Liu Ji's heart leapt with joy, though her expression remained unchanged. She nodded to the messenger and said, "...Inform the Conqueror that Ji understands!"
"Yes!"
The messenger knelt on one knee in salute before departing swiftly to return to Hongmen and relay the message.
"Let us return!"
As soon as the messenger left, Liu Ji eagerly commanded her personal guard to accompany her back to her residence. Her officials, however, wore worried expressions, uncertain what would transpire when the King of Han met the Conqueror at Hongmen—whether the Conqueror would honor his promise and allow her, now in Guanzhong, to become its king.
The title "King of Han" was already firmly Liu Ji's, but in these chaotic times, a mere title meant little without real power. If the Conqueror granted her the name but confined her to remote lands or placed her under his thumb, the King of Han would be doomed.
Unconcerned with her subordinates' worries, Liu Ji, upon returning, ordered her guard to gather the gold, silver, jewels, antiques, and jade seized from the Qin palace in Xianyang—all to be presented as tribute to Roy.
The Qin palace housed countless treasures, yet Liu Ji, despite her greed, took not a single coin—such was the sincerity of her emotions.
At that moment, Zhang Liang, having heard of the Western Chu Overlord's command, hurried over.
As Liu Ji's most trusted strategist, Zhang Zifang needed only a brief notification before the guards allowed him entry.
Upon arriving at Liu Ji's temporary residence and seeing the King of Han preparing to present the treasures collected from the Qin palace to the Overlord, Zhang Liang smiled and said, "...Your Majesty is wise to do so. Winning the favor of the Western Chu Overlord with these riches is the right move under the current circumstances."
Liu Ji listened to Zhang Liang's words but merely smiled without replying. Though Zhang Liang possessed the wisdom to strategize across a thousand miles, he did not understand Roy, treating him as an ordinary man. But Liu Ji knew that no amount of treasure could ever matter to Roy—he could dismiss even the imperial throne with a laugh, his carefree spirit unmatched in this world.
She reflected that in all of vast Huaxia, few truly grasped Roy's thoughts and desires. In fact, aside from herself, no one truly understood him. This realization brought her joy.
Yet soon, her expression darkened, for she feared there was one who knew him even better than she did, one whom he cherished more—the beauty Yu.
If Roy cared not for the imperial throne, then surely in his heart, the beauty Yu held greater importance than the throne itself.
Seeing Liu Ji's darkened expression, Zhang Liang assumed she shared his concerns about the dangers of the Hongmen feast. Indeed, the wise often overthink.
Zhang Zifang quickly added, "...Your Majesty, the journey to Hongmen is perilous. Back in Pengcheng, the Western Chu Overlord made a pact with you, promising to enfeoff you as 'King of Guanzhong' if you seized the region. However, the Overlord is stubborn, ruthless, and brutal. Though he has honored his promises thus far, his mind is inscrutable. Given the strategic importance of Guanzhong, he may very well break the treaty."
Hearing Zhang Liang speak ill of Roy displeased Liu Ji. Yet since leaving Pengcheng and conquering Guanzhong, she had grown increasingly composed. Even if unhappy, she maintained a cheerful facade.
Would Roy break the treaty? No—no one valued promises more than he did. If anyone were likely to break a promise, it would be Liu Ji herself.
Once a rogue idling away in Pei County, Liu Ji had never understood the worth of a man's word. Was it truly more important than one's life?
But that was the old Liu Ji. Back then, survival and gain were all that mattered—enduring humiliation was no issue, let alone keeping promises.
Yet through her growing closeness with Roy, Liu Ji's mindset had gradually changed. Her rogue demeanor had faded, replaced by the bearing of a true monarch.
For Roy, molding a talented rogue into a genuine empress was one of the few pleasures he found in these late Qin times.
Although Zhang Zifang could strategize victories from a thousand miles away, the "emperor's heart" was the most inscrutable. Seeing Liu Ji remain silent, he continued, "...Your reputation in the past was not favorable, Han King. In Pei County, you were known for greed, lust, and indulgence in pleasures. Had you behaved the same way in Xianyang, the Overlord would naturally have let his guard down. But now, not only have you taken nothing in the Guanzhong region, you've also been diligent and hardworking. This will easily arouse the Overlord's suspicion, fearing you harbor greater ambitions."
"...Now that the Overlord has invited you to Hongmen, if you go, your life and death will no longer be in your hands. Should the Overlord find an excuse to detain you at the banquet, everything you've gained so far will be lost, and the world will inevitably fall into his grasp!"
"Therefore, this general advises you to feign illness and not attend. Let me go to Hongmen in your stead. If the Overlord grows furious and executes me, you can righteously claim the moral high ground, submit to him once more, and learn from King Goujian of Yue—enduring humiliation to bide your time for another opportunity. If the Overlord acts this way, he will inevitably alienate his allies. Right now, it's only his overwhelming might that keeps the nobles silent. But given the slightest chance, they will surely rise against him!"
Zhang Liang's earnest persuasion was all to prevent Liu Ji from going to Hongmen—even willing to sacrifice himself in her place...
Though Liu Ji disliked Zhang Liang speaking ill of Roy, she knew he meant well and was even willing to brave danger on her behalf to prove his loyalty.
But Liu Ji knew Roy would never do such a thing. If Roy had wanted to be emperor, she had once offered to support him. Moreover, Roy had countless opportunities to kill her before, yet not only did he refrain, he even granted her military authority, helped her resolve countless issues, built her reputation, and even asked her outright if she wanted to be emperor.
Faced with such kindness from Roy, even someone as ruthless as Liu Ji couldn't bring herself to betray him.
After all, she was still human, and she understood that trust was among the noblest virtues.
But though Liu Ji trusted Roy, she couldn't explain this reasoning to Zhang Liang.
After some thought, she offered an excuse instead: "...Right now, the Overlord has stationed his army at Hongmen with 400,000 troops, fresh from victory over Zhang Han and high in morale. My forces at Bashang number barely over 100,000, and there's no natural barrier between the two locations. Moreover, some of my soldiers are from Chu. If the Overlord takes offense at my refusal to meet him and sends his army after me, wouldn't I be left with no escape—neither heaven nor earth to turn to?"
"This..."
Zhang Liang had to admit Liu Ji's words held truth. He racked his brains but couldn't find a solution for the moment. The Overlord of Western Chu was truly unpredictable—if he decided to march his army and crush Liu Ji, the Han King, it seemed entirely possible he might do so.
"Then I'll think of another way."
Solving problems for his lord was, after all, the duty of a strategist. Zhang Liang could only sigh in resignation.
Besides Liu Ji and Zhang Liang, Xiao He was also present in the room. Hearing Zhang Liang's advice, Xiao He chuckled inwardly.
You insist on thwarting the Han King's private meeting with the Overlord, Zhang Liang—aren't you just inviting her displeasure? Look at me, staying silent and quietly watching the show—that's the right approach.
Compared to Zhang Liang, Xiao He, who rose in rebellion with Liu Ji and hailed from Pei County, could better understand Liu Ji's thoughts, discern her intentions, enter her heart, and was more aware of the ambiguous relationship between Liu Ji and Roy.
It was precisely because Xiao He enjoyed Liu Ji's favor, coupled with their shared origins in Pei County, that when Emperor Gaozu of Han distributed rewards based on merit, Xiao He was honored as the foremost contributor. This was a matter of closeness and distance.
Though Zhang Zifang possessed brilliant strategies, when it came to truly understanding Liu Ji and entering the depths of her heart, Xiao He was the one who stood out!