The terrain of Jiuli Mountain was complex. Han Xin had deployed his forces in a ten-sided ambush, dividing the 100,000-strong Chu army. After successive defeats and the haunting songs of Chu from all directions, the Chu soldiers had long lost their will to fight. Under the Han army's division, most surrendered, with only a small fraction resisting desperately.
In the end, only twenty-some cavalrymen remained, steadfastly following Roy. Though Roy could be cruel at times—even to the point of massacring cities and burying enemies alive—his actions were always purposeful. His nature was not inherently tyrannical. Touched by their loyalty, Roy offered them gold and jewels, urging them to return to their hometowns. But these Chu men refused, vowing to live and die with the Hegemon-King of Western Chu.
Left with no choice, Roy resorted to magecraft to drive them away.
"In the end, the only one left by my side is Yu Meiren."
The rugged terrain of Jiuli Mountain made it ideal for Han Xin's ten-sided ambush, but for a lone individual, it was easier to hide deep within the mountains.
Roy walked leisurely along the mountainside, surrounded by lush greenery. He didn't seem like a fugitive fleeing the Han army's pursuit—more like a man on a leisurely outing. Riding his steed, Wu Zhui, he held her hand and chatted idly.
"If my lord wishes, this humble consort will remain by your side forever."
Yu Meiren relaxed her delicate frame, resting her head against Roy's chest. She clung tightly to his arm, as if afraid he might vanish the next second.
Roy's presence in this world had grown increasingly faint, his connection to the Moonlit World weakening to the extreme. The "Ark" dwelling within his body urged him to leave quickly.
There was longing in Yu Meiren's words. How she wished Roy would nod in agreement! With their abilities, escaping the besieging army would be as simple as eating or drinking. They could retreat to the mountains, leaving worldly affairs behind, living as carefree immortals.
But Roy shook his head. He kissed Yu Meiren's jade-smooth cheek and smiled.
"...After striving for so many years to reach this point, how could I let it all collapse at the final moment? Yu Meiren, it is because my power is too weak—too weak to resist the pruning of human order—that you must continue to wander alone in these mountains and rivers."
Yu Ji already knew Roy's answer. Suppressing the tears in her eyes, she forced herself to maintain that dazzling smile that had captured Roy's heart, unwilling to let the atmosphere turn sorrowful. Lowering her delicate head, she shook it slightly and said hoarsely, "...It's my fault for making Your Majesty compromise like this for my sake. If possible, I would gladly give my life so that Your Majesty could—"
Before she could finish, Roy covered her mouth, his expression solemn. "...Don't speak such nonsense. I'm not truly dying—just leaving for a while. One day, I will return to see you again, my Yu the Beauty. So until we meet again, you must protect yourself. Don't go seeking death, and of course, don't let any other man take advantage of you."
"Pfft—"
Roy's words drew a laugh from Yu Ji, two bubbles even forming at her delicate nose. Blushing, she wiped her nose with her sleeve and whispered, "...Since meeting Your Majesty, no other man in this vast world could ever catch my eye. Even if it takes ten years, a hundred, a thousand, or ten thousand, I will wait here for Your Majesty... wait for you to come back for me."
"...I only hope that when we meet again, Your Majesty will place another poppy in my hair... I... I loved that flower very much."
"So it's a promise?" Roy murmured.
"Yes, it's a promise!"
Yu Ji's smile bloomed like a poppy itself. She clung tightly to Roy, as if memorizing his scent, his warmth—so that when they met again, she could recognize him at once among the crowd.
When will the spring flowers and autumn moon end? How much of the past can we truly know?...
"Prosperity brings suffering to the people; collapse brings suffering to the people! After enduring the wars of Qin's conquest and over a decade of Qin's tyranny, the people of Huaxia have barely recovered before being plunged into the Chu-Han contention. They are exhausted. This war... it's time to end it!"
"...Though I have slaughtered cities and buried hundreds of thousands of Qin soldiers alive, those were necessary strategies. But now, there's no need to send more soldiers to their deaths. I'll order the Chu troops to surrender without resistance—Liu Ji will treat them well. Let this final battle spare both Chu and Han from further bloodshed."
"The Xiongnu still eye us hungrily from the north. If the Han army suffers heavy losses, this newly founded empire could collapse before it even stands."
Roy's gaze drifted northward, as if piercing through the landscape beyond the Great Wall.
There, nomadic tribes would become the Han dynasty's greatest foes—until Emperor Wu drove them west centuries later. And further still, a Hun king named Attila, the Scourge of God, would one day ravage Europe.
Yu the Beauty listened quietly. Though Roy often claimed he wasn't cut out to be emperor, she knew that had he taken the throne, he would have ruled wisely.
For he understood the people's suffering and pitied their plight.
Though pity itself is a kind of 'evil'.
"Where's Xiao Yu?"
Roy hadn't seen the fox for some time, but preoccupied with Yu Ji, he hadn't spared much thought to Tamamo-no-Mae's whereabouts.
"Tamamo said she doesn't like the sadness of farewells, so she left long ago."
With Tamamo-no-Mae's abilities, she naturally could discern Roy's condition.
"That fox is always grinning and laughing all day, truly not suited for sorrowful partings."
Roy chuckled. It was just as well that Tamamo-no-Mae had left like this. Though their fates remained intertwined, they would surely meet again someday.
"During my years here, I've lived with a clear conscience. The only one I've wronged is Liu Ji."
Speaking of Liu Ji, Roy felt a pang of remorse.
He had initially assumed Emperor Gaozu would be a rogueish uncle in his forties, full of ambition. Roy had planned to secretly assist him, believing the emperor would willingly ascend the throne.
But who could have predicted that in this world, Emperor Gaozu would be a stunning young woman of twenty, who became entangled in an emotional bond with him? She cared so little for the throne that all the strategies Roy had prepared in advance, when applied to this maiden, became sources of anguish instead.
"After I die, Yu the Beauty, you should leave and return to being an immortal fairy. Forcing you to remain lonely and helpless was my mistake... As for my remains, give them to Liu Ji. If she resents my cruelty, let her vent her anger on my corpse however she wishes—this is what I owe her."
Before Roy could finish speaking, Yu the Beauty pressed her fingers to his lips.
"My king, please don't speak of 'death'!"
Her gaze was tender as water, those beautiful crimson eyes shimmering as they met Roy's.
"Haha! Yu the Beauty speaks true. This king will return—how could I truly perish here?"
With a playful cry from Yu the Beauty, Roy suddenly swept her into his arms and dismounted. Murmuring, "...Thinking of how long it may be before I can taste Yu the Beauty's sweetness again, this king's heart grows restless. Beneath this vast sky, upon this boundless earth—why not...?"
Though Yu Meiren was bashful, at this moment she was willing to endure whatever Roy did to her.