid danger himself, then he is fated to spend his entire life hiding under his parents' protection, never making any progress. My, Guo Shu's, eldest son must absolutely not be so incompetent!"

Madam Yao sighed. "You are right, Husband."

For Guo Shu and Madam Yao, the preceding conversation could only be spoken in the privacy of their inner chamber. While the grand situation of the world was not unrelated to them, it was not their turn to roll up their sleeves and personally enter the fray. At most, they could analyze, pick a side, and plan for their own and their family's future destiny. But for certain other people, they were the ones who could truly decide the course of the world.

——————

At this moment, King Han Guang of Yan looked at the messenger, slightly surprised. "You say the King of Yu is inviting us to be guests at the King of Changshan's place?"

The messenger cupped his hands and said, "Precisely. His Majesty has been separated from Your Majesty for several months and misses you greatly. However, the land of Yu is very far from the land of Yan. His Majesty, the King of Yu, does not wish to tire Your Majesty with a long journey, so he has borrowed the lands of the King of Changshan and would like to invite Your Majesty there to reminisce."

Han Guang stroked his chin, completely baffled.

His interactions with Liu Yuan were limited to the last time Xiang Yu's army besieged the city. Everyone had followed along to pick up some scraps. In the end, Liu Yuan had personally come to negotiate with him, giving him a share of the treasures of Xianyang city. After that, everyone went their separate ways. Although they had exchanged courteous letters since then, their relationship could hardly be called deep.

What Han Guang found strange was, since when had King Zhang Er of Changshan become so close to Liu Yuan?

But it was precisely for this reason that he didn't overly suspect Liu Yuan of having ulterior motives, like luring him into a trap to kill him.

"Besides me, who else did he invite?"

The messenger replied, "There is also King Sima Ang of Yin, King Zhao Xie of Dai, and Chancellor Tian Rong of Qi."

Hearing Tian Rong's name, Han Guang was slightly moved.

Tian Rong was the younger brother of the former King of Qi, Tian Dan. After Tian Dan died, Tian Rong inherited his brother's position and proclaimed himself King of Qi. Of course, at that time, the Emperor of Chu had not yet been recognized by the world, so these so-called "kings" were all self-proclaimed. At that time, Xiang Yu was about to attack Zhang Han's army and asked Tian Rong for help. But Tian Rong did not send troops to assist and even made excuses. Xiang Yu held a grudge, so later, when enfeoffing the feudal lords, he deliberately left out Tian Rong. He enfeoffed Tian Shi as King of Jiaodong, Tian An as King of Jibei, and Tian Du as King of Qi—all were members of the Tian clan, yet he pointedly did not enfeoff Tian Rong. Unable to become a king, Tian Rong had to begrudgingly serve as the chancellor to King Tian Shi of Jiaodong.

No one knew what Tian Rong was truly thinking, but anyone with a normal mind could easily imagine it. Although Tian Rong had been the first to err by not sending troops to help Xiang Yu attack Zhang Han, his seniority in the rebellion was greater than Xiang Yu's. In the end, when Xiang Yu enfeoffed the lords, he alone was left out, forcing him to be a subject to his own nephew. It would be strange if he didn't hate Xiang Yu for it.

After dismissing the messenger, Han Guang summoned his retainers and asked them: regarding Liu Yuan's invitation, should he go or not?

The retainers had differing opinions. Some believed he should not go, reasoning that a meeting of feudal lords might arouse Xiang Yu's suspicion and displeasure, causing unnecessary trouble later. Others felt he should go, because most of the invitees held grudges against Xiang Yu. Wasn't His Majesty also dissatisfied with Xiang Yu? It would be a good opportunity to go and hear what they had to say. If there were any benefits to be had, he could also get a share.

Han Guang had been in a very foul mood recently. The direct cause was a recent edict issued by the Emperor of Chu, which formally established certain regulations and institutions. To elevate Xiang Yu's status, the edict specifically differentiated the protocols that Xiang Yu and the other feudal kings could enjoy. For example, the primary wife of the Hegemon-King of Western Chu could be called a Queen Consort, while the primary wives of the feudal kings could only be called Royal Consorts. The specifications for the kings' chariots, the scale of their ceremonial escorts, and so on were all fixed, ordering all feudal fiefdoms to comply.

They were all feudal kings, but because the Hegemon-King of Western Chu held the Son of Heaven to command the lords, his primary wife could be called a Queen Consort while theirs had to be called Royal Consorts, making them a rank lower for no reason. This was truly intolerable!

Han Guang was already discontented for being suppressed by Xiang Yu at every turn. This edict was like a lit fuse to his heart, turning his single spark of anger into a prairie fire.

Therefore, after listening to his retainers, not only did his anger not subside, but he became determined to attend the meeting.

Of course, the meeting couldn't openly be called a meeting. Liu Yuan had no intention of angering Xiang Yu and confronting him head-on just yet. So, Liu Yuan merely borrowed Zhang Er's venue instead of issuing the invitation from his own territory. The content of the invitation only said that he was asking everyone to get together, and that it would be best to bring only a small retinue of attendants to avoid any misunderstanding from the Emperor of Chu.

Not only Han Guang and the others, but even those feudal kings close to Xiang Yu, along with Xiang Yu himself, also received invitations. Such an open and aboveboard invitation made it difficult for Xiang Yu to find trouble with them. However, Xiang Yu had no intention of letting the feudal lords off so easily, so he sent Ji Ying as the envoy of Western Chu to attend this meeting.

But Fan Zeng did not agree with Xiang Yu's gentle approach. His suggestion was: kill Liu Yuan.