Chapter 53 Part 2

She no longer wore her hair in the zongjiao style. At her request, Gui Xiang most often styled her hair into a double-loop bun. The hair was parted into left and right sections, then bound tightly with silk ribbons, coiled upwards, and finally secured. The long silk ribbons hung down along the semi-circular buns, looking pure and lovely.

Liu Zhen didn't know that this hairstyle would first appear in the Wei and Jin dynasties. She had simply grown tired of the zongjiao style and described the hairstyle she wanted to Gui Xiang. Gui Xiang was nimble-fingered and skillful, and actually managed to create the style she wanted. Liu Zhen adored it and wore it often. This style didn't take much time, was novel and beautiful, and soon became popular in the King of Yu's manor. It then spread outside, and before long, it started a trend of wearing double-loop buns among the court ladies.

But in Gui Xiang's eyes, no matter how others styled it, no one looked as beautiful as her Young Mistress.

Liu Zhen, who was about to turn eleven, had gradually lost the baby fat on her face. Both her face and figure were taking on the slender form of a young maiden. Just like now, as she wrote with her head down in silence, the silk ribbons draping over her shoulders, she possessed a quiet and elegant grace that made one hold their breath.

Gui Xiang sat by the door, hugging her knees, her chin resting on them as she watched, mesmerized. She thought to herself, "For such an outstanding Young Mistress, which young master could possibly be worthy of her? It's a pity she and Young Master Ji were not fated to be together. If not for that hateful Ji Family, the two of them would have been a match made in heaven."

To vent her anger, Madam Zhang didn't even care that Liu Yuan might be displeased. When she heard that Madam Lou had fallen ill from anger, her own illness was cured without medicine. She was in such a good mood that her appetite doubled for a few days.

The matter of swapping houses naturally came to nothing. Since Madam Zhang wouldn't yield, An Zheng certainly couldn't act on his own authority. This was, after all, the Liu family's domestic affair; he had no standing to interfere and could only wait for Liu Yuan to return and resolve it himself.

Amidst this turmoil, about three more months passed. One day, while Liu Zhen, Liu Jin, Song Hong, and Guo Zhi were gathered together playing Chupu chess, they saw Ah Jin come running over, stumbling.

Liu Zhen thought something major had happened again and quickly stood up. Ah Jin panted, "Young Mistress! Young Mistress! Guess who's back!"

Liu Zhen raised an eyebrow. "Could it be that Father is back?"

Liu Yuan's return would mean a great victory. Not just Liu Zhen, but everyone's face lit up with joy.

But to their surprise, Ah Jin just shook her head. She had run over in such a hurry that she couldn't even speak properly, only bending over to catch her breath.

Just then, the group heard someone say, "I'm back!"

The person appeared from around the corner behind Ah Jin and strode over.

Liu Zhen's eyes widened. This time, it was a real, pleasant surprise. "Elder Brother!"

She lifted her skirt and ran over. Liu Nan laughed heartily, catching his sister's lunging body in an embrace, then lifted her up and spun her around several times.

Liu Zhen hugged Liu Nan tightly, only then realizing how hard he felt to the touch. She saw that Liu Nan was dressed in armor; his figure was much taller and more robust, his face was a sun-tanned bronze, and even his voice had become much deeper. If Liu Zhen weren't his biological sister, she probably wouldn't have recognized him at first glance.

The others also reacted and crowded around.

Liu Jin was also extremely happy, but he hadn't been close to this elder brother since childhood, so for now, he just hid behind Song Hong and called out "Elder Brother."

Liu Nan laughed, put Liu Zhen down, and without a second thought, pulled Liu Jin over and ruffled his hair. He then did the same to Song Hong, successfully making the usually serious-faced, mature-acting Song Hong blush bright red.

Guo Zhi patted his shoulder. "Good brother, you ran off without a word. You had us worried for a long time. Thank goodness you're alright!"

Liu Nan's heart skipped a beat, and his smile faltered slightly. He glanced at Liu Zhen, then put on a rather guilty-looking grin.

Liu Zhen pretended not to see his expression and only asked, "Brother, why did you come back so suddenly? Did Third Uncle come back with you?"

Seeing that she had no intention of settling old scores, Liu Nan secretly breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "You guys don't know yet, do you? Half a month ago, Father entered Xianyang, and the Lord of Qin has already surrendered. So he sent Third Uncle and me back to bring you all to Xianyang!"

Liu Zhen and the others were astonished. None of them had expected the good news to arrive so quickly.

In fact, it wasn't just them; even Liu Yuan himself hadn't expected it to go so smoothly.

It was all because he had stumbled upon a great opportunity.

After Zhang Han surrendered and his 200,000-strong army was buried alive by Xiang Yu, the news reached Xianyang, and the entire Qin court instantly fell into a panic. Huhai had shown no mercy when killing his siblings, but when disaster was about to befall him, he was terrified and immediately wanted to flee Xianyang.

Zhao Gao once again showed his true colors as a terrible ally. His idea, however, was completely different from Huhai's.

He was well aware that the rebel armies would reach Xianyang sooner or later. Zhao Gao didn't consider himself the main culprit and saw no need to flee with Huhai. Moreover, if he could hand Huhai over, he might even be able to perform a great service, earn a title, and continue to enjoy wealth and glory.

So, when Huhai proposed that Zhao Gao escort him in his escape, Zhao Gao killed Huhai without a second thought. He then installed Ziying, a member of the Qin imperial clan, as the Emperor of Qin, preparing to offer Ziying as a gift once the rebel armies arrived. He even had someone write a letter to Xiang Yu, expressing his endless admiration for the Hegemon-King of Western Chu and his earnest hope that he would arrive in Xianyang soon.

It is said that Xiang Yu was very pleased upon receiving the letter. Because Zhao Gao had not written to the Emperor of Chu but directly to him, it showed that even the people of Qin acknowledged Xiang Yu's hegemonic status. This naturally pleased him. For this reason, Xiang Yu specially sent a messenger to Xianyang to tell Zhao Gao that since he was so loyal, Xiang Yu would certainly spare his life and reward him according to his merits.

By a twist of fate, this court coup completely cleared the way for Liu Yuan's arrival.

After capturing Nanyang Commandery, he led his army and set out, traveling day and night towards Xianyang, hoping to arrive before anyone else.

After Zhang Han, Qin no longer had any viable troops. At this time, the various lords were all advancing towards Xianyang. The scattered Qin soldiers in various places posed no threat to them at all. Xiang Yu and his group took a different route. Due to the large number of allied forces, each with their own agenda, they inevitably held each other back, which took up more time. In the end, the single-minded Liu Yuan picked up a huge bargain, allowing him to enter Xianyang first.

After Liu Yuan arrived in Xianyang, Zhao Gao took one look and thought, "That's not right. Why isn't it the promised Xiang Yu? Who the hell is this Liu Yuan?"

But it was too late for regrets now. Facing Liu Yuan's army of 100,000, Xianyang had no power to resist. Zhao Gao had no choice but to follow his original plan, escorting Emperor Ziying of Qin out of the city to surrender.

Although he had committed countless foolish acts before, this would be the most erroneous decision of his life.

Because...

As soon as Liu Yuan arrived, he released Emperor Ziying of Qin and then killed Zhao Gao.

Before setting out, Liu Yuan had already discussed all sorts of countermeasures for after entering Xianyang with Song Xie and the others, including what to do if he entered Xianyang first, and what to do if he entered after Xiang Yu and his group.

After killing Zhao Gao, Liu Yuan pinned all the blame on Zhao Gao alone. He announced that the reason the Qin Dynasty had fallen to its current state was entirely Zhao Gao's fault. "Since the main culprit is dead, I do not intend to pursue any further responsibility. Let's leave it at that. The world now honors the Emperor of Chu, so naturally, there will be no more Emperor of Qin. If you are willing to surrender, I will put in a good word for you before the Emperor of Chu in the future and give you a way out."

Since he had said as much, what reason did the people have to resist?

Having been given a way out, Emperor Ziying of Qin was the first to remove his crown and kneel, expressing his willingness to become a commoner. Under the watchful eyes of all, Liu Yuan very tactfully helped him up, saying, "You are so considerate of the greater good of the world, how could the Emperor of Chu let you become a commoner? You can rest assured and wait to be made a marquis."

By the time the various lords hurried and finally arrived at Xidi near Xianyang, only two days had passed since Liu Yuan had stationed his troops in Xianyang. And in those two days, Liu Yuan had already settled everything.

Because the Emperor of Chu had previously issued a clear decree: whoever entered Xianyang first would own Xianyang. According to this decree, Xianyang naturally belonged to Liu Yuan.

To prevent the Emperor of Chu, Xiang Yu, and the others from going back on their word, Liu Yuan had Xu Zhongfang and Liu Nan hurry to Zhu County to bring his family and his team of retainers to Xianyang, to occupy the territory first and foremost.

After listening, Liu Zhen was not happy about going to Xianyang, but rather worried. "The various lords are now gathered at Xidi, which is just a stone's throw from Xianyang. Although the Emperor of Chu made a promise, the temptation of Xianyang is great. Who would be willing to give it up easily? Whoever has the bigger fist will have the say. How can Father's mere 100,000 troops compare with the allied lords? If Xiang Yu just incites them a little, I'm afraid they will form an alliance to deal with Father together!"

Liu Nan laughed. "Don't worry, don't worry, Mr. Song already has an excellent plan!"

Seeing his confidence and steady tone, Liu Zhen thought to herself, "Could it be that this elder brother of mine has even improved his strategic thinking after being away for over a year?" She asked, "What excellent plan is it?"

Liu Nan scratched his head, his true colors immediately showing. "I don't know! That's what Third Uncle said!"

Liu Zhen: "..."