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Once the banquet at Hongmen was prepared, the servants withdrew, leaving only Xiang Yu and Yu Ji.
Yu Ji had not yet recovered from the harrowing experience of recent days; her body would occasionally twitch, and only when she nestled close to Xiang Yu could she feel a semblance of safety. She pressed tightly against him.
"Is the king planning to kill Liu Bang?" Yu Ji asked softly.
"No! I want to thank him," Xiang Yu replied calmly, a hint of openness on his face.
"He saved our lives back then. After you were captured, he lent me fifty thousand troops. Regardless of his intentions, I have benefited from it."
"My lord, there is something I wish to say, though I am unsure if I should."
"Speak your mind."
"I can't shake the feeling that there was something strange about that day you were captured. The military was on high alert; it would be impossible for an outsider to enter without being noticed, yet..."
Xiang Yu chuckled. "You suspect Liu Bang intentionally set me up, don't you? Hehe, I've thought about that too, but without evidence, it's unwise to jump to conclusions. Besides, aren't we doing well now?"
Yu Ji shook her head. "This isn't jumping to conclusions. Think about what happened afterward: you led your troops against the Qin Army with all your might, and not only did he fail to reinforce you, but he also took a detour straight to Xianyang and seized the imperial seal. In that battle, fifty thousand against four hundred thousand—it was clear he wanted you to perish in battle. Even if these are merely my petty thoughts, with the world now settled, Liu Bang will never share power with you."
Xiang Yu fell silent for a moment, deep in thought with a furrowed brow. "Yu Ji, do you know? I am a descendant of the noble house of Chu. After Qin Shi Huang conquered the six states and unified China, we have been plotting a rebellion ever since. Recovering our homeland and reclaiming the throne was once the most important thing in my life. But since meeting you, I've realized that whether or not I sit on the throne no longer matters to me. As long as I can be with you, even as a commoner, I would be content."
Yu Ji tightened her embrace around him.
"I fear others may not think the same way," she said softly.
At that moment, a servant announced that Liu Bang had arrived.
The banquet was none other than the historically famous "Hongmen Banquet." During the event, his subordinates hinted several times at killing Liu Bang, yet Xiang Yu turned a blind eye.
This was the best opportunity for Xiang Yu to seize the world, but unfortunately, he let it slip away.
What awaited him was Liu Bang's years of hiding in the shadows and his final desperate counterattack.
*
"In September, the autumn chill descends, frost flies across the fields; as the sun and moon battle, they ultimately return to Liu Bang; an old mother with white hair longs for her son, while his wife can only bear the loneliness of an empty home..."
Listening to the mournful Chu songs outside the tent, Xiang Yu couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy, a hint of sadness in his eyes.
Yu Ji stepped out from within, her footsteps light as she draped a cloak over him with gentle movements. "My lord..."
"Liu Bang has trapped me here with his ten-sided ambush for ten days now," Xiang Yu said, shaking his head with a bitter smile, his face filled with helplessness.
"I've heard he has issued orders to his men that whoever brings him my corpse will be rewarded with gold and titles. What a waste it is for us brothers to end up turning on each other."
Yu Ji scoffed, a mocking smile curling at her lips. "Liu Bang has never regarded you as a brother. He knows his own limitations and that he cannot achieve great things alone. That's why he took advantage of our situation in Kuaiji. Now that the Qin Dynasty has fallen, it's time for the rabbit to die and the dog to be cooked."
Xiang Yu smiled as he embraced Yu Ji gently, wrapping his arms around her tenderly. "Do you know what I fear most?"
Yu Ji shook her head. "The mighty Hegemon-King of Western Chu has swept away even the iron cavalry of the Qin Dynasty. What could possibly frighten you?"
"What I fear most is being separated from you," Xiang Yu sighed, his gaze filled with deep affection.
"I often think, if life continues like this day by day, we will grow old, and one of us will inevitably die first. If you die, I will be heartbroken; if I die, I fear it will hurt you. But now, we can face death together. Such an ending would please us both."
Yu Ji held him tightly, her body trembling slightly. "This life is too short; I want to be by your side for all eternity."
As the battle began, Yu Ji sat on horseback, her arms wrapped tightly around Xiang Yu as he charged left and right.
Poor Liu Bang's hundreds of thousands of troops could not contain Xiang Yu; he fought his way to the banks of the Wu River.
Just as he was about to cross the river, he suddenly felt Yu Ji convulse in his arms. Looking down, he realized that at some point, over a dozen feathered arrows had pierced her back. She stood before him like a shield, blocking these deadly attacks.
He gazed at her, and she looked back at him weakly; they both understood that death had finally arrived.
She smiled—a beautiful smile reminiscent of the time they first met. Time flowed on, yet they would never forget each other.
He taught her how to smile; she taught him what love meant. With a smile, peach blossoms bloomed; with love, songs of sorrow were buried.
Facing the surging enemy, Xiang Yu pressed down on the arrows in Yu Ji's back and forcefully drove them into his own heart.
For Liu Bang's bounty, all the soldiers rushed forward to seize Xiang Yu's corpse. Yet no matter how hard they tried, they could not separate Xiang Yu from Yu Ji's lifeless body.
After all, if death could not part them, then even the gods were powerless.
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