Zhang Han, upon receiving Roy's letter, had already begun considering surrender. However, he still commanded an army of four hundred thousand. By sheer visible strength, Qin remained the most powerful among the current warring states. Moreover, among these four hundred thousand troops were many officers, some still loyal to Qin.
Zhang Han was no fool. He knew that if he surrendered now, those officers loyal to the Second Emperor would have grounds to rebel. While surrendering to the Overlord of Western Chu would likely earn him a noble title and important position, it would be disastrous if he were killed by his own men before enjoying such rewards.
Having campaigned against Chu, Qi, and Zhao during Qin's decline, he was no incompetent. Though Qin's vast resources had allowed him to be profligate, the fact that he alone among Qin's generals showed any promise during this period spoke volumes of his talent.
Having made his decision, Zhang Han immediately shifted focus. No longer did he ponder how to defeat Chu for survival; instead, he began investigating his subordinates to identify those loyal to the Second Emperor. These men he then placed in key positions, sending them to lead troops against the Chu forces.
These loyal officers would naturally fight with all their might. If they fell to Chu's army, it would conveniently clear his path to surrender. Should they miraculously defeat Chu, as Qin's supreme commander he could still escape the current siege.
In short order, Zhang Han devised this plan to kill two birds with one stone. Whether victory or defeat came, his own life would remain secure.
...
In the Chu army camp, Roy sat facing Yu Ji. Savoring fine wine, he watched the beautiful woman play music for his amusement. Even amidst the great battle against Qin, Roy remained perfectly content.
A beauty sang and danced for him, and in the heat of the moment, he pulled Yu Ji close. Under her flushed face, he pressed down her delicate head, making her serve him with her mouth. Though Yu Ji's skills were still inexperienced, under his patient guidance, she had begun to show improvement.
The only step left untouched between Roy and Yu Ji was the final one. Everything else had already been explored under his command and her half-hearted resistance. Now, Roy was merely waiting for the right time and place to make the Yu beauty truly bloom.
"Report!"
Suddenly, there came the sound of a soldier reporting from outside. Roy frowned, patted Yu Ji's beautiful hair, and only then did he see the lovely Yu raise her head, her cheeks flushed red. Covering her lips with her hand, she stood up and then retreated to the side to tidy her appearance.
After ensuring that nothing suspicious could be detected, Roy finally ordered the soldier to report.
"Overlord, Zhang Han has sent word—he refuses to surrender! A Qin general is now challenging us to battle by the Zhang River!"
"Refuses to surrender?"
Roy pondered silently, thinking that someone as shrewd as Zhang Han wouldn't make such a decision. Could he truly be blindly loyal?
But soon, Roy dismissed these thoughts. Whether Zhang Han surrendered or not made little difference to him. At worst, it would just take a bit more time to crush his 400,000-strong army. Given the current state of the Qin forces, a few major battles would be enough to dismantle them as long as they weren't given time to regroup.
"Pass my order—all soldiers, prepare for battle!"
"Yes, Overlord!"
Once the soldier withdrew, Roy turned to Yu Ji with a smile. "...Wait here for me, my beauty. Warm a cup of wine for me—I'll return to savor it after I crush the Qin army."
By now, Yu Ji had regained her composure. She swallowed what was in her mouth before speaking softly. "...The battlefield is fraught with peril, my lord. You must take care... Why not let this humble consort accompany you into battle?"
"Such a trivial foe isn't worth troubling you, my lady. I'll resolve this swiftly!"
Hearing Roy call her "my lady," Yu Ji's face lit up with joy, her eyes shimmering with affection. Seeing that Roy refused her help, she said no more.
Having spent so much time with Roy and witnessed his peerless prowess on the battlefield, Yu Ji had grown confident in his abilities. Since leading the Chu rebellion, Roy had personally slain tens of thousands, yet he bore not a single scar. She had no reason to worry.
Even so, every time Roy went to war, Yu Ji would secretly linger at the battlefield's edge. If he ever faced true danger, she was prepared to unleash a bloodbath, even at the cost of succumbing to her bloodlust, to drown his enemies in carnage.
Roy, of course, knew of Yu Ji's silent guardianship, though he pretended otherwise.
Yu Ji despised human contact, yet she ventured onto the battlefield for his sake—solely for his safety. Though Roy never spoke of it, he was deeply moved.
What was love? It wasn't about how much the other person did for you, but how much they were willing to change for you—to do what they hated most. That was love.
With Yu Ji's help, Roy donned his armor and was about to summon his troops when hurried footsteps echoed outside the tent.
"Report!! A message from the Marquis of Wu'an!"
"Liu Ji? Speak!"
Roy hadn't expected so many developments today.
"The Marquis of Wu'an sent a messenger riding posthaste—she has breached the Pass and is advancing on Xianyang!"
Hearing the soldier's report, Roy was stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter. "...I've only been north for a little over a month. I thought I'd be the one to break the Qin's main forces first, yet Pei Gong has already entered the Pass!"
Though this "High Emperor" was nearly thirty years younger than the one Roy knew from history, and though his own conquest of the Qin army as the Overlord of Western Chu had far outpaced Xiang Yu's historical achievements, Liu Ji had still proven her capability. In just over a month, she had breached the Pass and was now closing in on the Qin's stronghold.
If we account for the distance the messenger had to travel from Guanzhong to Julu, Roy estimated that by now, Liu Ji had likely already stormed into Xianyang, and even the Second Emperor of Qin and Zhao Gao might be dead.
"Deliver this news to the Qin army across from us!"
Roy took a deep breath and commanded the soldiers.
A wave of dizziness washed over him—history had finally taken the most correct course. At this point, one could even declare the Qin dynasty had fallen.
"Though Chu has but three clans, it will be Chu that destroys Qin!"
Roy had been a native of ancient Chu before his transmigration. After experiencing this historical baptism, the saying still held true without question.
The First Emperor's empire, meant to last ten thousand generations, had ultimately been destroyed by this very man of Chu.
"My king..."
Hearing the sweet, melodious voice of Yu Ji beside him, Roy snapped out of his thoughts and smiled at her. "...Guanzhong has fallen, and the entire north is now in our hands. Once I deal with the Qin army before us, we'll clear the path to Guanzhong. Then, my fair Yu Ji and I can visit the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor!"
As he finished speaking, Roy felt the 'Curse of Human Order' that had long weighed on his heart and agitated his mind dissipate until only a trace remained. Presumably, once Roy identified the flaw in human order and set it back on the right path, this remaining curse would vanish entirely, allowing him to fully master the 'Human Order Correction Formula'!