When Roy stepped out of his courtyard and arrived at the front yard of the Xiang residence, he saw Xiang Liang and Fan Zeng both present.
"Uncle, didn't you say you had matters to attend to? Why are you still at home?"
Roy slightly cupped his hands and addressed Xiang Liang.
This true rebel of the Xiang family from the late Qin period, whatever his personal motives might be, was genuinely sincere toward Roy, who shared no blood relation with him, treating him as his own nephew. Seeing such sincerity, Roy also developed some genuine affection for him.
'It's just a pity there's some arrogance in his character. It doesn't show much now when his influence isn't fully established, but once it is, this trait might very well cost him his life.'
Recalling how in actual history, Xiang Liang died not long after rebelling against Qin due to his overconfidence, all Roy could do here was sigh.
If Xiang Liang hadn't died, how could the Overlord of Western Chu have emerged? So he had to die.
"Ji'er actually left his courtyard? I thought you'd stay holed up there for three days and nights without coming out."
Xiang Liang laughed heartily, very pleased that Roy had taken a liking to a certain woman, as this would create ties for Roy, firmly binding him to the chariot of the Xiang family's cause.
Unfortunately, while he knew Yu Ji was no ordinary woman, he didn't realize she was an actual celestial maiden who even disdained contact with humans. Trying to tie her down with human emotions might be possible, but it was certainly beyond Xiang Liang's capabilities.
"Uncle, please don't tease me. Since you and Master Fan are both here, I assume something significant is about to happen."
Roy wasn't the type to get flustered by a few jokes; he waved his hand with a smile.
Xiang Liang's expression gradually turned serious. Exchanging a glance with Fan Zeng, he said, "...Ji'er truly understands my heart and intentions. Master Fan and I are indeed discussing major matters here. With rebel armies rising everywhere, Qin's rule is already crumbling. The time has come for our Xiang family's grand ambition to be realized."
On the other side, Fan Zeng added, "...The governor of Kuaiji, Yin Tong, is an ambitious man. Aware of the peasant uprisings everywhere, he believes Heaven has decreed the fall of Qin and has also developed rebellious intentions. This morning, he summoned Lord Xiang to discuss this very matter, hoping for Lord Xiang's assistance in raising an army. What does General Yu think?"
Without hesitation, Roy replied, "...We cannot follow his orders. If we rebel under his command, the hierarchy will be set, making it difficult for us to turn the tables later. This would cause our subordinates to distrust us. Eventually, we'll need to recruit other rebel forces or attract other strategists and worthy officials—it's best not to have a reputation for treachery."
"...Moreover, the governor of Kuaiji has done almost nothing, relying entirely on Uncle's efforts here. Why should we risk our lives for him?"
Delighted, Xiang Liang asked, "...Then what does Ji'er suggest we do?"
"Since we're at it, we might as well kill him. With rebellions and bandits everywhere now, we can easily fabricate a reason for his death. With Uncle's reputation in Kuaiji, you can replace him as governor and take full administrative control of the entire commandery. Even if some suspect our involvement, without evidence, it won't harm our reputation."
"Yin Tong has hundreds of family members in Kuaiji. Killing just him might be disadvantageous for us."
Xiang Liang continued speaking, and from his tone, it was clear he had already harbored this idea for some time, merely guiding Roy to voice it.
Roy naturally saw through his little scheme and inwardly scoffed. But even if Xiang Liang hadn't suggested it, he would have done it anyway—not for any other reason, but to ensure history progressed along the correct path of human order.
Only then would this timeline become the right one. Only then would Yu Ji avoid being pruned by human order and survive.
Roy indeed had the power to unify China single-handedly. To him, such a task was laughably simple—a mere wave of his hand would suffice. Even unifying the entire planet was only a matter of time. But he couldn't do it, for that would bring about the death of both the world and Yu Ji.
Even if his current actions were thankless and arduous, he would persist. Compared to Yu Ji, the entire world meant nothing in his eyes. To prevent Yu Ji from being pruned, this world absolutely could not vanish.
Moreover, Roy bore the curse of human order. He could no longer afford to commit another act of destroying it. Only by first correcting the human order here could he lift the curse and activate the Human Order Correction Formula.
Once the Human Order Correction Formula was activated, the curse upon Roy would transform into a blessing of human order, granting him infinite luck and freeing him from all concerns about magical energy.
If the "Human Order Incineration Formula" violently extracted heat from human order to convert into magical energy, then the "Human Order Correction Formula" gently siphoned magical energy from it. Though less efficient than incineration, its advantage lay in its sustainability and longevity.
"I understand Uncle's meaning. When the opportunity arises, I will personally eliminate the entire Yin clan—all hundred of them."
Roy fully grasped Xiang Liang's intent. The Yin Tong family could not be allowed a single survivor, as they would bring trouble to the Xiang clan. Moreover, the task of exterminating an entire family couldn't be entrusted to others—outsiders must not know of it. Neither Xiang Liang nor Fan Zeng had the capability to slaughter an entire household alone, so the task fell to Roy.
Exterminating an entire clan? Roy felt no pressure whatsoever in carrying out such deeds.
"Excellent! With your word, Ji'er, I am at ease."
Xiang Liang exclaimed joyfully, while Fan Zeng stroked his beard nearby, his expression full of admiration.
They had feared Roy might display some womanly compassion, but now it was clear he was truly a man capable of great deeds.
Since ancient times, those who achieved greatness were never bound by trivialities. When decisive action was called for, they acted without hesitation. So-called womanly compassion was reserved only for one's own people, never for enemies. And showing kindness to one's own could yield unexpectedly favorable results.
"There is one more matter. Currently, the hearts of the Chu people yearn for their homeland, and resentment toward the tyrannical Qin runs deep. We should seek out a descendant of the Chu kings and proclaim him as ruler. This will rally the old generals and nobles of Chu to our cause, bolstering our strength! Then, we can act in the name of the Chu king. When the time comes to settle the world, we can find a pretext to depose him and declare ourselves kings!"
Fan Zeng spoke again, and from the cunning of his strategy, it was evident he had wholly thrown his lot in with the Xiang clan.
"Agreed!"
Both Roy and Xiang Liang voiced their approval.
At this time, the people of Huaxia had just begun to grasp the concept of unification. The First Emperor had truly unified the six states only a year before his death in 290. In the hearts of many during this era, nostalgia for their old kingdoms lingered, and the desire to restore them remained strong.
Thus, the matter was settled.
'So the Chu-Han contention is finally about to begin,' Roy thought. 'I had just hoped to let Yu Ji settle down, but in the blink of an eye, I'll have to take her on the move again.'
His thoughts then turned to the Han dynasty's founding emperor, wondering what kind of man he truly was.
Most people's impressions of Emperor Gaozu came from the Records of the Grand Historian. However, Sima Qian bore a deep grudge against the Liu family—over something as trivial as a chicken—and thus spared no effort in vilifying them. Though the Records did mention Gaozu's extraordinary qualities, it focused far more on his scandals, tarnishing his reputation in history.
Yet, the founding emperor of our dynasty once remarked that among feudal rulers, none surpassed Gaozu in capability—he couldn't possibly have been the utter rogue and scoundrel he was often portrayed as.
...
"Achoo!"
In Pei County, a young woman rubbed her reddened nose and muttered, "...Who's talking about me again? Could it be Father? Ugh, always calling me idle. He never cared before, but now he's forcing me to marry."
She pondered for a moment. With rebel forces rising everywhere lately, she happened to hold an official position that required her to escort prisoners to Mount Li. Wouldn't this be the perfect opportunity to rally those prisoners to her side?
If she rebelled, she wouldn't have to be forced into marriage anymore.
"Alas, a true man should be like this!"
She recalled the playful words she had once uttered upon seeing the First Emperor. What she had truly meant was that she wanted to marry such a "true man" in the future. But now, somehow, those words suddenly felt different.