The emperor passed the document to the head eunuch, who began reading it aloud. Gasps filled the grand hall as the ministers and courtiers listened in disbelief. Some looked at Xiang Yu as if he had lost his mind.
They were looking at him like he was the dumbest crown prince alive. Even Han Xin, standing stoically, glanced at Xiang Yu, whose lips quirked into a slight smile, his eyes dazzling with a confidence that almost snatched Han Xin’s soul. That smile seemed to say, ’You see, babe, I will sell out my country just for you’.
Peng Xiu, seated at the back behind the other concubines and princesses, clenched her fists in fury. She hated Xiang Yu with a burning passion, despising how he was undermining her plans. She wanted to kill him, to skin him alive. Her fiery gaze bore into Xiang Yu, but he paid her no attention.
"This seems too generous," the emperor remarked, his voice tinged with suspicion.
"You haven’t heard what I want yet," Xiang Yu replied smoothly.
The emperor’s eyes narrowed. It seemed he had finally figured it out. He had many beautiful daughters, and it only made sense that an enemy prince might lose his rationality over one of them. Thinking of his daughter Peng Xiu, who had been kidnapped by Xiang Yu, he asked, "Is this about our daughter, Princess Peng Xiu?"
Peng Xiu gritted her teeth, cursing her father silently. If he dared to sell her off to Xiang Yu, she would strike him dead where he sat.
Xiang Yu’s face scrunched up in disgust. "No," he said firmly. This old man truly wanted him to step on a landmine. Han Xin would undoubtedly be jealous. Sure enough, Han Xin was looking at him with an expression that seemed to say, ’Choose your next words carefully’.
The emperor gestured to his other beautiful daughters and said, "You may take your pick." Sealing this peace treaty with a marriage alliance would make it even stronger.
Xiang Yu sneered. "No need. I don’t want a wife. I already have three heirs," he said, gesturing to the twins and Baihe standing behind him.
The hall erupted in murmurs. How could such a young man have children that old? Even if he had started having children at ten years old, it didn’t make sense. The math was not mathing.
"They don’t need a stepmother," Xiang Yu continued, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. "But a stepfather will do."
The emperor’s brows furrowed, and gasps echoed through the hall. "You want one of the princes? We will not allow it," he said, his voice incredulous.
The princes visibly stiffened, their faces pale. Xiang Yu chuckled softly. "I don’t want any of your sons," he said, turning to look directly at Han Xin. "I want General Han. How about it, Your Majesty?... You lose nothing."
The grand hall erupted into an uproar. Ministers and courtiers whispered furiously, their shock and disbelief palpable. Han Xin’s heart pounded in his chest, his mind reeling from Xiang Yu’s bold declaration. Xiang Yu’s eyes never left Han Xin’s, a burning intensity in his gaze that spoke volumes.
The emperor’s face darkened, his grip tightening on the armrest of his throne. Peng Xiu stood up abruptly, her voice ringing through the grand hall. "Father!" she yelled, her face a mask of disbelief and fury.
She couldn’t fathom that Xiang Yu actually wanted to marry her beloved. But Xiang Yu was serious, and the thought that the emperor might force Han Xin into this marriage made her blood boil. If that happened, she would lose the man of her dreams forever.
The emperor glowered at her, and Peng Xiu sat down, a storm brewing within her. Something inside her snapped like a beast breaking free of its restraints. Her rage was palpable, a murderous intent that made those around her restless and uneasy.
"Do you know what you are asking?" the emperor demanded, his voice cold and hard.
Xiang Yu laughed softly, leaning back in his chair with an air of nonchalance. "Of course, I know what I am saying."
The emperor’s eyes narrowed. "What if he is unwilling? Do you want us to force him?"
Xiang Yu’s smile widened. "Who says he is unwilling?"
The rest of the hall turned to look at Han Xin. Han Zhan standing at the back of the grand hall, couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He thought Han Xin would refuse after everything that had happened.
How could his cousin agree to marry the man who deceived him and he ear also his enemy? He had catfished him for so long, masquerading as a beauty, yet he had an instrument down there.
Han Xin stared at Xiang Yu, his lips pursed, the tips of his ears turning red, a detail only Xiang Yu noticed. "General Han," Xiang Yu called out, his voice steady and confident. "Are you willing? This crown prince will not treat you badly, and I won’t take concubines."
Lian chimed in, "We will make sure he won’t take concubines."
Mei added, "We will be well-behaved children."
Lian, who had no intention of being well-behaved, interjected, "Well, not me—" but Mei elbowed her, and Lian quickly changed her tone. "Yes, well-behaved," she coughed, though no one believed her.
Xiang Wei, standing nearby, couldn’t accept this arrangement, but knowing how stubborn his brother was, he had no choice. The only positive thing was that Xiang Yu had let go of his feelings for that wicked witch. He would rather see him with Han Xin rather than with Peng Xiu.
Han Xin took a deep breath and said, "For the sake of my country and my people, I am willing." He only said this to avoid appearing too eager, knowing it would make the emperor suspicious. To others, it sounded like he was making a great sacrifice, but to Xiang Yu, it was clear that Han Xin was choosing him over Yige.
Xiang Yu beckoned Han Xin over with a laugh. "See, he is willing. So, do we have an agreement?"
When Han Xin stood by Xiang Yu, Xiang Yu wrapped his arm around Han Xin’s waist possessively and pulled him close. The ministers who couldn’t stand it anymore erupted in outrage.
"This is to humiliate Yige!" one minister yelled. "This is a general whose family has fought for the country for generations. How can you humiliate him ?"
Another shouted, "How can you be so shameless?"
Yet another cried, "You Zhen people are lewd!"
Han Xin couldn’t tolerate them speaking ill of Xiang Yu. He opened his mouth to speak, but Xiang Yu gently squeezed his waist, silencing him.
Xiang Yu’s voice cut through the chaos. "Either you accept the conditions and both countries live in a prosperous age, or we go to war, and I still take your general by force. Your choice."
The hall fell silent, the weight of Xiang Yu’s ultimatum hanging heavily in the air. The emperor’s face was a mask of fury and contemplation, the fate of their nations teetering on the edge of a knife.