activa-t Chapter 557 Conquest of Chu 13
Chapter 557 Conquest of Chu 13
Xiang Yan clenched the silk tightly in his hand, his knuckles cracking. A bone-chilling coldness shot from his feet to the top of his head. Was he, Xiang Yan, and his Xiang clan truly destined to perish not on the battlefield, but through the machinations of their own people, just as this letter had plotted?
“Father…” Xiang Liang looked at him with concern.
Xiang Yan closed his eyes and took several deep breaths to barely suppress the turmoil in his blood. When he opened his eyes again, all that remained was a numb calm.
"Destroy this thing." He handed the silk to Xiang Liang, his voice hoarse. "Keep the news strictly confidential. Never let a third person see it."
After Xiang Liang left, Xiang Yan walked out of the city lord's mansion alone, went up to the city wall, and looked at the endless Qin army camp outside the city. Wang Jian's command flag was raised high, seemingly a silent declaration of war.
"The Qin people... they want to disrupt my mind," he murmured. "I will not let them succeed!"
However, the heart that was being gnawed by suspicion and a sense of betrayal had already developed numerous cracks.
Suddenly, he remembered Zhou Xun's words, "China is one family," "fighting against foreign enemies together," and the description of "overseas world."
He thought he had forgotten, but at this moment, these words seemed like a spell, becoming clearer and clearer in his mind.
A voice seemed to be asking in my mind: If the Chu court is full of such suspicious and scheming people, what is the point of your perseverance, Xiang Yan? Do you really want to sacrifice the lives of all the soldiers in the city, the Xiang family bloodline, and even... the possibility of a broader future that concerns the entire Chinese nation, for the sake of such a Chu?
Once the thought arose, it could no longer be suppressed.
Deep within the Xianyang prison, compared to the tense and oppressive atmosphere of Chencheng, the place seemed excessively "tranquil."
The cell where Xiang Yu was held is now far removed from the word "prisoner's cell." It is spacious, with clean bedding, a wealth of books, regular meals, and even a small area where he can stretch his legs.
However, this "preferential treatment" did not make Xiang Yu feel comfortable at all. He was like a tiger whose claws and teeth had been pulled out, trapped in this exquisite cage, with great strength but nowhere to use it.
He spent most of his time in silence, either frantically honing his physical skills or burying himself in the books that Qin allowed him to read. He was trying to understand this powerful enemy, to understand why it could be so powerful.
But the more Xiang Yu looked, the more confused he became. The Qin system, the Qin laws, and the Qin efficiency were completely different from what he knew of the Chu state and other vassal states.
That day, he was engrossed in a volume of "Miscellaneous Excerpts of Qin Laws" when he heard the hushed conversations of the guards changing shifts outside the prison gate. This was usually an ordinary occurrence, but today's content made him suddenly prick up his ears.
"...Have you heard? Something new has happened in Yingdu."
"Oh? It's about the Xiang family again?"
"That's right! I heard that several court officials jointly submitted a memorial, saying that Xiang Yan is holding onto his troops in Chencheng, disobeying orders and showing no respect. I'm afraid... he has ulterior motives!"
"Tsk tsk, this is really... the front is in a tight spot, while the rear is busy taking advantage... no, it's busy sabotaging them!"
"Shh...keep your voice down! But seriously, General Xiang is really something...they were surrounded like that, and the King didn't send reinforcements. Isn't it obvious..."
"Sigh, it's because their achievements overshadow their master! It's always been this way..."
The sound gradually faded away, leaving Xiang Yu standing frozen in place as if struck by lightning.
Is he hoarding military power? Or harboring disloyal intentions?
An uncontrollable rage surged to his head, making his eyes bloodshot, and he almost roared out loud! His grandfather was loyal to the State of Chu, as heaven and earth could bear witness! Now, trapped in a fierce battle, those parasites in Yingdu not only refused to send reinforcements, but also slandered and framed him!
He slammed his fist against the wall, leaving a faint bloodstain on the hard stone. After the anger came boundless coldness and fear. If… if the court viewed the Xiang family this way, wouldn't his grandfather in Chencheng be beset by internal and external troubles, on the verge of death?
Over the next few days, Xiang Yu became unusually anxious. He tried to extract more information from the jailers who delivered his food and the patrolling guards, but they seemed to have agreed to remain silent or give vague answers. This deliberate silence only exacerbated his unease.
A few days later, during a day of exercise, Xiang Yu stumbled upon a small booklet wrapped in oilcloth under a loose stone slab in a corner of the courtyard. His heart pounded, and taking advantage of the guards' inattention, he quickly hid it in his robes.
Back in his cell, he eagerly opened it. The booklet appeared to be a collection of some kind of transcription, containing:
Several "deliberation records" of Chu officials are filled with concerns that Xiang Yan might become too powerful to control, as well as insidious proposals on how to use the Qin army to "deplete" the Xiang clan's strength.
• A “family letter” from a nobleman of Chu. In the letter, he proudly mentioned how his family spread rumors about Xiang Yan in the court and asserted that the King of Chu had grown disgusted with Xiang Yan and would never send troops.
There is even a tattered "official gazette" that clearly states that King Fuchu of Chu once again rejected the request to rescue Chencheng, on the grounds that "the national treasury is empty and needs to be considered in the long term." However, at the same time, it records the news that the King of Chu built a new garden for his favorite concubine.
These "evidence" are so "real" and the details are so "rich" that they corroborate each other, forming a clear fact: the King of Chu and the Chu court have already abandoned the Xiang family, and they are watching with their own eyes, or even secretly pushing their grandfather toward destruction!
"Pfft—" Xiang Yu suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, staining the silk in his hand red. His body trembled violently, not because of his injuries, but because of his heart-wrenching anger, despair, and the pain of being utterly betrayed!
"You traitors! Traitors! The State of Chu!!" He roared like a wild beast, the lingering affection and loyalty he once held for his homeland crumbling in his eyes, replaced by a raging fire of hatred. "I, Xiang Yu, swear here and now! If my grandfather suffers even the slightest harm, I will raze Yingdu to the ground and slaughter you treacherous bastards!"
He had always believed the enemy was only outside the city—the Qin army, Wang Jian, or Ying Zheng. Only now did he realize with despair that the most deadly blows often come from behind. His faith in the State of Chu and his loyalty to the King of Chu appeared so laughable and pathetic in the face of this series of irrefutable evidence.
It was under this extreme emotional impact that a thought he had never thought of before, or rather, had been suppressing, emerged uncontrollably: Is it worth dying for such a king, for such a state of Chu?
In his extreme anger and despair, he remembered that his grandfather had occasionally mentioned that he had a secret conversation with the Qin envoy, talking about "one family of Chinese people" and "overseas lands". At the time, he thought it was just Qin people talking nonsense and his grandfather's dream talk.
But now, having been convinced of being completely betrayed by the State of Chu, these vague fragments of memory seem to have taken on an unusual hue... Could it be that, in this world, besides the conflict between Chu and Qin, there is truly a larger game at play?